Lesson Eighteen
How old is Li Fang
Basic expressions
When we mentioned the topic of family in Lesson 3. It was said that Chinese people are very interested in asking questions about personal life, such as age, marriage even salary. This is a way to show concern and to get close to people.
Today’s dialogue will give an idea what kind of things Chinese people normally talk about. Let’s learn the basic expressions for today’s conversation.
Mrs. Wang and her daughter, Wang Ying have the same surname “Wang” when she is called tàitai Mrs. But, in fact, in mainland China, a married woman (unlike women outside PRC) does not change her surname nor add her husband’s surname before her own surname.
|
1. |
tàitai |
太太 |
|
Mrs |
Mrs. |
|
2. |
érzi |
儿子 |
|
son |
child son |
|
3. |
dàxué |
大学 |
|
university |
big study |
It is a combination of dà
大big and xué学study. The combination of zhōng中 middle and xué学study means middle school. In the same way, you can work out the combination for primary school in Chinese.|
4. |
bìyè |
毕业 |
|
graduate |
finish business/ studies |
nĭ shénme shíhou bìyè?
你什么时候毕业？
you what time finish studies
When did you graduate?
nĭ cóng năge dàxué b
ì yè?你从哪个大学毕业？
you from which university finish studies
Which university did you graduate from?
nĭ bìyè duōjiŭ le?
你毕业多久了？
you finish studies how long LE
How long since you graduated?
wŏ cóng dàxué bìyè wŭ nián le.
我从大学毕业五年了。
I from university finish studies 5 years LE
I have graduated from university for 5 years.
|
5. |
nǚér |
女 儿 |
|
daughter |
female son |
|
6. |
gāng |
刚 |
|
just (a short while ago) |
just |
wŏ gāng xuéx
í Hànyŭ.我
刚学习汉语。I just study Chinese.
I have just started learning Chinese.
tā gāng q
ù guo yóujú.他刚去过邮局。
he just go GUO post office
He has just been to the post office.
tā māma gāng d
ào Yīngguó.她妈妈刚到英国。
her mother just arrive UK
Her mother has just arrived in UK.
|
7. |
xiăohuŏzi |
小 伙 子 |
|
young fellow |
young mate man |
|
8. |
piàoliang |
漂亮 |
|
handsome, beautiful |
beautiful |
Lĭ Fāng hé W
áng Yīng dōu hĕn piàoliang.李方和王英都很漂亮。
Li Fang and Wang Ying both very beautiful.
Both Li Fang and Wang Ying are beautiful.
Bĕijīng D
àxué gēn Niújīn Dàxué yíyàng piàoliang.北京大学跟津大学一样 漂亮。
Beijing University WITH Oxford University same beautiful
Beijing University is as beautiful as Oxford University.
Guìlín de fēngjĭng piàoliang bùpiàoliang?
桂林的风景漂亮不漂亮？
Guilin DE scenery pretty not pretty
Is the landscape in Guilin beautiful?
|
9. |
duō |
多 |
|
many |
many |
It is used as an adjective or stative verb.
zhè ge dàxué yŏu hĕn duō rén.
这个
大学有很多人。this GE university has very many people
zhè ge dàxué rén hĕn duō.
这个大学
人很多。this GE university people very many
This university has many people.
tā de shū bĭ wŏ de (shū) duō.
他的书比我的
(书)多。his books BI my books many
He has more books than I do.
nĭ bàba de qián duō bu duō ?
你
爸爸的钱多不多 ？Your father’s money much not much
Has your father got much money or not?
We know that
多can be used to form questions to ask how many and how much, such asduō
多how many + shăo少 few = duōshăo 多少 how many.duō
多 how + cháng长 long = duōcháng 多长 how long.duō
多 how + jiŭ久long time = duōjiŭ 多久how long time.duō
多how + dà大big (for size and age) = duōdà 多大how old or how big.|
10. |
suì |
岁 |
|
year of age |
year of age |
|
11. |
xiăo |
小 |
|
small or little for size or young in age |
little |
mèimei xiăo, jiĕjie dà .
妹妹
小 ， 姐姐 大 。younger sister younger, older sister older
Zhōngguód
à, Yīngguó xiăo.中国
大， 英国 小。China big, UK small
|
12 |
liăng |
两 |
|
two |
two |
èr
二 also means two. Liăng 两 is used before a measure word. For example,liăng ge rén
两个 人two peopleliăng běn shū
两本书two booksIt is used before qiān
千 thousan; wàn 万 ten thousand; yì 亿 hundred million.liăngqiān
liăngwàn
两万 20,000liăngy
ì 两亿 200,000,000It is used before following nouns or numbers:
a. liăng xīngqī
两星期 two weeksb. liăng nián
两年 two yearsc. liăng tiān
两天 two daysd. liăng bànr
两半儿 two halvese. liăng bèi
两倍 two times|
13. |
jiéhūn |
结 婚 |
|
marry |
joint marriage |
This phrase is in a V-O pattern.
|
14. |
lián… dōu |
连 …都… |
|
even |
even all |
This construction is used to express emphasis on subjects or objects of sentences. The emphasized part is placed after in lián
连 even. The lián 连 even clause precedes the dōu都 clause, as showed below.a. tā li
án míngzi dōu bù zhīdao.他
连 名字 都 不 知道。he EVEN name DOU not know
He even does not know the name.
b. tā lián yí ge péngyou dōu méi you.
她 连 一个 朋友 都 没 有。she Even 1 GE friend DOU not have
She even does not have a single friend.
|
15. |
nán |
男 |
|
male. |
male |
|
16. |
…shì …de |
… 是… 的 |
|
…SHI…DE |
This construction was introduced in Lesson 11. In this lesson …shi
是…de 的is used to clarify a certain type of work in which one is engaged, the phrase which is placed between …shì 是and de 的 is often in a V-O pattern, as inwŏ shi xué Zhōngwén de
我是
学 中文 的。I SHI study Chinese DE
I study Chinese
.