Learning Chinese - Haohsiang Liao

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A LANGUAGE GUIDE FOR SELF-STUDY
Learning
Chinese
Speak, Read and Write Chinese with Manga!
HAOHSIANG LIAO
T UT T L E Publishing
Tokyo Rutland, Vermont Singapore
Contents
LESSON 1 A Basic Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5
LESSON 2 The Basics ................................................................................................................................. 11
LESSON 3 Greetings .................................................................................................................................. 15
Dialogue: Greeting New Friends 15
Cultural Note: Chinese Names 16
Cultural Note: Common Greetings 16
Cultural Note: The Optional “Z” Sound 17
LESSON 4 Introducing Yourself (I) ................................................................................................. 21
Dialogue: Self-Introductions 21
Cultural Note: Talking About Your Nationality 24
Cultural Note: The Word BP˛VOO]~ = “China” or “Chinese” 24
LESSON 5 Introducing Yourself (II).................................................................................................. 29
Dialogue: Asking Questions 29
Cultural Note: Terms of Address 30
LESSON 6 Small Talk ................................................................................................................................... 37
Dialogue: Making Plans to Meet Up 37
Cultural Note: Big Units Before Small Units 40
LESSON 7 Getting Around .................................................................................................................... 45
Dialogue: Finding Places 45
Cultural Note: Days of a Week 49
LESSON 8 Eating and Drinking ........................................................................................................... 53
Dialogue: Lunch Conversation 53
Cultural Note: Using “*\oQ + Stative Verb” = “Not Too …” To Soften Negative
Meanings 58
LESSON 9 Going Shopping .................................................................................................................... 63
Dialogue: Buying Clothes 63
Cultural Note: Using The Word 9ʕVO_vV = “May I Ask” 67
Cultural Note: Ways of Payment 68
LESSON 10 Introduction to the Chinese Writing System (I) ..................................... 73
Dialogue: Buying Clothes 73
LESSON 11 Making a Phone Call ....................................................................................................... 79
Dialogue: Calling Manager Lin 79
Cultural Note: Making and Answering a Phone Call 82
Cultural Note: Titles as Terms of Address 83
Cultural Note: The Polite Measure Word ?vQ to Refer to People (I) 83
Cultural Note: Cell Phone Numbers in Mainland China 83
Cultural Note: Response to @Qv`QM “Thank you” is 6nTQ “Not at all; It’s Nothing” 83
LESSON 12 Holiday Celebrations................................................... .................................................... 89
Dialogue: Important Chinese Holidays 89
Cultural Note: Chinese Traditional Holidays 95
Cultural Note: Chinese Lunar Calendar 95
Cultural Note: BVObQ = “Glutinous Rice Dumplings” and A]vJʕVO = “Mooncakes” 95
LESSON 13 Feeling Unwell .................................................................................................................... 101
Dialogue: Expressing Concern 101
Cultural Note: BɀVUMTM to Show your Concern 105
LESSON 14 Being Invited to the Manager’s Home
For Dinner (I) ....................................................................................................................... 109
Dialogue: Arriving at The Manager’s Home 109
Cultural Note: The Greeting 6ʕTnQTM = “You Have Come” 111
Cultural Note: Being a House Guest in Chinese Culture 111
LESSON 15 Being Invited to the Manager’s Home
For Dinner (II) ..................................................................................................................... 117
Dialogue: Asking about Family 117
Cultural Note: The Polite Measure Word ?vQ to Refer to People (II) 121
Cultural Note: Using ,]˛+Pʅ0ɔ,QǻVZ to Show Hospitality 121
Cultural Note: Politely Refusing a Request 121
LESSON 16 Geography and Weather......................................................................................... 125
Dialogue: Other Countries’ Weather 125
LESSON 17 Traveling .................................................................................................................................135
Dialogue: Plans for Spring Break 135
Cultural Note: Politely Excusing Yourself When Departing Early 139
Cultural Note: The Phrase BoQ4QnW = “Talk to You Later” 139
LESSON 18 Arranging a Ride to the Airport ........................................................................ 143
Dialogue: Calling a Taxi Company 143
Cultural Note: “What’s Your Honorable Last Name?” 147
Cultural Note: Asking Someone to Repeat With ,]zJ]Yʕ9ʕVO6yV
BoQ;P]˛AyJQoV 148
LESSON 19 Farewell ...................................................................................................................................153
Dialogue: Having a Farewell Dinner 153
Cultural Note: Receiving a Compliment 156
LESSON 20 Introduction to the Chinese Writing System (II) .................................161
English-Pinyin Glossary ............................................................................................................. 167
Pinyin-English Glossary ............................................................................................................. 174
Answer Key ................................................................................................................................ 181
Mr. Eric ?˳RQ[Pz
Goodman? 6ʕ[Pz[PMy'
Yes, I am.
Who are you?
0]ǴVayVO 6ʕPǻW
P]ǴVayVO ?˳P]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uV
Welcome, welcome! Hi! I speak Chinese.
<oQPǻWTM 6yVPɀVJoVO!
Oh good! You are amazing!
?˳[Pz
@QǻW4ʕVyVLM[ʅRʅ
I’m Xiao Li, your
chauffeur.
:oVO_˳Vn
VyVLM`yVOTʕJI
Let me have your
luggage.
6oTQVoTQ
Oh, no,
not at all.
@Qv`QM
Thank you.
LESSON 1
A Basic Introduction
The world’s languages are all thought to belong to five major language families:
Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic and Austronesian.
Chinese, along with many other languages spoken in Asia, like Burmese and
Tibetan, is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family.
The modern form of Chinese spoken in China today was developed in the early
20th century to serve as a “national language” to help people from all over China
to communicate with each other more easily. Nowadays everyone in China learns
the language when they go to school, and almost everyone can speak it—although
some older people have difficulty speaking it clearly (but they understand).
Chinese is different from the classical Chinese used in ancient China and also
very different from the various regional Chinese languages still spoken through-
out the country today—although these languages do share common roots and
similarities. (For example, the same written characters are used in all the Chinese
languages even though the vocabulary and grammar may differ.) Mandarin Chi-
nese is as different from Cantonese, Shanghainese or Szechuanese as English is
from German, French or Italian. Many people in China speak their local region-
al language at home and with close friends but they speak Mandarin Chinese at
school, at work and in more formal situations. Often they mix the two together
into a sort of colorful mash-up which can be very entertaining.
Chinese today has the most native speakers of any language in the world. It is the
official language of Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and one of the four
official languages of Singapore. In Mainland China it is referred to as 8͘\˛VOP]o
(the “common” or “everyday” language) or BP˛VO_uV (the “Chinese language”).
In Taiwan, it is called /]~a͘ (the “national language”) while in Singapore it is
0]na͘ (another way of saying the “Chinese language”).
Chinese syllables and words

Chinese words consist of one or more syllables, just like English words. Each Chi-
nese syllable has a main vowel with a tone marking placed above it (see below)
plus one or more consonants at the beginning or end of the syllable (or both).
For instance, [P͌ means “book” in Chinese: “[P” is the initial consonant and “͌”
is the vowel with the tone mark above it. More examples:
Pɔ drink
ǴV peace
oQ love
6 LESSON 1
nW suffer
RQoW called
NɔVO wind
[VO give
The majority of Chinese words have one or two syllables. Several examples of
single-syllable words are:
KPn tea
UnVO busy
_˳ I
Some examples of words with two syllables are:
`]u[PMVO student
TnVYQ basketball
*ɀQRʅVO Beijing
Two single-syllable words, each with their own meaning, are joined together to
form a compound Chinese word. In Chinese almost all two-syllable words are
formed this way. Learning the single syllable words and then learning all the var-
ious compounds is a very good way of expanding your Chinese vocabulary.Here
are some examples:
LQoV “electricity” + NvQ “fee” = LQoVNvQ “electricity bill”

P]˳ “fire” + KPɔ “vehicle” = P]˳KPɔ “train”
RQǴ “family” + ZuV “person(s)” = RQǴZuV “family members”
[Pz “try” + KP]ǴV “wear” = [PzKP]ǴV “try on”
[P͌ “book” + LQoV “store” = [P͌LQoV “bookstore”
The 0oVa͘8 VaʅV Romanization System

Another characteristic of Chinese is that the Chinese characters for the words do
not tell you exactly how they are pronounced (although some clues are given). In
fact, many characters are pronounced exactly the same way! For example:
[Pʅ: “master” 师, “wet” 湿, “lion” 狮, “poem” 诗

NɔVO: “wind” 风, “crazy” 疯, “seal” 封, “harvest” 丰
UnVO: “busy” 忙, “blind” 盲, “bandit” 氓
In addition, some characters have more than one sound. For instance:
都：(1) L͌ as in [P˳]L͌ “capital city”, (2) L˛] “all”

觉：(1) R]u as in R]uLM “feel”, (2) RQoW as in [P]zRQoW “sleep”
便：(1) XQnV as in XQnVaQ “cheap”, (2) JQoV as in NǴVOJQoV “convenient”
A BASIC INTRODUCTION 7
It is nearly impossible to write Chinese using a purely phonetic system of writ-

ing—because many words would look and sound the same and the intended
meaning would be unclear without referring to the characters. Traditionally, in
fact, no alphabetic system existed at all. However, in modern times a standard
romanization system was developed to teach school children and foreigners to
pronounce the characters. This standard system was developed by the Mainland
Chinese government in late 1950s and is called Hanyu Pinyin (often referred to
simply as Pinyin). Other systems of romanization exist, but Pinyin has become
the standard method of writing Chinese phonetically and has been widely adopt-
ed for educational purposes, along with computer and mobile phone input editors.
Install a Pinyin keyboard on your keyboard or mobile phone and type in the
Pinyin word (e.g., UI). A list of possible Chinese characters corresponding to that
sound will appear (e.g., Uo “scold”, or UI “question marker” or UǴ “mother”).
For words with two syllables or more, type “UU” to produce words like UǴUI
“mother” or UvQUMQ “younger sister”.
The way the letters of the alphabet are pronounced in Hanyu Pinyin is quite sim-
ilar to English, with the following exceptions:
Examples:
I always has the British pronunciation as in Ǵay (aunt)
“aunt” not “ant”
Y is pronounced like the “KP” in “cheek” Yy (ride)
` is pronounced like the “[P” in “sheen” `QǴ (prawn)
b is pronounced like the “Lb” in “adze” bz (word)
K is pronounced like “\[” in “cats” K~VO (from)
O is always hard as in “guard” or “bag” OȺQ (give)
(never like in “rage” or “general”)
bP is pronounced like the “LO” in “edge” bPv (this)
[P is pronounced like the “[P” in “shirt” [P˝] (hand)
Z is pronounced like the “Z” in “rain” rè (hot in temperature),
similar to the pronunciation
in English except less round.
is pronounced like the “]Q” in “acquit” a͘ (rain)
]W is pronounced like the “I” in “war” [P]˛ (speak)
]V is pronounced like the “_” in “won” in KP͌V (spring)
combination with “MV”
Please listen to the accompanying audio recordings to familiarize yourself with

the pronunciations of all the various sounds in Chinese.
8 LESSON 1
Also note that in sentences Chinese characters are written with no spacing
between the words. However, when they are written in Pinyin, we follow the
Western way of spacing words. So for example the expression “I am American”
in Chinese characters is 我是美国人 with no space between 我 (_˝ or “I”),
是 (shì “am”), 美国 (5ȺQO]~ “America”), and 人 (ZuV “person”). In Pinyin, it is
written as ?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV with spaces to separate the words.
Tones
Tones are used in Chinese to distinguish words which have the same sound but
different meanings. There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese: the first tone, the
second tone, the third tone, and the fourth tone. Please refer to the audio record-
ings and read the notes below to understand how these tones are pronounced.
For example:
UǴ “mother” high, even tone

Un “numb” starts mid-low, and rises to a higher intonation.
UǶ “horse” starts mid-low, drops to low and then rises
Uo “to scold” sharp tone, dropping from a mid-high tone to a mid-low tone
The First Tone

The first tone is high, flat and long. Do keep the high pitch from the beginning to
the end. If you drop toward the end, it will sound like the fourth tone. Examples
are UǴ (mother) and `ʅ (west).
The Second Tone

The second tone is rising slowly from low to high. Do not start your pitch too low
and do “climb-up.” Examples are Un (numb) and `y (mat).
The Third Tone

The third tone dips first and then rises. Start from a mid-tone, drop to low and
then rise. You can consider doubling the vowel if it helps (e.g., UII or `QQ). Exam-
ples are Uǻ (horse) and `ʕ (to wash).
The Fourth Tone

The fourth tone falls sharply from high to low. This tone is similar to the English
imperatives such as “Go!” or “Run!” Examples are Uo (to scold) and `z (thin).
Many people think the tones are difficult to learn, but actually they are not that
difficult. All you have to do is listen to them over and over a few times until you
can hear the difference. And when you learn a new word, try to learn the tone
at the same time.
A BASIC INTRODUCTION 9
A Few Things to Remember about Tones

1. A full third tone first drops and then rises again slowly, but in everyday speech
when people speak quickly, the third tone is rarely pronounced fully. Instead,
it just sounds like a low tone or sounds like it’s dipping down a little.
2. When two consecutive words in a sentence both have the third tone, the first
one changes to a rising tone (second tone). For example: PɀVPǶW becomes
PuVPǶW (very good).
3. A tone mark is placed above the main vowel of a syllable when it is written
in Pinyin even though the tone applies to the entire syllable and not just the
vowel.
4. When there are two vowels in a syllable, the tone mark is normally placed
above the first one, as in XǻW (run) and [P] (skinny). The exceptions to this
are when the first vowel is an Q or ] at the end of a word. In this case, the tone
mark goes above the second vowel, as in \Qɀ (iron) and `]u (to learn).
5. When a syllable ends with a vowel and is joined in a compound to another

syllable that begins with a vowel, an apostrophe is often inserted in between
the two vowels when it is written in Pinyin to avoid confusion. For example:
Xī’ān (the name of a Chinese city) and V͞¼uZ (daughter). But these can also
be written without the apostrophe (as @ʅǴV and V͞uZ).
The Neutral Tone

In addition to the four active tones, there is also a neutral tone (or really lack
of tone in Chinese), which is mainly used for very short words that are skipped
over and pronounced very quickly. This includes words which mainly indicate
punctuation—for example TM (indicating a completed action) and UI (indicating
a question). As the name suggests, the neutral tone is unstressed and does not
have any tone mark. Words with the neutral tone rarely appear on their own; they
are usually the unstressed second or last syllable of a word where the first syllable
carries the tone, such as `]u[PMVO (student) and PnQbQ (children). Here are some
other examples of syllables with neutral tones (i.e., no tones):
L˛VO`Q thing SvYQ polite [PuVUM what

RQǶWbQ dumpling XQnVaQ cheap
Audio Recordings
Audio recordings are available online for each lesson’s Dialogue, Vocabulary, Pattern Practices and
Exercises. Please refer to the inside cover for details on how to access these.
?˳aoWUǻQ
aybPǴVOLz\ ;PyPu' *J ?˳
[PyPuKǻQ[v Ten aoWLM[Pz
YQǴVJʕ boxes? ¹NW]Zº
One map and ten No, no! I want
boxes of colored four boxes.
pencils.
0ǻWUyVOJnQ
6ʕaoWLM[Pz[zPu
Okay, understood.
You want four boxes
of colored pencils.
,]zJ]Yʕ ?˳LM
NǴaʅVJbP͘V
Sorry, my
pronunciation
is not correct.
5uQ[PzUuQ[Pz
0nQa˳]JQuLMUI' AʅOVO!
No problem. ZuVUyVJz
Anything else? Altogether
it is 192 RMB. 3uaQaVO
`zVaVOSǻ
UI'
Can I pay by
credit card?
5uQa˳]bPvQ`yM
L]˛[PǻWYQnV'
That’s all.
How much 3uaQ
for these?
Of course.
Wrong pronunciation. It should be [z.

LESSON 2
The Basics
Terms of Address
The basic terms of address in Chinese are:
Singular
Pinyin English
_˝ I
Vʇ you
VyV you (polite)
\Ǵ he/she
Plural
Pinyin English
_˝UMV we
bnVUMV we (inclusive, used in Northern China)
VʇUMV you
\ǴUMV they
Titles as Terms of Address

Pinyin English
@QǴV[PMVO Mr.
@QnWRQM Ms.
6͞[Pz Mrs.
RʅVOTʇ manager
RQoW[P] professor
TǶW[Pʅ teacher
[PʅN] taxi driver (sījī xiānsheng in Taiwan)
N_a]nV waiter/waitress (xiānsheng/xiáojie in Taiwan)
Common Question Expressions

Pinyin English
;PuVUM What
;PuVUM[PyPW] When
;PuQ Who
6ǶZ Where
2ʕLQǻV What time
BɀVUMTM What’s wrong?/What happened?
,]˛[PǻWYQnV How much (money)
2ʇ[]z How old (under ten)
,]˛Lo How old (above ten)
12 LESSON 2
,]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV How long (time)

BȺVUM How (to ...)
BɀVUMaoVO How about ...
Numbers
Pinyin English
TyVO zero
aʅ one
vZ two
[ǴV three
[z four
_͎ five
TQ six
Yʅ seven
JǴ eight
RQ͎ nine
[Py ten
JǶQ hundred
YQǴV thousand
_oV ten thousand
JǶQ_oV million
az hundred million
Common Stative Verbs

Pinyin English
XQnVaQ cheap
RzV close (distance)
TȺVO cold
NǴVOJQoV convenient
O]z expensive
a]ǶV far
PǶW good
OǴW`zVO happy
Zv hot (temperature)
a˳]az[Q interesting
XQoWTQIVO pretty
PǶWKPʅ tasty
TvQ tired
THE BASICS 13
Common Place Names

Pinyin English
*ɀQRʅVO Beijing
+PuVOL͌ Chengdu
/]ǻVObP˛] Guangzhou
0nVObP˛] Hangzhou
@QǴVOOǻVO Hong Kong
6nVRʅVO Nanjing
;PoVOPǻQ Shanghai
;PɔVbPvV Shenzhen
<nQJɀQ Taipei
@ʅ¼ǴV Xi’an
Basic Sentence Structures

In general, there are two sentence structures in Chinese. The first one is “Subject
+ Verb + Object” as in English. For example:
Subject Verb Object

?˝ [Pz Peter. I am Peter.
?˝ [Pz 5ȺQO]~ZuV I am (an) American.
?˝ `ʇP]IV BP˛VOO]~_uVP]o I like Chinese culture.
The second structure is the “Topic + Comment,” prominent in conversations

when the topic is mentioned and is obvious to the interlocutors. For instance:
Topic Comment
BP˛VOO]~KoQ _˝L˛]`ʇP]IV I like all Chinese dishes.
BPvQ`Qɔbz _˝ZvV[PQ I know these (written) characters.
Behavioral Culture
In this book, besides developing the ability to participate in simple, practical
conversations on everyday topics, you will also develop an understanding of Chi-
nese interpersonal behavioral culture and related thought patterns. Aside from
teaching you the language, we will also include notes on the proper behavior in
Chinese culture. Remember, cultural norms are as important as linguistic forms.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʇPǶW
Hi, Gao Zhi’an. ÐP4ʇAnVO
VʇPǶW
6ʇYVǶZ'
Hi, Li Yang,
how are you?
Where are
you going?
?˝YUǶQ
Manga
azLQǶVZ
L˛VO`Q6ʇVM'
I am going to ?˝Y
buy some [Py\nVO
things. I am going
What about to the
you? dining hall.
-VboQRQoV
Okay, see you.
BoQRQoV
See you.
LESSON 3
Greetings
DIALOGUE Greeting New Friends
Eric Goodman, an American college student studying Chinese history at Tsinghua
University in Beijing, bumps into his new Chinese friend, Li Yang, on campus.
Yang: Hi, Gao Zhi’an (Eric’s Chinese name).

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʇPǶW
高志安,你好。
Eric: Hi, Li Yang, how are you? Where are you going?
ÐP4ʇAnVOVʇPǶW6ʇYVǶZ'
欸,李洋,你好。你去哪儿?
Yang: I am going to buy some things. What about you?
?ŏYUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q6ʇVM'
我去买一点儿东西。你呢？
Eric: I am going to the dining hall.
Wŏ qù shítáng.
我去食堂。
Yang: Okay, see you.
-VboQRQoV
嗯,再见。
Eric: See you.
BoQRQoV
再见。
New Vocabulary
Pinyin Chinese Character English
6ʇ 你 You (singular)
6ʇPǶW 你好 Hi; how are you, literally, “you good”?
ÐP 欸 Hey; hi, also to acknowledge the speaker
6ǶZ 哪儿 Where
?˝ 我 I
9 去 Go; go to
5ǶQ 买 Buy
AzLQǶVZ 一点儿 A little, some
,˛VO`Q 东西 Thing
6M 呢 How about, what about
;Py\nVO 食堂 Dining hall, cafeteria
-V 嗯 Indicates agreement
BoQRQoV 再见 Goodbye, see you
16 LESSON 3
CULTURAL NOTE Chinese Names

The order of Chinese names is Surname + Given name. When you hear a Chinese
name (e.g., /ǴWBPz¼ǴV), it is safe to assume that /ǴW is the surname and BPz¼ǴV
is the given name. Most Chinese surnames have only one syllable, such as 4ʇ, 4yV,
?nVO, BPǴVO, and /ǴW. Chinese given names may have one or two syllables (e.g.,
BPz¼ǴV for Eric Goodman, and AnVO for Li Yang). Many Chinese who are living
in the West may invert their names so the given name precedes the surname.
CULTURAL NOTE Common Greetings

The many different greetings vary according to the situation, the time of the day,
or the people you are conversing with. 6ʇPǶW is a more formal greeting used
when meeting someone for the first time or if you have recently become acquaint-
ed with that person. Address persons who are older or of a higher status using
their title, such as RʅVOTʇ or “manager”, TǶW[Pʅ or “teacher”. Informal greetings such
as “What’s up” should only be used with very close friends or family members.
Supplementary Vocabulary Place names
Pinyin English
[P͌LQoV bookstore
SǴNɔQLQoV coffee shop
O˛VO[ʅ company
\[P͌O]ǶV library
JoVO˛VO[Pz office
_vQ[PɔVORQǴV restroom, toilet
[PǴVOLQoV store
*ȺQRʅVO,o`]u Peking University
9ʅVOP]n,o`]u Tsinghua University
Note: *ȺQRʅVO,o`]u and 9ʅVOP]n,o`]u are the top two universities in Main-
land China. Due to historical reasons, you will find one Tsinghua University in
Beijing and the other one in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Qù = “To Go”

Just as in English, the verb Y in Chinese can be used in different ways:
1. Y + a place word means “go to [a place].” For instance, if you want to say “go
to a dining hall” you can say Y[Py\nVO. More examples:
Y[P͌LQoV go (to a) bookstore

Y_vQ[PɔVORQǴV go (to the) restroom
Y*ȺQRʅVO,o`]u go (to) Peking University
GREETINGS 17
2. Y + a verb phrase indicates purpose (going to [do something]). For instance

YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q means “I’m going to buy a few things.” More examples:
YUǶQSǴNɔQ go buy coffee

YKPʅNoV go eat
Y[PoVOJǴV go (to) work
Figure out the timing by inferring from the sentence, context or from time and
dates mentioned (see Lesson 6) in the sentence, as Chinese lacks word indicat-
ing tenses.
Helpful Tip: Changing Tones: Tone 3 + Tone 3 = Tone 2 + Tone 3

Whenever two words with Tone 3 appear in succession the tone of the first word
changes to Tone 2 + Tone 3. If you listen to the audio recordings carefully, the
tones for VʇPǶW are actually VyPǶW. More examples:
PȺVPǶW (very good) becomes PuVPǶW

UǶQJʇ (buy pens) becomes UnQJʇ
Helpful Tip: The Interjection Èh = “Hey” or “Hi”

ÐP is often used when you want to talk about something or get someone’s attention.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Nr = “Where?”

Form a question in Chinese by replacing the subject of your inquiry (e.g., [Py\nVO
or “dining hall” in the sentence <ǴY[Py\nVO or “He is going to the dining hall”)
with the corresponding question word such as “Where?” Thus the sentence
becomes <ǴYVǶZ' The question word is usually placed at the end of the sen-
tence and the order of the words in the sentence does not change. More examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVYVǶZ' Where is Gao Zhi’an going?

4ʇAnVOYVǶZ' Where is Li Yang going?
CULTURAL NOTE The Optional “r” Sound

People in northern China generally pronounce this “r” sound more than south-
erners.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Particle Ne = “How/What About”

The particle VM—usually following a pronoun or noun phrase—is used at the end
of a sentence to recap or shorten a repeated question. More examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVY[Py\nVO4ʇAnVOVM'
Gao Zhi’an is going to the dining hall. What about Li Yang?
18 LESSON 3
6ʇY9ʅVOP]n,o`]u\ǴVM'
You are going to Tsinghua University. What about him/her?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Interjection En

The interjection -V indicates that the person has heard your statement and agrees
with what you’re saying, or is acknowledging what you’ve said.
Pattern Practice 1
Practice saying the following phrases.
Y + a place word
Y[Py\nVO go to the dining hall

Y[P͌LQoV go to a bookstore
Y_vQ[PɔVORQǴV go to the restroom
Y9ʅVOP]n,o`]u go to Tsinghua University
Pattern Practice 2
Y + a verb phrase
YUǶQL˛VO`Q go buy things

YKPʅNoV go to eat
Y[PoVOJǴV go to work
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + YVǶZ
6ʇYVǶZ' Where are you going?

<ǴYVǶZ' Where is he/she going?
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVYVǶZ' Where is Gao Zhi’an going?
Pattern Practice 4
Pronoun/Noun + VM
<ǴVM' What about him/her?

?˝VM' What about me?
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVM' What about Gao Zhi’an?
4ʇAnVOVM' What about Li Yang?
GREETINGS 19
EXERCISE SET 1
Fill in each blank with one of the following expressions.
VM VʇPǶW VǶZ boQRQoV
1. A: ÐQVʇPǶW
B: _______________.
2. A: 6ʇY _______________?
B: ?˝Y[Py\nVO
3. A: ?˝YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`QVʇ _______________'
B: ?˝Y\[P͌O]ǶV
4. A: ?˝YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`QboQRQoV
B: _______________.
EXERCISE SET 2
Translate the following dialogues into Chinese.
1. A: Hey, how are you?

B: Hi, where are you going?
A: I am going to the bookstore. How about you?
B: I am going to the dining hall.
2. A: Hey, where are you going?

B: I am going to buy some things. What about you?
A: I am going to eat.
B: Okay, see you.
A: See you.
EXERCISE SET 3
Role Playing
You are an exchange student to Shanghai from the United States. You bump
into your new Chinese friend, Li An, on campus on your way to the grocery
store. Greet him warmly and ask him where he is going.
6ʇPǶWVʇRQoW
[PuVUMUyVObQ'
Hi, what is
your name?
?˝RQoW
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʇVM'
My name is Gao Zhi’an.
What is yours?
?˝RQoW
?nVO5ʇV
Manga
6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV'
My name is
Wang Min.
What country
are you from?
?˝[Pz
5ȺQO]~ZuV
6ʇaȺ[Pz
`]u[PMVOUI'
I am an
American.
Are you a
student, too?
,]z_˝`]u
AʅVOa͎VʇVM'
Yes, I am studying
English. How
about you?
?˝`]uBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ
I study Chinese history.
LESSON 4
Introducing Yourself (I)
DIALOGUE Self-Introductions
Wang Min, an undergraduate student at Tsinghua University in Beijing, is sitting
in the library across the table from Eric Goodman. Out of curiosity, she decides to
strike up a conversation with him.
Min: Hi, what is your name?

6ʇPǶWVʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ'
你好，你叫什么名字？
Eric: My name is Gao Zhi’an. What is yours?
?˝RQoW/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʇVM'
我叫高志安，你呢?
Min: My name is Wang Min. What country are you from?
?˝RQoW?nVO5ʇV6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV'
我叫王敏。你是哪国人?
Eric: I am an American. Are you a student, too?
?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV6ʇaȺ[Pz`]u[PMVOUI'
我是美国人。你也是学生吗？
Min: Yes, I am studying English. How about you?
,]z_˝`]uAʅVOa͎VʇVM'
对，我学英语，你呢？
Eric: I study Chinese history.
?˝`]uBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ
我学中国历史。
New Vocabulary
2QoW 叫 To be called or named
;PuVUM 什么 What
5yVObQ 名字 Name
?nVO5ʇV 王敏 Wang Min, a full name where Wang
is the surname and Min the first name
;Pz 是 To be
6ȺQ 哪 Which?
6ȺQO]~ 国人 Which country?
:uV 人 Person, people
5ȺQO]~ 美国 America
5ȺQO]~ZuV 美国人 An American
AȺ 也 Also, too
@]u[PMVO 学生 Student
22 LESSON 4
New Vocabulary (cont’d)

5I 吗 (Indicates a question)
,]z 对 Correct, right
@]u 学 To study, learn
AʅVOa͎ 英语 The English language
BP˛VOO]~ 中国 China
4z[Pʇ 历史 History
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Jiào = “To be Called, To be Named”

The verb RQoW is commonly used when asking someone’s name or telling someone
your name. You would say ?˝RQoW/ǴWBPz¼ǴV in Chinese, which literally means
“I am named/called Gao Zhì’an.” More examples:
<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVO His name is Li Yang.

?˝RQoW?nVO5ʇVVʇVM' My name is Wang Min. What about you?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Shì = “To be”

;Pz is a verb in Chinese meaning “to be.” So “I am an American” is ?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~
ZuV in Chinese. Likewise, “He is Chinese” is <Ǵ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV. More examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz`]u[PMVO Gao Zhi’an is a student.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV Gao Zhi’an is American.
?nVO5ʇV[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV Wang Min is Chinese.
The verb [Pz is omitted in Chinese in many situations where we would use “to
be” in English, particularly when followed by an adjective. It would be ungram-
matical to use [Pz in this case as it would mean “I am equal to tired”. We’ll address
this point in a later lesson.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Shénme = “What?”

;PuVUM is an important question word meaning “what?” It can be used both in
front of and after a thing being referred to, as in the following examples:
6ʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ' What is your name?

6ʇUǶQ[PuVUM' What are you buying?
6ʇ`]u[PuVUM' What do you study?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Ni- = “Which?”

The question word VȺQ- meaning “which?” needs to be followed by a measure
word (we’ll introduce the measure words in detail in Lesson 5) in Chinese to form
a question. In the sentence 6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV? which means “Which country are
you from?” the word O]~ is a measure word meaning “country” or “nationality”
and VȺQO]~ZuV means “person of which country?”
INTRODUCING YOURSELF (I) 23
The other variation in pronunciation of VȺQ is VǶ, so 6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV is equiv-

alent to 6ʇ[PzVǶO]~ZuV. Generally, VȺQ is more commonly used by people in
northern China while others use VǶ. Do not confuse VȺQ with VǶZ—VȺQ needs to
be followed by a measure word whereas VǶZ does not.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Ma

Adding the Chinese word UI at the end of a simple statement is like adding a
question mark in English, and is a way to form a simple yes-no question in Chi-
nese. 6ʇ[Pz`]u[PMVO “You are a student” is a simple statement whereas 6ʇ[Pz
`]u[PMVOUI' “Are you a student?” is a question. Similarly, 6ʇ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV
“You are Chinese.” is a statement whereas 6ʇ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuVUI' “Are you
Chinese?” is a question. More examples:
6ʇY\[P͌O]ǶVUI' Are you going to the library?

4ʇAnVOYKPʅNoVUI' Is Li Yang going to eat?
Helpful Tip:
When adding UI at the end, a rising intonation on the last syllable is normally
used to indicate that you are asking a question.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Y = “Also, too”

The adverb aȺ which means “also” must precede the main verb of the sentence
and not be placed after it, i.e.,“I, too, am a student”. So “I am a student, too” or “I
am also a student” in Chinese becomes ?˝aȺ[Pz `]u[PMVO, rather than ?˝[Pz
aȺ`]u[PMVO or ?˝[Pz`]u[PMVOaȺ. More examples:
4ʇAnVO[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV, ?nVO5ʇVaȺ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV.
Li Yang is Chinese, and Wang Min is also Chinese.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVY[Py\nVO_˝aȺY[Py\nVO
Gao Zhi’an is going to the dining hall, so am I.
GRAMMAR NOTE Chinese Has No Articles Like “A” or “The”

Notice that the English word “a” in the sentence “I am a student” is dropped in
Chinese. So you say <Ǵ[PzTǶW[Pʅ to mean “He/She is a teacher.”
Supplementary Vocabulary Country names
Pinyin English
²WLoTzao Australia
2QǴ¼VILo Canada
AʅVOO]~ England
.ǶO]~ France
,uO]~ Germany
24 LESSON 4
:zJȺV Japan
0nVO]~ Korea
<oQO]~ Thailand
A]vVnV Vietnam
CULTURAL NOTE Talking About Your Nationality

To indicate a nationality you simply take the country name me
and add the word ZuV (person) to it. So “a Chinese person”
is BP˛VOO]~ZuV and “an American” is 5ȺQO]~ZuV. Please
refer to the vocabulary above for more country names. To
all of these countries’ names you simply add the word ZuV in
order to get the nationality:
²WLoTzaoZuV: Australian = an Australian person

2QǴ¼VnLoZuV: Canadian = a Canadian person
AʅVOO]~ZuV: British = an English person
:zJȺVZuV: Japanese = a Japanese person
CULTURAL NOTE The Word ZhÑngguó = “China” or “Chinese”

The word BP˛VOO]~ refers to the country of China, but the word can also mean
“Chinese” or “China-related”, such as BP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ “Chinese history” or
BP˛VOO]~KoQ “Chinese food”. When referring to the written Chinese language,
another word, BP˛VO_uV, is used.
College Majors and Subjects

Pinyin English
;PɔVO_`]u Biology
0]o`]u Chemistry
,QoVVǶWSɔ`]u2z[]oVRʅSɔ`]u Computer Science
2ʅVORz`]u Economics
2ʅVZ~VO Finance
;P`]u Mathematics
?Tʇ Physics
BPvVObPz`]u Political Science
@ʅVTʇ`]u Psychology
BP˛VO_uV Chinese
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Xué = “To Study, Learn”

The verb `]u meaning “to study” is used in the names of many fields of study as
in the above list. It needs to be followed by the subject or topic that one is study-
ing, such as:
?˝`]uAʅVOa͎ I study (major in) English.

?˝`]uTz[Pʇ I study (major in) History.
?˝`]uLQoVVǶWSɔ`]u I study (major in) Computer Science.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + RQoW + name
<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVO His name is Li Yang.

<ǴRQoW/ǴWBPz¼ǴV His name is Gao Zhi’an.
?˝RQoW?nVO5ʇV My name is Wang Min.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + [Pz + noun
?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV I am American.
<Ǵ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV He/She is Chinese.
<Ǵ[Pz0nVO]~ZuV He/She is Korean.
?nVO5ʇV[Pz`]u[PMVO Wang Min is a student.
Pattern Practice 3
Statement + UI
<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVOUI' Is his name Li Yang?

6ʇ[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuVUI' Are you American?
4ʇAnVOYKPʅNoVUI' Is Li Yang going to eat?
?nVO5ʇV[Pz`]u[PMVOUI' Is Wang Min a student?
?nVO5ʇV`]uAʅVOa͎UI' Does Wang Min study English?
26 LESSON 4
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + aȺ + verb phrase
?˝aȺ[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV I am also American.

?˝aȺYUǶQL˛VO`Q I am also going to buy things.
6ʇaȺ`]uBP˛VO_uV You are also studying (the) Chinese language.
<ǴaȺRQoW?nVO5ʇV Her name is also Wang Min.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVaȺ[Pz`]u[PMVO Gao Zhi’an is also a student.
EXERCISE SET 1
[Pz RQoW UI aȺ
1. 6ʇPǶWVʇ [PuVUMUyVObQ'
2. 6ʇPǶWVʇ VȺQO]~ZuV'
3. A: ?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV
B: ?˝ [Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV
4. A: 6ʇ`]uBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ '
B: ,]z_˝`]uBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ
EXERCISE SET 2
Answer each of the following questions in Chinese.
1. 6ʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ'
2. 6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV'
3. 6ʇ`]u[PuVUM'
EXERCISE SET 3
Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. A: Hi, what’s your name?

B: My name is Wang Min, and yours?
A: My name is Li Yang.
2. A: Hi, which country are you from?

B: I am German. What about you?
A: I am Japanese. What do you study?
B: I study the Chinese language.
A: Me too.
EXERCISE SET 4
Role Playing
You are an exchange student at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Today is the first
day of your Chinese history class. You decide to strike up a conversation with the
classmate sitting next to you. Greet your classmate first and then inquire about
his/ her name, nationality and major.
Tsinghua University, Beijing

BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ
VyVPǶW_˝[PzTz[Pʇ`zLM
RQǴWP]oV`]u[PMVO
_˝RQoW/ǴWBPz¼ǴV
Hi, Professor Zhang, I am an
exchange student from the
History Department.
My name is
Gao Zhi’an.
6ʇPǶWa˝]
[PzZUI'
Hi, how can
I help you?
?˝`QǶVO 0ǶW
YʇVO_vVVyV YʇVOb]
ayOM_vV\y Sure, please
I’d like to ask you have a seat.
a question.
@Qv`QM
Thank you.
*QuSvYQ
You are
welcome.
LESSON 5
Introducing Yourself (II)
DIALOGUE Asking Questions
Eric Goodman has questions about one of his classes. He decides to stop by the
professor’s office after class.
Eric: Hi, Professor Zhang, I am an exchange student from the

History Department. My name is Gao Zhi’an.
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅVyVPǶW_˝[PzTz[Pʇ`zLMRQǴWP]oV
`]u[PMVO_˝RQoW/ǴWBPz¼ǴV
张老师, 您好, 我是历史系的交换学生, 我叫高志
安。
Professor Zhang: Hi, how can I help you?
6ʇPǶWa˝][PzZUI'
你好, 有事儿吗?
Eric: I’d like to ask you a question.
?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\y
我想请问您一个问题。
Professor Zhang: Sure, please have a seat.
0ǶWYʇVOb]
好,请坐。
Eric: Thank you.
@Qv`QM
谢谢。
Professor Zhang: You are welcome.
*QuSvYQ
别客气。
New Vocabulary
4ǶW[Pʅ 老师 Teacher
6yV 您 You (Polite form, singular)
@z 系 Department
,M 的 Descriptive -LM (see grammar note
“The Descriptive Word -LM = ’s)
2QǴWP]oV 交换 Exchange (n)
A˝] 有 Have
;PzZ 事儿 Thing, matter
@QǶVO 想 Would like to, want to
9ʇVO 请 Please
?vV 问 Ask
30 LESSON 5

Aʅ 一 One or a
/M 个 (Measure word)
?vV\y 问题 Question (n)
0ǶW 好 Okay, sure
B] 坐 Sit
@Qv`QM 谢谢 Thank you
*QuSvYQ 别客气 You are welcome
Supplementary Vocabulary Common Chinese Last Names
Pinyin English
+PuV Chen
/ǴW Gao
0]nVO Huang
4ʇ Li
4yV Lin
4Q Liu
?nVO Wang
? Wu
AnVO Yang
BPǴVO Zhang
CULTURAL NOTE Terms of Address

Using the correct form of address in Chinese is important. You have learned a few
terms of address in Chinese in Lesson 2, such as `QǴV[PMVO (Mr.), `QnWRQM (Ms),
TǶW[Pʅ (teacher) and RQoW[P] (professor). To address people in Chinese, you put
their surname first and then the term of address. Thus, you’d say “BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ”
in Chinese when addressing “teacher Zhang” and not 4ǶW[PʅBPIVO. Likewise,
“Professor Lĭ” in Chinese is 4ʇ2QoW[P], not 2QoW[P]4ʇ.
In Chinese culture, it is common to address people of higher social status simply

by their titles, such as `QǴV[PMVO, `QnWRQM, and TǶW[Pʅ. Thus, when you encounter
your Chinese teacher Professor Zhang on campus, you can nod and greet him/
her, “TǶW[Pʅ” or “TǶW[PʅPǶW.” Avoid saying just VʇPǶW to your teacher as the term
is used mostly for people of similar social status who meet for the first time.
2QoW[P] is the word for college professors whereas TǶW[Pʅ is for teachers in general.
College students in Chinese societies also address their professors as TǶW[Pʅ.
INTRODUCING YOURSELF (II) 31
Requesting Something Appropriately Q®ng +

GRAMMAR NOTE
Verb = “Please (Verb)”
Chinese people frequently use “YʇVO + verb” pattern to make their request more
polite, especially to people of higher social status. 9ʇVO_vV (Please ask) sounds
more polite than simply saying _vV. More examples:
9ʇVOb] Please be seated.

