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ou can use two forms of asking the name in Chinese: common - when asking people younger then you

or in your age
and polite form when addressing someone older or someone who you should treat with honour when neccessary
(boss, teacher)

In lesson 2 you learned personal pronoun 你 nĭ which means you. 你好 Ní hăo is a common used form of saying hello
in Chinese - hi, hello. 您 Nín represents a polite form and means: Sir, Madamm. 您好 nín hăo means: Good morning
Sir / Madamm.

The personal pronouns "ni" and "nin" do not distinguish gender of a person. It both means girl/women and boy/man.

Asking sombody`s name:

1. common form

你叫什么名字?

Ni jiao shenme mingzi?

What is your name?

2. polite form

您贵姓?

Nin gui xing?

May I ask your name please?

Answers:

1. common form

我叫彼得。

Wo jiao Bide.

My name is Peter.

2. polite form

我姓李,叫小龙。

Wo xing Li, jiao Xiaolong.

My surname is Li and my name is Xiaolong.

Notice:

In Chinese the surname always goes first, the name of a person follows the surname, ie:
Jia Zhangke - surname Jia, Zhangke name

Mao Zedong - surname Mao, Zedong name

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Dialogs

1.

 A: 你好!  A: Ní hăo!

 B: 你好!  B: Ní hăo!

A: 你叫什么名字?  A: Ní jiào shénme míngzi?

 B: 我叫安娜,你呢?  B: Wŏ jiào Ān`nà, ní ne?

A: 我叫彼得。  A: Wŏ jiào Bĭdé.

B: 再见!  B: Zài jiàn!

 A: 再见!  A: Zài jiàn!


translation:

A: Hello!

B: Hello!

A: What is your name?

B: My name is Ann, and yours?

A: My name is Peter.

B: See you!

A: See you!

2.

 A: 您好!  

B: 您好!  A: Nín hăo!

A: 您贵姓?  B: Nín hăo!

B: 我姓李,叫小龙。您呢?  A: Nín guì xìng?

A: 我姓王,叫小李。  B: Wŏ xìng Lĭ, jiào Xiăolóng, nín ne?


 A: Wŏ xìng Wáng, jiào Xiăolĭ.
B: 再见!
 B: Zài jiàn!
A: 再见!
 A: Zài jiàn!

translation:

A: Good morning Sir.

B: Good morning Sir.

A: My I ask your name please?

B: My surname is Li and my name is Xiaolong, and yours?

A: My surname is Wang and my name is Xiaoli.

B: Good bye!

A: Good bye!

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New words and expressions
 
你好 Ní hăo hi, hello

你叫什么名字? Ní jiào shénme míngzi what is your name

叫 jiào name, call (v.)

什么 shénme what

名字 míngzi name (n.)

呢 ne particle placed at the end of

我 wŏ an interrogative sentence

您好 Nín hăo I, me

您 nín good morning Sir/Madamm

您贵姓 Nín guì xìng you - honorificum

贵 guì may I ask your name please

姓 xìng dear, noble, expensive

李 Lĭ surname
chinese surname
小龙 Xiăolóng
chinese name
王 Wáng
chinese surname
小李 Xiăolĭ
chinese name

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