DATA CENTER COLLEGE OF THE

PHILIPPINES OF LAOAG CITY,

INC.

Module
In
FOREIGN LANGUAGE I
(CHINESE MANDARIN)
VISION
Data Center College of the Philippines envisions itself as one of the leaders in
tertiary education in the country consistently producing graduates who are able to
participate actively in local, regional and national development and who will be
globally competitive to find employment here and abroad.

MISSION
Pursuant to its vision, Data Center College of the Philippines is committed to
nurture the physical, socio-cultural, and moral potentials of its students for their total
development as human beings, and to provide them with relevant and quality
education in their fields of specialization to enable them to pursue competently their
chosen professions with honor and dignity.

INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVES
An unwavering advocacy for the rights of its students to quality and relevant
education, Data Center College of the Philippines has adopted the following
objectives:
1. To promote a culture of life-long learning;
2. To provide adequate and state-of-the-art instructional materials and
facilities;
3. To develop globally competitive graduates who can help address the needs
and problems of the region; and
4. To employ qualified and competent faculty members and to continuously
motivate them to upgrade their qualifications.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to focus on students’ mastery on the correct
pronunciation, intonation, character, and simple conversations of Chinese Mandarin.
It also equips students with the ability to develop their skills (communication,
speaking, and comprehension), and to take further steps in applying what they have
learned on this course.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE
This course aims to provide the skills needed to face the challenges of a complex
and dynamic global business environment.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of the semester, the students should be able to: a.
Discuss the brief history of China;
b. Explain the importance of basic Chinese Mandarin;
c. Infer the role of basic Chinse Mandarin in business dealings;
d. Recognize common Chinese Mandarin phrases, expression, characters, including
its meaning and proper usage; and
e. Conduct daily communication in Chinese Mandarin.
LESSON 1. BRIEF HISTORY OF CHINA

PRC- mainland China; it also claims sovereignty over Taiwan

ROC- Taiwan; considered a rebel province by the PRC

China and Taiwan are economically and culturally tied.

China regards Taiwan as a BREAKAWAY PROVINCE which it has vowed to

retake, by force if necessary. But Taiwan’s leaders say it is clearly much more than a
province, arguing that it is a SOVEREIGN STATE.

The PRC tolerates the existence of the ROC because:

1. It does not threat the integrity of China. ROC does not pretend to declare
Taiwan as independent, so they are not officially breaking China.
2. The ROC cannot overthrow the PRC. ROC in Taiwan does not pose a threat
to the existence of PRC.
3. The ROC has a powerful de facto ally that although they do not recognize the
ROC as the official Chinese government, nor as the de facto government on
Taiwan, it will defend the ROC on an eventual takeover by the PRC.

1683-1894
• Taiwan was ruled by the Qing Empire of China.

1945
• Taiwan was placed under the control of the PRC under the Communist Party
of China that was ruled by Kuomintang.

1949
• The Chinese Nationalists lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communists and
moved the government of the Republic of China from Nanjing (of mainland
China) to Taipei (of Taiwan) and was then ruled by Chiang Kai-shek.

Chinese Culture, Tradition and Customs

Present day Chinese culture is an amalgamation of old world traditions and a
westernized lifestyle. The two co-exist like the traditional Yin Yang formula of
balance. This can be seen in the juxtaposition of towering skyscrapers with heritage
buildings, the contrast of western fashion with the traditional Chinese Qipao dress,
the people’s paradoxical affinity for both dim sums and McDonald’s.

Ancient Chinese culture is older than 5000 years. Chinese cultural history has
enormous diversity and variety. The sophisticated Chinese civilization was rich in the
Arts and Sciences, elaborate painting and printing techniques and delicate pottery
and sculpture. Chinese architectural traditions were much respected all over the
world. Chinese language and literature, philosophy and politics are still reckoned as
a strong influence. Chinese culture managed to retain its unique identity till the
advent of Western culture in the mid-19th century.

Ethnic Groups
 China, a large united multi-national state, is composed of 56 ethnic groups. Han
Chinese account for 91.59% of the overall Chinese population, and the other 55
groups make up the remaining 8.41%, according to the Fifth National Population
Census of 2000.

These numerous ethnic groups share China’s vast lands but at the same time many
live in their individual communities. The relationships between the different ethnic
groups have been formed over many years.

Distinct Language

While hundreds of Chinese dialects are spoken across China, a minority

language is not simply a dialect. Rather, it is a language with distinct grammatical
and phonological differences from Chinese. Language families include Sino-Tibetan,
Altaic, Indo-European, Austro-Asiatic, and Austronesian. Twenty-one ethnic minority
groups have unique writing system.

Chinese Religions

Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the three major religions in China,
although it is true to say that Confucianism is a school of philosophy rather than a
religion.

 Buddhism
Buddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that
it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan in
Xinjiang to Central China. During its development in China, it has a profound
influence on traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the
most important religions in China at that time.

Over its long history, Buddhism has left an indelible impact on Chinese
civilization. Many words and phrases have root in a Buddhist origin. Take a
colloquial phrase as an example, “to hold the foot of Buddha at the moment” means
“to make a last minute effort.” This reveals in a sense the true attitude of the Chinese
toward the utilitarian aspects of belief. Many people kowtow to whatever gods they
encounter and will burn incense in any temple.

Three different forms of this religion evolved as it reached the centers of

population at varying times and by different routes. They’re known as
Han, Tibetan, and Southern Buddhism.

 Taoism
In the Chinese language, the word “tao” means “way”, indicating a way of
thought or life. In about the 6 th century BC, under the influence of ideas credited to a
man named Lao-tzu, Taoism became “the way.”

Taoism began as a complex system of philosophical thought that could be

indulged in by only a few individuals. In later centuries it emerged, perhaps under
the influence of Buddhism, as a communal religion. It later evolved as a popular folk
religion.

Philosophical Taoism speaks of a permanent Tao in the way that some

Western religion speaks of God. The Tao is considered unnamed and unknowable,
the essential unifying element of all that is. Everything is basically one despite the
appearance of differences. Because all is one, matters of good and evil and true or
false, as well as differing opinions, can only arise when people lose sight of the
oneness and think that their private beliefs are absolutely true.

 Confucianism
 Confucius was China’s most famous philosopher. He lived in Ancient China
during the Zhou dynasty. Confucius was a government official, and during his
lifetime (he lived from 551 to 479 BC) he saw growing disorder and chaos in the
system. Perhaps due to the turmoil and injustices he saw, he set himself to develop
a new moral code based respect, honesty, education, kindness and strong family
bonds. His teachings later became the basis for religious and moral life throughout
China.

The Five Virtues of Confucius

Confucius believed that a good government was the basis for a peaceful and happy
society. And the basis for a good government was good officials. In order to become
a good official, a person has to master the following five virtues.

 Li for ritual etiquette, manners, gravity

“Men’s nature is alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart.”

 Ren stands for kindness to the fellow men “Forget injuries, never
forget kindnesses.”

 Xin stands for truthfulness, faithfulness and sincerity

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his
actions.”

 Yi for righteousness or honesty, generosity of soul

“When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards
and examine ourselves.”

 Xiao for filial piety, for strong family values

“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”

Chinese Foods
 Beijing Roast Duck/ Peking Duck

It is often said that if you are in Beijing, there are essentially two things that
you must do; one is to climb the Great Wall of China, and the other is to eat the
Peking Duck.

Once confined to the kitchens of the palace, the legendary Peking Duck is
now served at the thousands of restaurants around Beijing, as well as around the
world.

The origin of the Peking Duck dates back to the Ming Dynasty, about 600
years ago. Cooks from all over China travelled to the capital Beijing to cook for the
Emperor. It was a prestigious occupation as only the best chefs that could enter the
palace kitchens. A top cook was even able to reach the rank of a minister.

It was in these kitchens where dishes of exceptional quality such as the

Peking Duck were first created and crafted to perfection by palace chefs. However,
many of the recipes for such “food for the Emperor” were later smuggled out of the
kitchen and onto the streets of Beijing. With the eventual fall of the Ching Dynasty in
1911, court chefs who left the forbidden city set up restaurants around Beijing and
brought Peking Duck and other delicious dishes to the masses.

 Hotpot

The high temperature in the hotpot is symbolic for the warmth of tender
feeling that those people sitting around it have each other, while the round shape of
the apparatus is a hint at the lack or complete absence of irregularities in the man-
to-man relationship. Undoubtedly, this way of eating is not only a figurative
embodiment but a visual indication of the willingness to eat from the same pot and to
share the same lot. This is the most highly prized merit of group consciousness.

Beliefs and Taboos

1. Death- Chinese citizens are afraid to use the word “death” because they fear
that saying it will make it real, and their family members will die. However, this
doesn’t mean that death is entirely off the table. People usually replace the
word to say that someone passed away in a less direct manner. The Chinese
believe that everything form the two sides of a same coin. For example, death
and birth are linked.

2. Green hat- Wearing a green hat means to cuckold. So now, it is believed that
when people wear a green hat, it means that they cheated on their partner.
According to stories, the Emperor zhū yuánzhāng, who founded the
Ming Dynasty and ruled China from 1368 to 1398, claimed that prostituted
men had to wear green hats to be recognizable among others.
Another story that says that a woman forced her husband to wear a
green hat when he left home. While he was out, the wife could secretly meet
her lover. The green hat could be seen from afar so she had time to warn her
lover so he could leave the house being caught.