9ʇVORQoW\Ǵ4ʇ2QoW[P] Please call him/her Professor Li.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Honorific Word Nín = “You”

6yV is used to address people of higher status, such as TǶW[Pʅ (teacher) or RʅVOTʇ
(manager). Notice that VyV, like other pronouns in Chinese, can function both
as a subject, e.g., VyVPǶW (polite form of “Hello”) and as an object e.g., _vVVyV
(ask you).
Similarly, _˝ can mean “I” or “me.” Eric says VyVPǶW to Professor Zhang while
Professor Zhang says VʇPǶW to Eric. Examples of when VyV can be used as a sub-
ject can include:
BPǴVO2QoW[P]VyVPǶW Hello, Professor Zhang.

?nVO@QnWRQMVyVPǶWUǴ' Ms Wang, how are you?
Examples of when VyV can be used as an object include:
?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\y I would like to ask you a question.

<ǴRQoWVyV4ʇ2QoW[P]UI' Does he call you Professor Li?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Descriptive Word De = ’s

The descriptive -LM is used to show the affiliation of the preceding words and
what follows. These phrases should be said without any pause in your speech.
For example:
?˝[Pz9ʅVOP]n,o`]uLM`]u[PMVO
I am a student of Tsinghua University.
?˝[PzAʅVOa͎`zLM`]u[PMVO
I am a student in the English Department.
nt.
32 LESSON 5
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb YËu = “Have”

This verb means “have”. Examples include:
6ʇa˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQUI' Do you have a Chinese name?

6ʇa˝][PzZUI' Can I help you?
BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅa˝]5ȺQO]~`]u[PMVOUI' Does Professor Zhang have
American students?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Auxiliary Verb Xing = “Would like to”

It is often used when a speaker of lower social status makes a request to someone
of higher social level. @QǶVO is appropriate to use in this situation as the student
has a question for his teacher.
?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\y I would like to ask you a

question.
?˝`QǶVO`]uBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ I want to study Chinese history.
?˝`QǶVOY_vVBPǴVO4ǶW[PʅayOM_vV\y I would like to go and ask
Professor Zhang a question.
Helpful Tip: Number + Measure Word + Noun

As mentioned before, a noun in Chinese can be either singular or plural, so ?˝
a˝]_vV\y can mean “I have a question” or “I have questions.” To specify one ques-
tion, you will need to use the “Number + Measure Word + Noun” pattern. In the
dialogue, we introduced the most general measure word OM in Chinese. So if you
want to say “I have one Chinese teacher,” it is ?˝a˝]ayOMBP˛VO_uV TǶW[Pʅ.
Helpful Tip: The Word Y³ = “One”

With the first tone, aʅ refers to the number and digit “one”. When aʅ is followed by
a word with a syllable using Tone 1, 2, or 3, it will change its tone to Tone 4, such
as in the example ?˝YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q (“I’m going to buy some things”)
in Lesson 3.
However, when aʅ is followed by a syllable with a neutral tone or Tone 4, it needs

to be changed to ay, such as in ?˝a˝]ayOMBP˛VO_uVTǶW[Pʅ (“I have one
Chinese teacher”). More examples:
ayOMBP˛VO_uVUyVObQ a Chinese name

ayOM[Py\nVO a dining hall
ayOM\[P͌O]ǶV a library
ayOML˛VO`Q a thing
Helpful Tip: The Word Ho Indicates Agreement

You have learned PǶW meaning “good” in Lesson 3, such as VʇPǶW “Hi, how are
you.” 0ǶW in this lesson indicates agreement and is often used alone as a response
to a request. For example:
A: 9ʇVORQoW\Ǵ4ʇ2QoW[P]. Please call him/her Professor Li.

B: 0ǶW. Okay.
Helpful Tip: The Idiomatic Response “Bié Kèqi”

This expression is a common response to `Qv`QM. Another variation of JQuSvYQ is
JSvYQ which literally means “Don’t (need to be so) polite.”
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + [Pz + noun 1 + LM + noun 2
?˝[PzTz[Pʇ`zLM`]u[PMVO I am a student from the History

Department.
<Ǵ[PzAʅVOa͎`zLM`]u[PMVO He/She is a teacher at Peking
University.
<Ǵ[Pz*ȺQRʅVO,o`]uLMTǶW[Pʅ He/She is a student from the
English Department.
4ʇAnVO[Pz9ʅVOP]n,o`]uLM`]u[PMVO Li Yang is a student at Tsinghua
University.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + a˝] + noun
?˝a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQ I have a Chinese name.

?nVO5ʇVa˝]AʅVO_uVUyVObQ Wang Min has an English name.
6ʇa˝][PzZUI' Can I help you?
BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅa˝]:zJȺV`]u[PMVOUI' Does Professor Zhang have
Japanese students?
34 LESSON 5
Pattern Practice 3
Number + OM + noun
ayOM_vV\y a question
ayOMTǶW[Pʅ a teacher
ayOMUyVObQ a name
ayOMXuVOa˝] a friend
EXERCISE SET 1
Fill in each of the following blanks with the proper word or phrase.
YʇVO *QuSvYQ 6yVPpW LM OM
1. A: BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ, .
B: 6ʇPǶW.
2. ?˝[PzAʅVOa͎`z `]u[PMVO_˝RQoW?nVO5ʇV.
3. 4ǶW[Pʅ_˝`QǶVO _vVVyVay _vV\y
4. A: 9ʇVOb]
B: @Qv`QM
A: .
EXERCISE SET 2
1. A: Hi Teacher, my name is Lĭ Lì. I am an exchange student from the Physics

Department.
B: Hi, how are you?
2. A: Teacher, I would like to ask you a question.

B: Sure. Please have a seat.
3. A: Teacher, thank you very much.

B: You are welcome. Bye.
A: Bye.
EXERCISE SET 3
Role Playing
You have just finished your first economics class at Tsinghua University in
Beijing. You have a question for the professor. Approach the professor, introduce
yourself, and then politely ask your question.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV 0nQ`yVO
Vʇb]zRzV VʇVM'
bɀVUMaoVO' Pretty good.
Gao Zhi’an, How about
how have you you?
been recently?
<ʇVOUnVOLM
Pretty busy.
ÐPUyVO\QǴV
azYʇLǶTnVYQ
bɀVUMaoVO' 5yVO\QǴVRʇLQǶV'
Do you want to 5yVO\QǴV[PoVO_͎
play basketball _˝a˝]azLQǶVZ[PzZ
together What time tomorrow?
tomorrow? I have something to
do tomorrow
morning.
6o`Qo_͎[zLQǶV
bɀVUMaoVO'
What about tomorrow
afternoon at
4 o’clock then?
0ǶW
UyVO\QǴVRQoV
Sounds good.
See you
tomorrow.
5yVO\QǴVRQoV
See you tomorrow.
LESSON 6
Small Talk
DIALOGUE Making Plans to Meet Up
Li Yang bumps into his American friend Eric Goodman on campus. They haven’t
seen each other for a few days.
Yang: Gao Zhi’an, how have you been recently?

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʇb]zRzVbɀVUMaoVO'
高志安，你最近怎么样？
Eric: Pretty good. How about you?
0nQ`yVOVʇVM'
还行，你呢？
Yang: Pretty busy. Do you want to play basketball together tomorrow?
<ʇVOUnVOLMÐPUyVO\QǴVazYʇLǶTnVYQbɀVUMaoVO'
挺忙的。唉，明天一起打篮球怎么样？
Eric: What time tomorrow? I have something to do tomorrow morning.
5yVO\QǴVRʇLQǶV'5yVO\QǴV[PoVO_͎_˝a˝]azLQǶVZ[PzZ
明天几点？明天上午我有一点儿事儿。
Yang: What about tomorrow afternoon at 4 o’clock then?
6o`Qo_͎[zLQǶVbɀVUMaoVO'
那，下午四点怎么样？
Eric: Sounds good. See you tomorrow.
0ǶWUyVO\QǴVRQoV
好，明天见。
Yang: See you tomorrow.
5yVO\QǴVRQoV
明天见。
New Vocabulary
B]zRzV 最近 Recently; lately
BɀVUMaoVO 怎么样 How, how about
0nQ 还 Still
@yVO 行 Okay, all right (v)
<ʇVO°LM 挺...的 Pretty, very
5nVO 忙 Busy
5yVO\QǴV 明天 Tomorrow
AzYʇ 一起 Together
,Ƕ 打 Play (v)
4nVYQ 篮球 Basketball
2ʇ 几 How many
38 LESSON 6

,QǶV 点 O’clock
2ʇLQǶV 几点 What time
;PoVO_͎ 上午 Morning, a.m.
6o 那 Then, in that case
@Qo_͎ 下午 Afternoon, p.m.
;z 四 Four
5yVO\QǴVRQoV 明天见 “See you tomorrow”
Supplementary Vocabulary Time Words
Pinyin English
2ʅV\QǴV Today
0]\QǴV The day after tomorrow
B]~\QǴV Yesterday
9QnV\QǴV The day before yesterday
BP˛VO_͎ Noon
?ǶV[PoVO Evening
@QoVboQ Now
The Expression Znmeyàng = “How are

GRAMMAR NOTE
You Doing?”
BɀVUMaoVO is a useful expression and it has two usages. One serves as a common
way of greetings to ask acquaintances or friends how they are doing, such as 6ʇ
bɀVUMaoVO (“How are you doing?”). BɀVUMaoVO is too casual and is inappro-
priate for greeting your elders or persons of higher social status. More examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV, Vʇb]zRzVbɀVUMaoVO? Gao Zhi’an, how have you been

recently?
4ʇAnVO?nVO5ʇVb]zRzV Li Yang, how is Wang Min recently?
bɀVUMaoVO'
The other usage of bɀVUMaoVO is to elicit opinions. For example:
5yVO\QǴVLǶTnVYQbɀVUMaoVO' How about playing basketball

tomorrow?
?˝UMVYSǴNɔQLQoVbɀVUMaoVO' Let’s go to a coffee shop, how about that?
@Qo_͎[zLQǶVbɀVUMaoVO' How about 4 o’clock in the afternoon?
Using the Expression Hái Xíng = “Pretty

GRAMMAR NOTE
Good”
0nQ`yVO is composed of 0nQ (still) and `yVO (good, O.K.). It can be translated
into “still hanging on there,” “pretty good,” “still O.K.,” or “so-so.” It is used mainly
in northern China and not so often used in Taiwan. People in Taiwan would say
0nQSuaQ or literally “still can”.
SMALL TALK 39
Using the Pattern T®ng…De = “Pretty” or

GRAMMAR NOTE
“Very”
<ʇVO°LM, used mainly in northern China in an informal setting, means “pretty”
or “very”. Thus, you can compliment your Chinese friend on his/her English by
saying 6ʇLMAʅVOa͎\ʇVOPǶWLM (“Your English is pretty good”). More examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVLMBP˛VO_uV\ʇVOPǶWLM Gao Zhi’an’s Chinese is pretty good.

?nVO5ʇV\ʇVOSvYQLM Wang Min is pretty polite.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Adverb Yìq® = “Together”

The adverb azYʇ needs to be placed after the subject and in front of the verb in
Chinese. So if you want to invite your friend to go shopping, you can say ?˝UMV
UyVO\QǴVazYʇYUǶQL˛VO`QbɀVUMaoVO' (“Let’s go shopping together tomor-
row. How about that?”) More examples:
?˝UMVazYʇYUǶQSǴNɔQ Let’s go and buy coffee together.

<ǴUMVazYʇYKPʅNoV They are going to eat together.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Verb D = “Hit with Hands”

The literal meaning of LǶ is “hit with hands.” 9Q means “ball” and LǶTnVYQ
means “play basketball.” Other sports that go with the verb LǶ in Chinese include:
LǶJoVOYQ play baseball

LǶXnQYQ play volleyball
LǶXʅVOXǴVOYQ play ping pong
LǶ_ǶVOYQ play tennis
LǶa͎UnWYQ play badminton
GRAMMAR NOTE Using Time Words in Chinese

Note the location of the time word UyVO\QǴV in the sentence 5yVO\QǴVazYʇLǶ
TnVYQbɀVUMaoVO? In Chinese, a time word needs to be placed either in the
beginning of a sentence or between the subject and the verb. So if you want to say
“We will play basketball together tomorrow,” you should say 5yVO\QǴV_˝UMV
azYʇLǶTnVYQ or ?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVazYʇLǶTnVYQ. Remember, it is incorrect
to put the time phrase at the end of the sentence as in ?˝UMVazYʇLǶTnVYQ
UyVO\QǴV. More examples:
?˝UMVRʅV\QǴV_ǶV[PoVOazYʇYUǶQ Let’s go buy things together tonight.

L˛VO`Q
0]\QǴV_˝`QǶVOY_vVBPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ I want to go and ask Professor
ayOM_vV\y Zhang a question the day after
tomorrow.
40 LESSON 6
5yVO\QǴVRQoV “See you tomorrow” is another good example to show that the time
word UyVO\QǴV comes before the main verb RQoV.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Expression J®din = “What Time”

The literal meaning of Rʇ is “how many” and LQǶV is “o’clock.” To ask “What time is
it now?” you can say @QoVboQRʇLQǶV? ,QǶV is a measure word that must follow the
numeral even when the context is clear, that is, [zLQǶV “four o’clock” or [PyLQǶV
“ten o’clock” rather than just [z “four” or [Py “ten”.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Nà in Turn-Taking

6o, in this case, is equivalent to “then” or “in that case”. It is a good word
to use between speakers in turn-taking. It gives the speaker extra time to
come up with what follows, such as an alternative suggestion, in this case.
CULTURAL NOTE Big Units Before Small Units
Note the structure of the phrase UyVO\QǴVRʇLQǶV. The big unit UyVO\QǴV comes
before the small unit RʇLQǶV. It would be ungrammatical to reverse the order and
say RʇLQǶVUyVO\QǴV. To follow this rule, “tomorrow morning” is UyVO\QǴV[PoVO
_͎ and “tomorrow afternoon” is UyVO\QǴV`Qo_͎. The big unit before small unit
principle also applies to the order of Chinese names (surname + given name) and
Chinese addresses (city + street + section + house/apartment number + floor).
Pattern Practice 1
Topic + bɀVUMaoVO
<ǴbɀVUMaoVO' How is he/she doing?

6ʇb]zRzVbɀVUMaoVO' How have you been doing?
5yVO\QǴVLǶTnVYQbɀVUMaoVO' How about playing basketball tomorrow?
?˝UMVYSǴNɔQLQoVbɀVUMaoVO' Let’s go to a coffee shop. How about that?
?˝UMVYBP˛VOO]~bɀVUMaoVO' Let’s go to China. How about that?
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + \ʇVO°LM
?˝\ʇVOUnVOLM I am pretty busy.

<ǴUMVaɀ\ʇVOUnVOLM They are also pretty busy.
4ʇAnVO\ʇVOSvYQLM Li Yang is pretty polite.
BP˛VO_uV\ʇVOVnVLM The Chinese language is pretty difficult.
SMALL TALK 41
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + azYʇ + verb phrase
?˝UMVazYʇYUǶQL˛VO`Q Let’s go buy things together.

?˝UMVazYʇYKPʅNoV Let’s go eat together.
<ǴUMVazYʇ`]uBP˛VO_uV They study Chinese together.
?˝UMVazYʇY_vVBPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ Let’s go ask Professor Zhang together.
Pattern Practice 4
2ʇ/Number + LQǶV
2ʇLQǶV' What time?

;ǴVLQǶV Three o’clock
9ʅLQǶV Seven o’clock
2Q͎LQǶV Nine o’clock
;Py¼vZLQǶV Twelve o’clock
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + time word + verb phrase
?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVLǶTnVYQ We will be playing basketball

tomorrow.
?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVLǶXʅVOXǴVOYQ We will be playing ping pong
tomorrow.
?˝UMVRʅV\QǴV_vVBPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ We are asking Professor Zhang today.
?˝UMVRʅV\QǴVY*ȺQRʅVO,o`]u We are going to Peking University
today.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[zLQǶV`]uBP˛VO_uV Gao Zhi’an studies Chinese at four
o’clock.
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅP]\QǴVY5ȺQO]~ Professor Zhang is going to the US the
day after tomorrow.
42 LESSON 6
EXERCISE SET 1
azYʇ Rʇ bɀVUMaoVO \ʇVO
1. A: 6ʇ '
B: 0nQ`yVO
2. A: 6ʇUnVOUI'
B: UnVOLM
3. A: ?˝UMV YUǶQL˛VO`QbɀVUMaoVO'
4. A: @QoVboQ LQǶV'
B: ;ǴVLQǶV
EXERCISE SET 2
1. 6ʇb]zRzVbɀVUMaoVO'
2. @QoVboQRʇLQǶV'
3. 6ʇUyVO\QǴV[PoVO_͎a˝][PzZUI'
EXERCISE SET 3
1. A: Hey, how have you been?

B: Pretty good. How about you?
A: I am pretty busy.
2. A: Hey, let’s play volleyball together tomorrow. How about that?

B: Sounds good. What time tomorrow?
A: Three o’clock in the afternoon.
B: Okay, see you tomorrow.
A: See you.
3 A: What time do you go to eat?

B: Twelve o’clock.
A: Great. Let’s go together.
B: Okay.
SMALL TALK 43
EXERCISE SET 4
Role Play
You are an exchange student studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing. You
are thinking about doing some grocery shopping tomorrow. Ask your Chinese
roommate if he/she wants to go with you.
Chinese supermarkets carry a wide range of products.

4ʕAnVO`]u`QoWLM
a~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQVǻZ'
Li Yang, do you know
where the swimming
complex is on campus?
BoQaVLVO
bP˛VO`ʅVLM
XnVOJQǴV6ʕbPʅLoW
aVLVObP˛VO`ʅV
boQVǻZUI'
It’s next to the sports
center. Do you know
where the sports
center is?
BPʅLoW 6oUyVO\QǴV
A~]a˳VOO]ǻV RʇLQǶVSǴQ'
RʅV\QǴVSǴQUI' What time
I do. Is the will it be open
swimming tomorrow
complex then?
open today?
2ʅV\QǴV[Pz
`ʅVOYʅ\QǴV
[]~aQJSǴQ
Today is
Sunday, so
it’s not open.
?˳aɀJ 6ʕSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVO
bPʅLoW SoVay`Qo
I don’t know You can take a look
either. on the Internet.
0ǻW
Okay.
LESSON 7
Getting Around
DIALOGUE Finding Places
When playing basketball, Eric Goodman asks Li Yang about the location of the
swimming complex on campus.
Eric: Li Yang, do you know where the swimming complex is on campus?

4ʕAnVO`]u`QoWLMa~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQVǻZ'
李洋,学校的游泳馆在哪儿?
Yang: It’s next to the sports center. Do you know where the sports center is?
BoQaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVLMXnVOJQǴV6ʕbPʅLoWaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV
boQVǻZUI'
在运动中心的旁边。你知道运动中心在哪儿吗?
Eric: I do. Is the swimming complex open today?
BPʅLoWA~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQUI'
知道。游泳馆今天开吗?
Yang: Today is Sunday, so it’s not open.
2ʅV\QǴV[Pz`ʅVOYʅ\QǴV[]~aQJSǴQ
今天是星期天,所以不开。
Eric: What time will it be open tomorrow then?
6oUyVO\QǴVRʇLQǶVSǴQ'
那明天几点开?
Yang: I don’t know either. You can take a look on the Internet.
?˳aɀJbPʅLoW6ʕSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`Qo
我也不知道。你可以上网看一下。
Eric: Okay.
0ǻW
好。
New Vocabulary
@]u`QoW 学校 School
,M 的 (Indicates possession)
A~]a˳VOO]ǻV 游泳馆 Swimming complex (a~]a˳VO
“swimming/swim”, O]ǻV “building, hall”)
BoQ 在 Be located at
AVLVO 运动 Exercise, sports; to exercise
BP˛VO`ʅV 中心 Center
8nVOJQǴV 旁边 Next to, on the side of
BPʅLoW 知道 Know
46 LESSON 7

3ǴQ 开 Open (v)
@ʅVOYʅ\QǴV 星期天 Sunday
;]~aQ 所以 So
* 不 Not; negation marker
3uaQ 可以 Can, may
;PoVO_ǻVO 上网 Go online
3oV 看 See, look
Ay`Qo 一下 A little, a while (verb softener)
Supplementary Vocabulary More Place Words
Pinyin English
,]zUQoV Across (UQoV “on the surface of ”)
4ʇUQoV Inside
?oQUQoV Outside
;PoVOUQoV On the top
@QoUQoV On the bottom
B]˝JQǴV On the left (JQǴV “on the side of ”)
A]JQǴV On the right
BP˛VORQǴV In the middle
GRAMMAR NOTE The Marker -De = ’s Indicating Possession

In Lesson 5, you have learned the descriptive LM to show the affiliation of what
precedes and what follows, such as ?˝[PzTz[Pʇ`zLM`]u[PMVO (“I am a student
from the History Department”). In this lesson, LM functions as a possession
marker. Examples:
?˝LMTǶW[PQ My teacher
6ʇLMUyVObQ Your name
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅLM`]u[PMVO Professor Zhang’s students
@]u`QoWLMa~]a˳VOO]ǻV The school’s swimming complex
GRAMMAR NOTE Place Words as Subject

A place word often serves as the subject in a sentence in Chinese. Examples:
AVLVObP˛VO`ʅVboQVǻZ' Where is the sports center?

A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQUI' Is the swimming complex open today?
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVUyVO\QǴVJSǴQ The swimming complex is not open
tomorrow.
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQaVLVO The swimming complex is next to the
bP˛VO`ʅVLMXnVOJQǴV sports center.
GETTING AROUND 47
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Zài Nr = “Where”

In Chinese, if you want to inquire about the location of a place, you use the “place
+ boQVǻZ” pattern. Examples:
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQVǻZ' Where is the swimming complex?

@]u`QoWLM[Py\nVOboQVǻZ' Where is the dining hall on campus?
9ʅVOP]n,o`]uboQVǻZ' Where is Tsinghua University?
4ʇAnVO`QoVboQboQVǻZ' Where is Li Yang right now?
To respond, you simply replace VǻZ with a place word. Examples:
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQVʇLMXnVOJQǴV The swimming complex is next (to

you).
9ʅVOP]n,o`]uboQ*ɀQRʅVO Tsinghua University is in Beijing.
@]u`QoWLM[Py\nVOboQVʇLM The dining hall on campus is across
L]zUQoV (from you).
You can further identify the location by adding a place word between boQ and
XnVOJQǴV. Examples:
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQaVLVO The swimming complex is next to the

bP˛VO`ʅVLMXnVOJQǴV sports center.
<[P͌O]ǶVboQaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVLM The library is across from the sports
L]zUQoV center.
4ʇAnVO`QoVboQboQ`]u`QoWLM Li Yang is now at the sports center on
aVLVObP˛VO`ʅV campus.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Zh³dào = “Know (Facts or Things)”

BPʅLoW refers to knowing facts or things; it is rarely used to refer to recognizing
or knowing people. Examples:
?˝bPʅLoW\ǴLMUyVObQ I know his/her name.

9ʇVO_vVVʕbPʅLoW`QoVboQRʇLQǶV Excuse me, do you know what time it
UI' is now?
Note that a short response to the question VʕbPʅLoWUI' is bPʅLoW, simply

repeating the main verb in the question. You can also say ?˝bPʅLoW (“I know”).
Similarly, if Eric Goodman is asked 6ʕ[Pz`]u[PMVOUI' (“Are you a student?”),
he can answer ;Pz or ?˝[Pz to mean “Yes, I am.”
48 LESSON 7
GRAMMAR NOTE Using The Negation Word Bù = “Not”

In Chinese, except for a˝] (have), you can negate a verb or a stative verb by
adding J in the front. Examples:
JPǶW not good

JbPʅLoW not know
JSǴQ not open
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVJPǶW My Chinese is not good.
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVJSǴQ The swimming complex is not open today.
?˝JbPʅLoWaVLVO I don’t know where the sports center is.
bP˛VO`ʅVboQVǻZ
Helpful Tip: Changing Tones of Bù

When the verb following J is Tone 1, 2, or 3, J is Tone 4, such as in the exam-
ples above. However, when J is followed by a verb with Tone 4, it needs to be
changed to J. Examples:
J[Pz not be
JRQoW not called
JY not go
Helpful Tip: When Aɀ is Used with Bù

Aɀ needs to precede J as in the sentence: ?˳aɀJbPʅLoW (“I do not know,
either.”) More examples:
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVaɀJPǶW My Chinese is not good, either.

AVLVObP˛VO`ʅVRʅV\QǴVaɀJSǴQ The sports center is not open today,
either.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Kéyi = “Can; May”

The auxiliary verb SuaQ needs to be put between a subject and a verb. It is often
used when a suggestion or a request is involved. Examples:
6ʕSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`Qo You can take a look on the Internet.

?˝SuaQYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\yUI' Could I ask you a question?
?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVSuaQazYʇLǶTnVYQ We can play basketball together
tomorrow.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using Yíxià = “A While” To Soften the Verb

When ay`Qo is paired with a verb, the sentence becomes more polite and less
abrupt, i.e., 6ʕSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`Qo sounds softer and more polite than 6ʕ
SuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOSoV Other examples:
GETTING AROUND 49
9ay`Qo go for a short while

?vVay`Qo ask a quick (question)
B]ay`Qo sit a while
CULTURAL NOTE Days of a Week
The formation of terms for the days of the week in Chinese is “`ʅVOYʅ + number”
except for Sunday. For Sunday, you should say `ʅVOYʅ\QǴV or the other rather for-
mal term `ʅVOYʅZz. The term `ʅVOYʅ can be replaced with TʇJoQ:
@ʅVOYʅaʅ or TʇJoQaʅ Monday

@ʅVOYʅ¼vZ or TʇJoQ¼vZ Tuesday
@ʅVOYʅ[ǴV or TʇJoQ[ǴV Wednesday
@ʅVOYʅ[z or TʇJoQ[z Thursday
@ʅVOYʅ_͎ or TʇJoQ_͎ Friday
@ʅVOYʅTQ or TʇJoQTQ Saturday
@ʅVOYʅ\QǴV or TʇJoQ\QǴV Sunday
@ʅVOYʅZz or TʇJoQZz Sunday (a little more formal)
@ʅVOYʅRʇ or TʇJoQRʇ Which day of the week
Pattern Practice 1
Noun 1 + LM + noun 2
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVUyVObQ my Chinese name

6ʇLM`]u`QoW your school
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅLMJoVO˛VO[Pz Professor Zhang’s office
@]u`QoWLM[Py\nVO the school’s dining hall
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + boQ + place word
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVboQVǻZ' Where is Gao Zhi’an?

?nVO5ʇVboQSǴNɔQLQoV Wang Min is at the coffee shop.
?vQ[PɔVORQǴVboQXnVOJQǴV The restroom is on the side.
<ǴLMJoVO˛VO[PzboQL]zUQoV His/Her office is right across.
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + J/J + verb phrase
?˝J[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV I am not American.

?˝UyVO\QǴVJY\[P͌O]ǶV I am not going to the library tomorrow.
50 LESSON 7
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVJPǶW My Chinese is not good.

?˳JbPʅLoW\Ǵ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV I don’t know which country he/she is
from.
?vQ[PɔVORQǴVJboQ\[P͌O]ǶVLM The restroom is not beside the library.
XnVOJQǴV
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + SuaQ+ verb phrase
6ʕSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`Qo You can take a look on the Internet.

?˝UMVSuaQYUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q We can go and buy a few things.
?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVSuaQazYʇaVLVO We can work out together tomorrow.
?˝UMVRʅV\QǴVSuaQazYʇYa~]a˳VO We can go swim together today.
Pattern Practice 5
Verb + ay`Qo
6ʕSuaQSoVay`Qo You can take a look.

6ʕSuaQYay`Qo You can go.
6ʕSuaQ_vVay`Qo You can ask.
6ʕSuaQb]ay`Qo You can have a seat.
EXERCISE SET 1
SuaQ ay`Qo boQ aɀ
1. A: 9ʇVOVʇSoV '
B: 0ǶW
2. 6ʇ [PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`QoaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVUyVO\QǴVRʇLQǶVSǴQ'
3. 9ʇVO_vV\[P͌O]ǶV aVLVObP˛VO`ʅVLML]zUQoVUI'
4. A: @QoVboQRʇLQǶV'
B: ?˳ JbPʅLoW
GETTING AROUND 51
EXERCISE SET 2
1. 6ʇ`]u`QoWLMa~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQVǻZ'
2. 6ʇ`]u`QoWLMaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVbɀVUMaoVO'
3. 6ʇ`ʅVOYʅRʇaVLVO'
4. 6ʕboQ[[Pv (dorm room) SuaQ[PoVO_ǻVOUI'
EXERCISE SET 3
1. A: Excuse me, where is the sports center?

B: It’s next to the library. Do you know where the library is?
A: Yes, I do. Thank you.
B: You are welcome.
2. A: What day is today?

B: Today is Tuesday.
A: Is the swimming complex open today?
B: I don’t know. You can take a look on the Internet.
A: Okay.
3. A: Are you going to work today?

B: Today is Saturday, so I am not going.
A: Then let’s go work out together. How about that?
B: Great.
EXERCISE SET 4
Based on the sign, answer the following questions in Chinese.
Library Opening Hours

Monday through Friday: 7 am to 11 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm
Sunday: 8 am to 12 pm
1. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅaʅRʇLQǶVSǴQ'
2. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅTQRʇLQǶVSǴQ'
3. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅ\QǴV`Qo_͎SǴQUI'
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʕ`ʕP]IV
KPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQUI'
Gao Zhi’an, do you like
Chinese food?
?˳PɀV`ʕP]IV_˳
\vJQu`ʕP]IVKPʅToLM
BP˛VOO]~KoQ
I like it very much.
I especially like
the spicy Chinese
dishes.
6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZKPʅNoV' A˳]LM
Where do you usually eat? [PyPW]boQ
`]u`QoWLM
[Py\nVOa˳]LM
[PyPW]Y
_oQUQoVLM
KǴVO]ǻV
Sometimes I
eat at the school’s
dining halls, and
sometimes
I go to the
restaurants
outside.
0ɀVXQnVaQaɀPɀVPǻWKPʅ
6ʕR]uLM`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLM Sɀ[PQa˳]LM[PyPW]\oQa~]TM
KoQbɀVUMaoVO' It’s cheap and also tasty.
How do you feel about the food But sometimes it is too greasy.
at the school’s dining halls?
LESSON 8
Eating and Drinking
DIALOGUE Lunch Conversation
When Wang Min and Eric Goodman are having a casual conversation during lunch
at the school’s dining hall.
Min: Gao Zhi’an, do you like Chinese food?

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʕ`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQUI'
高志安，你喜欢吃中国菜吗？
Eric: I like it very much. I especially like the spicy Chinese dishes.
?˳PɀV`ʕP]IV_˳\vJQu`ʕP]IVKPʅToLMBP˛VOO]~KoQ
我很喜欢，我特别喜欢吃辣的中国菜。
Min: Where do you usually eat?
6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZKPʅNoV'
你平常在哪儿吃饭？
Eric: Sometimes I eat at the school’s dining halls, and sometimes I go to
the restaurants outside.
A˳]LM[PyPW]boQ`]u`QoWLM[Py\nVOa˳]LM[PyPW]Y
_oQUQoVLMKǴVO]ǻV
有的时候在学校的食堂，有的时候去外面的餐馆。
Min: How do you feel about the food at the school’s dining halls?
6ʕR]uLM`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQbɀVUMaoVO'
你觉得学校食堂的菜怎么样？
Eric: It’s cheap and also tasty. But sometimes it is too oily.
0ɀVXQnVaQaɀPɀVPǻWKPʅSɀ[PQa˳]LM[PyPW]\oQa~]TM
很便宜，也很好吃，可是有的时候太油了。
New Vocabulary
@ʕP]IV 喜欢 Like
+Pʅ 吃 Eat
+oQ 菜 Food, dish (lit., vegetables)
0ɀV 很 Very, very much
<vJQu 特别 Especially, special
4o 辣 Spicy
8yVOKPnVO 平常 Usually
BoQ 在 Be located at
+PʅNoV 吃饭 Dine, eat food
A˳]LM[PyPW] 有的时候 Sometimes
Wàimiàn 外面 Outside
+ǴVO]ǻV 餐馆 Restaurant
54 LESSON 8

2]uLM 觉得 Feel, think
8QnVaQ 便宜 Cheap, inexpensive
0ǻWKPʅ 好吃 Good tasting, tasty, delicious
3ɀ[PQ 可是 But
<oQ°TM 太...了 Too…
A~] 油 Greasy, oily
Supplementary Vocabulary Flavor Stative Verbs
Pinyin English
S͎ bitter
[]ǴV sour
\oVO hot (temperature)
\QnV sweet, sugary
`QnV salty
Stative Verb Pairs

Pinyin English
,]˛vs.[PǶW Much vs. little
8QnVaQvs.O]z Cheap vs. expensive
0ǻWKPʅvs.VnVKPʅ Delicious vs. awful (to eat)
Frequency Adverbs
Pinyin English
Bùcháng Not often
Chángcháng Often
Hĕn shăo Rarely; seldom
Zŏngshì Always
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word X®huan = “Like”

The verb `ʕP]IV, which indicates one’s preference for something, can be followed
either by a verb phrase or by a noun. Examples:
`ʕP]IVLǶTnVYQ like to play basketball

`ʕP]IV[PoVO_ǻVO like to surf the Internet
`ʕP]IVaVLVO like to exercise
`ʕP]IVBP˛VOO]~KoQ like Chinese food
`ʕP]IVBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ like Chinese history
To negate, use J\oQ`ʕP]IV instead of J`ʕP]IV. Although both are grammat-

ical, J\oQ`ʕP]IV is more polite than the more straightforward J`ʕP]IV.
EATING AND DRINKING 55
Examples:
?˳J\oQ`ʕP]IVToLMKoQ I don’t really like spicy food.

?˳J\oQ`ʕP]IVaVLVO I don’t really like to exercise.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Cài = “Food, Dish”

The term cài can refer to food in general or an individual dish. Examples:
Zhōngguó cài Chinese food

Mĕiguó cài American food
suānde cài sour dishes
làde cài spicy dishes
Using the Adverb Hn = “Very” as

GRAMMAR NOTE
Intensifier
There are two important usages of the adverb PɀV. One is “Subject + PɀV + verb
phrase.” 0ɀV in this case serves as a degree intensifier meaning “very” or “very
much.” Examples:
?˳PɀV`ʕP]IVBP˛VOO]~KoQ I like Chinese food very much.

?˳PɀV`ʕP]IVaVLVO I like to exercise very much.
?˳PɀV`QǶVOYBP˛VOO]~ I want to go to China very much.
The other usages of PɀV is “Subject + PɀV + stative verb.” 0ɀV in this case does
not mean “very” unless it is stressed; it merely functions as a grammatical marker.
Examples of this use of PɀV:
;Py\nVOLMKoQPɀVXQnVaQ The food in the dining hall is cheap.

6ʇLMBP˛VO_uVPɀVPǶW Your Chinese is good.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVPɀVSvYQ Gao Zhi’an is polite.
Remember, it is incorrect to say:
;Py\nVOLMKoQXQnVaQ
6ʇLMBP˛VO_uVPǶW
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVSvYQ
56 LESSON 8
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Zài = “Be Located at”

You have learned boQ as a verb in Lesson 7. In this lesson, boQ is a coverb that is
typically used in the structure “Subject + boQ + Place + Verb phrase.” Examples:
6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZKPʅNoV' Where do you usually eat?

?˳`ʕP]IVboQaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV I like to exercise at the sports center.
aVLVO
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVKPnVOKPnVOboQ_oQUQoVLM Gao Zhi’an often dines in the
KǴVO]ǻVKPʅNoV restaurants (away from campus).
Helpful Tip:
A location phrase (e.g. boQ + Place) in Chinese needs to be put between the sub-
ject and the main verb in a sentence. It is wrong to say BoQVǻZVʕXyVOKPnVO
KPʅNoV or 6ʕXyVOKPnVOKPʅNoVboQVǻZ.
Using Frequency Adverbs Píngcháng =

GRAMMAR NOTE
“Often” and YËude Shíhou = “Occasionally”
You learn several frequency adverbs in this lesson, such as XyVOKPnVOa˳]LM
[PyPW], and others in the supplementary vocabulary. Frequency adverbs should
be placed between the subject and the verb phrase. Although XyVOKPnVO and
a˳]LM[PyPW] can also appear in the beginning of a sentence, we encourage you
to put them after the subject. Examples:

?˳JKPnVOaVLVO I don’t exercise often.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVa˳]LM[PyPW]boQ`]u`QoWLM Sometimes Gao Zhi’an eats at the
[Py\nVOKPʅNoV school’s dining hall.
Using Juéde = To “Feel, Think” to Elicit

GRAMMAR NOTE
Opinions
2]uLM is a good verb to elicit thoughts and opinions and is usually paired with
bɀVUMaoVO (see Lesson 6). Examples:
6ʕR]uLMBP˛VOO]~KoQbɀVUMaoVO' How do you feel about Chinese food?

