Basic Mandarin Chinese | Lesson 3 | Learn other useful greetings!

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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 3 on Basic Mandarin!

Revision - Tones

Revision-Vocabulary

English Mandarin

Mother Mā

Hemp Má

Horse Mǎ

Scold Mà

You (informal) Nǐ

You (formal) Nín

Good Hǎo

Revision

English Mandarin Tone

Hello (informal) Nǐ hǎofalling rising,

falling rising

Hello (formal) Nín hǎomid rising,

falling rising

Lesson objectives

1 Basic greetings

What's in store today?

Alright! So you now know how to say 'hello' in Mandarin!

Let's move on and look at some other greetings

Vocabulary

English Mandarin Type

You (singular,

informal)Nǐ Pronoun

Good Hǎo Adj

Question particle Ma Yes/no questions

Greetings and pleasantries

How are you?

'How are you?' is literally translated as 'you good?' in Mandarin

We saw that Nǐ hǎo = You good

We just need to convert it to a question now...

Greetings and pleasantries

You good = Nǐ hǎo

To convert this into a question (you good?), we only need to add a question particle; ‹ma›

Tonal tip

As a question particle, 'ma' is pronounced using a neutral tone which carries a soft falling sound, as

if the sound is fading away

Let’s try and say 'ma'

Great! Now let's try it in a question!

Greetings : How are you?

Literally : you good?

How are you?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

Grammar tip

Ma is a question particle

Adding the particle ‹ma› to the end of a sentencemakes a statement into a question

Grammar tip

Ma is usually used for questions which can be answered by a yes/no

Eg: Nǐ hǎo ma? = you good?

Can be answered by saying 'yes/no'

So remember!

'Ma' is pronounced using a neutral tone which carries a soft falling sound, as if the sound

is fading away

Tonal tip

Let's try saying Nǐ hǎo ma?

It is said using a mid rising tone for Nǐ, a rising falling tone for 'Hǎo'and a neutral tone

for the question particle 'ma'

Let's see if you remember…

Pick the right option

How do we say, 'How are you?'

Nǐ hāo ma?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

Nǐ háo ma?

Solution

How do we say, 'How are you?'

Nǐ hāo ma?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

Nǐ háo ma?

Responding to : how are you?

Let's see how to answer the question

How are you? / you good? = 'Nǐ hǎo ma?'

You will say 'I am very good' or 'I am very well'

Let’s learn the vocabulary for this!

Vocabulary

I, Me Wǒ Pronoun

Very Hěn Adv.

Good Hǎo Adj.

Also / too Yě Adv.

'To-be' verb (is,

am, are)Shì Verb

Pronunciation tip

Before moving on, lets take a look at the pronunciations for the new

words we've just learnt!

Tonal tip

I, Me = Wǒ

It is pronounced using a 'falling rising' tone (3rd)

Tonal tip

Let's try and say Wǒ

It is said with a 'falling rising' tone - also known as the third tone, Wǒ

Tonal tip

Very = Hěn

It is also pronounced using a 'falling rising' tone (3rd)

Tonal tip

Let's try and say Hěn

It is said with a 'falling rising' tone - also known as the third tone, Hěn

Tonal tip

Good = Hǎo

It is also pronounced using a 'falling rising' tone (3rd)

Tonal tip

Let's try and say Hǎo

It is said with a 'falling rising' tone - also known as the third tone, Hǎo

Tonal tip

'To-be' verb = Shì

( 'To-be' verbs include : is, am, are, etc...)

It is pronounced using a 'falling' tone (4th)

Tonal tip

Let's try and say Shì

It is said with a 'falling' tone - also known as the fourth tone, Shì

Moving on...

Great! Now that we know how to pronounce these words,

let's use them in a sentence!

In Chinese, 'am', 'is', 'are' etc. are not used with adjectives

I am very good

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ shì hěn hǎo

Grammar tip

We noticed that we did not translate 'am' in the last sentence

Unlike English, in Chinese, the 'to-be' verb (shì = am, is, are) is not used with

adjectives (good, bad etc.)

I am very good = Wǒ hěn hǎo = I very good

'am' is not translated

I am very good / I am very well

Wǒ hěn hǎo

So do you remember?