3. Kissing someone you don’t know- Don’t try to kiss a girl you don’t know, even
on the cheeks and even it’s just to greet her. By doing that, all you’ll
accomplish is getting her upset and embarrassed. Kissing someone you don’t
know is viewed as disrespectful, and you should pray that her boyfriend or
husband didn’t see you.

4. Lucky numbers: 8 and 6- Chinese people generally like the numbers 8 and 6,
because bā (eight) sounds like fā (rich) in Chinese. And for liù (six), it’s
homophonic with liú flow which represents good fortune.

5. Unlucky number: 7- Some like qī (seven) because it is a homophonic of qĭ

(start), which means good things for them. It also sounds like qì which means
vital energy. But on the contrary, it is an unlucky number because of another
homophonic: qī to cheat. Many couples avoid getting married on the 7 th
because of the homophonic.

6. Do not stick your chopsticks right up-At the end of a meal, if you’re full, do not
stick your chopsticks right up in your rice bowl. It’s said to bring you bad luck
as it looks like the incense Chinese put on tombs to mourn someone that has
passed away.
Another thing to avoid when done eating is to place your rice bowl
upside down the table. This s believed to definitely not be a good omen for
you and your friends.

7. Do not share a pear- People believe that sharing a pear will bring negativity,
pessimism and overall be a bad omen for your friendship and family.
In Chinese, the word fēnlí (to share a pear) sounds the same as fēnlí
(to separate). As such, the Chinese strongly believe that sharing a pear will
lead to friendships splitting and even divorce.

8. Toothpick- When some foods stick your teeth, you are allowed to use a
toothpick but you must hide it by covering your mouth with your hand.

9. Burp- To burp out loud while eating is also considered as impolite.

10. Toilets- If you leave the table to go to the toilets, people will stare at you and
think you’re very rude.
 11. Weddings must be taken seriously- Traditionally; Chinese people don’t show
their love publicly. This is changing as the newer generations throw caution to
the wind, but some customs and traditions remain steadfast in the society.

12. Break a leg, not the tail- If you happen to be giving a roast pig to the bride’s
family, make sure the tail and ears aren’t broken. If they are, it means that the
bride is not a virgin and that would insult her family.

13. Postponed weddings- When one of the lover’s parents passed away, then
they should at least wait for 100 days before getting married or it would be
extremely disrespectful. Same as when one of them passes away, they
should consider this.
14. Restrictions for the newlyweds- To keep bad luck away, for instance, they
must not go to funerals, other weddings and to visit someone’s newborn in the
3 months following their wedding day.

15. Offering a clock/umbrella as a gift- To protect your friendship with someone,

zhōng (clock) is prohibited as a present. Zhōng sounds just like zhōng (the
end), by offering it would mean that you want to break your friendship. Also,
the sentence sòng zhōng (to offer a clock) has also the same sound as in
sòng zhōng (to say farewell) to someone dying. Giving a clock to a friend
would curse them.
Offering a săn (umbrella) is also a bad idea as it’s believed to be a bad
omen for you and your friend. Săn (umbrella) has the same as sàn (to
separate ways).

16. Longevity noodles (chángshòu miànqī)- Noodles are really long and
continuous to symbolizes long life and good health. because their shape
represents longevity, make sure you don’t cut or bite into them when eating or
else it might shorten life and good health, too.

17. Don’t use your words as a weapon (during Chinese New Year)- During the
most expected event of the year, you must be cautious when it comes to
using some words. Don’t mention the words poor, die, cut, break and gone.
That will keep away the bad luck according to Chinese customs.

18. Hairway to bad luck- People think that the first lunar month is terribly unlucky,
so according to Chinese customs, do not cut your hair.

LESSON 2. THE ROLE OF MANDARIN IN THE

GLOBAL BUSINESS

Mandarin is the national language of China and Chinese is the most widely
spoken language in the world. More than one billion of the world's population are
Chinese speakers. The Chinese population is already one fifth of the population of
the world and is rapidly expanding its presence everywhere. Modern Standard
Chinese is an official language of the United Nations.
Even the Nationalists in Taiwan and the Communists in People's Republic of
China agree on that matter: the national language of Chinese is the Mandarin
dialect. It is also known as Beijing dialect or "putonghua", literally common language.
It becomes the national language "gúoyu" in Taiwan and the Chinese language in
Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore it is one of the four official languages and
also use by the diasporas in Indonesia, Russia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Brunei, South
Africa, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Mauritius as in many western
countries like the USA, UK and Canada where it is already the third spoken
language after English and French. A huge Diaspora makes it hard to find a town
where there is no Chinese people to talk to (Chan, 2003).
Learning Mandarin is more than learning a language, it enables you to
explore one of the most ancient culture of the world. It can easily become a life
involvement. Knowing the Chinese language will enable you to communicate better
with Chinese speaking people and provide you with a better understanding of
Chinese culture. By learning Mandarin, you will be able to speak with more people
than any other language- including English. Mandarin is comparatively spoken by
fewer non-Chinese than most European languages spoken by non-natives of their
respective countries. That means there is a greater demand for Chinese since fewer
Westerners are able to speak it. Furthermore, the Chinese population is rapidly
expanding its online presence. It will become increasingly useful for online
communication.
Mandarin is also an open door to a huge job market in all of the countries
where Mandarin is the language of commerce like Mainland China, Taiwan and
Singapore. Learning Chinese today can help make a better future for you. Abundant
opportunities for government and business careers as well as scientific and cultural
exchanges await the student of Chinese. The China market is blossoming after
decades of global isolation. As China is rapidly becoming a world economic power
as it opens its doors to foreign investment expands its infrastructure, those who
know Chinese will be valuable to business. In the past, foreigners learn Chinese
because they are interested in Chinese language and culture. Today however, one
can speak and use Chinese means he has more chances of getting a higher paying
job.
Many universities from countries throughout the world offer Chinese language
courses nowadays. This is because Chinese was considered an increasingly
important international language because of China's successful Olympic bidding and
last year's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). At present, it is said that
the Chinese universities have foreign students where the majority of them come to
learn Chinese language and culture. The number of foreigners that went over to
China to learn Chinese has increased tremendously. Even British is said to have
plans allocating large education funds to promote the learning of Chinese among its
citizens, since the Chinese language is expected to become a new global language
in the new millennium (Chan, 2003).
In conclusion, learning Mandarin is important. The increasing impact of the
Chinese language worldwide has become hard to stop. Those who learn and know
Mandarin will definitely benefit much from it.
WHY STUDY CHINESE? (by: World Languages and Literature)
What You Might Already Know

 China is one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures, over 5000
years old.
 China is the most populous nation in the world, with 1.28 billion people.
 One fifth of the planet speaks Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is the mother
tongue of over 873 million people, making it the most widely spoken first
language in the world.
 In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese
is also spoken in the important and influential Chinese communities of
Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and
Mongolia.
 China is the second largest economy in the world.
 China is one of largest trading partners of the United States.
 Many US companies do business in China and have long-term investments
there.
Things to Consider
The study of the Chinese language opens the way to different important fields
such as Chinese politics, economy, history or archaeology. But to study Chinese
finally means to study a culture, a people. At the heart of Chinese civilization is its
rich heritage of novels, short stories, poetry, drama, and, more recently, film. They
reflect the values, the struggles, the sensibility, the joys and the sorrows of this great
people and often offer insights even into the most intimate feelings of people in the
past or into high-level Beijing politics at the present that cannot be found anywhere
else. These works help you understand what is behind the language, what makes it
powerful, and how it actually functions in Chinese society. To be at ease and
effective in a Chinese environment learning the language is half the battle, but
knowing about the culture behind the language is the other.

Some Surprising Facts

Chinese has a relatively uncomplicated grammar. Unlike French, German or
English, Chinese has no verb conjugation (no need to memorize verb tenses!) and
no noun declension (e.g., gender and number distinctions). For example, while
someone learning English has to learn different verb forms like “see/saw/seen,” all
you need to do in Chinese is just to remember one word: kan. While in English you
have to distinguish between “cat” and “cats,” in Chinese there is only one form: mao.
(Chinese conveys these distinctions of tense and number in other ways, of course.)
The basic word order of Chinese is subject — verb — object, exactly as in
English. A large number of the key terms of Mandarin Chinese (such as the terms
for state, health, science, party, inflation, and even literature) have been formed as
translations of English concepts. You are entering a different culture, but the content
of many of the modern key concepts is familiar.