?˳R]uLM[Py\nVOLMKoQ\oQa~]TM I think our dining hall’s food is too
greasy.
6ʕR]uLM`]u`QoWLMaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV What do you think about our school’s
bɀVUMaoVO' sports center?
GRAMMAR NOTE “And” Omitted to Connect Two Sentences

Pay attention to the structure of 0ɀVXQnVaQ, aɀPɀVPǻWKPʅ. You don’t need a
conjunction word “and” to connect PɀVXQnVaQ and PɀVPǻWKPʅ. Aɀ means “also”
and it goes before the verb and after the subject. More examples:
?˝[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV\Ǵ[Pz I am American and he/she is

BP˛VOO]~ZuV Chinese.
?˳`ʕP]IVKPʅToLMKoQ\Ǵ`ʕP]IVKPʅ I like spicy food and he/she likes
[]ǴVLMKoQ sour food.
Using The Conjunction Word Kshi = “But”

GRAMMAR NOTE
to Show Differing Opinions
You have learned your first conjunction word []~aQ “so” in Lesson 7. In this les-
son, you learn Sɀ[PQ to show contrast or express different opinions. 3ɀ[PQ can
connect two sentences or verb phrases, but not nouns. Examples:
@]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQPɀVXQnVaQ The food in the school’s dining hall

Sɀ[PQ\oQa~]TM is cheap, but it’s too greasy.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVXyVOKPnVO`ʕP]IVKPʅ Gao Zhi’an usually likes to eat
BP˛VOO]~KoQSɀ[PQ\ǴRʅV\QǴVKPʅ Chinese food, but today he is
:zJɀVKoQ eating Japanese food.
4ʕAnVOb˝VO[PzPɀVUnVOSɀ[PQ\Ǵ Li Yang is always busy, but today he
RʅV\QǴVJUnVO is not.
Using The Phrase Tài … le = “Too…” as

GRAMMAR NOTE
Intensifier
You use \oQ + Stative Verb + TM to express extreme degrees. Examples:
\oQXQnVaQTM too cheap

\oQPǻWKPʅTM so tasty
\oQ\QnVTM too sweet
To negate, you add J before \oQ and drop the TM at the end:
J\oQXQnVaQ not too cheap
J\oQPǻWKPʅ not so tasty
J\oQ\QnV not too sweet
Do not combine “\oQ + Stative Verb + le” with hěn. It is ungrammatical to say hěn
tài piányile “very too cheap already”.
58 LESSON 8
Using Bú Tài + Stative Verb = “Not Too …”

CULTURAL NOTE
to Soften Negative Meanings
When the stative verb has a negative meaning, Chinese people tend not to use the
“\oQ + Stative Verb + TM” structure unless they are friends and know each other
well. Instead, they used the “J\oQ + Stative Verb” structure. Instead of saying:
;Py\nVOLMKoQ\oQVnVKPʅTM The food in the dining hall is awful.

?oQUQoVLML˛VO`Q\oQO]zTM The things outside are too expensive.
You say:
;Py\nVOLMKoQJ\oQPǻWKPʅ The food in the dining hall is not so tasty.

?oQUQoVLML˛VO`QJ\oQXQnVaQ The things outside are not so cheap.
Excessive use of the “\oQ + [\I\Q^M^MZJ + TM” structure may run the risk of being
considered judgmental or arrogant, as the Chinese culture appreciates indirect
expressions of opinions in formal conversation. In this dialogue, Eric Goodman
uses this structure because he knows Wang Min and they are both students. Their
interaction is rather informal.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + `ʕP]IV
?˝`ʕP]IVBP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ I like Chinese history.

?˝`ʕP]IV_˝LMBP˛VO_uVUyVObQ I like my Chinese name.
?˝`ʕP]IV`]uBP˛VO_uV I like learning the Chinese language.
?˝`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQ I like to eat Chinese food.
?˝`ʕP]IVYaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVLǶ I like to go to the sports center to play
TnVYQ basketball.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + PɀV + stative verb
?˝PɀVUnVO I am busy.
BP˛VO_uVPɀVVnV Chinese is difficult.
6ʇLMAʅVOa͎PɀVPǶW Your English is good.
?oQUQoVLMKǴVO]ǻVPɀVO]z The restaurants outside are expensive.
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + boQ+ place + verb phrase
?˝XyVOKPnVOboQ[Py\nVOKPʅNoV I usually eat at the dining hall.

?nVO5ʇVboQ[PǴVOLQoVUǶQL˛VO`Q Wang Min is buying things at a store.
4ʇAnVOboQaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV Li Yang is working out at the sports
aVLVO center.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVboQ9ʅVOP]n,o`]u`]u Gao Zhi’an is learning Chinese at
BP˛VO_uV Tsinghua University.
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + frequency adverb + verb phrase
?˝KPnVOKPnVOaVLVO I often exercise.

?˝PȺV[PǶWKPʅToLMKoQ I seldom eat spicy food.
?˝b˝VO[PzY[P͌LQoV I always go to the bookstore
?˝XyVOKPnVOboQ[Py\nVOKPʅNoV I usually eat at the dining hall.
60 LESSON 8
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + \oQ + stative verb + TM
<Ǵ\oQUnVOTM He/She is too busy.

?˝UMV`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQ\oQ The food in our school’s dining hall is
XQnVaQTM so cheap.
?˝UMV`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQ\oQ The food in our school’s dining hall is
PǻWKPʅTM so tasty.
?oQUQoVKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQ\oQa~]TM The food in the restaurants outside is
too greasy.
Pattern Practice 6
Subject + bú tài + stative verb
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVJ\oQPǻW My Chinese is not so good.

?oQUQoVKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQJ\oQ The food in the restaurants outside is
XQnVaQ not so cheap.
?˝UMV`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQ The food in our school’s dining hall is
J\oQPǻWKPʅ not so tasty.
EXERCISE 1
R]uLM \oQ Sɀ[PQ aɀ
1. Jīntiānde cài làle.
2. A~]a˳VOO]ǻVXyVOKPnVORQ͎LQǶVSǴQ, RʅV\QǴV[PyaʅLQǶVSǴQ
3. ?˳PɀV`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQ\Ǵ PɀV`ʕP]IV
4. 6ʕ `]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQbɀVUMaoVO'
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʇ`ʕP]IVKPʅVȺQO]~KoQ'
2. 6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZKPʅNoV'
3. 6ʇKPnVOKPnVOY_oQUQoVLMKǴVO]ǻVKPʅNoVUI'
4. 6ʇ`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQbɀVUMaoVO'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Do you like Chinese food?

B: I do. I also like Thai food. Do you like spicy food?
A: I don’t like it that much.
2. A: Where do you usually eat?

B: I usually eat at the dining hall.
A: How do you think about the food in the dining hall?
B: It’s not expensive, and it is tasty.
3. A: What kind of food do you like?

B: Sometimes I like spicy food, and sometimes I like sour food. How about
you?
A: I like tasty food.
EXERCISE 4
Role Play
You are chatting with your Chinese friend about food. You are curious about the
following questions: (1) Where does he/she usually eat? (2) What is the food in
his/her dining hall like? (3) What kind of food does he/she like or dislike?
9ʕVO_vVbPvQRQoV
aʅN]a˳]UuQaW]
bP˛VOPoWLM'
Excuse me, do you have
the medium size for A˳]VʕaoWJaoW
this shirt? [PzKP]ǴVay`Qo'
Yes, would you like
to try it on?
?˳SuaQJSuaQaɀ
[PzKP]ǴVVvQRQoVLoPoWLM'
Can I also try on
that large one?
,ǴVOZnVSuaQ
,o`QǻWbɀVUMaoVO'
Of course you can.
Does the size fit?
BP˛VOPoWLM
JʕRQoWPu[Pz_˳
UǻQbP˛VOPoWLM
The medium size
fits better. I will
buy the medium
size one.
0ǻWVʕN`QoV
PnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ'
Okay. Would you like
to pay in cash or
with a credit card?
?˳[P]ǴSǻ
With my
credit card.
LESSON 9
Going Shopping
DIALOGUE Buying Clothes
Eric Goodman is buying clothes at a shopping mall in Beijing.
Eric: Excuse me, do you have the medium size for this shirt/dress?
9ʕVO_vVbPvQRQoVaʅN]a˳]UuQaW]bP˛VOPoWLM'
请问,这件衣服有没有中号的?
Salesperson: Yes, would you like to try it on?
A˳]VʕaoWJaoW[PzKP]ǴVay`Qo'
有,你要不要试穿一下?
Eric: Yes. Can I also try on that large one?
0ǻW_˳SuaQJSuaQaɀ[PzKP]ǴVVvQRQoVLoPoWLM'
好,我可以不可以也试穿那件大号的?
Salesperson: Of course you can. Does the size fit?
,ǴVOZnVSuaQ,o`QǻWbɀVUMaoVO'
当然可以。大小怎么样?
Eric: The medium size fits better. I will buy the medium size one.
BP˛VOPoWLMJʕRQoWPu[Pz_˳UǻQbP˛VOPoWLM
中号的比较合适,我买中号的。
Salesperson: Okay. Would you like to pay in cash or with a credit card?
0ǻWVʕN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ'
好,你付现还是刷卡?
Eric: With my credit card.
?˳[P]ǴSǻ
我刷卡。
New Vocabulary
9ʕVO_vV 请问 Excuse me, may I ask
BPvQ 这 This
2QoV 件 (Measure word for clothes)
AʅN] 衣服 Collective word for clothes; can also mean
a single garment like a shirt or dress
5uQaW] 没有 Do not have, there is/are no
BP˛VOPoW 中号 Medium size, medium
AoW 要 Want to
;PzKP]ǴV 试穿 Try on (lit., try wear)
6vQ 那 That
,oPoW 大号 Large size (Lo “big, large”)
,ǴVOZnV 当然 Of course
64 LESSON 9

@QǻW 小 Small, little
,o`QǻW 大 Size
*ʕRQoW 比较 Comparatively, relatively
0u[Pz 合适 Suitable, fitting
.`QoV 付现 Pay in cash (`QoVRʅV “cash” and N “pay”)
0nQ[Pz 还是 Or, also means “still”
;P]ǴSǻ 刷卡 Pay with credit card; (`zVOaVOSǻ “credit
card,” [P]Ǵ “swipe”)
Clothes that are Used with the Measure
Supplementary Vocabulary
Word -Jiàn
-
Pinyin English
Chènyī Shirt
Kùzi Pants
Tʕxùshān T-shirt
Wàitào Jacket
Using Zhèi, Nèi “This, That” To Identify the

GRAMMAR NOTE
Noun
The bPvQ/VvQ (this/that) in the pattern “bPvQ/VvQ + Measure Word + Noun” serves
as a specifier to clearly identify the noun. Examples:
BPvQOMKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQPɀVPǻWKPʅ The food in this restaurant is tasty.

?˳PɀV`ʕP]IVVvQOMSǴNɔQLQoV I like that coffee shop very much.
BPvQRQoVaʅN]Lo`QǻWPu[PzUI' Does this shirt/dress fit?
People in the southern part of China tend to say bPv instead of bPvQ and Vo
instead of VvQ. Either version would work just fine.
GOING SHOPPING 65
The Word Méiyou = “Not have, There is/

GRAMMAR NOTE
are no”
Unlike other verbs, the negation of a˳] (have) is UuQaW], not JaW]. Note that
the tone of a˳] is neutralized in its negation form UuQaW]. Examples:
BPvQRQoVaʅN]UuQaW]bP˛VOPoWLM There is no medium size for this shirt/

dress.
?˳UMVLM`]u`QoWUuQaW] There is no swimming complex in our
a~]a˳VOO]ǻV school.
?˳UuQaW]_vV\y I don’t have any questions/problems.
Using Affirmative + Negative to Form a

GRAMMAR NOTE
Yes–No Question
In Lesson 4, you learned the structure “Statement + UI” to form a simple Yes–No
question in Chinese. In this lesson, you learn the other question form: Affirma-
tive + Negative. Examples of these question forms include: [PzJ[Pz “Is, is not”,
a˳]UuQaW] “Have, have not”, and SǴQJSǴQ “Open, not open”. Examples:
Statement:
6ʇ[Pz`]u[PMVO You are a student.

<Ǵa˝][PzZ He/She has things to do.
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQ The swimming complex is open today.
Questions with UI:
6ʇ[Pz`]u[PMVOUI' Are you a student?

<Ǵa˝][PzZUI' Does he/she have things to do?
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQUI' Is the swimming complex open today?
Questions with “Affirmative + Negative” structure:
6ʇ[PzJ[Pz`]u[PMVO' Are you a student?

<Ǵa˳]UuQaW][PzZ' Does he/she have things to do?
A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQJSǴQ' Is the swimming complex open today?
Do not combine the “Statement + UI” and the “Affirmative + Negative” to

form a question.
66 LESSON 9
Using the Word -De = “Belonging to, Of” to

GRAMMAR NOTE
Nominalize Phrase
In the sentence bPvQRQoVaʅN]a˳]UuQaW]bP˛VOPoWLM (“Do you have a medium
size for this shirt/dress?”) it’s clear that bP˛VOPoWLM refers to the clothing and
thus we can omit the words aʅN] after bP˛VOPoWLM. Examples:
BPvQRQoVaʅN]a˳]UuQaW] Do you have the large size for this?

LoPoWLM'
?˳`ʕP]IVKPʅToLM I like to eat spicy (food).
6ʕaoWJaoW[PzKP]ǴVay`Qo Do you want to try on the medium size
bP˛VOPoWLM' one?
The context is clear from the words [PzKP]ǴV “try”, aʅN] “clothes” and KPʅ “to eat”,
thus the subjects of the sentences must be a shirt or dress for the first two exam-
ples, and food for the third.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Topic + Comment Structure

Together with the “Subject + verb + object” structure you have learned, the “Topic
+ comment” is the other structure widely used in Chinese, especially when the
topic is clear for both interlocutors from the context. The topic is usually a noun
specified by the speaker and the comment is usually a verb phrase or a sentence.
Examples:
Topic + Comment (verb phrase)

BPvQOMKoQ\oQa~]TM This dish is too greasy.
6vQOMKǴVO]ǻVbɀVUMaoVO' How is that restaurant?
Topic + Comment (sentence)

6vQRQoVSbQ_˳UǻQLoPoWLM I will buy the large size for that pair of pants.
BPvQRQoVKPvVaʅ_˳[P]ǴSǻ I will pay for this shirt with my credit card.
@]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQ_˳J\oQ I don’t really like the food at the school’s
`ʕP]IV dining hall.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Yào = “Want to”

AoW means “want to” and it needs to be placed between the subject and the verb
phrase. Examples:
6ʕaoWJaoW[PzKP]ǴVay`Qo' Do you want to try it on?

6ʕaoWazYʇYKPʅNoVUI' Do you want to eat together?
6ʕUyVO\QǴVaoWJaoWazYʇLǶ Do you want to play basketball together
TnVYQ' tomorrow?
GOING SHOPPING 67
Compared to the `QǶVO (would like to) you learned in Lesson 5, aoW is more casu-
al. We suggest you use `QǶVO when you speak with someone older and of higher
social status and aoW for your friends.
The Word B®jiào = “Comparatively,

GRAMMAR NOTE
Relatively”
Subject + JʕRQoW + stative verb expresses comparison. Examples:
5yVO\QǴVJʕRQoWPǶW. Tomorrow is better.

BPvQRQoV\ʕ`[PǴVJʕRQoWPu[Pz This t-shirt fits better.
@]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQJʕRQoWXQnVaQ The food in the school’s dining hall is
cheaper.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Háishì = “Or” for Options

0nQ[Pz can be inserted between two verb phrases or nouns to inquire about pref-
erences or opinions. Examples:
2ʅV\QǴV[Pz`ʅVOYʅTQPnQ[Pz`ʅVOYʅ\QǴV' Is today Saturday or Sunday?

6ʕ`ʕP]IVKPʅToLMPnQ[Pz[]ǴVLM' Do you like spicy or sour food?
6ʕN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ' Would you like to pay in cash or
with a credit card?
Helpful Tip:
0nQ[Pz is used only in a question form; it cannot be used in a statement (e.g.
Sunday or Sunday works for me).
CULTURAL NOTE Using the Word Q®ng wèn = “May I Ask”

This idiomatic expression YʕVO_vV is used before a question or a request to
mean “may I ask” or “excuse me.” 9ʕVO_vV is a sophisticated way to initiate
a question or ask for a favor from strangers or acquaintances. It is rarely used
between friends. Examples:
9ʕVO_vV`QoVboQRʇLQǶV' Excuse me, what time is it?

9ʕVO_vVaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVRʅV\QǴV Excuse me, is the sports center
SǴQUI' open today?
68 LESSON 9
CULTURAL NOTE Ways of Payment

.`QoV and [P]ǴSǻ are two ways of payment in China. In general, smaller stores
or street vendors still prefer cash though more and more shops accept credit
cards. The term N`QoV is composed of N (to pay) and `QoV (short for `QoVRʅV or
“cash”) _PQTM[P]ǴSǻ is composed of [P]Ǵ (to swipe) and Sǻ (short for `zVaVO
SǶ or “credit card”). Both terms are used as verbs in Chinese.
Pattern Practice 1
BPvQ/6vQ (This/That) + measure word + noun
BPvQOMKǴVO]ǻV This restaurant

BPvQOM[Py\nVO This dining hall
BPvQRQoVaʅN] This shirt/dress
6vQRQoVSbQ That pants
6vQOM_vV\y That question
Pattern Practice 2
Affirmative + Negative to form a Yes–No question
6ʇUnVOJUnVO' Are you busy?

BP˛VO_uVVnVJVnV' Is Chinese difficult?
2ʅV\QǴVLMKoQPǻWKPʅJPǻWKPʅ' Is the food today tasty?
6ʕaoWJaoWYKPʅNoV' Do you want to go and eat?
BPvQRQoV\ʅ`[PǴVa˳]UuQaW] Do you have this T-shirt in a medium size?
bP˛VOPoWLM'
Pattern Practice 3
Topic + Comment (verb phrase)

6vQOMKoQ\oQToTM That dish is too spicy.
BPvQRQoVaʅN]\oQ`QǶWTM This shirt/dress is too small.
.`QoVJʕRQoWXQnVaQ It’s cheaper to pay in cash.
Topic + Comment (sentence)

6vQRQoVSbQ_˳J\oQ`ʕP]IV I don’t really like that pair of pants.
4oLMKoQ/ǴWBPz¼ǴV\vJQu`ʕP]IV Gao Zhi’an really likes spicy food.
BP˛VOPoWLM_oQ\oW\ǴUMVUuQaW] They don’t have any medium-sized
jackets.
GOING SHOPPING 69
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + aoW + verb phrase
6ʕaoWazYʇYUǶQaʅN]UI' Do you want to go buy clothes together?

6ʕaoWazYʇYKPʅNoVUI' Do you want to go eat together?
6ʕaoWN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ' Do you want to pay by cash or credit card?
?˝UyVO\QǴVaoWYaVLVO I want to go to the sports center tomorrow.
bP˛VO`ʅV
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + JʕRQoW + stative verb
6vQOMKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQJʕRQoW The food in that restaurant tastes better.

PǻWKPʅ
@]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQJʕRQoW The food in the school’s dining hall is
XQnVaQ cheaper.
<ǴUMVLML˛VO`QJʕRQoWO]z Their things are more expensive.
?˝RʅV\QǴVJʕRQoWUnVO I am busier today.
Pattern Practice 6
Use PnQ[Pz between two noun phrases or verb phrases to inquire about prefer-
ences or which person the conversation is about.
4ʇAnVOPnQ[Pz?nVO5ʇV' Li Yang or Wang Min?

5yVO\QǴV`Qo_͎[zLQǶVPnQ[Pz Tomorrow at 4 pm or 5 pm?
_͎LQǶV'
<Ǵ[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuVPnQ[Pz Is he/she American or Chinese?
BP˛VOO]~ZuV'
70 LESSON 9
6ʕN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ' Would you like to pay in cash or with a

credit card?
6ʕaoW[PzKP]ǴVbP˛VOPoWLM Do you want to try the medium or the
PnQ[PzLoPoWLM' large one?
EXERCISE 1
SuaQ Lo`QǻW Pu[Pz PnQ[Pz
1. BPvQRQoVaʅN]LM bɀVUMaoVO'
2. 6vQRQoVSbQ UI'
3. 9ʕVO_vV_˳ [PzKP]ǴVaʅ`QobPvQRQoV\ʅ`[PǴVUI'
4. A: 6ʕN`QoV [P]ǴSǻ'
B: ?˳N`QoV
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʕXyVOKPnVO`ʕP]IVYVǻZUǻQaʅN]'
2. 6ʇKP]ǴVLoPoWLMbP˛VOPoWLMPnQ[Pz`QǻWPoWLMaʅN]'
3. 6ʇ`ʕP]IVN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Excuse me, do you have the small size for these pants?
B: Yes. Would you like to try it on?
A: Yes.
2. A: Which one fits better? The large one or the medium size one?
B: The large one fits better. I shall buy the large one.
A: Okay.
3. A: How is the size?

B: It fits well. Can I use credit cards?
A: Of course you can.
GOING SHOPPING 71
EXERCISE 4
Role Play
You are shopping at a clothing store in Shanghai. Ask the store clerk the following
questions: (1) Can you try on the pants? (2) Do they have the large size of the
pants? (3) Can you use credit cards?
Credit card payments are a norm in China.

6ʕRQǴTʕa˳]L]˛[PǻWZuV' <ǴUMVLMVQnVTyVO[Pz'
How many people are there What are their ages?
in your family?
*oJI[Pz[]z
UǴUI[]z
_˳ []zLzLQ
UvQUMQL˛][]z
Dad is 50, mom is 45,
I am 18 and both my
younger siblings are 12.
?˳RQǴa˳]_͘OvZuV"JoJI
UǴUI_˳ayOMLzLQPuUvQUMQ
There are five of us: dad, mom, me,
a younger brother and sister.
6ʕUMV`ʕP]IV
ayYʕb][PuVUM'
What do you enjoy
doing together?
?˳UMV`ʕP]IVboQ
;PvVOLoVRQuRQoYʅ
OVOL[PyO]ǴVO
We like to spend time
together during our
Christmas holidays.
LESSON 10
Introduction to the Chinese
Writing System (I)
The official writing system of Chinese language comprises characters. A char-
acter is called bz (literally “word”) in Chinese, so Chinese characters are called
BP˛VOO]~bz or 0oVbz. Each character corresponds to one syllable. For example,
the term BP˛VOO]~ (China) has two syllables (BP˛VO and O]~), so it contains two
characters. Zhōng is written as 中, O]~ is written as 国, so BP˛VOO]~ is written
as 中国.
The earliest set of Chinese characters in comparatively full forms dates back
to 1200–1500 BC and was written on oracle bones. These characters are called
2QǶO͘_uV (oracle bone inscriptions). Since then, Chinese characters have gone
through a few significant evolutions in form. The characters used today are based
on 3ǶQ[P͌ (Regular Script), the script that has served as the standard for writing
since the end of Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).
There are six ways of forming Chinese characters:
Formation English Examples and Explanations

1. @QoVO`yVObz Pictographs 日 Zz (sun)
川 KP]ǴV (river)
The shape of the character 日 resembles the
sun. Similarly, 川 resembles a river.
2. BPʇ[Pzbz Simple 二 vZ (two) – two lines represent “two.”
Ideographs 中 bP˛VO (middle) – the line in the middle
reveals the meaning of the character.
3. 0]zazbz Compound 休 `Q͌ (rest)
Ideographs 森 [ɔV (forest)
The left component of 休 means “person”
or 人 and the right component 木 means
“wood.” So 休 can be understood as “a per-
son leaning next to a tree,” or “to rest.” When
this character for wood is written thrice, as
in 森, this forms a “forest”.
74 LESSON 10
Formation English Examples and Explanations

4. @yVO[PɔVObz Semantic- 饭 NoV (food)
Phonetic 请 YʕVO (invite)
Compounds A @yVO[PɔVObz consists of a semantic
component and a phonetic component. The
semantic component, usually on the lefthand
side, reveals the meaning or category of the
character. The phonetic component, usually
on the right-hand side, gives you a hint of the
sound of the character.
The left component 饣 of 饭 means it is
“food-related.” The right component 反 is
pronounced as NǻV, which sounds similar to
the character 饭 NoV.
Similarly, the left component 讠 of 请 indicates
it is “speech-related.” The right component 青
is pronounced as YʅVO, which sounds similar
to the character 请 YʕVO.
5. BP]ǶVbPbz Mutually 考 SǻW (test)
Explanatory 老 TǻW (old)
Characters These two characters are similar in form,
sounds, and meanings. BP]ǶVbPbz are
smallest in percentage in Chinese characters.
6. 2QǶRQvbz Borrowed 令 TzVO (command)
Characters 长 bPǻVO (the elderly)
The original meaning of 令 is “command.”
Later it is borrowed to form other compounds
such as 县令 (`QoVTzVO “county magistrate”).
Similarly, the original meaning of 长 is “the
elderly.” Later it is borrowed to form other
compounds such as 县长 (`QoVbPǻVO “coun-
ty’s head commissioner”).
Some learners of Chinese are surprised to find that the majority of Chinese char-
acters are @yVO[PɔVObz, not @QoVO`yVObz. That means most Chinese characters
are not pictures; instead, they are composed of one semantic component and one
phonetic component. The semantic component refers to the meaning or category
of the character while the phonetic component reveals what the character may
sound like.
Scholars have not come to a conclusion about the total number of Chinese char-
acters, but the most authoritative dictionaries include about 50,000. This number
may seem intimidating to learn, but the good news is that the most commonly
INTRODUCTION TO THE CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM (I) 75
used characters actually amount to less than 4,000 of these 50,000. As a matter of
fact, if you know 1,000 to 1,500 characters, you can already read simple Chinese
stories. Being able to recognize 2,500 to 3,000 characters will enable you to read
Chinese newspapers and common books.
In this book we will introduce 25 characters each in Lesson 10 and Lesson

20. These 50 characters are commonly seen on a daily basis while you work
or travel in China. If you plan to continue your study of the Chinese written
language, we encourage you to explore other related books published by Tuttle.
Character Pinyin English Compounds

一 aʅ one
二 vZ two
三 [ǴV three
四 [z four
五 _͎ five
六 TQ six
七 Yʅ seven
八 JǴ eight
九 RQ͎ nine
十 [Py ten 九十
RQ͎[Py
(ninety)
百 JǶQ hundred 三百
[ǴVJǶQ
(three hundred)
千 YQǴV thousand 八千
JǴYQǴV
(eight thousand)
元 a]nV dollar 五百元
_͎JǶQa]nV
(five hundred dollars)
是 [Pz be
你 Vʇ you 你是…
Vʇ[Pz°
(You are…)
我 _˝ I, me 我是…
_˝[Pz°
(I am…)
他 \Ǵ he, him 他是…
\Ǵ[Pz°
(He is…)
76 LESSON 10
Character Pinyin English Compounds

她 \Ǵ she, her 她是…
\Ǵ[Pz°
(She is…)
谢 `Qv thank 谢谢
`Qv`QM
(thank you)
The second 谢 loses its tone in the
compound 谢谢.
国 O]~ nation,
country
中 bP˛VO middle 中国
BP˛VOO]~
(China)
美 UȺQ pretty, 美国
beautiful 5ȺQO]~
(U.S.A.)
人 ZuV people 中国人
BP˛VOO]~ZuV
(Chinese people)
美国人
5ȺQO]~ZuV
(American people)
岁 []z years of age 二十岁
vZ[Py[]z
(twenty years old)
好 PǶW good 你好
VʇPǶW
(Hi)
INTRODUCTION TO THE CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM (I) 77
EXERCISE
Practice reading the following sentences.
1. 你好，我是 Eric 。
6ʕPǻW_˳[Pz-ZQK
Hi, I am Eric.
2. 我二十岁。
?˳vZ[Py[]z
I am twenty years old.
3. 我是美国人，他是中国人。
?˳[Pz5ɀQO]~ZuV\Ǵ[PzBP˛VOO]~ZuV
I am American. He is Chinese.
4. 六百元。
4QJǻQa]nV
Six hundred RMB.
5. 五千元。
?͘YQǴVa]nV
Five thousand RMB.
6. 谢谢。
@Qv`QM
Thank you.
?uQVyVPǻW
YʕVO_vV4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI'
Hello? May I speak with Manager Lin?
2ʅVOTʕ`QoVboQJboQ
9ʕVO_vVVyV[PzVɀQ_vQ'
The manager is not here right now.
May I know who is speaking?
?˳`zVO/ǴW[Pz9ʅVOP]n
,o`]uLM`]u[PMVO4yV2ʅVOTʕaoW
_˳OɀQ\ǴLǻLQoVP]o
My last name is Gao, and I am a student
of Tsinghua University. Manager Lin
asked me to call him.
0ǻW_˳P]z\˛VObPʅ
RʅVOTʕYʕVO\ǴOɀQVyVP]yLQoV
6yVLMLQoVP]oPoWUǻ[Pz'
Okay, I will notify the manager and ask him
to return your call. Your telephone
number is ..?
?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz!
My cell phone number is 139-2227-6688.
0ǻW/ǴW@QǴV[PMVO
_˳bPʅLoWTM
Great, Mr. Gao, I got it.
6nTQ
@Qv`QM You are
welcome.
Thank you.
LESSON 11
Making a Phone Call
DIALOGUE Calling Manager Lin
Manager Lin and Eric Goodman met at a career fair on campus. Manager Lin asked
if Eric would be interested in working for him. After days of consideration Eric is
calling Manager Lin. Manager Lin’s office assistant answers the phone.
Eric: Hello? May I speak with Manager Lin?

?uQVyVPǻWYʕVO_vV4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI'
喂，您好，请问，林经理在吗？
Assistant: The manager is not here right now. May I know who is speaking?
2ʅVOTʕ`QoVboQJboQ9ʕVO_vVVyV[PzVɀQ_vQ'
经理现在不在。请问您是哪位？
Eric: My last name is Gao, and I am a student of Tsinghua University.
Manager Lin asked me to call him.
?˳`zVO/ǴW[Pz9ʅVOP]n,o`]uLM`]u[PMVO4yV2ʅVOTʕaoW_˳
OɀQ\ǴLǻLQoVP]o
我姓高，是清华大学的学生。林经理要我给他打电话。
Assistant: Okay, I will notify the manager and ask him to return your call.
Your telephone number is …?
0ǻW_˳P]z\˛VObPʅRʅVOTʕYʕVO\ǴOɀQVyVP]yLQoV6yVLM
LQoVP]oPoWUǻ[Pz°'
好，我会通知经理，请他给您回电。您的电话号码是…？
Eric: My cell phone number is 139-2227-6688.
我的手机号码是 139-2227-6688。
Assistant: Great, Mr. Gao, I got it.
0ǻW/ǴW@QǴV[PMVO_˳bPʅLoWTM
好，高先生，我知道了。
Eric: Thank you.
@Qv`QM
谢谢。
Assistant: You are welcome.
6nTQ
哪里。
80 LESSON 11
New Vocabulary
?uQ 喂 “Hello” (on the telephone)
4yV 林 Lin
2ʅVOTʕ 经理 Manager
BoQ 在 Be present, around
@QoVboQ 现在 Now
?vQ 位 (Polite measure word for people)
@zVO 姓 Be surnamed
9ʅVOP]n,o`]u 清华大学 Tsinghua University
/ɀQ 给 For, to
,QoVP]o 电话 Telephone
,ǻLQoVP]o 打电话 Make a phone call
0]z 会 Will
<˛VObPʅ 通知 Notify, inform
0]yLQoVP]o 回电话 Return a phone call
0oWUǻ 号码 Number (n)
;P˳]Rʅ 手机 Cellular phone or mobile phone
AǴW One (used when reading out phone
numbers)
;ǴV Three
2Q͎ ! Nine
ÐZ Two
9ʅ Seven
4Q Six
*Ǵ Eight
@QǴV[PMVO 先生 Mr.
4M 了 (Indicates change of state)
6nTQ 哪里 “You are welcome”, “not at all”, “it’s
nothing”
Supplementary Vocabulary Well-Established Chinese Universities
Pinyin English
*ȺQRʅVO ,o`]u Peking University, Beijing, Mainland China
9ʅVOP]n,o`]u Tsinghua University, Beijing, Mainland China
.LoV,o`]u Fudan University, Shanghai, Mainland China
BPvRQǴVO,o`]u Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Mainland China
<nQ_ǴV,o`]u Taiwan University, Taipei
<nQ_ǴV;PʅNoV,o`]u Taiwan Normal University, Taipei
<nQ_ǴV9ʅVOP]n,o`]u Tsinghua University, Hsin-chu, Taiwan
@QǴVOOǶVO,o`]u The University of Hong Kong
@QǴVOOǶVOBP˛VO_uV,o`]u The Chinese University of Hong Kong
MAKING A PHONE CALL 81
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Zài = “Be Present”

You have learned boQ as a verb to identify location in Lesson 7. Examples:
?˳boQ[Py\nVO I am in the dining hall.

@]u`QoWLMaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV Where is the sports center on campus?
boQVǻZ'
You have also learned boQ as a coverb in Lesson 8. Examples:

?˳boQ[PǴVOLQoVUǶQL˛VO`Q I am buying things at a store.
In this lesson, zài functions as a verb meaning “be present” to ask about
someone’s whereabouts. Examples:
4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI' Is Manager Lin in?

2ʅVOTʕ`QoVboQJboQ The manager is not here right now.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Xìng = “To be Surnamed”

@zVO is generally used as a verb in Chinese. Examples:
?˳`zVO/ǴW My last name is Gao.

6vQ_vQ`QǴV[PMVO`zVO4yV That gentleman’s last name is Lin.
The most sophisticated way to inquire about someone’s last name is 6yVO]z`zVO?
(“What is your honorable last name?”), not VyV`zVO[PuVUM. 6yVO]z`zVO is used
on a rather formal occasion, such as in a business setting or in an international
scholars’ reception. Ask VyVO]z`zVO so you can address people appropriately
with heir titles (e.g., 4yV2ʅVOTʕ, +PuV@QǴV[PMVO, or BPǴVO4ǶW[PQ).
Helpful Tip:
(1) @zVO is followed by a last name only while RQoW is followed by a full name. (2)
6yVO]z`zVO is used in a formal occasion while VʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ is used
in a more casual conversation.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Gi as Coverb = “For” or “To”

/ɀQ as coverb often appears in the structure: Subject 1 + OɀQ + Subject 2 + verb
phrase. Examples:
?˳OɀQVʕLǻLQoVP]o I’ll call you.

?˳YʕVO\ǴOɀQVyVP]yLQoV I’ll ask him to call you back.
Although structural variations with OɀQ as coverb exist, we encourage you to

follow this pattern before a verb phrase.
82 LESSON 11
The Diverse Meanings of the Verb D =

GRAMMAR NOTE
“To Hit/Call”
The verb LǶ has several meanings. In Lesson 6 we learned that LǶ as in LǶ TnV
YQ could mean “play basketball”. In this lesson, Lǻ means “call” and should be
followed by LQoVP]o or [P˳]Rʅ. Examples:
LǻLQoVP]o make a phone call

Lǻ[P˳]Rʅ call cell phone
Helpful Tip:
If you want to say “call me”, do not use Lǻ_˳ which actually means “hit me”.
Instead, you should say OɀQ_˳LǻLQoVP]o.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Auxiliary Verb Huì = “Will”

The auxiliary verb P]z means “will” and it indicates the potential realization of
an action. Examples:
?˳P]z\˛VObPʅRʅVOTʕ I will notify the manager.

?˳UyVO\QǴVP]zYaVLVO I will exercise tomorrow.
6ʇRʅV\QǴVP]zYUǶQL˛VO`QUI' Are you going to buy things today?
GRAMMAR NOTE Using Le to Indicate a Change of Status

The so-called sentence-final TM indicates change of state. Compare:
?˳bPʅLoW I know. (as a response to 6ʕbPʅLoW

UI')
?˳bPʅLoWTM Now I know. (I didn’t know before. Now
I know.)
?˳UMVa˳]bP˛VOPoWLMaʅN] We have medium-sized shirts/dresses.

?˳UMVa˳]bP˛VOPoWLMaʅN]TM Now we have medium-sized shirts/
dresses. We didn’t have them before.
Now we do.
?˳a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQ I have a Chinese name.

?˳a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQTM Now I have a Chinese name. I didn’t
have a Chinese name before. Now I do.
CULTURAL NOTE Making and Answering a Phone Call

When making or answering a phone call, Chinese people usually start with _uQ.
If you already know the caller or the receiver, _uQ can be dropped and replaced
with the terms of address for that person, such as /ǴWBPz¼ǴV4yV2ʅVOTʕ, or
BPǴVO4ǶW[PQ.
CULTURAL NOTE Titles as Terms of Address

Note that the office assistant addresses Manager Lin as RʅVOTʕ. As mentioned in
Lesson 5, it is common in Chinese culture to address people who are older and
of higher social status simply with their titles, such as `QǴV[PMVO (Mr.), TǶW[Pʅ
(teacher) and RʅVOTʕ.
The Polite Measure Word Wèi to Refer to

CULTURAL NOTE
People (I)
You have learned VɀQ- meaning “which” in Lesson 4, in phrases such as 6ʕ[Pz
VɀQO]~ZuV' (“What country are you from?”). ?vQ is a polite measure word for
people, especially when they are present. So, VɀQ_vQ means “which person” and
bPvQ_vQ means “this person.”
If Eric Goodman and Li Yang meet Professor Zhang on campus, Eric can intro-
duce them to each other by saying:
BPǴVO4ǶW[PQVyVPǶWbPvQ_vQ[Pz_˝LMXuVOa˝]4ʕAnVO4ʕAnVObPvQ_vQ
[PzBPǴVO4ǶW[PQ
Professor Zhang, how are you? This is my friend, Li Yang. Li Yang, this is Pro-
fessor Zhang.
It would be inappropriate to use OM and say BPvQOM[Pz_˝LMXuVOa˝] or BPvQOM

[PzBPǴVO4ǶW[PQ as politeness is expected in this teacher-student scenario. Also,
respect should be given to the elders and they should be introduced to the young-
er person first.
CULTURAL NOTE Cell Phone Numbers in Mainland China

A typical cell phone number in Mainland China consists of 11 digits. It should be
read by three digits + four digits + four digits. For instance, the cell phone num-
ber 13922276688 should be read as 139-2227-6688. Pausing at the wrong digit
might hinder native speakers from jotting down the numbers.
Response to xièxie “Thank you” is Náli

CULTURAL NOTE
“Not at all; it’s Nothing”
Besides the JQuSvYQ or JSvYQ you learned in Lesson 5, VnTQ, literally meaning
“where” in the sense of “where does the gratitude come from,” is another way to
respond to `Qv`QM.
84 LESSON 11
Pattern Practice 1
BoQ as verb
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVboQ Gao Zhi’an is here.

