Instead, try one of the following replies. Gwaw jyahng gwaw jyahng. Nah-lee nah-lee. Nar duh hwah. Dzye jyan. Ee-hwahr jyan. See you in a bit. Meeng-tyan jyan. See you tomorrow. Hway-toe jyan. Here are some other phrases you can use to say goodbye:. Meeng-nyan jyan. See you next year. Shyah-guh lee-bye jyan. See you next week. Sheeng-chee-are jyan. See you on Tuesday. Ee-loo peeng ahn. Have a good trip. For more days-of-the-week options to use in the next to last item in the list, head to Chapter 5.
You can find the answers in Appendix C. You see someone again after a long time. You see your friend in the evening. K now how they figured out that China has more than a billion people? They counted, silly.
Okay, they probably conducted an official census, but if you can learn your ABCs in English, you can at least learn to count to a hundred in Chinese. After you know how to count, you can also say the days of the week and the months of the year. The chapter also covers cardinal and ordinal numbers, so you can tell which came first the chicken or the egg.
You can even tell your Chinese date what the date is in Chinese. What more could you ask for? The following sections break down the Chinese counting rules and terms.
Table lists numbers from 1 to People in China use Arabic numerals as well, though, so you can just as easily write 1, 2, 3, and everyone will know what you mean.
As I discuss in Chapter 3, classifiers are the equivalent of English words such as herd [of elephants] or school [of fish]. They help classify particular nouns. Numbers from 11 to 99 After the number 10, you create numbers by saying the word 10 followed by the single digit that, when added to it, will combine to create numbers 11 through Same thing goes for 12, and so on through Table lists numbers from 11 to When you get to 20, you have to literally think two 10s — plus whatever single digit you want to add to that for 21 through 29, as shown in Table What could be easier?
Numbers from to 9, After the number 99, you can no longer count by tens. It retains its original first tone mark only when people count numbers: one, two, three, and so on. Numbers play an interesting role in everyday speech in China. Nee chyan-wahn boo-yaow sheen tah duh hwah! Maow Joo-she wahn sway! Long live Chairman Mao! So what happens if you want to add a half to anything? Asking how many or how much You have two ways to ask how much something is or how many of something there are.
How much is that car? Nee shyaow nyew-are jin-nyan jee sway? How old is your little girl this year? These days, even your computer or cellphone shows the time.
Asking and stating the time Want to know what time it is? Shyan-dzye jee-dyan joong? It almost liter- ally translates into Now how many hours are on the clock? Shyan-dzye jee-dyan? To understand the answers to those questions, though, you need to understand how to tell time in Chinese. Table shows you how to pronounce all the hours on the clock.
Feel free to use either to say what time it is. When mentioning , be careful! Specifying the time of the day The Chinese are very precise when they tell time. Here are some samples of combining the segment of the day with the time of day:.
Do you want to indicate a quarter of an hour or three quarters of an hour? When talking about time, you may prefer to indicate a certain number of minutes before or after a particular hour. Here are a couple of examples:. Waw-men jin-tyan wahn-shahng chyew kahn dyan-yeeng, how boo-how? No can do. My parents are adamant that I have dinner with them tonight.
Nee-men jee-dyan joong chir-fahn? What time do you eat? Peeng-chahng waw-men lyo-dyan joong dzwaw-yo chir-fahn.
We usually eat around Nee chir-fahn ee-ho waw-men chyew kahn ee-boo jyo-dyan joong ee-chyan duh pyan-dzuh, how boo-how? Hun how. Ee-hwar jyan. See you later. Or maybe.
In the following sections, I give you the words you need to talk about days and months and put them together into specific dates. I also give you the lowdown on some major Chinese holidays. Before you know it, though, Monday comes again. Table spells out the days of the week. Here are a few more week-related terms:.
Jin-tyan Sheeng-chee jee? What day is it today? Where does today fit in your weekly routine? Jin-tyan Sheeng-chee are. Today is Tuesday. Waw-men may-guh Sheeng-chee ee kye-hway. We have meetings every Monday. Waw Sheeng- chee ee daow Sheeng-chee woo goong-dzwaw. I work from Monday to Friday. Shyah-guh Sheeng-chee sahn shir waw-duh shung-ir. Next Wednesday is my birthday. I list the months of the year in Table Jin-tyan jee yweh jee how? Literally: Today is what month and what day?
