| Chángchéng hěn cháng. | 长城很长 | “The Great Wall is long.” |
| Wǒ yě xiǎng chángchang Běijīng kǎoyā. | 我也想尝尝 北京烤鸭。 | “I’d also like to try Beijing Duck.” |
| Shànghǎi xiàtiān bǐjiào rè. | 上海夏天 比较热。 | “Shanghai is rather hot in summer.” |
| Nǐ xiān zǒu, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái. | 你先走, 我 马上就来。 | “You go first, I’ll catch up with you later.” |
| Wǔyuè de shíhou, | 五月的时候, | “Around May, it is |
| zhèlǐ zǒng xiàyǔ. | 这里总下雨。 | always raining here.” |
7 Negatives
There are generally two particles that are used for forming the negative in Chinese. They are bù/bú 不 and méi 没. The one you’re most likely to need is bù 不, sometimes pronounced as bú 不 when it precedes a word in the fourth tone. Both bù 不 and bú 不 are placed before verbs or adjectives to indicate negation in simple present tense. To indicate negation in the past tense, i.e., an action that has not been completed, méi 没 is used.
| Guǎngzhōu dōngtiān bù lěng. | 广州冬天 不冷。 | “Guangzhou is not cold in winter.” |
| Shànghǎi dōngtiān bú xiàxuě. | 上海冬天 不下雪。 | “It does not snow in Shanghai in winter.” |
| Qùnián Běijīng méi xiàxuě. | 去年北京没 下雪。 | “Last year it didn’t snow in Beijing.” |
8 Interrogatives
There are three basic ways to ask questions in Chinese. The most common way is to add the particle ma 吗 to the end of a declarative sentence.
| Nǐ lèi ma? | 你累吗？ | “Are you tired?” |
| Nǐ gāoxìng ma? | 你高兴吗？ | “Are you happy?” |
The second way is to use the choice-type question which presents the listener with two opposite alternatives. Nǐ lèi bu lèi? 你累不累？ “Are you tired?”
| Nǐ lèi bu lèi? | 你累不累？ | “Are you tired?” |
| Nǐ gāo(xìng) bu gāoxìng? | 你高(兴)不高兴？ | “Are you happy?” |
The third way is by using an interrogative pronoun. Examples are shéi/shuí 谁 “who,” shénme 什么 “what,” zěnme 怎 么 “how,” nǎ 哪 “which,” nǎli/nǎr 那里/哪儿 “where,” wèishénme 为什么 “why,” jǐ diǎnzhōng/shénme shíhou 几点钟/什么时 候 “when.”
| 1. | Nǐ shì shéi/shuí? | 你是谁? | “Who are you?” |
| 2. | Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? | 你叫什么名字? | “What’s your name?” |
| 3. | Nǐ zěnme jìnlái de? | 你怎么进来的? | “How did you get in?” |
| 4. | Nǐ cóng nǎ ge mén jìnlái de? | 你从哪个门 进来的? | “Which door did you get in?” |
| 5. | Nǐ bàba māma zài nǎli? | 你爸爸妈妈在 哪里? | “Where are your parents?” |
| 6. | Nǐ wèishénme bù shuōhuà? | 你为什么不 说话? | “Why aren’t you saying anything?” |
| 7. | Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng le? | 现在几点钟了? | “What’s the time now?” |
| 8. | Nǐ shénme shíhou jìnlái de? | 你什么时候 进来的? | “When did you come in here?” |
In answering a question involving the interrogative pronoun, follow the grammar of the question and note its word order, changing the subject of the sentence where appropriate, e.g., nǐ 你 “you” becomes wǒ 我 “I” when you answer a question. Then, just substitute the noun for the interrogative pronoun. For example, when you asked the lost child who wandered into your room the above questions, the answers to some of these questions may be:
| 1. | Wǒ shī Xiǎohuá. | 我是小华。 | “I’m Xiaohua.” |
| 2. | Wǒ jiào Wáng Xiǎohuá. | 我叫王小华。 | “My name is Wang Xiaohua.” |
| 3. | Wǒ mílùle. | 我迷路了。 | “I’m lost.” |
| 4. | Wǒ cóng nà ge mén jìnlái de. | 我从那个门 进来的。 | ‘I got in from that door.” |
| 5. | Wǒ bàba māma zài lǚguǎn. | 我爸爸妈妈在 旅馆。 | “My parents are in the hotel.” |
| 6. | Wǒ mílùle, wǒ pà. | 我迷路了, 我怕。 | ”I’m lost, I’m scared.” |
| 7. | Wǒ bù zhīdao shì jǐ diǎnzhōng. | 我不知道是几 点钟。 | “I don’t know the time.” |
| 8. | Wǒ jìnlái hěn jiǔ le. | 我进来很久了。 | “I’ve been here a long time.” |
9 Yes/no answers
For questions ending with the interrogative particle ma 吗, take away the particle ma 吗, and answer according to the situation that you find yourself in. There are no specific words in Chinese for “yes” and “no.” The closest equivalent is shìde 是的 and búshì 不 是 respectively. Usually, when the Chinese are asked a question, they repeat the verb used in the question to answer in the affirmative. If they want to answer in the negative, they add bù 不 before the verb used in the sentence. Similarly, for choice-type question the opposite alternatives can be either “yes” or “no.” Thus,
| “Yes” answer: Hěn lèi. | 很累。 | “Yes, I’m very tired.” |
| “No” answer: Bú lèi. | 不累。 | “No, I’m not tired.” |
| “Yes” answer: Gāoxìng. | 高兴。 | “Yes, I’m happy.” |
| “No” answer: Bù gāoxìng | 不高兴。 | “No, I’m not happy.” |
1 The Basics
1.1 Personal details
1.2 Today or tomorrow?
1.3 What time is it?
1.4 One, two, three...
1.5 The weather
1.6 Here, there...
1.7 What does that sign say?
1.8 Legal holidays