Very good = Hěn hǎo I am very good = Wǒ hěn hǎo

'How are you?' translates as?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

Nǐ hǎo

Wǒ hěn hǎo

Solution

'How are you?' translates as?

Nǐ hǎo ma?

Nǐ hǎo

Wǒ hěn hǎo

'I am very good' translates as?

Nǐ hǎo

Wǒ shì hěn hǎo

Wǒ hěn hǎo

Solution

'I am very good' translates as?

Nǐ hǎo

Wǒ shì hěn hǎo

Wǒ hěn hǎo

Moving on…

While responding to 'how are you?' you would often say :

'I am very good, and you?'

Let's see how we say this in Mandarin…

Now you know I am very good = Wǒ hěn hǎo

To additionally ask 'and you?' we need to learn one new question particle, 'ne'

Tonal tip

'Ne' is spoken in a neutral tone

It is pronounced using a soft falling sound, as if the sound is fading away

Let’s try and pronounce 'Ne'

Grammar tip

Ne is also a particle used to convert

statements to questions

Ending with 'ne' makes a question when the context is already known

nǐ ne? = and you?

A common circumstance is when you wish to repeat a question that was just asked

Remember! In Mandarin, 'am','is', 'are' etc. are notused with adjectives

I am very good, and you?↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?

nǐ ne? = and you?

We used 'ne' here as we were answering to 'how are you?' by saying 'I am good, and you? '

hence we were repeating the question

'am' is not translated

I am very good, and you?

Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?

Responding to : I am good, and you?

You can also reply to 'I am good, and you?' by saying 'I am also very good'

For this we will need to learn how to say 'also'

Tonal tip

Also = Yě

It is pronounced using a 'falling rising' tone (3rd)

Tonal tip

Let's try and say Yě

It is said with a 'falling rising' tone - also known as the third tone, Yě

Responding to : I am good, and you?

Remember!In Mandarin, 'am','is', 'are' etc. are not used with adjectives

I am also very good↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Wǒ yě hěn hǎo

Grammar tip

We can just say 'also very good' instead of saying

'I am also very good'

Literally : also very good

Also very good

Yě hěn hǎo

How do we say 'I am also very good' in Mandarin?

Nǐ hěn hǎo

Nǐ yě hěn

Wǒ yě hěn

Solution

How do we say 'I am also very good' in Mandarin?

Nǐ hěn hǎo

Nǐ yě hěn

Wǒ yě hěn

What tone does 'yě' carry?

High level

Falling rising

Mid rising

Solution

What tone does 'yě' carry?

High level

Falling rising

Mid rising

What tone does 'ne' carry?

Neutral

Falling

High level

Solution

What tone does 'ne' carry?

Neutral

Falling

High level

Vocabulary for today

I, Me Wǒ Pronoun

You (singular,

informal)Nǐ Pronoun

Very Hěn Adv

Good Hǎo Adj

Also / too Yě Adv

Ne Question particle

MaQuestion particle

(yes/no questions)

Let's practice

English Mandarin

Lisa Hello! Nǐ hǎo

Mark Hello! Nǐ hǎo

Lisa How are you? Nǐ hǎo ma?

Mark I am very good, and you? Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?

Lisa I am also very good Yě hěn hǎo

Culture Leaf

Culture leaf : Yin and yang

The concept of yin and yang (Pinyin:yīnyáng)originates in ancient Chinese philosophy,which describes two opposing but complementary

forces found in all things in the universe

Literally meaning 'shadow and light'

Culture leaf : Yin and yang

Many natural dualities — e.g., dark andlight,female and

male, low and high, cold and hot, water and fire, earth and air — are thought of as manifestations

of yin and yang (respectively)

Everything has both Yin and Yang aspects - E.g.We could

not have appreciated 'Light' had there been no'Darkness'

and 'Shadow (a form of darkness)' could not haveexisted

without there being 'Light'!

What's next?

In the next lesson, we will learn more greetings and pleasantries and common

phrases like 'thank you'!

Credits

Content Team Culture Alley, Sunny Dang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

Images http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guanhua.png

User: Raghith http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pinyin_Tone_Chart.svg;

User : Wereon

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Basic Mandarin Chinese | Lesson 3 | Learn other useful greetings!

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