To answer that question, remember that the larger unit of the month always comes before the smaller unit of the date in Chinese:. So if you want to be more specific, you have to say the month before the day, followed by the day of the week:.
The same basic idea goes for saying the days of the week. My heavens! Julia, nee duh shung-ir shir jee yweh jee how? Waw duh shung-ir shir Lyo yweh are how. Nee duh nuh? My birthday is June 2. How about yours? Waw duh shung-ir shir Woo yweh chee how. My birthday is May 7. Nummuh, shyah guh Sheeng-chee ee jyo shir nee duh shung- ir! Joo nee chah jee tyan shung-ir kwye-luh! In that case, next Monday is your birthday!
Happy almost birthday! Shin-nyan Kwye-luh! Happy New Year! Goong-she fah-tsye! Congratulations, and may you prosper! What a great way to start the year! This holiday often falls in late May or early June. This holiday usually comes in September.
One liter equals about 1. Table gives you a list of weights and measures. Turn to Appendix C for the answers. Planning on relocating with your spouse and children? Or maybe even your in-laws? Want the dog to fetch your slippers? Want the kids to quiet down? Just remember that. Sometimes the domestication just takes a little longer. Hunting for an Apartment Are you one of the thousands of people considering making a long-term move to China for business purposes?
Here are some terms you may want to know when thinking of buying a place in China:. Waw shyahng dzye Shahng-hi my ee-guh goong- yew fahng. Mayo one-tee. Waw jyo shir ee guh fahng-dee-chahn jeeng- jee run. Hun ywan-yee bahng-mahng. No problem. Nah tye haow-luh. Dzye nay guh dee-chyew my fahng-dzuh dzway how? Which area do you consider to be the best to buy some property? Shahng-hi yo hun dwaw hun how duh fahng-dee-chahn. Kuh-nung dzway chyahng-show duh shir Hoong-chyaow huh Jeen-chyaow.
Hun dwaw why-gwaw bahn-goong shir shyan- dzye dzye Poo-doong. Shanghai has many excellent properties. Perhaps the most popular locations are Hongqiao and Jinqiao.
Many foreign offices are now in Pudong. Bah mun swaw shahng! Lock the door! The Chinese language is fascinating and incredibly logical.
To buy and to sell. Foreign investment in this part of Shanghai is enormous. No matter. At least you finally have a place you can call your own. Wondering what to plant in your new garden? When other plants have long withered away, these three still thrive in the winter months. Even U. Ideally, the building should have some kind of elevated landscape in back of it and a water feature in the front, like a pond, river, or well. Table lists each of these elements.
You can think of the five elements as different phases of nature. For example, wood creates fire; fire creates earth ashes ; elements from the earth create metal; objects made of metal such as buckets carry water; and water nourishes wood, bringing the cycle right back to the first element again. The bedroom After you move in and discover how much empty space you really have, you prob- ably want to go out and buy at least the bare bones basics as far as furniture is concerned.
The bathroom is the one room in the house no one can do without. Using a non-water color or element helps balance out all the water already in the room. The kitchen is a room all of us can wrap our minds or at least our stomachs around. Here are some things you may want to know how to say:. Eliminate the clutter to avoid stagnant energy in your life.
Old, stale food has old, stale energy, so clean out the fridge regularly. An unused stove implies untapped resources or ignored opportunities, so start using all the burners on the stove, and use the oven once in a while, too. The reality is that you can put coffee, tea, soda, and when no one else is looking even your feet on this table. They then burn his image, and his spirit is sent to the heavens with the good report.
In addition to ghosts and spiders, though, it can actually have some really cool things in it. Table lists what you may find in a basement. Because bats actually represent good fortune in China, they can often be found in designs within the home. Another thing you may see in traditional homes is a raised piece of wood that you need to step over to get into each room.
These pieces have a serious purpose: to trip the evil spirits, because evil spirits travel only in straight lines. Similarly, spirit walls are placed in courtyards in front of the doors to the entrance of the house so that evil spirits will have to go around them.
You may want to make it into a research area or library. Check Appendix C for the answers. This chapter helps you master a few key phrases and questions you can use to establish a relationship. Either term does the trick. Establishing a Connection A surefire way of initiating a conversation is to ask someone a question. Here are some basic question words to keep in mind as you approach the moment of acquaintance:. Dwaw jyoe? For how long? Shummuh shir-ho? Dzye nar? Here are a few examples of how to use these question words in simple sentences; sometimes you can also use some of the words on their own, just as in English:.
