Mandarin Chinese Introductory Language Course (Using Pinyin)

 

In the online (.htm) version of this file Studies 1 to 3 include pronunciation of text linked to audio files.

The file titled “Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation Using Pinyin” only contains the same material as in these first three studies.
Click on a hyperlink character to hear its sound.
The audio files (.wav) used in this pronunciation course can be
downloaded from www.jaspell.uk/downloadsounds.htm, if needed for use offline.

 

Dictionaries are also available online at www.jaspell.uk 

 

The development of versions of this file is described a “History” below.


LIST OF CONTENTS

Studies

1      Pronunciation of individual and grouped characters

1.1   Individual sounds and their writing in Pinyin

1.2   Pronunciation of special vowel groups and syllables

1.3   Pronunciation of i depending on its context

1.4   Vowel tones and their tone marks in Pinyin

2      Greetings and appreciation, request and thanks; read

3      Presenting a message

4      Personal pronouns I, you, he, she, it; basic sentence construction

4.1   Sentence construction—subject and predicate

4.2   Sentence construction—conveying a verb for “being”

4.3   Sentence construction—with a verb other than for “being”

5      Plural formation of personal pronouns

6      Who? – questioning

7      What? — questioning; calling by name

8      shì – the verbal word for “being, be, am, is, are”; yíge – “a, an”

9      ma – “is it so?” forms questions from statements; hǎo ma? — O.K.?

10   hěn – very, indeed

11   – not, forming negative phrases

12   Auxilliary verbs: xiǎng — want to; xīwàng — wish, hope to

13   gěi — give; — take

14   Speaking; Indirect and Direct Object pronouns

15   zài – again

16   néng, huì, dào – can, to be able to

17   Close relatives and friends

18   Addition of xiē to form plurals of demonstrative pronouns

19   know; understand; sentence elements with action and object

20   thing, look, see

21   Review of words learned in Studies 1-20

22   de — of; …’s; …s’ possessive case

23   Sentence structure with Direct or Indirect Objects

24   — a device for relocating an Indirect Object to achieve emphasis

25   bèi — by, indicating the doer in a Passive Sentence

26   God; Jehovah; kěyǐ — permission; bùkě — prohibition

27   Measure words — more detail; ( + ) = yíge — “a, an”

28   de is added after more than one Hanzi character, as in hěn hǎo de rén

29   yǒu, méiyǒu — having; the Bible’s promised blessings

30   , lái, xué, xuéxí — go, come, study

31   Places, buildings, meetings

32   huì — future actions and times

33   Past actions and times

34   cónglái, cónglái bù, cónglái méi — ever, never

35   Yes and No

36   Connectives — and, but, or

37   More Connectives — therefore, because, whether

38   wèishénme? yīnwèi — reasoning why? because

39   yàoshi, jiǎrú, rúguǒ — Conditional Sentences — if…, then…

40   [zài] zhèr / zhèlǐ; nàr / nàlǐ [located] here, there

41   [zài] zhěr? / zhělǐ; nǎr?  / nǎlǐ — [located] where?

42   … de — that which …; huà — words; zhòngyào — important

43   zuò — [to] do, make; sit; ride; xūyào — [to] need [to]

44   yàng - manner; fāngfǎ - way; fāngshì - method; - means, road

45   Measure Words (MW) : běn, and fèn.  See also Study 28+

46   guānyú —about; bāngzhù — help; yòng— use

47   yàoshi …, … jiù …— If …, then … …: further examples

48   suǒ —what, that which; suǒyǒu —whatever there is; dōu—all

49   Review of Interrogatives— who? what? when? where? why?

50   More interrogatives— how? how much? whose? which?

51   Try [to]

52   Let; cause to; suffer problem conditions

53   Direction: to, from

54   Direction: through, by way of, in the name of, behalf

55   Purpose, for, due to

56   Position: [located] in, at, on

57   Position: up, down, inside, outside, ahead, behind, beside, near

58   Circumstances: before, with, during, after

59   Auxilliary verbs - desire [to]: like, enjoy, wish, hope, want

60   Auxilliary verbs – complusion: need to, must, should, ought to

61   Auxilliary Verbs – ability: may, can, try to, let, allow

62   Use of Verbs: help, live, return, visit, stay, meet, do

63   Use of Verbs: see, hear, read, write

64   Use of Verbs: love, understand, have, obtain, receive

65   de  and its various uses; Relatives and Correlatives

66   Measure Words (MW)

67   — Comparative; zuì — Superlative; gender

68   Numbers

69   Days, Months, and Dates

70   FREQUENTLY USED WORDS — Mandarin Chinese to English

71   FREQUENTLY USED WORDS — English to Mandarin Chinese

72   Review of Words Learned

 

APPENDICES

 

A     SENTENCE STRUCTURE

B     CONDUCTING A MEETING IN MANDARIN CHINESE

C     HEBREW-ARAMAIC SCRIPTURES

D     CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES

 

ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS (at www.jaspell.uk/learn_mandarin_language.htm )

 

i     PRONUNCIATION (WITH AUDIO FILES)

ii    EXERCISES

iii   INCREMENTAL PHRASE METHOD

iv   DICTIONARY – MANDARIN CHINESE TO ENGLISH

v    DICTIONARY – ENGLISH TO MANDARIN CHINESE

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

History of this file

 


 

STUDY 1

Pronunciation of individual and groups of characters

 

PRONUNCIATION 1.1 (Individual Sounds and Their Writing in Pinyin)

 

Pinyin script provides an approximate method for representing the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese using Roman characters with accents. Some letters are pronounced as in English, but others have very different sounds (as highlighted in the following chart). Pronunciation also varies in different regions of China, but the following guidance is generally acceptable.


 

INDIVIDUAL SOUNDS

Letters

Pronounciation

Position

 a 

a          as in “father”, “atone”

 

 b 

b          as in “bag”

 

 c 

ts        as in “bats”

 

 ch 

tsh    as in “hatshop”

 

 d 

d          as in “dog”

 

 e 

e          as in “her”

generally

 e 

e          as in “yes”, “yeah”

after “y”

 f 

f           as in “fun”

 

 g 

g          hard as in “get”

(not soft as in“gel”)

 h 

ch       gutturally as in “loch”

 

 i 

i            as in “sir”, “circle”, “chirp”

after c, ch, r, s, sh, z, zh

 i 

ee      as in “been”;

i            as in “bistro”

after b, d, j, l, m, n, p, q, t, x, y

 j 

j            as in “jam”

 

 k 

k          as in “kitchen”

 

 l 

l            as in “love”

 

 m 

m        as in “mug”

 

 n 

n          as in “nibble”

 

 o 

o          as in “or”

 

 p 

p          as in “pun”

 

 q 

chh   as in “matchhead”

 

 r 

r           rolled as in “curl”

 

 s 

s           as in “sat”

 

 sh 

sh       as in “rashly”

 

 t 

t           as in “top”

 

 u 

u          as in “boot”

(See group below)

 w 

w        as in “water”

 

 wu 

oo      as in   “pool”

not “wu”

 x 

s           as in “see”; 

hs       as in “aah, see!”

 

 y 

y          as in “yam”

 

 yi 

ee      as in “been”

yi is “i”, not “yi”

 z 

ds       as in “suds”

 

 zh 

dge   as in “hedgeless”

 

 

See also the table below about groups of vowels and syllables.

 

PRACTICE 1.1 (Pronunciation of Characters in Simple Syllables)

 

Read:  ba,  ca,  cha,  da,  e,  ye,  er,  fa,  ga,  ha,  yi,  bi,  ci,  ju,  ka,  la,  ma, na,  bo,  pa,  qu,  re,  sa,  sha,  ta,  wu,  bu,  wa,  xi,  ya,  yi,  za,  zha

 

Repeat

 

PRONUNCIATION 1.2 (Pronunciation of Special Vowel Groups)

 

See the following table titled: “Some Special Vowel Groups and Syllables”. 

Some groups are marked with an asterisk, “*”.  The following comments apply to these. 

If the vowel group starting in “i” occurs on its own, it needs to be written beginning with “y” instead of “i”. So, “ian” would be written as “yan”.

Similarly, a group on its own starting in “u” is written using a “w” instead of the “u”. So, “uan” is written as “wan”.

Some sound groups are easier recognizable for an English speaker: aisle; ban; bang; naos (sounding like now); eight; tiara; ring.

 


 

SOME SPECIAL VOWEL GROUPS AND SYLLABLES


Group

 

 

Sounds like…

en

 

 

urn or undo

eng

 

 

Bung

 i  (in ci, chi, ri, si, shi, zi,  zhi)

 

 

shirt (without r), zircon, adze

 i  (in bi, di, fi, ji, li, mi, ni, qi, ti, xi, yi)

 

 

been, deed, jeep, tee, see, eel

ia / ya

*

 

yarn, try a bit

ian / yan

*

 

yen, try any

iang / yang

*

 

 Young

iao / yao

*

 

Yowl

ie / ye

*

 

the air; ee-ye

iong / yong

*

 

Jung (German)

iu / you

*

 

Yoyo

 o 

 

 

fore, door

ong (after d, t, n, l, z, c, s, zh, ch, r, g, k, h)

 

 

jung (German); long

ou

 

 

Dough

u / wu

*

 

shoe, gnu, do

 u  (in lü, nü ) / yu

*

 

chew your food

 u  (in ju, qu, xu) / yu

*

 

chew your food

ua / wa

*

 

Wax

uai / wai

*

 

Wide

uan / wan

*

 

Won

uan (after j, q, x) / yuan

*

 

ú-yen; new end; innuendo

uang / wang

*

 

Wangle

ue (in lüe, nüe) / yue

*

 

ú-ye, new energy

ue (in jue, que, xue) / yue

*

 

ú-ye, new energy

(uei) / ui / wei

*

 

Weigh

un (after d, t, n, l, z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r, g, k, h) / wen

 

 

won, dun

(ueng) / weng

*

 

Swung

un (in jun, qun, xun) / yun

*

 

unique; German ú

uo / wo

 

 

Wall

 


PRACTICE 1.2 (Pronunciation of Special Vowel Groups and Syllables)

 

With the help of the table (of special vowel groups and syllables) given above please read these syllables:

 

Read:

en,  ben,  beng,  ci,  bi,  ya,  jia,  lia,  yian,  dian,  dianr,  yang,  liang, yao,  biao,  jiao,  ye,  bie,  jie,  xie,  yong,  jiong,  xiong,  you,  miu,  jiu,  o

 

Repeat

 

Read:

bo,  dong,  rong,  zhong,  wu,  bu,  yu,  ,  ,  ju,  qu,  wa,  zhua,  hua,  wai,  guai,  wan,  duan,  juan,  quan,  xuan,  wang,  huang,  chuang,  yue 

 

Repeat

 

Read:

lüe,  nüe,  jue,  xue,  wei,  dui,  zui,  wen,  dun,  hun,  yun,  jun,  xun,  wo,  duo,  shuo,  huo,  huor .

 

Repeat

 


PRONUNCIATION 1.3 (Pronunciation of “i” Depending on Its Context)

 

The vowel “i” may occur after some, but not all consonants. If the sound of the letter “i” occurs on its own, the sound is represented by “yi”.

 

The letter “i” can be pronounced in two different ways, depending on which sort of consonant it occurs with.  It is easier to remember which is right, if you register where in your mouth the first group is pronounced.

 

Note: c, ch, r, s, sh, z, and zh are a family of sounds. They are all pronounced in the roof of the mouth towards the front of the palate with the help of different amounts of pressure from the tongue.  With “r” the tongue barely touches the palate, whereas with “zh” the tongue is folded back there somewhat painfully.

 

WAYS TO PRONOUNCE “I” / “i”

 

 

 

 

 ci 

*

what sir did

bi

Been

 chi 

*

what churns around

di

Deed

 ri 

*

never irksome

ji

Jeep

 si 

*

sir

li

Leek

 shi 

*

shirt

mi

Meek

 zi 

*

zircon

ni

Need

 zhi 

*

adjourn

pi

Peek

 

 

 

qi

Cheek

 

 

 

ti

Tee

 

 

 

xi

“aah, see!”

 

 

 

yi

eel”

Repeat

 

 

Repeat

 

 

* If this “i” occurs with characters in the group in left hand column, but it occurs without a tonal mark — especially at the tail end of a word — it tends to be restrained. (Compare the end of English words like “sire”, “shire”, “adze”, “badge”, etc., in which the final vowel “e” is almost lost.)  For example, this applies to “shi”, but not to sh, sh, sh, or sh.

 


PRACTICE 1.3 (Varying Pronunciation of “i”)

 

With the help of the table given above please read these syllables:

 

 

Read:  bi,  ci,  chi,  di,  ji, li,  mi,  ni,  pi,  qi,  ri,  si,  shi, ti,  xi,  yi,  zi,  zhi.

 

Repeat

 


PRONUNCIATION 1.4 (Vowel Tones and Their Tone Marks in Pinyin)

 

Mandarin is pronounced with tones. These are indicated in Pinyin script by tone marks.

 

Mandarin

Tone

Pinyin

Tone mark

Description of Tone

Example

First tone

  ā

highest and level pitch

(mother)

Second tone

  á

starts high and rises

máfan (trouble)

Third tone

  ǎ

falls first and then rises

(horse)

Fourth tone

  à

starts high and then falls

(scold)

(Toneless)

a
(No mark)

unstressed or neutral

ma (eh, surely!)

 

 

 

Repeat

 

NOTE 1

When a third tone (…ˇ ) precedes another third tone, pronounce it as a second tone (…ˊ).  Hence “hěn hǎo” is pronounced ‘hén hǎo’.  Similarly, “ hǎo” is pronounced more like “ní hǎo”.

 

NOTE 2

Some words like “bù” change before a fourth tone syllable (…ˋ), such as “mà”, or before a toneless syllable, such as “ma”:  “bù” changes to “bú” in this context.

 


PRACTICE 1.4 (Pronunciation of Vowel Tones)

 

Read the following verses (from Galatians 5:22-23).

 

Lìng yì fāngmiàn,

shènglíng de guǒshí

yǒu

àixīn,

xǐlè,

hépíng,

On the other hand,

the fruitage of the spirit

is / have

love,

joy,

peace,

 

 

 

 

 

 

jiānrěn,

réncí,

liángshàn,

xìnxīn,

wēnhé,

zìzhì.

long-suffering,

kindness,

goodness,

faith,

mildness,

self-control.

 

Lìng yì fāngmiàn , shènglíng de guǒshí yǒu àixīn, xǐlè, hépíng, jiānrěn, réncí, liángshàn, xìnxīn, wēnhé, zìzhì.

 

PRACTICE 1.5 (Pronunciation of Vowel Tones)

 

Read:

 

Qǐng dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

Please read this good news.

Wǒ xīwàng gěi nǐ zhège tèbié qǐngtiě.

I'd like to give you this special invitation.

Xīwàng hěn kuài jiàndào nǐ!

See you soon! (Like very quickly get to see you.)

Zhù nǐ zǎo rì kāngfù!

‘Get well soon!’

 


DIALOGUE 1.1 (Pronunciation of Vowel Tones)

 

Read this dialogue as two persons, A and B:

 

 A 

Zǎoshàng hǎo

Good morning

 B 

Zǎoshàng hǎo.

Good morning

 A 

Hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nï

Nice to see you.

 B 

Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nǐ.

Nice to see you too.

 A 

Wǒ jiào X. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

I'm called X. What name are you called?

 B 

Wǒ jiào X.

I'm called X.

 A 

Wǒmen xīwàng xiǎngyǒu hépîng de shēngmìng, kěshì yǒu duō kùnnan.

We'd like to enjoy a life of peace, but we have much difficulty.

 B 

Duì!

Correct!

 A 

Wǒ xīwàng gěi nǐ zhèfèn qǐngtiě.

I'd like to give you this invitation.

 B 

Wèishénme?

For what?

 A 

Měi Xīngqīyī yǒu pǔtónghuà yòng de tǎolùn.

Each Monday there's a discussion using Mandarin.

 B 

Tǎolùn de huàtí shì shénme?

What is the topic?

 A 

Wǒmen xuéxí Shàngdì de yùyán. Tā shuō le Tā huì zěnyàng bāngzhù yìrén.

We study God's prophecy. He said how He will help righteous ones.

 B 

Zài nǎr?

Where?

 A 

Wǒ néng lái ràng nǐ dāché.

I can come and give you a lift by car.

 B 

Xièxie. Kěshì wǒ néng zǒulù.

Thanks. However, I can go on foot.

 


DIALOGUE 1.2 (Pronunciation of Vowel Tones)

 

Read this dialogue as two persons, A and B:

 

 A 

Nǐ xiǎng dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi ma?

Would you like to read this good news?

 B 

Hǎode

OK

 A 

Nǐ duì zhège huàtí gǎn xìngqù ma?

Are you interested in this topic?

 B 

Wǒ yǒu xìngqù liǎojiě. Kěshì guò yīhuǐr.

I'm interested in understanding. But later.

 A 

Zhè shì wǒde diànhuà hàomǎ.

Zhè shì wǒde yīmèir dìzhǐ.

This is my telephone number.

This is my email address.

 B 

Xièxie.

Thanks.

 A 

Nǐ néng gàosù wǒ nïde diànhuà hàomǎ hé dìzhǐ ma?

Could you tell me your telephone number and address?

 B 

Hǎode. Gěi nǐ.

OK. Here you are.

 A 

Míngtiān Yíngwén yòng de tǎolùn huì shì:

“Shàngdì duì nǐ hěn zhòngshì ma?”

Tomorrow the topic in English will be:

“Does God count you as important?”

 


 

STUDY 2

Greetings and appreciation; read

 

VOCABULARY 2.1 (Greetings, Request and Thanks)

 

Huānyíng!  *

Welcome!

Nǐ hǎo!

Hello! Hi! Howdy! How do you do!

pǔtōnghuà

Mandarin

 

 

Qǐng

Please!

[to] read

Xièxie!

Thanks!

Xièxie nín!

Thank you! (polite form)

 

* See guidance on Mandarin pronunciation and Pinyin script.

Check especially “h” in Pronunciation 1.1.

Check especially “q”, and “x” in Pronunciation 1.1.

Check tones and tonal marks in Pronunciation 1.4.

Remember, when a third tone (…ˇ) precedes another third tone, pronounce it as a second tone (…ˊ).  So, “nǐ hǎo” is pronounced more like “ní hǎo”.

ˉˊˇˋ

 

PRACTICE 2.1 (Greetings and Appreciation)

 

Nǐ hǎo!

Hi!

qǐng

Please

Qǐng dú

Please read.

Xièxie

Thanks!

pǔtōnghuà

Mandarin

Huānyíng

Welcome!

 


 

STUDY 3

Presenting a message; style awareness

 

VOCABULARY 3.1 (Messages)

 

zhè; zhèi

this (some person or thing here)

zhège

this (particular) …

nà …

that (some person or thing there)

nàge …

that (particular) …

hǎo

well, good fine

xiāoxi

news

xìnxī

information, message

qǐngtiě

invitation

 

(Remember, “h”  in “hǎo” is pronounced raspingly, like “ch” in Scottish “loch”)

(Pronounce “zh” in “zhè” like ‘dge’ in ‘hedgeless’. Curl back the tongue.)

 

GRAMMAR 3.1 (Style Awareness)

 

You may be able to discern subtle differences in how a word feels according to context.  Observe in the following example that “zhè” would feel too vague and general, so it’s good to add “-ge” to make the object in the sentence more specific.

 

The examples provided at the start of this course try to make meaningful sentences, but with only a few words learned at this stage, it is almost unavoidable that some of them lack some of the finer style you can achieve with a wider choice of words.

 

Qǐng dú zhè[ge].

Please read this [item].

 


INCREMENTAL CONSTRUCTION 3.1 (Messages)

 

Learn the following method or constructing a sentence incrementally.

 

Nǐ hǎo!

Hi!

Qǐng dú

Please read.

xiāoxi

news

hǎo xiāoxi

good news

zhège xiāoxi

this news

zhège hǎo xiāoxi

this good news

dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi

Read this good news

Qǐng dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi!

Please read this good news!

 

INCREMENTAL CONSTRUCTION 3.2 (Messages)

 

Nǐ hǎo!

Hi!

Qǐng dú

Please read.

qǐngtiě

invitation

hǎo qǐngtiě

good invitation

zhège qǐngtiě

this invitation

zhège hǎo qǐngtiě

this nice invitation

dú zhège hǎo qǐngtiě

read this nice invitation

Qǐng dú zhège hǎo qǐngtiě!

Please read this nice invitation!

Xièxie!

Thanks!

Xièxie nín!

Thank you! (polite form)

 


 

REVIEW 3.1

 

Greetings! / ‘Hello!’ / 

‘How are you?’

nǐ hǎo’! [- h is pronounced like ch in loch]

 

 

Please!

qǐng! [- q is lpronounced ike ch in chicken]

Read!

!

Please read …!

qǐng dú …!

 

 

information

xìnxī

this [a word used in place of a person or thing]

zhè [- zh is pronounced like dge in fudge]

this particular …

zhège … - g is like g in get

this information

zhège xìnxī

Please read this message.

Qǐng dú zhège xìnxī.

 

 

Please read this invitation.

Qǐng dú zhège qǐngtiě.

 

 

Thanks!

Xièxie!

Thank you! (polite form)

Xièxie nîn!

 


 

STUDY 4

Personal pronouns and basic sentence construction

 

VOCABULARY 4.1 (Personal Pronouns)

 

I

you

he, she, it

 

ACTIVITY 4.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Clap, repeat prompt: “Juanita”.  Get all to stand, pointing to oneself, to the adjacent person, or to another person further away.}

 

Imagine “Juanita” dancing to lively music played on stringed instruments. 

1. Do the following activity.

 

    wǒ    point to self (= 1st. person)

     nǐ     point to partner (= 2nd. person)

     tā     point to another (= 3rd. person)

 

2. Repeat singing and clapping.  

3. Repeat gesturing without singing.  

4. Repeat singing and clapping.

5. Repeat singing and gesturing.}

 


 

GRAMMAR 4.1 (Sentence Construction – Subject and Predicate)

 

Observe in the following examples how a sentence is made up of a Subject and its Predicate.  The Subject is, in effect, the doer of an action.  The action is conveyed by a doing word, a verb.  This action may or may not affect an object.  For further examples of sentence construction see Study 19.

 

 

GRAMMAR 4.2 (Sentence Construction – Conveying a Verb for “Being”)

 

In this first example, the action word, or verb, conveys the thought of “being”.  In some languages, as with Mandarin Chinese, the verb word indicating “being” can be omitted. Each of these sentences is simple, only having one clause, and this is a Main Clause.  In each of these simple Main Clauses there are a ‘subject’ (doer) and an adjective describing the doer.

 

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

 

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

DOER

ACTION

 

 

DOER

ACTION

 

[ ]

hǎo.

 

I

[am]

fine.

[ ]

hǎo.

 

You

[are]

fine.

[ ]

hǎo.

 

He, she or it

[is]

fine.

 

 

GRAMMAR 4.3 (Sentence Construction – With a Verb Not for “Being”)

 

In these second examples, the action word, or verb, conveys the thought of “reading”.  In one set the verb does not have an object.  The other does.

 

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

 

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

DOER

ACTION

OBJECT

 

DOER

ACTION

OBJECT

dú.

 

 

I

read.

 

dú.

 

 

You

read.

 

dú.

 

 

He, she or it

reads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tā.

 

I

read

it.

tā.

 

You

read

it.

tā.

 

He, she or it

reads

it.

 


 

ROUTINE 4.1

 

Form a variety of sentences using one choice from each of the three elements.

 

1

2

3

 

 

 

Qǐng

 

 

 

zhège xiāoxi

 

EXERCISE 4.1 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate into English:-

1. He reads.

2. Please read.

3. Please read it.

4. Please read this news.

5. I read it.

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 4.1

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

He reads.

Ta dú.

2.

Please read.

Qǐng dú.

3.

Please read it.

Qǐng dú tā.

4.

Please read this news.

Qǐng dú zhège xiāoxi.

