Learn Mandarin Chinese for free using self-paced audio-visual lessons and interactive practice exercises - CultureAlley - master conversations, grammar, vocabulary and more! This lessons teaches the important interrogatives 'Who' and "whose' and focuses conversation around basic sentences such as 'Who is he?" "whose photo is this?" etc.. and finishes by teaching us how to use 'no' with the 'to-be' verb! To study this at your own pace, take quizzes and explore more lessons go to www.culturealley.com. See you at the Alley!

1. To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

2. Nǐ hǎo
Lesson 14 on Basic Mandarin!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

3. Revision - Measure words
English
Mandarin
Measure word for flat objects
Zhāng
Measure word for people/general
Ge
This
Zhè
That
Nà
Measure word for 'stick like objects'
Zhī
Measure word for 'volume'
Běn
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

4. Revision
English
Mandarin
One photo
Yí zhāng zhào piàn
A piece of paper
Yì zhāng zhǐ
One boy
Yí ge nán háizi
A schoolbag
Yí ge shūbāo
This photo
Zhè zhāng zhào piàn
That boy
Nà ge nán háizi
This is a pen
Zhè shì zhī bǐ
This is not a pencil
Zhè bú shì zhī qiānbǐ
That is not a dictionary
Nà bú shì běn zìdiǎn
That is a book
Nà shì běn shū
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

5. Lesson objectives
1
Question formation
2 Negations
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

6. What's in store today?
Today we will see how questions are
formed in Mandarin
We will also learn two forms of negation,
that will help us cover verbs!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

7. Lesson objectives
1
Question formation
2 Negations
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

8. Question formation
Lets start by learning how is a question
formed in Mandarin different from one
formed in English
For the we will need to learn a new word!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

9. Question formation
Who
Shéi
It is pronounced with a mid
rising tone
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

10. Question formation
Unlike English, Mandarin supplies the
‘interrogation’ where the answer should be!
Let’s compare English and Mandarin
and see what we find!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

11. Question formation
English
Q. Who is he?
A. He is Mark
Note that the interrogation
comes
in the beginning of the
question,
but the answer comes at the
end of the statement
Mandarin
Q. Tā shì shéi (he is who?)
A. Tā shì Mark (he is Mark)
Note that the interrogative
comes
exactly where the answer
comes!
Let’s look at a few more
examples!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

12. Question formation
To have
Yǒu
'Yǒu' is pronounced with a
falling rising tone
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

13. Introductions
Who
has a
younger sister
↓
↓
↓
Shéi
yǒu
meìmei
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

14. Question formation
Who has a younger sister?
Shéi yǒu meìmei?
Literally, ‘who have
younger sister?’
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

15. Answer formation
Lǐ has a younger sister
Lǐ yǒu meìmei
Literally, ‘Lǐ have
younger sister’
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

16. Introductions
Who
is
he
↓
↓
↓
Shéi
yǒu
tā
Remember! We will change
order to 'He is who?'
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

17. Do you remember?
Unlike English, Mandarin supplies the
‘interrogation’ where the answer should be
Hence, in Mandarin, the translation for
'Who is he?' will be reordered to 'He is who?'
as we will place the answer at the end (eg:
'He is Mark')
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

18. Question formation
Who is he?
Tā shì shéi?
Literally, ‘he is who?’
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

19. Answer formation
He is doctor Wáng
Tā shì Wáng yīsheng
In Mandarin, the occupation
is said after the name
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

20. Introductions
possessive
This
is
who
particle ('s)
photo
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
Zhè
shì
shéi
de
zhào piàn
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

21. Question formation
Whose photo is this?
Zhè shì shéi de zhào piàn?
Literally, ‘this is who
(possessive) photo?’
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

22. Answer formation
This is my photo
Zhè shì wǒ de zhào piàn
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

23. Let's see if you remember…
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

24. Pick the right option
How do we say ‘Who is he?’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Shéi tā
shì ?
Tā shì
shéi?
Yí shì
shéi?
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

25. Solution
How do we say ‘Who is he?’ in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Shéi tā
shì ?
Tā shì
shéi?
Yí shì
shéi?
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