LESSON 3: THE STORY OF HOW THE SYSTEM

OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC (shēngxiào) WAS
CREATED

Long, long ago, there was no concept of time. There were no clocks or calendars.
People wanted to mark the passing of time but didn’t know how. So, they sought
advice from the Emperor (Yù Dì or Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven) known for his
wisdom in such matters. He pondered for a considerable time before deigning to
offer his learned advice: “Because animals and humans have a close affinity and the
names of animals are easily remembered, they should be used to symbolize time.
Henceforth, a river crossing race shall be held to determine those animals best
suited to signify time.
Thereupon the event was held. All manner of beasts attended. The cat and the
mouse, who were good friends, discussed the best manner in which to cross, as
neither could swim. They decided to ask the ox to aid them. The ox, being a sincere
and kindhearted soul agreed to carry them across. The race began and the ox, who
was by far the best swimmer, emerged in the lead. As they neared the finish line, the
cat proudly rose and declared the three of them to be the first to cross the line. But
the mouse, a cunning and selfish soul, secretly desired to cross the line first. So he
caught the cat unawares and pushed him into the water. He then jumped behind the
ox’s ear.
The ox, unaware of the commotion, swam on to the finish line. Just as he reached
the shore, the mouse leaped forward and ran to victory, quickly followed by the ox,
the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the
cock, the dog, and the pig. The exhausted cat finally scrambled to shore, but the
race was already over. The cat was extremely angry at the mouse, and every time
they met, the cat would try to bite him. He then reported the mouse’s crime to all of
his progeny, beginning a feud between the two animals which continues to this very
day. The mouse, knowing full-well his sin, skulked away in guilt and spent the rest of
his days hiding in dark, sullen areas.
1. The rabbit, who could not swim, made the crossing by leaping across the other
animal’s heads. He acquired his peculiarly shaped mouth because he ran too fast,
and after crossing the finish line, ran into a tree.
2. The dragon, who should have been placed higher in the ranking, had been busy in
the heavens creating thunder and lightning. He absent-mindedly made the thunder
too loud, which caused him to become fairly deaf. As a consequence, he did not
hear the start of the race and had to come from behind to acquire fifth place.
3. The snake, in order to defeat the horse, scared him and dashed in front.
Unfortunately for him, he ran too fast, causing his four legs to break off, leaving him
in his present legless state.
4. The sheep, monkey, and rooster, had agreed to make the crossing together. They
did so by putting the sheep on the shoulders of the monkey, who turn sat upon the
back of the rooster. As they were crossing, the sheep (who was a sort of look out)
saw the dog (who was naughtily bathing in the river) and scolded him severely. The
dog continued the race and finished next to last but he didn’t really care. The sheep
ended up over- straining his eyes and permanently damaged his vision. The
monkey, who sat far too long, acquired a permanently red posterior. The rooster,
who had been supporting the group, lost two of his original four legs as they were
crushed.
5. The pig finished last as he decided to finish eating before crossing the river. When
he finally made it across, he entreated the Emperor for more food. His gluttony
caused him to become the laughing stock of all those present.
Shûxiàng means the animal assigned to your birth year.
Traditional Chinese Calendar is made up of two overlapping systems. The animals
of the zodiac are associated with what's called the 12 earthly branches or shïèrzhī
Another system the 10 heavenly stems or tiāngān is linked with the five classical
elements of metal or xīn, wood or mù, water or shuî, fire or huô and earth tû. Each
element is assigned yīn or yáng creating a ten-year cycle of the heavenly stems.
When the 12 animals of Earthly branches are matched with the five elements plus
the yin and yang it creates 60 years of different combinations, known as sexagenary
cycle , or gānzhī
ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS
Astrological sign Xīngzuò 星座
Aries Báiyángzuò 白羊座
Taurus Jīnniúzuò 金牛座
Gemini Shuāngzǐzuò 双子座
Cancer Jùxièzuò 巨蟹座
Leo Shīzǐzuò 狮子座
Virgo Chǔnǚzuò 处女座
Libra Tiānpíngzuò 天枰座
Scorpio Tiānxiēzuò 天蠍座
Sagittarius Shèshǒuzuò 射手座
Capricorn Móxiēzuò 魔蠍座
Aquarius Shuǐpíngzuò 水瓶座
Pisces Shuāngyúzuò 雙魚座
What is your astrological sign? Nǐ shì shénme xīngzuò? 你是什麼星座?
LESSON 4: PINYIN AND ITS INITIALS, FINALS
AND TONES

PINYIN
Designed in the People’s Republic of China during the mid-1950s, pinyin is a
phonetic system of the Chinese language. It adopts the roman alphabet to represent
phonetic sounds in Mandarin Chinese. It uses 25 letters of 26 letters of the roman
alphabet. There have been many different systems of transcription used for learning
Chinese pronunciation. Whereas China’s capital was once called “Peking” in
English, using pinyin it is now written “Beijing”
Generally, pinyin syllables consists of three parts: initial, final, and tone.
ˇ - tone
Initial – m a - final

INITIALS
There are 21 initials in Chinese and 12 of them have almost the same
pronunciation as English.

m, f, n, l, h, and sh are pronounced as in English

d like “t” in “straight”(unaspirated)
j like “g” in “genius” (unaspirated)
z like “ds” in “beds” zh like “j” in
job
b like “p” in “spin” (unaspirated) g
a soft unaspirated “k” sound
x like “sh” in “sleep” but with the corners of the lips drawn back
r somewhat like “ge” in lodge

There is some special attention to be paid on the so called “aspirated”

consonants. It is necessary to breath heavily after the original consonant is sounded:

p = p'(like in “pop”) q = ch
harder than “ch” in cheap t = t’
(like in “tap”)
c = ts’ (like in “cats”), with aspiration
k = k’ (like in “kangaroo”)
ch = ch’ (tongue curled back, aspiration)
FINALS
The final follows the initial in a syllable. There are 35 finals, 6 are simple finals
and 29 are compound finals.
A E I O U Ü

Compound final
ai ao an ang ou ong ei en
eng er ia iao ian iang ie iu
in ing iong ua uai uan uang uo
ui un üe üan ün

TONES
In Chinese the variation of a syllable’s pitch may distinguish meaning. There
are four tones, indicated respectively by the following tone marks:

Tones Tone Mark Description Example

First Tone high, level pitch 妈 mā = mother

Second Tone starting high and rising 蔴 má = hemp/numb

Third Tone falling first, then rising 马 mǎ = horse

Fourth Tone starting high and falling 骂 mà = scold

• The first tone is an even pitched sound, almost like singing.

• The second tone is the rising tone, starting from a high pitch and rising briefly;
just like how we say “right?” in English.
• The third tone is pronounced with a lowering voice.
• The fourth tone is a falling tone, starting high and descending briefly. For
instance, if one were to reprimand someone, one would mà! the said individual
(Daniels, 2015).

There is also a neutral tone. It is short and unaccented. Its pitch relies on a
natural extension of the preceding tone. It is conveyed by the absence of a sign. For
example, the word “ma”; it can be used when asking a question (e.g. Nǐ hǎo ma?)

When one low tone follows another, the first one becomes a rising tone.
PRONUNCIATION EXERCISES

1. (b,p,m,f,d,t,n,l, + “a” sound)

A – “a” in father
Ai – “y” in my
Ao – “ow” in how
An – “aren” in aren’t
Ang – “ang” in mango
• Finals start with “a” in pinyin has a main sound /a/ like “a” in father rather than
“a” in apple.

2. (b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, + “o” sound)

 O – “wa” in watch
Ou – “oh”
Ong – “ong” in long
• Final “o” in pinyin is quite the same as “wa” in “watch” rather than “oh”. The
vowel “o” is presented by final “ou”.

3. (g, k, h +”e” sound) E – “ir” in girl

Ei – “ay” in lay
En – “an” in woman
Eng – “ung” in hung
Er – “er” in letter
• Finals start with “e” in the pinyin has the main sound /e/ like “uh”. It’s quite
different from the short “e” sound in “pen” as well as the long “e” sound in
“see” in English.

4. (j, q, x, y, + “I” sound) I – “ee” in tee

Ia –“ya” in hi-ya
Ian –“ion” in million
Iang – “young”
Ie – “ye” in yes
Iong – “I” in pin + “ong” in long
Iu –“you”
In – “inn”
Ing – “en” in English

5. (z, c, s, ch, sh, r, w + “u” sound”) U – “oo” in book

Ua – “oo” on book + “a” in father
Uai – “why”
Uan – “one”
Uang – “oo” in book + “un” in uncle
Ui – “way”
Un – “oun” in wound
Ueng “oo” in book + “ung” in hung
Uo – “w” in war

6. (j, q, x, n, l + “ü” sound)

Ü – say “ee” with rounded lips + ü
Üe – say “ee” with rounded lips + “eh”
Üan – say “ee” with rounded lips + “an” in woman
Ün – say “ee” with rounded lips + “n”
• Final “u” and “ü” has completely has completely different sound in Chinese.
• When finals “ü” are combined with initial j, q, x, letter “ü” will be changed into
“u” but the sound stays the same as finals “ü”.

PRONUNCIATION EXERCISES
Proper pronunciation is essential in spoken Chinese. With more homonyms
than any other language each mispronunciation results in another meaning.