4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI' Is Manager Lin in?
4ʕAnVO`QoVboQJboQ Li Yang is not here now.
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅUyVO\QǴVJboQ Prof. Zhang will not be in tomorrow.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + `zVO + surname
?˝`zVO?nVO My last name is Wang.

6vQ_vQ`QǴV[PMVO`zVO4yV That gentleman’s last name is Lin.
?˳LMRʅVOTʕ`zVO? My manager’s last name is Wu.
?˳LMBP˛VO_uVTǶW[Pʅ`zVO+PuV My Chinese teacher’s last name is Chen.
Pattern Practice 3
Subject 1 + OɀQ (to/for) + Subject 2 + verb phrase
?˳UyVO\QǴVOɀQVʕLǻLQoVP]o I will call you tomorrow.

6ʕKPnVOKPnVOOɀQ[PuQLǻLQoVP]o' Who do you often call?
?˳LMUǴUIKPnVOKPnVOOɀQ_˳Lǻ My mother often calls me.
LQoVP]o
?˳YʕVORʅVOTʕOɀQVyVP]yLQoV I will ask the manager to call you back.
?˳YʕVORʅVOTʕ
OɀQVyVP]yLQoV
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + P]z + verb phrase
?˳P]zOɀQ4yV2ʅVOTʕLǻLQoVP]o I will call Manager Lin.

?˳UyVO\QǴVP]zYLǶTnVYQ I will go play basketball tomorrow.
<ǴRʅV\QǴVP]zYUǶQaʅN] He/She will go buy clothes today.
6ʕP]zYBP˛VOO]~UI' Will you be going to China?
Pattern Practice 5
Sentence + TM indicating change of state
?˳bPʅLoWTM Now I know. (I didn’t know before).

?˳a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQTM Now I have a Chinese name. (I didn’t have
one before.)
?˳UMVa˳]bP˛VOPoWLMaʅN]TM Now we have medium-sized shirts/dresses.
(We didn’t have them before).
@QoVboQJǴLQǶVTM It’s now 8 o’clock. (It was not 8 o’clock
before this.)
4ʕAnVOY[Py\nVOKPʅNoVTM Li Yang is going to the dining hall to eat.
(He was doing something else before
going to the dining hall to eat.)
EXERCISE 1
OɀQ `zVO _vQ _uQ
1. 6ʕRʅV\QǴVRʇLQǶV _˳LǻLQoVP]o'
2. A: 9ʕVO_vVVvQ [Pz°'
B: <Ǵ[Pz_˝LM5ȺQO]~XuVOa˳]
3. A: YʕVO_vV4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI'
B: <ǴboQ9ʕVOLɀVOwaitay`Qo
4. ?˳ ?nVO_˝RQoW?nVO5ʇV
86 LESSON 11
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʕKPnVOKPnVOOɀQ[PuQLǻLQoVP]o'
2. 6ʇLM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz°'
3. 6y[[PvLMLQoVP]oPoWUǻ[Pz°'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Hello. Can I speak with Mr. Lin?

B: He is not here right now. May I know who is calling?
A: My last name is Li. I am a professor from the English Department.
2. A: I will ask Mr. Lin to call you back. What is your telephone number?
B: My cell phone number is 138-8877-2266.
A: Okay, I got it.
3. A: I have a Chinese name now.

B: What is your Chinese name?
A: My Chinese name is Dèng Róng.
EXERCISE 4
Task: Fill in the following registration form in Pinyin.
Registration Form
中文姓名:
(Chinese Name)
国别:
(Nationality)
职业别: (Occupation)
手机号码:
(Cell phone number)
For Offical use only:

ÐP4ʇAnVO ?˳R]uLM[Pz
BP˛VOO]~b]z ,]ǴV_͘RQu
bPVOaoWLMRQuZz BP˛VOYQ͌RQuPu
V~VOTz@ʅVVQnVJI
[Pz[PuVUM'
I think they are the Dragon
Hey, Li Yang, Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn
what are the Festival, and the Chinese
most important New Year!
holidays BPvQ`QɔRQuZz[Pz
in China? [PuVUM[PyPW]'
When are these
holidays?
,]ǴV_͘RQu[PzV~VOTz BP˛VOYQ͌RQu[Pz V~VOTz@ʅVVQnV[Pzaʅa]vaʅPoW

_͘a]v_͘PoW JǴa]v[Py_͘PoW And the Chinese New Year is on the
The Dragon Boat Festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival is on the first day of the first month
on the fifth day of the fifth month, ... fifteenth day of the eighth month, of the year.
BP˛VOO]~ZuV
bɀVUMYzVObP'
How do Chinese people
celebrate these holidays?
BP˛VOYQ͌RQu_˳UMV V~VOTz@ʅVVQnV_˳UMV
,]ǴV_͘RQu_˳UMVKPʅbVObQ KPʅa]vJʕVO PuRQǴZuVazYʇKPʅNoV
We eat glutinous rice dumplings We eat mooncakes during And we eat together with
during the Dragon Boat Festival, ... the Mid-Autumn Festival, ... our families on Chinese New Year.
BP˛VOO]~ZuV
aɀ`ʕP]IV
;PvVOLoVRQuUI' A]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV
;PvVOLoVRQu_˳UMV
Do Chinese `ʕP]IVPuXuVOa˳]
people like KPʅNoV
Christmas too?
We like it more and
more. We like to eat
together with friends
on Christmas.
LESSON 12
Holiday Celebrations
DIALOGUE Important Chinese Holidays
Eric Goodman is chatting with Li Yang about Chinese holidays at the students’
cafeteria.
Eric: Hey, Li Yang, what are the most important holidays in China?
ÐP4ʇAnVOBP˛VOO]~b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz[Pz[PuVUM'
唉，李洋，中国最重要的节日是什么？
Yang: I think they are the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festi-
val, and the Chinese New Year.
?˳R]uLM[Pz,]ǴV_͘RQuBP˛VOYQ͌RQuPuV~VOTz@ʅVVQnVJI
我觉得是端午节、中秋节和农历新年吧！
Eric: When are these holidays?
BPvQ`QɔRQuZz[Pz[PuVUM[PyPW]'
这些节日是什么时候？
Yang: The Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of the fifth month,
the Mid-Autumn Festival is on the fifteenth day of the eighth
month, and the Chinese New Year is on the first day of the first
month of the year.1
,]ǴV_͘RQu[Pz0~VOTz_͘a]v_͘PoWBP˛VOYQ͌RQu[PzJǴa]v
[Py_͘PoWV~VOTz@ʅVVQnV[Pzaʅa]vaʅPoW
端午节是农历五月五号，中秋节是八月十五号，农历
新年是一月一号。
Eric: How do Chinese people celebrate these holidays?
BP˛VOO]~ZuVbɀVUMYzVObP'
中国人怎么庆祝？
Yang: We eat glutinous rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat
Festival, we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival,
and we eat together with our families on Chinese New Year.
,]ǴV_͘RQu_˳UMVKPʅbVObQBP˛VOYQ͌RQu_˳UMVKPʅ
a]vJʕVOV~VOTz@ʅVVQnV_˳UMVPuRQǴZuVazYʇKPʅNoV
端午节我们吃粽子，中秋节我们吃月饼，农历新年我
们和家人一起吃饭。
Eric: Do Chinese people like Christmas too?
BP˛VOO]~ZuVaɀ`ʕP]IV;PvVOLoVRQuUI'
中国人也喜欢圣诞节吗？
1 These dates are according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

90 LESSON 12
Yang: We like it more and more. We like to eat together with friends
on Christmas.
A]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV;PvVOLoVRQu_˳UMV`ʕP]IVPuXuVOa˳]
KPʅNoV
越来越喜欢，圣诞节我们喜欢和朋友吃饭。
New Vocabulary
B]z 最 Most
BPVOaoW 重要 Important
2QuZz 节日 Holiday, festival
,]ǴV_͘RQu 端午节 Dragon Boat Festival
BP˛VOYQ͌RQu 中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival
0u 和 And, with
6~VOTz 农历 Lunar calendar
@ʅVVQnV 新年 New Year
*I 吧 (Indicates assumption)
@Qɔ 些 Some, a few
BPvQ`Qɔ 这些 These (at)
;PyPW] 时候 Time, moment
;PuVUM[PyPW] 什么时候 When, what time
?͘ 五 Five
A]v 月 Month of the year
0oW 号 Day of the month
;Py_͘ 十五 Fifteen
BɀVUM 怎么 How to
9zVObP 庆祝 Celebrate
BVObQ 粽子 Glutinous rice dumplings
A]vJʕVO 月饼 Mooncake
2QǴZuV 家人 Family member(s)
;PvVOLoVRQu 圣诞节 Christmas
A]vTnQa]v° 越来越 More and
Supplementary Vocabulary More Numbers
Pinyin English
;Pyaʅ Eleven
;Py¼vZ Twelve
;Py[ǴV Thirteen
;Py[z Fourteen
;Py_͘ Fifteen
;PyTQ Sixteen
;PyYʅ Seventeen
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS 91
;PyJǴ Eighteen
;PyRQ͎ Nineteen
ÐZ[Py Twenty
;ǴV[Py Thirty
;z[Py Forty
?͎[Py Fifty
4Q[Py Sixty
9ʅ[Py Seventy
*Ǵ[Py Eighty
2Q͎[Py Ninety
Supplementary Vocabulary Months of the Year2
Pinyin English
Aʅa]v January
ÐZa]v February
;ǴVa]v March
;za]v April
?͎a]v May
4Qa]v June
9ʅa]v July
*Ǵa]v August
2Q͎a]v September
;Pya]v October
;Pyaʅa]v November
;Py¼vZa]v December
Chinese Terms for Birthday and Western Holidays

Pinyin English
[PɔVOZz Birthday
?oV[PvVORQu Halloween; the Chinese version falls on the 15th day of
the 7th month of the Lunar calendar
/ǶV¼ɔVRQu Thanksgiving
9yVOZuVRQu Valentine’s Day; the Chinese version falls on the 7th day
of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar
2 Aʅa]v (and all the other months) could refer to both the first month of the lunar year, as well as January
depending on its context.
92 LESSON 12
GRAMMAR NOTE The Superlative Marker Zuì = “Most”

Express superlatives with b]z, or “most”. It can be followed by either a stative verb
or a verb phrase. Examples:
b]zToLMKoQ the most spicy dish

b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz the most important holiday
?˳b]z`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQ I like to eat Chinese food most.
4ʇAnVORʅV\QǴVb]z`QǶVOKPʅbVObQ Li Yang wants to eat glutinous rice
dumplings most today.
Using the Word Hé = “And” or “With” as

GRAMMAR NOTE
Conjunction or Coverb
There are two important usages with the word Pu. First, Pu is a conjunction word
that connects two nouns. Examples:
_˝PuVʇ you and I

bVObQPua]vJʕVO glutinous rice dumplings and mooncakes
BP˛VOO]~Pu5ȺQO]~ China and the U.S.A.
If there are more than two nouns, Pu needs to be inserted between the last two
nouns, such as :zJȺV, BP˛VOO]~Pu5ȺQO]~ (Japan, China and the U.S.A.).
Helpful Tip:
0u cannot be used to connect two sentences or verb phrases as the English word
“and” can.
The other usage of Pu is a coverb in the pattern “Subject 1 + Pu + Subject 2 + verb

phrase.” Examples:
6ʕ`ʕP]IVPu[PuQazYʇKPʅNoV' Whom do you like to dine with?

?˝`ʕP]IVPuXuVOa˳]azYʇLǶ I like to play basketball with friends.
TnVYQ
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVUyVO\QǴVP]zPu?nVO Gao Zhi’an will be going to buy things
5ʇVazYʇYUǶQL˛VO`Q together with Wang Min tomorrow.
In both usages, Pu is equivalent to OɔV despite regional preferences. In general,

northerners use Pu more while the southerners tend to use OɔV. You will hear
people say PoV in Taiwan.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Sentence Final Particle Ba =

“I Suppose” to indicate Assumption or Supposition
*I is a sentence final particle that implies the speaker’s assumption or supposi-
tion. Compare:
6ʕ[Pz`]u[PMVO You are a student. (statement)

6ʕ[Pz`]u[PMVOUI' Are you a student? (question)
6ʕ[Pz`]u[PMVOJI' You are a student, I suppose?
More examples with JI:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuVJI' Gao Zhi’an is American, I suppose?

BP˛VOYQ͌RQu[PzV~VOTzJǴa]vJI' The Mid-autumn Festival is in the
lunar eighth month, I suppose?
BP˛VOO]~ZuVaɀ`ʕP]IV Chinese people also like Christmas,
;PvVOLoVRQuJI' I suppose?
GRAMMAR NOTE Using The Word Xi = “Some; a Few”

The word `Qɔ is a measure word meaning “some”. It needs to be preceded by a
specifier (i.e., bPvQ, VvQ, or VɀQ) and followed by a noun. Examples:
bPvQ`QɔRQuZz these holidays

VvQ`QɔZuV those people
VɀQ`QɔaʅN] which pieces of clothes
Using The Question Words Shénme

GRAMMAR NOTE
Shíhou = “When”
In Lesson 6, you learned RʇLQǶV “what (clock) time.” In this dialogue, you learn
the question word [PuVUM[PyPW] meaning “when.” Examples:
6ʕ[PuVUM[PyPW]YBP˛VOO]~' When are you going to China?

BP˛VOO]~ZuV[PuVUM[PyPW]KPʅ When do Chinese people eat
a]vJʕVO' mooncakes?
5yVOVQnVLMV~VOTz@ʅVVQnV[Pz[PuVUM When is the Chinese New Year
[PyPW]' next year?
94 LESSON 12
Using Yuè = “Month” and Hào = “Day of a

GRAMMAR NOTE
Month” to Indicate Dates in a Month
The word for “month” in Chinese is a]v. The twelve months of a year are included
in the supplementary vocabulary. The word for “day of a month” is PoW. To follow
the principle of a big unit before a small unit mentioned in Lesson 6, the month
always precedes the day. To ask “what day (of the month) is today,” you can say
2ʅV\QǴV[PzRʇa]vRʇPoW? More examples:
,]ǴV_͘RQu[PzV~VOTz The Dragon Boat Festival

_͘a]v_͘PoW is on the fifth day of the
fifth month.
;PvVOLoVRQu[Pz[Py¼vZa]v Christmas is on
vZ[Py_͘PoW December 25.
?˝LM[PɔVOZz[PzJǴa]v My birthday is August 8.
JǴPoW
Using Znme = “How” to ask how to do

GRAMMAR NOTE
Something
You have learned bɀVUMaoVO in the previous lessons meaning “How about” or
“how someone is doing.” In this lesson, you learn bɀVUM + verb to mean “how
to verb.” Examples:
BɀVUMYzVObP' How to celebrate?

BVObQbɀVUMKPʅ' How do you eat glutinous rice dumplings?
BoQBP˛VOO]~bɀVUMLǻLQoVP]o' How do you make a phone call in China?
GRAMMAR NOTE The Phrase Yuèláiyuè … = “Increasingly”

The pattern “a]vTnQa]v°” can followed either by a stative verb or by a verb
phrase. Examples:
?˝LMBP˛VO_uVa]vTnQa]vPǶW My Chinese is improving.

;PvVOLoVRQuboQBP˛VOO]~a]vTnQa]v Christmas is becoming more important
bPVOaoW in China.
BP˛VOO]~ZuVa]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV Chinese people like Christmas more and
;PvVOLoVRQu more.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVa]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV Gao Zhi’an likes Chinese history more
BP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ and more.
CULTURAL NOTE Chinese Traditional Holidays

,]ǴV_͘RQuBP˛VOYQ͌RQu and 6~VOTz@ʅVVQnV are considered the three most
important holidays in Chinese culture. Each of these RQuZz has its cultural rituals,
festive food, and related folklore. For instance, the dragon boat tournament is
held on ,]ǴV_͘RQu, the story of Moon Goddess of Immortality +PnVO¼u is asso-
ciated with BP˛VOYQ͌RQu, and the New Year’s beast 6QnV[P] is associated with
6~VOTz@ʅVVQnV.
CULTURAL NOTE Chinese Lunar Calendar

Different from the Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar V~VOTz is an
independent system of arranging dates, time, and seasons of the year largely
based on the movement of the sun and the moon. Although nowadays the West-
ern calendar has been officially adopted in Chinese societies, Chinese people
frequently resort to V~VOTz when it comes to celebrating traditional holidays or
selecting a day for weddings, funerals, or business grand openings.
Zòngzi = “Glutinous Rice Dumplings” and

CULTURAL NOTE
Yuèb®ng = “Mooncakes”
BVObQ is a pyramid-shaped traditional food made of glutinous rice. It contains
various fillings such as pork, eggs, mushrooms, and is wrapped in bamboo leaves.
BVObQ is traditionally eaten on ,]ǴV_͘RQu.
A]vJʕVO is a Chinese pastry with fillings such as red beans or pineapple paste
with nuts. A]vJʕVO is traditionally consumed on BP˛VOYQ͌RQu and it fits perfectly
with Chinese tea.
Pattern Practice 1
b]z + stative verb
b]zToLMKoQ the most spicy dish

b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz the most important holiday
b]zPu[PzLMaʅN] the shirt/dress that fits best
b]zPǻWLM`]u[PMVO the best student
96 LESSON 12
Pattern Practice 2
b]z + verb phrase
?˳b]z`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQ I like to eat Chinese food most.

?˳b]z`ʕP]IVKPʅbVObQ I like to eat glutinous rice dumplings the
most.
6ʇb]z`QǶVOYVǶZ' Where do you want to go most?
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVb]z`QǶVO`]uBP˛VOO]~ Gao Zhi’an wants to study Chinese
Tz[Pʇ history most.
Pattern Practice 3
Noun 1 + Pu + Noun 2
5ɀQO]~b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz[Pz The most important holidays in the US

/ǶV¼ɔVRQuPu;PvVOLoVRQu are Thanksgiving and Christmas.
?˳`QǶVO`]uBP˛VO_uVPu I want to study the Chinese and
:z_uV Japanese languages.
?˳UǻQbPvQRQoVaʅN]PuVvQRQoV I am buying this shirt/dress and that
SbQ pair of pants.
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅUyVO\QǴVY Professor Zhang is going to the US and
5ɀQO]~Pu2QǴVǴLo Canada tomorrow.
Pattern Practice 4
Subject 1 + Pu + Subject 2 + verb phrase
?˳KPnVOKPnVOPuXuVOa˳]KPʅNoV I often eat with friends.

6ʕKPnVOKPnVOPuRQǴZuVKPʅNoVUI' Do you often eat with your family?
4ʕAnVOUyVO\QǴVPu/ǴWBPz¼ǴV Li Yang will play basketball with Gao
azYʇLǶTnVYQ Zhi’an tomorrow.
?nVO5ʇVRʅV\QǴV_ǶV[PoVOPu Wang Min is going to buy things with
XuVOa˳]YUǶQL˛VO`Q her friends tonight.
Pattern Practice 5
Statement + JI indicating assumption or supposition
5yVO\QǴV[Pz`ʅVOYʅ\QǴVJI' Tomorrow is Sunday, I suppose?

6ʕ[Pz`]u[PMVOJI' You are a student, I suppose?
6ʕb]zRzVPɀVUnVOJI' You have been busy recently, I suppose?
¹/ǴWBPz¼ǴVº[PzVʕLMBP˛VO_uV Gao Zhi’an is your Chinese name, I
UyVObQJI' suppose?
Pattern Practice 6
Event/Holiday + [Pz + [PuVUM[PyPW]
,]ǴV_͘RQu[Pz[PuVUM[PyPW]' When is the Dragon Boat Festival?

BP˛VOYQ͌RQu[Pz[PuVUM[PyPW]' When is the Mid-autumn Festival?
/ǶV¼ɔVRQu[Pz[PuVUM[PyPW]' When is Thanksgiving?
BP˛VOO]~LM9yVOZuVRQu[Pz[PuVUM When is the Chinese Valentine’s Day?
[PyPW]'
Pattern Practice 7
Subject + [PuVUM[PyPW] + verb phrase
6ʕ[PuVUM[PyPW]OɀQ\ǴLǻLQoVP]o' When are you calling him/her?

6ʕ[PuVUM[PyPW]YKPʅNoV' When are you going to eat?
BP˛VOO]~ZuV[PuVUM[PyPW]KPʅ When do Chinese people eat
a]vJʕVO' mooncakes?
BP˛VOO]~ZuV[PuVUM[PyPW] When do Chinese people eat glutinous
KPʅbVObQ' rice dumplings?
Pattern Practice 8
A]vTnQa]v + stative verb/verb phrase
B]zRzVL˛VO`Qa]vTnQa]vO]z Things are getting increasingly

expensive recently.
0ǶWLMKǴVO]ǻVa]vTnQa]vL]˛ There are more and more good
restaurants.
<Ǵb]zRzVa]vTnQa]vUnVO He/She has been busier and busier
recently.
98 LESSON 12
?˳a]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IVaVLVO I like exercising more and more.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVa]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV Gao Zhi’an likes Chinese history more
BP˛VOO]~Tz[Pʇ and more.
Pattern Practice 9
BPvQ6vQ6ɀQ + `Qɔ + noun
BPvQ`QɔRQuZzbPVOaoWUI' Are these holidays important?

6vQ`QɔZuVboQUI' Are those people around?
6ɀQ`QɔaʅN]VʕJ`ʕP]IV' Which of these clothes don’t you like?
EXERCISE 1
`Qɔ bɀVUM b]z Pu
1. 6ʕKPnVOKPnVO [PuQazYʇKPʅNoV'
2. 6vQ ZuV[Pz[PuQ'
3. ?˝R]uLM5ȺQO]~ bPVOaoWLMRQuZz[Pz;PvVOLoVRQu
4. BP˛VOO]~ZuV YzVObP6~VOTz@ʅVVQnV'
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʕLMO]~RQǴ(country)b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz[Pz[PuVUM'
2. 6ʇLM[PɔVOZz[PzRʇa]vRʇPoW'
3. 6ybɀVUMYzVObP@ʅVVQnV'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: When is the Chinese New Year?

B: It’s on the first day of the first month.
A: How do Chinese people celebrate this holiday?
B: They eat together with their families.
2. A: When do Chinese people eat mooncakes?

B: We eat mooncakes during the Mid-autumn Festival. Do you like
mooncakes?
A: I’m liking them more and more.
3. A: What is the most important holiday in China?

B: I think it’s Chinese New Year. What about the US?
A: I think it’s Christmas.
EXERCISE 4
Task: Below are the six important holidays in China. You have been introduced
three of them in this lesson. Check out the other three holidays online and write
down their names in English.
2ʇa]v2ʇPoW(Date) ;PuVUM2QuZz(? Holidays)
6~VOTzaʅa]vaʅPoW
;za]v_͘PoW
?͘a]vaʅPoW
6~VOTz_͘a]v_͘PoW
6~VOTzJǴa]v[Py_͘PoW
;Pya]vaʅPoW
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV
bɀVUMTM'6ʇ
SoVYʇTIQa˳]azLQǻVZ
J[P͌N]
Gao Zhi’an, what
happened?
You look
a bit sick.
?˳OǻVUoWTM
I caught a cold.
9SoVTMaʅ[PMVOUI'
Did you go see a doctor?
B]~\QǴVSoVTM Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛_˳OǻVUoWTMOɀQ
I did yesterday. _˳SǴQTMaz`QɔaoWaoW_˳L]˛`Q͌`Q
The doctor said I caught a cold.
He prescribed some medicine for me
and asked me to get more rest.
Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛
[PuVUM'
What did the
doctor say?
6oVʕL]˛`Q͌`QJI
aɀL]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ
Have more rest then.
Also, drink more water!
0ǻW`Qv`QM
Okay, thank
you.
LESSON 13
Feeling Unwell
DIALOGUE Expressing Concern
Wang Min bumps into Eric Goodman on campus. She notices that Eric looks a bit
pale and seems to be sick.
Min: Gao Zhi’an, what happened? You look a little bit sick.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVbɀVUMTM'6ʇSoVYʇTIQa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N]
高志安，怎么了？你看起来有一点儿不舒服。
Eric: I caught a cold.
?˳OǻVUoWTM
我感冒了。
Min: Did you go see a doctor?
9SoVTMaʅ[PMVOUI'
去看了医生吗？
Eric: I did yesterday.
B]~\QǴVSoVTM
昨天看了。
Min: What did the doctor say?
Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛[PuVUM'
医生说什么？
Eric: The doctor said I caught a cold. He prescribed some medicine for
me and asked me to get more rest.
Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛_˳OǻVUoWTMOɀQ_˳SǴQTMaz`QɔaoWaoW_˳L]˛
`Q͌`Q
医生说我感冒了，给我开了一些药，要我多休息。
Min: Have more rest then. Also, drink more water!
6oVʕL]˛`Q͌`QJIaɀL]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ
那你多休息吧，也多喝水。
Eric: Okay, thank you.
0ǻW`Qv`QM
好，谢谢。
New Vocabulary
BɀVUMTM 怎么了 “What’s wrong”, “what happened”
3oV 看 See, look
3oVYQTIQ 看起来 Seem, look like
A˳]azLQǻVZ 一点儿 A little
;P͌N] 舒服 Comfortable, physically well
/ǻVUoW 感冒 Catch a cold
102 LESSON 13

4M 了 (Indicates completion of the action)
Aʅ[PMVO 医生 Medical doctor, title as term of address
B]~\QǴV 昨天 Yesterday
;P]˛ 说 Say, speak
3ǴQaoW 开药 Prescribe medicine
Az`Qɔ 一些 Some, a few
,]˛ 多 More
@Q͌`Q 休息 Rest (v)
*I 吧 (Indicates suggestions)
0ɔ 喝 Drink (v)
;P]ʕ 水 Water (v)
Supplementary Vocabulary Common Symptoms When Having a Cold
Pinyin English
.Ǵ[PǴW Have a fever
5uQaW]TzYQ Have no strength
<~]\uVO Have a headache
Other Common Verb Phrases That Go With ,]˛;PǻW

Pinyin English
,]˛PɔKPn Drink more tea
,]˛[P]zRQoW Sleep more
,]˛aVLVO Exercise more
,]˛TQoV`y[P]˛BP˛VO_uV Practice speaking Chinese more
;PǻWPɔSǴNɔQ Have less coffee
;PǻWUǶQL˛VO`Q Buy fewer things
Using the Word Shìfu = “Comfortable,

GRAMMAR NOTE Physically Well” to Describe Physical
Conditions
;P͌N] is a stative verb meaning “comfortable” or “physically well.” Examples:
2ʅV\QǴVPɀV[P͌N] (The weather) is comfortable today.

?˳RʅV\QǴVa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N] I am not feeling well today.
Using the Adverb yuyìdinr = “A Little Bit

GRAMMAR NOTE
…” to Describe Something Negative
When talking about something negative or unpleasant, such as J[P͌N] (sick) or
PɀVa~] (greasy) Chinese people who are not close with each other tend to avoid
direct comments by adding a˳]azLQǻVZ in front of the stative verb. Examples:
?˳RʅV\QǴVa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N] I am a bit uncomfortable today.

FEELING UNWELL 103
BPvQOMKoQa˳]azLQǻVZa~] This dish is a bit greasy.

6vQRQoVaʅN]a˳]azLQǻVZO]z That shirt/dress is a bit expensive.
Therefore, if Eric Goodman emails Professor Zhang informing him of his

absence because he’s sick, instead of saying ?˳RʅV\QǴVPɀVJ[P͌N], he should
say ?˳RʅV\QǴVa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N]. Similarly, if Professor Zhang asks Eric, 6ʕ
b]zRzVbɀVUMaoVO, instead of saying ?˳PɀVUnVO, he should say ?˳a˳]azLQǻVZ
UnVg.
Helpful Tip:
Do not confuse a˳]azLQǻVZ + negative stative verb with ?˝a˝]azLQǶVZ[PzZ you
learned in Lesson 6. The structure of ?˝a˝]azLQǶVZ[PzZ is “Subject + a˳] +
azLQǻVZ + noun”.
Using the Resultative Compound Verb

GRAMMAR NOTE
Kànq®lai = “Seem; Look Like”
This verb-resultative compound SoVYʇTIQ is composed of the verb SoV “to see,
look” and the resultative compound YʇTIQ “the performing of the action.” 3oVYʇTIQ
usually appears in the “Subject + SoVYʇTIQ + PɀVJ + stative verb” pattern. Examples:
6ʇRʅV\QǴVSoVYʇTIQPɀVTvQ You look tired today.

BPvQOMKoQSoVYʇTIQPɀVPǻWKPʅ This dish looks delicious.
BPvQRQoV\ʅ`[PǴVSoVYʇTIQa˳]azLQǻVZ This t-shirt looks a bit small.
`QǻW
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Verb Gnmào = “Catch a Cold”

/ǻVUoW, meaning “cold”, like many other symptoms listed in the Supplementary
Vocabulary, functions as verb in Chinese. 4M here is mandatory to indicate the
completion of the verb OǻVUoW. It is ungrammatical to say ?˳OǻVUoW or ?˳
a˳]OǻVUoW. Examples:
?˳OǻVUoWTM I have a cold.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVPu\ǴLMXuVOa˳]L˛] Gao Zhi’an and his friends all have
OǻVUoWTM colds.
“Verb + le” Indicates Completion of an

GRAMMAR NOTE
Action
You have learned Sentence + TM in Lesson 11 to indicate a change of state. In this
lesson, TM is placed after a verb to mean that the action of the verb is completed.
Compare the following statements:
?˳SoVaʅ[PMVO I’m going to visit the doctor.

?˳SoVTMaʅ[PMVO I’ve seen (visited) the doctor already.
104 LESSON 13
6ʕKPʅa]vJʕVOUI' Do you eat mooncakes?

6ʕKPʅTMa]vJʕVOUI' Have you eaten the mooncakes
already?
6ʕOɀQ4yV2ʅVOTʕLǻLQoVP]oUI' Are you calling Manager Lin?

6ʕOɀQ4yV2ʅVOTʕLǻTMLQoVP]oUI' Have you called Manager Lin?
Using the Word kiyào = “Prescribe

GRAMMAR NOTE
Medicine”
As a verb SǴQ + object aoW compound, other components such as TM or attributives
(e.g. az`Qɔ “some”) can be inserted between SǴQ and aoW. Examples:
Aʅ[PMVOSǴQTMaoW The doctor prescribed medicine.

Aʅ[PMVOSǴQTMaz`QɔaoW The doctor prescribed some medicine.
To say “take medicine,” use KPʅaoW (literally, eat medicine).
Using the Pattern DuÑ/Sho + Verb Phrase

GRAMMAR NOTE
= “Verb Phrase More/Less” to give Advice
If you want to advise someone to do something more or less, the pattern in
Chinese is L]˛[PǻW + verb phrase. (Other common verb phrases can be found
in the supplementary vocabulary.) Examples:
,]˛`Q͌`Q Rest more.
,]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ Drink more water.
;PǻWPɔSǴNɔQ Have less coffee.
The Sentence Final Particle Ba =

GRAMMAR NOTE
Suggestions
You have learned the sentence final JI indicating supposition in Lesson 12.
Examples:
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuVJI' Gao Zhi’an is American, I suppose?

BP˛VOYQ͌RQu[PzV~VOTzJǴa]vJI' The Mid-autumn Festival is in
August, I suppose?
In this lesson, you learn the other useful usage of the sentence final JI to indicate
a suggestion and soften the statement. The affirmative response to this suggestion
with JI is usually PǻW meaning agreement “okay.” Compare:
9SoVaʅ[PMVO Go see a doctor. (command)

9SoVaʅ[PMVOJI I suggest you go see a doctor. (suggestion)
FEELING UNWELL 105
,]˛[P]zRQoW Get more sleep. (command)

,]˛[P]zRQoWJI I suggest you get more sleep. (suggestion)
6ʇUǻQbP˛VOPoWLM You buy the middle size one. (command)

6ʇUǻQbP˛VOPoWLMJI I suggest you buy the middle sized one.
(suggestion)
GRAMMAR NOTE Connecting Two Verb Phrases or Sentences

As mentioned in Lesson 8, the Chinese language does not require a conjunction
word to connect two verb phrases such as L]˛`Q͌`Q and L]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ. Remember,
it is ungrammatical to say 6ʇL]˛`Q͌`QPuL]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ. However, you can add
the adverb aɀ in front of the second verb phrase to mean “also.”
CULTURAL NOTE Znmele to Show your Concern

BɀVUMTM means “What happened?” or “What’s wrong?” It is used to show the
speaker’s care or concern about the listener. You can ask “6ʇbɀVUMTM?” if you
see your friend in a bad mood. Do not confuse bɀVUMTM with bɀVUMaoVO.
BɀVUMTM is to show your care or concerns while bɀVUMaoVO is to ask how some-
one is doing or inquire about opinions.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + a˳]azLQǻVZ + negative stative verb
?˳RʅV\QǴVa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N] I feel a bit sick today.

?˳b]zRzVa˳]azLQǻVZUnVO I have been a bit busy recently.
BPvQOMKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQa˳]azLQǻVZa~] The food in this restaurant is a bit
greasy.
6vQRQoVKPvVaʅa˳]azLQǻVZO]z That shirt is a bit expensive.
BP˛VO_uVa˳]azLQǻVZVnV Chinese is a bit difficult.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + SoVYʇTIQ + PɀV or J + stative verb
4ʇAnVORʅV\QǴVSoVYʇTIQPɀVTvQ Li Yang looks tired today.

BVObQSoVYʇTIQPɀVPǻWKPʅ Glutinous dumplings look tasty.
BPvQRQoV\ʅ`[PǴVSoVYʇTIQPɀVPu[Pz This t-shirt fits well.
6vQOM[Py\nVOSoVYʇTIQJLo That dining hall doesn’t look big.
106 LESSON 13
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + verb + TM + (noun)
?˳OǻVUoWTM I have a cold.

?˳KPʅTM I ate.
?˳b]~\QǴVYSoVTMaʅ[PMVO I went to see a doctor yesterday.
?nVO5ʇVRʅV\QǴVYTM\[P͌O]ǶV Wang Min went to the library today.
B]~\QǴV[PzBP˛VOYQ͌RQu6ʕKPʅTM It was the Mid-autumn Festival
a]vJʕVOUI' yesterday. Did you eat mooncakes?
Pattern Practice 4
,]˛;PǻW + verb phrase
,]˛`Q͌`Q Rest more.

,]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ Drink more water.
,]˛aVLVO Exercise more.
;PǻWPɔSǴNɔQ Have less coffee.
;PǻWKPʅToLMKoQ Eat spicy food less.
;PǻWKPʅa~]LMKoQ Eat greasy food less.
Pattern Practice 5
Statement + JI indicating suggestion
,]˛[P]zRQoWJI I suggest you get more sleep.

,]˛`Q͌`QJI I suggest you have more rest.
6ʇUǻQLoPoWLMJI I suggest you buy the large size.
?˝UMVYBP˛VOO]~JI I suggest we go to China.
6ʇOɀQ4yV2ʅVOTʕP]yLQoVJI I suggest you return Manager Lin’s
phone call.
FEELING UNWELL 107
EXERCISE 1
JI [PǻW SǴQ L]˛ OǻVUoW
1. ?˳ TMa˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N]
2. Aʅ[PMVOOɀQ_˳ TMaz`QɔaoW
3. 6ʇ aVLVO [PoVO_ǻVO
4. A: ?˳UMVYKPʅNoV
B: 0ǻW?˳UMVYVǻZKPʅ'
EXERCISE 2
1. A: Hey, what’s wrong? You don’t look well today.

B: I caught a cold.
A: Did you go see a doctor?
B: Yes, I went with my friend yesterday.
2. A: What did the doctor say?

B: He said that I needed to take more rest and drink more water.
A: Did he prescribe any medicine?
B: Yes, he prescribed me some medicine.
3. A: Did you take your medicine today?

B: I did.
A: Have more rest then.
B: I will, thank you.
EXERCISE 3
Role Playing
You bump into your Chinese friend today on campus. You notice that your
Chinese friend doesn’t look physically well. Show your concerns by asking (1)
what happened, and (2) if he/she went to see a doctor. End your conversation by
giving him/her some advice to feel better.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV
VʕTnQTM
Gao Zhi’an,
you are here.
2ʅVOTʕVyVPǻW
Hi, Manager.
4nQYʕVORzV
Please come in.
@Qv`QM
aoW\]˛`QuUI'
2ʅVOTʕbPv[Pz
Thank you. aʅLQǻVZ`QǻWaz[Q
Should I take
off my shoes? Manager, this is
a small token of
appreciation.
-VbPvZa˳]
\]˛`Qu
Yes, here are
the slippers.
ǳQVʕ\oQSvYQTM
`QoKzJQuLoQL˛VO`Q
Oh, you are too polite. Please do
not bring a gift next time.
6oTQaʅVOOǴQLM
It’s nothing,
just something
I should do.
LESSON 14
Being Invited to the Manager’s
Home for Dinner (I)
DIALOGUE Arriving at The Manager’s Home
After having known Eric Goodman for a few months, Manager Lin invites Eric to
his home for dinner. Eric arrives and brings a little gift for Manager Lin.
Manager: Gao Zhi’an, you are here.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʕTnQTM
高志安，你来了。
Eric: Hi, Manager.
2ʅVOTʕVyVPǻW
经理，您好。
Manager: Please come in.
4nQYʕVORzV
来，请进。
Eric: Thank you. Should I take off my shoes?
@Qv`QMaoW\]˛`QuUI'
谢谢，要脱鞋吗？
Manager: Yes, here are the slippers.
-VbPvZa˳]\]˛`Qu
嗯，这儿有拖鞋。
Eric: Manager, this is a small token of appreciation (for you).
2ʅVOTʕbPv[PzaʅLQǻVZ`QǻWaz[Q
经理，这是一点儿小意思。
Manager: Oh, you are too polite. Please do not bring a gift next time.
ǳQVʕ\oQSvYQTM`QoKzJQuLoQL˛VO`Q
哎，你太客气了，下次别带东西。
Eric: It’s nothing, just something I should do.
6oTQaʅVOOǴQLM
哪里，应该的。
New Vocabulary
4nQ 来 Come (indicates invitation)
2zV 进 Enter (v)
AoW 要 Need to, should
<]˛ 脱 Take off
@Qu 鞋 Shoe(s)
BPvZ 这儿 Here
110 LESSON 14

<]˛`Qu 拖鞋 Slippers, sandals
@QǻWaz[Q 小意思 Little gift, small token of appreciation
3vYQ 客气 Polite
@QoKz 下次 Next time
+z 次 Time
*Qu 别 Don’t
,oQ 带 Bring
AʅVOOǴQLM 应该的 “Something I ought to do”
Using Lái = “Come” to Indicate Motion

GRAMMAR NOTE
Toward the Speaker or a Gesture of Invitation
4nQ means “come” and it indicates motion toward the speaker. Examples:
6ʇ[PuVUM[PyPW]TnQ*ȺQRʅVO' When are you coming to Beijing? (The

speaker is in Beijing.)
?˳TnQ9ʅVOP]n,o`]uaVLVO I come to Tsinghua University to
exercise. (The speaker is at Tsinghua
University.)
?˳TnQBP˛VOO]~`]uBP˛VO_uV I have come to China to study the
Chinese language. (The speaker is in
China.)
4nQ can also be used in the beginning of an utterance indicating a gesture of
invitation. The meaning of the utterance remains the same without TnQ. Examples:
4nQYʕVORzV Please come in.