Tsuh-swaw dzye nar? Nee shummuh shir-ho chir-fahn? When do you eat? Nee way-shummuh yaow chyew Joong-gwaw? Why do you want to go to China? Nee yaow shummuh? What would you like? Nee ee-jeeng dzye jar dwaw-jyoe-luh?
How long have you been here already? Shyan-dzye jee dyan joong? What time is it now? You can also use the following responses to the questions in the preceding list if someone happens to approach you.
Excuse me. Hun baow-chyan. Waw boo-doong. Waw boo run-shir tah. She asks a man on the street. Cheeng-one, shyan-dzye jee dyan joong? May I ask what time it is? Shyan-dzye ee dyan bahn. Shyeh-shyeh nee. Thank you. Mah-fahn nee, suh loo chuh-jahn dzye nar? Chuh-jahn jyoe dzye nar. The bus stop is just over there. May one-tee. Hway shyah Is it supposed to rain? Posing simple introductory questions The following is a list of simple questions you can use when you meet people. To find out how to respond, or to talk about yourself, flip to Chapter 4.
Nee hway jyahng Joong-one mah? Nee jyeh-hwun-luh mayo? Are you married? Nee nyan-jee dwaw dah? How old are you? Nee shummuh shir-ho dzoe? When are you leaving? Nee she-hwahn kahn dyan-yeeng mah?
Do you like to see movies? Nee yo hi-dzuh mah? Do you have children? Nee joo dzye nar? Where do you live? Nee dzwaw shummuh goong-dzwaw? What kind of work do you do? Jasmine, nee yo mayo shyoong-dee jyeh-may? Jasmine, do you have any brothers or sisters? Waw yo ee guh jyeh-jyeh. I have an older sister. Tah yeah hway jyahng Joong-one mah? Can she also speak Chinese? Tah jir hway Eeng-yew. She only speaks English.
Nee duh foo-moo joo dzye nar? Where do your parents live? Waw-mun doe joo dzye Bay-jeeng. Waw bah-bah shir why-jyaow gwan. We all live in Beijing. My father is a diplomat. Dzumma yahng? Wahn duh kye-sheen. Have a great time. Shway guh how jyaow. Sleep well. Making small talk on the job The kind of job you have can say plenty about you. It can also be a great topic of conversation or spice up an otherwise dull exchange. Nee shir laow-shir mah?
Please share with us. Feast Anissa Helou. Secrets of a Jewish Baker George Greenstein. Popular eBooks. Fear No Evil James Patterson. Mercy David Baldacci. The Awakening Nora Roberts. The Dark Hours Michael Connelly. From This Moment Melody Grace. The Judge's List John Grisham. The fact is the Chinese language is a far-distance language from Indo-European language for most western learners. To reach the superior level, more hours are needed for a western learner to learn Chinese than one who is learning Spanish.
With more detail, we will see the durations of language programs in American Defense Language Institute where 24 foreign languages were taught. The following scale shows the duration of formal instruction 25 class hours a week of these language programs for English speakers.
In order to save time, it is worth to pay a good and qualified teacher to help you learn Chinese language. However, this thought is a very big misunderstanding. These Chinese native students studied Chinese Language and culture knowledge, foreign language mostly English and the methodologies to teach Chinese to foreigners. In short, their training goal is to teach foreigner to speak Chinese in the most efficient way. When you look for a Chinese teacher, do firstly look for someone with the academic background of Duiwai Hanyu.
Here is what Hanban developed as standards for Chinese teachers. I personally use some references to distinguish amateur Chinese teachers from experienced ones. Q2: Does the teacher speak too fast? Q8: Does the teacher use too much translation or medium language? Q9: Does the teacher speak more than you?
Q Does the teacher often butt in and correct your reply? Some people believe since an adult is smarter than child, then the problem must come from their teacher. The teacher teaches grammar rules incorrectly, they should just teach their adult learners in a natural way as their mother did.
In other words, this theory believes that language should be learned naturally over time and practice. For teachers, it means just simply give students enough in-put before asking for out-put.
For students, he or she should try to guess and use the language rather than analyze it. However, we are not children anymore. Since the aim to learn these languages is limited to reading ancient classic literatures as formal education rather than use it as a modern language in daily life communication. According this belief, students only need is to learn grammatical rules and words and then apply those rules by translating texts word-for-word.