Shān-dōng Fēi-jī Fā-yīn Guān-xīn

Shandong airplane pronunciation to care for
Zhōng-guó Huā-chá jasmine Jīn-nián this Huān-yíng
China tea year welcome
Kāi-shuǐ Gang-bǐ fountain Shēn-tǐ body Jī-chǎng airport
boiling water pen
Gong-zuò to Chī-fàn Yī-yuàn hospital Shāng-diàn
 work to eat shop
Tā-men they Zhī-dao Duō-shao how Gē-ge older
to know many brother
Nán-jīng Shí-jiān Zuó-tiān yesterday Cháng-jiāng
Nanjing (period of) time Yangtze River
Hóng-chá Tóng-xué Huáng-hé Cháng-cháng
black tea schoolmate Yellow River often
Chá-guǎn tea Liáng-shuǐ Chí-jiǔ lasting Rén-kǒu
house cold water population
Niú-ròu beef Nán-kàn Bái-cài cabbage Yī-yàng the
ugly same
Míng-zi name Shí-hou point Xué-sheng student Péng-you
in time friend
Lǎo-shī Běi-jīng Xǐ-huan Huǒ-chē
teacher Beijing to like train
Fǎ-guó Xiǎo-shí hour Kě-néng maybe Shuǐ-píng
France level
Nǐ-hǎo hello Kǒng-zi Guǎng-chǎng Běi-hǎi Beihai
Confucius square, plaza
Mǐ-fàn rice Hǎo-xiàng it Zhǔ-yào main Hǎo-hàn
seems brave
Jiǎo-zi Mǔ-qīn Wǎn-shang Zǎo-shang
dumplings mother evening morning
Sì-chuān Shàng-bān Qì-chē car Kè-tīng
Sichuan to go to work living room
Jiù-xié old Pà-rén to Dì-tú Sì-shí forty
shoe be afraid map
Rì-běn Japan Hàn-yǔ Chinese Shàng-hǎi Fàn-guǎn
language Shanghai restaurant

Guì-xìng Hàn-zì Chinese Huà-bào Zài-jiàn

surname character illustrated goodbye
magazine
Ài-ren spouse Dì-fang place Xiè-xie thank Bà-ba dad
you
-r final Nàr Zhèr here Nà-er Yī-diǎnr
where over there a little
Nán-háir boy Nǚ-háir
girl
 MIDTERM

LESSON 5: NUMBERS

NUMBER PINYIN CHARACTER

0 Líng 零
1 Yī 一
2 Èr 二
3 Sān 三
4 Sì 四
5 Wǔ 五
6 Liù 六
7 Qī 七
8 Bā 八
9 Jiǔ 九
10 Shí 十
11 Shí yī 十一
12 Shí èr 十二
13 Shí sān 十三
14 Shí sì 十四
15 Shí wǔ 十五
16 Shí liù 十六
17 Shí qī 十七
18 Shí bā 十八
19 Shí jiǔ 十九
20 Èr shí 二十
21 Èr shí yī 二十一
22 Èr shí èr 二十二
23 Èr shí sān 二十三
24 Èr shí sì 二十四
25 Èr shí wǔ 二十五
26 Èr shí liù 二十六
27 Èr shí qī 二十七
28 Èr shí bā 二十八
29 Èr shí jiǔ 二十九
30 Sān shí 三十
31 Sān shí yī 三十一
32 Sān shí èr 三十二
33 Sān shí sān 三十三
34 Sān shí sì 三十四
35 Sān shí wǔ 三十五
36 Sān shí liù 三十六
37 Sān shí qī 三十七
38 Sān shí bā 三十八
39 Sān shí jiǔ 三十九
40 Sì shí 四十
41 Sì shí yī 四十一
42 Sì shí èr 四十二
43 Sì shí sān 四十三
44 Sì shí sì 四十四
45 Sì shí wǔ 四十五
46 Sì shí liù 四十六
47 Sì shí qī 四十七

48 Sì shí bā 四十八
49 Sì shí jiǔ 四十九
50 Wǔ shí 五十
51 Wǔ shí yī 五十一
52 Wǔ shí èr 五十二
53 Wǔ shí sān 五十三
54 Wǔ shí sì 五十四
55 Wǔ shí wǔ 五十五
56 Wǔ shí liù 五十六
57 Wǔ shí qī 五十七
58 Wǔ shí bā 五十八
59 Wǔ shí jiǔ 五十九
60 Liù shí 六十
61 Liù shí yī 六十一
62 Liù shí èr 六十二
63 Liù shí sān 六十三
64 Liù shí sì 六十四
65 Liù shí wǔ 六十五
66 Liù shí liù 六十六
67 Liù shí qī 六十七
68 Liù shí bā 六十八
69 Liù shí jiǔ 六十九
70 Qī shí 七十
71 Qī shí yī 七十一
72 Qī shí èr 七十二
73 Qī shí sān 七十三
74 Qī shí sì 七十四
75 Qī shí wǔ 七十五
76 Qī shí liù 七十六
77 Qī shí qī 七十七
78 Qī shí bā 七十八
79 Qī shí jiǔ 七十九
80 Bā shí 八十
81 Bā shí yī 八十一
82 Bā shí èr 八十二
83 Bā shí sān 八十三
84 Bā shí sì 八十四
85 Bā shí wǔ 八十五
86 Bā shí liù 八十六
87 Bā shí qī 八十七
88 Bā shí bā 八十八
89 Bā shí jiǔ 八十九
90 Jiǔ shí 九十
91 Jiǔ shí yī 九十一
92 Jiǔ shí èr 九十二
93 Jiǔ shí sān 九十三
94 Jiǔ shí sì 九十四
95 Jiǔ shí wǔ 九十五
96 Jiǔ shí liù 九十六
97 Jiǔ shí qī 九十七
98 Jiǔ shí bā 九十八
99 Jiǔ shí jiǔ 九十九
100 Yì bǎi 一百

101 yì bǎi líng yī 一百零一

110 yì bǎi yī or yì bǎi shí 一百一 or 一百十
111 yì bǎi shí yī 一百十一
120 yì bǎi èr or yì bǎi èr shí 一百二 or 一百十
125 yì bǎi èr shí wǔ 一百二十五
200 èr bǎi or liǎng bǎi 二百 or 两百
300 sān bǎi 三百
400 sì bǎi 四百
500 wǔ bǎi 五百
600 liù bǎi 六百
700 qī bǎi 七百
800 bā bǎi 八百
900 jiǔ bǎi 九百
1000 yì qiān 一千

• Notice that 11 is 十一. That’s 十 (ten) and 一 (one) together. This will help
you get up to 19, which is 十九, or 十 (ten) and 九 (nine) together.
• Next, let’s take a look at 20, which is 二十, or 二 (two) and 十 (ten) together.
• If you want to count from 21-29, simply add the characters 1-9 to 二十.
Example:
For 21, we get 二十一. That’s two, ten, and one together. This format
can be followed to get you all the way to 99.
For 30, we have 三十, or 三 (three) and 十 (ten) together.
• Now we’re all the way up to 100, or 一百.
One thing that should be noted with 100 is the different pronunciation
of the character 一, meaning one. On its own, 一 is pronounced with the first
tone (yī). However, when it precedes a character that is pronounced with a
first, second, or third tone, it changes to the fourth tone (yì).
 • For the numbers 101-109, you use 一 百 plus 零 (zero), and then the
appropriate character for numbers 1-9.
For example, 一百零一 is 101.
• Adding the character for zero is important, otherwise you may confuse
people. This is because for 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, or 190,
Chinese usually leave out the character 十 (ten). Technically, 110 should be
一百一十, but people usually just say 一百一. That’s why it’s important to use
零 for 101109.
• Looking at 125, which is 一 百 二 十 五 , that is 一 百 (one hundred,) 二 十
(twenty), and 五 (five) all together.
• With 200, there are two different pronunciations – 二 百 (èr bǎi) and 两 百
(liǎng bǎi).
• It’s important to note that the number 250, which is 二百五, is also an insult in
Chinese. If you call someone an 二 百 五 , you’re basically telling them that
they’re good for nothing or what we call idiot.
Example: 999 is 九百九十九, wherein= 九百 (nine hundred), 九十 (ninety), and
九 (nine).

Mandarin has two units that English doesn't have (or at least, it has unique
words for these units, whereas English describes them with combinations of other
units). These are:
ten thousand wàn 万

hundred million yì 亿

万 (wàn) comes up the most often and is the largest stumbling block for most
people learning Mandarin numbers. In English, numbers are usually broken up into
chunks of three digits. Because of 万 (wàn), it's easier to break numbers up into
groups of four in Mandarin. In English, we split "twelve thousand" numerically into
"12,000" (chunks of three digits). Split it the Chinese way, "1,2000," and the Chinese
reading " 一万两千" (one wan and two "thousand" = yīwàn liǎngqiān) makes more
sense.

One way to remember how to write out numbers 10,000 through 99,999 in
Chinese characters is that in Chinese, the comma is (mentally) moved one digit to
the left. For example, 11,000 could be thought of in tens of thousands as "1,1000,"
with 万 (wàn) replacing the comma, and then what's left written as 一千 (yīqiān): 一
万一千 (yīwàn yīqiān).
TYPICAL SPLIT CHINESE SPLIT PINYIN CHARACTERS

10,000 1,0000 yīwàn 一万

12,000 1,2000 yīwàn èr 一万二

13,200 1,3200 yīwàn sānqiān 一万三千两百

liǎngbǎi

56,700 5,6700 wǔwàn liùqiān 五万六千七百

qībǎi

One Hundred Million - 亿 (yì)

After 99,999,999, there is yet another new numerical unit, 亿 (yì), which is
used to express "hundred million." A number like 1,101,110,000 would be written out
as " 十 一 亿 一 百 一 十 一 万 (shíyī yì yībǎi yīshí-yī wàn)." Again, an easier way to
translate between the two methods is to write the number out in English, move the
comma one digit to the left, and then insert the appropriate characters in their
respective places, replacing the commas.
Mandarin Number Structure:
 NUMERALS ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTERS
1,000,000,000 Billion shí yì 十亿
100,000,000 Hundred million yì 亿

10,000,000 Ten million qiān wàn 千万

1,000,000 Million bǎi wàn 百万
100,000 Hundred shí wàn 十万
thousand
10,000 Ten thousand wàn 万
1,000 Thousand qiān 千
100 Hundred bǎi 百
10 Ten shí 十
1 One yī 一

A Shortcut
One more simple way to remember how to correctly write out large numbers
is to pick one or two numbers and just memorize them. One million, for example, is
一
百万 (yībǎi wàn). If you can memorize that, then going to 一千万 (yīqiān wàn) is way
easier and faster, since you don't have to count all those zeroes.