5.

I read it.

Wǒ dú tā.

 


 

EXERCISE 4.2 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate into Mandarin:-

1. Nǐ dú.

2. Qǐng dú tā.

3. Tā dú zhège xiāoxi

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 4.2

 

(Practise these until you know them well.)

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Nǐ dú.

You read

2.

Qǐng dú tā.

Please read it.

3.

Tā dú zhège xiāoxi.

He reads this news.

 


 

STUDY 5

Plural formation of personal pronouns

 

VOCABULARY 5.1 (Plural Construction)

 

…men

…s (plural ending for persons )

 

GRAMMAR 5.1

 

The plural of words for personal pronouns and nouns for animate groupings is made by appending “men”.  This is similar to the appending of “s” in English.

 

Wǒmen

 

I

We

Nǐmen

 

You

YOU

Tāmen

 

He, she, it

They

 

EXAMPLES 5.1

 

Wǒ hǎo.

I [am] fine.

Nǐ dú.

You read.

Wǒmen hǎo.

We [are] fine.

Nǐmen dú.

YOU read.

 


ROUTINE 5.1

 

Form a variety of sentences using one choice from each of the three elements.

 

Wǒmen

Nǐmen

Tāmen

 

 

zhège xiāoxi

 

hǎo

 

PRACTICE 5.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of three}

 

Exchange statements using:-

wǒ, ní, tā, wǒmen, nǐmen, tāmen, hǎo, dú, zhège xiāoxi.

 


 

STUDY 6

Who? - questioning

 

VOCABULARY 6.1

 

shéi?

who?

 

GRAMMAR 6.1

 

Shéi [ ] hǎo?  *

Who [is] well?

Shéi dú tā?

Who reads it?

Shéi dú zhège qǐngtiě?

Who reads this invitation?

*  Note that the verb word indicating “being” has been omitted again.

 

ROUTINE 6.1

 

Create questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá) from the two elements.

 

Q

 

Shéi

dú?

 

hǎo?

 

Q

 

Who

reads?

 

is well?

A

Wǒmen

Nǐmen

Tāmen

 

 

 

hǎo

 

A

I

You

He, she, it

We

YOU

They

 

read

 

 

am/is/are well

 

ACTIVITY 6.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of three.}

 

Exchange statements using:-

wǒ, ní, tā, wǒmen, nǐmen, tāmen, shéi, hǎo, xiāoxi, qǐngtiě, dú.

 


 

STUDY 7

What? — questioning; calling by name

 

VOCABULARY 7.1

 

shénme?

what?

jiào

[to] call by a name; [to] be called by a name

míngzi; míng

name

 

GRAMMAR 7.1

 

Wǒ jiào Alan.

I'm called Alan.

Nǐ jiào shénme mingzi?

What name are you called?

Nǐ jiào Bill.

You are called Bill.

Tā jiào Colin.

He is called Colin.

Tāmen jiào shénme míngzi?

What is their name?

 

GRAMMAR 7.2

 

Nǐ dú shénme?

What are you reading?

Tā dú shénme xiāoxi?

He is reading what news?

Shénme hǎo xiāoxi?

What good news?

Shénme xiāoxi [ ] hǎo? *

What news [is] good?

*  Note that the verb word indicating “being” has been omitted again.

 

ACTIVITY 7.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

Act out roles of two persons.  Exchange names.  Exchange questions and statements using:-

wǒ, ní, tā, wǒmen, nǐmen, tāmen, shénme, etc.]

 

Wǒmen

Nǐmen

Tāmen

 

 

 

shénme?

 

hǎo xiāoxi!

 


 

STUDY 8

shì – the verbal word for “being, be, am, is, are”; yíge – “a, an”

 

VOCABULARY 8.1

 

shì

[to] be; am, are, is, be

yíge *

a, an (indefinite article )

* “yíge” is, in effect, a combination of “yī” (meaning “one”) and “gē”.  This “gē” is a measure word and the most common one, because you can get away with using it generally.  Later you will learn other measure words that are specific to particular nouns. (See Study 27.)

 

GRAMMAR 8.1

 

Nǐmen shì shéi?

Who are YOU?

Tā shì shénme?

What is it?

Zhè shì yíge qǐngtiě.

This is an invitation.

 

ACTIVITY 8.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

Act out roles of two persons.  Exchange questions and statements using one choice from each of the three sentence elements.

 

Wǒmen

Nǐmen

Tāmen

 

 

shì

shéi?

Ann

Bill

Colin …

 

*

 

* Here you could also say: “Yēhéhuá Jiànzhèngrén” : “Jehovah's Witness(es)”, for example.

 


DIALOGUE 8.1

 

Read this dialogue as two persons, A and B:

 

A

Nà shì shénme?

What is that?

B

shì yíge qǐngtiě!

That’s an invitation!

A

Zhè shì shénme qǐngtiě?

What invitation is this?

B

Zhège xìnxī shì hǎo xiāoxi!

This message is good news?

B

Qǐng dú nàge qǐngtiě.

Please read that invitation.

A

Xièxie.

Thanks.

B

Xièxie nín!

Thank you. (polite form)

 

EXERCISE 8.1

 

Translate into English:-

 

1.

Nà shì shénme?

 

2.

Nǐmen shì shéi?

 

3.

Nà shì shénme xìnxī?

 

4.

Nàge xiāoxi shì shénme?

 

5.

Zhè shì yíge xìnxī.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 8.1

 

(Practise these until you know them well.)

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Nà shì shénme?

What is that?

2.

Nǐmen shì shéi?

Who are YOU?

3.

Nà shì shénme xìnxī?

What message is that?

4.

Nàge xiāoxi shì shénme?

What is that news?

5.

Zhè shì yíge xìnxī.

This is a message.

 


EXERCISE 8.2

 

Translate into Mandarin:-

 

1.

This invitation is good news.

 

2.

That is an invitation?

 

3.

Please read that invitation.

 

4.

What message?

 

5.

That message.

 

6.

What message is it?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 8.2

 

(Practise these until you know them well.)

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

This invitation is good news.

Zhège qǐngtiě shì hǎo xiāoxi.

2.

That is an invitation?

shì yíge qǐngtiě?

3.

Please read that invitation.

Qǐng dú nàge qǐngtiě.

4.

What message?

Shénme xìnxī?

5.

That message.

Nàge xìnxī.

6.

What message is it?

Tā shì shénme xìnxī?

 


 

STUDY 9

ma – “is it so?” to form a question from a statement; hǎo ma? — O.K.?

 

VOCABULARY 9.1

 

ma?

mm, eh, surely, is it so?

… hǎo ma?

…, O.K.? (…, is it good with you?)

 

NOTE: “… ma?” is added to a sentence to convert it from a statement to a question.

 

EXAMPLES 9.1

 

Wǒ hǎo ma?

How am I? I'm O.K., eh?

Am I well?

Nǐ hǎo ma? *

You're O.K., mm? How are you? *

Nǐ dú tā ma?

Do you read this?

Zhège xiāoxi hǎo ma?

Is this news good?

 

 

Qǐng dú zhège qǐngtiě, hǎo ma?

Would you read this invitation?

(Please read this invitation, O.K.?

 

* Note that this is asking how “you” are and differs from “Nǐ hǎo”.

 

PRACTICE 9.1

 

Convert these questions into plain statements.

 

Wǒ hǎo ma?

How am I? I'm O.K., eh?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

You're O.K., mm? How are you?

Tā hǎo ma?

Is it O.K.? It's fine, mm? He's well?

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

How are we? We're O.K., surely?

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

How are you? YOU're fine, eh?

Tāmen hǎo ma?

How are they? They're O.K., mm?

 


PRACTICE 9.2

 

Convert these statements into questions by using “ma?”

 

 

Wǒ hǎo.

I'm O.K.

Nǐ hǎo.

You're O.K.

Tā hǎo.

It's fine. / He's well

Wǒmen hǎo.

We're O.K.

Nǐmen hǎo.

YOU're fine.

Tāmen hǎo.

They're O.K.

 

PRACTICE 9.3

 

Convert these statements from singular person to plural person.

 

Wǒ hǎo.

I'm O.K.

Nǐ hǎo.

You're O.K.

Tā hǎo.

It's fine. / He's well

 

PRACTICE 9.4

 

Convert these questions from plural person to singular person.

 

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

How are we? We're O.K., surely?

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

How are you? YOU're fine, eh?

Tāmen hǎo ma?

How are they? They're O.K., mm?

 


PRACTICE 9.5

 

Converse using questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá).

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

ANSWERS

1.

Wǒ hǎo ma?

1.

Nǐ hǎo!

2.

Nǐ hǎo ma?

2.

Wǒ hǎo!

3.

Tā hǎo ma?

3.

Tā hǎo!

4.

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

4.

Nǐmen hǎo!

5.

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

5.

Wǒmen hǎo!

6.

Tāmen hǎo ma?

6.

Tāmen hǎo!

 

REVIEW 9.1

 

well, good

hǎo

I

I [am] well

Wǒ [ ] hǎo

you

You [are] well.

Nǐ [ ] hǎo

he, she, it

He [is] well.

Tā [ ] hǎo

we

wǒmen

We [are] well.

Wǒmen [ ] hǎo

YOU

nǐmen

YOU [are] well.

Nǐmen [ ] hǎo

they

tāmen

They [are] well.

Tāmen [ ] hǎo

…, is it so?

… ma?

I [am] well, is it so?

wǒ [ ] hǎo ma?

You [are] well, are you?

Nǐ [ ] hǎo ma?

 


 

STUDY 10

hěn – very, indeed

 

VOCABULARY 10.1

 

hěn

very, ‘is very’, ‘is indeed’

 

GRAMMAR 10.1

 

Wǒ hěn hǎo! *

I sure [am] fine! I['m] very well.

Wǒ bù hǎo.

I [am] not well.

Wǒ bù hěn hǎo. *

I [am] not very well.

 

* Remember, when a third tone (…â) precedes another third tone, pronounce it as a second tone (…á).  Hence “hěn hǎo” is pronounced like ‘hén hǎo’.

 

ROUTINE 10.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

 Exchange names.  Converse using questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá)

 

 

Wǒ hǎo ma?

 

Nǐ hěn hǎo!

 

Nǐ hǎo ma?

 

Wǒ hǎo.

 

Tā hǎo ma?

 

Tā hěn hǎo!

 

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

 

Wǒmen hěn hǎo!

 

Tāmen hǎo ma?

 

Tāmen bù hǎo!

 


 

STUDY 11

– not, forming negative phrases

 

VOCABULARY 11.1

 

bù (bú before a fourth tone syllable   ã or before a toneless syllable)

not, not want to, No

 

GRAMMAR 11.1

 

Wǒ hěn hǎo!

I sure [am] fine! I [am] very well.

Wǒ bù hǎo.

I [am] not well.

Wǒ bù hěn hǎo.

I [am] not very well.

 

Remember, when a third tone (…â) precedes another third tone, pronounce it as a second tone (…á).  Hence “hěn hǎo” is pronounced like ‘hén hǎo’.

 

ROUTINE 11.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

Converse using questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá).

 

1.

Wǒ hǎo ma?

1.

Nǐ hěn hǎo!

2.

Nǐ hǎo ma?

2.

Wǒ bù hǎo.

3.

Tā hǎo ma?

3.

Tā hěn hǎo!

4.

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

4.

Nǐmen bù hǎo!

5.

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

5.

Wǒmen hěn hǎo!

6.

Tāmen hǎo ma?

6.

Tāmen bù hǎo!

7.

Tāmen hǎo ma?

7.

Tāmen bù hěn hǎo!

 


EXERCISE 11.1 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into English:-

 

1.

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

 

2.

Nǐmen bù hǎo!

 

3.

Tā hǎo ma?

 

4.

Tāmen bù hěn hǎo!

 

5.

Wǒmen hěn hǎo!

 

6.

Tāmen bù hǎo.

 

7.

Tāmen hǎo ma?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 11.1

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Wǒmen hǎo ma?

Are we O.K.?

2.

Nǐmen bù hǎo!

YOU are not well!

3.

Tā hǎo ma?

Is he well?

4.

Tāmen bù hěn hǎo!

They are not very well!

5.

Wǒmen hěn hǎo!

We are very well!

6.

Tāmen bù hǎo.

They are not O.K.

7.

Tāmen hǎo ma?

Are they alright?

 


EXERCISE 11.2 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

You are very fine!

 

2.

I’m not O.K.

 

3.

It’s great!

 

4.

How are you?

 

5.

How are YOU?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 11.2

 

These translations are quite flexible, loosely mixing the words “O.K., “fine”, “great”, “well”, etc.  Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

You are very fine!

Nǐ hěn hǎo!

2.

I’m not O.K.

Wǒ bù hǎo.

3.

It’s great!

Tā hěn hǎo!

4.

How are you?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

5.

How are YOU?

Nǐmen hǎo ma?

 


 

STUDY 12

Auxilliary verbs: xiǎng — want to; xīwàng — wish, hope to

 

VOCABULARY 12.1

 

xiǎng

[to] want to, intend, think [about]; would like to

xīwàng

[to] wish, hope, would like [to]

 

GRAMMAR 12.1

 

Wǒ xiǎng dú zhège qǐngtiě.

I'd like to (want to) read this invitation.

Wǒmen xīwàng dú nàge xìnxī.

We would like (wish we could) read that information.

 

PRACTICE 12.1

 

Nǐ xiǎng dú zhège xìnxī ma?

Would you like to read this information?

Bù xiǎng.

No. (=No, I don’t want to.)

Nǐ hǎo! Qǐng dú nàge xìnxī, hǎo ma?

Hi! Would you [like] to read this information(, O.K.)?

Wǒ xiǎng dú nàge xìnxī.

I'd like to read this information.

 

 

Wǒmen hěn xīwàng dú hǎo xiāoxi.

We'd really would like to read good news.

 

EXERCISE 12.1 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into English:-

 

1.

Wǒ xīwàng dú nàge xìnxī.

 

2.

Tā xīwàng dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

 

3.

xiǎng dú zhège qǐngtiě ma?

 

4.

Xiǎng xiǎng?

 

5.

xiǎng.

 

 


ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 12.1

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Wǒ xīwàng dú nàge xìnxī.

I'd like to read that information.

2.

Tā xīwàng dú zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

He'd like to read this good news.

3.

xiǎng dú zhège qǐngtiě ma?

Would you like to read this invitation?

4.

Xiǎngxiǎng?

Would [you] like to or not [like to]?

5.

xiǎng.

No. (=No, I wouldn't [like to].)

 

EXERCISE 12.2 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

We would like to read good news.

 

2.

They don’t want to read that message.

 

3.

Would you like to read it or not?

 

4.

I would very much like to.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 12.2

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

We would like to read good news.

Wǒmen xīwàng dú hǎo xiāoxi.

2.

They don’t want to read that message.

Tāmen bù xiǎng dú nàge xìnxī.

3.

Would you like to read it or not?

xiǎng xiǎng dú tā?

4.

I would very much like to.

[Wǒ] Hěn xiǎng.

 


 

STUDY 13

gěi — give; — take

 

VOCABULARY 13.1

 

gěi

[to] give

[to] take

 

GRAMMAR 13.2

 

Wǒmen gěi nǐmen tā.

We give YOU it.

Wǒ gěi nǐ hǎo xiāoxi.

I give you good news.

Tāmen ná zhège hǎo qǐngtiě.

They take this nice invitation.

 

PRACTICE 13.2

 

Wǒ xiǎng gěi nǐ tā.

I'd like to give you it (that).

Tā xiǎng gěi wǒmen zhège xìnxī.

He'd like to give us this information.

Nǐ xiǎng ná tā ma?

Would you like to take it?

Bù xiǎng.

No. (=No, I wouldn't [like to].)

 

EXERCISE 13.1 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into English:-

 

 

EXERCISE

 

ANSWER

1.

xiǎng ná zhège qǐngtiě ma?

1.

 

2.

Qǐng gěi wǒ nàge xìnxī.

2.

 

3.

Ná tā.

3.

 

4.

Tā gěi wǒ hǎo xiāoxi.

4.

 

 


ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 13.1

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

xiǎng ná zhège qǐngtiě ma?

Would you like to take this invitation?

2.

Qǐng gěi wǒ nàge xìnxī.

Please give me that information.

3.

Ná tā.

Take it.

4.

Tā gěi wǒ hǎo xiāoxi.

It [or he, she] gives me good news.

 

EXERCISE 13.2 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

I give him this news.

 

2.

Give me it.

 

3.

I would like to give you this information.

 

4.

Please take this invitation.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 13.2

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

I give him this news.

Wǒ gěi tā zhège xiāoxi.

2.

Give me it.

Gěi wǒ tā.

3.

I would like to give you this information.

xiǎng gěi nǐ zhège xìnxī.

4.

Please take this invitation.

Qǐng ná zhège qǐngtiě.

 


 

STUDY 14

Speaking; Indirect and Direct Object pronouns

 

VOCABULARY 14.1

 

shuō

[to] speak, say

shuōhuà

[to] discuss, talk

gàosu

[to] tell

pǔtōnghuà

Mandarin

Pīnyīn

a Romanized form of writing Mandarin [as used in this course]

Hànzì

the writing of Chinese in pictographic characters [not used in this course]

 

GRAMMAR 14.1 (Indirect and Direct Object Pronouns)

 

The Indirect and Direct Object pronouns are the same as the Nominative Case in Mandarin Chinese.  This means that “me” is, in effect, translated as “I” in a sentence like “You tell me”: “Nǐ gàosu wǒ”.

 

Tā shuō pǔtōnghuà.

He (or she) speaks Mandarin.

Nǐ shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

Do you speak Mandarin?

Wǒ bù shuō pǔtōnghuà.

I do not speak Mandarin.

Wǒmen gàosu nǐmen hǎo xiāoxi.

We tell YOU good news.

Qǐng gàosu wǒ, nǐ shì shéi?

Please tell me, who are you?

Wǒ xiǎng shuōhuà.

I would like (want) to talk.

 


ROUTINE 14.1

 

Create questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá) using some of these words.

 

shéi

 

 

 

 

?

 

 

[bù]

 

 

xīwàng

gàosu

 

 

 

wǒmen

nǐmen

 

 

xiǎng

 

gěi tāmen

 

zhège hǎo xiāoxi

 

 

ma?

 

 

 

shuōhuà

 

 


 

STUDY 15

zài – again

 

VOCABULARY 15.1

 

zài

again

 

GRAMMAR 15.1

 

The word “zài”, when it means “again”, is placed in front of the action that is to be repeated.

 

zài dú

read again

Qǐng zài dú tā.

Please read it again.

Nǐ xiǎng zài dú ma?

Would you like to read again.

Qǐng zài gàosu wǒ tā.

Please tell me it again.

 


 

STUDY 16

néng, huì – can, to be able to

 

VOCABULARY 16.1

 

néng

[to] be able to; can

huì

[to] be able to; can

dào

[to] be able to attain / accomplish; can

NOTE: “huì” is also used like “will” to express future actions.

 

GRAMMAR 16.1

 

Tā néng shuō pǔtōnghuà.

He [or she] can speak Mandarin.

Nǐ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

Can you speak Mandarin?

Nǐmen huì bú huì dú Hànzì? *

Can you [or can you not] read Hanzi?

*  Remember, “bù” needs to change to “bú” in front of “huì”.

 

PRACTICE 16.1

 

Wǒ néng dú tā.

I can read it.

Nǐ néng dú tā ma?

Can you read it?

Tā bù néng dú zhège xiāoxi.

He cannot read this news.

Tā bú huì dú tā.

He cannot read it.

 

PRACTICE 16.2

 

Tā néng dú Hànzì.

He (or she) can read Hanzi.

Nǐ huì dú Hànzì ma?

Can you read Hanzi?

Wǒ néng dú Pīnyīn.

I can read Pinyin.

Wǒ néng dú pǔtōnghuà.

I can read Mandarin.

Nǐ néng dú Hànzì ma?

Can you read Hanzi?

Wǒ bù néng dú Hànzì.

I cannot read Hanzi.

 


PRACTICE 16.3

 

Wǒ bù néng dú pǔtōnghuà.

I cannot read Mandarin.

Nǐ néng dú Hànzì ma?

Can you read Hanzi?

Tāmen bù xiǎng dú Pīnyīn.

They don't want to read Pinyin.

Tāmen xīwàng dù Hànzì.

They wish [they could] to read Hanzi.

Wǒmen bú huì dú Hànzì.  *

We cannot read Hanzi.

Wǒmen xīwàng néng dú Hànzì.

We'd like to be able to read Hanzi.

*  Remember, “bù” must change to “bú” in front of “huì”.

 

ROUTINE 16.1

 

Create questions (wèntí) and answers (huídá) using some of these words.

 

shéi

 

 

 

 

?

 

[bù]

 

[bú]

néng

huì

 

gàosu

 

zhège hǎo xiāoxi

 

wǒmen

 

xiǎng

 

xīwàng

 

 

gěi tāmen

 

ma?

 

ACTIVITY 16.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

Converse using néng, huì, xiǎng, xīwàng, dú, shuō, pǔtōnghuà, Pīnyīn, Hànzì, zài.]

 


ROUTINE 16.2

 

Repeat incrementally at speed the following sets of words.

 

Qǐng.................shuō.................Qǐng shuō pǔtōnghuà

 

huì

      Wǒ huì

      shuō

                 Wǒ huì shuō

                  pǔtōnghuà

                                      Wǒ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà

                                      ma?

                                                                          Wǒ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

huì

       Nǐ huì

       shuō

                Nǐ huì shuō

                pǔtōnghuà

                                      Nǐ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà

                                      ma?

                                                                           Nǐ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

huì

       Tā huì

        shuō

                  Tā huì shuō

                   pǔtōnghuà

                                      Tā huì shuō pǔtōnghuà

                                      ma?

                                                                           Tā huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

 


 

STUDY 17

Close relatives and friends

 

VOCABULARY 17.1

 

rén

person, man

péngyou

friend

dìxiōng

brother

jiěmèi,  zǐmèi

sister

dìxiōng jiěmèi

brothers and sisters

dìxiōngmen

brothers

 

 

jiātíng

family

fùmǔ

parents

màma; mǔ qīn

mother

bàba; fù qīn

father

xiāoháir

child

érzi

son

nǚ’ér

daughter

 

GRAMMAR 17.1

 

When speaking about one’s close relative, there is no need to use a grammatical possessive form (my, etc.).  Full construction of Possessive forms is explained later, including the use of “de”.

 

Zhè shì shéi?

Who is this?

Tā shì wǒ dìxiōng.

He is my brother.

Tāmen shì wǒ dìxiōngmen.

They are my brothers.

Nǐ jiěmèi néng dú tā.

Your sister can read it.

Zhège péngyou shì wǒ dìxiōng.

This friend is my brother.

Nàge rén shì shéi?

Who is that person?

 


PRACTICE 17.1

 

Qǐng dú zhè[ge].

Please read this [item].

Zhè shì shéi?

Who is this?

Nǐ xiǎng gàosu wǒ tā ma?

Would you like to tell me it?

Tā shì wǒ dìxiōng.

He is my brother.

Zhè shì shénme?

What is this?

Wǒ xiǎng shuō tā.

I'd like to say it.

Zhè shì hǎo xiāoxi

This is good news.

 

PRACTICE 17.2

 

Nǐ néng dú zhè[ge] ma?

Can you read this?

Zhè shì wǒ jiěmèi.

This is my sister.

Wǒ xiǎng gàosu nǐ zhè[ge].

I'd like to tell you this.

Shéi shuō zhè?

Who says this?

Nǐ dìxiōng huì dú zhège qǐngtiě.

Your brother can read this invitation.

Zhège péngyou shì wǒ dìxiōng.

This friend is my brother.

 


EXERCISE 17.1 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into English:-

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Tā shì wǒ dìxiōng.

 

2.

Nǐ jiěmèi néng dú tā.

 

3.

Nǐ xiǎng shuō tā ma?

 

4.

Nàge péngyou shì wǒ dìxiōng.

 

5.

