Chinese (Mandarin)/Lesson 1

=Lesson 1: 你好！=

It is appropriate to start off the introduction to Chinese with the common greeting. Below is a dialogue between two people meeting each other for the first time.

Vocabulary
Note: Visit this lesson's Stroke Order subpage to see images and animations detailing how to write the following characters. Audio files of the words are linked from the pīnyīn when available. Problems listening? See media help.

Proper Nouns
Forming the nationality is usually as simple as adding on to the country name. becomes, and so forth.

Basic Sentences
1. 我叫艾美.
 * Wǒ jiào Àiměi.
 * I'm called Amy.

Sentences using shì [是]
1. 我是中国人.
 * Wǒ shì Zhōngguórén.
 * I am a Chinese person.

2. 她是金妮.
 * Tā shì Jīnní.
 * She is Ginny.

3. 她们是英国人.
 * Tāmen shì Yīngguórén.
 * They are English.

1. 他不是东尼.
 * Tā bú shì Dōngní.
 * He is not Tony.

2. 我不是美国人.
 * Wǒ bú shì Měiguórén.
 * I am not American.

Articles
There are no articles in Chinese grammar. While English noun clauses often begin with "a", "an", or "the", Chinese is less verbose.

An example:
 * 1) 我是中国人.
 * Wǒ shì Zhōngguórén.
 * I am [a] Chinese person.

An "a" appears in the English translation, but the singular and indefinite nature of is just inferred in Chinese.

The question particle
The declarative example sentence in #1 is transformed into an interrogative in #2.

1. 她是金妮.
 * Tā shì Jīnní.
 * She is Ginny.

2. 她是金妮吗？
 * Tā shì Jīnní ma?
 * She is Ginny ?

The question particle
1. 我叫东尼, 你呢？
 * Wǒ jiào Dōngní, nǐ ne?
 * I'm called Tony. How about you?

2. 艾美是中国人, 他呢？
 * Àiměi shì Zhōngguórén, tā ne?
 * Amy is Chinese. How about him?

Question words
1. 他们是哪国人？
 * Tāmen shì nǎ guó rén?
 * What nationality are they? (literally, "They are what country person?")

2. 谁是美国人？
 * Shéi shì Měiguórén?
 * Who is American?

3. 她是谁？
 * Tā shì shéi?
 * Who is she? (literally, "She is who?")

de:Chinesisch: 第一課 de:Chinesisch: Lektion 1 Chino/Lecciones/Lección 1 Chinois/Leçon 1 Cinese/Lezione 1 Кинески јазик/Лекција 1 Chiński/Podstawy/Lekcja 1