LESSON 6: HOW TO TELL TIME IN MANDARIN

To review, here are the numbers 1 through 12:

1 Yī 一
2 Liǎng 两
Note that when referring to time and currency, we use a different word for two
than the one for counting, which is 二 (èr) two.
3 Sān 三
4 Sì 四
5 Wǔ 五
6 Liù 六
7 Qī 七
8 Bā 八
9 Jiǔ 九
10 Shí 十
11 Shí yī 十一
12 Shí èr 十二

Now that we’ve covered digits 1 through 12, we can easily tell hours in Chinese.
1. How to Name Hours
two o’clock liǎng diǎn 两点
seven o’clock qī diǎn 七点
eleven o’clock shí yī diǎn 十一点
Twelve o’clock shí èr diǎn 十二点
Note: Do not forget to use “diǎn” to indicate the hour.
2. How to Name Minutes
Before talking about minutes, take a review on the digits up to 60. To tell
minutes in Chinese, use the formula:

number + 分 (fēn – minutes).

thirteen minutes shí sān fēn 十三分
fourteen minutes shí sì fēn 十四分
thirty-three minutes sān shí sān fēn 三十三分
fifty minutes wǔ shí fēn 五十

In English, it’s fine to omit the word “minutes” (for 8:10, we just say “eight
ten”), in Chinese it sounds more natural to always include 分 and say “minutes.” So,
it’s correct to say, “八点十分” (bā diǎn shí fēn),literally “eight o’clock ten minutes.”
3. How to Tell Half and Quarter Hours

To say “half past,” we use 半 (bàn) which means “half.”

For example:
5:30 (half past five) wǔ diǎn bàn 五点半
To indicate quarters, we say 一刻 (yī kè) which means “quarter hour.” For
example:
3:15 (quarter past three) sān diǎn yī kè 三点一刻
Just to note, in Chinese, there’s no “ten to” or “ten past.” Similarly, in Chinese,
there’s also no “quarter to.” There’s only “quarter after.”

4. How to Tell Any Time in Chinese

We’re now familiar with the number system and how to tell hours and
minutes. Let’s put it all together and go through some examples of telling time.
11:20 shí yī diǎn è shí fēn 十一点二十分
4:10 sì diǎn shí fēn 四点十分
9:15 jǐu diǎn shí wǔ fēn or 九点十五分 or
jǐu diǎn yī kè 九点一刻
1:30 yī diǎn sān shí fēn or 一点三十分 or
yī diǎn bàn 一点半

5. How to Indicate a.m. and p.m.

To indicate a.m. and p.m. in Chinese we say “in the morning,” “in the
afternoon” or “in the evening.” There’s no direct translation of a.m. and p.m.. Most of
the time, a.m. and p.m. is understood in context.

Morning zǎo shàng 早上

Noon zhōng wǔ 中午
Afternoon xià wǔ 下午
Evening wǎn shàng 晚上
Midnight/Middle of the bàn yè 半夜
Night
Examples:
5:00 a.m. (morning) zǎo shàng wǔ diǎn 早上五点
 12 p.m. (noon) zhōng wǔ shí èr diǎn 中午十二点
3:00 p.m. (afternoon) xià wǔ sān diǎn 下午三点
7:10 p.m. (evening) wǎn shàng qī diǎn shí fēn 晚上七点十分

2:30 a.m. (midnight) bàn yè liǎng diǎn bàn 半夜两点半

6. Key Times of the Day

meal time yòng cān shí jiān 用餐时间
lunch time wǔ xīu shí jiān) 午休时间
dinner time wǎn fàn shí jiān 晚饭时间
break time xīu xī shí jiān 休息时间
bedtime jìu qǐn shí jiān 就寢时间

LESSON 7: DAYS OF THE WEEK

Chinese (Mandarin) currently has three sets of names for the days of the
week. All are based on a simple numerical sequence.

Standard Naming
The standard naming as taught to foreign learners and officially favoured in
China itself is based on the word 星 期 xīngqī which means 'week', with the days
ranged in a numerical sequence. The word 星期 xīngqī literally means 'star period'.

Sunday 'week day' Xīngqīrì or 星期日 or

Xīngqītiān 星期天
Monday 'week one' Xīngqīyī 星期一
Tuesday 'week two' Xīngqī'èr 星期二
Wednesday 'week three' Xīngqīsān 星期三
Thursday 'week four' Xīngqīsì 星期四
Friday 'week five' Xīngqīwǔ 星期五
Saturday 'week six' Xīngqīliù 星期六
In naming the days of the week, 星期 is followed by a number indicating the
day: 'Monday' is literally 'week one', 'Tuesday' is 'week two', 'Wednesday' is 'week
three', etc. The exception is Sunday, where 天 tiān or 日 rì both meaning 'day' (日 rì
is somewhat more formal than 天 tiān) are used instead of a number. 'Sunday' thus
literally means 'week day'.

Original Naming
In order to understand the origins of this naming, we need to look at another
set of Chinese names for the days of the week, one that is not officially encouraged
but is in widespread use, based on another Chinese term for the week, 禮拜 lǐbài (礼
拜 in its simplified form). The original meaning of 禮拜 / 礼拜 lǐbài is 'worship'. This
naming goes:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

 禮拜 禮拜一 禮拜二 禮拜三 禮拜四 禮拜五 禮拜六
日 or
禮拜天

礼拜日礼 礼拜一 礼拜二 礼拜三 礼拜四 礼拜五 礼拜六

拜天

lǐbàirì lǐbàiyī lǐbài'èr lǐbàisān lǐbàisì lǐbàiwǔ lǐbàiliù

lǐbàitiān
'worship 'worship 'worship 'worship 'worship 'worship 'worship
day' one' two' three' four' five' six'

Substituting 'worship' for 'star period' reveals the logic of the naming. Notably,
Sunday changes from the meaningless 'week day' into 'day of worship', providing a
valuable clue to the origin of the naming. The use of 禮拜 lǐbài / 礼拜 for the week is
intimately related to the process whereby the Western-style week came into China.
Before they adopted the Western-style week, the Chinese used a ten-day
cycle known as a 旬 xún in ordering their daily lives and activities. Although the
Christian week was not unknown (it was known, for instance, from contact with the
Jesuits in the 16th-18th centuries), the seven-day week as we know it first became
widely familiar in the 19th century with the coming of traders and missionaries from
Western powers

The term 禮拜 lǐbài / 礼拜 in the sense of 'week' first appeared in writing in

1828 and is likely of dialectal origin. A dictionary of Cantonese colloquialisms from
that year, entitled 廣 東 省 土 話 字 彙 Guǎngdōng-shěng Tǔhuà Zìhuì 'Guangdong
province colloquial vocabulary', gave 禮拜 as the equivalent of 'week' in English.

禮 拜 / 礼 拜 lǐbài as a verb normally refers to worship as practised in the

Christian and Muslim faiths. Its extension to mean 'week' appears to be due to local
Chinese noticing that the Westerners worshipped every seven days. However, the
specific mechanism by which this extension of meaning came about, and how the
system of numbering the individual days developed, is not clear. It seems likely that
the other days of the week were numbered off in sequence after the day of worship
(Monday = 'day of worship plus one', Tuesday = 'day of worship plus two', etc').

Advent of the Official Naming

While 禮 拜 lǐbài 'worship' was the most common word for 'week' (and
remained so right up until the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949), it
failed to find favour with literate Chinese for obvious reasons. Not only was it
associated with Western imperialism and a foreign religion, it was likely seen as
'inappropriate' or 'plebeian' by the literate elite, whose focus was on classical
Chinese and the written word.

The term 星期 xīngqī 'star period' in the sense of 'week' was first attested in
print in 1889. 星期 xīngqī was originally an old term for the 'Star Festival' (or 七夕
qīxī), China's equivalent of Valentine's Day, which falls on the seventh day of the
seventh lunar month. The repurposing of 星 期 xīngqī 'star period' to mean 'week'
was clearly influenced by the planetary names, in particular the old system of
planetary names that had been introduced into China over a millennium earlier by
the Buddhists.