Tāmen xiǎng gàosu nǐ zhè[ge].

 

6.

Wǒ shì nǐ dìxiōng.

 

7.

Tā jiěmèi shuō zhè.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 17.1

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

Tā shì wǒ dìxiōng.

He is my brother.

2.

Nǐ jiěmèi néng dú tā.

Your sister can read it.

3.

Nǐ xiǎng shuō tā ma?

Would you like to read it?

4.

Nàge péngyou shì wǒ dìxiōng.

That friend is my brother.

5.

Tāmen xiǎng gàosu nǐ zhè[ge].

They'd like to tell you this.

6.

Wǒ shì nǐ dìxiōng.

I am your brother.

7.

Tā jiěmèi shuō zhè.

His sister says this.

 


EXERCISE 17.2 (See Answers below.)

 

Translate the following examples into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

That sister tells me this good news.

 

2.

Who is this person?

 

3.

That person can tell them.

 

4.

Our brothers and sisters would like to give YOU this information.

 

5.

Who is your brother?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 17.2

 

Practise these, if you need to.

 

 

EXERCISE

ANSWER

1.

That sister tells me this good news.

Nàge jiěmèi gàosu wǒ zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

2.

Who is this person?

Zhège rén shì shéi?

3.

That person can tell them.

Nàge rén huì gàosu tāmen.

4.

Our brothers and sisters would like to give YOU this information.

Wǒmen dìxiōng jiěmèi xiǎng gěi nǐmen zhège xìnxī.

5.

Who is your brother?

Nǐ dìxiōng shì shéi?

 


 

STUDY 18

Addition of xiē to form plurals of demonstrative pronouns

 

VOCABULARY 18.1

 

...xiē *

...se (plural determiner); some

yìxiē

some

zhèxiē

these; these ones

nàxiē

those; those ones

* Note, remember to pronounce ‘x’ rather like ‘hss’ or the ‘s’ in ‘see’, but

   Pronounce ‘sh’ like the English ‘sh’ in ‘rashly’.

 

GRAMMAR 18.1

 

zhèxiē rén

shì

hǎo péngyou.

These persons are good friends.

zhèxiē

shì

hǎo péngyou.

These are good friends.

nàxiē

shì

hǎo rén.

Those are good persons.

nàxiē péngyou

shì

wǒ dìxiōng jiěmèi.

Those friends are my brothers and sisters.

 

ACTIVITY 18.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three to do the following activities.}

 

Using the structure of  Columns 1, 2, and 3 the first person makes up a sentence from the language learned up to now.  The next person  this from singular to plural or from plural to singular.

 


 

STUDY 19

know; understand; sentence elements

 

zhīdao

[to] know, have knowledge of a fact

rènshi

[to] know, be acquainted with (a person, the personality behind a name)

dǒng

[to] understand

míngbai *

[to] see clearly, understand

 

* míngbai =“clear”+“white”

 

GRAMMAR 19.1 (Sentence Elements)

 

For previous discussion of sentence construction, see Grammar 4.1.  The following groups of examples demonstrate the breakdown of any sentence strictly into Subject (Doer) and Predicate (composed of Action and Object).  Word order is more or less the same in Mandarin Chinese as in English.

 

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

 

DOER

ACTION

OBJECT

shì

wǒ dìxiōng.

He is my brother.

zhīdao.

 

You know.

zhīdao

tā.

You know it.

zhīdao

nǐ shì shéi.

I know who you are.

xīwàng zhīdao

zhè shì shénme.

I would like to know what this is.

Tāmen

bù zhīdao

zhège hǎo xiāoxi shì shénme.

They do not know what this good news is.

Nǐ jiěmèi

zhīdao

wǒmen shūo tā.

Your sister knows we say it.

zhīdao

xiǎng dú zhège xìnxī.

I know you would like to read this information.

 


 


rènshi

nǐ.

I know you.

bú rènshi

tā.

You don't know him.

Zhèxiē péngyou

bú rènshi

nǐ dìxiōng.

These friends do not know your brother.

Nǐ dìxiōng jiěmèi

rènshi

zhège péngyou ma?

Do your brothers and sisters know this friend?

nàxiē rén

rènshi

zhèxiē jiěmèi.

Those people know these sisters.

 

míngbai.

 

I understand.

Tāmen

míngbai

zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

They understand this good news.

[Nǐ]

Dǒng bù dǒng?

 

Do [you] understand [or do you not understand]?

míngbai

pǔtōnghuà

He understands Mandarin.

míngbai

pǔtōnghuà ma?

Do you understand Mandarin?

Tāmen

bù míngbai

zhège qǐngtiě.

They do not understand this invitation.

 

ACTIVITY 19.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Students split into groups of two or three.}

 

Work on the Mandarin Chinese in Columns 1, 2, and 3 of the above tables.

 

Taking turns, one person says the Mandarin already given; then the next person turns a statement into a question by adding “ma?” or turns a question into a statement.  The next person translates this into English.  The next converts the Mandarin from singular to plural or from plural to singular.

 


ACTIVITY 19.2

 

Another student says one of the grammar examples in the Mandarin already given in the above tables; then next person says the negative of this by putting “bù/bú” in front of “shì”, “zhīdao”, “dǒng”,  míngbai” or “rènshi”, or says the affirmative by removing “bù/bú”.

 

ACTIVITY 19.3

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor: Read to students all together.}

 Get a good reader to read sentences in the Grammar 19 tables, and students write them down in Mandarin Chinese using Pinyin.

 

EXERCISE 19.1 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into English:-

 

1.

zhīdao.

 

 

2.

Nǐmen

zhīdao

wǒ shì shéi.

 

3.

Nǐmen

bù zhīdao

zhège hǎo xiāoxi shì shénme.

 

4.

zhīdao

xiǎng dú zhège xìnxī.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.1

 

1.

zhīdao.

 

He/she knows.

2.

Nǐmen

zhīdao

wǒ shì shéi.

YOU know who I am.

3.

Nǐmen

bù zhīdao

zhège hǎo xiāoxi shì shénme.

YOU do not know what this good news is.

4.

zhīdao

xiǎng dú zhège xìnxī.

You know I would like to read this information.

 


EXERCISE 19.2 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

I know it.

 

 

 

2.

They would like to know what this is.

 

 

 

3.

Your brother knows we say it.

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.2

 

1.

I know it.

zhīdao

tā.

2.

They would like to know what this is.

Tāmen

xīwàng zhīdao

zhè shì shénme.

3.

Your brother knows we say it.

Nǐ dìxiōng

zhīdao

wǒmen shūo tā.

 

EXERCISE 19.3 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into English:-

 

1.


rènshi

tā.

 

2.

Nàxiē péngyou

bú rènshi

nǐ jiěmèi.

 

3.

Zhèxiē rén

rènshi

wǒmen.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.3

 

1.


rènshi

tā.

I know him.

2.

Nàxiē péngyou

bú rènshi

nǐ jiěmèi.

Those friends do not know your sister.

3.

Zhèxiē rén

rènshi

wǒmen.

These people know us.

 


EXERCISE 19.4 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

You don't know me.

 

 

 

2.

Do his brothers and sisters know that person?

 

 

 

3.

They do not know your brother.

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.4

 

1.

You don't know me.

bú rènshi

wǒ.

2.

Do his brothers and sisters know that person?

Tā dìxiōng jiěmèi

rènshi

nàge rén ma?

3.

They do not know your brother.

Tāmen

bú rènshi

nǐ dìxiōng.

 

EXERCISE 19.5 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into English:-

 

1.

míngbai

zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

 

2.

bù míngbai

pǔtōnghuà

 

3.

bù míngbai

nàge xìnxī.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.5

 

1.

míngbai

zhège hǎo xiāoxi.

I understand this good news.

2.

bù míngbai

pǔtōnghuà

He does not understand Mandarin.

3.

bù míngbai

nàge xìnxī.

I do not understand this information.

 


EXERCISE 19.6 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

We understand.

 

 

 

2.

Do [you] understand [or do you not understand]?

 

 

 

3.

Do they understand Mandarin?

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 19.6

 

1.

We understand.

Wǒmen

míngbai.

 

2.

Do [you] understand [or do you not understand]?

[Nǐ]

Dǒng bù dǒng?

 

3.

Do they understand Mandarin?

Tāmen

míngbai

pǔtōnghuà ma?

 


 

STUDY 20

thing, look, see

 

VOCABULARY 20.1

 

dōngxi

thing; things

niàn

[to] read (aloud)

kàn

[to] look, watch; read (silently)

kànjiàn

[to] see; observe; get sight of

 

GRAMMAR 20.1

 

Qǐng kàn nàge xìnxī.

Please look at that information.

Qǐng kàn zhège dōngxi.

Please look at this thing.

Nàge dōngxi shì shénme?

What is that thing?

Wǒ xiǎng kàn tā.

I'd like to look at it.

Nǐ kànjiàn nàge rèn ma?

Do you [get to] see that person?

Tāmen xiǎng nǐ niàn zhège qǐngtiě.

They would like you to read this invitation (aloud).

 

PRACTICE 20.1

 

Nǐ néng kànjiàn nàge dōngxi ma?

Can you [get to] see that thing?

Zhège dōngxi shì hǎo xiāoxi.

This thing is good news.

Wǒ xiǎng gàosu nǐ zhè (ge).

I'd like to tell you this (matter).

Shéi shuō zhège xìnxī?

Who says this information?

Nǐ dìxiōng néng dú zhège qǐngtiě ma?

Can your brother read this invitation?

Zhège péngyou shì wǒ dìxiōng.

This friend is my brother.

Tā huì niàn Hànzì.

He can read out Hanzi.

 


PRACTICE 20.2

 

Nǐ néng dú zhè(ge) ma?

Can you read this?

Zhè shì wǒ jiěmèi.

This is my sister.

Wǒ xīwàng kàn nàge qǐngtiě.

I'd like to have a look at that invitation.

Zhè shì shéi?

Who is this?

Tā shì wǒ dìxiōng.

He is my brother.

Qǐng niàn zhège xìnxī.

Please ring out this message.

 


 

STUDY 21

Review of words learned in Studies 1-20

 

VOCABULARY 21.1 (Review of Words Learned)

 

This is a review of all the vocabularies covered in Studies 1-20.

See Study 1 for guidance on Mandarin pronuciation and Pinyin script.

Check especially tones and tonal marks in Pronunciation 1.4.

 

English to Mandarin Chinese in Pinyin

 

English

Mandarin Chinese in Pinyin

Study

‘Hello!’ /  Greetings! /

‘How are you?’

Nǐ hǎo!

2

‘How are you?’ / Greetings! / ‘Hello!’

Nǐ hǎo!

2

able to attain or accomplish; can

dào

16

able (be able to; can)

huì, néng

16

able (be able to; can)

néng, huì

16

again

zài

15

answer

dáfù (See also: huídá)

6

answer

huídá (See also: dáfù)

6

be (am, is, are)

shì

8

brother

dìxiōng

17

brothers

dìxiōngmen

17

brothers and sisters

dìxiōng jiěmèi

17

call by a name; [to] be called by a name

jiào

7

can; be able to attain or accomplish

dào

 

can, be able to

huì, néng

16

can, be able to

néng, huì

16

child

érzi

17

daughter

nǚ’ér

17

discuss

shuōhuà

14

Do [you] understand?

Dǒng bù dǒng?

19

family

jiātíng

17

father

fùmǔ

17

fine

hǎo

3

friend

péngyou

17

give

gěi

13

good

hǎo

3

Greetings! / ‘Hello!’ / 

‘How are you?’

Nǐ hǎo!

2

Hanzi (the writing of Chinese in pictographic characters, not used in this course)

Hànzì

14

he

4

hope, wish, would like [to]

xīwàng

12

I

4

indeed

hěn

10

information

xìnxī

3

invitation

qǐngtiě

3

is it so?

ma?

9

it

4

Jehovah

Yēhéhuá

8

Jehovah's Witness(es)

Yēhéhuá Jiànzhèngrén

8

know (person)

rènshi

19

look at

kàn

20

Mandarin

pǔtōnghuà

2

message

xìnxī

3

message; news

xiāoxi

3

mm, is it so?

ma?

9

mother

màma; mǔ qīn

17

name

míng; míngzi

7

name

míngzi; míng

7

news; message

xiāoxi

3

not

bù (Note: bú before 4th tone, such as shì)

11

O.K.?

hǎo ma?

9

parents

fùmǔ

17

people, person

rén

17

person, people

rén

17

Pinyin (a Romanized form of writing Mandarin, as used in this course)

Pīnyīn

14

Please!

qǐng!

2

Please …, O.K.?

Qǐng …, hǎo ma?

9

question

wèntí

6

read

dú (See also: kàn)

2

read (silently)

kàn (See also: dú)

20

read aloud

niàn (See also dú)

20

s (…s) (Plural ending)

men (…men)

5

say, speak

shuō

14

se (...se, plural determiner); some

xiē (...xiē)

18

see clearly; understand

míngbai

19

see; observe; get sight of

kànjiàn

20

several, some

yìxiē

18

sister

jiěmèi,  zǐmèi

17

sister

zǐmèi, jiěmèi

17

some, several

yìxiē

18

son

érzi

17

speak, say

shuō

14

surely

hěn

10

take

13

talk

shuōhuà

14

tell

gàosu

14

Thank you! (polite form)

Xièxie nín!

2

Thanks!

xièxie!

2

that (pronoun)

3

that …

nàge …

3

these

zhèxiē

18

these …

zhèxiē …

18

they

tāmen

4

thing; things

dōngxi

20

this (pronoun)

zhè; zhèi

3

this (pronoun)

zhèi; zhè

3

this …

zhège …

3

those

nàxiē

18

those …

nàxiē …

18

understand

dǒng

19

understand; see clearly

míngbai

19

very

hěn

10

want to, would like to

xiǎng

12

we

wǒmen

5

Welcome!

huānyíng!

2

well

hǎo

3

what

shénme

7

what?

shénme?

7

who

shéi

6

who?

shéi?

6

wish, hope, would like [to]

xīwàng

12

Witness(es)

Jiànzhèngrén

8

would like to, want to

xiǎng

12

would like [to], wish, hope

xīwàng

12

would you? O.K.?

hǎo ma?

 

you

4

YOU

nǐmen

4

you (Thank you! —polite form)

nín (Xièxie nín!)

2

 

Mandarin Chinese Pinyin to English

 

Mandarin Chinese in Pinyin

English

Study

bàba; fù qīn

father

17

bù (Note: bú before 4th tone, such as shì)

not

11

dáfù (See also: huídá)

answer

6

dào

be able to attain / accomplish; can

16

dìxiōng

brother

17

dìxiōngmen

brothers

17

dìxiōng jiěmèi

brothers and sisters

17

dōngxi

thing; things

20

dǒng

understand

19

Dǒng bù dǒng?

Do [you] understand?

19

dú (See also: kàn)

read

2

érzi

son

17

fù qīn; bàba

father

17

fùmǔ

parents

17

gàosu

tell

14

gěi

give

13

Hànzì

Hanzi (the writing of Chinese in pictographic characters, not used in this course)

14

hǎo

fine

3

hǎo

good

3

hǎo

well

3

hǎo ma?

O.K.?

 

hěn

indeed

10

hěn

surely

10

hěn

very

10

huānyíng!

Welcome!

2

huì, néng

able (be able to; can)

16

huì, néng

can, be able to

16

huídá (See also: dáfù)

answer

6

jiātíng

family

 

Jiànzhèngrén

Witness(es)

8

jiào

call by a name; [to] be called by a name

7

jiěmèi,  zǐmèi

sister

17

kàn

look at

20

kàn (See also: dú)

read (silently)

20

kànjiàn

see; observe; get sight of

20

ma?

is it so?

9

ma?

mm, is it so?

9

màma; mǔ qīn

mother

17

men (…men)

s (…s) (Plural ending)

5

míng; míngzi

name

7

míngbai

see clearly; understand

19

míngbai

understand; see clearly

19

míngzi; míng

name

7

mǔ qīn; màma

mother

17

take

13

that (pronoun)

3

nàge …

that …

3

nàxiē

those

18

nàxiē …

those …

18

néng, huì

able (be able to; can)

16

néng, huì

can, be able to

16

nín (Xièxie nín!)

you (Thank you! —polite form)

2

you

4

Nǐ hǎo!

Greetings! / ‘Hello!’ / 

‘How are you?’

2

Nǐ hǎo!

‘Hello!’ /  Greetings! /

‘How are you?’

2

Nǐ hǎo!

‘How are you?’ / Greetings! / ‘Hello!’

2

nǐmen

YOU

4

niàn (See also dú)

read aloud

20

nǚ’ér

daughter

17

péngyou

friend

17

Pīnyīn

Pinyin (a Romanized form of writing Mandarin, as used in this course)

14

pǔtōnghuà

Mandarin

2

qǐng!

Please!

2

qǐngtiě

invitation

3

rén

people, person

17

rén

person, people

17

rènshi

know (person)

19

shéi

who

6

shéi?

who?

6

shénme

what

7

shénme?

what?

7

shì

be (am, is, are)

8

shuō

say, speak

14

shuō

speak, say

14

shuōhuà

discuss, talk

14

he

4

it

4

tāmen

they

4

wèntí

question

6

I

4

wǒmen

we

5

xīwàng

hope, wish, would like [to]

12

xīwàng

wish, hope, would like [to]

12

xīwàng

would like [to], wish, hope

12

xiāoháir

child

17

xiāoxi

message; news

3

xiāoxi

news; message

3

xiǎng

want to; would like to

12

xiē (...xiē)

se (...se, plural determiner); some

18

xièxie!

Thanks!

2

Xièxie nín!

Thank you! (polite form)

2

xìnxī

information

3

xìnxī

message

3

Yēhéhuá

Jehovah

8

Yēhéhuá Jiànzhèngrén

Jehovah's Witness(es)

8

yìxiē

several, some

18

yìxiē

some, several

18

zài

again

15

zhè; zhèi

this (pronoun)

3

zhèi; zhè

this (pronoun)

3

zhège …

this …

3

zhèxiē

these

18

zhèxiē …

these …

18

zǐmèi, jiěmèi

sister

17

 


 

STUDY 22

de — of; …’s; …s’ possessive case

 

VOCABULARY 22.1

 

de

of; …'s; …s'

de

having the description of

 

 

wǒde

of me; my

nǐde

of you; your

tāde

of him, her, it; his, her, its

wǒmende

of us; our

nǐmende

of YOU; YOUR

tāmende

of them; their

zìjǐ de

own; of oneself; of self

 

GRAMMAR 22.1

 

For further information on the uses of “de”, see Study 28.

 

wǒde péngyou

my friend

nǐmende péngyou

YOUR friend

wǒde qǐngtiě

my invitation

nǐde xiāoxi

your news

tāmende qǐngtiě

their invitation

péngyou de jiěmèi

his/her sister

wǒmende dìxiōng

our brother

zìjǐ de mǔ qīn

[one’s] own mother

 


PRACTICE 22.1

 

Anna de jiěmèi

Anna's sister; the sister of Anna

Bob de dìxiōng

Bob’s brother; the brother of Bob

Colin de míngzi shì shénme?

What is Colin’s name?

wǒde péngyoumen

my friends

Nǐde míngzi shì shénme?

What is your name?

Nǐde péngyou shì shéi?

Who is your friend?

kàn qǐngtiě de rén

a person who reads the

míngbai wǒ de péngyoumen

friends who understand me

Wǒ huì dú zìjǐ de qǐngtiě.

I can read my own invitation.

 

EXERCISE 22.1 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into English:-

 

1.

nǐ bù zhīdao wǒde míngzi.

 

2.

Qǐng ná nǐde qǐngtǐe.

 

3.

Zhège rén de xìnxī shì hǎo xiāoxi

 

4.

Nǐ shì shéi de péngyou?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 22.1

 

1.

Nǐ bù zhīdao wǒde míngzi.

You do not know my name.

2.

Qǐng ná nǐde qǐngtiě.

Please take your invitation.

3.

Zhège rén de xìnxī shì hǎo xiāoxi

This person's message is good news.

4.

Nǐ shì shéi de péngyou?

Whose friend are you?

 


EXERCISE 22.2 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

1.

I know your friend.

 

2.

I know your name.

 

3

Would you like to read my invitation?

 

4.

They tell their message.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 22.2

 

1.

I know your friend.

Wǒ rènshi nǐde péngyou.

2.

I know your name.

Wǒ zhīdao nǐde míngzi.

3

Would you like to read my invitation?

xiǎng dú wǒde qǐngtiě ma?

4.

They tell their message.

Tāmen gàosu tāmende xìnxī.

 


 

STUDY 23

Sentence structure with Direct or Indirect Objects

 

GRAMMAR 23.1

 

Observe the break-down of the simple sentences used in the next practice.

 

Doer

Action

Receiver

Object acted upon.

SUBJECT

VERB

DIRECT OBJECT

INDIRECT OBJECT

 

 

 

 

Zhè

shì

nǐde qǐngtiě. *

 

 

 

 

Qǐng [nǐ]

 

wǒmende hǎo xiāoxi.

Qǐng [nǐ]

 

nǐmende qǐngtiě.

bù néng dú

 

zhège qǐngtiě.

Qǐng [nǐ]

gěi

nǐde qǐngtiě.

xiǎng gěi

zhège xìnxī.

 

Note the first sentence uses “shì” as the doing word or verb.  The structure of the sentence says that “A” is “B”.  This is termed technically as the “copulative form”.  Contrast matching “he” in “I am he” with Direct and Indirect Objects in “I give him them”.  It is wrong to say, “I give he they”.

 

PRACTICE 23.1

 

Translate to and fro.

 

Zhè shì nǐde qǐngtiě.

This is your invitation.

 

 

Qǐng dú wǒmende hǎo xiāoxi.

Please read our good news.

Qǐng ná nǐmende qǐngtiě.

Please take your invitation.

Wǒ bù néng dú zhège qǐngtiě.

I cannot read this invitation.

 

 

Qǐng gěi wǒ nǐde qǐngtiě.

Please give me your invitation.

Qǐng gáosu wǒ nǐde míngzi.

Please tell me your name.

Wǒ xīwàng gěi nǐ zhège xìnxī.

I would like to give you this information.

 


PRACTICE 23.2

 

Translate to and fro.

 

Nà shì hǎo xiāoxi.

That is good news.

Nà bú shì wǒde xìnxī.

That is not my message.

Nǐde míngzi shì shénme?

What is your name?

Zhè shì wǒmende qǐngtiě.

This is our invitation.

Wǒde péngyou xīwàng dù tā.

My friend would like to read it.

Tāmen bú néng dú nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

They cannot be able to read YOUR good news.

Zhè shì shéi de hǎo xiāoxi?

Whose good news is this?

(This is whose good news?)

Qǐng gěi wǒ nǐmende qǐngtiě.

Please give me YOUR invitation.

Wǒde jiěmèi xīwàng gěi nǐ tāde qǐngtiě.

My sister would like to give you her invitation.

 

EXERCISE 23.1

 

Using the method shown in the above grammar table, analyse the simple sentences in the previous practice and break them into doer, action done, receiver of the action (if any), and object acted upon (if any).

 

Doer

Action

Receiver

Object acted upon.

SUBJECT

VERB

DIRECT OBJECT

INDIRECT OBJECT

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Matching form.

 


ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 23.1

 

Doer

Action

Receiver

Object acted upon.

SUBJECT

VERB

DIRECT OBJECT

INDIRECT OBJECT

shì

hǎo xiāoxi.

bú shì

wǒde xìnxī.

Nǐde míngzi

shì

shénme?

Zhè

shì

wǒmende qǐngtiě.

Wǒde péngyou

xiǎng dù

 

tā.

Tāmen

bú néng dú

 

nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

Zhè

shì

shéi de hǎo xiāoxi?

Qǐng

gěi

nǐmende qǐngtiě.

Wǒde jiěmèi

xīwàng gěi

tāde qǐngtiě.

 


 

STUDY 24

— a device for relocating an Indirect Object to achieve emphasis

 

VOCABULARY 24.1

 

yíxià

a bit, a little while, once, just

an indicator device placed in front of an Indirect Object when it has been relocated for emphasis before the verb that acts on it.