4nQYʕVOb] Please have a seat.
4nQ_˳UMVKPʅNoVJI Let’s eat.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Yào = “Should” or “Need to”

You have learned aoW meaning “want” in the previous lesson. In this lesson, aoW
means “should” or “need to” and it needs to be placed between the subject and
the verb phrase. Examples:
?˳aoW\]˛`QuUI' Do I need to take off my shoes?

6ʇOǻVUoWTMaoWL]˛`Q͌`Q You caught a cold. You need to get more
rest.
5ǻQaʅN]VʇaoW[PzKP]ǴV You need to try them on when you buy
clothes.
BEING INVITED TO THE MANAGER’S HOME FOR DINNER (I) 111
To negate, use JaVO instead of JaoW:
6ʇJaVO\]˛`Qu You don’t need to take off (your) shoes.

?˳JaVO[PzKP]ǴV I don’t need to try them on.
6ʇJaVOOɀQ_˳LǻLQoVP]o You don’t need to call me.
Using the Pattern Place + YËu + Noun =

GRAMMAR NOTE
“There is/are Noun(s) in Place”
In Lesson 7, you learned that place words in Chinese often serve as the subjects in
a sentence. In this lesson, a place word is followed by a˳] + noun to mean “There
is/are noun(s) in place.” Examples:
BPvZa˳]\]˛`Qu There are slippers here.

BPvZa˳]az`QɔaoW There is some medicine here.
BP˛VOO]~a˳][ǴVOMbPVOaoWLM There are three important holidays in China.
RQuZz
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Measure Word Cì = “Time”

+z is a measure word meaning “time.” The three most common compounds with
Kz are:
bPvQKz this time [PoVOKz last time `QoKz next time
These three compounds function as time words, so they can be put either in the
beginning of a sentence or between the subject and the verb phrase. Examples:
6ʕbPvQKzaoWUǶQ[PuVUM' What do you want to buy this time?

6ʕ[PoVOKzYTMVǶZ' Where did you go last time?
@QoKzVʕJQuLoQL˛VO`Q (You) Don’t bring things next time.
CULTURAL NOTE The Greeting N® Lái Le = “You Have Come”

6ʕTnQTM is a common greeting when a host sees the guest has arrived. The sen-
tence final TM indicates the change of state of the guest’s arrival.
CULTURAL NOTE Being a House Guest in Chinese Culture

Visiting other people’s house as a guest involves various customs and formulaic
expressions in every culture, and China is no exception. In this lesson, you will
learn the following aspects:
112 LESSON 14
(1) Shoes
When you enter a Chinese house, it is customary to remove your shoes and put
on the \]˛`Qu (slippers) the host prepares for you. Do not confuse the verb phrase
\]˛`Qu (take off shoes) with the noun \]˛`Qu (sandals, slippers). They are hom-
onyms, but the Chinese written characters are different.
(2) Gifts
When you visit a Chinese house, always bring a `QǻWaz[Q (little gift) or `QǻWL˛VO`Q
(little things), such as fruit, tea leaves, or pastries. The gift does not need to be
extravagant, but it should be nicely packed or wrapped. The reason of bringing
gifts is to show your appreciation of the host’s invitation. @QǻWaz[Q, literally mean-
ing “a small token of appreciation,” is an idiomatic expression frequently used
when someone presents a gift. @QǻW here does not reflect the actual value of the
gift; it is merely used for the purpose of remaining humble.
(3) The Concept of 3vYQ = Politeness

3vYQ (politeness) is an important and well-appreciated social value in Chinese
society. Its purpose is to maintain social and interpersonal harmony through
interactions, behaviors, and the language. The expressions you have learned, such
as YʇVO + verb, a˳]azLQǻVZ + negative stative verb, and J\oQ... are all examples
of showing how SvYQ you are. 6ʕPɀVSvYQ “You are very polite” in Chinese is
always a compliment.
3vYQ is expected from both parties in a host-guest scenario and many formulaic
expressions are involved. For instance, the manager accepts the gift by saying
6ʕ\oQSvYQTM “You’re too kind/polite” instead of `Qv`QM. When accepting a gift,
Chinese people tend to comment first on the good intention of the gift-giver then
on the gift. Also note that 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM is a response by a gift-receiver of higher
status. If Eric Goodman receives a gift from the manager, 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM will not
be appropriate. Instead, Eric could say BPvbɀVUMPǶWaz[Q' “How do I deserve
your good intention?”.
The other common idiomatic expression aʅVOOǴQLe or “This is something I ought

to do” is often used by the gift-giver when the host expresses that the gift is not
necessary. Of course, the reason the host says that the gift is not necessary is
because he/she is being SvYQ, not because he/she does not appreciate the guest’s
good intention.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + aoW + verb phrase
6ʇaoWL]˛aVLVO You should exercise more.

6ʇaoWL]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ You need to drink more water.
6ʇaoWL]˛`Q͌`Q You should rest more.
6ʇaoWL]˛OɀQRQǴZuVLǻLQoVP]o You should call your family more.
6ʇaoW[PǻWKPʅTILMKoQ You need to eat less spicy food.
6ʇaoWKPʅaoW You need to take medicine.
6ʇaoWLoQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q You should bring a little gift.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + JaVO + verb phrase
6ʇJaVOOɀQ_˳LǻLQoVP]o You don’t need to call me.

6ʇJaVOKPʅaoW You don’t need to take any medicine.
6ʇJaVOLoQL˛VO`Q You don’t need to bring things.
6ʇJaVO\˛VObPʅRʅVOTʕ You don’t need to inform the manager.
114 LESSON 14
Pattern Practice 3
Place + a˳] + noun
*ɀQRʅVO,o`]ua˳]RʕOM[Py\nVO' How many dining halls does Peking

University have?
*ɀQRʅVO,o`]ua˳]RʕOMaVLVO How many sports centers does Peking
bP˛VO`ʅV' University have?
BPvZa˳]LQoVP]oUI' Is there a telephone here?
BPvZa˳]KǴVO]ǻVUI' Is there a restaurant here?
BP˛VOO]~a˳][ǴVOMbPVOaoWLM There are three important holidays in
RQuZz China.
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + bPvQKz[PoVOKz`QoKz + verb phrase
6ʕbPvQKzaoWYVǻZ' Where are you going this time?

6ʕ[PoVOKzKPʅTM[PuVUM' What did you eat last time?
6ʕ`QoKzSuaQOɀQ_˳LǻLQoVP]o You can call me next time.
?˳UMV`QoKzazYʇKPʅNoVJI Let’s eat together next time.
6ʕbPvQKzaoWN`QoVPnQ[Pz[P]ǴSǻ' Do you want to pay cash or with a credit
card this time?
EXERCISE 1
aoW a˳] Kz TnQ
1. YʕVOb]
2. 9ʕVO_vVVǻZ SǴNɔQLQoV'
3. 6ʇ L]˛`Q͌`Q6ʇ\oQUnVOTM
4. 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM`Qo JQuLoQL˛VO`Q
EXERCISE 2
1. A: Here you are. Please come in.

B: Thank you.
2. A: Do I need to take off my shoes?

B: Yes, here are the slippers.
A: Thank you.
3. A: This is a small token of appreciation.

B: You are too polite. Don’t bring things next time.
A: You are welcome. This is something I ought to do.
EXERCISE 3
Task: Below are the common gifts Chinese people bring when they visit others’
houses. Practice presenting each gift to the host by following the dialogue below.
You: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZ
Host: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM
You: 6ǻTQaʅVOOǴQLM
Chinese English
[P]ʇO]˝ fruit
KPnav tea leaves
JʇVO biscuits, cookies, pastries
LoVOǴW cakes
2ʅVOTʕVyVRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV'
Manager, how many people ;zOM_˳_˳\oQ\IQ
are there in your family? PuTQǻVOOMPnQbQ
There are four—my wife,
my two children, and me.
0nQbQRʅVVQnVRʇ[]zTM'
How old are your
children this year?
jZbQJǴ[]zV͞¼uZJʕ
uZbQLoRʅVVQnV[Py[]z
My son is eight years old.
My daughter is older than my
son. She is ten years old.
,]z4nQL]˛KPʅ
LQǻVZL]˛KPʅ
LQǻVZ
Yes. Come, have
more food.
6vQ_vQRQ[Pz
VyVLM\oQ\IQUI'
Is that your wife? 0ǻW
Okay.
6ʕaoWPɔRQ͘UI'
Would you like to
have some wine?
*aVO`Qv`QM
_˳LɀQSǴQKPɔ
No, thank you.
I have to drive.
LESSON 15
Being Invited to the Manager’s
Home for Dinner (II)
DIALOGUE Asking about Family
Eric Goodman sees a family picture on the wall. Out of curiosity, he asks Manager
Lin about his family.
Eric: Manager, how many people are there in your family?

2ʅVOTʕVyVRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV'
经理，您家有几个人？
Manager: There are four—my wife, my two children, and me.
;zOM_˳_˳\oQ\IQPuTQǻVOOMPnQbQ
四个，我、我太太和两个孩子。
Eric: How old are your children this year?
0nQbQRʅVVQnVRʇ[]zTM'
孩子今年几岁了？
Manager: My son is eight years old. My daughter is older than my son. She is
ten years old.
jZbQJǴ[]zV͞¼uZJʕuZbQLoRʅVVQnV[Py[]z
儿子八岁，女儿比儿子大，今年十岁。
Eric: (points to a picture on the wall) Is that your wife?
6vQ_vQRQ[PzVyVLM\oQ\IQUI'
那位就是您的太太吗？
Manager: Yes. Come, have more food.
,]z4nQL]˛KPʅLQǻVZL]˛KPʅLQǻVZ
对。来，多吃点儿，多吃点儿。
Eric: Okay.
0ǻW
好。
Manager: Would you like to have some wine?
6ʕaoWPɔRQ͘UI'
你要喝酒吗？
Eric: No, thank you. I have to drive.
*aVO`Qv`QM_˳LɀQSǴQKPɔ
不用，谢谢，我得开车。
118 LESSON 15
New Vocabulary
2QǴ 家 Family, home
<oQ\IQ 太太 Wife
4QǻVO 两 Two
0nQbQ 孩子 Child, kid
6QnV 今 Year
2ʅVVQnV 今年 This year
;]z 岁 Years of age
2ʇ[]z 几岁 How many years old (for someone under ten)
jZbQ 儿子 Son
6͞¼uZ 女儿 Daughter
*ʕ 比 Compare
;Py 十 Ten
2Q 就 Exactly, precisely
2Q͘ 酒 Wine, alcohol
*aVO 不用 Don’t need to
,ɀQ 得 Must
3ǴQKPɔ 开车 Drive (v)
Supplementary Vocabulary Familial Relationships
Pinyin English
*oJI Father
5ǴUI Mother
/ɔOM Older brother
2QȺRQM Older sister
,zLQ Younger brother
5vQUMQ Younger sister
Omitting De in the “Pronoun + De + Noun”

GRAMMAR NOTE
Pattern
When you refer to people close to you or to the person you are conversing with,
such as RQǴ “family” or “family members”, the possessive marker LM is optional.
Examples:
?˳LM RQǴ my family

?˳LM \oQ\IQ My wife
6ʇLM PnQbQ Your children
BEING INVITED TO THE MANAGER’S HOME FOR DINNER (II) 119
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Term Ji = “Family” or “Home”

The term RQǴ means “family” or “home,” but not “house” as a building. Examples:
6ʇRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV' How many people are there in your

family?
6ʇRQǴboQVǶZ' Where is your home?
?˝LMRQǴboQ5ȺQO]~JboQBP˛VOO]~ My home is in the US, not in China.
GRAMMAR NOTE Using Ling in Pairs and Èr as Numeral

Both TQǻVO and vZ mean “two.” However, they are completely different in usage.
ÐZ is a digit or a number. 4QǻVO is closer to the idea of “a pair” and needs to be
followed by a measure word. Examples:
?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz My cellphone number is

! 139-2227-6688.
2ʅV\QǴV[PzvZa]v_͘PoW Today is February 5th.
?˳a˳]TQǻVOOMPnQbQ I have two children.
?˝a˳]TQǻVORQoVSbQ I have two pairs of pants.
BPvQTQǻVO_vQTǶW[Pʅ[Pz<nQ_ǴVZuV These two teachers are Taiwanese.
Helpful Tip:
The best way to differentiate TQǻVO from vZ is to remember the difference between
vZa]v (February) and TQǻVOOMa]v (two months).
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word Suì = “Years old”

Do distinguish between the following three ways to ask about someone’s age, even
though in English they all mean “how old are you”:
1. Younger than ten years old: 6ʇRʇ[]zTM'

2. Older than ten years old: 6ʇL]˛LoTM'
3. People above 50 years old: 6yVL]˛LoVQnVRzTM'
The TM in the three examples above indicates change of state and is optional. To
respond, simply follow the pattern “Subject + number + []z + (TM)”. Examples:
?˳[PyJǴ[]z I am eighteen years old.

?˳JoJITQ[Py[]z My father is sixty years old.
<ǴLM\oQ\IQRʅVVQnV_͎[Py[]zTM His wife is fifty years old this year.
120 LESSON 15
Noun 1 + B® + Noun 2 + Stative Verb =

GRAMMAR NOTE
Comparison
To compare two nouns, we use the above sentence structure, to show that one is
more of something than the other, e.g., harder, older or tastes better. Examples:
4yV2ʅVOTʕLMV͞¼uZJʕuZbQLo Manager Lin’s daughter is older than

his son.
?˝R]uLMBP˛VO_uVJʇ:z_uVVnV I feel that Chinese is harder than
Japanese.
+ǴVO]ǻVLMKoQJʇ[Py\nVOLMKoQ The food in the restaurants tastes
PǻWKPʅ better than the dining hall’s food.
The examples above can also be expressed by using JʕRQoW (Lesson 9):
4yV2ʅVOTʕLMV͞¼uZJʕRQoWLo Manager Lin’s daughter is older.

?˝R]uLMBP˛VO_uVJʕRQoWVnV I feel that Chinese is harder.
+ǴVO]ǻVLMKoQJʕRQoWPǻWKPʅ The food in the restaurants tastes better.
Helpful Tips:
Do not add PȺV in front of the stative verb in this “Noun 1 + Jʕ + Noun 2 + stative
verb” pattern. It is ungrammatical to say BP˛VO_uVJʇ:z_uVPȺVVnV, literally
“Chinese harder than Japanese very difficult”.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Adverb Jiù = “Exactly, Precisely”

The adverb RQ, meaning “exactly, precisely,” is used to emphasize information. It
needs to be put between the subject and the verb phrase. Compare:
BPvQ_vQ[Pz4yV2ʅVOTʕLM\oQ\IQ This is Manager Lin’s wife. (general

statement)
BPvQ_vQRQ[Pz4yV2ʅVOTʕLM\oQ\IQ This is Manager Lin’s wife. (emphasize
with RQ)
BPv[Pza]vJʕVO This is a mooncake. (general statement)
BPvRQ[Pza]vJʕVO This is a mooncake. (emphasize with
RQ)
You can also use RQ when you answer a phone call and identify yourself. Suppose
you are Manager Lin. When someone calls your office and says ?uQ, YʕVO_vV,
4yV2ʅVOTʕboQUI (“Hello, can I speak with Manager Lin?”), you can answer “?˝
RQ[Pz (speaking).”
GRAMMAR NOTE The Auxiliary Verb Di = “Must, Necessity”

The auxiliary verb LɀQ that indicates that the action is a necessity, or obligation,
needs to be placed between the subject and the verb phrase. Examples:
6ʇOǻVUoWTMLɀQL]˛`Q͌`Q You have a cold. You must rest more.

6ʇboQBP˛VOO]~ZuVLMRQǴLɀQ You must take off your shoes in a Chinese
\]˛`Qu home.
9BP˛VOO]~ZuVLMRQǴLɀQLoQ You must bring a small gift when you go to a
aʅLQǻVZL˛VO`Q Chinese person’s home.
The Polite Measure Word Wèi to Refer to

CULTURAL NOTE
People (II)
Notice that Eric Goodman uses VvQ_vQ instead of VvQOM to show respect when
he refers to the manager’s wife. You have learned this _vQ in Lesson 11. Also
distinguish VvQ_vQ (that one) from VɀQ_vQ (which one).
CULTURAL NOTE Using DuÑ Ch³/H Dinr to Show Hospitality

,]˛KPʅPɔLQǻVZ is short for ,]˛KPʅPɔazLQǻVZL˛VO`Q, literally meaning
“eat/drink a little more.” A host will say this several times to encourage his guests
to drink and eat their fill and to show his/her sincerity and hospitality. This kind
of invitational expression should not be interpreted as demanding; rather, it
should be seen as a warm gesture by the host.
GRAMMAR NOTE Politely Refusing Requests

The literal meaning of aVO is “need” as a verb. *aVO`Qv`QM is the best way
to decline the host’s offer of 6ʕaoWPɔRQ͘UI “Do you want to drink wine?”,
followed by a reason (e.g., ?˳LɀQSǴQKPɔ “I have to drive”). This is generally an
acceptable way to politely refuse requests, although it may differ in situations and
may require systematic learning. Definitely avoid saying ?˳JaoW “I don’t want
to” in this instance as it sounds extremely rude and will make the host lose face.
Pattern Practice 1
6ʇLMRQǴ + verb phrase
6ʇLMRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV' How many people are there in your family?

6ʇLMRQǴa˳][PuVUMZuV' Who are the members of your family?
6ʇLMRQǴboQVǶZ' Where is your home?
6ʇLMRQǴboQ*ɀQRʅVOUI' Is your home in Beijing?
Pattern Practice 2
4QǻVO + measure word + noun
?nVO5ʇVa˳]TQǻVOOMOɔOM Wang Min has two older brothers.

?˳a˳]TQǻVOOM_vV\y I have two questions.
?˳UMVa˳]TQǻVORQoV We have two large-sized t-shirts.
LoPoWLM\ʇ`[PǴV
122 LESSON 15
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + number + []z + (TM)
?˳vZ[Py[]zTM I am twenty years old.

?˳JoJI_͎[Py[z[]zTM My father is fifty-four years old.
?˳RQȺRQMvZ[Py[ǴV[]zTM My older sister is twenty-three years old.
?˳LzLQ[PyJǴ[]zTM My younger brother is eighteen years old.
Pattern Practice 4
Noun 1 + Jʕ + Noun 2 + stative verb
4yV2ʅVOTʕLMV͞¼uZJʕuZbQLo Manager Lin’s daughter is older than his son.

BPvQOMKoQJʕVvQOMKoQTo This dish is more spicy than that one.
?˳\oQ\IQJʕ_˳UnVO My wife is busier than me.
BPvQOMKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQJʕ The food in this restaurant tastes better than
VvQOMKǴVO]ǻVPǻWKPʅ in that restaurant.
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + LɀQ + verb phrase
6ʇLɀQL]˛`Q͌`Q You must rest more.

6ʇLɀQL]˛aVLVO You must exercise more.
6ʇLɀQ[PǻWKPʅToLM You must eat spicy food less often.
6ʇLɀQYSoVaʅ[PMVO You must go to see a doctor.
?˳V~VOTz@ʅVVQnVLɀQPuRQǴZuV I must eat with my family on Chinese
azYʇKPʅNoV New Year.
EXERCISE 1
TQǻVO RQ Jʕ a˳]
1. A: 9ʕVO_vVVyV[Pz4yV2ʅVOTʕUI'
B: ,]z_˳ [Pz
2. 4ʕAnVOVʇLMRQǴ RʇOMZuV'
3. ?˳RQȺRQM _˳OɔOMLo
4. ?˳a˳] OMPǻWXuVOa˳]ayOM[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuVayOM[Pz
BP˛VOO]~ZuV
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʇRQǴboQVǶZ'
2. 6ʇRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV'
3. 6ʇa˳]OɔOMRQȺRQMLzLQUvQUMQUI'
4. 6ʇOɔOMRQȺRQMLzLQUvQUMQL]˛LoTM'
5. 6ʇJoJIUǴUIL]˛LoVQnVRzTM'
6. 6ʇa˳]PnQbQUI'<ǴUMVRʇ[]zTM'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Where is your home?

B: My home is in Beijing.
A: How many people are there in your family?
B: There are four people in my family: My father, mother, older sister and me.
2. A: How old are your son and daughter?

B: My son is eight years old. He is older than my daughter. My daughter is six.
3. A: Would you like some wine?

B: No, thank you. I need to drive.
EXERCISE 4
Task: Introduce your family by using the following patterns.
?˳RQǴa˳]°OMZuV
?˳RQǴa˳]°
?˳RQǴboQ°
?˳JoJIUǴUIOɔOMRQȺRQMLzLQUvQUMQRQoW°\Ǵ°[]zTM
;PuQ (who) 5yVObQ 6QnVRz (age)

JoJI
UǴUI
OɔOM
RQȺRQM
LzLQ
UvQUMQ
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʕRQǴboQ
5ɀQO]~[PuVUMLzNIVO'
Gao Zhi’an, where is your
home in the US? ?˳RQǴboQ*˛[PzLV
_˳[PzboQVoZKP͌[PɔVO
bPǻVOLoLM
My home is in Boston.
I was born there and it’s
where I grew up.
6oZLMYzP]
bɀVUMaoVO'
What is the climate
like there?
,˛VO\QǴVa] KP͌V\QǴV bQo\QǴVJ\oQZv YQ͌\QǴVb]z[P͌N]

KPnVOa]TɀVO PɀVL]ǻV Summer is not Autumn is the most
Winter is both long Spring is short. too hot. comfortable season.
and cold.
*˛[PzLVTy6Q͘a]ɔa]ǻVJa]ǻV'
+PnVOKPnVO`Qo`]ɀUI' Is Boston far from New York City?
Does it snow often?
0ȺVRzVb]NɔQRʅbPʕaoW
,˛VO\QǴVKPnVOKPnVO`Qo`]ɀ ayOM`QǻW[PySǴQKPɔaoW
KPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py
It often snows in the winter.
It’s close. It’s only an hour by airplane
and about four hours by car.
LESSON 16
Geography and Weather
DIALOGUE Other Countries’ Weather
Wang Min is having a casual conversation with Eric Goodman about his hometown
at the student cafeteria.
Min: Gao Zhi’an, where is your home in the US?

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVVʕRQǴboQ5ɀQO]~[PuVUMLzNIVO?
高志安，你家在美国什么地方？
Eric: My home is in Boston. I was born there and it’s where I grew up.
?˳RQǴboQ*˛[PzLV_˳[PzboQVoZKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM
我家在波士顿，我是在那儿出生长大的。
Min: What is the climate like there?
6oZLMYzP]bɀVUMaoVO'
那儿的气候怎么样？
Eric: Winter is both long and cold. Spring is short. Summer is not too
hot. Autumn is the most comfortable season.
,˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVOa]TɀVOKP͌V\QǴVPɀVL]ǻV`Qo\QǴVJ\oQ
ZvYQ͌\QǴVb]z[P͌N]
冬天又长又冷，春天很短，夏天不太热，秋天最舒服。
Min: Does it snow often?
+PnVOKPnVO`Qo`]ɀUI'
常常下雪吗？
Eric: It often snows in the winter.
,˛VO\QǴVKPnVOKPnVO`Qo`]ɀ
冬天常常下雪。
Min: Is Boston far from New York City?
*˛[PzLVTy6Q͘a]ɔa]ǻVJa]ǻV'
波士顿离纽约远不远？
Eric: It’s close. It’s only an hour by airplane and about four hours by car.
0ȺVRzVb]NɔQRʅbPʕaoWayOM`QǻW[PySǴQKPɔaoWKPoJ]L]˛[zOM
`QǻW[Py
很近，坐飞机只要一个小时，开车要差不多四个小时。
New Vocabulary
,zNIVO 地方 Place (n)
*˛[PzLV 波士顿 Boston
;Pz°LM 是...的 (Emphasizes place or time of known
past action)
6oZ 那 There
126 LESSON 16

+P͌[PɔVO 出生 Born
BPǻVOLo 长大 Grow up
9zP] 气候 Climate
,˛VO\QǴV 冬天 Winter season
A]°a]° 又...又... Both ... and ...
+PnVO 长 Long
4ɀVO 冷 Cold
+P͌V\QǴV 春天 Spring season
,]ǻV 短 Short
@Qo\QǴV 夏天 Summer season
<oQ 太 Too
:v 热 Hot
9Q͌\QǴV 秋天 Autumn season
+PnVOKPnVO 常常 Often
@Qo`]ɀ 下雪 Snow
4y 离 Be distanced from
6Q͘a]ɔ 纽约 New York City; the New York state is
6Q͘a]ɔbP˛] (state)
A]ǻV 远 Far
2zV 近 Close, near
B] 坐 Take (vehicles) (lit. sit)
.ɔQRʅ 飞机 Airplane
BPʕ 只 Only
AoW 要 Take, cost
@QǻW[Py 小时 Hour
+PoJ]L]˛ 差不多 About
;z 四 Four
Other Common Means of Public Transportation That Go With B]
Pinyin English
B]O˛VOOVOYzKPɔ By bus
B]Lz\QȺ By subway
B]P]˝KPɔ By train
B]KP]nV By boat
Other Means of Transportation that Do Not Go With B]

Pinyin English
9ybz`yVOKPɔ By bike, ride a bike
B˝]T By foot, walk
GEOGRAPHY AND WEATHER 127
Other Common Stative Verbs or Verbs to Describe Weather

Pinyin English
/ǴV Dry
;Pʅ Humid
@Qoa͎ Rain
The Expression Shénme Dìfang = “What

GRAMMAR NOTE
Place”
,zNIVO means “place”. ;PuVUMLzNIVO means “what place”, which is pretty much
interchangeable with the VǻZ (where) you learned in Lesson 7 and helps the
listener and speaker to identify the location. Examples:
6ʕRQǴboQBP˛VO]~[PuVUMLzNIVO' Where is your home in China?

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVSǴQKPɔY[PuVUMLzNIVO' Where is Gao Zhi’an driving to?
6ʕXyVOKPnVO`ʕP]IVY[PuVUMLzNIVO Where do you usually like to go
KPʅNoV' to eat?
The Pattern Shì …De = “Was [Past Tense

GRAMMAR NOTE
of Verb]”
The [Pz°LM pattern is used to emphasize the place or time of a known past
action, such as the place or year of one’s birth. Examples:
?˳[PzboQ5ɀQO]~KP͌[PɔVOLM I was born in the US.

?˳[PzboQ5ɀQO]~bPǻVOLoLM I grew up in the US.
6ʕ[PzboQVǻZKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM' Where were you born and where did
you grow up?
Helpful Tips:
1. ?˳boQ5ɀQO]~KP͌[PɔVO or ?˳boQ5ɀQO]~bPǻVOLo alone are not complete
sentences; the use of [Pz…LM pattern in these examples is mandatory.
2. There is no Pu (and) between the two verbs KP͌[PɔVO and bPǻVOLo in the
sentence 6ʕ[PzboQVǻZKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM' (“Where were you born
and where did you grow up?”). 0u cannot be used to connect two verbs or
sentences in Chinese.
Both ... and ... to Express Two Coexisting

GRAMMAR NOTE
Qualities
The pattern a]°a]° is used to connect two stative verbs to express two
coexisting qualities. Examples:
*˛[PzLVLML˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVO The winter in Boston is long and cold.

a]TɀVO
128 LESSON 16
?˳b]zRzVa]UnVOa]TvQ I am busy and tired recently.

BPuZLMKoQa]XQnVaQa]PǻWKPʅ The food here is cheap and tasty.
Helpful Tips:
1. The two stative verbs need be both positive or negative; you cannot mix
them and have one positive and one negative. Thus, like in English, it’s
ungrammatical to say BPuZLMKoQa]PȺVXQnVaQa]JPǻWKPʅ.
2. Do not use PȺV in front of the stative verb. It is ungrammatical to say BPuZLM
KoQa]PȺVXQnVaQa]PȺVPǻWKPʅ.
GRAMMAR NOTE Softening Negative Meanings

In the cultural note of Lesson 8, we mentioned that when the stative verb has neg-
ative meanings, Chinese people tend to use this J\oQ + stative verb structure to
avoid directness. This structure appears in the dialogue of Lesson 16 when Eric
describes the summer in Boston as *˛[PzLVLM`Qo\QǴVJ\oQZv (“The summer
in Boston is not too hot”). More examples:
Instead of saying:
;Py\nVOLMKoQ\oQVnVKPʅTM The food in the dining hall is awful.

?oQUQoVLML˛VO`Q\oQO]zTM The things outside are too expensive.
?˳RʅV\QǴVPɀVJ[P͌N] I am feeling very ill today.
You say:
;Py\nVOLMKoQJ\oQPǻWKPʅ The food in the dining hall is not so tasty.

?oQUQoVLML˛VO`QJ\oQXQnVaQ The things outside are not so cheap.
?˳RʅV\QǴVJ\oQ[P͌N] I am not feeling well today.
GRAMMAR NOTE Describing the Weather

Notice that `Qo`]ɀ and `Qoa͎ function as verbs in Chinese. @Qo`]ɀ is composed
of `Qo (fall) and `]ɀ (snow), literally meaning “falling snow”. @Qoa͎ is composed
of `Qo (fall) and a͎ (rain), lit., “falling rain”. The common pattern for `Qo`]ɀ and
`Qoa͎ is “Time Word + `Qo`]ɀ`Qoa͎.” Examples:
5yVO\QǴVP]z`Qoa͎ It will rain tomorrow.

*˛[PzLVLML˛VO\QǴVKPnVOKPnVO It often snows in winter in Boston.
`Qo`]ɀ
If you want to say “It’s snowing now,” you need to say `Qo`]ɀTM. Likewise, `Qoa͎TM
means “it’s raining now.”
Distance Between Two Places Using “Far/

GRAMMAR NOTE
Near”
“Place 1 + Ty + Place 2 + PȺVJ + a]ǶVRzV” is a pattern to describe the distance
between two places. Examples:
BP˛VOO]~Ty5ȺQO]~PȺVa]ǶV China is far from the US.

*˛[PzLVTy6Q͘a]ɔJa]ǻV Boston is not far from New York.
4ʇAnVORQǴTy?nVO5ʇVRQǴPȺVRzV Li Yang’s home is close to Wang Min’s.
0ȺV is a grammatical marker in this pattern and cannot be omitted.
Means of Public Transportation “To Sit/

GRAMMAR NOTE
Take Vehicle”
You have learned the original meaning of b] (to sit) in Lesson 5. In this lesson,
b] means “to take (vehicles)” and it needs to be followed by means of public
transportation. Examples:
b]NɔQRʅ by airplane
b]O˛VOOVOYzKPɔ by bus
b]Lz\QȺ by subway
This pattern functions as verb or topic in a sentence. Examples:
6ʕSuaQb]NɔQRʅY6Q͘a]ɔ You can fly to New York City by

airplane.
6ʕ`ʕP]IVb]NɔQRʅUI' Do you like taking the airplane?
B]O˛VOOVOYzKPɔPɀVUoV Taking bus is slow.
B]NɔQRʅY5ȺQO]~aoW[PyOM`QǻW[Py It takes ten hours to fly to America.
The Verb Yào = “To Take…” Expresses Time

GRAMMAR NOTE
Duration
You have learned aoW meaning “to want” in Lesson 9. In this lesson, aoW + time
duration indicates that the time duration for the journey is very long. Compare:
96Q͘a]ɔ[zOM`QǻW[Py It takes four hours to go to New York

City.
96Q͘a]ɔaoW[zOM`QǻW[Py The journey to New York City is so long
it takes four hours to get there.
9*˛[PzLV[Py[zOM`QǻW[Py It takes fourteen hours to go to Boston.
9*˛[PzLVaoW[Py[zOM`QǻW[Py The (flight) to Boston is so long that it
takes fourteen hours to get there.
9*ɀQRʅVOayOM`QǻW[Py It takes one hour to go to Beijing.
9*ɀQRʅVOaoWayOM`QǻW[Py The journey to Beijing is so long that it
takes one hour to get there.
130 LESSON 16
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Adverb Zh® = “Only”

The adverb bPʕ means “only” and it needs to be put between the subject and the
verb. Examples:
BPvQRQoVaʅN]bPʕa˳]bP˛VOPoWLM This shirt/dress is only available in

medium.
?˝bPʕa˳]/ǴWBPz¼ǴVLM[P˳]Rʅ I only have Gao Zhi’an’s cell phone
PoWUǻ number.
?˳bPʕbPʅLoW\Ǵ`]uBP˛VOO]~ I only know that he/she studies Chinese
Tz[Pʇ history.
Helpful Tips:
The reason why aoW is mandatory in the sentence b]NɔQRʅbPʕaoWayOM`QǻW[Py
is because bPʕ means “only” and it requires a verb to follow. Therefore, aoW in
this sentence does not have the implication of “long” as it does in the next sen-
tence SǴQKPɔaoWKPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py (“You need to drive for four hours”).
This can be brought across with the inflection of your tone that signifies that the
journey is very long.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Adverb ChàbuduÑ = “About, Around”

The adverb KPoJ]L]˛ meaning “about, around” is usually followed by a numer-
ical expression. Examples:
KPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py about four hours

KPoJ]L]˛TQLQǶV about six o’clock
KPoJ]L]˛[Py[]z about ten years old
Helpful Tips:
Both B]NɔQRʅbPʕaoWayOM`QǻW[Py (“It takes only an hour by airplane”) and
3ǴQKPɔ aoWKPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py (“It takes about four hours by car”) are good
examples of the Topic comment structure in Chinese. B]NɔQRʅ and SǴQKPɔ are
the topics while bPʕaoWayOM`QǻW[Py and aoWKPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py are the
comments.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + [Pz°LM
?˳[PzboQ5ɀQO]~KP͌[PɔVOLM I was born in the US.

<Ǵ[PzboQBP˛VOO]~bPǻVOLoLM He/She grew up in China.
6ʕLMV͞¼uZ[PzboQVǻZKP͌[PɔVOLM' Where was your daughter born?
6ʕLMuZbQ[PzboQVǻZbPǻVOLoLM' Where did your son grow up?
6ʇ[PzboQVǻZKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM' Where were you born (and where)
did you grow up?
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + a] + stative verb 1 + a] + stative verb 2
6Q͘a]ɔLML˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVO The winter in New York City is long

a]TɀVO and cold.
<Ǵb]zRzVa]UnVOa]TvQ He/She is busy and tired recently.
BPvQRQoVaʅN]a]Pu[Pza][P͌N] This shirt/dress fits well and is
comfortable.
?˳UMV`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQa] The food in our school’s dining hall
XQnVaQa]PǻWKPʅ is cheap and tasty.
Pattern Practice 3
Place 1 + Ty + Place 2 + PȺVJ + a]ǶVRzV
5ȺQO]~TyBP˛VOO]~PȺVa]ǶV The US is far from China.

*˛[PzLVTy6Q͘a]ɔJa]ǻV Boston is not far from New York City.
?˳RQǴTy9ʅVOP]n,o`]uJa]ǻV My home is not far from Tsinghua
University.
Pattern Practice 4
Topic + aoW + time duration
9*˛[PzLVaoW[ǴVOM`QǻW[Py It takes three hours to go to Boston.

96Q͘a]ɔaoWTQOM`QǻW[Py It takes six hours to go to New York City.
3ǴQKPɔY*ɀQRʅVOaoW[PyOM`QǻW[Py It takes ten hours to go to Beijing by car.
<ǴKPʅNoVaoWTQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py He/she takes two hours to finish eating.
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + bPʕ (only) + verb phrase
?˝UMVbPʕa˳][P]ʕPuSǴNɔQ We have only water and coffee.

?˳bPʕ\˛VObPʅTM4yV2ʅVOTʕ I only informed Manager Lin.
?˳bPʕbPʅLoW\Ǵ`zVO+PuV I only know that his/her family name is
Chen.
<ǴbPʕboQ`]u`QoWLM[Py\nVOKPʅNoV He/She only eats at the school’s dining
JY_oQUQoVLMKǴVO]ǻV halls; he/she doesn’t go to the outside
restaurants (to eat).
132 LESSON 16
Pattern Practice 6
+PoJ]L]˛ (about) + numerical expression
<ǴLMuZbQRʅVVQnVKPoJ]L]˛[z[]zTM His/Her son is about four years old

this year.
@QoVboQKPoJ]L]˛[PoVO_͘RQ͎LQǶV Now it’s about 9 am.
96Q͘a]ɔKPoJ]L]˛_͎OM`QǻW[Py It takes about five hours to go to New
York City.
?˳LMV͞¼uZRʅVVQnVKPoJ]L]˛ My daughter is about eighteen years
[PyJǴ[]zTM old this year.
Pattern Practice 7
B] + means of transportation = “by transportation” as verb
6ʕ`ʕP]IVb]NɔQRʅUI' Do you like to take the airplane?

?˝RʅV\QǴVJ\oQ`QǶVOb]Lz\QȺ I don’t really want to take the subway
today.
6ʕSuaQb]O˛VOOVOYzKPɔY You can take the bus to Tsinghua
9ʅVOP]n,o`]u University.
B] + means of transportation = “by transportation” as topic
B]NɔQRʅJʕRQoWS]oQ Taking the airplane is faster.

B]O˛VOOVOYzKPɔPɀVUoV Taking the bus is slow.
BoQ6Q͘a]ɔb]Lz\QȺ\ʇVOO]zLM It’s pretty expensive to take the subway
in New York City.
EXERCISE 1
Ty b] aoW LM
1. B]NɔQRʅ [PyOM`QǻW[Py<oQa]ǻVTM.
2. 6ʕRQǴ `]u`QoWa]ǻVJa]ǻV'
3. ?˳[PzboQ<nQ_ǴVKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLo
4. ?˳J\oQ`ʕP]IV O˛VOOVOYzKPɔ<oQUoVTM
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʇ[PzboQVoZKP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM'
2. 6ʇRQǴboQ[PuVUMLzNIVO'
3. 6oZLMYzP]bɀVUMaoVO'
4. 6oZ`Qo`]ɀUI'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Where is your home in China?