Buddhist translators in the first millennium had created a set of names based
on the nomenclature of the seven 'planets' — the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury,
Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn — using the terminology of the 'seven luminaries' or 七曜
qīyào. The 七曜, like the 'seven planets', referred to the Sun, the Moon, and the five
visible planets:
 Sunday 'sun luminary day' rìyào-rì 日曜日
Monday 'moon luminary day' yuèyào-rì 月曜日
Tuesday 'fire (Mars) luminary day' Huǒyàorì 火曜日
Wednesday 'water (Mercury) luminary shuǐyào-rì 水曜日
day'
Thursday 'wood (Jupiter) luminary mùyào-rì 木曜日
day'
Friday 'metal/ gold (Venus) jīnyào-rì 金曜日
luminary day'
Saturday 'earth (Saturn) luminary tǔyào-rì 土曜日
day'
These names were still known in China during the Qing dynasty and appear
to be the inspiration for adopting the term 星 期 xīngqī. When the adoption of the
Western week was announced after the fall of the Qing dynasty in the government
gazette of 10 February 1912, the term used was 星期 xīngqī. This was allegedly due
to the support of the outstanding scholar 袁嘉谷 Yuán Jiāgǔ, who is remembered for
setting up a government department to supervise terminology in textbooks in 1909.
星期 xīngqī went on to gradually gain in popularity, especially after the establishment
of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The adoption of 星 期 xīngqī instead of 禮 拜 / 礼 拜 lǐbài did not involve a

radical change; it simply substituted one word for 'week' with another. The original
numbering system of 禮 拜 lǐbài remained intact. The main difference was the
substitution of the meaningless term 星期日 xīngqīrì or 星期天 xīngqītiān 'star cycle
day' for 禮拜天 lǐbàitiān 'day of worship'.

Modern Alternative Naming

Given that the officially preferred naming involved nothing more than the
substitution of one word for another, it is ironic that a third word for week has in
recent times been making heavy inroads into the territory of 星期 xīngqī. This is the
word 週 / zhōu (simplified form 周), literally meaning 'cycle', which has given rise to a
third set of names for days of the week:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

週日 週一 週二 週三 週四 週五 週六
周日 周一 周二 周三 周四 周五 周六
zhōurì zhōuyī zhōu'èr zhōusān zhōusì zhōuwǔ zhōuliù
'cycle 'cycle 'cycle 'cycle three' 'cycle four' 'cycle 'cycle six'
day' one' two' five'

The use of 週 / 周 zhōu to mean 'week' appears to have entered Chinese

from Japanese, probably around the turn of the 20th century. The earliest written
references are from 1901 and 1903. The Japanese word 週 shū 'week' is itself of
Chinese origin, having the meaning 'cycle'. The word fits quite naturally into Chinese
and people are unconscious of its Japanese pedigree. One reason for the growing
popularity of 週 / 周 zhōu, especially among the educated urban classes, is the fact
that it consists of only one syllable. Each day of the week becomes a comfortable
twocharacter compound of the type favoured in Chinese. As a result, Chinese now
has three sets of names for the days of the week, based on three different words
for 'week':

The official term is 星 期 xīngqī 'star period', purportedly derived from the
ancient Chinese seven-day planetary cycle.
  禮拜 / 礼拜 lǐbài meaning 'worship' is a common term for 'week' in everyday
speech.
 週 / 周 zhōu meaning 'cycle' is a slightly more formal term that is gaining
ground as a compact alternative to the other two.
 While most days of the week have three possible names, Sunday has five
due to the use of two words for 'day', 天 tiān or 日 rì.

All three sets of names can be heard in daily conversation, at times

alternating in the speech of the same person. 星 期 xīngqī is the 'officially correct'
term that is taught to foreign learners of Chinese.
On the Mainland, 星期 xīngqī and 週 zhōu are the only forms acceptable in
normal Chinese prose, in official announcements, and in other situations where
'standard Chinese' is required. When TV programs use subtitles to transcribe
interviews with ordinary speakers, 星 期 xīngqī is commonly substituted where the
speaker actually said 礼拜 lǐbài.

In contrast, 禮拜 / 礼拜 lǐbài is very common in informal conversation. It is said

to be more popular in dialects in the south of China — some southern dialects use
only the cognate of 禮拜 lǐbài — and 星期 xīngqī is said to be more popular in the
north. Whether this is true or not, 礼拜 lǐbài is in widespread use throughout China
and Taiwan. Interestingly Cantonese speakers speaking Mandarin may consciously
use 星期 xīngqī as the 'correct' Mandarin form, in preference to the 禮拜 / 礼拜 of
their own dialect.

Taiwan is less rigid in standardising 星 期 . Not only is 禮 拜 lǐbài commonly

used in speech, it is also found in writing. An example can be found in the translation
of Harry Potter into Chinese, where the Mainland versions stick to 星 期 xīngqī
whereas the Taiwanese translation uses both.

Other Namings
In addition to the three current naming styles, historically Chinese has had
two other systems of naming.

Although the Chinese of the 19th century, with their prodigious written
tradition, were still aware of the 'seven luminaries' nomenclature, unlike in Japan it
never caught on as a way of naming the days of the Western-style week. Allegedly,
the scholar 袁 嘉 谷 Yuán Jiāgǔ decided against them because they were tongue-
twisters in
Mandarin, especially names like 日曜日 rìyào rì. The planetary names enjoyed some
currency during the period of Japanese aggression against China, having been
attested to in school timetables of the 1920s or 1930s. However, they never came
into wide usage and were perhaps too closely associated with Japanese imperialism
to be palatable to most Chinese.

A second system was used at one stage by Chinese Catholics in accordance

with the favoured naming of the Catholic church.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

主日 瞻禮二 瞻禮三 瞻禮四 瞻禮五 瞻禮六 瞻禮七
主日 瞻礼二 瞻礼三 瞻礼四 瞻礼五 瞻礼六 瞻礼七
zhǔrì zhānlǐ-èr zhānlǐsān zhānlǐ-sì zhānlǐ-wǔ zhānlǐ-liù zhānlǐ-qī

'Lord 'observe- 'observe- 'observe- 'observe- 'observeritua 'observe-

day' ritual two' ritual ritual four' ritual five' l six' ritual
three' seven'
These names are based on the word 瞻禮 zhānlǐ ('observe-ritual', simplified 瞻
礼 ). In Chinese, 瞻 禮 / 瞻 礼 zhānlǐ is used both for observances of the Buddhist
religion and for 'feasts' of the Catholic calendar, such as the Assumption, Easter, the
Pentecost, etc.

Both the numbering (with Monday as the second day) and the use of a term
referring to 'feast-days' is a faithful reflection of the liturgical week of the Roman
Catholic Church, which takes Sunday as the 'Lord's Day' and then numbers the
weekdays as 'feast-days' or feria, Monday being the second feria, Tuesday the third,
Wednesday the fourth, etc. The term feria originally meant 'free days' in Latin, but
later came to mean 'feast days' and then, for some unknown reason, came to be
applied to the days of the week. This system of naming was adopted by the
Vietnamese but does not appear to have been seriously entertained in China.

LESSON 8: HOW TO SAY YEAR, MONTH, AND

DATE

To describe year, month and date in Chinese, we first need to learn 3 words
as follows:

Year Nián 年
Month Yuè 月
Date Hào 号

How to Say Years in Chinese

In Chinese, one needs to read the digits of the year and 年 (nián) which
indicates the year.
For example:

2008 èr líng líng bā nián 二零零八年

2000 èr líng líng líng nián 二零零零年
1999 yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián 一九九九年
2016 èr líng yī liù nián 二零一六年

How to Say Months in Chinese

The 12 months in Chinese are:

YEAR PINYIN CHARACTER
January yī yuè 一月
February èr yuè 二月
March sān yuè 三月
April sì yuè 四月
May wǔ yuè 五月
June liù yuè 六月
July qī yuè 七月
 August bā yuè 八月
September jiǔ yuè 九月
October shí yuè 十月
November shí yī yuè 十一月
December shí èr yuè 十二月

How to Say Dates in Chinese

Dates are expressed as the date plus 号 （ hào).

For example:
DATE PINYIN CHARACTER
January 1 yī yuè yī hào 一月一号
March 8 sān yuè bā hào 三月八号
April 17 Sì yuè shí qī hào 四月十七号
September 20 Jiǔ yuè èr shí hào 九月二十号
November 11 Shí yī yuè shí yī hào 十一月十一号
December 31 Shí èr yuè sān shí yī hào 十二月三十一号

When we say a particular day of a year, the year is normally put at the end in
English; for example, Nov 21, 2012. It is different in Chinese. The right order is Year +
Month + Date.

DATE PINYIN CHARACTER

May 13, 2001 Èr líng líng yī nián wǔ yuè shí 二零零一年五月十三号
sān hào
October 02, 1998 Yī jiǔ jiǔ bā nián shí yuè èr hào 一九九八年十月二号
December 07, Èr líng yī liù nián shí èr yuè qī 二零一六年十二月七号
2016 hào
August 28, 1963 Yī jiǔ liù sān nián bā yuè èr shí 一九六三年八月二十八号
bā hào
September 19, Èr líng líng líng nián jiǔ yuè shí 二零零零年九月十九号
2000 jiǔ hào

LESSON 9: FAMILY IN CHINESE CULTURE

In the English language and in Western culture, family mainly refers to the
combination of several people living together who are tied through blood or
relationships. But the word “family” means a lot more in China.