Hence this approach is also known as the Grammar-Translation Approach. Generally speaking, this approach follows a very straight procedure. This approach was the standard way that languages were taught in schools from the 17th to 19th century and is still in use today in hybrid forms in many different situations.
However, we live in a world that changed since 17th century. The ability to listen and speak foreign languages gradually overmasters the noble knowledge on classic languages. A Russian psychologist named Pavlov claimed that human learning is no difference from a dog.
Meanwhile, the outbreak of World War II created the need of soldiers that could speak and listen certain target language speeches. Language teachers who were desperate for a quick approach to teach listening and speaking took this behaviorism theory almost without any hesitation and formed the Audio-Lingual approach.
This approach emphasizes the skills of listening and speaking. Surprisingly, lots of students enjoy this type of learning. Foreign language study ceased to be confined to the elite academies or to serve certain aims in specific situation. Almost all children in secondary school had the opportunity to study foreign languages. They learned foreign languages in order to communicate with their classmates, the community, and the foreign society that they live in.
Communication is very similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Different person has different pieces of the picture. You will talk and exchange information and get the whole picture right. This process is also how the language education experts now see the nature of second language learning: language should be treated as a tool to communicate rather than a system of signs and rules. However, it faces a high risk of losing the control of class and students.
However, they gradually realized that there is no such a thing called the best method or one pattern that fits all. Maximum learning opportunities 2. Facilitate common interaction 3. Minimize common mistakes 4. Activate intuitive hands on learning 5. Foster language awareness 6. Contextualize language information 7. Integrate language skills 8. Promote learner autonomy 9. Ensure social relevance Raise cultural awareness Conclusion After looking at these multiple approaches to learning a second language, you can decide on which you think works best for you.
Though there is no right way to learning the language, you can take strategies from multiples approaches that best suit your learning style. The important key is that you find what works best for you when it comes to learning Mandarin. Here are some reasons why a textbook is needed in most situations.
Topics and materials in a textbook may not be relevant or interesting to all. But we should always keep in mind that any textbook should be chosen carefully and used judiciously. How to Choose a Good Chinese Textbook? While the quantity of Chinese textbooks has increased dramatically in recent years, it is difficult to select a good textbook. This process can be used to choose a Chinese textbook.
The common-core criteria and analysis questions can be summarized as following: Does the Textbook Follow a Specific Teaching Approach? I have taught Mandarin Chinese in Beijing, Shanghai and in Kentucky for over ten years and have used many of textbooks in different situations.
I cannot say which specific one is the best because it is situation-sensitive. However, here are ones that I personally prefer and have used. The Beijing Language and Culture University Press first published this book in and it unexpectedly became a star item. The main reason for its popularity was how well it fit the need of a short-term course. This book uses basic sentences to build up conversations in various daily situations.
Learners could master simple Chinese sentences in a short period of time. Kuaile Hanyu is initially designed for Britain middle school student aged from 11 to Therefore, it suits the psychological level and learning requirements of young learners. It has fun content while it uses few and simple words to covers topics of school and daily life. Hence practical choice for teachers and students.
It takes the task-based teaching theory where these textbooks integrate trainings on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills; while focuses on difficult and important key languages points. It is a balance between basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills as well as the ability to communicate effectively in Chinese.
This textbook widely used among Confucius Institutes and overseas Chinese schools. Accompanied with this textbook are hours of video materials, comprising dramatic episodes, cultural segments, and animations all shot in China by Hollywood producers. It immerses learners in the Chinese language and culture through video episodes. Chinese Structure Complete Guide i. Chinese Pronunciation Pronunciation is the basic part of mastering mandarin Chinese.
No matter which level are you in, making sure your pronunciation correctly is definitely necessary and never too late. All in all, a good beginning is half the battle. Here is a quick description and cover image of book Chinese Cooking for Dummies written by Martin Yan which was published in Have you ever had a craving for fried dumplings or hot and sour soup at midnight? Ever wonder how your local Chinese takeout makes their food taste so good—and look so easy to make?
Discovering how to cook the Chinese way will leave you steaming, stir-frying, and food-styling like crazy! Search for:. Basic Tools for Chinese Cooking In Chinese cooking or any other cuisine , you can usually use the kitchen tools you already have.
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