Vocabulary

Dialogue

Structure Drills

Sentence Pyramids

The Sentence Pyramids illustrate the use of each new vocabulary item and structure introduced in the lesson. Use them to help you to learn how to form phrases and sentences in Mandarin. Supply the English translation for the last line where indicated.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

hào

(date)

几 hào?

what date?

Jīntiān 几 hào?

What is today’s date?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

九 hào

9th (date of month)

十一 yuè 九 hào

November 9th

Jīntiān 是十一 yuè 九 hào.

Today is November 9th.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

生日

birthday

我 的 生日

my birthday

是 我 的 生日

is my birthday

十一yuè 十二 hào 是 我 的 生日.

November 12th is my birthday.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

kuàilè

happy

生日 kuàilè!

Happy birthday!

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

big, old

多大?

how old?

你 jīnnián 多大?

How old are you this year?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

suì

years of age

二十一suì

21 (years of age/years old)

我 jīnnián 二十一suì.

This year I am 21 (years old).

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

二十一suì

21 years old

二十一suì吗?

21 years old?

是二十一suì吗?

are 21 years old?

也是二十一suì吗?

also are 21 years old?

你也是二十一suì吗?

___________________

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

二十一 suì

21 years old

cái 二十一 suì

only then will be 21 years old

我 míngnián cái 二十一 suì.

I won’t be 21 until next year.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

xīngqī 几?

what day of the week?

是xīngqī 几?

is what day of the week?

十一 yuè 十二 hào 是xīngqī 几?

November 12th is what day of the week? (What day of the week is ….)

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

xīngqī 四

Thursday

是 xīngqī 四

is Thursday

十一 yuè 十二 hào 是 xīngqī 四.

November 12th is Thursday.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

zěn么 yàng?

how about it?

hē píjiǔ,zěn么 yàng?

drink beer, how about it?

qǐng 你 chī wǎnfàn, hē píjiǔ,zěn么 yàng?

invite you to eat dinner, drink beer, how about it?

我 xīngqī 四 wǎnshang qǐng 你 chī wǎnfàn, hē píjiǔ,zěn么 yàng?

I invite you to eat dinner and drink beer on Thursday, okay?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

zhēnzhū nǎichá

bubble tea (pearl tea)

hē zhēnzhū nǎichá

drink bubble tea (pearl tea)

我们hē zhēnzhū nǎichá吧。

Let’s drink bubble tea!

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

xíng不xíng?

okay?

Xīngqī四wǎnshang xíng不xíng?

Is Thursday evening okay?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

不xíng!

not okay!

xīngqī四wǎnshang 不xíng!

Thursday evening is not okay!

zhēn zāogāo, xīngqī四wǎnshang 不xíng!

what a mess, Thursday evening is not okay!

Āiyà, zhēn zāogāo, xīngqī四wǎnshang 不xíng!

Oh no! What a mess, Thursday evening is not okay!

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

kǎoshì

test

有一个kǎoshì

have a test

xīngqī 三 有一个kǎoshì

Wednesday have a test

我 xīngqī 三 有一个kǎoshì.

__________________________

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

kòng

free time

没 kòng

not have free time

我没 kòng

I do not have free time

wǎnshang 我没 kòng

(in the evening) I do not have free time

Xīngqī五 wǎnshang 我没 kòng.

I don’t have free time Friday night.

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

打gōng

work (at a job)

我要打gōng

I have to work

Xīngqī五 wǎnshang 我要打gōng.

______________________

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

zuò 什么呢

do what?

你 xǐhuān zuò 什么呢?

What do you like to do?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

很多

a lot

àihào很多

hobbies are numerous

我的àihào很多 a。

I have a lot of hobbies. (My hobbies are numerous.)