The character for family, 家 (jiā), combines the ideas of both a place (home)
and people (family). On the top of the character is 宀, indicating “cave” or “house”; at
the bottom there is 豕 (shǐ), meaning “pig”. People live in a place where they can
keep out of the wind and rain and have food inside. And that’s where family is.
 In today's China, no matter how much traditional culture and mindsets have
changed, “home” is still very much the place that where Chinese people’s hearts are.

The Chinese concept of “family” includes the new home created by couples
after they get married and have children. It also includes the place where they grew
up and their parents’ family. In fact, three-generation households are common in
China.

“Come Back Home Often” is a popular Chinese song. The lyrics express how
children who are away from home should often visit their parents. This idea of family
comes from China's long history as an agrarian society, where people lived by
working the land. The lack of economic resources pushed different generations of a
Chinese family to have to live together to get by. The elder generations were largely
dependent on their offspring for support after losing their ability to work. The Chinese
generally retire years earlier than in western countries, so this family support system
was essential. Instead of thinking of rest after retiring, Chinese parents continue to
devote themselves to the home by helping their children and taking care of their
grandchildren. This eases some of the burdens on the younger family members, but
it also creates tension around education and the differences in values between
generations.

The Chinese notion of family is also tied to their country and philosophy. In
Chinese culture, a country is called 国家 (guó jiā), which literally translates as “state
family”. Confucianism is 儒家 (rú jiā), which translates to “Confucian family “.

Family is often patriarchal in China. Under the current social system in rural
China, the father is usually seen as the head of the family. Even nowadays, many
people still hold this view in many remote villages in China, but the difference in
social status between men and women in urban China is getting smaller and
smaller.

Why Family Matters More Than Anything Else

In China, family matters far more than anything else. When any family
member struggles, relatives will contribute even if that means personal sacrifice. The
long agrarian society and the lack of legal system forced Chinese people to have a
strong dependence on family.

In the Confucian classics, 孝 (xiào) “filial piety” ranks at the top of all moral
values. This is respect for one’s parents, elders and ancestors. In the character 孝
(xiào). The top symbol is 老 (lǎo) ”old” and below it is 子 (zǐ) ”son”. Thus, children are
seen as below their elders. Even if parents have faults or are wrong, children are not
to contradict or abandon them.

By contrast, people in western countries have learned more about market

rules and adapted to become socially competitive. Children strive to be independent
after adulthood, paying less attention to the family when compared to the same
generation in China.

Perhaps this is because in western countries social security and national

welfare are relatively good, so the elderly are able to be self-sufficient after
retirement. By contrast, supporting the elderly in China is an obligation written into
the Chinese constitution that everyone must fulfill.
How to Communicate Respectfully With Older People

The emphasis on ethics in Chinese families means Chinese families have

more rules, and these include rules about how to communicate. Respecting the old
and cherishing the young is one of the virtues of our Chinese tradition.

Here are a few tips to help you succeed when communicating with different generations of
Chinese:

1. Pay Attention To Speed And Intonation When Speaking With Your Elders.

Be softly spoken, and speak clearly and slowly. When communicating with
the elderly, you should also address them as 您 (nín) instead of 你 (nǐ). It is
disrespectful to call an elder directly by their Chinese name. To the surprise of many
Chinese learners, Chinese people address all elders as though they are family
members. For example, a girl in her early twenties should call a woman of similar
age to her mother 阿 姨 (ā yí) “auntie” and an older man “uncle”. When my three-
year-old daughter sees a slightly older boy or a girl, she will call them 哥哥 (gē ge)
“brother” 姐姐 or (jǐe jie)
“sister”. This brings people closer and makes them feel kind.

When chatting with your elders in China, take the role of a listener rather than
a speaker. Your aim should be to show that you respect their life experience. Even
when you have different point of view, avoid disagreement. Make sure your tone and
words are respectful.

2. Chatting With Children

When communicating with young children, Chinese people like to duplicate

some nouns after a verb, such as 吃饭饭 (chī fàn fàn) meaning “to eat”, 洗澡澡 (xǐ
zǎo zǎo) meaning “to shower”. This sounds cute and makes it easier for children to
repeat and remember words.

Compared to western culture, Chinese people seldom use courteous words

when we communicate with younger or familiar peers. For instance, if we ask our
child to do a small thing for us, he will usually be praised for doing a good job
instead of being told “thank you”. In Chinese people's opinion, if we are too polite,
people will feel that we are growing apart. We don't need to be very polite in words
with our family, because we already know one another's value in our hearts.

How To Address Chinese Family Members

The way to address family members is different in different parts of China.

Because of China's vast borders, distant provinces also have different ways of
addressing relatives. Let's take a look at some commonly used terms.

Immediate Family Members

ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER
My Family Members wǒ de jiā rén 我的家人
Parents fù mǔ 父母
Spouse pèi ǒu 配偶
Ài rén 爱人
Husband zhàng fū 丈夫
 Wife qī zi 妻子 太
tài tai 太
Father fù qin 父亲
Dad bà ba 爸爸
Mother mǔ qīn 母亲
Mom mā ma 妈妈
Children hái zi 孩子
Siblings xiōng dì jiě mèi 兄弟姐妹
Daughter nǚ ér 女儿
Son ér zi 儿子
Older Brother gē ge 哥哥
Younger Brother dì dì 弟弟
Older Sister jiě jie 姐姐
Younger Sister mèi mei 妹妹

Extended Family Members

ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER
Grandparents zǔ fù mǔ 祖父母
Paternal Grandpa yé ye 爷爷 祖
zǔ fù 父

Paternal Grandma nǎi nai 奶奶 祖

zǔ mǔ 母
Maternal Grandpa wài gong 外公老爷
lǎo ye

Maternal Grandma wài pó lǎo 外婆 姥姥

lao

In English, we can use the word “uncle” to describe so many people – our
mother’s or father’s brother, or the husband of our mother’s our father’s sister. One
either side of the family, be they younger or older, they are all called “uncle.” In
Chinese, there are different words for every relationship.

ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER

father’s older brother bó bo 伯伯
father’s younger brother shū shu 叔叔
father’s sister’s husband gū fu 姑父
mother’s brother jiù jiu 舅舅
mother’s sister’s husband yí fu 姨父
Thankfully, there is one word that can sort of universally mean “uncle” (叔叔 –
shū shu). It’s used for actual family members, and can also be used when talking to
an older man who is not in your family, but mostly for children.

One all-encompassing word can basically mean “auntie” ( 阿 姨 – Ā yí), but

there are plenty of other words to learn!
ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER
 father’s sister gū gu 姑姑
father’s older brother’s bó mǔ 伯母
wife
father’s younger brother’s shěn shen 婶婶
wife
mother’s sister yí mā 姨妈
mother’s brother’s wife jiù ma 舅妈

Here’s how you call your cousins:

ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER
younger girl cousin biǎo mèi 表妹
(mother side)
older girl cousin (mother biǎo jiě 表姐
side)
younger boy cousin biǎo dì tāng 表弟堂弟
(father side) dì
older boy cousin (father biǎo gē táng 表哥堂哥
side) gē

What You Need To Know If You’re Staying With A Chinese Family

Chinese people are very hospitable. Whenever there is a friend visiting, the
host must bring out the best food. Chinese shyness and humility make us very polite
when we visit other people's homes. Even if the host offers warm hospitality, we will
reject it kindly and deliberately.

Here are some sentences help you understand this practice:

1. When the host asks about what you’d like to drink, you can say:
I’d like to drink a little tea. wǒ hē diǎn er chá bā. 我喝点儿茶吧.

“点儿” (diǎn er) means “a little”, so the sentence means “I’d like to drink a little
tea.” This word will help you sound less greedy.

2. When you give a present to your host, they might say:

You’re too polite, I’m very nǐ tài kèqìle, zhēn bù 你太客气了，真不好意思.
embarrassed. hǎoyìsi.
“不好意思” （bù hǎoyìsi）means “embarrassed” or “sorry”. This expression is
used here to show that the receiver thinks the gift is so valuable and that he feels
“guilty” taking it.

There are a few things Chinese people do at the dinner table that are
considered rather strange for Westerners. For one, we like try to persuade our
guests to eat and drink more. We don’t want our guest to be still hungry through
politeness. We also like to help our guests dish food onto their plates. Although you
might think it’s not very hygienic, this is considered to be something a host needs to
do at the dinner table, especially for elders and children.
LESSON 10: PRONOUNS

Chinese pronouns somewhat differ from pronouns in English and other

IndoEuropean languages. For instance, there is no differentiation in the spoken
language between "he", "she" and "it" (though a written difference was introduced
after contact with the West, and pronouns are not inflected to indicate whether they
are the subject or object of a sentence. Mandarin Chinese further lacks a distinction
between the possessive adjective ("my") and possessive pronoun ("mine"); both are
formed by appending the particle 的 de. Pronouns in Chinese are often substituted
by honorific alternatives.

Personal Pronouns
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
First Exclusive Inclusive
person 我 我們 咱們
wǒ wǒmen zánmen
I, me we, us we, us
Second Informal Formal
person 你 您 你們
nǐ nín nǐmen
you you you
Third 他/她/它 他們 / 她們 / 它們
person tā tāmen they,
he/him (Mainland China) he/she/him/her them
(Taiwan and Hong Kong)
she/her, it

 The character to indicate plurality is 們 (men) in Traditional Chinese

characters.
 我 們 can be either inclusive or exclusive, depending on the circumstance
where it is used.
 你 Used to indicate 'you and I' (two people) only, and can only be used as a
subject (not an object); in all other cases wǒmen is used. This form has fallen
into disuse outside Beijing, and may be a Manchu influence.