B: My home is in Tianjin (<QǴVRʅV).
A: Is Tianjin far from Beijing?
B: It’s not far. It takes about an hour by train.
2. A: What is the climate like in New York City?

B: The winter is long and cold. The summer is not too hot.
A: How about the autumn?
B: I like the autumn the most—it’s pretty (XQoWTQIVO).
3. A: Does it snow in Beijing?

B: Yes, it snows frequently in the winter. How about Boston?
A: It snows frequently too, but I think Boston is colder than Beijing.
EXERCISE 4
Role Playing
You are on a flight from New York to Shanghai. It is your first time to visit China.
You have observed that the person seated beside you is a local Chinese1. Strike
up a conversation in Chinese by asking: (1) What is his/her name? (2) Where did
he/she grow up? (3) Does he/she know what the climate is like in Shanghai now?
(4) Is Shanghai far from Beijing? (5) How long does it take to go to Beijing from
Shanghai by airplane?
1 Culturally, not every Chinese-looking person may be a Chinese from China. If you’re unsure, it’s always
safest to ask their country of origin and if they speak Chinese before asking them these questions.
ÐP4ʕAnVOVʕP]z[P]˛
/]ǻVOL˛VOP]oUI' ?˳KP͌VRQo`QǻVOY
Hey, Li Yang, do you speak @QǴVOOǻVOPu<nQ_ǴV
Cantonese? I want to go to Hong
Kong and Taiwan
during spring break.
?˳JP]z
I don’t.
@QǴVOOǻVO_˳YO]W
PɀVa˳]az[Q +~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW@QǴVOOǻVO
b]NɔQRʅaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
I have been to Hong Kong.
It’s very interesting. How long does it take from Beijing
to Hong Kong by airplane?
?˳UuQYO]W<nQ_ǴV +PoJ]L]˛
\ʅVO[P]˛<nQ_ǴVKoQPɀVPǻWKPʅ [zOM`QǻW[PyJI
NɔVORʕVOaɀPɀVXQoWTQIVO I assume it’s
I have never been to Taiwan. I’ve heard about four
that the Taiwanese cuisine is delicious hours.
and the scenery is beautiful.
-V?˳a˳]SvLɀQ
b˳]TMboQTQnW
Okay. I have class now
and need to go.
Talk to you later.
0ǻWboQTQnW
Okay, talk to
you later.
LESSON 17
Traveling
DIALOGUE Plans For Spring Break
Li Yang and Eric Goodman are having lunch. Eric mentions to Li Yang his plan
for the spring break.
Eric: Hey, Li Yang, do you speak Cantonese?

ÐP4ʕAnVOVʕP]z[P]˛/]ǻVOL˛VOP]oUI'
唉，李洋，你会说广东话吗？
Yang: I don’t.
?˳JP]z
我不会。
Eric: I want to go to Hong Kong and Taiwan during spring break.
?˳KP͌VRQo`QǻVOY@QǴVOOǻVOPu<nQ_ǴV
我春假想去香港和台湾。
Yang: I have been to Hong Kong. It’s very interesting. I have never been
to Taiwan. I’ve heard that the Taiwanese cuisine is delicious and the
scenery is beautiful.
@QǴVOOǻVO_˳YO]WPɀVa˳]az[Q?˳UuQYO]W<nQ_ǴV\ʅVO
[P]˛<nQ_ǴVKoQPɀVPǻWKPʅNɔVORʕVOaɀPɀVXQoWTQIVO
香港我去过，很有意思。我没去过台湾，听说台湾菜很
好吃，风景也很漂亮。
Eric: How long does it take from Beijing to Hong Kong by airplane?
+~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW@QǴVOOǻVOb]NɔQRʅaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
从北京到香港坐飞机要多长时间？
Yang: I assume it’s about four hours.
+PoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[PyJI
差不多四个小时吧。
Eric: Okay. I have class now and need to go. Talk to you later.
-V?˳a˳]SvLɀQb˳]TMboQTQnW
嗯。我有课，得走了，再聊。
Yang: Okay, talk to you later.
0ǻWboQTQnW
好，再聊。
New Vocabulary
0]z 会 Can, know how to, able to (indicates
capability)
;P]˛ 说 Speak
/]ǻVOL˛VOP]o 广东话 Cantonese language
136 LESSON 17

0]z 会 Can, know how to, able to (indicates
capability)
;P]˛ 说 Speak
/]ǻVOL˛VOP]o 广东话 Cantonese language
+P͌VRQo 春假 Spring break—usually at the end of
March or the beginning of April.
0nVRQo: winter break; [P͎RQo:
summer break
@QǴVOOǻVO 香港 Hong Kong
<nQ_ǴV 台湾 Taiwan
/]W 过 (Indicates personal experience)
A˳]az[Q 有意思 Interesting
<ʅVO[P]˛ 听说 Heard
.ɔVORʕVO 风景 Scenery
8QoWTQIVO 漂亮 Beautiful, pretty
+~VO°LoW° 从...到... From ... to ...
,]˛ 多 How
;PyRQǴV 时间 Time (n)
,]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV 多长时间 How long
3v 课 Class
,ɀQ 得 Need to
B˳] 走 Go, leave
BoQ 再 Again, a homonym with boQ but
written with different Chinese
characters.
4QnW 聊 Chat
Supplementary Vocabulary Languages

Pinyin English
AʅVO_uV English
.Ƕ_uV French
,u_uV German
:z_uV Japanese
0nV_uV Korean
8\nWan_uV Portuguese
j_uV Russian
@ʅJǴVan_uV Spanish
<oQ_uV Thai
A]vVnV_uV Vietnamese
TRAVELING 137
Other Common Dialects in China

Pinyin English
0VnVP]o Hunan dialect
3vRQǴP]o Hakka dialect
5ʇVVnVP]o Southern Min dialect
;zKP]ǴVP]o Sichuan dialect
;PǴVL˛VOP]o Shandong dialect
;PoVOPǶQP]o Shanghai dialect
*The other related terms are .RQoVP]o (Hokkien dialect) or +PnWbP˛]P]o

(Teochew dialect).
The Auxiliary Verb Huì = Ability to Do Some-

GRAMMAR NOTE
thing
In this lesson, P]z needs to be followed by a verb phrase. Examples:
9ʇVO_vVVʇP]z[P]˛AʅVO_uVUI' Excuse me, do you speak English?

?˳P]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uV I can speak Chinese.
6ʇP]za~]a˳VOUI' Do you know how to swim?
The negation of P]z is JP]z. Examples:
?˳JP]z[P]˛/]ǻVOL˛VOP]o I don’t speak Cantonese.

<ǴJP]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uV He/She doesn’t speak Chinese.
GRAMMAR NOTE ShuÑ + a Language = “Speak a Language”

;P]˛ is the verb to use when you want to say “speak”. Examples:
?˳P]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uV I can speak Chinese.

4ʕAnVOP]z[P]˛0nV_uV Li Yang can speak Korean.
?nVO5ʇVP]z[P]˛@ʅJǴVan_uV Wang Min can speak Spanish.
Helpful Tips:
Chinese people often insert the word azLQǶVZ (a little) between [P]˛ and “a
language”, e.g., ?˳P]z[P]˛azLQǶVZAʅVOa͎ (“I speak a little English.”) even if
they are fluent, in order to remain humble and not showcase their ability too
much.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb + Guo = Past Experiences

The structure “verb + O]W” indicates experiences in the past. Examples:
?˳YO]W@QǴVOOǻVO I have been to Hong Kong.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVPɔO]WBP˛VOO]~RQ͘ Gao Zhi’an has drunk Chinese wine before.
138 LESSON 17
6ʇKPʅO]W<nQ_ǴVKoQUI' Have you ever eaten Taiwanese cuisine

before?
To negate, put UuQ in front of verb + O]W. Examples:
?˳UuQYO]W@QǴVOOǻVO I have never been to Hong Kong.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVUuQPɔO]W Gao Zhi’an has never drunk Chinese
BP˛VOO]~RQ͘ wine.
?˳UMVUuQKPʅO]W<nQ_ǴVKoQ We’ve never eaten Taiwanese cuisine
before.
Helpful Tip:
“Verb + TM” indicates completion whereas “Verb + O]W” indicates experience.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Word “T³ngshuÑ” = “Heard”

The verb \ʅVO[P]˛ needs to be followed by a statement. Examples:
?˳\ʅVO[P]˛<nQ_ǴVKoQPɀV I heard that Taiwanese cuisine is

PǻWKPʅ delicious.
?˳\ʅVO[P]˛`]uBP˛VO_uVPɀV I heard that learning Chinese is
a˳]az[Q interesting.
?nVO5ʇV\ʅVO[P]˛*˛[PzLVLM Wang Min heard that the winter in
L˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVOa]TɀVO Boston is long and cold.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Pattern Cóng... Dào... = “From...to...”

The pattern K~VO°LoW° can connect two place words or time words. Examples:
+~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW@QǴVOOǻVO from Beijing to Hong Kong

+~VO5ɀQO]~LoWBP˛VOO]~ from US to China
+~VORQ͎LQǶVLoW[PyaʅLQǻV from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock
The Question Phrase DuÑcháng Shíjin

GRAMMAR NOTE
=“How Long”
,]˛ is a question word meaning “how.” +PnVO means “long.” ;PyRQǴV means
“time.” ,]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV is a question phrase meaning “how long” or “how much
time.” Examples:
+~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW@QǴVOOǻVOb]NɔQRʅ How long does it take from Beijing to

aoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' Hong Kong by airplane?
+~VObPvZLoWVoZaoWL]˛KPnVO How long does it take from here to
[PyRQǴV' there?
+~VO*˛[PzLVLoW6Q͘a]ɔSǴQKPɔ How long does it take from Boston to
aoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' New York City by car?
TRAVELING 139
CULTURAL NOTE Politely Excusing Yourself to Depart Early

?˳LɀQb˳]TM (“I need to go”) is a useful expression to politely take an early
departure in a conversation. To make it even more polite, you can add L]zJ]Yʇ
(“sorry”) in the front and say ,]zJ]Yʇ_˳LɀQb˳]TM (“Sorry, I have to go”). If
you have a class, you can say ,]zJ]Yʇ, _˳a˳]SvLɀQb˳]TM. If you don’t want to
specify the reason, you can simply say ,]zJ]Yʇ_˳a˳][PyZLɀQb˳]TM (“Sorry,
I have things to attend to. I need to go”). The TM at the end of the sentence indi-
cates a change of state (equivalent to “I have to go already” or “I have to go now”).
,]zJ]Yʇ
_˳a˳]
[PyZLɀQ
b˳]TM
CULTURAL NOTE The Phrase Zài Liáo = “Talk to You Later”

You learned the expression boQRQoV to mean “goodbye.” BoQTQnW is another useful
expression between acquaintances meaning “talk to you later.” Notice that the
adverb boQ (again) needs to precede the verb TQnW (chat). It is ungrammatical to
say TQnWboQ.
Pattern Practice 1
Practice saying the following phrases
Subject + P]z + verb phrase
?˳P]z[P]˛AʅVO_uV I can speak English.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVP]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uV Gao Zhi’an can speak Chinese.
4ʕAnVOP]za~]a˳VO Li Yang knows how to swim.
?nVO5ʇVJP]zSǴQKPɔ Wang Min doesn’t know how to drive.
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + verb + O]W + noun phrase
?˳YO]W@QǴVOOǻVO I have been to Hong Kong.

<ǴYO]W<nQ_ǴV He/She has been to Taiwan.
6ʇKPʅO]W<nQ_ǴVKoQUI' Have you ever had Taiwanese cuisine before?
6ʇKPʅO]Wa]vJʕVOUI' Have you ever had mooncakes before?
6ʕPɔO]WRQ͘UI' Have you had alcohol before?
140 LESSON 17
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + \ʅVO[P]˛ + sentence
?˳\ʅVO[P]˛<nQ_ǴVKoQPɀV I’ve heard that Taiwanese cuisine is

PǻWKPʅ delicious.
?˳\ʅVO[P]˛`]uBP˛VO_uV I’ve heard that learning Chinese is hard.
PɀVVnV
?˳\ʅVO[P]˛BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅb]zRzV I’ve heard that Professor Zhang hasn’t
a˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N] been feeling well recently.
?nVO5ʕV\ʅVO[P]˛*˛[PzLVLM Wang Min heard that the winter in
L˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVOa]TɀVO Boston is both long and cold.
Pattern Practice 4
+~VOLoW
K~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW@QǴVOOǻVO from Beijing to Hong Kong

K~VO5ɀQO]~LoWBP˛VOO]~ from the US to China
K~VO6Q͘a]ɔLoW*˛[PzLV from New York City to Boston
K~VORQ͎LQǶVLoW[PyaʅLQǻV from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock
K~VOaVLVObP˛VO`ʅVLoW from the sports center to the swimming
a~]a˳VOO]ǻV complex
Pattern Practice 5
Topic + aoW + L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV
+~VO6Q͘a]ɔLoW*˛[PzLVb] How long does it take from New York

NɔQRʅaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' City to Boston by airplane?
+~VO6Q͘a]ɔLoW*˛[PzLVSǴQKPɔ How long does it take from New York
aoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' City to Boston by car?
+~VObPvZLoWVoZb]Lz\QȺaoW How long does it take from here to there
L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' by subway?
+~VObPvZLoWVoZb˝]TaoW How long does it take to walk from here
L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV' to there?
EXERCISE 1
P]z LɀQ \ʅVO[P]˛ LoW

TRAVELING 141
1. 9ʕVO_vVVʕ [P]˛/]ǻVOL˛VOP]oUI'
2. ?˳ <nQ_ǴVKoQPɀVPǻWKPʅVʕKPʅO]WUI'
3. +~VO*ɀQRʅVO ;PoVOPǻQb]NɔQRʅaoWRʇOM`QǻW[Py'
4. ?˳a˳][PyZ b˳]TM
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʇP]z[P]˛[PuVUMa͎anVlanguage'
2. 6ʇYO]W@QǴVOOǻVOPu<nQ_ǴVUI'
3. 6ʇ`ʕP]IVYVǶZO]_'
4. +~VOVʕRQǴLoW*ɀQRʅVOb]NɔQRʅaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Excuse me, do you speak English?

B: I speak a little English. Do you speak Chinese?
A: I don’t.
2. A: Have you been to New York City before?

B: Yes, I went there in June this year. It’s very interesting.
A: Have you been to Boston?
B: No, I have never been to Boston.
3. A: I heard that San Francisco (2QRʅV[PǴV) is far.

B: How long does it take from Beijing to San Francisco by airplane?
A: It takes about twelve hours.
EXERCISE 4
Task: Below are a few Chinese cities. Search online for the answers to how long
the journey will take.
K~VO LoW b]° aoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'

*ɀQRʅVO ;PoVOPǻQ b]NɔQRʅ
*ɀQRʅVO <QǴVRʅV SǴQKPɔ
@QǴVOOǻVO <nQJɀQ b]NɔQRʅ
@QǴVOOǻVO ;PɔVbPvV SǴQKPɔ
@QǴVOOǻVO /]ǶVObP˛] b]P]˝KPɔ
;PoVOPǻQ 6nVRʅVO b]P]˝KPɔ
?uQ*ɀQRʅVOAyVRQoV
+P͌b͌YzKPɔ/˛VO[ʅVyVPǻW
Beijing Yinjian Taxi Company,
how can I help you?
6ʕPǻW?˳UyVO\QǴVaoW
ayTQoVOKPɔY;P˳]L͌2ʅKPǻVO
Hello, I would like a car to take me to
the Capital Airport tomorrow.
5uQ_vV\y
@QǴV[PMVOVyVO]z`zVO'
No problem. What is your
last name, Sir?
?˳`zVO/ǴW
My last name is Gao.
/ǴW@QǴV[PMVO
UyVO\QǴVRʕLQǻV'
What time tomorrow, BoQ[PuVUM
Mr. Gao? LzNIVORQɔVyV'
Where would
you like to be
picked up?
9ʅVOP]n,o`]uTQ`]u[PɔVO
T~]9ʕVO_vVLoWRʅKPǻVOaoW
@Qo_͘ L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴVL]˛[PǻWYQnV'
TQǻVOLQǻV At the international student building
2 pm. of Tsinghua University. Excuse me,
how long is the trip, and
how much will it cost?
+PoJ]L]˛aoWayOM`QǻW[PyazJǶQ 0ǻWUyVO\QǴVP]z
vZ[PyS]oQYQnVb]˳a]6yVLMLQoVP]o[Pz° bP͘V[PyYRQɔVyV
It takes approximately an hour and it costs about
120 RMB. Your telephone number is … Great. We’ll pick
you up tomorrow
on time.
?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ
[Pz!
My cell phone number @Qv`QM
is 139-2227-6688. Thanks.
,]zJ]YʕYʕVO
VyVboQ[P]˛ayJQoV @Qv`QMVyV
I am sorry. Could you boQRQoV
Thank you, Sir.
please say it again? Goodbye.
BoQRQoV
139-2227-6688.
Bye.
LESSON 18
Arranging a Ride to the Airport
DIALOGUE Calling A Taxi Company
Eric Goodman is trying to book a taxi to take him to the airport.
Receptionist: Beijing Yinjian Taxi Company, how can I help you?

?uQ*ɀQRʅVOAyVRQoV+P͌b͌YzKPɔ/˛VO[ʅVyVPǻW
喂，北京银建出租汽车公司，您好。
Eric: Hello, I would like a car to take me to the Capital Airport
tomorrow.
6ʕPǻW?˳UyVO\QǴVaoWayTQoVOKPɔY;P˳]L͌2ʅKPǻVO
你好。我明天要一辆车去首都机场。
Receptionist: No problem. What is your last name, Sir?
5uQ_vV\y@QǴV[PMVOVyVO]z`zVO'
没问题。先生，您贵姓？
Eric: My last name is Gao.
?˳`zVO/ǴW
我姓高。
Receptionist: What time tomorrow, Mr. Gao?
/ǴW@QǴV[PMVOUyVO\QǴVRʕLQǻV'
高先生，明天几点？
Eric: 2 pm.
@Qo_͘TQǻVOLQǻV
下午两点。
Receptionist: Where would you like to be picked up?
BoQ[PuVUMLzNIVORQɔVyV'
在什么地方接您？
Eric: At the international student building of Tsinghua University.
Excuse me, how long is the trip, and how much will it cost?
9ʅVOP]n,o`]uTQ`]u[PɔVOT~]9ʕVO_vVLoWRʅKPǻVOaoW
L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴVL]˛[PǻWYQnV'
清华大学留学生楼。请问，到机场要多长时间、多少钱？
Receptionist: It takes approximately an hour from Tsinghua University to the
airport and it costs about 120 RMB. Your telephone number is …
+~VO9ʅVOP]n,o`]uLoWRʅKPǻVOKPoJ]L]˛aoWayOM
`QǻW[PyazJǶQvZ[PyS]oQYQnVb]˳a]6yVLMLQoVP]o[Pz°
从清华大学到机场差不多要一个小时，120 块钱左
右。您的电话是…
Eric: My cell phone number is 139-2227-6688.
我的手机号码是 139-2227-6688。
144 LESSON 18
Receptionist: I am sorry. Could you please say it again?

,]zJ]YʕYʕVOVyVboQ[P]˛ayJQoV
对不起，请您再说一遍。
Eric: 139-2227-6688.
!
139-2227-6688。
Receptionist: Great. We’ll pick you up tomorrow on time.
0ǻWUyVO\QǴVP]zbP͘V[PyYRQɔVyV
好，明天会准时去接您。
Eric: Thank you.
@Qv`QM
谢谢。
Receptionist: Thank you, Sir. Goodbye.
@Qv`QMVyVboQRQoV
谢谢您，再见。
Eric: Bye.
BoQRQoV
再见。
New Vocabulary
AyVRQoV 银建 (name of a taxi company in Beijing)
+P͌b͌YzKPɔ 出租汽车 Taxi (lit., rental car, sedan)
/˛VO[ʅ 公司 Company
4QoVO 辆 (Measure word for ground vehicles)
+Pɔ 车 Car
;P˳]L͌ 首都 Capital city
2ʅKPǻVO 机场 Airport
;P˳]L͌2ʅKPǻVO 首都机场 Beijing Capital International Airport
5uQ_vV\y 没问题 “No problem”
6yVO]z`zVO 您贵姓 “What is your honorable last name”
2Qɔ 接 Pick up
4Q`]u[PɔVO 留学生 International student
4~] 楼 Hall, building
,]˛[PǻW 多少 How much, how many
9QnV 钱 Money
,]˛[PǻWYQnV 多少钱 How much money
*ǻQ 百 Hundred
3]oQ 块 (Measure word for money)
B]˳a] 左右 About
,]zJ]Yʕ 对不起 “I am sorry”
;P]˛ 说 Say
*QoV 遍 (Measure word for time – as in “one
more time”)
BP͘V[Py 准时 On time, punctual
ARRANGING A RIDE TO THE AIRPORT 145
Official Currencies in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong
Pinyin English Abbreviations Used in
/ǻVOJz Hong Kong RMB HKD Hong Kong
:uVUyVJz Reminbi (Chinese Yuan) RMB Mainland China
@ʅV\nQJz New Taiwan Dollar TWD Taiwan
GRAMMAR NOTE The Measure Word Liàng for Ground Vehicles

4QoVO is a measure word for ground vehicles. Examples:
ayTQoVOO˛VOOVOYzKPɔ one public bus

TQǻVOTQoVOP]˝KPɔ two trains
[ǴVTQoVObz`yVOKPɔ three bikes
Helpful Tip:
You probably already noticed that all the ground transportation mentioned above
end with KPɔ, which literally means “car.” The measure word TQoVO cannot be used
for KP]nV (boat – this would be [˛]) or NɔQRʅ (airplane – this would be RQo), words
which do not end with KPɔ.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Yào = “Want” to Order or Purchase

You have learned aoW as a verb in Lesson 11 meaning “want or ask” and in Lesson
16 meaning “take” with the implication that the time duration is long. Examples:
4yV2ʅVOTʕaoW_˳OɀQ\ǴLǻLQoVP]o Manager Lin asked me to give him a

call.
96Q͘a]ɔb]NɔQRʅaoWayOM`QǻW[Py It takes an hour to go to New York
City by airplane.
In this lesson, aoW functions as a verb meaning “want” in the sense of “ordering”
or “purchasing.” It needs to be followed by a noun phrase. Examples:
?˳UyVO\QǴVaoWayTQoVOKPɔ I want (to reserve) a car tomorrow.

?˳aoWbPvQRQoVaʅN] I want (to purchase) this shirt/dress.
?˳aoWbPvQOMKoQ I want (to order) this dish.
This aoW is frequently used when shopping, ordering food and making reserva-
tions.
146 LESSON 18
GRAMMAR NOTE
Using the Expression DuÑsho Qián to ask for Price
The expression L]˛[PǻWYQnV means “how much money” and the typical pattern
to ask for price is “Topic + L]˛[PǻWYQnV.” Examples:
BPvQOML]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this?

BPvQRQoVaʅN]L]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this shirt/dress?
+~VObPvZLoW@QǴVOOǻVOb]NɔQRʅ How much does it cost from here to
L]˛[PǻWYQnV' Hong Kong by airplane?
AoW can be inserted between the topic and L]˛[PǻWYQnV with the implication
that the item may not be cheap. Compare:
BPvQOML]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this? (general inquiry)

BPvQOMaoWL]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this? (with the implication
that bPvQOM may not be cheap.)
BPvQRQoVaʅN]L]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this shirt/dress? (general

inquiry)
BPvQRQoVaʅN]aoWL]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this shirt/dress? (with the
implication that bPvQRQoVaʅN] may not
be cheap.)
To respond, follow the “Topic + number + S]oQYQnV” pattern. 3]oQ is the mea-
sure word for YQnV (money). Examples:
BPvQOM_͎S]oQYQnV This one costs five RMB.

BPvQRQoVaʅN]TQ[PyS]oQYQnV This shirt/dress costs sixty RMB.
+~VObPvZLoWRʅKPǻVOb] It costs one hundred and twenty RMB
KP͌b͌YzKPɔazJǶQvZ[PyS]oQYQnV from here to the airport by taxi.
Similarly, you can insert aoW between the topic and the number + S]oQYQnV with
the implication that the amount is not cheap. Compare:
BPvQOM_͎S]oQYQnV This one costs five RMB. (general

statement)
BPvQOMaoW_͎S]oQYQnV This one costs five RMB! (“It is not
cheap” is implied).
BPvQRQoVaʅN]TQ[PyS]oQYQnV This shirt/dress costs sixty RMB.
(general statement)
BPvQRQoVaʅN]aoWTQ[PyS]oQYQnV This shirt/dress costs sixty RMB!
(“This is not cheap” is implied.)
Helpful Tip:
Colloquially, YQnV can be omitted but S]oQ is always required. It is ungrammatical
to follow the number with YQnV, lit. “five money” or “sixty money”.
_͎S]oQ=_͎S]oQYQnV five RMB

TQ[PyS]oQ=TQ[PyS]oQYQnV sixty RMB
azJǶQvZ[PyS]oQ=azJǶQvZ[PyS]oQYQnV one hundred and twenty RMB
GRAMMAR NOTE
Using the Word ZuËyòu to Express Approximation
In Lesson 16 you learned KPoJ]L]˛ + numerical expression to mean “about...”
Examples:
KPoJ]L]˛[zOM`QǻW[Py about four hours

KPoJ]L]˛TQLQǶV about six o’clock
KPoJ]L]˛[Py[]z about ten years old
In this lesson, you learn another way to express approximation: numerical

expression + b]˳a]. Examples:
[zOM`QǻW[Pyb]˳a] about four hours

TQLQǶVb]˳a] about six o’clock
[Py[]zb]˳a] about ten years old
Remember, KPoJ]L]˛ goes before the numerical expression while b]˳a] needs
to be put after the numerical expression.
CULTURAL NOTE “What’s Your Honorable Last Name?”

You have learned the general expression 6ʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ (“What is your
name?”) in Lesson 4 to inquire about someone’s name. In a formal occasion, the
idiomatic expression 6yVO]z`zVO is preferred. The literal meaning of 6yVO]z
`zVOis “What’s your honorable last name?” To respond, you can say ?˳`zVO +
last name or *z`zVO + last name. Once you know someone’s last name, you can
address him/her appropriately using his/her title, such as /ǴW@QǴV[PMVO (Mr.
Gao), 4yV2ʅVOTʕ (Manager Lin), or BPǴVO4ǶW[Pʅ (Professor Zhang).
Helpful Tips:
Avoid saying 6ʕO]z`zVO as the polite word O]z does not match well with the
general pronoun Vʕ.
148 LESSON 18
CULTURAL NOTE
Asking Someone to Repeat with Duìbuq®, q®ng nín zài shuÑ
yíbiàn
If someone speaks too fast and you would like him/her to repeat, ,]zJ]YʕYʕVO
VyVboQ[P]˛ayJQoV is a sophisticated expression to use. ,]zJ]Yʕ means “sorry,”
[P]˛ means “say,” and JQoV is a measure word for “time.” The sentence YʕVOVyV
boQ[P]˛ayJQoV is literally “Please you again say one more time”; that is, “Could
you please say it again?” Notice that as in boQTQnW (“talk to you later”) and boQRQoV
(“goodbye”), boQ needs to be placed before the verb phrase [P]˛ayJQoV.
Helpful Tips:
When someone says L]zJ]Yʕ, you can say UuQO]ǴV`Q or UuQ [PyZ to mean
“that’s okay” or “not a problem.”
Pattern Practice 1
Subject + aoW + noun phrase
?˳UyVO\QǴVaoWayTQoVOKPɔ I want (to reserve) a car tomorrow.

?˳aoWVvQRQoVaʅN] I want (to purchase) that shirt/dress.
?˳aoWbPvQOMKoQ I want (to order) this dish.
?˳aoWbPvQ`QɔaoW I want (to purchase) these medicines.
?˳aoWayOMa]vJʕVO I want (to purchase) one mooncake.
Pattern Practice 2
Topic + L]˛[PǻWYQnV
BPvQOML]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is this?

6vQRQoVaʅN]L]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is that shirt/dress?
AyOMbVObQL]˛[PǻWYQnV' How much is one glutinous rice dumpling?
+~VObPvZLoW@QǴVOOǻVOb] How much does it cost from here to Hong
NɔQRʅL]˛[PǻWYQnV' Kong by airplane?
+~VObPvZLoWRʅKPǻVOb] How much does it cost from here to the
KP͌b͌YzKPɔL]˛[PǻWYQnV' airport by taxi?
Pattern Practice 3
Number + S]oQ + YQnV
_͘S]oQYQnV five RMB

[PyS]oQYQnV ten RMB
vZ[PyS]oQYQnV twenty RMB
azJǻQS]oQYQnV one hundred RMB
azJǻQvZ[PyS]oQYQnV one hundred and twenty RMB
Pattern Practice 4
Topic + aoW + number + S]oQYQnV
BPvQOMaoW_͘S]oQYQnV This one costs five RMB.

6vQRQoVaʅN]aoWazJǻQS]oQYQnV That shirt/dress costs one hundred
RMB.
BPvQOMa]vJʕVOaoWvZ[PyS]oQYQnV This mooncake costs twenty RMB.
+~VObPvZLoWRʅKPǻVOb] It costs one hundred and twenty RMB
KP͌b͌YzKPɔaoWazJǻQvZ[PyS]oQYQnV from here to the airport by taxi.
Pattern Practice 5
Numerical expression + b]˳a]
BPvQOM[PyS]oQYQnVb]˳a] This one is about ten RMB.

<ǴRʅVVQnV[ǴV[Py[]zb]˳a] He/She is about thirty years old.
?˳UyVO\QǴV[zLQǶVb]˳a]YLǶTnVYQ I am going to play basketball
tomorrow at about 4 o’clock.
?˳_͘LQǶVb]˳a]OɀQVʕLǻLQoVP]o I will call you at about 5 o’clock.
150 LESSON 18
EXERCISE 1
boQ YQnV _uQ O]z`zVO
1. (On the phone)

A: VyVPǻW
B: 6yVPǻW9ʕVO_vV?nVO2ʅVOTʕboQUI'
2. A: @QnWRQMVyV '
B: ?˳`zVO0u
3. ,]zJ]YʕYʕVOVyV [P]˛ayJQoV
4. A: BPvQOML]˛[PǻW '
B: ;PyS]oQ
EXERCISE 2
1. 6yVO]z`zVO'
2. +~VOVʕRQǴLoWRʅKPǻVOaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
3. +~VOVʕRQǴLoWRʅKPǻVOb]KP͌b͌YzKPɔaoWL]˛[PǻWYQnV'
EXERCISE 3
1. (On the phone)

A: Beijing Taxi Company, how can I help you?
B: I’d like a taxi to the airport tomorrow.
A: No problem. What is your (honorable) family name?
B: My family name is Wu (?).
2. A: Mr. Wu, when would you like to be picked up?

B: 3 pm.
A: Where should we pick you up?
B: At the international student building of Peking University.
3. A: What is your cell phone number?

B: My cell phone number is 138-1166-5757.
A: Great. We will pick you up on time tomorrow.
B: Thank you.
A: Thank you for calling.
4. A: I am sorry.
B: That’s okay.
EXERCISE 4
Task: You are calling a taxi company to arrange a ride to the airport. Inquire
about the following information.
1. How much does it cost?
2. How long does it take?
3. Confirm the pick-up time and location.
4. Confirm the telephone number you can be reached at.
4ʕAnVO?nVO5ʕV *QuSvYQ;PyRQǴVbPɔVS]oQVʕ
`Qv`QMVʕUMVYʕVO_˳ UyVO\QǴVRQaoWP]y5ɀQO]~TM
KPʅNoV You are welcome. Time passes
Li Yang, Wang Min, really fast. You are going back
thank you for treating to the US tomorrow.
me to a meal.
-V_˳RzLMYVQnV
Yʅa]vOǴVOTnQUyVO\QǴV
RQaoWb˳]TM
Yes. I remember I came just last
July, and I am leaving tomorrow.
6ʕLMBP˛VO_uV 5yVO\QǴVaoWJaoW
a]vTnQa]vPǻWTM [VOVʕYRʅKPǻVO'
Your Chinese has Do you want us to send
improved a lot. you off at the airport
tomorrow?
6nTQVnTQ?˳bPv *aVO`Qv`QM
aʅVQnV`]uTMPɀVL]˛ ?˳aʕRʅVOaoWTMayTQoVO
KP͌b͌YzKPɔ
No, no. I’ve learned a No, thank you. I’ve already
lot this past year. reserved a taxi.
0ǻWVo_˳UMV`QɀLQoVbʕ
a~]RQoVJǻWKPyTQnVT]
Okay, then let’s keep in touch
via email.
-VJǻWKPyTQnVT]
Absolutely!
LESSON 19
Farewell
DIALOGUE Having A Farewell Dinner
Eric Goodman is going back to the US tomorrow. His friends, Li Yang and Wang
Min, invite him for a farewell dinner.
Eric: Li Yang, Wang Min, thank you for treating me to a meal.

4ʕAnVO?nVO5ʕV`Qv`QMVʕUMVYʕVO_˳KPʅNoV
李洋，王敏，谢谢你们请我吃饭。
Yang: You are welcome. Time passes really fast. You are going back to the
US tomorrow.
*QuSvYQ;PyRQǴVbPɔVS]oQVʕUyVO\QǴVRQaoWP]y5ɀQO]~TM
别客气。时间真快，你明天就要回美国了。
Eric: Yes. I remember I came just last July, and I am leaving tomorrow.
-V_˳RzLMYVQnVYʅa]vOǴVOTnQUyVO\QǴVRQaoWb˳]TM
嗯，我记得去年七月刚来，明天就要走了。
Min: Your Chinese has improved a lot.
6ʕLMBP˛VO_uVa]vTnQa]vPǻWTM
你的中文越来越好了。
Eric: No, no. I’ve learned a lot this past year.
6nTQVnTQ?˳bPvaʅVQnV`]uTMPɀVL]˛
哪里，哪里。我这一年学了很多。
Yang: Do you want us to send you off at the airport tomorrow?
5yVO\QǴVaoWJaoW[VOVʕYRʅKPǻVO'
明天要不要送你去机场？
Eric: No, thank you. I’ve already reserved a taxi.
*aVO`Qv`QM?˳aʕRʅVOaoWTMayTQoVOKP͌b͌YzKPɔ
不用，谢谢。我已经要了一辆出租汽车。
Yang: Okay, then let’s keep in touch via email.
0ǻWVo_˳UMV`QɀLQoVbʕa~]RQoVJǻWKPyTQnVT]
好，那我们写电子邮件保持联络。
Eric: Absolutely (lit., Yes, stay in touch)!
-VJǻWKPyTQnVT]
嗯，保持联络！
154 LESSON 19
New Vocabulary
9ʕVO 请 Invite, or the person is paying for you
BPɔV 真 Really
3]oQ 快 Fast, quick
2Q 就 Earlier than expected
0]y 回 Return, go back
2zLM 记得 Remember
9VQnV 去年 Last year
/ǴVO 刚 Just
BPvaʅVQnV 这一年 This year
0ɀVL]˛ 很多 Many, a lot
;VO 送 Send off
AʕRʅVO 已经 Already
@Qɀ 写 Write
,QoVbʕ 电子 Electronic
A~]RQoV 邮件 Mail
,QoVbʕa~]RQoV 电子邮件 Email
*ǻWKPy 保持 Keep, maintain
4QnVT] 联络 Contact
*ǻWKPyTQnVT] 保持联络 “Stay in touch”
Supplementary Vocabulary Common Treats between Friends
Pinyin English
+PoVO3<> Sing karaoke (go to karaoke)
0ɔSǴNɔQ Drink coffee
0ɔKPn Drink tea
3oVLQoVaʕVO See a movie
Common Farewell Expressions

Pinyin English
AyT[PVNɔVO Have a smooth trip! (lit. “all way smooth wind”)
AyTXyVO¼ǴV Have a safe trip! (lit. “all way safe”)
*ǻWbPVO Take care!
Common Chatting Apps

Pinyin English
?ɔQ`zV WeChat (dominant chatting app in Mainland China)
LINE LINE (widely used in Taiwan)
FireChat FireChat (popular in Hong Kong)
WhatsApp WhatsApp (also popular in Hong Kong)
FAREWELL 155
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Verb Q®ng for Invitation

The verb YʕVO means “invite” and its typical pattern is “Subject 1 + YʕVO + Subject
2 + verb phrase.” Examples:
?˳UyVO\QǴVYʕVOVʕPɔSǴNɔQ I will treat you to a cup of coffee

tomorrow.
4ʕAnVOPu?nVO5ʕVYʕVO/ǴW Li Yang and Wang Min are inviting Gao
BPz¼ǴVKPʅ_ǻVNoV Zhi’an to dinner.
6ʕUyVO\QǴVa˳]UuQaW][PyRQǴV' Do you have time tomorrow? Let me
?˳YʕVOVʕSoVLQoVaʕVO treat you to a movie.
Helpful Tip:
If you want to say “my treat,” it’s ?˳YʕVOVʕ or ?˳YʕVOSv. If you’re not sure if
it’s a treat, just offer to pay when the time comes. If your friend repeats the above
statements, then you will not need to pay. It’s also important, culturally speak-
ing, to insist on paying for your share before graciously accepting the treat (and
promising a future treat).
GRAMMAR NOTE The Intensifier Adverb Zhn = “Really!”

BPɔV means “really” and is often followed by a stative verb to show it is an excla-
mation, i.e., “This burger is really tasty!” Examples:
BP˛VO_uVbPɔVVnV The Chinese language is really hard.

BP˛VOO]~bPɔVa]ǻV China is really far away.
BPvQOMKǴVO]ǻVLMKoQbPɔVPǻWKPʅ The food in this restaurant is really tasty.
GRAMMAR NOTE The Adverb Jiù = “Already”

The typical pattern of RQ is “Subject + time word + RQ + verb phrase + TM” and
it indicates that the time is earlier than expected, or that time has passed so fast
that it’s already time for the event to occur. Compare:
?˳UyVO\QǴVP]y5ɀQO]~ I am going back to US tomorrow.