 

GRAMMAR 24.1

 

Although this section is important in explaining a device that is frequently used by natural Chinese speakers, you can get by without using it yourself until you are more experienced in Mandarin.

 

Word Order — Basically, for General Use

 

Word order in Mandarin is basically the same as in English.

 

Word Order — Why Alter It?

 

The overall purpose of a change in word order is to emphasize or clarify a part of a sentence, when normal word order does not achieve this.

 

Word Order — Caution!

 

Changing the word order may clarify one part but may also obscure another, so some words may need adding to overcome this problem.

 


Word Order — Examples

 

In some cases it is not crucial in what order the blocks of words are arranged, but sometimes “regular” word order needs to be followed to avoid confusion.  Let's illustrate this point. 

 

In English we can say, “They give him this invitation.” You don't say, “They give this invitation him”.  If the word “to” is added, however, we can say, “They give this invitation to him.”  Again, we don't usually say, “They give to him this invitation.”

 

Somewhat similarly, Mandarin has a regular word order, but it allows other word orders, if another word is added to indicate what has been moved from its normal order.  Examples of words to add are “bǎ” (discussed below in this Study) and “bèi” (presented in the next Study).

 

Mandarin Uses “bǎ” to Relocate the Object of the Verb in Front of the Verb

 

The regular order in Mandarin places the object acted upon (“Indirect Object” in the “Accusative Case”) after that action word (“verb”).

 

Tāmen gěizhège qǐngtiě.

They give him this invitation.

 

These words can be used in a different order, putting the Indirect Object before the verb, but only by inserting the indicator device “bǎ” in front of the relocated Indirect Object.

 

Tāmen bǎ zhège qǐngtiě gěi tā.

They give him this invitation.

 


PRACTICE 24.1

 

Try converting these sentences to the regular order and removing “bǎ”.

 

gěi wǒ.

Give me it.

 

 

Qǐng bǎ zhège xìnxī dú [yíxià].  *

Please [just] read this information.

 

 

Wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhège qǐngtiě gěi nǐ.

I'd like to give you this invitation.

 

 

 

*  NOTE: “dú” feels a bit bald with nothing after it, so “yíxià” is added.

 

PRACTICE 24.2

 

How did you get on with the previous practice?  The following are the answers to it.  Now try to work the opposite way and re-order these sentences with the help of “bǎ”, so that the object acted upon by the verb is positioned before that verb.

 

Gěitāde qǐngtiě.

Give me it this qǐngtiě.

 

 

Qǐng zhège xìnxī.  *

Please read this information.

 

 

Wǒ xiǎng gěizhège qǐngtiě.  

I'd like to give you this invitation.

 

 

*  NOTE:  Don't forget to add “yíxià”, as necessary.

 

  NOTE:  In the compound “xiǎng gěi” the object can be repositioned between “xiǎng” and “gěi” with the insertion of “bǎ”.  This because the Indirect Object relates to the action, “give”, not the auxilliary thought of “liking to do so”.

 


PRACTICE 24.3

 

Rearrange the words of these sentences into an easier order and remove “bǎ”.

 

Wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhège xìnxī gěi nǐ.

 

Tā xiǎng bǎ nǐde qǐngtiě dú yíxià.

 

Bǎ tā gěi wǒ!

 

Bǎ tāmende xìnxī qǐng dú yíxià!

 

Wǒ bǎ pǔtōnghuà bú huì shuō.

 

 

PRACTICE 24.4

 

The following sentences are the inverse of the previous practice.  Rearrange the word order, so that the indirect object of the verb is in front of its verb: but remember to add “bǎ”.

 

 

Wǒ xiǎng gěi nǐ zhège xìnxī.

 

Tā xiǎng dú nǐde qǐngtiě.

 

Gěi wǒ tā!

 

Qǐng dú tāmende xìnxī!

 


 

STUDY 25

bèi — by, indicating the doer in a Passive Sentence

 

VOCABULARY 25.1

 

bèi

by, indicating the doer in a Passive Sentence

 

Mandarin Uses “bèi” as “by” in a Passive Sentence

 

Tāde dìxiōng dú wǒmende xìnxī.

His brother reads our information.

Wǒmende xìnxī bèi tāde dìxiōng dú.

Our information is read by his brother.

 

 

Shàngdì gěi wǒmen xīwàng.

God gives us hope.

Xīwàng bèi Shàngdì gěi wǒmen.

Hope is given us by God.

 


 

STUDY 26

God; Jehovah; kěyǐ — permission; bùkě — prohibition

 

VOCABULARY 26.1

 

Shàngdì

God

Yēhéhuá

Jehovah

 

 

kěyǐ

[to] be allowed to; can; may; [to] be permitted

bùkě

[to] not be allowed; must not; [to] be prohibited

 

GRAMMAR 26.1

 

Shàngdì de péngyou

God’s friend

Shàngdì de míngzi shì Yēhéhuá.

God’s name is Jehovah.

Wǒmen kěyǐ shì Shàngdì de péngyou.

We can be God’s friend.

Bùkě dú wǒde xìnxī.

You must not read my message.

Bùkě shuō tā.

You must not say it.

 


PRACTICE 26.1

 

Translate to and fro the following sentences.

 

 A 

Wǒ xīwàng shì Shàngdì de péngyou.

I'd like to be God's friend.

 B 

Nǐ kěyǐ shì Shàngdì de péngyou.

You may be God's friend.

 A 

Tā shì shéi?

Who is He?

 B 

Nǐ zhīdao bú zhīdao Tā de míngzi?

Do you know (or not know) His name?

 A 

Wǒ bú zhīdao Tā de míngzi.

I don't know His name.

 B 

Wǒmen néng rènshi Tā de míngzi.

We can know (be acquainted with) His name.

 A 

Shéi shì Shàngdì?

Who is God?

 B 

Shàngdì jiào Yēhéhuá (míngzi).

God is called (by the name of) Jehovah.

 A 

Yēhéhuá shì Shàngdì de míngzi ma?

Jehovah is God's name, is it?

 B 

Nǐ xiǎng dú Shīpiān 83:18 ma?

You'd like to read Psalm 83:18, eh?

 A 

Tā shuō, “Nǐ de míng shì Yēhéhuá.”

It says, “Your name is Jehovah.”

 B 

Shīpian 91:14 shuō shénme?

Psalm 91:14 says what?

 A 

“Tā rènshi wǒ de míng.”

“He knows my name.”

 

DIALOGUE 26.1

 

Act out the sentences in the previous practice as a dialogue.

 


 

STUDY 27

Measure words — more detail; ( + ) = yíge — “a, an”

 

VOCABULARY 15.1 : Measure Words

 

yíge ‡

a, an (“a” can be for a thing or a person)

one

-gē †

a ‘measure word’ used generally

 

‡ Pronounce ‘ge’ hard as in English ‘get’, (never soft as in ‘gel’).

† A ‘measure word’ (“MW”) is used for focusing on a thing, person or action. In English we say things like a sheet of paper; a piece of string; a loaf of bread; a cup or a glass of water; a volume of a particular book; a wave of optimism.  That's better than a paper, a water, a bread, an optimism. 

You could say, “a bit” or “a piece” for many things but not all.  Likewise, the “MW” ‘ge’ is acceptable for general use for most things.  See the Index or List of Contents for others.

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor. Instructor comments to students about the use of various ‘measure words’.}

 

Are there any similarities in English to Measure Words? Perhaps think of manage-r, manage-ress, sheep-flock, cattle-herd. Refer also to Study 45 about “běn” for ‘a volume of’.

 

PRACTICE 27.1

 

yíge péngyou

a friend

Nǐ shì tāde yíge péngyou ma?

You are a friend of his, eh? Are you a friend of his?

Wǒ shì tāde yíge péngyou!

I am a friend of his!

Tāmen bú shì hǎo péngyou.

They aren't good friends.

 


ACTIVITY 27.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor. Randomly point at students and have each respond.}

 

Make statements or questions using these elements as appropriate.

 

wǒmen

nǐmen

tāmen

 

 

+

shì

 

bú shì

 

xīwàng shì

 

 

+

 

yíge péngyou

 

 

péngyou

 

 

+

 

 

ma?

 


 

STUDY 28

de is required after more than one Hanzi character, as in hěn hǎo de rén

 

GRAMMAR 28.1

 

If the description (the “adjective”) is written with more than one Hànzì character, then “de” is added after with it. 

Hence “hǎo” …, but “hěn hǎo de” ….

For further examples of the uses of “de”, see Study 42.

 

hǎo rén

nice person; good man

hěn hǎo de rén

very nice person

Zhè shì hǎo xiāoxi.

This is good news.

Nà shì hěn hǎo de xiāoxi.

That is very good news.

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor. Randomly point at students and quiz them on how words are used in translation.}

 

Comment on how words are used in the following translations into Mandarin or into English.

 

PRACTICE 28.1

 

 

shì

nǐde 

péngyou.

I am your friend.

Nàge 

rén

shì

yìge 

hǎo péngyou.

That person is a good friend.

Tāmen de 

péngyou

bú shì

 

hǎo rén.

Their friends are not good people.

Zhèxiē 

 dìxiōng

rènshi

tā de 

péngyou.

These brothers know his/her friends.

Yǒu yìxiē 

rén

rènshi

 

Some people know you.

 

shuō

 

hěn hǎo de xiāoxi.

You say very good news.

 


PRACTICE 28.2

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor or Student’s partner.  Touch articles in the room (such as a pencil). Individual students upon demand simultaneously point at self and say “wǒde …” (such as “wǒde pencil”); or look at someone else and say “nǐde …”; or just point away at someone else and say “tāde …”.}

 

{With discretion, a game could be played, eliminating anyone who does the wrong combination of gesture and words!}

 


 

STUDY 29

yǒu, méiyǒu — having; the Bible’s promised blessings

 

VOCABULARY 29.1

 

yǒu

[to] have; there is; there are

méiyǒu; méi yǒu

[to] not have; without; there is no

zázhì

leaflet, thin magazine, document

shū

book

Shèngjīng

Holy Scriptures; Bible

hépíng

peace

gāoxìng

happiness

xìngfú

blessing; happiness

ài

love

yǒngshēng

everlasting life

 

GRAMMAR 29.1

 

NOTE: To say “a book” or “a magazine” correctly, see Study 45.

 

Yǒu yíge qǐngtiě ma?

Is there an invitation?

Yǒuméiyǒu yíge qǐngtiě?

Is there [or is there not] an invitation.

Wǒ méi yǒu nǐde zázhì.

I don't have your magazine.

Wǒ yǒu nǐde shū.

I have your book.

Méiyǒu zázhì.

There is no magazine.

Yǒu xīwàng.

There is hope.

Méiyǒu xīwàng.

There is no hope.

 

PRACTICE 29.1

 

Nǐ yǒu zhège qǐngtiě ma?

Do you have this invitation?

Nǐmen yǒu Shàngdì de hǎo xiāoxi.

YOU have God's good news.

Tāmen méi yǒu nǐde shū.

They don't have your book.

Tā shuō tā méi yǒu péngyou.

She says she hasn't friends.

PRACTICE 29.2

 

Tāmen méi yǒu xīwàng.

They don't have hope.

Wǒ xīwàng nǐ huì yǒu yíge qǐngtiě.

I hope you can have an invitation.

Shèngjīng shì Shàngdì de.

The Holy Scriptures are God's.

Shèngjīng shì Yēhéhuá de shū.

The Bible is Jehovah's book.

 

INCREMENTAL CONSTRUCTION 29.1

 

Shèngjīng

Shèngjīng shuō

 

Shàngdì

Shàngdì ài

 

hépíng

hépíng de rén

 

Shèngjīng

shuō

Shàngdì

ài

hépíng de

rén

The Bible 

says

God

loves

(of peace)

people

 

INCREMENTAL CONSTRUCTION 29.2

 

Shèngjīng

Shèngjīng shuō

 

Shàngdì

Shàngdì xiǎng

Shàngdì xiǎng gěi

Shàngdì xiǎng gěi wǒmen

Shàngdì xiǎng gěi wǒmen yǒngshēng

Shàngdì xiǎng gěi wǒmen yǒngshēng de xìngfú

 

Shèngjīng

shuō

Shàngdì

xiǎng

gěi

wǒmen

yǒngshēng de

xìngfú

The Bible

says

God

wants

to give

us

everlasting life's

blessings

 


ACTIVITY 29.1

 

Discuss your hope.

 

EXERCISE 29.1 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into English:-

 

Ài Shàngdì de rén[men] ài nǐ.

 

Méiyǒu xīwàng de rén méi yǒu gāoxìng.

 

Wǒmen néng gàosu Yēhéhuá wǒmen ài Tā.

 

Shèngjīng de rén huì míngbai Shàngdì shì shéi.

 

Qǐng gěi wǒ nǐde zázhì, hǎo ma?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 29.1

 

Ài Shàngdì de rén[men] ài nǐ.

People who love God love you.

Méiyǒu xīwàng de rén méi yǒu gāoxìng.

A person without hope does not have happiness.

Wǒmen néng gàosu Yēhéhuá wǒmen ài Tā.

We can tell Jehovah we love Him.

Shèngjīng de rén huì míngbai Shàngdì shì shéi.

People who read the Bible can understand who God is.

Qǐng gěi wǒ nǐde zázhì, hǎo ma?

Please give me your magazine, O.K.?

 


EXERCISE 29.2 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate into Mandarin Chinese:-

 

Do you want to understand God’s book?

 

You can get to see God’s blessings.

 

{People who love God} study His book.

 

I [am] very happy to tell you the Bible’s blessings.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 29.2 (Answers are given below)

 

Do you want to understand God’s book?

Nǐ xīwàng míngbai Shàngdì de shū ma?

You can get to see God’s blessings.

Nǐ huì kànjiàn Shàngdì de xìngfú.

{People who love God} read His book.

{Rènshi Shangdì de rén} Tāde shū.

I [am] very happy to tell you the Bible’s blessings.

Wǒ hěn gāoxìng gàosu nǐ Shèngjīng de xìngfú.

 


 

STUDY 30

qù, lái, xué, xuéxí — go, come, study

 

VOCABULARY 30.1

 

[to] go

lái

[to] come

xué; xuéxí

[to] study, learn

xǐhuan

[to] like, prefer, (doing something)

 

GRAMMAR 30.1

 

Wǒ xīwàng lái xuéxí nǐmende shū.

I wish I could come to study YOUR book.

Zhège rén xǐhuan xuéxí.

This person likes to study.

 

ROUTINE 30.1

 

Make up sentences using an optional word or phrase from some or all of these columns. 

 

néng

lái

xuéxí

Hànzì

Wǒmen

Tāmen

Zhège rén

Wǒde dìxiōng

 

 

 

[bú]

 

[néng]

 

 

[xiǎng]

 

[xǐhuan]

 

 

 

lái

 

 

 

 

 

xuéxí

 

 

Shèngjīng

 

Shàngdì [shuō] de shū

 

pǔtōnghuà

 

Hànzì

 


 

STUDY 31

Places, buildings, meetings

 

VOCABULARY 31.1 (Places)

 

dìfang

place

jiā

home; the place where you live

fángzi

house

jùhuì

meeting

dàhuì

assembly, convention

 

GRAMMAR 31.1

 

Nǐde jiěmèi bù néng lái wǒde jiā.

Your sister cannot come to my home.

Tā búkě qù wǒmende dàhuì.

He/she is not permitted to go to our assembly.

Wǒ hěn xīwàng kànjiàn nǐde fángzi.

I would very much like to get to see your house.

Zhège dìfang shì shénme?

What is this place?

 

ROUTINE 31.1

 

Zhège rén

bù néng

nǐde jiā

 

Tāde jiěmèi

Nǐmen

Zhège rén

Wǒde péngyou

Wǒde dìxiōng

Tāmen

néng

 

bù néng

 

kěyǐ

 

búkě

 

 

 

lái

 

nǐde jiā

 

tāmende jùhuì

 

wǒmende dàhuì

 


 

STUDY 32

huì — future actions; subsequent times

 

VOCABULARY 32.1 (Future Actions and Tense Identifiers)

 

huì

will (future action)

míngtiān

tomorrow

hoùtiān

the day after tomorrow

xiànzài

now

jīntiān

today

nàshí; dāngshí

then; at that point in time

yǐhoù

afterwards (not about a past action)

 

GRAMMAR 32.1

 

The word conveying “will” (“huì”) can be omitted, if a word like “míngtiān” (tomorrow) makes it obvious that the action will take place in the future.

 

Wǒ huì xuéxí nǐde qǐngtiě. Xièxie.

I will study your invitation. Thanks.

Tāmen [huì] míngtiān lái wǒde jiā.

Yǐhoù wǒmen huì qù jùhuì.

They will come tomorrow to my home.  Afterward we will go to the meeting.

 

PRACTICE 32.1

 

jīntiān

huì

lái

wǒmen

nǐmen

tāmen

zhège rén

[míngtiān]

 

[jīntiān]

 

[xiànzài]

 

[nàshí]

 

 

 

[bú]

 

 

 

[huì]

 

lái

 

xuéxí tā

 

dú tā

 


ACTIVITY 32.1

 

{Suggested Instructions for Group Instructor. Students work in pairs.}

 

Exchanging questions and answers using the following elements.

 

 

huì lái?

 

 

huì lái.

 

 

 

 

huì lái.

jīntiān

xuéxí?

 

jīntiān bù

xuéxí.

 

 

 

 

míngtiān

[huì] xuéxí.

 


 

STUDY 33

Past actions and times

 

VOCABULARY 33.1

 

… le   º *

did … , have done …, is completed, has happened, has changed (past action) (See dictionary under “have”)

méi …  ¹

did not … ; have not done …; was not …-ing

-guo     ²

have [ever]; have [never]

zuótiān

yesterday

yǐjīng

already

hòulái

later, afterwards (refering to a past activity)

 

GRAMMAR 33.1

 

º                  The word “le” is called a “particle”.  It can't be used with the past of just any verb (‘doing word’).  Compare in English how we don't say “did can” or “did be”.  We need to feel the context.

                    Apply “le” in the case of an activity, accomplishment or achievement — a process that can be completed (made ‘perfect’).

                    Don't apply “le” in relation to a state or a process that in Chinese must be continuous or habitual, like “be acquainted with” or “know”.

¹                   “Méi” negates  “le” but can be used a little more freely than “le”.

²                   “-guo” is added to a verb  to make clear completion of a past action.  Compare “have gone” and “did go”, “went”, or “used to go”.

*                    A complication is with a verb like “xuéxí”.  This is actually a compound word formed from two characters.  These are “xué”, meaning “learn, study”, and “xí”.  The element “xí” serves to qualify “xué”.  So, you can say “Tā xué le”, but not “Tā xuéxí le”.

 

Shéi qù le ?

Who went ?

Zuótiān wǒ méi qù jiā.

Yesterday I did not go home.

Wǒ qùguo nǐde jùhuì.

I have been to your meetings.

Wǒ méi[yǒu] dú zhège xìnxī.

I have not read this message.

 


PRACTICE 33.1

 

Wǒ xuéxí pǔtōnghuà.

I study Mandarin.

Wǒ xué le pǔtōnghuà.

I did study (I studied) Mandarin.

Wǒ méi xué[xí] pǔtōnghuà.

I did not study Mandarin.

 

PRACTICE 33.2

 

Nǐ qù le jiā ma?

Did you go home?

Nǐ qùguo wǒmende jùhuì ma?

Have you been to our meetings?

Wǒ méi[yǒu] qùguo nímende jùhuì.

I have not gone to your meetings.

Nǐmen méiyǒu kànjiànguo zhège xìnxī ma?

Did YOU not see this message?

Wǒ méi xīwàng zhè[ge].

I have not hoped for this.

 

PRACTICE 33.3

 

Wǒ lái le jiā.

I came home.

Hòulái wǒ qù le dàhuì.

Afterwards I went [to the] meeting.

Tā xué le.

He studied.

Nǐmen rènshi tāmen.

YOU know them. (YOU knew them.)

Wǒ méi lái.

I did not come.

Nǐ méi qù.

You did not go.

Tā méi xué.

He did not study.

Nǐmen bú rènshi wǒmen

YOU do not know us. (… did not …)

 

PRACTICE 33.4

 

Convert these sentences to positive, by inserting “le” and removing “méi”.

 

Wǒmen méi xué Hànzì.

Wǒmen xuéle Hànzì.

Tāmen méi qù wǒmende jùhuì.

Tāmen qùle wǒmende jùhuì.

Nǐ méi lái wǒde jiā ma?

Nǐ láile wǒde jiā ma?

Tā méi shuō pǔtōnghuà.

Tā shuō le pǔtōnghuà.

Nǐde dìxiōng méi gàosu wǒmen nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

Nǐde dìxiōng gàosule wǒmen nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

PRACTICE 33.5

 

Convert these sentences to negative by inserting “méi” and removing “le”.

 

Wǒ xué le pǔtōnghuà.

Wǒ méi xué pǔtōnghuà.

Nàge rén qùle wǒmende jiā.

Nàge rén méi qù wǒmende jiā.

Nǐ lái le wǒde jiā ma?

Nǐ méi lái wǒde jiā ma?

Tā shuō le pǔtōnghuà.

Tā méi shuō pǔtōnghuà.

Wǒ jiěmèi gàosule wǒ hǎo xiāoxi.

Wǒ jiěmèi méi gàosu wǒ hǎo xiāoxi.

 


 

STUDY 34

cónglái, cónglái bù, cónglái méi — ever, never

 

VOCABULARY 34.1

 

cónglái

ever, always

cónglái bù; cónglái méi

never

yǒngyuǎn bù

never (in the future)

bù zài

no more; not any more; no longer; not again

 

GRAMMAR 34.1

 

                    “Cónglái” is normally used with “bù”  or “méi” to say “never”.

                    “Cónglái bù” is used to negate a habitual process.  So, Jesus said, “Wǒ cónglái bú rénshi nǐmen.”:“I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23)

                    “Cónglái méi” can be used with verbs where “méi” conveys “not”, and “cónglái” is added to convey “ever”. This makes “never did”.

 

Wǒ méi qù jiā.

I did not go home.

 

 

Wǒ cónglái bú rènshi tāmen

I never knew them; I didn't know them.

 

 

Wǒ cónglái bú qù nǐde jùhuì.

I never go to your meetings..

Wǒ cónglái méi[yǒu] qùguo nǐde jùhuì.

I never did go to your meetings..

Wǒ cónglái méi[yǒu] kànguo zhège xìnxī.

I have never read this message.

(I never did look at this message.)

 

 

Tāmen yǒngyuǎn bú qù jùhuì.

They never go meetings.

Tāmen bù zài qù jùhuì.

They do not go to meetings any more.

 


PRACTICE 34.1

 

Wǒ xuéxí pǔtōnghuà.

I study Mandarin.

Wǒ xué le pǔtōnghuà

I did study (I studied) Mandarin.

Wǒ méi xué pǔtōnghuà

I did not study Mandarin.

 

PRACTICE 34.2

 

Nǐ qùguo wǒmende jùhuì ma?

Have you [ever] been to our meetings?

Wǒ cónglái méi[yǒu] qùguo nímende jùhuì.

I have never gone to your meetings.

Nǐmen cónglái méiyǒu kànjiànguo zhège xìnxī ma?

Did YOU never see this message?

Wǒ cónglái bù xīwàng zhè[ge].

I never hoped for this.

 


EXERCISE 34.1 (Answers are given below)

 

Translate these sentences into English.

 

Wǒmen cónglái méi xué Hànzì.

 

Tāmen cónglái méi qù wǒmende jùhuì.

 

Nǐ cónglái méi lái wǒde jiā ma?

 

Tā cónglái méi shuō pǔtōnghuà.

 

Wǒde dìxiōng cónglái méi gàosu wǒ nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 34.1

 

Wǒmen cónglái méi xué Hànzì.

We never studied Hanzi.

Tāmen cónglái méi qù wǒmende jùhuì.

They never went to our meeting.