In written Chinese, a distinction between masculine human 他 (he, him), feminine

human 她 (she, her), and non-human 它 (it) [and similarly in the plural] was
introduced in the early 20th century under European influence. This distinction does
not exist in the spoken language, where moreover tā is restricted to animate
reference; inanimate entities are usually referred to with demonstrative pronouns for
'this' and 'that'.
Following the iconoclastic May Fourth Movement in 1919, and to accommodate the
translation of Western literature, written vernacular Chinese developed separate
pronouns for gender-differentiated speech, and to address animals, deities, and
inanimate objects. In the second person, they are nǐ (祢 "you, a deity"), nǐ(你 "you, a
male"), and nǐ ( 妳 "you, a female"). In the third person, they are tā ( 牠 "it, an
animal"), tā ( 祂 "it, a deity"), and tā ( 它 "it, an inanimate object"). Among users of
traditional Chinese characters, these distinctions are only made in Taiwanese
Mandarin; in simplified Chinese, tā (它) is the only third-person non-human form and
nǐ (你) is the only second person form. The third person distinction between "he" (他)
and "she" (她) remain in use in all forms of written standard Mandarin.
According to Wang Li, the second person formal pronoun nín (您 "you, formal;
polite") is derived from the fusion of the second person plural nǐmen ( 你 们 "you,
formal; polite"), making it somewhat analogous to the distinction between T/V
pronouns in Romance languages or thou/you in Early Modern English. Consistent
with this hypothesized origin, *nínmen is traditionally considered to be a
grammatically incorrect expression for the formal second person plural. Instead, the
alternative phrases dàjiā (大家, "you, formal plural") and gèwèi (各位, "you, formal
plural") are used, with the latter being somewhat more formal than the former. In
addition, some dialects use an analogous formal third person pronoun tān ( 怹 ,
"he/she, formal; polite").

The first-person pronouns 俺 ǎn and 偶 ǒu "I" are infrequently used in

Mandarin conversation. They are of dialectal origin. However, their usage is gaining
popularity among the young, most notably in online communications.

Traditional Chinese characters, as influenced by translations from Western

languages and the Bible in the nineteenth century, occasionally distinguished gender
in pronouns, although that distinction is abandoned in simplified Characters. Those
traditional characters developed after Western contact include both masculine and
feminine forms of "you" (你 and 妳), rarely used today even in writings in traditional
characters; in the simplified system, 妳 is rare.

There are many other pronouns in modern Sinitic languages, such as

Taiwanese Minnan 恁 (pinyin: nín; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī: lín) "you" and Written Cantonese 佢哋
(keúih deih) "they." There exist many more pronouns in Classical Chinese and in
literary works, including 汝(rǔ) or 爾 (ěr) for "you", and 吾 (wú) for "I" (see Chinese
honorifics). They are not routinely encountered in colloquial speech.

Sample Sentences
ENGLISH PINYIN CHARACTER
I speak wǒ shuō/shuì 我说
you speak nǐ shuō/shuì 你说
he speaks tā;tuó shuō/shuì 他说
she speaks tā shuō/shuì 她说
we speak wǒmen shuō/shuì 我们说
they speak tāmén shuō 他们说
give me gěi wǒ 给我
give you gěi nǐ 给你
give him gěi tā/tuó 给他
give her gěi tā 给她
give us gěi wǒmen 给我们
give them gěi tāmen 给他们
Possessive Pronouns
PRONOUN PINYIN CHARACTER
My wǒ de 我的

Your nín de 您的
His tā de 他的
Her tā de 她的
Our wǒ men de 我们的
Their tā men de 他们的

Mine wǒ de 我的
Yours nǐ de 你的
His tā de 他的
Hers tā de 她的
Ours wǒ men de 我们的
Theirs tā men de 他们的

To indicate alienable possession, 的 (de) is appended to the pronoun. For

inalienable possession, such as family and entities very close to the owner, this may
be omitted, e.g. 我妈/我媽 (wǒ mā) "my mother". For older generations, 令 (lìng) is
the equivalent to the modern form 您的 (nínde), as in 令尊 (lìngzūn) "your father".
In literary style, 其 (qí) is sometimes used for "his" or "her"; e.g. 其 父 means "his
father" or "her father".

Sample Sentences
PRONOUN PINYIN CHARACTER
my book wǒ de shū 我的书
your book nǐ de shū 你的书
his book tā de shū 他的书
her book tā de shū 她的书
our book wǒ men de shū 我们的书
their book tā men de shū 他们的书

Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns work the same as in English.

PRONOUN PINYIN CHARACTER
Proximal This (singular) zhège 这个 or 這個
These (plural) zhèxiē 这些 or 這些
Distal That (singular) nàge 那个 or 那個
Those (plural) nàxiē 那些

The distinction between singular and plural are made by the classifier 个/ 個
(gè) and 些 (xiē), and the following nouns remain the same. Usually inanimate
objects are referred using these pronouns rather than the personal pronouns 它 (tā)
and 它 們 (tāmen). Traditional forms of these pronouns are: 這 個 (zhège), 這 些
(zhèxiē), 那個 (nàge), 那些 (nàxiē), and 它們 tāmen.

Interrogative Pronouns
PRONOUN PINYIN CHARACTER
Who shéi 誰
Which one nǎge 哪個
What shénme 甚麼
Where nǎlǐ or nǎr 哪裏 or
哪兒
When shénme shíhou 甚麼時候
Why wèi shénme 爲甚麼
 How zěnme 怎麼
How much duōshǎo or 多少 or 幾
jǐ

Indefinite Pronouns
PRONOUN PINYIN CHARACTER
Everybody dàjiā 大家
héidōu 誰都
shéiyě 誰也

Nobody shéidōubù 誰都不

Pronouns in Imperial Times (JSTOR, 2019)

In imperial times, the pronoun for "I" was commonly omitted when speaking
politely or to someone with higher social status. "I" was usually replaced with special
pronouns to address specific situations. Examples include guǎrén (寡人) during early
Chinese history and zhèn (朕) after the Qin dynasty when the Emperor is speaking
to his subjects. When the subjects speak to the Emperor, they address themselves
as chén (臣), or "your official". It was extremely impolite and taboo to address the
Emperor as "you" or to address oneself as "I".
In modern times, the practice of self-deprecatory terms is still used in specific
formal situations. In résumés, the term guì (贵/貴; lit. noble) is used for "you" and
"your"; e.g., gùi gōngsī (贵公司/貴公司) refers to "your company". Běnrén (本人; lit.
this person) is used to refer to oneself.

LESSON 11: COUNTRY

Country Guójiā 国家

China Zhōngguó 中国

France Fàguó 法国

Germany Déguó 德国

Holland Hélán 荷兰
United Kingdom Yīngguó 英国

Russia Éguó 俄国

Belgium Bǐlìshí 比利 时
Iceland Bīngdǎo 冰岛
Belarus Báièluósī 白俄罗斯
Montenegro Hēishān 黑山
Switzerland Ruìshì 瑞士
Hungary Xiōngyálì 匈牙利
Italy Yìdàlì 意大利
Spain Xībānyá 西班牙
Greece Xīlà 希腊
Ireland Ài’ěrlán 爱尔兰
Canada Jiānádà 加拿大
Mexico Mòxīgē 墨西哥
Guatemala Wēidìmǎlā 危地马拉
Chile Zhìlì 智利
Peru Bìlǔ 秘鲁
America Měiguó 美国
Japan Rìběn 日本
Korea Gāolí 高丽
South Korea Hánguó 韩国
North Korea Běicháoxiǎn 北朝 鲜
Australia Àodàlìyǎ 澳大利 亚
India Yìndù 印度
Singapore Xīnjiāpō 新加坡
Vietnam Yuènán 越南
Yemen Yěmén 也门
Israel Yǐsèliè 以色列
Bhutan Bùdān 不丹
Cambodia Jiǎnpǔzhài 柬埔寨
Malaysia Mǎlāxīyà 马来西亚
Thailand Tàiguó 泰国
New Zealand Xīnxīlán 新西兰
Indonesia Yìndùníxīyà 印度尼西亚
Philippines Fēilǜbīn 菲律賓
South Africa Nánfēi 南非
Chad Zhàdé 乍得
Egypt Āijí 埃及
Central African Republic Zhōngfēigònghéguó 中非共和国
Cape Verde Fódéjiǎo 佛得角
Namibia Nàmǐbǐyǎ 纳米比亚
Djibouti Jíbùtí 吉布提
Gabon Jiāpéng 加蓬

Sample Conversation:
What country are you from? Nǐ láizì nǎge guójiā? 你来自哪个国家？
I am from the Philippines. Wǒ láizì Fēilǜbīn. 我来自菲律賓.

For the nationality, just add the word “ren” after the country. For example:
American Měiguó rén 美国人

Languages:
Language Yǔ 语
Dialect Fāngyán 方言
Mandarin Pǔtōnghuà 普通话
English Yīngyǔ 英语
Tagalog Tājiālùyǔ 他加禄语