Greetings

The past 2 months have been a bit rough, physically and mentally, thus unable to keep up with the schedule to posts on anything.

The moral of the story of the 2 rough months is that "take care of your health" and "always have a second opinion from other specialists when it comes to diagnosing some "serious" illness".

Anyway, we are at the end of the year, and here is a few greeting that you might find it useful:

Merry Christmas: 圣诞节快乐 Shèngdànjié kuàilè
Happy New Year: 新年快乐 xīnnián kuàilè
Wish You..: 祝你  zhùnǐ ... + a few common wishes below    

1. Healthy Body (Good Health): 身体健康  shēntǐjiànkāng
2. Wishes come true: 心想事成/万事如意 wànshì rúyì / xīnxiǎng shìchéng
3. Making good progress in Work / Study: 事业进步 /学业 进步 shìyè jìnbù / xuéyè jìnbù

 

Ignore the background TV noise :)

I will be back with more lesson, next year. The year of 2017, the year of the Rooster.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017!

Regards,
Linda Tan
 

Answers for Revision on Question Words

Here is the answers for the exercise posted end of last week on Revision for Question words.
1. Whose car are you driving?

你开谁的车？

Nǐ kāi shuí de chē?

 2. Whom will go with you to Paris?

你跟谁去巴黎？

Nǐ gēn shuí qù bāli?

 3. What is she looking at?

她在看什么？

Tā zài kàn shénme?

 4. Why can't she stay behind?

她为什么不能留下来？

Tā wèishénme bùnéng liúxiàlái?

 5. What do you want to do?

你要做什么？

Ni yào zuò shénme?

 6. When does the TV show start?

电视节目什么时候开始？

Diànshì jiémù shénme shíhòu kāishi?

 7. Where is my pen?

我的笔在哪儿？
wǒ de bǐ zài nǎr?

 8. Who see my mathematic textbooks?

谁看到我的数学课本？

Shuí kàndào wǒde shùxué kèběn?

 9. Which month will the spring start?

春节几月开始？

Chūnjié jǐyuè kǎishi?

 10. Why do you laugh so loudly?

你为什么笑得那么大声？

Nǐ wèishénme xiàode nàme dàshēng?


Translation from Mandarin to English/Bahasa Indonesia:
1. 他为什么不打电话给我？
Tā wèishěnme dǎdiànhuà gěi wǒ?
Why does he call me?

2. 你什么 时候毕业？
Nǐ shénme shíhòu bìyè?
When do you graduate?

3. 你的家人住哪里？
Nǐ de jiārén hù nǎlǐ?
Where does your family live?

4. 你在哪儿工作？
Nǐ zài nǎr gōngzuò?
Where do you work?

5. 你的朋友几号去香港？
Nǐde péngyǒu jǐhào qù xiānggǎng?
What date does your friend go to Hong Kong?

6. 昨天你几点起床？
Zuótiān nǐ jǐdiǎn qǐchuáng?
What time did you wake up yesterday?

7. 那个女子是谁？
Nàgènǚzi shìshuí?
Who is that girl?

8. 谁帮你报名？
Shuí bāng ni bàomíng?
Who helps you to register?

9. 谁的车坏了？
Shuí de chē huài le?
Whose car is broken?

10. 那个孩子在看什么卡通片？
Nàgè háizi zài kàn shénme kǎtōngpiàn?
what cartoon is that kid watching?

Try to digest it realllll slow and see if you have already understood it well. Come up with certain sentences and try to convey it in Chinese. Feel free to comment if you have any questions.

There won't be any new post for the upcoming week. Will introduce new lesson on 22 Nov. So stay updated by subscribing.

Happy reviewing,
Linda Tan
Thank you

Revision on Question Words

Here is the revision that covers the last 3 posts on various question words.

Remember not to translate word by word, but look for the purpose of the words in the sentence. Also, try to look simplify words but looking at similarity in meaning. For example, instead of looking up for the words "would like" in Pleco, try "want" when possible. Be wise though, see if the meaning remain the same by interchanging those words.

Translate from English to Mandarin:
1. Whose car are you driving?
2. Whom will go with you to Paris?
3. What is she looking at?
4. Why can't she stay behind?
5. What do you want to do?
6. When does the TV show start?
7. Where is my pen?
8. Who see my mathematic textbooks?
9. Which month will the spring start?
10. Why do you laugh so loudly?

Translate from Mandarin to English/Bahasa Indonesia:
1. 他为什么不打电话给我？
Tā wèishěnme dǎdiànhuà gěi wǒ?
2. 你什么 时候毕业？
Nǐ shénme shíhòu bìyè?
3. 你的家人住哪里？
Nǐ de jiārén hù nǎlǐ?
4. 你在哪儿工作？
Nǐ zài nǎr gōngzuò?
5. 你的朋友几号去香港？
Nǐde péngyǒu jǐhào qù xiānggǎng?
6. 昨天你几点起床？
Zuótiān nǐ jǐdiǎn qǐchuáng?
7. 那个女子是谁？
Nàgènǚzi shìshuí?
8. 谁帮你报名？
Shuí bāng ni bàomíng?
9. 谁的车坏了？
Shuí de chē huài le?
10. 那个孩子在看什么卡通片？
Nàgè háizi zài kàn shénme kǎtōngpiàn?

Tips: You have to be familiar with the question words first, means you should be able to recall what is "WHEN" in Chinese, What is "Where" in Chinese and so on.

Again, slowly but sure! Refer to the pattern of sentence when necessary.

Remember that you don't become fluent in a new language overnight. I have known this language for almost 20+ years and still learning. :) Hope it motivates you.


Have fun!
Linda Tan

Question Words "WHAT" & "WHY"

Here are another 2 commonly used question words, WHAT and WHY

WHAT 什么 shénme

Unlike English, question words are mostly used in front of the sentences. In Chinese, that's hardly the case, when you are asking a full sentence question. Here is the sentence structure:

S + Verb +  什么 + Noun (if any)?

For example:
Example: What do you drink?

S = you 你
Verb = drink 喝

你喝什么？

Nǐ hē shénme?

When there is existence of a noun, for example you want to know about the beverages (饮料 yǐnliào(n) that he/she drinks, then you add it after 什么 shénme

What beverage do you drink?
你喝什么饮料？ 

Nǐ hē shénme yǐnliào?

Example: What are you listening to?
(To describe the present continuous tense, that the action is on going at the moment of speaking, in Chinese we often use the word 在 Zài)

你在听什么？
Nǐ zàitīng shénme?

What music are you listening to?
你在听什么音乐？

Nǐ zàitīng shénme yīnyuè?

WHY 为什么 Wèishénme

Here is the structure for WHY:
S + 为什么 Wèishénme + Verb?

Example: Why does she cry?
她为什么哭？

Tā wèishénme kū?

Example: Why does your mom go to the hospital?
你妈妈为什么去医院？
Nǐmāma wèishénme qù yīuàn?

Just like in English, we answer WHY question with "Because... " in Chinese, we use “因为 Yīnwèi。。。”

 

After the word "because", then the sentence follows can be simple sentence that we have learnt before, either in Positive form or in Negative form.

 

For example:

Why does she cry?

她为什么哭？

Tā wèishénme kū?

 

Answer 1, followed by negative sentence:

Because her mom hasn't come to pick her up yet.

因为她妈妈还没接她

Yīnwèi tāmāma háiméi lái jiē tā

 

Answer 2, followed by positive sentence:

Because her stomach hurts.

因为她的肚子痛

Yīnwèi tāde dùzi tòng

 

 

Again, Video can only be played on a desktop, not handheld.

 

Next post we will be reviewing all the WH questions introduced. Let's see how much that you have grasped, before moving on to the next lesson.

 

Good Week Ahead,

Linda Tan

 

 

Answer for exercise on Question Word "When"

Here is the answer for the exercise that comes with the previous topic on Question Word "When

 

1. What time is it now?

现在几点？

Xiànzai jǐdiǎn?

Note: Adverb of time should be placed in front of the sentence, the question is not asking for any activity (verb), so nothing comes after the word jǐdiǎn.

 

2. What day is Today?

今天星期几？

Jīntiān xīngqījǐ?

3. When did you buy your new car?

你什么时候买你的新车？

Nǐ shénme shíhòu mǎi nǐdexīnchē?

 

4. What date will your family be coming to Bali?

你的家人几号来巴厘岛？

Nǐde jiārén jǐhào lái Bālídǎo?

 

 

5. When will your uncle be discharge from Hospital?

你的叔叔什么时候出院？

NǐdeShūshu shénme shíhòu chūyuàn?

Listen to the recorded audio for the above (can only be played on desktop, not handheld)

 

Have you got them right?

Next week, there will be the intro to another question word. Check it out on Tuesday :)

Linda Tan

Question Word: WHEN

When asking for adverb of time, there are a few ways of doing it, depending on how specific you want the answer to be:

In General, When is translated as: 什么时候 shénme shíhòu

However, if you would like it to be very specific, here is another few more ways:
1. What time: 几点 jǐdiǎn
2. Which date: 几号 jǐhào
3. What day: 星期几 xīngqījǐ

This post might be closely related to the post on how to tell time.