Nǐ cónglái méi lái wǒde jiā ma?

Have you never come to our home?

Tā cónglái méi shuō pǔtōnghuà.

He/she never spoke Mandarin.

Wǒde dìxiōng cónglái méi gàosu wǒ nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

My brother never told me your good news.

 

PRACTICE 34.3

 

Convert these sentences to positive, by using “le” and not “cónglái méi”.

 

Wǒmen cónglái méi xué Hànzì.

Wǒmen xuéle Hànzì.

Tāmen cónglái méi qù wǒmende jùhuì.

Tāmen qùle wǒmende jùhuì.

Nǐ cónglái méi lái wǒde jiā ma?

Nǐ láile wǒde jiā ma?

Tā cónglái méi shuō pǔtōnghuà.

Tā shuōle pǔtōnghuà.

Wǒde dìxiōng cónglái méi gàosu wǒ nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

Wǒde dìxiōng gàosule wǒ nǐmende hǎo xiāoxi.

 


 

STUDY 35

Yes and No

 

VOCABULARY 35.1

 

bù!

No! (responding to positive words)

shìde! duì!

[Correct] No! (responding to negative words)

shìde!

Yes! [Correct!]

bù!

No! = but yes! (faulting negative words)

bùxǔ …!; jìnzhǐ …!

No …; … is not permitted!

 

GRAMMAR 35.1

 

nǐ míngbai ma? …

Do you understand? …

… bù [míngbai], wǒ bù míngbai!

… No, I don't understand!

nǐ bù míngbai, duì ma? …

You don't understand, do you? …

… duì, wǒ bù míngbai!

… [Correct] No, I don't understand!

… shìde, wǒ bú zài míngbai!

… [Correct] No, I don't understand any more!

… bù, wǒ míngbai!

… [Incorrect] Not so, I do understand!

 


 

STUDY 36

Connectives — and, but, or

 

VOCABULARY 36.1 (Connectives)

 

… hé …

and (links nouns or pronouns)

… érqiě …

and (joins phrases, adjectives, adverbs)

… dànshì …; … kěshì …

but

bù … ér …

not … but …; and not …; but not …

… nàshí …; … dāngshí …

[and] then

… huò[zhě] … huò[zhě] …

(either) … or …

… háishì …

… or (alternatively) …

… bùrán …

… or (otherwise; if not) …

 

GRAMMAR 36.1

 

Wǒ hé nǐ shì hǎo péngyou.

I and you are good friends.

Wǒ hǎo dànshì nàge rén bù hǎo.

I'm fine, but that man is not well.

Tā huì lái nàshí wǒmen huì xuéxí.

He will come [and] then we'll study.

Wǒ huò jīntiān huò míngtiān lái.

I'll come either today or tomorrow.

Tā jíntian háishì míngtiān huì lái ma?

Will he come today or tomorrow?

Wǒmen qù tāde fángzi bùrán tā bù xuéxí!

We go to his house or else he does not study!

 

PRACTICE 36.1

 

Tā lái érqiě tā xuéxí Shèngjīng.

He comes and he studies the Bible.

Tā lái le dànshì wǒ méi zhīdao.

He came, but I did not know.

Tā huì lái wǒde jiā nàshí wǒmen huì qù jùhuì.

She will come to my home, then we'll go to the meeting.

Huòzhě wǒ huòzhě nǐ huì qù dàhuì.

Either I or you will go to the assembly.

Wǒ xuéxí, bùrán wǒ bú zhīdao dáfù.

I study, or I don’t know the answers.

 


 

STUDY 37

More Connectives — therefore, because, whether

 

VOCABULARY 37.1 (More Connectives)

 

yīncǐ …; suǒyǐ …

therefore …; so, …

yuányīn

[this is the] reason

yīnwèi …

as …; since …; because [of] …

[omit ]

… that …

shìfǒu

whether

[méi] yǒu …

have [not] …; there is [not] …; there are [not] …

 

GRAMMAR 37.1

 

Wǒ bù hǎo yīncǐ wo bú huì lái.

I'm not well therefore I'll not come.

Yīnwèi tā dú Shèngjīng le suǒyǐ tā rènshi Shàngdì.

As he studied the Bible, [so] he knew (knows) God.

Wǒ bù zhīdao shìfǒu tā huì lái.

I don't know whether he will come.

Tā bù zhīdao nǐ huì lái tāde jiā háishì wǒmen huì qù nǐde fángzi.

He doesn't know [whether] you will come to his home or [whether] we'll go to your house.

Yuányīn wǒ huì qù nǐde jùhuì.

For this reason I will go to your meeting.

Jīntiān yǒu dàhuì …

Today there is an assembly …

… dànshì méi yǒu qǐngtiě.

… but there are no invitations.

 

PRACTICE 37.2

 

Wǒ xué Shèngjīng le, …

… yīncǐ wǒ zhīdao dáfù.

I studied the Bible, …

… therefore I know the answer.

Tā méi gěi wǒ tāde qǐngtiě yuányīn wǒ jīntiān bú huì gěi nǐ nà[ge].

He didn't give me his invitation. For this reason I won't give you that today.

Yīnwèi nǐ lái le, suǒyǐ wǒmen jīntiān huì xuéxí nǐde Shèngjīng.

Since you have come, [therefore] we'll study your Bible today.

Wǒ zhīdao nǐ bù hěn hǎo.

I know [that] you are not very well.

 


PRACTICE 37.3

 

Nǐ zhīdao ma Shèngjīng shìfǒu shuō tā?

Do you know if the Bible says that?

Yǒu yíge fángzi, dànshì méi yǒu jiā!

There is a house, but there is no home!

Nǐ jīntian huì xuéxí wǒde xìnxī háishì Shàngdìde xìnxī ma?

Today will you study my message or God’s message?

 


 

STUDY 38

wèishénme? yīnwèi — reasoning why? because

 

VOCABULARY 38.1 (Reasoning Why)

 

wèishénme

why; for what

wèishénme?

why? for what?

wèi

for

wèi(le)

for the purpose of/that; so (that)

yīnwèi

because

 

GRAMMAR 38.1

 

Nǐ wèishénme qù jùhuì?

Why do you go to meetings?

Wǒ xīwàng gàosu nǐ wèishénme wǒ lái nǐmende jùhuì.

I'd like to tell you why I come to your meeting(s).

Tā méi lái yīnwèi tā méiyǒu qǐngtiě.

He didn't come because he hasn't (an) invitation.

Tā xīwàng shuō pǔtōnghuà.  Yīncǐ tā qùle nǐde jiā.

He wants to speak Mandarin.  Therefore, he went to your home.

Zhège qǐngtiě shì wèi nǐ.

This invitation is for you.

 

PRACTICE 38.1

 

Nǐmen wèishénme lái le?

Why did you come?

Wǒde dìxiōng huì gěi nǐ yíge qǐngtiě.

Wèishénme?

Wèile nǐ néng lái wǒmende jùhuì.

My brother will give you an invitation.

Why?

So you can come to our meeting.

Wǒ méi lái yīnwèi méiyǒu qǐngtiě.

I didn't come, as there was no invitation.

Wèishénme méiyǒu jùhuì?

Why is there no meeting?

 


 

STUDY 39

yàoshi, jiǎrú, rúguǒ — Conditional Sentences — if…, then…

 

VOCABULARY 39.1 (Conditional Sentences)

 

yàoshi … ,  (jiù) …

If (in the case that) …, (then) … [see ‘whether’]

jiǎrú [or yàoshì] …, …

If (supposing that) …, …

rúguǒ …,  (nàmuǒ) …

If (on the condition) that …, (then) …

 

GRAMMAR 39.1 (Yàoshì)

 

See further examples in Study 47.

 

Yàoshì nǐ bù hěn hǎo, wǒ (jiù)† bú huì qù nǐde jiā.

If you are not very well, (then) I will not go to your home.

Yàoshì míngtiān nàxiē xìnxī [huì] lái, wǒmen (jiù) huì xuéxí tāmen.

If tomorrow those messages [‘will’] come, (then) we will study them.

 

† Note word order with jiù after the noun .

 

GRAMMAR 39.2 (Jiǎrú)

 

Jiǎrú Shèngjīng shuō nàge xiāoxi, nǐ [huì] zhīdao tā ma?

If (supposing) your book is not there, will you know it?

Jiǎrú tāmen bù míngbai nǐde qǐngtiě, tāmen huì lái ma?

If they do not understand your invitation, will they come?

 

GRAMMAR 39.3 (Rúguǒ)

 

Rúguǒ nǐ xīwàng xúexí, [nàmuǒ] wǒ huì lái nǐde fángzi.

If you wish to study, [then] I will come to your house.

Rúguǒ tāmen lái, [nàmuǒ] wǒmen xuéxí Shèngjīng.

If they come, [then] we study the Bible.

 


 

STUDY 40

[zài] zhèr / zhèlǐ; nàr / nàlǐ — [located] here, there

 

VOCABULARY 40.1 (Here, There)

 

[zài] zhèr; [zài] zhèlǐ

[located; be located] here

[zài] nàr; [zài] nàlǐ

[located; be located] there

 

GRAMMAR 40.1

Omit “zài” from these phrases if they occur at the beginning of a sentence.

 

Zhèr méiyǒu qǐngtǐe.

Here there is no message.

Méiyǒu qǐngtǐe zài zhèr.

Here is no message is located here.

Tā bù hǎo yīncǐ tā bú huì lái zhèr.

He’s not well, so he'll not come here.

Nǐde shū zài zhèlǐ.

Your book is [in] here.

Nàr yǒu ài Shàngdì de rén.

There there are people who love God.

Wǒde fángzi zài nàr.

My house is located there.

Wǒ huì kànjiàn nǐde shū zài nàlǐ.

I can see your book is [in] here.

 

PRACTICE 40.1

 

Yàoshì nǐ bù hěn hǎo , wǒ (jiù)† bú huì qù nàr.

If you are not very well, (then) I will not go there.

Yàoshì míngtiān nàxiē shū [huì] lái, wǒmen (jiù) huì xuéxí tāmen.

If tomorrow those books [‘will’] come, we will study them.

Jiǎrú wǒde dìxiōng zài nàr, nǐ huìbúhuì zhīdao tā shì shéi?

If (supposing) my brother is there, will you know [ or not know] who he is?

Jiǎrú tā zài nàr, tā huì lái ma?

If he is there, will he come?

Rúguǒ nǐ xīwàng xúexí, [nàmuǒ] wǒ huì lái nàr.

If you wish to study, [then] I will come there.

Rúguǒ tāmen lái zhèlǐ, [nàmuǒ] wǒmen xuéxí Shèngjīng.

If they come here, [then] we study this book.

 


 

STUDY 41

[zài] zhěr? / zhělǐ; nǎr?  / nǎlǐ — [located] where?

 

VOCABULARY 41.1

 

[zài] zhěr? / zhělǐ

[located] where?

[zài] nǎr?  / nǎlǐ

[located] where?

 

GRAMMAR 41.1

 

Nǐde jià zài zhěr?

Where is your home?

Tāde shū zài nàr.

His book is [located] there.

Nǐ qù nǎr?

Where are you going?

Nǐ qù nǎr xuéxí?

Where do you go to study?

Wǒmen xuéxí zài jùhuì.

We study at meetings.

*  Zhèr yǒu xīwàng.

Here there is hope.

Qǐng lái zhèr.

Please come here.

 

* NOTE: “zài” was omitted at the beginning of the sentence.

 

PRACTICE 41.1

 

zài

[to be] located at

[zài] zhèr   / zhèlǐ

[located] here

[zài] zhěr? / zhělǐ

[located] where?

[zài] nàr    / nàlǐ

[located] there

[zài] nǎr?  / nǎlǐ

[located] where?

 

PRACTICE 41.2

 

Wǒde jiā zài zhèr.

My home is [located] here.

Wǒmen kěyǐ qù zhěr?

Where can we go?

Wǒmen kěyǐ qù nǎr?

Where can we go?

Nǐmende xuèxí zài zhěr?

Where is YOUR study?

 

PRACTICE 41.3

 

Tā huì wèishénme zài nàr.

Why will he be there?

Tā huìbúhuì zài nàr?

Will he be there or won't he?

*  Nàr huì yǒu dìxiōng jiěmèi.

There there will be brothers and sisters.

Wǒmende jiā zài nàr.

Our home is [located] there.

Nǐmen kěyǐ qù zhèr ma?

Can YOU go there?

Tāmen kěyǐ qù nǎr xuéxí?

Where can they go to study?

 

* NOTE: “zài” was omitted at the beginning of the sentence.

 

PRACTICE 41.4

 

Nǐmende shū zài zhěr?

Where are YOUR books?

Tāmen huì zài zhèr.

They will be here.

Shàngdì zài nǎr?

Where is God?

Tā bú zhīdao wǒde jiā zài nǎr?

Does he not know where my home is?

Qǐng qù nàr.

Please go there.

Qǐngtiě shuō qù nàr xuéxí.

The invitation says go there to study.

*  Nàr wǒde jiā.

There is my home.

 

* NOTE: “zài” was omitted at the beginning of the sentence.

 

ROUTINE 41.1

 

[bù]

xǐhuan

nàr

xuéxi

nǐmende shū

Tāmen

Nǐde péngyou

Zhèxie dìxiōng

Nàxie rén

Dan Dìxiōng

Jan Jiěmèi

 

 

 

[bù]

xīwàng

 

xǐhuan

 

néng

 

zhīdao

 

 

 

lái

 

 

zhèr

 

nàr

 

 

xuéxí

 

 

 

Shèngjīng

 

nǐmende shū

 

zhège xiāoxi

 


PRACTICE 41.5

 

Nǐde jiā zài nǎr?

Where is your home?

Wǒde dìxiōng qù le nǎr?

Did my brother go there?

Nǐde jiěméi huì lái zhèr ma?

Will your sister come here?

Tāmende shū zài zhěr?

Where are YOUR books?

Wǒde Shèngjīng wèishénme bú zài zhèr?

Why is my Bible not here?

Tāmen zài nǎr xuéxí pǔtōnghuà?

Where do they study Mandarin?

Bú zài zhèr!

It isn't here! / They aren't here!

 


 

STUDY 42

… de — that which …; huà — words; zhòngyào — important

 

VOCABULARY 42.1

 

… de

that which …; that of … description

huà

words; that which is said

zhòngyào

important

 

GRAMMAR 42.1

 

Shàngdì de huà zhòngyào de.

God’s Word [is] important.

Nǐ míngbai Shàngdì shūo de huà!

You see clearly what God said!

Nǐmen yǒu de shū hěn hǎo.

The book you have is very good.

Wǒ pǔtōnghuà shuō de bù hǎo.

I don't speak Mandarin well.

[The way in which] I speak Mandarin [is] not good.

Nǐ pǔtōnghuà shuō de hěn hǎo!

You speak Mandarin very well!

[The way] you speak Mandarin [is] very good!

Shèngjīng shì Yēhéhuá de huà.

The Holy Scriptures (Bible) are Jehovah's word.

 

ROUTINE 42.1

 

Nǐmen

[bù]

míngbai

wǒde

xìnxī

[ma?]

Tāmen

Tāde jiěmèi

Nǐde péngyou

Nǐmen

 

 

[bù]

 

dǒng

 

míngbai

wǒmende

 

Shàngdì shuō de

 

wǒ gàosu nǐmen de

 

hǎo xiāoxi

 

huà

 

 

[ma?]

 


INCREMENTAL CONSTRUCTION 42.1

 

Work rapidly through incremental construction of these phrases.

 

nǐ shuō

you say; you speak

nǐ shuō de

as you say; of you speaking

nǐ shuō pǔtōnghuà de

the way of you speaking Mandarin

Tā shuō de huà

the word {that He said}

 

tā gěi de

as he gives; of him giving

tā gěi wǒmen de

as he gives us; that he gives us

Shàngdì gěi wǒmen de

as God gives us; that God gives us

Shàngdì gěi wǒmen de xìnxī

the information that God gives us

 

nǐ xīwàng

you wish, would like, hope

nǐ xīwàng de

as you wish; that you'd like

nǐ xīwàng yǒu de

that you'd wish to have

nǐ xǐwàng yǒu de xiāoxi

news that you'd wish to have

nǐ xǐwàng wǒ shuō de

that you'd wish me to say

nǐ xǐwàng wǒ shuō de xiāoxi

news that you'd wish me to say

 

nǐmen néng

YOU can

nǐmen néng de

that YOU can

nǐmen néng míngbai

YOU can understand; can see clearly

nǐmen néng míngbai de huà

words that YOU can understand

 

PRACTICE 42.1

 

Wǒ bù dǒng nǐde huà.

I don't understand what you say.

Tā xiǎng míngbai Shàngdì de huà

He wants to understand God's word.

Wǒ míngbai Yēhéhuá shuō de huà.

I understand the word Jehovah says.

Nǐ dǒng tā shuō de huà ma?

You ‘see’ what he says, do you?

Tāmen míngbai zhège xìnxī.

They understand this information.

 


PRACTICE 42.2

 

Nà shì Shèngjīng.  Nǐ míngbai ma?

That is the Bible. Do you understand?

Nǐ dǒng zhège xìnxī ma?

Do you understand this information?

Dǒngbùdǒng?

Understand [or not]?

Wǒ xiǎng míngbai tā de huà.

I want to see clearly what He said.

Nǐ dǒng wǒde huà ma?

You understand my words, do you?

 


 

STUDY 43

zuò — [to] do, make; sit; ride; xūyào — [to] need [to]

 

VOCABULARY 43.1

 

zuò

[to] make; treat as; [to] do, act as

zuò

[to] sit, ride

xūyào

[to] need [to]

gōngzuò

[to] work; work; works; activity

shìdang

proper, suitable

 

GRAMMAR 43.1

 

Tāmen zuò shénme?

What are they doing?

Nǐmen zài jùhuì zuò shénme?

What do YOU do at the meeting?

Wǒ huì gàosu nǐ wǒ zuò shénme.

I'll tell you what I do.

Wǒ xūyào qù nǎr?

Where do I need to go?

Qǐng zài zuò.

Please sit again.

zuò shénme gōngzuò?

What work do you do?

Tā bú shshìdang de huà.

He is not saying proper words.

 

PRACTICE 43.1

 

Nǐmen huì zuò shénme?

What will YOU do?

Nǐde péngyou xūyào qù wǒde jiā.

Your friend needs to go to my home.

Wǒmen zài jiā zuò xuéxí.

We do the study at home.

Tāmen bú zuò zhè[ge] zài nàr.

They don't do this there.

Wǒ xīwàng zuò Shàngdì shuō de huà.

I wish to do what God says.

Nǐmen xūyào zuò shénme?

What do YOU need to do?

Nǐ méi xué Shèngjīng ma?

Haven't you studied the Bible?

 


 

STUDY 44

yàng — manner; fāngfǎ — way; fāngshì — method; — means, road

 

VOCABULARY 44.1

 

yàng

manner

zěnyàng ?

how; in what manner ?

zhèyàng

in this manner; in this way; like this

zhěyàng

in what manner?

nàyàng

in that manner; in that way; like that

nǎyàng

in what manner?

fāngfǎ

way, manner

fāngshì

method, style

road, way, means, route

 

GRAMMAR 44.1

 

Nǐ huì zěnyàng zuò tā?

How will you do it?

Wǒmen xūyào zěnyàng zuò?

How do we need to act?

Tāmen néng nàyàng zuò tā.

They can do it that way.

Nǐ néng zhèyàng lái wǒde jiā.

You can come to my home like this.

Wǒ [huì] néng zěnyàng zhīdao tā shuó de huà?  *

How will I be able to know what he says?  (How can I… or How will I…)

zhīdao nǐ [†] fángzi de lù.

I know the road of your house.

 

*  Choose “huì” or “néng” but not two auxilliary verbs together.

  You would normally state only the last “de” in an implied series.

 

PRACTICE 44.1

 

Nǐde jiěméi xūyào nàyang qù.

Your sister needs to go like that.

Wǒmen zài jùhuì zhèyàng xuéxí.

We study like this at the meetings.

Shèngjīng wèishénme shuō wǒmen bùkě nǎyàng zuò?

Why does the Bible say we mustn't do like that?

Tā xīwàng wǒ bú zuò nàyàng.

He wishes us not to do like that.

 


ROUTINE 44.1

 

Wǒmen

[bù]

xǐhuan

zhèyàng

zuò

Nǐmen

Wǒmen

Tāmen

 

 

[bù]

 

néng

huì

[xū]yào

xǐhuan

xiǎng

zěnyàng

zhèyàng

nàyàng

hěn hǎo de

 

zuò

 

xuéxí

 

 

shuō

 

PRACTICE 44.2

 

Wǒ [huì] néng zěnyàng zhīdao tā shuó de huà?  *

How will I be able to know what he says?  (How can I… or How will I…)

Nǐde dìxiōng xūyào zhèyang lái.

Your brother needs to come this way.

Shèngjīng gàosu wǒmen bùkě nàyàng zuò.

The Bible tells us we mustn't do like that.

Nǐ zài nàr zěnyàng zuò?

How do you act there?

Wǒmen méi zuó zhèyàng.

We didn't do like this.

Nàyàng zuò de rén bù hǎo.

People who do like that are not good.

Qǐng wèi wǒ zuò zhèyàng de shū.

Please make this kind of book for me.

 


 

STUDY 45 

Measure Words (MW) : “běn”, and “fèn”.  See also Study 28+

 

VOCABULARY 45.1 (More ‘Measure Words’)

 

běn

(MW) for editions; bound volumes

yìběn …  (= yī + běn)

a … ; an … ; (e.g. a volume of …)

zhèběn …

this [bound volume of] …

nàběn …

that [bound volume of] …

 

 

fèn

(MW) for leaflets, newspapers

yífèn …  (= yī + fèn)

a … ; an … ; (e.g. a leaflet of …)

zhèfèn …

this [leaflet of] …

nàfèn …

that [leaflet of] …

 

 

liǎng…

a pair of; (two)

 

GRAMMAR 45.1

 

The Measure Words (MW) to which you have been introduced so far are:

 

…ge

(used generally)

yíge péngyou = a friend

…běn

(thick books)

yìběn shū = a book

…fèn

(leaflets, news-

papers)

yífèn zázhì = a leaflet, thin magazine, or thin document

…xiē

(plurals)

yìxiē rén = some people

 

yí (before …ã, …)

 

yì… (before …à, …á, …â)

a, an; (one)

yíge péngyou = a friend

yífèn zázhì = a leaflet

 

yìběn shū = a book

liǎng…

a pair of; (two)

liǎngge dìxiōng = a couple of brothers

liǎngběn shū = a couple of books

liǎngfèn zázhì = a pair of leaflets, thin magazines, or thin documents

 


GRAMMAR 45.2

 

NOTE :  “Yǒu” is inserted at the start of a sentence before “yìxiē”.

 

yìběn shū

a book

zhèfèn zázhì

this magazine

zhèxiē zázhì

these magazines

liǎngfèn zázhì

a couple of magazines

Qǐng dú zhèběn shū, hǎo ma?

Please read this book, O.K.?

Qǐng ná nàběn shū.

Please take that book.

Yǒu yìxiē rén bù xīwàng nàyàng zuò.

Some people don't wish to do so.

Zhèxiē jiěmèi shuō de hǎo.

These sisters speak well.

Nàxiē péngyou méi lái zhèr.

Those friends did not come here.

 

PRACTICE 45.1

 

gěi le

wǒde jiā.

 

I gave you my home.

gěi

tāmende shū.

 

You give me their book.

Wǒmen

huì gěi

tāmen

yìběn shū.

 

We will give them a book.

 

PRACTICE 45.2

 

Qǐng, nǐ ná wǒde shū.

Please, you take my book.

Wǒ gěi le nǐ wǒde shū.

I gave you my book.

Nǐ méi gěi wǒ nǐde shū.

You did not give me your book.

Wǒ bú huì ná nàběn shū.

I will not take that book.

Nǐde jiā hěn hǎo de.

Your home is very good.

 

PRACTICE 45.3

 

Nǐ yǒu zhèběn shū ma?

