In this 4-week unit, we'll learn:
- The general rules for writing pīnyīn, a system for transcribing the sounds of Mandarin Chinese using the letters A-Z
- How to say, read, and write the numbers 1-10 in characters
- Basic greetings & everyday words like "thank you" and "sorry"
- How to ask someone's name and say your own name
- How to write your own Chinese name in characters
Pinyin Introduction
Pinyin, developed in the 1940s-50s, is the system used in Mainland China to write down the sounds of Mandarin Chinese using the the Roman alphabet — that is, the same letters that we use to write English! Remember, though, that pinyin is not English, so some letters have a different pronunciation. It is a useful tool for language learners to learn the sounds of the language, look up words in a dictionary, and write down things you hear to remember for later. It's also useful because pinyin is used as a bridge to type and text in Chinese characters. Practice with an online pinyin chart ~ click, listen, and repeat!
the numbers 0-10 |
|
0 líng
1 yī 2 èr 3 sān 4 sì 5 wǔ 6 liù 7 qī 8 bā 9 jiǔ 10 shí |
Greetings & Goodbyes |
Transcripts:
A: Nǐ hǎo. B: Nǐ hǎo. A: Nǐ hǎo ma? B: Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè, nǐ ne? A: Wǒ yě hěn hǎo, xièxie. ~ A: Zàijiàn. B: Zàijiàn. |
Language Points:
Statement + ma?
Subject + hěn + adjective
Topic + ne?
Subject + yě ......
|
common classroom phrases |
Asking Someone's Name |
Transcript: A: Nǐ hǎo, nín guì xìng? B: Wǒ xìng Hè, nǐ ne? A: Wǒ xìng Bái。Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? B: Wǒ jiào Hè Qí. Nǐ ne? A: Wǒ jiào Sītíng. B : Sītíng, rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng. A: Wǒ yě shì. |
Language Points: Nín guì xìng?
Subject + xìng + family name
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Subject + verb + object
|
writing the numbers in characters |
When writing, pay attention to both the order and direction of each stroke. You don't want to "draw" the character as if it were a picture every time, because then you have to remember the whole shape of it each time you write! Instead, practice until the movements are natural to you — even until you can write these numbers with your eyes closed. (You can probably write any English letter with your eyes closed, even though it might not look perfect!)