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

wán 手机

play on my cell phone

shàng wǎng,wán 手机

go online, play on my cell phone

kàn diànshì,shàng wǎng,wán 手机

watch t.v., go online, play on my cell phone

tīng yīnyuè,打 qiú,kàn diànshì,shàng wǎng,wán 手机。

listen to music, play ball, watch t.v., go online, play on my cel lphone

我 xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè,打 qiú,kàn diànshì,shàng wǎng,wán 手机。

______________________

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

chàng kǎlā OK

sing karaoke

qù chàng kǎlā OK

go sing karaoke

我们 qù chàng kǎlā OK吧!

Let’s go sing karaoke!

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

好不好? 

okay?

你 jiāo 我 tiào wǔ,  好不好? 

You teach me to dance, okay?

我 jiāo 你 chàng gēr, 你 jiāo 我 tiào wǔ,  好不好? 

I teach you to sing, you teach me to dance, okay?

这 yàng, 我 jiāo 你 chàng gēr, 你 jiāo 我 tiào wǔ,  好不好? 

How about this, I teach you to sing and you teach me to dance, okay?

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

打 diànhuà

make a phonecall

给他们打 diànhuà

phone him

Míngtiān 给他们打 diànhuà吧!

Phone him tomorrow!

Audio file

Vocabulary

Translation

duǎnxìn

text message

fā duǎnxìn

send a text message

给 她 fā duǎnxìn

send her a text message

我 xiànzài jiù 给 她 fā duǎnxìn.

I will send her a text message right now.

Pronunciation Challenges

1. Common sayings

Practice each saying until you can repeat it perfectly three times in a row at normal speed. 

 

Saying

Translation

Audio files

A

wǔ yán liù sè
五 颜  六 色

colorful (five colors and six colors)

B

yī shí èr niǎo
一石 二 鸟

kill two birds with one stone (one stone two birds)

C

qī zuǐ bā shé
七 嘴 八 舌

everyone talking at once and offering their opinions (7 mouths 8 tongues)

D

yī xīn yī yì
一 心 一意

wholeheartedly (one heart one idea)

E

sì hǎi yī jiā
四海 一 家

united as one (four seas one family)

2. Tongue twister

Learn this tongue twister one line at a time.  Don’t give up until you can say each line without making any errors.

Saying

Translation

Audio files

Jiǔ ge jiǔmí “Nine Wine-Lovers”
Jiǔyuè jiǔ,    jiǔ ge jiǔmí hēzuì jiǔ.
九 月   九 ,九 个 酒迷  喝醉 酒 。
Jiǔ ge jiǔbēi jiǔ bēi jiǔ,
九 个 酒杯   九  杯 酒 ,
jiǔ ge jiǔmí hē jiǔ kǒu.
九 个 酒迷  喝 九 口 。
Jiǔ bēi jiǔ,    jiǔ jiǔ kǒu,
九  杯  酒 ,酒 九 口 ,
hēbà jiǔ ge jiǔmí zuì le jiǔ.
喝罢 九 个 酒迷 醉 了 酒 。

 

On September 9th, nine wine-lovers got drunk on wine.
Nine wine cups, nine cups of wine,
Nine wine-lovers drank nine cupfuls.
Nine cups of wine, nine cupfuls,
When they finished drinking, the nine wine-lovers were drunk.

3. The Happy Birthday Song Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè (祝你生日快乐)

In China, it is becoming common to sing the Happy Birthday Song to wish someone a happy birthday.  You know the tune, so learn the words and sing along. 


Zhù nǐ shēngri kuàilè.
祝你生日快乐。

Happy birthday to you

Zhù nǐ shēngri kuàilè.
祝你生日快乐。

(Literally: Wishing you a happy birthday.)

Zhù nǐ shēngri kuàilè.
祝你生日快乐。
Zhù nǐ shēngri kuàilè.
祝你生日快乐。

 

Quizzes

Listening and Speaking: Listening for Information

Pronunciation And Pinyin: Listen and Identify

Reading and Writing: Focus on Chinese Characters

Focus on Structure

Communicating through Reading and Writing