Text

谢谢你

How to show figures from 6 to 10 with one hand:

10

Notes

1. “还你画报。” — “Here is the pictorial (I borrowed from you)”. Literally: (I) return your pictorial.

   Some verbs may take two objects: direct and indirect. The verb “还” is one of them. Such verbs are called double object verbs.

2. “我用一下儿。 ” — “I’d like to use it for a while. (May I use it for a while?)”

   Here “一下儿” expresses the short duration of the action and the softening of the request.

   Note that the syllable “一” in this combination is read in the second tone.

Remember the rule:

If the syllable “一” (“one”) is followed by a syllable of first, second or third tone without a pause, then the syllable “一” is pronounced in the fourth tone. The syllable “一” is pronounced in the second tone before a fourth-tone syllable.

If the syllable “一” is followed by an unstressed syllable, its tone changes depending on the etymological tone of the next syllable.

By the way, “一” (“one”) in a sequence of figures (e.g., in a phone number) is more often read as “yāo”, so that to understand this figure more clearly by ear .

Pronunciation drills and conversation practice

Initials	(z с s)
Finals	ua ia iong

1. The four tones

   zāi	(zái)	zǎi	zài	—	zàijiàn
   cī	cí	cǐ	cì	—	cídiǎn
   huā	huá	(huǎ)	huà	—	huàbào
   xiā	xiá	(xiǎ)	xià	—	yíxiàr
   yōng	yóng	yǒng	yòng

2. Combinations of tones

   “`” + “ˉ”
   zuòjiā (writer)
   miànbāo (bread)

   “`” + “´”
   dìtú
   liànxí (exercise)

   “`” + “˘”
   hànyǔ
   wàiyǔ

   “`” + “`”
   huàbào
   zàijiàn

   “`” + “˚”
   xièxie
   tàitai

3. Retroflex final

   huār (flower)	yìdiǎnr (a little, a bit)
   yíxiàr	yíhuìr (in a moment)

4. Read out the following dissyllabic words:

   cānjiā
   bǐsài
   zhuōzi
   cèyàn
   cāochǎng
   Yàzhōu
   cíqì
   huá bīng
   yǒngyuǎn
   xióngmāo

   (to take part in)
   (competition, match)
   (table)
   (test, quiz)
   (sports-field)
   (Asia)
   (porcelain)
   (to skate, skating)
   (forever)
   (panda)

5. Try to pronounce the following polysyllables in quick succession:

   hànyǔ cídiǎn

   (Chinese dictionary)
   hànyǔ lǎoshī

   (a teacher of Chinese)
   Wàiyǔ xuéyuàn

   (institute of foreign languages)
   xuésheng sùshè

   (students’ dormitory)
   Zhōngguó dìtú

   (a Chinese map)
   Zhōngguó liúxuéshēng

   (a Chinese student who studies abroad)

1. Expressing one’s thanks to someone

   (1)
   A:
   B:

   

   (2)
   A: Qǐng zuò.
   В: Xièxie.
   A: Bú kèqi.

   jìn
   hē chá
   hē kāfēi

   (3)
   A: Huán nǐ dìtú. Xièxie nǐ.
   B: Bú xiè.

   shū
   bǐ
   zázhì

   cídiǎn
   běnzi
   yǔsǎn

2. Saying good-bye to someone

   Māsha:
   Āndéliè:

   

3. Asking about telephone numbers

   A: Qǐngwèn, nǐde diànhuà hào shì duōshao?
   B: Èr liù bā qī wǔ jiǔ qī.

   72806431
   87049258

Phonetics

Compound finals

The second elements in such compound finals as “ia”, “ie”, “ua” and “uo” and “üe” are pronounced louder than the first ones, with their volume becoming greater gradually but not abruptly. The second elements are full vowels and should be given their full value in pronunciation.

The first elements in such compound finals as “ai”, “ei”, “ao” and “ou” are pronounced louder than the second ones, with their volume becoming smaller gradually but not abruptly. The second elements indicate the directions towards which the vowels move rather than the limits.