26. Pick the right option
What does ‘Lǐ yǒu meìmei’ translate to?
1
2
3
Lǐ is meì’s
younger
sister
Lǐ is the
younger
sister
Lǐ has a
younger
sister
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

27. Solution
What does ‘Lǐ yǒu meìmei’ translate to?
1
2
3
Lǐ is meì’s
younger
sister
Lǐ is the
younger
sister
Lǐ has a
younger
sister
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

28. Moving on…
So now we know that the ‘interrogative’ goes
where the ‘answer’ would be!
Note that the same is not true in case of question
particles such as ma, ne etc…
Let’s move over to our next topic, which is
negations!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

29. Lesson objectives
1
Question formation
2 Negations
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

30. Negations
In mandarin, there are two ways of saying ‘no’
Let’s look at both of them one by one!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

31. Negations
‘Bù’ is the most common one
It is pronounced with a falling tone
Let’s see what the second one is!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

32. Negations
The second one is ‘méi’
The verb, ‘to have’ i.e. ‘yǒu’ is negated
by ‘méi’ instead of ‘bù’!
Let’s look at some examples!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

33. Negation
Do you have an elder sister
Nǐ yǒu jiějie ma?
Literally, 'you have elder sister?'
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

34. Negation
I don’t have an elder sister
Wǒ méi yǒu jiějie
Literally, 'I don't have
elder sister'
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

35. Negation
I have a younger sister
Wǒ yǒu yí ge meìmei
Literally, 'I have one
(measure word) younger sister'
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

36. Let's see if you remember…
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

37. Pick the right option
When is ‘méi’ used to say no?
1
2
3
With
‘have’
With
not
With
family
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

38. Solution
When is ‘méi’ used to say no?
1
2
3
With
‘have’
With
not
With
family
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

39. Pick the right option
What does,‘Wǒ méi yǒu jiějie’
translate to?
1
2
3
I have a
younger sister
I don't have a
younger sister
I don't have an
elder sister
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

40. Solution
What does,‘Wǒ méi yǒu jiějie’
translate to?
1
2
3
I have a
younger sister
I don't have a
younger sister
I don't have an
elder sister
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

41. Revision
Speaker
English
Mandarin
Mark
Who has a younger sister?
Shéi yǒu meìmei?
Lisa
Lǐ has a younger sister
Lǐ yǒu meìmei
Mark
Who is he?
Tā shì shéi?
Lisa
He is doctor Wáng
Tā shì Wáng yīsheng
Mark
Whose photo is this?
Zhè shì shéi de zhào piàn?
Lisa
This is my photo
Zhè shì wǒ de zhào piàn
Mark
Do you have an elder sister?
Nǐ yǒu jiějie ma?
Lisa
I don't have an elder sister
Wǒ méi yǒu jiějie
Lisa
I have a younger sister
Wǒ yǒu yí ge meìmei
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

42. Revision
Speaker
English
Mandarin
Mark
Who is he?
Tā shì shéi?
Lisa
He is my father doctor Wáng Tā shì wǒ bàba, Wáng yīsheng
Mark
Is she your elder sister
Tā shì nǐ jiějie ma?
Lisa
No, I have a younger sister
Bù, wǒ yǒu yí ge meìmei
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

43. Culture leaf
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

44. Culture leaf
While visiting a Chinese home for a meal,
there are certain cultural customs
and norms that one must follow!
Here are some suggested behavioral practices
while going for an informal dinner!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

45. Culture leaf
It is considered both polite and appropriate to get
a
small gift such as a bottle of wine or a tea set
However, make sure to not gift anything in sets
of four, as the number 4, sì, sounds similar
to the Mandarin word for death, sǐ
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

46. Culture leaf
It is considered rude to start eating before
everyone is seated at the dinner table
Wait for all the dishes to be laid on the table and
served before you start with your first bite!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

47. Culture leaf
A customary phrase before
starting dinner is ‘chī fàn
Literally meaning ‘eat rice’ and amounting to ‘let’s
start the meal’, ‘chī fàn’ is said all around the table
before starting a meal!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

48. What's next?
In the next lesson we shall learn about
the order and expression of time!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

49. Credits
Content
Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

50. See you at the Alley!
To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin