Learn Mandarin Chinese for free using self-paced audio-visual lessons and interactive practice exercises - CultureAlley - master conversations, grammar, vocabulary and more! This lesson introduces us to the concept of professions, and shows a short conversation between a student and a teacher! We also learn how to say 'no' in sentences, such as " i am not a teacher' or 'i am not a student'! To study this at your own pace, take quizzes and explore more lessons go to www.culturealley.com. See you at the Alley!

1. To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

2. Nǐ hǎo
Lesson 8 on Basic Mandarin!
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3. Revision
English
Mandarin
I
Wǒ
To be surnamed
Xìng
To be named
Jiào
Honourable
Guì
Question particle
Ne
What about you, and you
Nǐ ne
May I ask
Qǐng wèn
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4. Revision
English
Wáng Péng
May I ask your honorable
family name?
Mandarin
Qǐng wèn , nín guì xìng?
My family name is Lǐ,
Lǐ Yǒu
and you?
Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?
Wáng Péng
My family name is Wáng
Wǒ xìng Wáng
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5. Revision
English
Mandarin
What
Shénme
Name
Míngzi
Miss
Xiǎo jiě
Mister/ mr.
Xiān sheng
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6. Revision
English
Lǐ Yǒu
Wáng Péng
Mandarin
My name is Yǒu, what is
Wǒ jiào Yǒu, nǐ jiào
your name?
shénme míngzi?
My name is Wáng Péng
Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng
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7. Revision
English
Lǐ Yǒu
Wáng Péng
Mandarin
Mr. Wáng , what is
Wáng xiān sheng, nǐ
your name?
jiào shénme míngzi
Miss Lǐ, what is your
Lǐ xiǎo jiě, nǐ jiào
name?
shénme míngzi
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8. Revision
English
Mandarin
Wáng
May I ask your honorable family
Qǐng wèn, nín guì
Péng
name?
xìng?
Lǐ Yǒu
Wáng
Péng
Lǐ Yǒu
Wáng
Péng
My family name is Lǐ, and
you?
Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne?
My family name is Wáng
Wǒ xìng Péng
My name is Yǒu, what is
Wǒ jiào Yǒu, nǐ jiào
your name?
shénme míngzi?
I am called Wáng Péng
Wǒ jiào Wáng Péng
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9. Lesson objectives
1
Learning professions!
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10. What's in store today?
Today we will learn how to state your
profession and ask someone their own!
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11. Professions
Student = Xuésheng
To study = xué
Coupled with ‘sheng’, ‘xuésheng’
becomes student
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12. Tonal tip
‘xuésheng’ uses the mid rising tone
(2nd tone) on ‘xué’ and a neutral
tone (5th tone) on ‘sheng’
Let’s hear you say ‘xuésheng’
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13. Professions
Teacher = Lǎoshī
old = lǎo
master = shī
The two come together to mean ‘teacher’
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14. Tonal tip
‘lǎo’ is pronounced with a falling rising tone
(3rd tone) while ‘shī’ is pronounced with a
high level tone (1st tone)
Let’s hear you say ‘Lǎoshī’
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15. Let’s revise!
English
Mandarin
Student
Xuésheng
Teacher
Lǎoshī
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16. Professions
You
↓
Nǐ
are
↓
shì
a
teacher
↓
lǎoshī
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17. Professions
You are a teacher
Nǐ shì lǎoshī
Shì = 'to-be'
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18. Grammar tip
Please note that there are no articles in Mandarin
While the English translates to
'You are a teacher', the Mandarin
counterpart, ‘Nǐ shì lǎo shī'
only translates to ‘You are teacher'
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19. Professions
I
↓
Wǒ
am
↓
shì
a
student
↓
xuésheng
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20. Professions
I am a student
Wǒ shì xuésheng
Shì = 'to-be'
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21. Grammar tip
As stated earlier, verbs in Mandarin do not
change form like verbs in English, thus,
is, are, am = Shì
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22. Let's see if you remember…
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23. Pick the right option
How do we say 'you are a teacher'?
1
2
3
nǐ shì
lǎoshī
wǒ shì
xuésheng
nǐ shì
xuésheng
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24. Pick the right option
How do we say 'you are a teacher'?
1
2
3
nǐ shì
lǎoshī
wǒ shì
xuésheng
nǐ shì
xuésheng
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25. Moving on..