(general).
?˳UyVO\QǴVRQP]y5ɀQO]~TM I am going back to US tomorrow.
(5yVO\QǴV is earlier than expected).
<Ǵb]~\QǴV_ǻV[PoVOTQLQǻV He/She ate at 6 pm last night. (general)
KPʅNoV
<Ǵb]~\QǴV_ǻV[PoVOTQLQǻVRQ It was only 6pm yesterday evening, but
KPʅNoVTM she/he had already had dinner.
?˳UMVb]~\QǴVYzVObP4ʇAnVOLM We celebrated Li Yang’s birthday
[PɔVOZz yesterday. (general statement)
?˳UMVb]~\QǴVRQYzVObP4ʇ We already celebrated Li Yang’s
AnVOLM[PɔVOZzTM birthday yesterday.
156 LESSON 19
GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Adverb Gng to Mean “Just”

/ǴVO is an adverb meaning “just, just now.” It needs to be placed between the
subject and the verb phrase. The event or the verb OǴVO refers to can be recent
or long ago. Examples:
<ǴOǴVOTnQ He/She just came.

4ʕAnVOOǴVOb˳] Li Yang just left.
?˳OǴVOOɀQVʇLǻLQoVP]o I just called you.
?˳YVQnVOǴVOTnQUyVO\QǴVRQ I just came last year, and I am leaving
aoWb˳]TM tomorrow.
GRAMMAR NOTE
Using the Pattern “Subject + Verb + le + Quantified noun” to
Express Completion
You have learned “Verb + TM” to indicate completion of the verb in Lesson 13, such
as 6ʇSoVTMaʅ[PMVOUI (“Did you see a doctor?”). Verb + TM is often followed by
a quantified noun. Examples:
?˳aoWTMayTQoVOKP͌b͌YzKPɔ I reserved a taxi.

?nVO5ʕVUǻQTMayRQoVaʅN] Wang Min bought a shirt/dress.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVbPvaʅVQnV`]uTMPɀVL]˛ Gao Zhi’an has learned a lot this year.
Aʅ[PMVOOɀQ_˳SǴQTMaz`QɔaoW he doctor prescribed some medicine
T
for me.
CULTURAL NOTE Receiving a Compliment

When receiving a compliment such as 6ʕLMBP˛VO_uVPɀVPǻW (“Your Chinese
is good”), Chinese people tend to remain humble instead of accepting it. Instead
of accepting the compliment by saying `Qv`QM or L]˛`Qv. Instead, you can say
VnTQ to mean “don’t mention it” or “you are too kind” to show your humbleness.
You have learned VnTQ as a response to `Qv`QM in Lesson 11. 6nTQ is also a humble
response to a compliment.
Pattern Practice 1
Subject 1 + YʕVO + Subject 2 + verb phrase
@Qv`QMVʕYʕVO_˳KPʅNoV Thank you for inviting me to dinner.

@Qv`QMVʕYʕVO_˳KPoVO3<> Thank you for inviting me to karaoke.
?˳YʕVOVʕSoVLQoVaʕVO Let’s go see a movie. My treat.
6ʕUyVO\QǴVa˳]UuQaW][PyRQǴV' Do you have time tomorrow?
?˳YʕVOVʕPɔSǴNɔQ Let’s have coffee. My treat.
FAREWELL 157
Pattern Practice 2
Subject + bPɔV + stative verb
BP˛VO_uVbPɔVa˳]az[Q (The) Chinese (language) is really

interesting.
BPvZLMaʅN]bPɔVO]z The clothes here are really expensive.
,QoVbʕa~]RQoVbPɔVNǴVOJQoV Email is really convenient.
<nQ_ǴVKoQbPɔVPǻWKPʅ Taiwanese cuisine is really tasty.
*˛[PzLVLML˛VO\QǴVbPɔVTɀVO The winter in Boston is really cold.
Pattern Practice 3
Subject + time word + RQ + verb phrase + TM
BPǴVO4ǶW[PʅRʅV\QǴV[PoVO_͎ Professor Zhang came as early as 7 am

YʅLQǶVRQTnQTM this morning. (Prof. Zhang doesn’t
usually come so early.)
<[P͌O]ǶVRʅV\QǴVTQLQǶVRQ The library is open as early as 6 am
SǴQTM today. (It is not usually open so early.)
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVUyVO\QǴVRQaoWP]y Gao Zhi’an is already going back to US
5ɀQO]~TM tomorrow. (Time has passed so quickly
that it’s already time for Gao Zhi’an to
return home).
?˳RʅV\QǴV[ǴVLQǶVRQY I went to exercise at 3 pm today. (I don’t
aVLVOTM usually exercise so early.)
Pattern Practice 4
Subject + OǴVO + verb phrase
?˳OǴVOTnQ I just came.

?˳OǴVOKPʅTMaoW I just took medicine.
?˳OǴVOYUǶQTMazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q I just went to buy a few things.
?nVO5ʕVOǴVOb˳] Wang Min just left.
/ǴWBPz¼ǴVOǴVOOɀQ4ʕAnVOLǻTMLQoVP]o Gao Zhi’an just called Li Yang.
Pattern Practice 5
Subject + verb + TM + quantified noun
?˳b]~\QǴVUǻQTMayRQoVaʅN] I bought a shirt/dress yesterday.

?˳OǴVOaoWTMayTQoVOKP͌b͌YzKPɔ I just reserved a taxi.
Aʅ[PMVOOɀQ_˳SǴQTMaz`QɔaoW The doctor prescribed some medicine
for me.
4yV2ʅVOTʕPɔTMazLQǶVZRQ͘ Manager Lin had some wine.
158 LESSON 19
?˳OǴVOOɀQ_˳UǴUI`QɀTMayOM I just wrote an email to my mother.

LQoVbʕa~]RQoV
EXERCISE 1
YʕVO RQ [VO RzLM
1. 5yVO\QǴV[PzVʕLM[PɔVOZz_˳ VʕKPʅNoVbɀVUMaoVO'
2. ?˳ 4yV2ʅVOTʕa˳]TQǻVOOMPnQbQJ[PzaʅOM
3. ?˳XyVOKPnVOTQLQǶVKPʅNoVRʅV\QǴV_͘LQǶV KPʅNoVTM
4. A: ?˳UyVO\QǴV VʕYRʅKPǻVO
B: @Qv`QM.
EXERCISE 2
1. 6ʇKPnVOKPnVOYʕVOXuVOa˳]KPʅNoVUI'
2. 6ʇKPnVOKPnVO`QɀLQoVbʕa~]RQoVUI'
3. 6ʕLMBP˛VO_uVa]vTnQa]vPǻWTMUI'
4. 6ʕR]uLM[PyRQǴVS]oQJS]oQ'
EXERCISE 3
1. A: Thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight.

B: You are welcome. Happy Birthday!
A: Thank you.
2. A: Time passes so fast. You are going back to the US tomorrow.

B: Yes. I remember I just came in June last year, and I am leaving tomorrow.
A: Let us keep in touch via email.
B: Absolutely.
3. A: Do you need a ride to the airport?

B: No, thank you. I have reserved a taxi.
A: When are you leaving tomorrow?
B: 10 am.
FAREWELL 159
EXERCISE 4
Read the following passage and answer the questions in English.
4ʕAnVO
?˳P]yLoWreturned to*˛[PzLVTM?˳LMJoJIUǴUIPɀVOǴW`zVO
happy?˳LMBP˛VO_uVTǶW[Pʅaɀ[P]˛_˳LMBP˛VO_uVa]vTnQa]vPǻWTM
@Qv`QMVʕbPvaʅVQnVLMJǴVObPhelp_˳`]uTMPɀVL]˛
*ǻWKPyTQnVT]
/ǴWBPz¼ǴV
1. Who writes this email? Who is the recipient?
2. Where is the sender now?
3. What does the sender’s Chinese teacher think about his/her Chinese?
4. What does the sender think about his/her past year in China?
5. If you were the recipient, how would you respond to the ending “*ǻWKPy
TQnVT]”?
Airport signs in Simplified
Chinese
Airport signs in Traditional Chinese
Newspapers in Simplified Chinese

LESSON 20
Introduction to
the Chinese Writing System (II)
In Lesson 10, you have learned the brief history of Chinese characters and their
six ways of formation. In this lesson, we will introduce the correlation between
traditional characters and simplified characters and follow these with another set
of 25 common characters.
Traditional Characters vs. Simplified Characters

The history of simplification of Chinese characters has been a long one. As men-
tioned in Lesson 10, Chinese characters have gone through a few significant evo-
lutions in forms from 2QǶO͘_uV (oracle bone inscriptions) to 3ǶQ[P͌ (regular
script), and those significant evolutions for the most part involved simplification
in forms or strokes. For instance, the key difference between 3ǶQ[P͌ (regular
script) and its predecessor 4z[P͌ (Clerical script) is that 3ǶQ[P͌ are thinner and
simpler in strokes. Compare the character R᚛ (to fear) in both scripts:
4z[P͌ 3ǶQ[P͌
ᛧ ᚛
Two forms of Chinese characters are in use in contemporary Chinese-speaking
societies: Mainland China has adopted simplified characters (2QǶV\ʇbz) while
Taiwan and Hong Kong use traditional characters (.nV\ʇbz). Traditional char-
acters inherit the long history of Chinese writing system and do not contain
the newly created simplified characters promulgated and standardized by the
Chinese government since the 1950s in an effort to increase literacy. The charac-
ter simplification movements by the Chinese government in the 1950s and 1960s
have affected a significant number of traditional characters, but the majority of
novice-level characters remain intact. Take a look at the 25 characters introduced
in Lesson 10:
Traditional Character Simplified Character Pinyin English

ɾ 一 aʅ one
ʅ 二 vZ two
ʒ 三 [ǴV three
͗ 四 [z four
162 LESSON 20
Traditional Character Simplified Character Pinyin English

ˉ 五 _͎ five
˗ 六 TQ six
ʁ 七 Yʅ seven
ʉ 八 JǴ eight
ʃ 九 RQ͎ nine
ʏ 十 [Py ten
Р 百 JǶQ hundred
ʢ 千 YQǴV thousand
˔ 元 a]nV dollar
і 你 Vʇ you
Ӎ 我 _˝ I, me
̧ 他 \Ǵ he, him
ϧ 她 \Ǵ she, her
‫ݵ‬ 是 [Pz be
ᒧ 谢 `Qv thank
ˀ 中 bP˛VO middle
ࠀ 美 UȺQ pretty, beautiful
੢ 国 O]~ nation, country
ʆ 人 ZuV people
๶ 岁 []z years of age
Ϧ 好 PǶW good
Among these 25 characters, only 3 are simplified: ᒧ = 谢, ੢ = 国, and ๶ = 岁.

These simplifications come with rules. For instance, ᒧ is simplified by replacing
its left semantic component 言 with 讠, which resembles its cursive form in cal-
ligraphy. If you are interested in knowing more about these rules, you can refer to
Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Tuttle for details.
Since the simplified characters did not gain official recognition until the 1950s in
Mainland China, most original signs of historical sites, famous restaurants, and
leading newspapers were still written in traditional characters. In Hong Kong and
Taiwan, due to the increasing interactions with Mainland China or simply for
the sake of saving time, you will also encounter simplified characters. As learn-
ers of Chinese, you should aim to be able to read both versions of characters but
choose one version in writing, as most Chinese intellectuals do.
INTRODUCTION TO THE CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM (II) 163
25 More Characters
Traditional Simplified Pinyin English Compounds
Character Character
ζ 先 `QǴV first
Ά 生 [PɔVO student, be born 先生 @QǴV[PMVO(Mr.)
生 loses its tone in the
compound 先生.
ʮ 小 `QǻW small, little
ֹ 姐 RQɀ sister (older) 小姐 @QǻWRQM(Ms)
姐 loses its tone in
the compound 小姐.
̙ 王 ?nVO Wang (surname) 王先生
?nVO@QǴV[PMVO
(Mr. Wang)
Ө 李 4ʕ Li (surname) 李小姐 4ʕ@QǻWRQM
(Ms Li)
ቁ 请 YʕVO please
੕ 问 _vV ask ቁ੕请问
9ʕVO_vV
(Excuse me; may I ask)
̓ 去 Y go
ˌ 什 [PuV ˌᄩ／什么
ᄩ 么 UM [PuVUM(what)
࢟ 哪 VǶ where
௠ 这 bPv this
Պ 那 Vo that
͎ 叫 RQoW be called
ʿ 不 JJ not (negation word) 不是J[Pz(not be)
֞ 呢 VM what about 您呢？6yVVM'
(What about you?)
ข 吗 UI (sentence-final
question word)
઱ 您 VyV you (polite form)
ࠡ 英 aʅVO British, brave 英文 AʅVO_uV
(English language)
́ 文 _uV language 中文 BP˛VO_uV
(Chinese language)
164 LESSON 20
Traditional Simplified Pinyin English Compounds

Character Character
̺ 北 JɀQ north
՚ 京 RʅVO capital 北京 *ɀQRʅVO
(Beijing)
๡ 会 P]z can (indicates ๡ʿ๡Ƅ会不会
capability) P]zJP]z
(Can or cannot?)
ი 说 [P]˛ speak
EXERCISE
Based on the English translation, find the correct word to be put into the blanks.
去京吗你不
说您请中那
1. 王先生，好。 (polite)
Hi, Mr. Wang.
2. 李小姐，好。 (general)
Hi, Ms Li.
3. 王先生，你哪？
Mr. Wang, where are you going?
4. 问，这是什么？
Excuse me, what is this?
5. 是什么？
What is that?
6. 那是“六” ？
Is that “six”?
7. 我会英文。
I speak English.
8. 你会说文吗？
Do you speak Chinese?
INTRODUCTION TO THE CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM (II) 165
9. 我会说英文，你呢？
I don’t speak English. How about you?
10. 李先生不去北吗？
Isn’t Mr. Li going to Beijing?
Note
As mentioned in Lesson 1, characters in a sentence do not have space in between,
such as 我是美国人 (“I am American”). You can use a comma (,) to sepa-
rate sentences and end a sentence with a small circle (。) or a question mark (?)
depending on the nature of the sentence.
The Bund is well known in Shanghai.
The Great Wall of China is a much visited tourist spot.

English-Pinyin Glossary
) bad P]oQ
a little aʅLQǻVZ baggage, luggage `yVOTʕ
a lot PɀVL]˛ bakery P˛VOXuQLQoV
about (adv) KPoJ]L]˛ banana `QǴVORQǴW
accentS˳]aʅV bandage JɔVOLoQ
activity P]~LVO bank ayVPnVO
acupuncture bPɔVRQ͘ bar RQ͘JǴ
address LzbPʕ barbershop TʕNoLQoV
afterward P]TnQ bargain (v) [PǴRQo
again boQ#a] baseball JoVOYQ
age VQnVRz basketball TnVYQ
ago aʕYQnV bathroom _vQ[PɔVORQǴV
agree \~VOaz battery LQoVKPy
air conditioner S˛VO\QnW be [Pz
airlines PnVOS˛VOO˛VO[ʅ be at, be located at boQ
airplane; flight NɔQRʅ beach PǻQ\ǴV
airport RʅKPǻVO beautiful, pretty XQoWTQIVO
alcohol RQ͘ beauty salon UɀQZ~VOLQoV
allergy O]UʕV because aʅV_vQ
already aʕRʅVO bed KP]nVO
also aɀ bedroom _[Pz
although []ʅZnV beef VQZ]
always b˳VO[Pz beer XyRQ͘
and Pu;OɔV beverage aʕVTQoW
angry [PɔVOYz Bible [PvVORʅVO
animal LVO_ big Lo
antibiotic SoVO[PɔVO[ birthday [PɔVOZz
antiques O͘L˳VO bitter S͘
apartment O˛VOa black PɔQ[v
apologize LoWYQoV blow-dryer KP]ʅNɔVORʅ
appetizer YQnVKoQ blue TnV[v
apple XyVOO]˳ book [P͌
approximately LoOoQ boring UuQa˳]az[Q
architecture RQoVbP bowl _ǻV
arrival time LoWLn[PyRQǴV boy VnVPnQ
art az[P boyfriend VnVXuVOa˳]
ask _vV bread UQoVJǴW
ATM \yS]ǻVRʅ breakfast bǻWNoV
authentic LzLoW brown b˛VO[v
autumn YQ͌\QǴV Buddha N~
bus O˛VOKPɔ
B busy UnVO
baby aʅVO¼uZ butter VQa~]
backpack JɔQJǴW buy UǻQ
168 ENGLISH-PINYIN GLOSSARY
+ departure timeKP͌NǴ[PyRQǴV
cab, taxi KP͌b͌YzKPɔ dessert\QnV[Py
café SǴNɔQLQoV diarrhea N`Qv
can (auxiliary v) VuVO#Sɀaʕ dictionarybzLQǻV
car KPɔ differentJ\~VO
careful `QǻW`ʅV difficultVnV
cash `QoVRʅV dinner_ǻVNoV
cell phone [P˳]Rʅ dirtybǴVO
champagne `QǴVOJʅV discountLǻbPu
cheap XQnVaQ dish (of food) KoQ
check (in a restaurant) UǻQLǴV dizziness \~]a͌V
cheese Yʕ[ʅ doctor aʅ[PMVO
chicken RʅZ] dog O˳]
chili pepper/chili ToRQǴW dollar a]nV
chocolate YQǻWSvTz drink (v) Pɔ
chopstick S]oQbQ dry OǴV
Christmas ;PvVOLoVRQu
church RQoW\nVO -
cigarette aǴV east L˛VO
classmate \~VO`]u easy RQǻVLǴV
clean (adj) OǴVRzVO eat KPʅ
clever K˛VOUQVO egg LoV
close (adj) RzV email LQoVbʕa~]RQoV
closed (shops) O]ǴVUuV embassy Lo[PʕO]ǻV
clothes aʅN] emergency RʕVRy[PzYQVO
coffee SǴNɔQ entrance ZS˳]
cold (adj) TɀVO evening JǴVO_ǻV
college, university Lo`]u every day UɀQ\QǴV
color (n) anV[v everyone UɀQOMZuV
comfortable [P͌N] exchange (money) P]oV
company O˛VO[ʅ excuse me YʕVO_vV
computer LQoVVǻW exit (n) KP͌S˳]
convenient NǴVOJQoV expensive O]z
cool S eye aǻVRʅVO
correct (adj) L]z
credit card `zVaVOSǻ .
culture _uVP]o fake (adj) RQǻLM
cup (n) JɔQ family RQǴZuV
famous a˳]UyVO
, far a]ǻV
dance club JvVOLʅ father JoJI
dangerous _ɔQ`QǻV fax (n) KP]nVbPɔV
daughter V͞¼uZ fee NvQaVO
day\QǴV fever NǴ[PǴW
debit card\yS]ǻVSǻ fish (n) a
deliciousPǻWKPʅ fit (right size) Pu[Pz
ENGLISH-PINYIN GLOSSARY 169
flower P]Ǵ hope `ʅ_oVO

food [Py_ hospitable a˳][PoV
foreigner _oQO]~ZuV hospital aʅa]oV
forget _oVO hot Zv
fork (n) KPǴbQ hot tea ZvKPn
fragrant `QǴVO hot water Zv[P]ʕ
frequently RʅVOKPnVO hotel T͞O]ǻV
fresh `ʅV`QǴV hour `QǻW[Py
friend XuVOa˳] how far? L]˛a]ǻV
fruit [P]ʕO]˳ how long? L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV
funny PǻW`QoW how much (money)? L]˛[PǻWYQnV
how old? L]˛Lo
G humid KPnW[Pʅ
garlic []oV hungry v
gas a~] hurry up OǻVS]oQ
gas station RQǴa~]bPoV husband `QǴV[PMVO
gift Tʕ_
ginger RQǴVO 1
girlfriend V͞XuVOa˳] ice cream JʅVORʅTyV
go Y iced tea JʅVOKPn
go home P]yRQǴ iced water JʅVO[P]ʕ
goodbye boQRQoV if ZO]˳;aoW[PQ
gray P]ʅ[v immediately Uǻ[PoVO
green (color) T͠[v important bPVOaoW
guide (person) LǻWa~] information center `V_vVbP˛VO`ʅV
gym RQoV[PɔVNnVO interesting a˳]az[ʅ
international O]~Rz
0 Internet _ǻVOT]
habit `yO]oV Internet Cafe _ǻVOJǴ
handsome [P]oQ invite aǴWYʕVO
happy S]oQTv itchy aǻVO
hat UoWbQ
have a˳] J
have to LɀQ jacket _oQ\oW
headache \~]\uVO job O˛VOb]
hear \ʅVO juice O]˳bPʅ
heart attack `ʅVboVOJzVO
heat stroke bPVO[P͘ K
heavy bPVO karaoke KPoVO3<>
hello VʕPǻW key aoW[PQ
hello (answering the phone) _uQ know bPʅLoW
help (v) JǴVO
here bPvZ 4
high OǴW ladies’ room V͞_vQ[PɔVORQǴV
history Tz[Pʕ lake P
home RQǴ lamb (meat) anVOZ]
language a͘anV movie theater LQoVaʕVOa]oV

large Lo mung bean L]anKoQ
last month [PoVOOMa]v museum J~_O]ǻV
last week [PoVOOM`ʅVOYQ mushroom `QǴVOO͌
last year YVQnV music aʅVa]v
late _ǻV must (aux. v) LɀQ
learn `]u
left (n) b]˳JQǴV 6
library \[P͌O]ǻV name (n) UyVObQ
like (v) `ʕP]IV nation O]~RQǴ
listen \ʅVO nausea b]¼˳]
live (v) (reside in) bP near (adj) SoWRzV
long KPnVO necessary JzaoW
look (v) SoV need (v) `͌aoW
look for bPǻW nervous RʕVbPǴVO
lunch bP˛VONoV never K~VOJ
new `ʅV
New Taiwan Dollars (Taiwan currency)
5 @ʅV\nQJz
mail `zV news `ʅV_uV
make a phone call LǻLQoVP]o newspaper JoWbPʕ
make-up P]obP]ǴVO next month `QoOMa]v
man VnVZuV next week `QoOM`ʅVOYʅ
manager RʅVOTʕ next year UyVOVQnV
mango UnVOO]˳ night _ǻV[PoVO
map Lz\ nightclub RQ͘JǴ
market [PzKPǻVO noisy KPǻW
maybe aɀ`͘ north JɀQ
meat Z] not yet PnQUuQ
medicine aoW now `QoVboQ
meditate RzVOb]
men’s room VnV_vQ[PɔVORQǴV 7
menu KoQLǴV often KPnVOKPnVO
milk VQVǻQ okay PǻW
minute (time) NɔV old (used) RQ
money YQnV older brother OɔOM
month a]v older sister RQɀRQM
more (-er) JʕRQoW on the left-hand side b]˳[P˳]JQǴV
morning bǻW[PoVO on the right-hand side a][P˳]JQǴV
mosquito _uVbQ only bPʕ
mosquito repellent Y͌_uVRz open (v) SǴQ
most (-est) b]z opinion azRQoV
mother UǴUI opportunity RʅP]z
motorbike U~\]˛KPɔ or (A or B?) PnQ[Pz
mountain [PǴV or (A or B...) P][Pz
movie LQoVaʕVO orange (color) KPuVO[v
orange (fruit) KPuVObQ potato \͘L]

orange juice KPuVObPʅ practice TQoV`y
order (v) (for food) LQǻV prepare bP͘VJvQ
over there VoZ price (n) RQoYQnV
professor RQoW[P]
8 project (n) RzP]o
pain (n) \uVO\VO promise (v) LǴazVO
painkiller bPʕ\uVOaoW pronounce NǴaʅV
painting (painted picture) P]o public phone O˛VOaVOLQoVP]o
pair of chopsticks aʅ[P]ǴVOS]oQbQ purple (color) bʕ[v
pair of shoes aʅ[P]ǴVO`Qu purse YQnVJǴW
panda `Q~VOUǴW
pants SbQ 9
papaya UO]Ǵ quality bPzTQoVO
paper napkin KǴVRʅVbPʕ quantity [PTQoVO
park O˛VOa]nV question, problem _vV\y
parking lot \yVOKPɔKPǻVO quick S]oQ
passport PbPoW quiet (place) ǴVRzVO
patient (n) JzVOZuV
patient (adj) VoQ`ʅV :
pay (v) N rain (v) `Qoa͘
peach \nW rambutan P~VOUnWLǴV
peanut P]Ǵ[PɔVO rarely PɀV[PǻW
pear Ty reason (n) Tʕa~]
pen Jʕ receipt [P˛]R
pencil YQǴVJʕ red (color) P~VO[v
pepper PRQǴW red wine P~VORQ͘
perfume `QǴVO[P]ʕ refund (v) \]zYQnV
person, people ZuV relationship O]ǴV`Q
pharmacy aoWLQoV religion b˛VORQoW
phone LQoVP]o rent (v) b͌
phone number LQoVP]oPoWUǻ repeat (say again) boQ[P]˛aʅJQoV
photo, picture bPoWXQǴV restaurant KǴV\ʅVO
pick up (a car, an item) Y͘ restroom `ʕ[P˳]RQǴV
pick up (a friend) RQɔ return P]nV
pineapple J˛T]~ rice (cooked) UʕNoV
pink (color) NɀV[v right (adj) L]z
plane ticket RʅXQoW river Pu
police RʕVOKPn room NnVORQǴV
polite SvYQ run (v) XǻW
pomelo a]bQ
popular [P]P]ǴVayVO ;
pork bP͌Z] sad VnVO]
possible SɀVuVO safe (adj) ǴVY]nV
post office a~]R salad [PǴTǴKoQ
postcard UyVO`zVXQǴV salt anV
salty `QnV stomach ache _vQ\uVO

say (v) [P]˛ street RQɔ
school `]u`QoW study (learn) `]u`y
sea PǻQ sugar \nVO
seafood PǻQ`QǴV suggest RQoVaz
season (n) RzRQu summer `Qo\QǴV
see SoV sunny YyVO\QǴV
sell UoQ supermarket KPǴW[Pz
send Rz sweater UnWaʅ
shampoo `ʕNI[P]ʕ sweet (adj) \QnV
shirt KPvVaʅ swim (v) a~]a˳VO
shoes `Qu swimming pool a~]a˳VOKPy
shop (n) [PǴVOLQoV
shopping mall O]_bP˛VO`ʅV <
short (in length) L]ǻV T-shirt \ʅ`[PǴV
shorts L]ǻVS table bP]˛bQ
sick [PɔVOJzVO take pictures bPoW`QoVO
sit b] talk (v) [P]˛P]o
size Lo`QǻW tall OǴW
skirt YVbQ tea KPn
sleep (v) [P]z teacher TǻW[Pʅ
sleeping pills ǴVUQnVaoW telephone LQoVP]o
sleepy SV television LQoV[Pz
slow(ly) UoV temple UQoW
small `QǻW thank `Qv`QM
snack (n) LQǻV`ʅV think `QǻVO
snow (v) `Qo`]ɀ thirsty Sɀ
soap (n) `QǴVOboW this month bPvQOMa]v
soccer bYQ this week bPvOM`ʅVOYQ
sock (n) _obQ this year RʅVVQnV
soda (soft drink) Yz[P]ʕ ticket XQoW
sometimes a˳]LM[PyPW] tight (fit) RʕV
son uZbQ time (n) [PyRQǴV
sore throat P~]T~VO\uVO tip (n) `QǻWNvQ
soup \ǴVO tired TvQ
south VnV today RʅV\QǴV
souvenir RzVQoVXʕV toilet paper _vQ[PɔVObPʕ
soy sauce RQoVOa~] tomato `ʅP~VO[Pz
speak [P]˛ tomorrow UyVO\QǴV
special \vJQu tonight RʅV_ǻV
spend P]Ǵ toothache an\uVO
spicy To town KPuVO
spoon [PnWbQ traffic RQǴW\˛VO
sport (n) aVLVO train (n) P]˳KPɔ
spring (season) KP͌V\QǴV train station P]˳KPɔbPoV
stamp (n) a~]XQoW translator (interpreter) NǴVazZuVa]nV
travel agency T͞`yVO[Pv we (exclusive) _˳UMV

