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Hi, I'm Fame Ketover of Lenguin.com and this is Mandarin Chinese.
Now it's your turn to say the things you learned in the last lesson. Plus you'll learn the Chinese characters.
.
Listen to this conversation.
李先生,李太太有几个孩子?
他们有三个孩子。
是男孩子,是女孩子?
她们都是女孩子。
Let's listen to the last part again.
是男孩子,是女孩子?
她们都是女孩子。
The question "Are they boys or girls?" in Chinese doesn't have an "or".
Repeat after the speaker, "Are they boys or girls?", literally, "Are boys, are girls?"
是男孩子,是女孩子?
是男孩子,是女孩子?
It's very common to form an or question by simply offering the alternatives one after another.
However, the verb must be repeated with each alternative, as in
"*** nánháizi, *** nǚháizi?"
Repeat "Are they boys or girls?" again.
是男孩子,是女孩子?
是男孩子,是女孩子?
How do you say "Are they boys or girls?"
是男孩子,是女孩子?
Try asking the question yourself, "Are they boys or girls?"
是男孩子,是女孩子?
她们都是女孩子。
Try a bit more of the conversation now.
Assume you're talking about Mr. and Mrs. Li and their children.
First ask how many children they have and then ask if they're boys or girls.
李先生,李太太有几个孩子?
他们有三个孩子。
是男孩子,是女孩子?
她们都是女孩子。
Let's listen to the last reply again.
她们都是女孩子。
她们都是女孩子。
Repeat the word for "all".
都
都
都
Like other adverbs you've had such as
"yě"
("also") or
"xiànzài"
("now") the adverb
"dōu"
always comes before the verb.
Repeat they're all girls.
她们都是女孩子。
她们都是女孩子。
Try replying to the question now.
Remember that they have three daughters.
是男孩子,是女孩子?
她们都是女孩子。
In a sentence with
"dōu"
it's common to leave off the pronoun before the
"dōu".
Repeat "all are girls".
都是女孩子
都是女孩子
Now you try answering the question about the Lis, who have three daughters.
李先生,李太太有几个孩子?
他们有三个孩子。
是男孩子,是女孩子?
都是女孩子。
Here's a question you might be asked about your children.
你们孩子都在这里吗?
不,两个在这里,一个还在美国。
Repeat "Are all your children here?"
你们孩子都在这里吗?
你们孩子都在这里吗?
Making sure to put the adverb
"dōu"
before the verb, say "Are all your children here?" ahead of the speaker.
你们孩子都在这里吗?
Try asking "Are all your children here?" again.
你们孩子都在这里吗?
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
Let's listen to the reply again.
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
You'll notice that
"yíge"
and
"liǎngge"
here are used without the nouns following them.
You've seen this happen before with
"zheìge"
and
"nèige".
This is of course possible because the conversation has made it clear who is being talked about.
Repeat "two are here".
两个在这里
两个在这里
The reply also introduces the word "still" which is an adverb.
Repeat "still".
还
还
还
Like other adverbs
"hái"
precedes the verb.
Repeat "One is still in America".
一个还在美国
一个还在美国
Repeat, "No. Two are here, and one is still in America."
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
Now try responding to the question.
Assume that you have three sons: two here with you, one still in America.
你们孩子都在这里吗?
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
With the same assumption that you have three sons
(two with you here, one in America) try answering these questions.
你们有几个孩子?
我们有三个孩子。
是男孩子,是女孩子?
都是男孩子。
他们都在这里吗?
不,两个在这里,||| 一个还在美国。
Now if you're talking with people who don't know whether or not you're married,
you might be asked about your family in another way.
Listen.
你家里有什么人?
有我太太跟三个孩子。
Repeat the phrase, "in your family".
你家里
你家里
你家里
You probably recognized all of these syllables although you have never had them quite this way before.
The syllable
"jiā"
which is seen in
"lǎojiā"
means "home".
The syllable
"lǐ"
which you've seen in
"zhèli"
and
"nàli"
means
"within"
or "in".
Here the combination is
"jiāli"
meaning "in the family".
Repeat "What people are there in your family?"
你家里有什么人?
你家里有什么人?
As you've learned, the verb
"yǒu"
means "to have".
It also has another meaning, that of existence, "there is".
The question
"Nǐ jiāli yǒu shénme rén?"
is literally,
"in your family there are what people?"
How do you say "What people are there in your family?"
你家里有什么人?
Try it again.
你家里有什么人?
有我太太跟三个孩子。
Let's listen to the answer again.
有我太太跟三个孩子。
The word
"gēn"
is used to connect nouns and noun phrases.
Repeat this word for "and".
跟
跟
跟
Repeat the sentence, "There's my wife and three children."
有我太太跟三个孩子。
有我太太跟三个孩子。
Try responding to the question yourself.
Assume that you have a wife and three children.
你家里有什么人?
有我太太跟三个孩子。
Let's suppose you aren't married.
The exchange might go like this.
你家里有什么人?
就有我父亲,母亲。
Repeat the word for "father".
父亲
父亲
父亲
Repeat the word for "mother".
母亲
母亲
母亲
Repeat the word for "just".
就
就
就
The word
"jiù"
is an adverb and goes before the verb.
Repeat "There's just my father and mother."
就有我父亲,母亲。
就有我父亲,母亲。
Notice that the Chinese sentence doesn't need to use a word for "and".
How do you say "Just my father and mother."
就有我父亲,母亲。
Try responding to the question yourself now.
Assume there's just your father and mother.
你家里有什么人?
就有我父亲,母亲。
Hao, women xià kè ba.
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