Have you this book?

Nǐ yǒu zhèyàng yìběn shū ma?

Have you a book like this?

Zhè shì yìběn Shèngjīng.

This is a Bible.

Wǒ dú le yìběn shū.

I read a book.  (Past tense)

Wǒmen méi ná nàxiē shū.

We didn't take those books.

 


PRACTICE 45.4

 

Zhèxiē shū hěn hǎo de.

These books are very good.

Nǐ yǒu hěn hǎo de shū.

You have a very nice book.

Yǒu yìxiē shū bù hǎo de. †

Some books are not good.

Nǐ wèishénme xuéxí zhèběn shū?

Why do you study this book?

Zhèxiē dìxiōng méi qù nǐde jiā.

These brothers haven't gone to your home.

Nǐmen huì néng zài nàr xuéxí yìběn hěn hǎo de shú.

YOU will be able to study there a very good book.

Wǒ bú huì néng zài zhèr xuéxí nàběn pǔtōnghuà de shū. *

I won't be able to study here that Mandarin book.

 

  NOTE :  “Yǒu” is inserted at the start of a sentence before “yìxiē”.

*  NOTE:  Choose “huì” or “néng” but not two auxilliary verbs together.

 


 

STUDY 46

guānyú —about; bāngzhù — help; yòng— use

 

VOCABULARY 46.1

 

guānyú

about

bāngzhù; bāng

[to] help

yòng

[to] use

[zài] yòng

[by] using; with; [by] making use of

 

GRAMMAR 46.1

 

Tā gàosu wǒmen guānyú Shàngdì.

It tells us about God.

Yēhéhuá xiǎng bāngzhù wǒmen.

Jehovah wants to help us.

Wǒ huì bāngzhù nǐ míngbai tā.

I'll help you to understand it.

Nǐ wèishénme yòng zhèběn shū?

Why do you use this book?

Yòng Shèngjīng nǐ néng míngbai.

Using the Bible you can understand.

Nǐ néng míngbai zài Shèngjīng yòng.

You can understand using the Bible.

 

PRACTICE 46.1

 

Wǒmen xiǎng bāngzhù nǐ míngbai Shéngjīng.

We want to help you understand the Bible.

Zhège xìnxī shì shénme.

What is this information?

Zhèběn shū gàosu wǒmen guānyú Shàngdì de huà.

This book tells us about God's word.

Shàngdì xiǎng bāngzhù nǐmen míngbai Tā shuō de huà.

God wants to help us understand the word he has spoken.

Wǒmen bāngzhù nǐ zài Shèngjīng yòng.

We help you with the use of the Bible.

Qǐng lái wǒmen pǔtōnghuà yòng de jùhuì.

Please come to our meeting that uses Mandarin.

Shèngjīng gàosu wǒmen Yēhéhuá xiǎng wǒmen huì zěnyàng zuò.

The Bible tells us how Jehovah wants us to act.

 


 

STUDY 47

yàoshi …, … jiù …— If …, then … …: further examples

 

VOCABULARY 47.1

 

yàoshi …,

 … jiù …

If …,

then … …

… ,

 … jiù …

[If] …,

then … …

yào[shi] …,

 

If …,

[then] … …

 

GRAMMAR 47.1

 

See earlier examples of Conditional Sentences in Study 39.

 

Yàoshì nǐ bù hěn hǎo, wǒ jiù † bú huì qù nàr.

If you are not very well, (then) I will not go there.

Nǐ xiwàng qù nàr, wǒmen jiù † huì nàyàng zuò.

You want to go there, so we will do that way.

Yàoshì nàxiē shū [huì] lái, wǒmen (jiù) huì xuéxí tāmen.

If those books [‘will’] come, we (then) will study them.

Rén jiù zhīdao wǒ shì Yēhéhuá.

Then the people will know I am Jehovah.

 

† NOTE: word order with “jiù” after the noun wǒ.

 

PRACTICE 47.1

 

Yàoshi nǐ xiǎng qù wǒmende jùhuì, wǒ jiù huì lái bāngzhù nǐ qù nàr.

If you want to go to our meeting, then I will come to help you go there.

Yàoshi tāmen bù hǎo, wǒmen jiù huì qù tāmende jiā.

If they are not well, then we will go to their home.

[Yàoshi] nǐ xiǎng yǒu zhèběn shū, wǒ jiù néng gěi nǐ zhè.

[If] you want to have this book, then I can give this to you.

Yào nǐ xuéxí Shàngdì de huà nǐ huì néng míngbai Tā.

If you study God's word, you will be able to understand Him.

Yàoshi nǐ zuò Yēhéhuá Shàngdì shuō de huà, nǐ jiù kěyǐ yǒu yǒngshēng.

If you do what Jehovah God says, then you can have everlasting life.

Yào nàyàng zuò, nǐ bú qù nàr.

Doing like that, you don't go there.

 


 

STUDY 48

suǒ —what, that which; suǒyǒu —whatever there is; dōu—all

 

VOCABULARY 48.1

 

suǒ

what, that which, whatever

suǒyǒu

whatever there is/are; all

whatever you have; possession

dōu

all

 

GRAMMAR 48.1

 

{Nǐ suǒ shuō de} hěn hǎo.

{What you say} is very good.

{Tā suǒ xiǎng de}, Tā huì zuò.

{Whatever he wants to}, He will do.

Qǐng dú {Shèngjīng suǒ shuō de}.

Please read {what the Bible says}.

{Nǐ suǒ dú de} zěnyàng bāngzhù nǐ?

How does {what you read} help you?

{Suǒyǒu bù hǎo de huà} dōu bù néng bāngzhù wǒmen.

{Whatever bad saying there is}, they all are unable to help us.

{Tā suǒyou de huà} dōu shì wèi wǒmen hǎo de.

Whatever word of His there is, all of them are good for us.

 

PRACTICE 48.1

 

{Zhège rén sǔo shuō de} gàosu wǒmen zěnyàng qù tāde jiā.

{What this person said} tells us how to go to his home.

Shèngjīng shuō wǒmen xūyào zuò {Shàngdì suǒ xiǎng de}.

The Holy Scriptures say we need to do {whatever God wants}.

Wǒmen xīwàng zuò {Shèngjīng suǒ shuō de}.

We wish we could do {what the Bible says}.

Qǐng yòng {nǐ suǒ yǒu de Shèngjīng}.

Please use {whatever Bible you have}.

 


 

STUDY 49

Review of Interrogatives— who? what? when? where? why?

 

VOCABULARY 49.1 (Interrogatives, Questions)

 

shénme …?

what …?

shéi …?

who …?

wèishénme …?

why …? (what … for?)

shénme shíhou … ?

when …? (what time …?)

nǎlǐ …? nǎr …?

where …?

 

GRAMMAR 49.1

 

Zhège jùhuì shì shénme?

What is this meeting?

Nà(ge dōngxi) shì shénme?

What's that (thing)?

Nà(ge rén) shì shéi?

Who's that (person)?

Shéi qù nàr?

Who goes there?

Tāmen wèishénme bù lái?

Why aren't they coming?

Nǐ shénme shíhou xuéxí?

When do you study?

Nǐde fángzi zài nǎlǐ?

Where is your house?

 

PRACTICE 49.1

 

Tāmen zhèr xuéxí shénme?

What do you study there?

Nǐ zhīdao shénme?

What do you know?

Nǐmen shì shéi?

Who are YOU?

Shéi zuótiān lái le?

Who came yesterday?

Nǐ wèishénme bù zhīdao nàge huà?

Why don't you understand that word?

 

PRACTICE 49.2

 

Tā wèishénme ná wǒde shū le?

Why did he take my book?

Tāmen shénme shíhou huì qù jùhuì?

When will they go to the meeting?

Wǒmende shū zài nǎlǐ?

Where is our book?

Dàhuì de fángzi zài nǎr?

Where is the house of meeting?

Nǐ wèishénme bú huì lái zhèr?

Why will you not come here?

 


 

STUDY 50

More interrogatives— how? how much? whose? which?

 

VOCABULARY 50.1 (More Interrogatives, Questions)

 

zěnyàng?

how …? (in what manner …?

zěnme …?

how …? (in what manner …?

duō [shēn] …?

how [far, much] …? (what extent)

duōshǎo …?

how much … ? how many …?

shéi de? shuí de?

whose?

nǎ [yí]ge? *

which? (singular)

nǎxiē?

which? (plural)

 

* Change the measure word ‘ge’, if necessary.

 

GRAMMAR 50.1

 

Nǐde péngyou jīntiān duō hǎo?

How well is your friend today?

Nǐmen yǒu duōshǎo rén?

How many of you are there?

Zhège fángzi shì shéi de?

This house is whose?

Nǐmen xuéxí nǎběn shū?

Which book do YOU study?

Nǐmen xuéxí nǎxiē shū?

Which books do YOU study?

 

PRACTICE 50.1

 

Nǐ zěnme huì lái zhèr?

How will you come here?

Tāmen xuéxí duō shēn le?

How [far] did you study?

Duōshǎo fángzi shì nǐmende?

How many houses are YOURS?

Nǐ yǒu duōshǎo péngyou?

You have how many friends?

Shéi de shū zài zhèr?

Whose book is here?

Nàge rén shì shéi de péngyou?

That person is whose friend?

Tā qù le shéi de fángzi?

He went to whose house?

Wǒmen huì xuéxí nǎběn shū?

We will study which book?

 


PRACTICE 50.2

 

Tāmen zěnme qù nàr le?

How did they go there?

Nǎge rén gěi nǐ zhèběn shū le?

Which person gave you this book?

[zài] Zhèlǐ duōshǎo shū?

Here are how many books?

Tā shì shéi de màma?

She is whose mother?

Shéi de bàba gěi nǐ nà le?

Whose father gave you that?

 


 

STUDY 51

Try [to]

 

VOCABULARY 51.1

 

lìtú

[to] try, endeavour

shìtú

[to] attempt, try

 

GRAMMAR 51.1

 

Tāmen lìtú le qù nàr.

They tried to go there.

Wǒ lìtú zuò Shàngdì suǒ shuō de.

I am endeavouring to do what God says.

Wǒmen shìtú bāngzhù nǐ.

We are trying to help you.

Nǐ méi shìtú zuò nà.

You didn't attempt to do that.

Qǐng shìtú dú zhèfèn zázhì, hǎo ma?

Please try to read this magazine, O.K.?

 


 

STUDY 52

Let; cause to; suffer problem conditions

 

VOCABULARY 52.1

 

ràng

[to] let; make have to

lìng

[to] lead to feel …

shǐ

[to] cause; make; enable; employ

shòu

[to] experience, undergo

shòukǔ

[to] suffer [hardship]

 

 

nántí

difficulties, problems

hardship

qíngkuàng

conditions; situation

 

GRAMMAR 52.1

 

Ràng wǒmen dú zhèběn shū.

Let's read this book.

Ràng wǒmen dú {Tā suǒ shuō de}.

Let's read {what He says}.

Tā ràng wǒmen dú tāde shū.

He lets us read his book.

Nǐ lìng wǒ gāoxìng.

You make me feel happy.

yǐjīng shǐ tāmen rènshi nǐ de míng.

I already made them know [well] your name.

Nǐ néng shǐ Shàngdì gāoxìng.

You can make God happy.

Zhège xiāoxi lìng wǒ gāoxìng.

This news makes me feel happy.

 

PRACTICE 52.1

 

Wǒmen shòu sǔo bù hǎo de.

We suffer what is bad.

Wǒmen wèishénme shòu nántí?

Why do we suffer problems?

Shàngdì bú ràng wǒmen shòu zhèxiē qíngkuàng ma?

Does God not let us undergo these conditions?

Shàngdì wèishénme ràng wǒmen shòu zhèxiē nántí.

Why does God let us undergo these problems?

Tā bù shǐ wǒmen zuò zhèyàng de.

He doesn’t make us act like this.

 


PRACTICE 52.2

 

Ràng wǒ lái bāngzhù nǐ.

Let me come and help you.

Shàngdì shǐ wǒmen zhīdao {tā suǒ xiǎng de}.

God makes us know {what the wants}.

Tā bù xiǎng wǒmen shòukǔ.

He does not want us to suffer hardship.

Shàngdì ràng wǒmen míngbai wèishénme yǒu zhèxiē qíngkuàng.

God lets us know why there are these conditions.

Tā shǐ wǒmen de jiā hěn hǎo de le.

He made our home very good.

Shéi shǐ zhège jīā bù hǎo de?

Who makes this home bad?

Shàngdì wèishénme ràng wǒmen shòukǔ?

Why does God let us undergo these problems?

Yīncǐ wǒmen zhīdao wǒmende gōngzuò shì bù shìdang de.

So we know our works are not proper.

Tā bù shǐ wǒmen zuò zhèyàng de.

He doesn’t make us act like this.

Shàngdì xiǎng wǒmen shòu {hépíng de qíngkuàng}.

God wants us to experience {conditions of peace}.

Zhège xiāoxi shì {lìng wǒ gāoxìng de}.

This news is {one that makes me feel happy}.

 

 

 


 

STUDY 53

Direction: to, from

 

VOCABULARY 53.1 (Direction)

 

hé …; tóng …; gēn …

to … (speaking ‘with’ a hearer)

dào …

to … (a place); up to …; as far as …

cóng …

from … (from such place, e.g. China)

cóng … chū

from …; out from …; out of …

 

GRAMMAR 53.1

 

 

gēn

 

shuōhuà le.

 

You spoke to (with) me.

shuō

gēn

nǐ màma

 

le.

 

I spoke with your mother.

huì gěi

 

wǒde shū.

 

 

She will give [to] you my book.

huì gěi

 

nǐmen

nàběn shū.

 

 

He will give YOU that book

tāmen

dào

Lúndūn

 

 

 

They went to London.

 

cóng

Zhōng-guó

 

lái ma?

 

You came (come) from China, mm?

wǒmen

lái

cóng

Běijīng

 

le

 

We came from Beijing.

 

cóng

tā de fángzi chū

 

lái le.

 

He came [out] from his house.

 

cóng

zhèběn shū

 

xuéxí tā.

 

I learned it from this.

 

 

PRACTICE 53.1

 

Qǐng cóng zhèr dào nàr dú.

Please read from here to there.

Nǐ cóng nǎr lái le?

From where did you come?

Wǒ gēn tāde fù qīn shuōhuà le.

I spoke with his father.

 


 

STUDY 54

Direction: through, by way of, in the name of, behalf

 

VOCABULARY 54.1 (Route)

 

chuāngguò …

through: from one side to the other

tōngguò …

through: by way of, via

fèng … de míng

through …; in the name of …

lùguò

pass by way of

 

GRAMMAR 54.1

 

 

tōngguò

zhèběn shū

xué[xí]

le.

 

I learned by way of this book.

shuō

fèng

wǒ bàba de míng.

 

 

 

I speak in the name of my father.

 

lùguò

nàge

fángzi

le.

 

It came through that house.

 


 

STUDY 55

Purpose, for, due to

 

VOCABULARY 55.2 (Purpose)

 

gěi …; wèi …

for [giving to] … [a beneficiary]

wèi …; wèile …

for the purpose of …; in order that

hǎojiào

 

yóuyú …

due to …

ér …

on the grounds of …; because of … (linking the cause of an action with the action itself); and so …

tì …

for …; on behalf of …

dài …

for …; on behalf of …

 

GRAMMAR 55.2

 

Nàběn shū shì gěi zhège rén.

That book is for this person.

Zhè wèi[le] míngtiān de jùhuì shì.

This is for the purpose of tomorrow’s meeting.

Hǎojiào tāmen zhīdao nǐ de míng.

In order that they know your name.

Wǒmen láile yóuyú nǐde nántí.

We came due to your problem.

Wǒ lái tì wǒ bàba.

I come on behalf of my father

Tā láile ér kànjiàn wǒmen.

He came and so got to see us.

Tā yīnwèi màma bù hǎo ér méi lái

He did not come because his mother is not well.

 


 

STUDY 56

Position: [located] in, at, on

 

VOCABULARY 56.1 (Position)

 

(zài) … lǐ

(is) in …

(zài) … lǐmian

(is) inside …

(zài) … shang [mian]

(is) on … , upon …

(zài) … [mian]

(is) at …

        … mian

in the location (described by ‘zái …’)

 

GRAMMAR 56.1

 

Note that ‘zài’ is normally omitted at the start of a sentence. *

 

zài

shū

 

 

It [is] (positioned) in the book.

*

[zài]

fángzi

lǐmian

 

Inside the house …

zài

shū

shang

[mian]

 

It [is] (located) on the book.

zài

tāde fángzi

 

[mian]

 

I [am] (positioned) at his house.

 

PRACTICE 56.1

 

Use words you have learned and make more sentences with these grammar detail.

 


 

STUDY 57

Position: up, down, inside, outside, ahead, behind, beside, near

 

VOCABULARY 57.1

 

(zài) … shang;    zài shàngmian

(is) up, over ; located upon, on top of

(zài) … xià [mian]

(is) down; under …; below …

(zài) … lǐ[mian]

(is) in[side] …

(zài) … wài[bian], (zài) wàimian

(is) out[side] …

(zài) … qián[mian]

(is) [located] ahead; in front of …

(zài) … hòu[mian];

(zài) … hòu[bian]

(is) [located] behind …

(zài) … páng[biān]

(is) by [the side of] …; beside …

(zài) … [fù]yìn

(is) near[by]

 

GRAMMAR 57.1

 

Nǐde shū

zài

shang

[mian]

 

Your book [is] up there

Fángzi

zài

nàge lù

shàng

mian

 

The house [is] up on that road

Tāde shū

zài

zhèr

xià

[mian]

 

Her house [is] under here

Tāde huà

zài

nǐde shū

lǐmian

 

 

His word [is] in your book

Wǒmen

zài

fángzi

wàibian

huì lái

 

We will come [and be] outside your house

zài

nàge fángzi

le

 

He [was] in that house

zài

nǐde fángzi

hoùmian

 

 

I [am] behind your house

zài

nǐmen

pángbiān

qù le

 

He went * beside YOU

Tāmen

 

nàr

 

 

They [are] in there

 

* [continuing in the position beside; alongside]

 


EXERCISE 57.1 (Answers given below)

 

Translate these sentences from Mandarin Chinese into English.

 

Wǒ zài nǐde màma pángbiān zuò xià le èr dú tāde shū.

 

Nǐde shū zài wǒde zázhì hòumian.

 

Wǒmen de jùhuì zài nàge fángzi lǐmian.

 

Shéi zái nǐde fàngzi qiánmian zuò xià le?

 

Qǐng zài wǒ fùyìn zuò, hǎo ma?

 

Yēsū Jīdū zài tāde Fù qīn xià.

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 57.1

 

Wǒ zài nǐde màma pángbiān zuò xià le èr dú tāde shū.

I sat down beside your mother and read her book.

Nǐde shū zài wǒde zázhì hòumian.

Your book is behind my magazine.

Wǒmen de jùhuì zài nàge fángzi lǐmian.

Our meeting is inside that house.

Shéi zái nǐde fàngzi qiánmian zuò xià le?

Who is sitting in front of your house?

Qǐng zài wǒ fùyìn zuò, hǎo ma?

Please sit near me, O.K.?

Yēsū Jīdū zài tāde Fù qīn xià.

Jesus Christ is below his Father.

 


EXERCISE 57.2 (Answers given below)

 

Translate these sentences from English into Mandarin Chinese

 

There is a person on top of your house.

 

We will be in front of their home.

 

Your father is beside your mother.

 

Your house is near our meeting!

 

Please look under your book, O.K.?

 

 

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 57.2

 

There is a person on top of your house.

Yǒu yíge rén zài nǐde fàngzi shàngmian.

We will be in front of their home.

Wǒmen huì zài tāmende jiā wàibian.

Your father is beside your mother.

Nǐde fù qīn zài nǐde mǔqīn pángbiān.

Your house is near our meeting!

Nǐde fàngzi zài wǒmende jùhuì fùyìn.

Please look under your book, O.K.?

Qǐng zài nǐde shū xiàmian kàn, hǎo ma?

 

ACTIVITY 57.1

 

Students converse in groups of two or three, exchanging informative statements.

 


 

STUDY 58

Circumstances: before, with, during, after

 

VOCABULARY 58.1 (Circumstance)

 

(zài) yòng …

with (by means of, by the use of) …

hé … (yìqǐ); gēn … yìqǐ; tóng …

with (in the company of) …

méiyǒu …; [méiyǒu]

without …; [do not have; didn't]

(zài) … yǐqián

before …

(zài) … qījiān

during …

(zài) … yǐhòu

after …

cóng … yǐlái; cóng … qǐ; … yǐhòu

since …;  from … on

 

PRACTICE 58.1

 

Wǒ xuéxí nà zài yòng zhèběn shū.

I study it by means of this book.

Wǒ zài jùhuì yǐqian lái le

I came before the meeting.

Wǒmen xuéxí zhèlǐ dào nǐ lái le

We studied here until you came.

Tā xuéxí zài fángzi lǐmian le

He studies inside the house.

Tā lái le méiyǒu tāde shū

He came without his book.

Wǒmen bù néng xuéxí yīnwèi wǒmen méiyǒu nàběn shū

We cannot study because we are without (don't have) that book.

Wǒmen zài jùhuì yǐhòu qù fángzi

We go to the house after the meeting.

 

PRACTICE 58.2

 

Wǒ cóng nàge jùhuì yǐlái zhīdao

I [have] know[n] since that meeting.

Tā hé wǒ lái zhèlǐ le

He came here with me. (He and I …)

Tāmen zài jùhuì qījiān méi lái

They didn't come during the meeting

Wǒ zhīdao tā cóng wǒ kàn zhège xiāoxi yǐlái

I [have] know[n] it since I saw this message

Tāmen shuōhuá guānyú dàhuì ma?

Did they speak about the convention?

Wǒ huì qù nàr gēn nǐ yìqǐ

I'll go there along with you.

 


 

STUDY 59

Auxilliary verbs - desire [to]: like, enjoy, wish, hope, want

 

VOCABULARY 59.1 (Auxilliary Verbs — Desire)

 

xiǎng …

[to] want to …; would like to …

xǐhuan …; xǐ'ài …

[to] like [to] …, have an interest in …; [to] enjoy …

xīwàng …

[to] wish to …, have a desire to …

[to] hope to …; would like to …

kěwàng …

[to] wish to …

 

PRACTICE 59.1

 

Wǒ xǐhuan xuéxí pǔtōnghuà.

I like (am interested) to study Mandarin

Wǒ xīwàng qù dàhuì

I'd like (hope) to go to the meeting.

Tā xiǎng xuéxí zhèběn shū.

He wants to study this book.

Tā kěwàng shì nǐde péngyou.

He wishes to be your friend.

Tāmen xiǎng míngtiān lái.

They want to come tomorrow.

Nǐ xǐhuan yǒu zhèběn shū ma?

Are you interested to have this book?

 

PRACTICE 59.2

 

Wǒ kěwàng qù wǒde fángzi.

I wish to go to my house.

Nàge rén xīwàng shì nàr.

That person hopes to be there.

Wǒmen xiǎng qù nàr.

We want to go there.

Tāmen kěwàng lái zhèr.

They wish to come here.

Nǐ xiǎng dú zhège xiāoxi ma?

Would you like to read this message?

Wǒ kěwàng shuō pǔtōnghuà.

I wish to speak Mandarin.