try on (clothes, shoes) [PzKP]ǴV we (inclusive) bnVUMV
turkeyP]˳Rʅ wear (clothes, shoes) KP]ǴV
wear (hats) LoQ
= weather \QǴVYQ
umbrella [ǻV week `ʅVOYʅ
uncomfortable J[P͌N] weekend bP˛]U
understand L˳VO welcome P]ǴVayVO
underwear VvQaʅS west `ʅ
urgentRʕVRy white JnQ[v
US dollars 5ɀQa]nV white wine JnQRQ͘
USA 5ɀQO]~ wife \oQ\IQ
use (v)aVO window seat SoWKP]ǴVO
useful a˳]aVO wine RQ͘
usually\˛VOKPnVO winter L˛VO\QǴV
withdraw money Y͘YQnV
> woman V͞ZuV
vegetable[P͌KoQ word bz;Ky
vegetarian dish[KoQ work (v)(n) O˛VOb];b]O˛VO
veryPɀV wrong K]
vinegar K
visit (v) KǴVO]ǴV A
year VQnV
? yellow P]nVO[v
wait (v) LɀVO yesterday b]~\QǴV
waiter N_a]nV yogurt []ǴVVǻQ
walk (v) b˳] younger brother LzLQ
want (v) `QǻVO#aoW younger sister UvQUMQ
warmV]ǻV yuan (Chinese currency) a]nV
wash (hair, hands, clothes)`ʕ
watch (v) SoV Z
water (n) [P]ʕ zebra JǴVUǶ
watermelon `ʅO]I zoo LVO_a]nV
Pinyin-English Glossary
) KPǴbQ fork (n)
ǴVRzVOquiet (place) KPɔ car
ǴVUQnVaoWsleeping pills KPuVO town
ǴVY]nVsafe (adj) KPuVO[vorange (color)
KPuVObPʅorange juice
* KPuVObQorange (fruit)
JoJI father KPvVaʅshirt
JnQRQ͘white wine KPʅeat
JnQ[vwhite KP]ǴVwear (clothes, shoes)
JǴVOhelp (v) KP]nVObed
JoVOYQbaseball KP]nVbPɔVfax (n)
JǴVO_ǻV evening KP͌NǴ[PyRQǴVdeparture time
JoWbPʕnewspaper KP]ʅNɔVORʅblow-dryer
JɀQnorth KP͌S˳]exit (n)
JɔQcup (n) KP͌V\QǴVspring (season)
JɔQJǴWbackpack KP͌b͌YzKPɔcab, taxi
JɔVOLoQbandage K~VOJnever
JvVOLʅdance club K˛VOUQVOclever
Jʕpen Kvinegar
JʕRQoW more (-er) K]wrong
JʅVOKPniced tea
JʅVO[P]ʕiced water D
JʅVORʅTyVice cream Lobig, large
JzVOZuV patient (n) LǻLQoVP]omake a phone call
JzaoWnecessary LoOoQapproximately
J˛T]~pineapple LoQwear (hats)
J~_O]ǻVmuseum LoVegg
J[P͌N] uncomfortable LoWLn[PyRQǴVarrival time
J\~VOdifferent LoWYQoVapologize
LǻWa~]guide (person)
C Lo[PʕO]ǻVembassy
KoQdish (of food) Lo`QǻWsize
KoQLǴVmenu Lo`]ucollege, university
KǴVO]ǴVvisit (v) LǴazVOpromise (v)
KǴVRʅVbPʕpaper napkin LǻbPudiscount
KǴV\ʅVOrestaurant LɀQhave to, must (aux. v)
KPn tea LɀVO wait (v)
KPoJ]L]˛about (adv) LQǻVorder (v) (for food)
KPnVOlong LQoVKPy battery
KPoVO3<>karaoke (lit., sing karaoke) LQoVP]o phone, telephone
KPnVOKPnVOoften LQoVP]oPoWUǻphone number
KPǻWnoisy LQoVVǻWcomputer
KPnW[Pʅhumid LQoV[Pztelevision
KPǴW[Pzsupermarket LQǻV`ʅVsnack (n)
PINYIN-ENGLISH GLOSSARY 175
LQoVaʕVOmovie O˛VOKPɔbus
LQoVaʕVOa]oVmovie theater O˛VO[ʅcompany
LQoVbʕa~]RQoVelectronic mail, email O˛VOaVOLQoVP]opublic phone
LzLoWauthentic O˛VOaapartment
LzLQyounger brother O˛VOa]nVpark
Lz\map O˛VOb]job, work (v) (n)
LzbPʕ address O˳]dog
L˳VOunderstand O]_bP˛VO`ʅVshopping mall
L˛VOeast O]ǴVUuVclosed (shops)
L˛VO\QǴVwinter O]ǴV`Qrelationship
LVO_animal O͘L˳VO antiques
LVO_a]nVzoo O]zexpensive
L]anKoQmung bean O]~Rzinternational
L]ǻVshort (in length) O]~RQǴnation, country
L]ǻVSshorts O]UʕV allergy
L]zcorrect, right (adj) O]˳bPʅ juice
L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴVhow long?
L]˛Lohow old? H
L]˛[PǻWYQnVhow much (money)? PǻQ sea
L]˛a]ǻVhow far? PnQUuQnot yet
PnQ[Pzor (A or B?)
E PǻQ\ǴVbeach
vhungry PǻQ`QǴVseafood
uZbQson PnVOS˛VOO˛VO[ʅairline
PǻWokay, good
. PǻWKPʅdelicious
NǴVOJQoVconvenient PǻW`QoW funny
NnVORQǴVroom Pɔ drink (v)
NǴVazZuVa]nVtranslator (interpreter) Puriver
NǴ[PǴWfever PuOɔV and
NǴaʅVpronounce PɔQ[vblack
NɔQRʅairplane; flight PɀVvery
NvQaVOfee PɀVL]˛a lot
NɔV minute (time) PɀV[PǻWrarely
NɀV[vpink (color) Pu[Pzfit (right size)
N~Buddha P~VORQ͘red wine
Npay (v) P~VOUnWLǴVrambutan
N_a]nVwaiter P˛VOXuQLQoVbakery
N`Qvdiarrhea P~VO[vred (color)
P]TnQafterward
G P~]T~VO\uVOsore throat
OǴVdry Plake
OǴVRzVOclean (adj) P]Ǵflower, spend
OǻVS]oQhurry up P]oto paint, painting (painted picture)
OǴWhigh, tall P]oQbad
OɔOMolder brother P]oVexchange (money)
176 PINYIN-ENGLISH GLOSSARY
P]nVreturn RʕVRy[PzYQVOemergency
P]nVO[vyellow RʅVVQnVthis year
P]ǴVayVOwelcome RʅV\QǴVtoday
P]Ǵ[PɔVOpeanut RʅV_ǻVtonight
P]obP]ǴVOmake-up RʕVbPǴVOnervous
P]yRQǴgo home RʅXQoWplane ticket
P]ʅ[vgray RʅZ]chicken (meat)
PRQǴWpepper RQold (used)
P]˳KPɔtrain (n) RQ͘alcohol, wine
P]˳KPɔbPoVtrain station RQ͘JǴbar, nightclub
P]~LVOactivity
P]˳Rʅturkey 3
P][Pzor (A or B...) SǴNɔQcoffee
PbPoWpassport SǴNɔQLQoVcafé
SǴQopen (v)
J SoVlook (v), see, watch (v)
Rzsend SoVO[PɔVO[antibiotic
RQǴhome SoWKP]ǴVOwindow seat
RQǻLMfake (adj) SoWRzVnear (adj)
RQǻVLǴVeasy Sɀthirsty
RQǴVOginger SɀVuVOpossible
RQoVOa~]soy sauce SvYQ polite
RQoV[PɔVNnVOgymnasium, gym S˛VO\QnWair conditioner
RQoVaz suggest S˳]aʅVaccent
RQoVbP architecture Scool
RQoW[P]professor S͘bitter
RQoW\nVOchurch S]oQquick
RQǴW\˛VO traffic S]oQTvhappy
RQoYQnVprice (n) S]oQbQchopsticks
RQǴZuVfamily SVsleepy
RQǴa~]bPoVgas station SbQpants
RʅKPǻVOairport
RQɔpick up (a friend) 4
RQɔstreet Tospicy
RQɀRQMolder sister ToRQǴW chili pepper, chili
RzP]oproject (n) TnVYQbasketball
RʅP]zopportunity TnV[v blue
RzRQuseason (n) TǻW[Pʅ teacher
RzVclose (adj) TvQ tired
RʕVtight (fit) TɀVO cold (adj)
RʕVOKPnpolice Typear
RʅVOKPnVOfrequently TQoV`ypractice
RʅVOTʕmanager TʕNoLQoVbarbershop
RzVOb]meditate Tz[Pʕhistory
RzVQoVXʕVsouvenir Tʕ_gift
RʕVRyurgent Tʕa~]reason (n)
T͞O]ǻVhotel VQVǻQmilk
T͠[vgreen (color) VQZ]beef
T͞`yVO[Pvtravel agency VQa~]butter
V]ǻVwarm
5 V͞_vQ[PɔVORQǴVladies’ room
UoQsell V͞¼uZdaughter
UǻQbuy V͞XuVOa˳] girlfriend
UǻQLǴVcheck (in a restaurant) V͞ZuV woman
UǴUImother
UoV slow(ly) 8
UnVObusy XǻWrun (v)
UnVOO]˳mango XuVOa˳]friend
UnWaʅsweater XQnVaQcheap
UoWbQhat XQoWticket
Uǻ[PoVOimmediately XQoWTQIVObeautiful, pretty
UɀQOMZuVeveryone XyRQ͘ beer
5ɀQO]~USA XyVOO]˳apple
UvQUMQ younger sister
UɀQZ~VOLQoVbeauty salon
UɀQ\QǴV every day
UuQa˳]az[Qboring 9
5ɀQa]nV US dollars YQnVmoney
UQoVJǴWbread YQnVJǴWpurse, wallet
UQoWtemple YQǴVJʕpen
UʕNoVrice (cooked) YQnVKoQappetizer
UyVOVQnVnext year YQǻWSvTzchocolate
UyVO\QǴV tomorrow YʕVO_vVexcuse me
UyVO`zVXQǴVpostcard YyVO\QǴVsunny
UyVObQ name (n) Yz[P]ʕsoda (soft drink)
U~\]˛KPɔmotorbike Yʕ[ʅcheese
UO]Ǵpapaya YQ͌\QǴVautumn
Ygo
N Y͘pick up (a car, an item)
VoQ`ʅVpatient (adj) Y͘YQnV withdraw money
VnVdifficult YVQnVlast year
VnVsouth YVbQskirt
VnV_vQ[PɔVORQǴVmen’s room Y͌_uVRzmosquito repellent
VnVO]sad
VnVPnQboy R
VnVXuVOa˳]boyfriend Zvhot
VnVZuV man ZvKPn hot tea
VoZover there Zv[P]ʕhot water
VvQaʅS underwear ZuV person, people
VuVO#Suaʕ can (aux v) Z]meat
VʕPǻW hello ZO]˳;aoW[PQif
VQnVyear ZS˳]entrance
VQnVRzage
S \QnVsweet
[ǻVumbrella \QǴVday, sky
[PǴRQobargain \QǴVYQweather
[PǴTǴKoQsalad \QnV[Pydessert
[PǴVmountain \yS]ǻVRʅATM
[PǴVOLQoVshop (n) \yS]ǻVSǻdebit card
[PoVOOM`ʅVOYQ last week \ʅVOhear, listen
[PoVOOMa]v last month \yVOKPɔKPǻVO parking lot
[PnWbQ spoon \ʅ`[PǴVT-shirt
[PɔVOJzVOsick \˛VOKPnVOusually
;PvVOLoVRQuChristmas \~VO`]uclassmate
[PvVORʅVO Bible \~VOazagree
[PɔVOYz angry \~]\uVOheadache
[PɔVOZzbirthday \~]a͌Vdizziness
[Pz be \͘L]potato
[PyKPǻVOoften \]zYQnVrefund (v)
[PzKPǻVO market \[P͌O]ǻVlibrary
[PzKP]ǴV try on (clothes, shoes)
[PyRQǴV time (n) W
[Py_food _oQO]~ZuVforeigner
[P]P]ǴVayVOpopular _oQ\oWjacket
[P˳]Rʅcell phone _ǻVbowl
[P˛]Rreceipt _ǻVlate
[P͌book _ǻVNoVdinner
[P]oQhandsome _oVOforget
[P͌KoQvegetable _ǻVOJǴ Internet Café
[P͌N]comfortable _ǻVOT]Internet
[P]zsleep (v) _ǻV[PoVOnight
[P]ʕwater (n) _obQsock (n)
[P]ʕO]˳fruit _uQhello (answering the telephone)
[PTQoVOquantity _vQ[PɔVORQǴVbathroom, toilet
[P]˛say (v), speak _vQ[PɔVObPʕtoilet paper
[P]˛P]otalk (v) _vQ\uVO stomachache
[]oVgarlic _ɔQ`QǻVdangerous
[]ǴVsour _vVask
[]ǴVVǻQyogurt _uVP]oculture
[KoQvegetarian dish _vV\yquestion, problem
[]ʅZnValthough _uVbQmosquito
_˳UMVwe (exclusive)
< _[Pzbedroom
\oQ\IQwife
\nVOsugar X
\ǴVOsoup `ʕwash (hair, hands, clothes)
\nWpeach `ʅwest
\vJQu special `QoOM`ʅVOYʅ next week
\uVO\VO pain (n) `QoOMa]v next month
`QnVsalty A
`QǴVOfragrant anV salt
`QǻVOthink aǴVcigarette
`QǻVO#aoW want (v) aǻVOitchy
`QǴVOJʅVchampagne anVOZ]lamb (meat)
`QǴVOO͌mushroom aǻVRʅVOeye
`QǴVORQǴWbanana anV[v color
`QǴVO[P]ʕperfume aoWmedicine
`QǴVOboWsoap (n) aoWLQoVpharmacy
`QoVRʅVcash aǴWYʕVOinvite
`QǴV[PMVOhusband aoW[PQkey
`QoVboQnow an\uVOtoothache
`QǻWsmall aɀalso
`QǻWNvQtip (n) aɀ`͘maybe
`QǻW[Pyhour aʅLQǻVZa little
`QǻW`ʅVcareful aʅN]clothes (n)
`Qo\QǴVsummer azRQoVopinion
`Qo`]ɀ snowing aʕRʅVOalready
`Qoa͘raining aʅVO¼uZbaby
`Qushoes ayVPnVObank
`Qv`QMthank aʕVTQoWbeverage
`ʕNI[P]ʕshampoo aʅV_vQbecause
`ʅO]Iwatermelon aʅVa]v music
`yO]oVhabit aʕYQnVago, before
`ʅP~VO[Pztomato aʅ[PMVOdoctor
`ʕP]IV like (v) az[Part
`zV mail aʅ[P]ǴVOS]oQbQpair of chopsticks
`ʅVnew aʅ[P]ǴVO`Qupair of shoes
`yVOTʕbaggage, luggage aʅa]oVhospital
`ʅVOYʅweek aVOuse (v)
@ʅV\nQJzNew Taiwan Dollars a~]gas
(Taiwan currency) a˳]have
`ʅV_uVnews a˳]az[ʅinteresting
`ʅV`QǴVfresh a˳]LM[PyPW]sometimes
`zVaVOSǻcredit card a~]Rpost office
`ʅVboVOJzVOheart attack a˳]UyVOfamous
`Q~VOUǴWpanda a~]XQoWpostal stamp
`ʕ[P˳]RQǴVrestroom a˳][PoVhospitable
`ʅ_oVOhope a][P˳]JQǴV on the right-hand side
`]u learn a~]a˳VOswim (v)
`]u`y study (learn) a˳]aVOuseful
`]u`QoWschool a~]a˳VOKPyswimming pool
`V_vVbP˛VO`ʅVinformation center a]bQpomelo
`͌aoWneed (v) afish (n)
a]nVdollar, yuan (Chinese currency)
a]ǻVfar
a]vmonth bP˛VONoVlunch
aVLVOsport (n) bPVO[P͘heat stroke
a͘anVlanguage bPVOaoW important
bP˛]Uweekend
Z bPlive (v), reside
boQbe at, be located at bP͘VJvQprepare
boQ[P]˛aʅJQoVrepeat (say again) bP]˛bQtable
boQ#a]again bP͌Z]pork
boQRQoVgoodbye bzKyword
bǴVOdirty bzLQǻVdictionary
bnVUMVwe (inclusive) bʕ[vpurple
bǻWNoVbreakfast b˛VORQoWreligion
bǻW[PoVOmorning b˛VO[v brown (color)
bPǻWlook for b˳VO[Pzalways
bPoWXQǴVphoto, picture b˳] walk (v)
bPoW`QoVOtake pictures b͌rent (v)
bPvOM`ʅVOYQthis week b]zmost (-est)
bPvQOMa]vthis month b]sit
bPɔVRQ͘acupuncture b]¼˳]nausea
bPvZ here b]˳JQǴVleft (n)
bPʕonly b]˳[P˳]JQǴVon the left-hand side
bPʅLoWknow, recognize b]~\QǴVyesterday
bPzTQoVOquality bYQ soccer
bPʕ\uVOaoWpainkiller
bPVO heavy
Answer Key
LESSON 3 Exercise 3
Exercise 1 1. A: 6ʇPǶWVʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ'
1. VʇPǶW B: ?˝RQoW?nVO5ʇVVʇVM'
2. VǶZ A: ?˝RQoW4ʕAnVO
3. VM 2. A: 6ʇPǶWVʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV'
4. boQRQoV B: ?˝[Pz,uO]~ZuVVʇVM'
A: ?˝[Pz:zJȺVZuV6ʇ`]u
Exercise 2 [PuVUM'
1. A: ÐPVʇPǶW B: ?˝`]uBP˛VO_uV
B: 6ʇPǶWVʇYVǶZ' A: ?˝aȺ`]uBP˛VO_uV
A: ?˝Y[P͌LQoVVʇVM'
B: ?˝Y[Py\nVO Exercise 4
You: 6ʇPǶWVʇRQoW
2. A: ÐPVʇYVǶZ' [PuVUMUyVObQ'
B: ?˝YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`QVʇVM' Your classmate: ?˝RQoW(name),Vʇ
A: ?˝YKPʅNoV VM'
B: -VboQRQoV You: ?˝RQoW (name). 6ʇ
A: BoQRQoV [PzVȺQO]~ZuV'
Your classmate: ?˝[Pz(country name)
Exercise 3 ZuV
You: ÐP4ʇǳVVʇPǶW. You: 6ʇ`]u[PuVUM'
An: 6ʇPǶW Your classmate: ?˝`]u (major), Vʇ
You:6ʇYVǶZ' VM'
An: ?˝Y[Py\nVOVʇVM' You: ?˝`]u(major).
You: ?˝YUǶQazLQǶVZL˛VO`Q
An: -VboQRQoV LESSON 5
You:BoQRQoV Exercise 1
1. VyVPǶW
LESSON 4 2. LM
Exercise 1 3. YʇVO;OM
1. RQoW 4. *QuSvYQ
2. [Pz
3. aȺ Exercise 2
4. UI 1. A: 4ǶW[PʅVyVPǶW_˝RQoW4ʇ
4z_˝[Pz_Tʇ`zLMRQǴWP]oV
Exercise 2 `]u[PMVO
1. ?˝RQoW(your name) B: 6ʇPǶW
2. ?˝[Pz(your country name) ZuV
3. ?˝`]u (your major) 2. A: 4ǶW[Pʅ_˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyV
ayOM_vV\y
B: 0ǶWYʇVOb]
182 ANSWER KEY
3. A: 4ǶW[Pʅ`Qv`QM Exercise 4
B: *QuSvYQboQRQoV A: ÐPUyVO\QǴVazYʇYUǶQazLQǶVZ
A: BoQRQoV L˛VO`QbɀVUMaoVO'
B: 5yVO\QǴVRʇLQǶV'5yVO\QǴV
Exercise 3 [PoVO_͎_˝a˝]azLQǶVZ[PzZ
You: 4ǶW[PʅVyVPǶW_˝[Pz A: 6o_˳UMV`Qo_͎Y
RʅVORz`]u`zLMRQǴWP]oV B: 0ǶW
`]u[PMVO_˝RQoW°
Teacher: 6ʇPǶW LESSON 7
You: ?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM Exercise 1
_vV\y 1. ay`Qo
Teacher: 0ǶW 2. SuaQ
You: (ask the question)... 3. boQ
4. aɀ
LESSON 6
Exercise 1 Exercise 2
1. bɀVUMaoVO 1. ?˝`]u`QoWLMa~]a˳VOO]ǻVboQ°
2. <ʇVO 2. ?˝`]u`QoWLMaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV
3. azYʇ 3. ?˝`ʅVOYʅnumber)aVLVO
4. Rʇ 4. ?˝boQ[[PvSuaQ[PoVO_ǻVO
1. ?˝° 1. A: 9 ʕVO_vVaVLVObP˛VO`ʅV
2. @QoVboQ(number)LQǶV boQVǻZ'
3. ?˝° B: BoQ\[P͌O]ǶVLMXnVOJQǴV6ʕ
bPʅLoW\[P͌O]ǶVboQVǻZUI'
Exercise 3 A: BPʅLoW`Qv`QM
1. A: ÐPVʇbɀVUMaoVO' B: *QuSvYQ
B: 0nQ`yVOVʇVM'
A: <ʇVOUnVOLM 2. A: 2ʅV\QǴV`ʅVOYʅRʇ'
B: 2ʅV\QǴV`ʅVOYʅ¼vZ
2. A: ÐPUyVO\QǴVazYʇLǶXnQYQ A: A~]a˳VOO]ǻVRʅV\QǴVSǴQUI'
bɀVUMaoVO' B: ?˳aɀJbPʅLoW6ʕSuaQ
B: 0ǶWUyVO\QǴVRʇLQǶV' [PoVO_ǻVOSoVay`Qo
A: @Qo_͎[ǴVLQǶV A: 0ǻW
B: 0ǶWUyVO\QǴVRQoV
A: 5yVO\QǴVRQoV 3. A: 6ʇRʅV\QǴVY[PoVOJǴVUI'
B: 2ʅV\QǴV[Pz`ʅVOYʅTQ[]~aQJ
3. A: 6ʇRʇLQǶVYKPʅNoV' [PoVOJǴV
B: ;Py¼vZLQǶV A: 6o_˳UMVazYʇYaVLVO
A: 0ǶW_˳UMVazYʇY bɀVUMaoVO'
B: 0ǶW B: 0ǶW
ANSWER KEY 183
1. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅaʅ[PoVO_͎ You: 6ʕ`ʕP]IVKPʅ[PuVUM
YʅLQǶVSǴQ KoQ'
2. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅTQ[PoVO_͎ Your Friend: ?˳`ʕP]IVKPʅToLMKoQ
JǴLQǶVSǴQ You: 6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZ
3. <[P͌O]ǶV`ʅVOYʅ\QǴV`Qo_͎J KPʅNoV'
SǴQ Your Friend: A˳]LM[PyPW]boQ
`]u`QoWLM[Py\nVOa˳]LM
LESSON 8 [PyPW]Y_oQUQoVLM
Exercise 1 KǴVO]ǻV
1. \oQ You: 6ʕR]uLM`]u`QoW
2. Sɀ[PQ [Py\nVOLMKoQ
3. aɀ bɀVUMaoVO'
4. R]uLM Your Friend: 0ɀVXQnVaQaɀPɀV
PǻWKPʅSɀ[PQa˳]LM
Exercise 2 [PyPW]\oQa~]TM
1. ?˝`ʕP]IVKPʅ (country name) KoQ.
2. ?˝XyVOKPnVOboQ (place name) LESSON 9
KPʅNoV Exercise 1
3. ?˝KPnVOKPnVOY_oQUQoVLM 1. Lo`QǻW
KǴVO]ǻVKPʅNoV 2. Pu[Pz
4. ?˝`]u`QoW[Py\nVOLMKoQ° 3. SuaQ
4. PnQ[Pz
Exercise 3
1. A: 6ʕ`ʕP]IVKPʅBP˛VOO]~KoQ Exercise 2
UI' 1. ?˝XyVOKPnVO`ʕP]IVY (place
B: ?˳`ʕP]IV_˳aɀ`ʕP]IVKPʅ name) UǻQaʅN]
<oQO]~KoQ6ʇKPʅToLMKoQUI' 2. ?˝KP]ǴV(size) PoWLMaʅN]
A: ?˳J\oQ`ʕP]IV 3. ?˝`ʕP]IVN`QoV[P]ǴSǻ
2. A: 6ʕXyVOKPnVOboQVǻZKPʅNoV' Exercise 3
B: ?˳XyVOKPnVOboQ[Py\nVO 1. A: 9ʕVO_vVbPvQRQoVSbQa˳]
KPʅNoV UuQaW]`QǻWPoWLM'
A: 6ʕR]uLM[Py\nVOLMKoQ B: A˳]VʕaoWJaoW[PzKP]ǴV
bɀVUMaoVO' aʅ`Qo'
B: 0ɀVXQnVaQaɀPɀVPǻWKPʅ A: 0ǻW
3. A: 6ʇ`ʕP]IVKPʅ[PuVUMKoQ' 2. A: 6ɀQOMJʕRQoWPu[Pz',oPoWLM
B: A˳]LM[PyPW]_˳`ʕP]IVKPʅ PnQ[PzbP˛VOPoWLM'
ToLMKoQa˳]LM[PyPW]`ʕP]IV B: ,oPoWLMJʕRQoWPu[Pz_˳UǻQ
KPʅ[]ǴVLMKoQ6ʇVM' LoPoWLM
A: ?˳`ʕP]IVKPʅPǶWKPʅLMKoQ A: 0ǻW
184 ANSWER KEY
3. A: ,o`QǻWbɀVUMaoVO' 3. A: ?˳a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQTM
B: 0ɀVPu[Pz?˳SuaQ[P]ǴSǻUI' B: 6ʇLMBP˛VO_uVUyVObQ[Pz
A: ,ǴVOZnVSuaQ [PuVUM'
A: ?˳LMBP˛VO_uVUyVObQ[Pz
Exercise 4 ,vVO:~VO
You: 9ʕVO_vV_˳SuaQ
JSuaQ[PzKP]ǴVbPvQRQoV Exercise 4
SbQ' Registration Form
Salesperson: ,ǴVOZnVSuaQ 中文姓名 (Chinese name)：ZhƗng
You: A˳]UuQaW]LoPoWLM' Píng
Salesperson: A˳] 国别 (nationality)：BP˛VOO]~
You: ?˳SuaQ[P]ǴSǻUI' 职业别 (occupation)：4ǶW[Pʅ
Salesperson: 3uaQ 手机号码 (cell phone number):
139-2524-1417
LESSON 11
Exercise 1 LESSON 12
1. OɀQ Exercise 1
2. _vQ 1. Pu
3. _uQ 2. `Qɔ
4. `zVO 3. b]z
4. bɀVUM
Exercise 2
1. ?˝KPnVOKPnVOOɀQ°LǻLQoVP]o Exercise 2
2. ?˝LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz° 1. ?˝LMO]~RQǴb]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz
3. ?˝[[PvLMLQoVP]oPoWUǻ[Pz° [Pz
2. ?˝LM[PɔVOZz[Pz(number) a]v
Exercise 3 (number) PoW
1. A: ?uQYʕVO_vV4yV@QǴV[PMVO 3. @ʅVVQnV_˝UMV…
boQUI'
B: <Ǵ`QoVboQJboQ9ʕVO_vVVyV Exercise 3
[PzVɀQ_vQ' 1. A: B P˛VOO]~6~VOTz@ʅVVQnV[Pz
A: ?˳`zVO4ʕ[PzAʅVO_uV`zLM [PuVUM[PyPW]'
RQoW[P] B: 6~VOTzaʅa]vaʅPoW
A: BP˛VOO]~ZuVbɀVUMYzVObP'
2. A: ?
˳P]zYʕVO4yV@QǴV[PMVOOɀQ B: <ǴUMVPuRQǴZuVazYʇKPʅNoV
VyVP]yLQoV6yVLMLQoVP]o
PoWUǻ[Pz°' 2. A: B P˛VOO]~ZuV[PuVUM[PyPW]
B: ?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz KPʅa]vJʕVO'
B: ?˳UMVBP˛VOYQ͌RQuKPʅ
A: 0ǻW_˳bPʅLoWTM a]vJʕVO6ʕ`ʕP]IVa]vJʕVO
UI'
A: ?˳a]vTnQa]v`ʕP]IV
ANSWER KEY 185
3. A: B
P˛VOO]~b]zbPVOaoWLMRQuZz 3. A: 6ʕRʅV\QǴVKPʅTMaoWUI'
[Pz[PuVUM' B: +PʅTM
B: ?˳R]uLM[Pz6~VOTz@ʅVVQnV A: 6oL]˛`Q͌`QJI
5ȺQO]~VM' B: 0ǻW`Qv`QM
A: ?˳R]uLM[Pz;PvVOLoVRQu
Exercise 3
Exercise 4 You: Friend’s namebɀVUMTM'
2ʇa]v2ʇPoW ;PuVUM2QuZz 6ʇSoVYʇTIQa˳]azLQǻVZ
6~VOTzaʅa]vaʅPoW 6~VOTz J[P͌N]
@ʅVVQnV Your friend: ?˳OǻVUoWTM
;za]v_͘PoW ʅVOUyVORQu
9 You: 9SoVTMaʅ[PMVOUI'
(Tomb- Your friend: ;PoVO_͎YSoVTM
sweeping You: Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛[PuVUM'
Festival) Your friend: Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛_˳
?͘a]vaʅPoW 4nWLVORQu OǻVUoWTMOɀQ_˳SǴQTM
(Labor Day) az`QɔaoWaoW_˳L]˛
6~VOTz_͘a]v_͘PoW ,]ǴV_͘RQu `Q͌`Q
6~VOTzJǴa]v[Py_͘PoW BP˛VOYQ͌RQu You: 6oVʕL]˛`Q͌`QJIaɀ
;Pya]vaʅPoW /]~YzVORQu L]˛Pɔ[P]ʕ
(National Your friend: 0ǻW`Qv`QM
Day)
LESSON 14
LESSON 13 Exercise 1
Exercise 1 1. 4nQ
1. OǻVUoW 2. a˳]
2. SǴQ 3. aoW
3. L]˛;[PǶW 4. Kz
4. JI
Exercise 2
Exercise 2 1. A: 6ʕTnQTM9ʕVORzV
1. A: ÐPbɀVUMTM'6ʇSoVYʇTIQ B: @Qv`QM
a˳]azLQǻVZJ[P͌N]
B: ?˳OǻVUoWTM 2. A: AoW\]˛`QuUI'
A: 9SoVTMaʅ[PMVOUI' B: -VbPvZa˳]\]˛`Qu
B: B]~\QǴVPuXuVOa˳]YSoVTM A: @Qv`QM
2. A: Aʅ[PMVO[P]˛[PuVUM' 3. A: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZ`QǻWaz[Q
B: <Ǵ[P]˛_˳aoWL]˛`Q͌`QL]˛ B: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM`QoKzJQuLoQ
Pɔ[P]ʕ L˛VO`Q
A: Aʅ[PMVOSǴQTMaoWUI' A: 6nTQaʅVOOǴQLM
B: <ǴOɀQ_˳SǴQTMaz`QɔaoW
186 ANSWER KEY
Exercise 3 2. A: 6ʕuZbQV͞¼uZRʅVVQnVRʇ[]zTM'
1. You: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZ[P]ʇO]˝ B: jZbQJǴ[]zV͞¼uZJʕuZbQ`QǻW
Host: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM RʅVVQnVTQ[]z
You: 6ǻTQaʅVOOǴQLM
3. A: 6ʕaoWPɔRQ͘UI'
2. You: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZKPnav B: *aVO`Qv`QM_˳LɀQSǴQKPɔ
Host: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM
You: 6ǻTQaʅVOOǴQLM Exercise 4
?˳RQǴa˳]YʅOMZuV
3. You: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZJʕVO ?˳RQǴa˳]JoJIUǴUIOɔOMRQȺRQM
Host: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM LzLQUvQUMQPu_˝
You: 6ǻTQaʅVOOǴQLM ?˳RQǴboQ6nVRʅVO
?˳JoJIRQoW4ʕ<QǴV\Ǵ_͘[Py[]zTM
4. You: BPv[PzaʅLQǻVZLoVOǴW ?˳UǴUIRQoW4yV4z\Ǵ[z[PyJǴ[]zTM
Host: 6ʕ\oQSvYQTM ?˳OɔOMRQoW4ʕ*~\ǴvZ[PyYʅ[]zTM
You: 6ǻTQaʅVOOǴQLM ?˳RQȺRQMRQoW4ʕAnW\ǴvZ[Py_͘[]zTM
?˳LzLQRQoW4ʕ0]\ǴvZ[Py[]zTM
LESSON 15 ?˳UvQUMQRQoW4ʕ5QoW\Ǵ
Exercise 1 [PyJǴ[]zTM
1. RQ
2. a˳] ;PuQ(who) 5yVObQ 6QnVRz (age)
3. Jʕ JoJI 4ʕ<QǴV 50
4. TQǻVO UǴUI 4yV4z 48
OɔOM 4ʕ*~ 27
Exercise 2 RQȺRQM 4ʕAnW 25
1. ?˝RQǴboQ (place). LzLQ 4ʕ0] 20
2. ?˝RQǴa˳] (number)OMZuV. UvQUMQ 4ʕ5QoW 18
3. ?˝a˳]aʅOMOɔOMPuaʅOMUvQUMQ
4. ?˝OɔOM(number) []z?˝UvQUMQ LESSON 16
(number) []z Exercise 1
5. ?˝JoJI(number) []z?˝UǴUI 1. aoW
(number) []z 2. Ty
6. ?˝a˳]ayOMPnQbQ<Ǵ[z[]zTM 3. LM
4. b]
Exercise 3
1. A: 6ʕRQǴboQVǻZ' Exercise 2
B: ?˳RQǴboQ*ɀQRʅVO 1. ?˝[PzboQ (place name) KP͌[PɔVO
A: 6ʕRQǴa˳]RʇOMZuV' bPǻVOLoLM
B: ?˳RQǴa˳][zOMZuV¸JoJI 2. ?˝RQǴboQ (place name).
UǴUIRQȺRQMPu_˝ 3. BPuZLMYzP]PȺVPǻWKP͌V\QǴV°
`Qo\QǴV°YQ͌\QǴV°L˛VO\QǴV°
4. BPuZKPnVOKPnVOJKPnVOJ
`Qo`]ɀ
ANSWER KEY 187
Exercise 3 LESSON 17
1. A: 6ʕRQǴboQBP˛VOO]~[PuVUM Exercise 1
LzNIVO' 1. P]z
B: ?˳RQǴboQ<QǴVRʅV 2. \ʅVO[P]˛
A: <QǴVRʅVTy*ɀQRʅVOa]ǻVJa]ǻV' 3. LoW
B: *\oQa]ǻVb]P]˝KPɔ 4. LɀQ
KPoJ]L]˛ayOM`QǻW[Py
Exercise 2
2. A: 6Q͘a]ɔLMYzP]bɀVUMaoVO' 1. ?˝P]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uVPu
B: ,˛VO\QǴVa]KPnVOa]TɀVO AʅVO_uV
`Qo\QǴVJ\oQZv 2. ?˝YO]W@QǴVOOǻVOUuQYO]W
A: 9Q͌\QǴVVM' <nQ_ǴV
B: ?˳b]z`ʕP]IVYQ͌\QǴVPɀV 3. ?˝`ʕP]IVY (place) O]_
XQoWTQIVO 4. +~VO_˝RQǴLoW*ɀQRʅVOb]NɔQRʅ
aoWKPoJ]L]˛[ǴVOM`QǻW[Py
3. A: *ɀQRʅVO`Qo`]ɀUI'
B: ,]zL˛VO\QǴVKPnVOKPnVO Exercise 3
`Qo`]ɀ*˛[PzLVVM' 1. A: 9ʕVO_vVVʕP]z[P]˛AʅVO_uV
A: AɀKPnVOKPnVO`Qo`]ɀSɀ[PQ UI'
_˳R]uLM*˛[PzLVJʕ*ɀQRʅVO B: ?˝P]z[P]˛azLQǶVZAʅVO_uV
TɀVO 6ʕP]z[P]˛BP˛VO_uVUI'
A: ?˳JP]z
Exercise 4
You: ÐPVʇPǶW 2. A: 6ʕYO]W6Q͘a]ɔUI'
Passenger: 6ʇPǶW B: ?˳RʅVVQnVTQa]vYO]WPɀV
You: 6ʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ' a˳]az[Q
Passenger: ?˝RQoW@͎AnV A: 6ʕYO]W*˛[PzLVUI'
You: 6ʇ[PzboQVǶZKP͌[PɔVO B: ?˳UuQYO]W*˛[PzLV
bPǻVOLoLM'
Passenger: ?˳[PzboQ;PoVOPǶQ 3. A: ?˳\ʅVO[P]˛2QRʅV[PǴVPɀV
KP͌[PɔVObPǻVOLoLM a]ǻV
You: ;PoVOPǶQLMYzP]`QoVboQ B: +~VO*ɀQRʅVOLoW2QRʅV[PǴV
bɀVUMaoVO' b]NɔQRʅaoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
Passenger: @QoVboQ[Pz`Qo\QǴVPɀVZv A: +PoJ]L]˛[Py¼vZOM`QǻW[Py
You: ;PoVOPǶQTy*ɀQRʅVO
a]ǻVJa]ǻV' Exercise 4
Passenger: ;PoVOPǶQTy*ɀQRʅVOPȺVRzV +~VOLoWb]°aoWL]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV'
You: B]NɔQRʅaoW[ǴVOM`QǻW[Py *ɀQRʅVOLoW;PoVOPǻQb]NɔQRʅaoW
UI' KPoJ]L]˛TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py
Passenger: +PoJ]L]˛TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py *ɀQRʅVOLoW<QǴVRʅVSǴQKPɔaoWKPoJ]L]˛
TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py
@QǴVOOǻVOLoW<nQJɀQb]NɔQRʅaoW
KPoJ]L]˛TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py
188 ANSWER KEY
@QǴVOOǻVOLoW;PɔVbPvVSǴQKPɔaoW 3. A: 6yVLM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz°
KPoJ]L]˛aʅOM`QǻW[Py B: ?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz
@QǴVOOǻVOLoW/]ǶVObP˛]b]P]˝KPɔ
aoWKPoJ]L]˛TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py A: 0ǻWUyVO\QǴVP]zbP͘V[PyY
;PoVOPǻQLoW6nVRʅVOb]P]˝KPɔaoW RQɔVyV
KPoJ]L]˛TQǻVOOM`QǻW[Py B: @Qv`QM
A: @Qv`QMVyV
LESSON 18
Exercise 1 4. A: ,]zJ]Yʕ
1. ?uQ B: 5uQO]ǴV`Q
2. O]z`zVO
3. boQ Exercise 4
4. YQnV Receptionist: ?uQ+P͌b͌YzKPɔ
/˛VO[ʅVyVPǻW
Exercise 2 You: 6ʕPǻW?˳aoWayTQoVO
1. ?˝`zVO (last name). KPɔYRʅKPǻVO
2. +~VO_˝RQǴLoWRʅKPǻVOaoW Receptionist: 5uQ_vV\y6yVO]z`zVO'
[ǴV[PyNɔV You: ?˳`zVO4QoW
3. +~VO_˝RQǴLoWRʅKPǻVOb] Receptionist: 4QoW@QǴV[PMVO[PuVUM
KP͌b͌YzKPɔaoWazJǶQa]nV [PyPW]RQɔVyV'
You: 2ʅV\QǴV`Qo_͘TQǻVOLQǻV
Exercise 3 Receptionist: BoQ[PuVUMLzNIVORQɔVyV'
1. A: ?uQ*ɀQRʅVO+P͌b͌YzKPɔ You: .LoV,o`]u
/˛VO[ʅVyVPǻW. TQ`]u[PɔVOT~]9ʕVO
B: 6ʕPǻW?˳UyVO\QǴVaoW _vVLoWRʅKPǻVOaoW
ayTQoVOKPɔYRʅKPǻVO L]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV
A: 5uQ_vV\y6yVO]z`zVO' L]˛[PǻWYQnV'
B: ?˳`zVO? Receptionist: +PoJ]L]˛aoW[z[PyNɔV
azJǶQS]oQb]˳a]
2. A: ?@QǴV[PMVOUyVO\QǴVRʕLQǻV 6yVLMLQoVP]o[Pz°
RQɔVyV' You: ?˳LM[P˳]RʅPoWUǻ[Pz
B: @Qo_͘[ǴVLQǻV 138-2211-0504.
A: BoQ[PuVUMLzNIVORQɔVyV' Receptionist: 0ǻWRʅV\QǴV`Qo_͘P]z
B: *ɀQRʅVO,o`]uTQ`]u[PɔVOT~] bP͘V[PyYRQɔVyV
You: @Qv`QM
Receptionist: @Qv`QMVyVboQRQoV
You: BoQRQoV
LESSON 19 3. A: AoWJaoW[VOVʕYRʅKPǻVO'
Exercise 1 B: *aVO`Qv`QM?˳aʕRʅVOaoWTM
1. YʕVO ayTQoVOKP͌b͌YzKPɔ
2. RzLM A: 6ʕUyVO\QǴV[PuVUM[PyPW]
3. RQ b˳]'
4. [VO B: ;PoVO_͎[PyLQǻV
1. ? ˝KPnVOKPnVOJKPnVOPɀV[PǶW (1) /ǴWBPz¼ǴV;4ʕAnVO
YʕVOXuVOa˳]KPʅNoV (2) <ǴboQ*˛[PzLV
2. ?˝KPnVOKPnVOJKPnVOPɀV[PǶW (3) <ǴLMBP˛VO_uVa]vTnQa]vPǻWTM
`QɀLQoVbʕa~]RQoV (4) <Ǵ`]uTMPɀVL]˛
3. ?˝R]uLM_˝LMBP˛VO_uV (5) 0ǻWJǻWKPyTQnVT]
a]vTnQa]vPǻWTM
4. ?˝R]uLM[PyRQǴVbPɔVS]oQ LESSON 20
Exercise 3 (1) 您
1. A: @
Qv`QMVʕUMVRʅV\QǴV_ǻV[PIVO (2) 你
YʕVO_˳KPʅNoV (3) 去
B: *QuSvYQ;PɔVOZzS]oQTv (4) 请
A: @Qv`QM (5) 那
(6) 吗
2. A: ; PyRQǴVbPɔVS]oQVʕUyVO\QǴV (7) 说
RQaoWP]y5ɀQO]~TM (8) 中
B: -V_˳RzLMYVQnVTQa]vOǴVO (9) 不
TnQUyVO\QǴVRQaoWb˳]TM (10) 京
A: ?˳UMV`QɀLQoVbʕa~]RQoV
JǻWKPyTQnVT]
B: -VJǻWKPyTQnVT]
ONLINE AUDIO TRACK LIST
CHAPTER 1: A Basic Introduction

CHAPTER 2: The Basics
CHAPTER 3: Greetings
Ch 3: Greeting New Friends
CHAPTER 4: Introducing Yourself (I)
Ch 4: Self-Introductions
CHAPTER 5: Introducing Yourself (II)
Ch 5: Asking Questions
CHAPTER 6: Small Talk
Ch 6: Making Plans to Meet Up
CHAPTER 7: Getting Around
Ch 7: Finding Places
CHAPTER 8: Eating and Drinking
Ch 8: LunL Conversation
CHAPTER 9: Going Shopping
Ch 9: Buying Clothes
CHAPTER 10: Introduction to the Linese Writing System
CHAPTER 11: Making a Phone Call
Ch 11: Calling Manager Lin
CHAPTER 12: Holiday Celebrations
Ch 12: Important Linese Holidays
CHAPTER 13: Feeling Unwell
Ch 13: Expressing Concern
CHAPTER 14: Being Invited to the Manager’s Home For Dinner (I)
Ch 14: Arriving at the Manager’s Home
CHAPTER 15: Being Invited to the Manager’s Home For Dinner (II)
Ch 15: Asking About Family p. 119
CHAPTER 16: Geography and Weather
Ch 16: Other Countries’ Weather
CHAPTER 17: Traveling
Ch 17: Plans for Spring Break
CHAPTER 18: Arranging a Ride to the Airport
Ch 18: Calling a Taxi Company
CHAPTER 19: Farewell
Ch 19: Having a Farewell Dinner
CHAPTER 20: Introduction to The Chinese Writing System (II)
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Chinese syllables and words

Some examples of words with two syllables are:

LQoV “electricity” + NvQ “fee” = LQoVNvQ “electricity bill”

The 0oVa͘8 VaʅV Romanization System

[Pʅ: “master” 师, “wet” 湿, “lion” 狮, “poem” 诗

都：(1) L͌ as in [P˳]L͌ “capital city”, (2) L˛] “all”

It is nearly impossible to write Chinese using a purely phonetic system of writ-

Please listen to the accompanying audio recordings to familiarize yourself with

UǴ “mother” high, even tone

The First Tone

The Second Tone

The Third Tone

The Fourth Tone

A Few Things to Remember about Tones

5. When a syllable ends with a vowel and is joined in a compound to another

The Neutral Tone

L˛VO`Q thing SvYQ polite [PuVUM what

 Wrong pronunciation. It should be [z.

Titles as Terms of Address

Common Question Expressions

,]˛KPnVO[PyRQǴV How long (time)

Common Stative Verbs

Common Place Names

Basic Sentence Structures

Subject Verb Object

The second structure is the “Topic + Comment,” prominent in conversations

Yang: Hi, Gao Zhi’an (Eric’s Chinese name).

CULTURAL NOTE Chinese Names

CULTURAL NOTE Common Greetings

GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Qù = “To Go”

Y[P͌LQoV go (to a) bookstore

2. Y + a verb phrase indicates purpose (going to [do something]). For instance

YUǶQSǴNɔQ go buy coffee

Helpful Tip: Changing Tones: Tone 3 + Tone 3 = Tone 2 + Tone 3

PȺVPǶW (very good) becomes PuVPǶW

Helpful Tip: The Interjection Èh = “Hey” or “Hi”

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Nr = “Where?”

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVYVǶZ' Where is Gao Zhi’an going?

CULTURAL NOTE The Optional “r” Sound

GRAMMAR NOTE The Particle Ne = “How/What About”

GRAMMAR NOTE The Interjection En

Y[Py\nVO go to the dining hall

YUǶQL˛VO`Q go buy things

6ʇYVǶZ' Where are you going?

<ǴVM' What about him/her?

VM VʇPǶW VǶZ boQRQoV

1. A: Hey, how are you?

2. A: Hey, where are you going?

Min: Hi, what is your name?

New Vocabulary (cont’d)

GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Jiào = “To be Called, To be Named”

<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVO His name is Li Yang.

GRAMMAR NOTE The Verb Shì = “To be”

/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz`]u[PMVO Gao Zhi’an is a student.

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Shénme = “What?”

6ʇRQoW[PuVUMUyVObQ' What is your name?

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Ni- = “Which?”

The other variation in pronunciation of VȺQ is VǶ, so 6ʇ[PzVȺQO]~ZuV is equiv-

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Ma

6ʇY\[P͌O]ǶVUI' Are you going to the library?

GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Y = “Also, too”

GRAMMAR NOTE Chinese Has No Articles Like “A” or “The”

Wrong pronunciation. It should be [z.

Y[P͌LQoV go (to a) bookstore

2. Y + a verb phrase indicates purpose (going to [do something]). For instance

YUǶQSǴNɔQ go buy coffee

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Nr = “Where?”

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVYVǶZ' Where is Gao Zhi’an going?

Y[Py\nVO go to the dining hall

YUǶQL˛VO`Q go buy things

6ʇYVǶZ' Where are you going?

<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVO His name is Li Yang.

/ǴWBPz¼ǴV[Pz`]u[PMVO Gao Zhi’an is a student.

GRAMMAR NOTE The Question Word Ni- = “Which?”

6ʇY\[P͌O]ǶVUI' Are you going to the library?

GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Word Y = “Also, too”

?˝`]uAʅVOa͎ I study (major in) English.

<ǴRQoW4ʇAnVO His name is Li Yang.

?˝aȺ[Pz5ȺQO]~ZuV I am also American.

9ʇVOb] Please be seated.

BPǴVO2QoW[P]VyVPǶW Hello, Professor Zhang.

?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\y I would like to ask you a question.

GRAMMAR NOTE The Auxiliary Verb Xing = “Would like to”

?˝`QǶVOYʇVO_vVVyVayOM_vV\y I would like to ask you a

Helpful Tip: The Word Ho Indicates Agreement

A: 9ʇVORQoW\Ǵ4ʇ2QoW[P]. Please call him/her Professor Li.

?˝[PzTz[Pʇ`zLM`]u[PMVO I am a student from the History

?˝a˝]BP˛VO_uVUyVObQ I have a Chinese name.

3. 4ǶW[Pʅ_˝`QǶVO _vVVyVay _vV\y

The Expression Znmeyàng = “How are

5yVO\QǴVLǶTnVYQbɀVUMaoVO' How about playing basketball

/ǴWBPz¼ǴVLMBP˛VO_uV\ʇVOPǶWLM Gao Zhi’an’s Chinese is pretty good.

?˝UMVazYʇYUǶQSǴNɔQ Let’s go and buy coffee together.

GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Verb D = “Hit with Hands”

LǶJoVOYQ play baseball

?˝UMVRʅV\QǴV_ǶV[PoVOazYʇYUǶQ Let’s go buy things together tonight.

GRAMMAR NOTE Using the Expression J®din = “What Time”

?˝\ʇVOUnVOLM I am pretty busy.

?˝UMVazYʇYUǶQL˛VO`Q Let’s go buy things together.

?˝UMVUyVO\QǴVLǶTnVYQ We will be playing basketball