Let's see how can we convert these
statements into questions!
If you recall, you will remember that
'ma' is a question particle, that changes
a sentence to a question
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26. Professions
Are
↓
Shì
you a
↓
nǐ
student
↓
xuésheng
question particle
↓
ma
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27. Professions
Are you a student?
Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
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28. Professions
Are
↓
Shì
you a
↓
nǐ
teacher
↓
lǎoshī
question particle
↓
ma
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29. Professions
Are you a teacher?
Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?
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30. Moving on…
Now that we've learnt to say
'I am a student', lets see how do we say
'I am not a student'
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31. Grammar tip
To answer a question in the negative,
drop the 'ma' and insert a negative
adverb—usually 'bù' before the verb
(bù means 'no, not')
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32. Tonal tip
'bù', meaning ‘not’ uses the falling tone
or the fourth tone
Let’s hear you say 'bù'
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33. Tonal tip
'bù’, becomes ‘bú’ (it changes from fourth
tone to second tone), when used alongside
another falling/ fourth tone
We say ‘bù hǎo’, and ‘bú shì’
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34. Introducing profession
I
↓
Wǒ
am
↓
shì
not
↓
bú
a
teacher
↓
lǎoshī
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35. Introducing profession
I'm not a teacher
Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī
Literally = 'I not am a teacher'
Also note the 2nd tone in ‘bú’
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36. Introducing profession
I
↓
Wǒ
am
↓
shì
not
↓
bú
a
student
↓
xuésheng
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37. Introducing profession
I'm not a student
Wǒ bú shì xuésheng
Literally = 'I not am a student'
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38. Let's see if you remember…
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39. Pick the right option
How do we say 'I am not a student'?
1
2
3
Wǒ bú shì
xuésheng
Wǒ bú shì
lǎo shī
Nǐ shì
xuésheng
ma?
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40. Pick the right option
How do we say 'I am not a student'?
1
2
3
Wǒ bú shì
xuésheng
Wǒ bú shì
lǎo shī
Nǐ shì
xuésheng
ma?
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41. Now lets try and have a conversation!
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42. Conversation
What’s
↓
Shénme
his/her
↓
tā
family name
↓
xìng
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43. Conversation
What's his/her family name?
Tā xìng shénme?
We do not use the question particle
'ma' over here, as 'shénme' = 'what'
already supplies it
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44. Conversation
Is
↓
Shì
…….
↓
…….
a
teacher
↓
lǎoshī
question particle
↓
ma
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45. Conversation
Is … a teacher?
. .. shì lǎoshī ma?
We use the question particle 'ma'
over here, as there is no other
question particle here
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46. Let's revise!
English
Mandarin
Mark
Are you a student?
Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
Lisa
I am a student
Wǒ shì xuésheng
Lisa
Are you a teacher?
Nǐ shì Lǎoshī ma?
Mark
I am not a teacher
Wǒ bú shì lǎo shī
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47. Point to note
Till now, we have learnt three question
particles, ma, ne and shénme
Let us go over the usage of each!
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48. Revision
Question particle
Usage
English
Mandarin
Ma
yes/no questions
You good?
Nǐ hǎo ma?
repetitive
I’m very good,
questions
and you?
Ne
Shénme
‘What’
What’s his/her
family name ?
Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?
Tā xìng shénme?
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49. Culture leaf
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50. Culture leaf
The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000
years
ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of
China
during the Qin Dynasty
After subjugating and uniting China from seven
Warring States, the emperor connected and
extended four old fortification walls along the
north
of China that originated about 700 B.C.
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51. Culture leaf
In Mandarin, the wall is called as "Wan-Li
Qang-Qeng" meaning "Thousand Miles
Long City Wall"
The Great Wall is one of the largest building
construction projects ever completed. It stretches
across the mountains of northern China, winding
north and northwest of Beijing
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52. Culture leaf
The great wall of China was listed
as a world heritage site by
UNESCO back in 1987 only!
It is one of the most appealing
attractions all around the world
owing
to its architectural grandeur and
historical significance
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53. What's next?
In the next lesson, we will learn
nationalities and ask/tell nationalities!
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54. Credits
Content
Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/greatwall/Al
labout.html
Images
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_chinese_home
_decorated_for_New_Years.jpg
Snowyowls
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55. See you at the Alley!
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