Here is the general sentence structure:
 

S + 什么时候 shénme shíhòu+ Verb (the activity) + Object?

 

S+ 几点 jǐdiǎn+ Verb (the activity) + Object?

 

S + 星期几 xīngqījǐ+ Verb (the activity) + Object?

 

S + 几号 jǐhào+ Verb (the activity) + Object?

Example:

1. When did you arrive? (Do not worry about the past tense, as in Mandarin we do not use that)
你什么时候到？
Ní shénme shíhòu dào? 

2. When are you going to Beijing?
你什么时候去北京？
Ní shénme shíhòu qù Běijīng?

The answers given for both the above questions can be varied. The responder might give you day, date, time, month, etc.

Asking about time:
1. What time did you arrive?
你几点到？

Ní jǐdiǎn dào?

The answer given will be very specific as you asked, the time of arrival.

2. Which date will you be going to Beijing？
你几号去北京
Ní jǐhào qù Beǐjīng?

 

3. What day are you going to Macau?
你星期几去澳门？
Nǐ xīngqījǐ qù Àomen2?


Now, it is your turn to translate a few question, and feel free to practice in giving the answer.
1. What time is it now?
2. What day is today?
3. When did you buy your new car?
4. What date will your family be coming to Bali?
5. When will your uncle be discharge from hospital?

Compare your answer to my next post.

Thank You,
Linda Tan

Answer: Question Words

Here are the translation for some exercises on the previous post:

1. Whom did you talk to yesterday? (hint: asking object)
昨天你跟谁说话？
Zuótiān nǐ gēn shuí shuōhuà?

2. Who picks you up? (hint: asking subject)
谁接你？
Shuí jiē nǐ?

3. Whose car is that? (hint: asking about possession)
那辆车是谁的？
Nàliàngchē shì shuíde?

4. Who helped you do your homework? (hint: asking subject)
谁帮你做作业？
Shuí bāng nǐ zuò zuòyè?

5. Whose is that child belong to? (hint: asking about possession)
那是谁的孩子？
Nàshì shuí de háizi?

6. Whom do you usually play with? (hint: asking object)
你平时跟谁玩？
Nǐ píngshí gēn shuí wān?

Here is the recorded pronunciation for the above (Reminder: It can only be played on your desktop not handheld device)

Feel free to comment on things that need clarification.

Thank you,
Linda Tan

 

Question word "WHO?", "WHOSE" & "WHOM"

"Who" in Chinese is called 谁? shuí or sometimes written as Shéi
 
Here is how we use it..
 
1. When you want to know the identity of a particular person, we use this pattern:
Someone 是 + 谁?
 
他是谁？
Tā shì shuí?
Who is he?
 
那个人是谁？
Nàgèrén  shì shuí?
Who is that person?
 
2. When you want to know who the person that has done certain activities, then we use the following:
谁 + Verb + Object/Adverb?
 
谁去学校？

Shuí qù  xuéxiào?

Who goes to school?
 
谁弄坏我的东西？
Shuí nònghuài wǒdedōngxi?
Who breaks my things?
  
“Whose” in English is to ask possession, just like the past lesson we have discussed, in Chinese we use 的 de to express possession. So... the Chinese for "Whose" is 谁的 shuíde?
 
Here is the pattern:
 
The things + 是 + 谁的？   OR   Preposition （这/那）+ 是 + 谁的 + The things?
 
那本书是谁的？

Nàběnshū shì shuíde? 

Whose does that book belong to?
 
那是谁的书？

Na shì shuídeshū?

Whose book is that?
 
In a formal English, "Whom" is used to ask about object. In Chinese, we do not have a specific word for it, but the position of the word 谁 shui is different. Look at the following pattern:
 
Subject + Verb +谁  Object?
 
你教谁汉语？
Nǐ jiāo shuí hànyǔ?
Whom do you teach Mandarin to?
 
你要找谁？
Nǐ yào zhǎo shuí?
Whom are you looking for?
 
Here are a few sentences for you to translate:
1. Whom did you talk to yesterday? (hint: asking object)
2. Who picks you up? (hint: asking subject)
3. Whose car is that? (hint: asking about possession)
4. Who helped you do your homework? (hint: asking subject)
5. Whose is that child belong to? (hint: asking about possession)
6. Whom do you usually play with? (hint: asking object)

Knock Knock,.. Who's there?
Linda Tan :)