In the compound finals “iao”, “iou”, “uai” and “uei” the medial elements are pronounced loudest.

Care must be taken that, in the pronunciation of the compound finals above mentioned, the movement from one vowel to another is one of gliding but not abrupt jumping.

Listen to the following word combinations. Write them in transcription pinyin. Lay tone marks:

杂技—杂志；词典—字典；语言—医院—
永远；电报—见到；先生—相声—学生。

Write the following sentences in Chinese characters adding tone marks above them:

1. Huán nǐ dìtú, xièxie.
2. Nà shì shénme shū? — Nà shì hànyǔ cídiǎn.
3. Nà shì shéide cídiǎn? — Shì wǒmen hànyǔ lǎoshīde.
4. Nǐ kàn shénme? —Wǒ kàn huàbào.
5. Zhè shì nǐde cídiǎn ma? Nǐ xiànzài yòng ma?

6. Xiànzài bàba māma dōu hěn máng.
7. Nǐ xiànzài xuéxí shénme? — Wǒ xuéxí hànyǔ.
8. Lǎoshī, zàijiàn!
9. Wǒde péngyou shì Zhōngguó liúxuéshēng, tā zhù liúxuéshēng sùshè, bā céng bā liù jiǔ hào.
10. Zhè shì wǒ gēgede chē, tā xiànzài bú yòng.

Write the following word combinations and sentences in Chinese characters and pinyin, lay tone marks:

法国杂志；sùshè电话； 俄罗斯报纸； 北京杂志; hànyǔ 杂志; xuésheng 本子; 美国 cídiǎn; 德国 huàbào; 英国报纸; 日本雨伞; hǎoyòng; bú yòng kèqi.

1. Zhè shì nǐde 雨伞 ma? Nǐ xiànzài bú yòng ma?
2. Nǐde 电话 shì duōshao hào? — Jiǔ sān liù sān bā líng liù.
3. Huán nǐ 本子, wǒ xiànzài bú yòng.
4. Zhè shì shéide 杂志? — Shì wǒde.
5. 英国杂志 shì wǒ bàbade, 德国杂志 shì wǒ gēgede.
6. Shì 上海杂志 ma? Wǒ kàn yíxià.
7. Wǒde hànyǔ cídiǎn hěn hǎoyòng (好用).

Translate the following sentences from English into Chinese.

1. What is this? — This is a dictionary.
   
2. What kind of dictionary (is this)? — This is a Chinese dictionary.
   
3. Whose dictionary is this? — This is a dictionary of a Chinese foreign student.
   
4. Where is my pictorial? — Here (这儿).
   
5. Is this your map? — (It) is mine. — I’d like to use it for a while. — Okay.
   
6. Is this a newspaper? — Yes. — Which country’s newspaper is this? — This is a Chinese newspaper. — I’d like to have a look.
   
7. What is your (pf) name? — My surname is Xie. — Are you (pf) a foreigner? — Yes, I am an Englishman. I study Chinese.
   



8. Where do you live? — I live in the dormitory of the Institute of Foreign Languages, sixth floor (Am.), no. 607.
   
9. Here is the book I borrowed from you. Thank you.
   
10. This is my car. I don’t use it. Take it (lit.: you use). — Thank you. — Don’t mention it (lit.: don’t use thanks).
    
11. Look, that is his father. He is a doctor.
    
12. Are you busy or not? — (I am) not. We are all not busy now.
    
13. What is your phone number? — 23678901.
    
14. What does your younger brother study? — He studies Russian. He is in Russia now.
    
15. This is a notebook of a foreign student.
    

Do you know?

Chinese Dictionaries

The most popular current Chinese dictionaries are “新华字典” (Xīnhuá zìdiǎn) dealing mainly with individual characters, which contains about 8,000 entries, and “现代汉语词典” (Xiàndǎi hànyǔ cídiǎn) a medium-sized dictionary containing more than 56,000 entries. Among the large-sized dictionaries are “辞海” (Cíhǎi) and “辞源” (Cíyuán).