 


 

STUDY 60

Auxilliary verbs – complusion: need to, must, should, ought to

 

VOCABULARY 60.1 (Auxilliary Verbs — Compulsion)

 

xūyào …

[to] need to …, have to …;

it is necessary that …

yídìng

definitely, surely, indeed, really

bìxū …; yídìng děi …; bùdébù

[to] have an obligation to …; must

yídìng yào …

[to] to have a necessity to …; must

xiǎng yào …

[to] want to order … (meals, products)

yīnggāi …

should …; ought to …

 

PRACTICE 60.1

 

wǒ xūyào xuéxí pǔtōnghuà

I need to study Mandarin

wǒ bìxū qù dàhuì

I must go to the convention.

tā yídìng yào xuéxí zhèběn shū

He must study this book.

tā yīnggāi shì nǐde péngyou

He ought to be your friend.

nǐmen xūyào míngtiān lái

YOU need to come tomorrow.

tā yídìng děi shuōhuà zhè

He's obligated to say this.

nǐ yīnggāi gěi tā tāde shū

You ought to give him his book.

nǐ bìxū lái jīntiān

You have to come today.

tā bùdébù qù nàr

He has no option but to go there.

xūyào nǐde fángzi huì zài nàr

It is necessary that your house [will] be there.

wǒmen yídìng yào qù jùhuì

We must go to the meeting.

wǒ xiǎng yào nàge dōngxi

I would like to order that thing.

 


 

STUDY 61

Auxilliary Verbs – ability: may, can, try to, let, allow

 

VOCABULARY 61.1 (Auxilliary Verbs — Ability)

 

kěnéng …; yěxǔ …

may …, [to] have a chance or opportunity to …

kěyǐ …

may …, [to] have permission to …

néng …

can …

néng …; dào …

[to] have a possibility or ability to …

huì …; néng …

can …, [to] know how to …

jìnlì …; lìtú …

[to] try (endeavour) to …

shì …; shìtú …

[to] try (attempt) to …

shìyòng …

[to] try out in use…

ràng …

[to] let; [to] allow …

gěi …

[to] let … be done

 

PRACTICE 61.1

 

wǒ kěyǐ xuéxí pǔtōnghuà

I'm permitted to study Mandarin.

wǒ kěnéng qù dàhuì

I have a chance to go to the meeting.

tā néng xuéxí zhèběn shū

He can to study this book.

tā jìnlì shì tāmende péngyou

He tries to be their friend.

tāmen dào míngtiān lái

They could to come tomorrow.

nǐ ràng tā ná wǒde shū ma?

You let him take my book?

 

PRACTICE 61.2

 

wǒmen shì qù dàhuì le

We tried to go to the meeting.

tā shìyòng xuéxí cóng wǒde shū

He is trying to study using our book.

wǒmen ràng tā qù nàr

We let him to go there.

tāmende péngyou dào lái ma?

Their friend could come, is it so?

nǐ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?

Can you speak Mandarin?

wǒ lìtú shuō shìdang de pǔtōnghuá

I try to speak Mandarin properly.

gěi wǒ kàn nà!

Let me see that!

 


 

STUDY 62

Use of Verbs: help, live, return, visit, stay, meet, do

 

VOCABULARY 62.1 (Combining of Verbs)

 

zhēn; [zhēnxiāng; zhēnshí]; [zhēnlǐ]

true; [the truth]; [a truth, truths]

bāng; bāngzhù

[to] help, assist

zhù

[to] live, reside

huí

[to] return, go back

fǎngwèn

[to] visit, call on

liù xiá; liùxia; dāi

[to] stay, remain

jiànmiàn

[to] meet

zuò

[to] do, make (something)

 

PRACTICE 62.1

 

Zhèběn shū shuō zhēn de dōngxi.

This book says true things.

Nǐ huì bāng wǒ ma?

Can you help me?

Tāmen zhù zhèr.

They live here.

Tā huí fángzi le.

He returned to the house.

Wǒmen qù nàge rén fǎngwèn le.

We went to visit that person.

Tāmen dāi nàr.

They stay there.

Wǒmen jiànmiàn zhèr.

We meet here.

Nǐ huì zuò zhè ma?

Can you do this?

 

PRACTICE 62.2 (Combining of Verbs)

 

Wǒ xǐhuan zuò nà.

I like to do that.

Wǒ xīwàng zhù zài zhèr.

I'd like to live here.

Tā xiǎng huí fángzi.

He wants to return to his house.

Wǒ kěwàng qù fǎngwèn tā.

I wish to go and visit him.

Yàoshi tāmen jīntiān néng lái hǎo le.

I wish they could come today. = If they could come today it would be good.

Tāmen xūyào míngtiān lái.

They'll have to come tomorrow.

Wǒmen xūyào qù bāng tā.

We must go and help him.

Nǐ néng tóng wǒ jiánmián ma?

Can you meet with me?

 


 

STUDY 63

Use of Verbs: see, hear, read, write

 

VOCABULARY 63.1 (Combining of Verbs)

 

jiàn; (kànjian)

[to] see;  ([to] see a sight)

tīng

[to] listen to

tīngjian

[to] hear

 

 

kàn

[to] read, look at and comprehend; [to] look at

dú …; niàn …

[to] read … aloud

xiě [xìn]

[to] write [a letter]

 

PRACTICE 63.1 (Combining of Verbs)

 

Nǐ kànjian wǒde fángzi ma?

Can you see my house?

Wǒ kàn bú jiàn yíge fángzi.

I cannot see a house.

Míngtiān jiàn!

See you tomorrow!

Wǒ fùqīn bù xiǎng tīng nǐde huà.

My father does not want to listen to your word.

Tāmen tīngjian yǒu rén zài nǐde fángzi lǐmian.

They heard [there is] a person inside your house.

tīng bù jiàn nǐ suǒ shuō de.

I can’t hear what you’re saying.

Wǒ xiǎng dú nàběn shū.

I want to read that book.

Qǐng niàn zhège xìnxí.

Please read this message [aloud].

Qǐng gěi wǒ xiě xìn, hǎo ma?

Please write [to] me a letter, O.K.?

 

PRACTICE 63.2 (Combining of Verbs)

 

wǒ xǐhuan dú shū

I like to read books.

tā xiǎng tīng zhègè hǎo xiāoxi.

She wants to hear this good news.

tāmen xūyào míngtiān niàn wǒmende xiāoxi

They'll have to read out our message tomorrow.

wǒmen xūyào qù kàn nàge fángzi

We must go and look at that house.

nǐ néng kànjian shénme?

What can you see?

wǒ lìtú xiě Hànzì.

I try to write Hanzi.

 


 

STUDY 64

Use of Verbs: love, understand, have, obtain, receive

 

VOCABULARY 64.1 (Use of Verbs)

 

ài

[to] love (someone)

àihào

[to] love (something)

míngbai; lǐjiě; dǒng

[to] understand

yǒu

[to] have, possess

dédào; shōudào

[to] obtain, receive, get

 

PRACTICE 64.1 (Use of Verbs)

 

Nǐ ài tā ma?

Do you love her?

Tā àihào dú tāde shū

He loves to read his book.

Nǐ míngbai pǔtōnghuà ma?

Can you understand Mandarin?

Nǐ yǒu yíge fángzi ma?

Do you have a house?

Míngtiān yǒu yíge dàhuì.

Tomorrow there is an assembly.

Wǒ àihào nàběn shū.

I love that book.

Tā àihào niàn tāde shū.

He loves to read his book [aloud].

Nǐ huì dédào Shàndì de xìngfú

You can obtain God’s blessings.

 


 

STUDY 65

de  and its various uses; ”; Relatives and Correlatives

 

GRAMMAR 65.1 (List of Uses of “de”; Relatives and Correlatives)

 

de

1

‘of …’

 

2

of possessor ‘…’

 

3

of quality described as ‘…’

 

4

the thing of the quality described as ‘…’

 

5

of manner described as ‘…’

 

6

of action described as ‘…’

 

7

Possibility of an action

 

8

of relative/correlative description ‘…’

 

GRAMMAR 65.2 (Use of “de” : ‘Of’)

 

fángzi de lù

way of the house

dàhuì de fángzi

house of the meeting; meeting house

 

GRAMMAR 65.3 (Use of “de” : Possession)

 

wǒde shū

my book

wǒde

mine

wǒde shū shì zhèr

My book is here.

nà shì wǒde

That is mine.

wǒ * màma

my mother

nǐ * bàba de shū

your father's book; the book of your father

* NOTE: Omit “de” for closely related persons

 


GRAMMAR 65.4 (Use of “de” : Quality — Adjectives Describing Nouns)

 

Use “de” if the quality described is

written in more than one character

hěn hǎo de péngyou

very good friend(s)

bù hǎo de rén

not a good person; bad person(s)

Omit “de” if the quality is described

using only one written character

hǎo péngyou

good friend(s)

 

GRAMMAR 65.5 (Use of “de” : Person or Thing of the Quality Described)

 

hǎo de shì wǒde

The good one is mine

 

GRAMMAR 65.6 (Use of “de” : Manner — Adjectives to Form Adverbs)

 

shìdang

proper, suitable

shìdang de

properly, suitably

tā shìdang de shuō

He speaks properly

 

GRAMMAR 65.7 (Use of “de” : Action — Forming an Adverbial Phrase)

 

nǐ shuō de hěn hǎo

How you speak is very good.

You speak very well.

tā shuō de bù hǎo.

How he speaks is not good.

He speaks badly.

wǒ shì zuótiān lái de

I came yesterday ! (Emphasis)

 

GRAMMAR 65.8 (Use of “de” : Possible Result of an Action)

 

zuò de dào

can manage to; is capable of doing

wǒmen shuō de xuéxí

We [would] learn to speak

wǒmen shuō bù xuéxí *

We would not learn to speak

 

*  For a negative possibility, ‘bù’ replaces ‘de’.

 


GRAMMAR 65.9 (Use of “de”: Relative and Correlative Pronouns)

 

…… de

‘person or thing of this description’

 

The use of “de” transforms the words “… …” into a noun or a ‘noun phrase’.

zhè shì (shuōhuà hǎo de ) péngyou

This is a friend (who speaks well).

 

This is a friend ([of this description:] “he speaks well”).

 

The above example has expressed the relative pronoun “who”. Also, “de” is used to express the relative forms of what, who, where, why, when, how, whose, and which.

(hǎo fángzi de ) rén

person (of  / with a nice house)

 

GRAMMAR 65.10

 

zhè shì (tā * gěi wǒ de)

This is (what he gave me).

This is (the thing that he gave me).

This is ([the thing of this description:] “he gave it”).

nàge rén shì (hǎo de) péngyou

That person is a friend (who is good).

That person is a friend ([of this description:] “good”.)

nàxiē (bù xuéxí de) rén

Those are persons (who don't study).

Those are persons ([of this description:] “they don't study”).

* “suǒ” can be inserted for

‘whatever’— wǒ suǒ shuō de

whatever I said

 


GRAMMAR 65.10 (Continued)

 

zhè shì (wǒ bù xuéxí nàběn shū de) yuányīn

This is the reason (why I don't study that book).

This is the reason ([of this description:] “I don't study that book”).

míntiān shì (wǒmen qù dàhuì nàshí de) *

Tomorrow is (when we go to the meeting).

Tomorrow is ([the time of this description:] “we go to the meeting then).

zhè shì (tāmen xuéxí de) fángzi

This the house (where we study).

This is the house ([of this description:] “we study”).

zhè shì (wǒmen qù wǒmende dàhuì de) lù

This is how we go to our meeting.

This is the way ([of this description:] “we go to our meeting”).

nà shì (wǒ xuéxí tāde shū de) rén

That is the person whose book I study.

That is the person ([of this description:] “I study his book”).

zhè shì (nǐ gěi de) shū

This is the book which you gave.

This is the book ([of this description:] “you gave”).

wǒ qù (zaì nǐde fángzi lǐ de) dàhuì

I'm going to the meeting which is in your house.

I'm going to the meeting ([of this description:] “in your house”).

* “nàshí” can be omitted

 

 

 


 

STUDY 66

Measure Words (MW)

 

VOCABULARY 66.1

 

yìjiàn

idea, opinion

huà

painting or drawing

wénzhāng

article written; editorial; essay

zhuōzi

table

 

VOCABULARY 66.2 (Measure Words)

 

yì… (before …à …á …â)

yí (before …ã …)

a, an; (one)

yìběn shū = a book

 

yíge péngyou = a friend

liǎng…

a pair of;(two)

liǎngběn shū = a couple of books

 

 

 

…ge

(used generally)

yíge péngyou = a friend

…běn

(thick books)

yìběn shū = a book

…fèn

(leaflets, news-

papers)

liǎngfèn zázhì = a pair of leaflets, thin magazines, or documents

…cì

(-ce; times)

yícì = once; liǎngcì = twice

…zhǒng

(kinds of)

liǎng zhǒng rén = two kinds of people

 

 

 

…biàn

(full cycles)

nàběn shū wǒ kànle liǎngbiàn =

I read that book twice [completely].

…diǎn

(ideas)

liǎngdiǎn yìjiàn = two opinions

…duàn

(sections, parts)

zhèduàn lù = this section of road

…fú

(pictures)

yìfú huà = a painting or a drawing

…lèi

(types of)

zhèlèi dōngxi = this type of thing

…piān

(write-up)

nàpiān wénzhāng = that article

…tiáo

(item of news)

zhètiáo xiāoxi (/ xìnxī) = this message

…zhāng

(flat, squarish)

yízhāng zhuōzi = a table

…zuò

(buildings)

yízuò fángzi = a house

 


PRACTICE 66.1

 

tā láile zhèr liǎngcì

She came here twice.

ná zhèfén zázhì

Take this magazine.

niàn nà hǎo de

Read that [aloud] well.

yízhǒng rén shì hǎo bù hǎo

Two kinds of person are good and bad.

 

PRACTICE 66.1

 

zhè shì yíge hǎo rén

This is a nice person.

nǐ zhīdao yíge yuányīn ma?

Do you know a reason?

wǒ méi kàn nàběn shū

I did not read that [volume of the] book.

gěi wǒ màma zhèběn zázhì

Give my mother that (thick) magazine

wǒmen gěile liǎng fèn zázhì

We gave a pair of (thin) magazines.

tā qù nàr liǎngcì

He went there on a couple of occasions.

wǒ rènshi yízhǒng péngyou

I know one kind of friend.

 

PRACTICE 66.2

 

tā dāi zài dàhuì qījiān liǎngbiàn le

She stayed during [all] the assembly twice.

wǒmen yǒu yídiǎn yìjiàn guānyú zhēnxiāng

We have one idea about the truth.

zài nàduàn jùhuì wǒmen huì xuéxí zhèfèn zázhì

In that section of the meeting we will study this magazine.

nàlèi fàngzi huì shì hěn hǎo wéi wǒde jùhuì

That house will be very good for our meeting.

qǐng kàn jīntiān nàfèn zázhì de zhèpiān wén zhāng

Please read today this article in that magazine.

wǒ kànjian tā le zài nàzhāng zhuōzi shang

I saw it on that table

wǒ xīwàng zuō yīzuò hǎo fángzi

I would like to make a nice house.

 


 

STUDY 67

— Comparative; zuì — Superlative; gender

 

VOCABULARY 67.1

 

than (in comparison with)

zuì

most, the most (indicating the superlative)

 

 

nán-

male (relating to humans)

nǚ- ; nǚxìng de

female (relating to humans)

nánháir

boy

nǚháir

girl

 

GRAMMAR 67.1

 

nà shì hǎo de shū

That is a good book.

zhèběn shū shì hǎo (de)

This book is good.

zhèběn shū shì hěn hǎo de

This book is very good.

nàběn shū shì bù hǎo de

That book is not good.

zhèběn shū bǐ nàběn shū hǎo

This book is better than that book. (= this book compared to that book     is good)

zhè bǐ nà hǎo

This is better than that.

wǒmende bǐ tāmende hǎo

Ours is better than theirs.

 

GRAMMAR 67.2

 

zhèběn shū shì zuì hǎo de

This book is best.

zhèběn shū shì zuì hǎo de

This book is the best.

zhè shì zuì hǎo de shū

This is the best book.

 

GRAMMAR 67.3

 

zhège nánrén shì tāde nánpéngyou

This man is her boyfriend.

wǒ shì nàge nǚháirde bàba

I am that girl's father

zhège nǚrén rénshi nàge nánháir

This woman knows that boy.

nàge nánrén bǐ nàxiē rén hǎo

That man is better than those people.

 


 

STUDY 68

Numbers

 

VOCABULARY 68.1 (Numbers)

 

 

0

 

líng

12

 

shí'èr

1

 

20

 

èrshì

2

 

èr

21

 

èrshì'yī

3

 

sān

100

 

bǎi

4

 

102

 

yībǎilíngèr

5

 

112

 

yībǎishí'èr

6

 

liù

1000

 

yìqiān

7

 

10,000

 

wàn

8

 

1,000,000

 

yībǎiwàn

9

 

jiǔ

 

 

 

10

 

shí

 

 

 

 


 

STUDY 69

Days, months, and dates

 

VOCABULARY 68.1 (Days, Months, and Dates)

 

day

xīngqīyī

Monday (Day 1)

xīngqī'èr

Tuesday (Day 2…)

xīngqīsān

Wednesday

xīngqīsì

Thursday

xīngqīwǔ

Friday

xīngqīliù

Saturday

xīngqīrì

Sunday

 

shàngwǔ

before noon

xiàwǔ

afternoon

zǎoxiē shíhou

early in the day

wǎnxiē shíhou

late in the day

 

yuè

month

yīyuè

January (Month 1)

èryuè

February (Month 2…)

sānyuè

March

sìyuè

April

wǔyuè

May

liùyuè

June

qīyuè

July

bāyuè

August

jiǔyuè

September

shíyuè

October

shíyīyuè

November

shí'èryuè

December

 


 

nián

year

qùnián

the year gone; last year

jīnnián

this year

míngnián

coming year; next year

 

shìjì

century

Gōngyuánqián 

Before our Common Era (BCE)

Gōngyuán

Common Era (CE)

 

jǐ?

how many; what number?

hào

day (in a date – when spoken about)

day (in a date – when written about)

jīntiān jǐ hào?

What is the date today?

shàngge

last, previous

xiàge

next, following

 

PRACTICE 69.1

 

Jīntiān jǐ hào?

What is the date today?

Jīntiān èrlíngshísān nián liùyuè èrshíliù rì xīngqīsān (2013 nián 6 yuè 26 rì xīngqīsān).

Today is Wednesday, June 26th, 2013.

Xīngqīrì yǒu wǒmende jùhuì.

On Sunday there is our meeting.

Cóng xīngqīwǔ dào xīngqīrì yǒu yíge dàhuì.

From Friday to Sunday there will be a convention.

Míngnián qīyuè wǒ bú huì zài nàr.

Next year in July I will not be there.

Tā xiě zaì Gōngyuánqián wǔ shìjì le.

He wrote in the fifth century B.C.E. (Before Our Common Era).

Shāngge yuè tā lái le zhèr.

Last month he came here.

Tā xiǎng zhège xīngqī qù nǐde jiā.

He wants to go to your home this week.

Tā huì xiàge xīngqīrì qù zìjǐ de fángzi.

He will go next Sunday to his own house.

 


 

STUDY 70

FREQUENTLY USED WORDS —Mandarin Chinese to English

 

VOCABULARY 70.1 (Mandarin Chinese to English)

 

Mandarin Chinese

English

ài

love

bǎoguì

value

biāomíng

show – [to ~]

Bù!

Not correct! (Yes! to -ve; No! to +ve)

bùwánměi

imperfect

chéngwéi

become – [to ~]

chóngbài

worship – [to ~]

chūshēng

birth

cuòwù

error, mistake

cuòwù de zōngjiào

false religion

dǎogào

pray – [to ~]

earth

dìshang

on earth

dōngxi

thing

duì!

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

duōshǎo

how many; how much

è[rén]

wicked [person]

fāshēng

event, happening

fúcóng

obey – [to ~]

fùhuó

resurrection

gōngzuò

work – [to ~]

guówáng

king

jiātíng

family

jièchú

end – [to ~]

jiéshù

end; be ended; bring to an end – [to ~]

jiéguǒ

result

jiéjìng

clean; cleanliness – [to ~]

jìzǎi

report; record

difficulty; pain; suffering

kuǎile

happiness, joy; happy, joyful

kǔnán

bitter hardships

lèyuán

paradise

lìzi

example

nántí

difficulties; problems

qiānbéi

humble

qíngkuàng

conditions, situation

qínjìn

approach, draw near to – [to ~]

rénlèi

humankind

rènwéi

think – [to ~]

rìzi

day

róngyì

easy

shēnghuó

way of life; be living

shēngmìng

life

shénme shíhou

what time, when

Shì!

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

Shìde!

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

shíhou

time

shìjiě

world

shújià

ransom

sǐ[wáng]

death

tīng

listen to – [to ~]

tīngcóng

listen; obey – [to ~]

tīngjian

hear – [to ~]

tǒngzhì

rule – [to ~]

tǒngzhìzhě

ruler

wángguó

kingdom

wánměi

perfect

xīn

new

xìn

believe – [to ~]

xìnxīn

faith

xìnyǎng

belief; religion

yīnggāi

should, ought

yīngxǔ

promise

yíngdé

please – [to ~]

yǐjīng

already

yì[rén]

righteous [person]

yìsi

meaning

yuányīn

reason

yuè

month

yuènà

approval

zànměi

praise – [to ~]

zhèngmīng

proof

zhèngquè de zōngjiào

true religion

zhìhuì

wisdom

zhōng xìn de

faithful

zhòngyào

important

zōngjiào

religion

 


 

STUDY 71

FREQUENTLY USED WORDS — English to Mandarin Chinese

 

VOCABULARY 71.1 (English to Mandarin Chinese)

 

English

Mandarin Chinese

approach, draw near to – [to ~]

qínjìn

approval

yuènà

become – [to ~]

chéngwéi

belief; religion

xìnyǎng

believe – [to ~]

xìn

birth

chūshēng

bitter hardships

kǔnán

clean; cleanliness – [to ~]

jiéjìng

conditions, situation

qíngkuàng

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

duì!

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

Shì!

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

Shìde!

day

rìzi

death

sǐ[wáng]

difficulties; problems

nántí

difficulty; pain; suffering

earth

easy

róngyì

end – [to ~]

jièchú

end; be ended; bring to an end – [to ~]

jiéshù

error, mistake

cuòwù

event, happening

fāshēng

example

lìzi

faith

xìnxīn

faithful

zhōng xìn de

false religion

cuòwù de zōngjiào

family

jiātíng

happiness, joy; happy, joyful

kuǎile

hear – [to ~]

tīngjian

how many; how much

duōshǎo

humankind

rénlèi

humble

qiānbéi

imperfect

bùwánměi

important

zhòngyào

king

guówáng

kingdom

wángguó

life

shēngmìng

listen to – [to ~]

tīng

listen; obey – [to ~]

tīngcóng

love

ài

meaning

yìsi

month

yuè

new

xīn

Not correct! (Yes! to -ve; No! to +ve)

Bù!

obey – [to ~]

fúcóng

on earth

dìshang

paradise

lèyuán

perfect

wánměi

please – [to ~]

yíngdé

praise – [to ~]

zànměi

pray – [to ~]

dǎogào

promise

yīngxǔ

proof

zhèngmīng

ransom

shújià

reason

yuányīn

religion

zōngjiào

report; record

jìzǎi

result

jiéguǒ

resurrection

fùhuó

righteous [person]

yì[rén]

rule – [to ~]

tǒngzhì

ruler

tǒngzhìzhě

should, ought

yīnggāi

show – [to ~]

biāomíng

thing

dōngxi

think – [to ~]

rènwéi

time

shíhou

true religion

zhèngquè de zōngjiào

value

bǎoguì

way of life; be living

shēnghuó

what time, when

shénme shíhou

wicked [person]

è[rén]

wisdom

zhìhuì

work – [to ~]

gōngzuò

world

shìjiě

worship – [to ~]

chóngbài

 


 

STUDY 72

Review of Words Learned

 

VOCABULARY 72.1 (Review of Words Learned)

This is a review of all the vocabularies covered in Part 1: Studies 1-29.

[See Study 1 for guidance on Mandarin pronuciation and Pinyin script.

Check especially tones and tonal marks in Pronunciation 1.4.]

