Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Lesson 10

Lesson 11

Lesson 12

Lesson 13

Lesson 14

Lesson 15

Lesson 16

Lesson 17

Lesson 18

Lesson 19

Lesson 20

Lesson 21

Lesson 22

Lesson 23

Lesson 24

Lesson 25

In the third lesson we will study how to ask someone's first names, as well as some basic phrases for introductions.

3.01 Asking for a first name

你叫...
Nǐ jiào...
You are called...
你叫什么...
Nǐ jiào shénme...
You are called by what...
你叫什么名字?
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?
You are called by what name?
她叫...
Tā jiào...
She is called...
她叫什么...
Tā jiào shénme...
She is called by what...
她叫什么名字?  
Tā jiào shénme míngzì?
She is called by what name?
 

Notes:

The sentence pattern for asking for a first name is:

Pronoun + call (叫) + what (什么) + name (名字)?

什么 shénme what is an interrogative pronoun, and the first of the big six question words we will encounter (who, what, when, where, why and how)

3.02 Hello! - a simple dialogue

A 你好!
   Nǐ hǎo!

B 你好! 我是马特。你叫什么名字?
   Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì Mǎté. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?

A 我叫莎拉。
   Wǒ jiào Shālā

Notes:

你好! Nǐ hǎo! Hello! is the most common greeting in China, a direct translation would be "You good!"

In Chinese as well as English there are two main ways to state your name, the first being 我叫... Wǒ jiào My name is... and the second being 我是 Wǒ shì I'm...

3.03 Nice to meet you! - everyday expressions

很...
Hěn.
Very...
很高兴...
Hěn gāoxìng...
Very nice...
很高兴认识
Hěn gāoxìng rènshi...
Very nice to meet...
很高兴认识你。
Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.
Very nice to meet you.

 

Notes:

It is also possible to state 认识你很高兴 Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng. This version does not follow the English pattern,instead it places the emotional state at the end rather than the beginning of the sentence. Literally it means something like "To know you is very pleasing". Both are equally valid ways of stating the same thing.

Vocabulary point:

认识 rènshi is a verb that means to know, to recognize, to be familiar with

高兴 gāoxìng is an adjective that means happy, elated, the literal meaning of the first character of the word, 高 gāo means high and the second character 兴 xìng means interest

1.04 Hello! - the extended dialogue

莎拉: 你好!
        Nǐ hǎo!

马特: 你好! 我是马特。你叫什么名字?
        Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì Mǎté. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?

莎拉: 我叫莎拉。 很高兴认识你。
        Wǒ jiào Shālā. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.

马特: 我也很高兴认识你。
        Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.

Vocabulary point:

马特 Mǎté and 莎拉 Shālā are phoneticizations of the English names Matt and Sarah.

is an adverb that means also.

Some examples:

我也是美国人。 Wǒ yě shì Měiguórén. I am also an American.

她也是学生。 Tā yě shì xuéshēng. She is also a student.

1.05 What's his name? - concept and vocabulary review dialogue

A: 他叫什么名字?
    Tā jiào shénme míngzi?

B: 他叫马特。
    Tā jiào Mǎté.

A: 他是美国人吗?
    Tā shì Měiguórén ma?

B: 是,他是美国人。
    Shì,tā shì Měiguórén.

A: 他是留学生吗?
    Tā shì liúxuéshēnɡ ma?

B: 是,他是留学生。
    Shì, tā shì liúxuéshēnɡ.

1.06 Hello teacher! - supplementary concept and vocabulary review dialogue

马特: 老师, 您好!
Lǎoshī ,nín hǎo!
张老师: 你好!你是留学生吗?
Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ shì liúxuéshēnɡ ma?
马特: 是,我是留学生。
Shì, wǒ shì liúxuéshēnɡ.
张老师: 你叫什么名字?
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?
马特: 我叫马特。
Wǒ jiào Mǎtè