Complete Mandarin Chinese - Lesson 1

Question 1

Vocab to like

Answer 1

xǐhuan

Question 2

Vocab How do you do Mr Li?

Answer 2

Lǐ xiānsheng, nǐ hǎo

Question 3

Vocab China

Answer 3

Zhōngguó

Question 4

Exercises Make the sentence negative Nǐ hǎo

Answer 4

Nǐ bù hǎo

Question 5

Exercises Make the sentence into a choice question and answer in the positive and negative Nǐ hē chá

Answer 5

Nǐ hē bu nǐ hē chá? Wǒ hē chá Wǒ bù hē chá

Question 6

Grammar Two third tones

Answer 6

It is difficult to say two third tones together. When this happens, the first is said as a second tone but is still marked as a third tone in text. eg nǐ hǎo is therefore said as ní hǎo

Question 7

Grammar Negation

Answer 7

With one exception (the verb yǒu - to have), all verbs are negated by putting bù in front of them

Question 8

Vocab How do you do Mr King?

Answer 8

Wáng xiānsheng, nǐ hǎo

Question 9

Vocab you

Answer 9

nǐ

Question 10

Grammar Stative verbs

Answer 10

Some Chinese adjectives also function as verbs eg hǎo means ‘to be good’ as well as ‘good’. Thus no separate verb for ‘to be’ is used.

Question 11

Vocab to drink

Answer 11

hē

Question 12

Vocab Please sit down

Answer 12

Qǐng zuò

Question 13

Exercises Make the sentence negative Lǐ xiānsheng xièxie wǒ

Answer 13

Lǐ xiānsheng bú xièxie wǒ

Question 14

Grammar Tone of bù

Answer 14

Bù is normally fourth tone (ù) but changes to second tone (ú) when followed by another fourth tone eg bú zuò not bù zuò. Also note that in xíng bu xíng, bu is toneless

Question 15

Exercises Make the sentence into a choice question and answer in the positive and negative Wǒ xǐhuan hē kāfēi

Answer 15

Wǒ xǐhuan bu xǐhuan hē kāfēi? Wǒ xǐhuan hē kāfēi Wǒ bù xǐhuan hē kāfēi

Question 16

Vocab Have some coffee No thanks, I don’t drink coffee

Answer 16

Qǐng hē kāfēi Xièxie, wǒ bù hē kāfēi

Question 17

Exercises Make the sentence negative Wǒ zuò

Answer 17

Wǒ bú zuò

Question 18

Grammar Names

Answer 18

Always in appear in the following order: surname, Christian name, title eg Máo Zédōng tóngzhǐ where Máo is the surname, Zědōng the Christian name and tóngzhì is used in place of a title and means ‘comrade’

Question 19

Vocab goo

Answer 19

hǎo

Question 20

Vocab He/she

Answer 20

Tā

Question 21

Grammar Choice Type Questions

Answer 21

One common way of asking a question is to put the positive and negative forms of the verb together in that order: Xíng bu xíng? - ‘Is it all right or not?’ The answer isn’t yes or no but either the positive or negative form ie bù xíng The second half of the question ie bù plus the verb is sometimes written without tones as it is normally said unstressed in everyday speech

Question 22

Vocab coffee

Answer 22

kāfēi

Question 23

Vocab to be all right

Answer 23

xíng

Question 24

Vocab in that case, so

Answer 24

nàme

Question 25

Vocab Would you like some tea then? Yes thanks. I’m very fond of tea

Answer 25

Nàme, Zhōngguó chá xíng bu xíng? Xíng, xièxie nǐ. Wó hěn xǐhuan hē Zhōngguó chá

Question 26

Vocab Mr, gentlemen

Answer 26

xiānsheng

Question 27

Vocab tea

Answer 27

chá

Question 28

Vocab not

Answer 28

bù

Question 29

Exercises Make the sentence negative Wǒ hē chá

Answer 29

Wǒ bù hē chá

Question 30

Exercises Make the sentence negative Wǒ hē kāfēi

Answer 30

Wǒ bù hē kāfēi

Question 31

Exercises Make the sentence into a choice question and answer in the positive and negative Tā xǐhuan hē Zhǒngguó chá

Answer 31

Tā xǐhuan bu xǐhuan hē Zhǒngguó chá? Tā xǐhuan hē Zhǒngguó chá Tā bù xǐhuan hē Zhǒngguó chá

Question 32

Vocab to invite

Answer 32

qǐng

Question 33

Vocab to sit

Answer 33

zuò

Question 34

Grammar Qǐng

Answer 34

Means to invite or to request somebody do something. It should not be thought of as ‘please’ as this will create problems with word order later

Question 35

Exercises Make the sentence negative Nǐ xǐhuan Zhōngguó

Answer 35

Nǐ bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó

Question 36

Vocab very

Answer 36

hěn

Question 37

Exercises Make the sentence negative Wáng xiānsheng qǐng nǐ hē Zhōngguó chá

Answer 37

Wáng xiānsheng bù qǐng nǐ hē Zhōngguó chá

Question 38

Vocab I, me

Answer 38

wǒ

Question 39

Grammar Position of adverbs

Answer 39

Most adverbs precede the verb eg Wǒ hěn xǐhuan nǐ - I like you very much

Question 40

Vocab to thank

Answer 40

xièxie

Question 41

Vocab Thank you

Answer 41

Xièxie