 

English

Mandarin Chinese

a, an

yíge, etc. MW (Part 2 shows more ‘measure words’.) Use yì before …à, …á, or …â, otherwise use yí

[to] be able; can

néng; huì

about

guānyú

address

dìzhǐ

[email] address

[yīmèir] dìzhǐ

again

zài

all

dōu  (see whatever)

[to] be allowed

kěyǐ

[to] be not allowed; must not

bùkě

already

yǐjīng

always, ever

cónglái (usually with or méi)

answer, comment

huídá

answer, reply, response

dáfù

[to] approach

qínjìn

approval

yuènà

[to] ask [a question]

wén [wèntí]

assembly, convention

dàhuì

[to] attempt, try

shǐtú

[to] be (am, is, are)

shì

[to] be able; can

néng; huì

[to] be acquainted with

rènshi

[to] be not allowed; must not

bùkě

[to] be present

zài

because

yīnwèi

[to] become

chéngwéi

[to] begin, start

kāishǐ

belief; religion

xìnyǎng

[to] believe

xìn

Bible, Holy Scriptures

Shèngjīng

birth

chūshēng

bitter hardships

kǔnàn

blessèd happiness

xìngfú

[a] book

[yìběn] shū

brother

dìxiōng; xiōngdì

Brother X

X Dìxiōng

[to] be called; call

jiào

[to] be called by the name X

jiào X míngzi

can; [to] be able

néng, huì

[to] cause; make; enable; use

shǐ

chapter

zhāng

[to] clean; cleanliness

jiéjìng

[to] come

lái

[to] comment; remark

pínglùn

conditions; situation

qíngkuàng

convention, assembly

dàhuì

Correct! (Yes! to +ve; No! to -ve)

Duì! Shì! Shìde!

day

rìzi

death

sǐ[wáng]

did …

…le (le is just after the verb)

did …

…guo (guo shows action was completed)

didn't …; wasn't …-ing

méi …

[to] die

difficulty; bitter hardship

kǔ; kǔnàn

difficulty; problems

kùnnán; nántí

[to] make, treat as; do, serve as

zuò

[to] draw near to

qínjìn

each

měi

earth

on earth

[zài] dìshang

easy

róngyì

email [address]

yīmèir [dìzhǐ]

[to] enable; cause; make; use

shǐ

[to] end, bring to a finish

jièchú

[to] end, come to a finish

zhāodào

[to] endeavour, try

lìtú

[in, using] English

[yòng] Yíngwén

error, mistake

cuòwù

event, happening

fāshēng

everlasting life

yǒngshēng

example

lìzi

excellent

fēi cháng hǎo

exist

zài

[to] experience, suffer

shòu

faith

xìnxīn

faithful

zhōng xìn de

false religion

cuòwù de zōngjiào

family

jiātíng

[to] feel …

gǎndào …

[to] make feel

lìng

[to] find out, learn, inquire

liǎojiě

fine, well, good

hǎo

the first …

dì yì …

[to] go on foot

zǒulù

for

wèi;  wèile

for the purpose that; so that

wèi;  wèile

for what;  why

wèishénme

friend

péngyou

from, starting at

cóng

[to] give

gěi

[to] go

God

Shàngdì

god

shén

good, well, fine

hǎo

Hanzi

Hànzì

happening, event

fāshēng

happiness; happy

kuǎile;  gāoxìng

blessèd happiness

xìngfú

bitter hardships

kǔnán

[to] have; there is/are

yǒu

[to] have not; there is/are not

méiyǒu

have done …; …is completed

… … le (le is at the end of the sentence)

he, she, it

Hello!

Nǐ hǎo!

[to] help;  assistance

bāngzhù; bāng

hence

yīncǐ

her …

tāde …

here

[zài] zhèr;  zhèlǐ

his

tāde

home (where you live)

jiā

how, in what way/manner

zěnyàng;  zěnmeyàng

How are you?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

how many

duōshǎo

how much

duōshǎo

however

kěshì

humanity

rénlèi

humble

qiānbéi, wènhé, qiānhé

I

if …, then …

yàoshi …, … jiù …

if …, [then] …

yàoshi …, … [jiù] …

[if] …, then …

[yàoshi] …, … jiù …

if …, then …

rúguǒ …, nàmuǒ … …

immediately

mǎshàng

imperfect

bùwánměi

important

zhòngyào;  zhòngshì

impossible

bù kěnéng

Incorrect! (No! to +ve; Yes! to -ve)

Bù!

indeed, surely

hěn

[to] be interested in …

duì … gǎn xìngqù; yǒu xìngqù

invisible

kàn bú jiàn de

invitation

[…fèn] qǐngtiě

is it so?

ma?

it, he, she

its

tāde

Jehovah

Yēhéhuá

joy; joyful

kuǎile

king

guówáng

kingdom

wángguó

[to] know (information)

zhīdao

[to] know (a person)

rènshi

[a bit] later

[guò] yīhuǐr

[to] learn, find out

liǎojiě

[to] let; make have to

ràng

life

shēngmìng

life, way of living

shēnghuó

life everlasting

yǒngshēng

[to] give … a lift by car

ràng … dāchē

would like, wish hope

xīwàng

like what?

zěnyàng?  zěnmeyàng

like this

zhèyàng

like that

nàyàng

[to] listen; obey

tīngcóng

[to] look, watch, read (silently)

kàn

love

ài

…-ly

… de

[to] make, treat as; do, serve as

zuò

[to] make; cause; enable; use

shǐ

[to] make feel

lìng

Mandarin

pǔtōnghuà

mankind

rénlèi

manner, how

yàng

meaning

yìsi

meeting

jùhuì

message

xiāoxi; xìnxī

mistake

cuòwù

mm, is it so?

ma?

Monday

Xīngqīyī

month

yuè

morning

zǎoshàng

must; [to] have to

bìxū

[to] be not allowed; must not

bùkě

my

wǒde

name

míngzi;  míng

never did …

cónglái méi …

never have

cónglái bù …

new

xīn

news

xiāoxi

good news

hǎo xiāoxi

the next …

xià yíge …

nice to see you

hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nǐ

[telephone] number

[diànhuà] hàomǎ

No! ( to +ve); Incorrect!

Bù!

No! (to -ve); Correct!

Duì! Shì! Shìde!

not

bù (Note: bú shì)

[to] obey

fúcóng

[to] obey, listen

tīngcóng

of …

…de

OK!

Hǎode!

one

ought, should

yīnggāi

our

wǒmende

pain

paradise

lèyuán

paragraph

duàn

peace

hépíng

perfect

wánměi

person, people

rén

Pinyin

Pīnyīn

Please!

qǐng!

[to] please

yíngdé

it is possible that

kěnéng

quite possibly

hěn kěnéng de

[to] praise

zànměi

[to] pray

dǎogào

the previous …

shang yíge …

problems; difficulty

kùnnán; nántí

proof

zhèngmīng

promise

yīngxǔ

prophecy

yùyán

question

wèntí

ransom

shújià

read

kàn; dú

read … aloud

dú …; niàn …

reason

yuányīn

the reason why; therefore; so

suǒyǐ

record, report

jìzǎi

regarding, on the part of, about

duì

religion, belief

xìnyǎng

religion

zōngjiào

[to] remark, comment

pínglùn

report; record

jìzǎi

reply, response

dáfù

result

jiéguǒ

resurrection

fùhuó

[to] ride; ride

zuò

righteous [person]

yì[rén]

[to] rule

tǒngzhì

ruler

tǒngzhìzhě

…s

…men (persons)

…s

…xiē (changes this to these; a to some, etc)

…'s, …s'

…de

sad

nánguò

scripture, verse

jiè

Holy Scriptures

Shèngjīng

[to] see, catch sight of

kànjiàn

[to] get to see, meet

jiàndào

[to] make, treat as; do, serve as

zuò

several, some

yìxiē (Yǒu yìxiē … at start of sentence)

she, he, it

should, ought

yīnggāi

[to] show

biāomíng

[to] sing [a song]

chàng [gē]

sister

jiěmèi, zǐmèi

Sister X

X Jiěmèi

[to] sit, ride

zuò

[to] sit down

zuò xià

situation; conditions

qíngkuàng

so, therefore

yīncǐ; suǒyǐ

someone

mǒurén

song

[to] speak, say

shuō

[to] stand up

zhàn qǐlái

[to] start, begin

kāishǐ

study; [to] study

xuéxí

[to] suffer, experience

shòu

suffering

[to] take

talk, sermon

tǎolùn

telephone [number]

diànhuà [hàomǎ]

[to] tell

gàosu

Thanks!

Xièxie!

Thank you! (polite form)

Xièxie nín!

Thank you for reading.

Xièxie nín dú.

that (pronoun)

that …

nàge …

their

tāmende

if …, then …

yàoshi …, jiù …  (See if )

there

[zài] nàr; nàlǐ

there is/are; [to] have

yǒu

there is/are not; [to] have not

méiyǒu

therefore;  so

yīncǐ; suǒyǐ

these; these …

zhèxiē; zhèxiē …

they

tāmen

thing

dōngxi

[to] think

rènwéi

this (pronoun)

zhè; zhèi

this …

zhège …

those; those …

nàxiē; nàxiē …

through (in) the name of Jesus

féng Yēsū de míng;

through the name of Jesus

tōngguò Yēsū de míng

time

shíhou

to, as far as

dào

tomorrow

míngtiān

topic

huàtí

[to] make, treat as; do, serve as

zuò

true religion

zhèngquè de zōngjiào

[to] try, attempt

shìtú

[to] try, endeavour

lìtú

[to] undergo, experience, suffer

shòu

[to] understand

dǒng

[to] understand; see clearly

míngbai

[to] use; cause; make; enable

shǐ

[to] use;  usage

yòng

using

zài yòng

value

bǎoguì

verse, scripture

jiè

very

hěn

visible

kànjiàn de

volume of bound edition of …

[yì] běn … (e.g. shū, book)

[to] want to

xiǎng

way, manner

yàng

this way

zhèyàng

that way

nàyàng

what way?

zěnyàng? zěnmeyàng

we

wǒmen

Welcome!

huānyíng!

well, fine, good

hǎo

what

shénme

whatever; that which

suǒ

whatever there is; all you have

suǒyǒu (often used with dōu - all)

what time

shénme shíhou

when

shénme shíhou

where?

[zài] nǎr; nǎlǐ; zhěr; zhělǐ

who

shéi

why

wèishénme

wicked [person]

è[rén]

will (future action)

huì

wisdom

zhìhuì

words; that which is said

huà

[to] work

gōngzuò

world

shìjiě

[to] worship

chóngbài

Yes! ( to +ve); Correct!

Duì! Shì! Shìde!

Yes! (to -ve); Incorrect!

Bù!

you[r]

nǐ[de]

YOU[R]

nǐmen[de]

 


 

APPENDIX A

Sentence Structure

 

GRAMMAR A1.1

 

A sentence is not just a string of words.  It is a chain of groups of words.  Your fluency depends on respect for these discrete groups and the detail they contribute to the overall message of the whole sentence.

 

Mastering the Use of Sentence Structure

 

   Keep it simple!  Let's all not lose sight of the wood for the trees.

   To work quickly in one or more languages at a time you need to “picture” in your mind the key ideas being communicated. 

   When composing the expression of your own idea, “paint” the main features of your thought picture.  You can then add more and more detail, but only do this if you progressed enough with the language and if you need to do so.  Don’t add irrelevant or unimportant detail.

   When registering what someone else has expressed, simplify the picture.  See its main features.  Identify other details, if you can and need to.  Don’t focus on or repeat irrelevant detail that others have said.

 

We need to develop the skill of building up the structure of a sentence.  This applies essentially to the learning of any language. 

See how a sentence is a chain of a few simple parts.  Each of these may be expanded with more detail.

As you begin to compose sentences, keep them very simple.  Only add detail as and when you need to and are able to.

Many students don’t see the wood for the trees.  This is particularly noticeable at meetings where a publication is used as the basis for a question-and-answer discussion.  Some students find it difficult to advance beyond underlining and quoting lines from the publication instead of speaking in their own words and from the heart the key points.  Are such comments up-building to the speaker or to the hearers?

For example, consider the short sentence, “They give him this invitation.”  This simple sentence is already an expansion of a simpler sentence. 

1)   They give.

2)   They give this.

3)   They give him this.  (= They give this to him.)

This can be expanded much further with far more detail.

 

1)

They

 

give.

 

 

2)

They

 

give

 

this.

3)

They

 

give

 

this invitation.

4)

They

 

give

him

this invitation.

5)

"

(eagerly)

"

the man

an invitation.

6)

The brothers

(with great urgency)

offer

the man in the street

their important invitation.

7)

The bold proclaimers

(at every opportunity)

would like to give

the person they meet in the street

their invitation for an important meeting.

 

GRAMMAR A1.2

 

Illustrations of Simple Structure

 

A SCULPTURE

If we can first construct a basic skeleton (such as “they give”), we can then build up the body of the sentence on it.

 

A GOODS TRAIN

Using the table above, imagine a simple sentence as being like a goods train that has an engine, a fuel tender, and maybe also a variety of trucks attached.  Each vessel has its own contents separate from the others.  Similarly a sentence must have an doer of something (“subject”) and an action that is done (“verb”).  It may also have other blocks of information such as an object being acted upon (“the indirect object” in the “accusative case”) or an object receiving the action (“direct object” in the “dative case”).  Other information in the simple sentence serves to provide more detail about the above parts.

 

A CHAIN

A chain is a series of elements each with its own integral structure.

 

GRAMMAR A1.3

 

Can you identify the main parts of a simple sentence?

 

Doer

“Subject”

Who or what is doing the action?

e.g. “They”

Action done

“Verb”

What is the action?

e.g. “give”

Object acted upon

“Indirect Object”

Is there someone or something being acted upon?

 e.g. “this invitation”

Object receiving action

“Direct Object”

Is there someone or something receiving the action?

e.g. “him”

 

PRACTICE A1.1

 

Please find some simple sentences and identify the doer and the action done.  Strip out all the other information from it.

 

PRACTICE A1.2

 

Using the same simple sentences as in the previous practice also identify the indirect and direct objects, if these exist.

 


PRACTICE A1.3

 

Take the same simple sentences again and see if it is possible to simplify them, so that you would find it a lot easier to translate their main points. 

 

The following sentences are examples that you could simplify.

 

1)  If I could find the time and energy, I would like to go to college in the evenings after work (perhaps) and learn to speak Chinese fluently like a native who's been speaking it all his life.

 

2)  My friend's brother's wife, or is it mother-in law, was walking down the High Street one evening last week when a child ran across the road, just avoided getting knocked down by a car and then nearly knocked her down in the process.

 

3)  My friend and I have been talking to your neighbours this morning about, “Do you think we shall ever be able to enjoy a peaceful earth?”

 

4)  Have you ever wondered why we are here?

 

GRAMMAR A1.4

 

More Complex Sentence Structures

 

There are more complex sentence structures than the simple sentences considered above.  However, the following approach will help you to break them down, simplify them, and express the main points of each discrete section.  This is not only important for composing your own sentences, but also to facilitate fluent, understandable reading of others' texts.

 

A sentence is made more complex when it uses more than one active verb (“doing word”) group.  A sentence will always have a “main clause” formed like the simple sentences described earlier.  Other claused (each with their own action word) are attached to the main clause.

 

For example, see the underlined active verbs and the logic of the stacked brackets in the following sentences.

 

1)  [I hope that {you will come (when it stops raining.)}]

2)  [He said that {(you would come) and (* see me)}]

*   NOTE  “you would” is omitted, as it is understood or inferred.

3)  {(He comes) and (we study the publication.)} †

   NOTE  This sentence appears to have two main clauses.

4)  {You will know, (if you're wrong!)}

5)  {(If you are wrong), then you will know!}

 

In examples 1) and 2) the word “that” is often omitted in many languages.  This is so in English and Mandarin.

 

Form 3) is a useful form for beginners to copy.  It is far easier to form lots of short, simple sentences or “main clauses”, even if your language might sound just a little unnatural.  Your style can be improved after you have established a sound foundation.

 

The conditional statements in examples 4) and 5) are important tools in the reasoning process.  However, we can again simplify these.  Essentially, we can strip out the “if” and “then” words, express the thought in each clause using the methods discussed already, and then put back the “if” and “then” words.

 

PRACTICE A1.4

 

Select sections of text and mark them with brackets around groups of words that should be registered together for ease of reading, understanding, summarizing in your own words (paraphrasing), or translating.  This will also help you isolate the key thoughts from such texts, if they are the basis of a question-and-answer discussion.

 


 

APPENDIX B

CONDUCTING A MEETING IN MANDARIN CHINESE

 

Welcome

Huānyíng!

 

 

subject

huàtí

this subject

zhège huàtí

about this subject.

guānyǔ zhège huàtí.

study about this subject.

xuéxí guānyǔ zhège huàtí.

We

Wǒmen

We will

Wǒmen huì

We will study

Wǒmen huì xuéxí

We will study about this

Wǒmen huì xuéxí guānyǔ zhège

We will study about this subject.

Wǒmen huì xuéxí guānyǔ zhège huàtí.

 

 

verse

jiè

Bible

Shèngjīng

’s (of)

de

Bible’s verse (the scripture)

Shèngjīng de jiè

 

 

this verse (scripture)

zhège jiè

Please

Qǐng

Please read

Qǐng dú

Please read this [item]

Qǐng dú zhège

Please read this scripture

Qǐng dú zhège jiè

Please read the scripture, O.K.?

Qǐng dú zhège jiè, hǎo ma?

 

 

Brother

Dìxiōng

Sister

Jiěmèi

Brothers and Sisters

Dìxiōng Jiěmèi

 

 


 

Thanks

Xièxie

Thank you

Xièxie nín

Thank you, brother

Xièxie nín, Dìxiōng.

Thank you, sister

Xièxie nín, Jiěmèi.

 

 

would like to; wish one could

xīwàng

would like to; want to

xiǎng

 

 

We

Wǒmen

We would like to [wish we could]

Wǒmen xīwàng

We would like to learn (or study).

Wǒmen xīwàng xuéxí.

the answer

huídá

these questions

zhèxiē wèntí

(of) to these questions

zhèxiē wèntí de

the answers to these questions

zhèxiē wèntí de huídá

We would like to learn the answers to these answers.

Wǒmen xīwàng xuéxí zhèxiē wèntí de huídá.

 

 

those answers.

nàxie huídá.

We would like to learn those answers.

Wǒmen xīwàng xuéxí nàxie huídá.

 

 

to start

kāishǐ

to finish, end

jiéshù

 

 

lesson

chapter

zhāng

verse

jiè

paragraph

duàn

 

 

the first (number one) verse

dì yí jiè

(from) the first verse

(cóng) dì yí jiè

the second (number two) verse

èr jiè

(as far as) the second verse

(dào) dì èr jiè

 

 


 

a verse

yíge jiè

the previous verse

shang yíge jiè

the next verse

xià yíge jiè

the first paragraph (Paragraph 1)

dì yí duàn

the previous paragraph

shang yíge duàn

this paragraph

zhège duàn

the next paragraph

xià yíge duàn

this paragraph’s question

zhège duàn de wèntí

 

 

Who'd like to read …?

Shéi xiǎng dú …?

Please read this paragraph.

Qǐng dú zhège duàn.

Please read the question.

Qǐng dú wèntí.

Thank you for reading!

Xièxie nín dú.

Please give YOUR answers/comments.

Qǐng gěi nǐmende huídá/pínglùn.

 

 

Thank you for your answer.

Xièxie nǐde huídá.

A good answer!

Hǎo de huídá!

Very good!  Excellent!

Fēi cháng hǎo!

Correct!

Duì!

Do you understand?

Nǐ míngbai ma?

 

 

to feel

gǎndào

to feel happy

gǎndào gǎoxìng

{to make} (someone) sad

{lìng} (mǒurén) nánguò

about this [matter]

guānyú zhè[ge]

Jehovah feels happy.

Yēhéhuá gǎndào gǎoxìng.

How do you feel about this?

Nǐ guānyú zhè zěnyàng gǎndào?

Now we must do what is the right thing.

Wǒmen xiàng zuò hǎo de dōngxi.

 

 


 

stand

zhàn

[Please] stand (up)

[Qǐng] zhàn (qilai)

everybody

dàjiā

[Please] sit (down)

[Qǐng] zuò(xia)

[Let us] sing a song (in praise to Jehovah).

[Ràng wǒmen] chàng gē (zànměi Yēhéhuá).

Let us pray (to Jehovah)

Ràng wǒmen dǎogāo (Yēhéhuá)

[through] the name (of Jesus)

[féng] (Yēsū de) míng.

 


 

APPENDIX C

HEBREW-ARAMAIC SCRIPTURES

 

Chuàngshìjì

Genesis

Chuándàoshū

Ecclesiastes

Chū’āijíjì

Exodus

Yǎgē

Song of Solomon

Lìwèijì

Leviticus

Yǐsàiyàshū

Isaiah

Mínshùjì

Numbers

Yēlìmǐshū

Jeremiah

Shēnmìngjì

Deuteronomy

Yēlìmǐ’āigē

Lamentations

Yuēshūyàjì

Joshua

Yǐxījiéshū

Ezekiel

Shìshījì

Judges

Dànyǐlǐshū

Daniel

Lùdéjì

Ruth

Héxī’āshū

Hosea

Sāmǔ’ěrjì Shàng

First Samuel

Yuē’ěrshū

Joel

Sāmǔ’ěrjì Xià

Second Samuel

Āmósīshū

Amos

Lièwángjì Shàng

First Kings

Ébādǐyàshū

Obadiah

Lièwángjì Xià

Second Kings

Yuēnáshū

Jonah

Lìdàizhì Shàng

1st Chronicles

Míjiāshū

Micah

Lìdaìzhì Xià

2nd Chronicles

Nāhóngshū

Nahum

Yǐsīlājì

Ezra

Hābāgǔshū

Habakkuk

Níxīmǐjì

Nehemiah

Xīfānyǎshū

Zephaniah

Yǐsītiējì

Esther

Hāgāishū

Haggai

Yuēbójì

Job

Sājiālìyàshū

Zechariah

Shīpiān

Psalms

Mǎlājīshū

Malachi

Zhēnyán

Proverbs

 

 

 


 

APPENDIX D

CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES

 

Mǎtài Fúyīn

Matthew

Tímótài Qiánshū

First Timothy

Mǎkě Fúyīn

Mark

Tímótài Hòushū

Second Timothy

Lùjiā Fúyīn

Luke

Tíduōshū

Titus

Yuēhàn Fúyīn

John

Féilìménshū

Philemon

Shǐtú Xíngzhuàn

Acts

Xībóláishū

Hebrews

Luǒmǎshū

Romans

Yǎgèshū

James

Gēlínduō Qiánshū

First Corinthians

Bǐdé Qiánshū

First Peter

Gēlínduō Hòushū

Second Corinthians

Bǐdé Hòushū

Second Peter

Jiālātàishū

Galatians

Yuēhàn Yīshū

First John

Yǐfúsuǒshū

Ephesians

Yuēhàn Èrshū

Second John

Féilìbǐshū

Philippians

Yuēhàn Sānshū

Third John

Gēluóxīshū

Colossians

Yóudàshū

Jude

Tiēsāluóníjiā Qiánshū

First Thessalonians

Qǐshìlù

Revelation

Tiēsāluóníjiā Hòushū

Second Thessalonians

 

 

 

HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT OF VERSIONS OF THIS FILE

 

The 2013 update combined the first course,
2003-2005    “Pinyin Mandarin Preliminary Course” in Jaspell’s ASCII font JPINNN01.ttf
2006-2008    “Pinyin Mandarin Introductory Course” in Jaspell’s ASCII font JPINNN01.ttf
2013              “Chinese Mandarin Introductory Course Online Using Pinyin” (http://www.jaspell.uk/pinyin_introductory/pinyin_introductory01_online2.htm) was updated 26 June, 2013 in Jaspell’s ASCII font JPINNN01.ttf
2017              “Chinese Mandarin Introductory Language Course Using Pinyin”
in which the 2013 file was converted from Jaspell’s ASCII font JPINNN01.ttf to UNICODE characters on 7 September, 2017 and improvements were made to the layout for online use—the current document

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© 2003-2017 Jasper Burford & Ellen Burford   
Date of Last Edit: 10 September, 2017