basic mandarin chinese | lesson 13 | learn about 'measure' words!

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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 13 on Basic Mandarin!


Revision - Occupations

English Mandarin

Teacher Lǎoshī

Lawyer Lǜshī

Doctor Yīsheng

Engineer Gōng chéng shī

Manager Jīng lǐ

Accountant Kuài Jì

Housewife Jiā tíng zhǔ fù

Retired Tuì xiū le


Revision

English Mandarin

I am a doctor Wǒ shì Yīsheng

She is a manager Tā shì Jīng lǐ

He is an accountant Tā shì kuài jì

I am retired Wǒ shì tuì xiū le


Revision

English Mandarin

What does your father do? Nǐ bàba zuò shénme gōngzuò

My father is a lawyer Wǒ bàba shì lǜshī

What do you do? Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò

I am an engineer Wǒ shì gōng chéng shī


Revision

Speaker English Mandarin

Mark How are you? Nǐ hǎo ma?

Lisa Not bad! How are you? Bú cuò! Nǐ hǎo ma?

Mark I am also very good! Wǒ Yě hěn hǎo!

Lisa This is my father Tā shì wǒ bàba

Mark What does your father do? Nǐ bàba zuò shénme gōng zuò?


Revision

Speaker English Mandarin

LisaMy father is a lawyer,and

you?Wǒ bàba shì lǜshī,nǐ ne?

Mark I am an engineer Wǒ shì Gōng chéng shī

Lisa What does your mother do?Nǐ māma zuò shénme gōng

zuò?

Mark My mother is a housewife Wǒ māma shì jiā tíng zhǔ fù

Lisa What do you do? Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò ?

Mark I am a doctor Wǒ shì Yīsheng

Lisa Wonderful! Taì hǎo le!


Lesson objectives

1 Measure words


What's in store today?

Today we will learn something that is peculiar to Mandarin alone-

measure words!

Let’s see what they mean and how they're used!


Measure word - Definition

In English, we often have words defining the type of object being discussed

For example, a ‘loaf’ of bread, a ‘flock’ of sheep, a ‘glass’ of water etc…



Mandarin uses a similar part of speech called ‘Measure words’ that may

refer to the number, shape, or specification of an object



A vital point about Mandarin measure words is that ‘every

noun requires a measure word’

While in English, we can say, ‘three goats’, in Mandarin we say

‘three ( measure word) goats’



There are more than hundred measure words in Mandarin, today we will cover

a few relevant ones only!


Measure words

Zhāng is pronounced with a highlevel tone

Measure word for something flat

(bed, photo, paper)

Zhāng


Measure words

Great! Now let’s learn how to say ‘One photo’!

Since we've already learnt that one = yí (midrising)

let’s see how do we say photo in Mandarin!


Measure words

Both Zhào and piàn are pronouncedwith a falling tone on 'a'

Photo

Zhào piàn


Measure words

Literally : One (measure word) photo

One photo

Yí zhāng zhào piàn


Measure words

Let’s take another example and see how to say 'One/ A piece of paper'

We already learnt that one = yí (mid rising) Now let’s see how do we say one piece of

paper in Mandarin!


Measure words

Paper = ZhǐIt is pronounced using a

falling rising tone

One piece of paper

Yì zhāng zhǐ


Measure words

Great! Now let’s learn how to say ‘One/a boy’!

Since we’ve already learnt that one = yí (midrising)

let’s see how do we say boy in Mandarin!


Measure words

Male = NánKid/Child = Háizi

Boy

Nán háizi


Measure words

Pronounced with a neutral tone,when in doubt, use 'ge'

Measure word for people/ general things

Ge


Measure words

One (measure word) boy

One boy

Yí ge nán háizi


Measure words

Let's now try ‘A schoolbag’!

Since we've already learnt that one = yí (midrising)

let’s see how do we say 'A schoolbag' in Mandarin!


Measure words

book/letter = Shūto hold/ wrap/ include = bāo

It is pronounced using high level tones

A schoolbag

Yí ge shūbāo


Let's see if you remember…


Pick the right option

How do we say ‘boy’ in Mandarin ?

1

Nán háizi

2

Nán sheng

3

Yí háizi


Solution

How do we say ‘boy’ in Mandarin ?

1

Nán háizi

2

Nán sheng

3

Yí háizi



How do we say, ‘One photo’ in Mandarin?

1

Yí zhào zhāng piàn

2


3

Yí zhào piàn zhāng


Solution

How do we say, ‘One photo’ in Mandarin?

1

Yí zhào zhāng piàn

2


3

Yí zhào piàn zhāng


Moving on…

Measure words are also inserted between a demonstrative pronoun,

(such as this, that) and a noun

Let’s learn how to say ‘this’ and ‘that’ in Mandarin!


Measure words

Zhè is pronounced with afalling tone

This

Zhè


Measure words

Nà is pronounced with afalling tone

That

Nà


Measure words

Great! Now let’s say ‘This photo’!


Measure words

This (measure word) photo

This photo

Zhè zhāng zhào piàn


Measure words

Good! Now let’s say ‘That boy’!


Measure words

That (measure word) boy

That boy

Nà ge nán háizi


Grammar tip

Remember, that a demonstrative and a noun always have a measure word in between

Demonstrative | Measure word | Noun


Measure words

Let's take a look at some more examples!

We will try and say

'This is a pen' 'This is not a pencil'

'That is not a dictionary' 'That is a book'


Measure words

Zhī is pronounced usinga high level tone

Measure word for stick like objects

(pen, chopsticks)

Zhī


Measure words

Pen = Bǐbǐ is pronounced using a

falling rising tone

This is a pen

Zhè shì zhī bǐ


Measure words

Pencil = Qiānbǐqiānbǐ is pronounced with a high level

tone on 'a' and a falling rising tone on 'i'

This is not a pencil

Zhè bú shì zhī qiānbǐ


Measure words

Běn is pronounced with afalling rising tone

Measure word for 'volume'

(any bound print or written matter)

Běn


Measure words

Dictionary = ZìdiǎnZìdiǎn is pronounced with a falling tone

on 'i' and a falling rising tone on 'a'

That is not a dictionary

Nà bú shì běn zìdiǎn


Measure words

Book = ShūShū is pronounced with a high level tone

That is a book

Nà shì běn shū


Let’s see if you remember…



How do you say ‘this’ in Mandarin?

1

Yí

2

Zhè


Solution

How do you say ‘this’ in Mandarin?

1

Yí

2

Zhè



How do we say ‘that boy’ in Mandarin?

1

Nà ge nán háizi

2

Ge nà nán háizi

3

Wǒ ge nán háizi


Solution

How do we say ‘that boy’ in Mandarin?

1

Nà ge nán háizi

2

Ge nà nán háizi

3

Wǒ ge nán háizi



What does ‘Yí’ mean?

1

Boy

2

Measure word

3

One


Solution

What does ‘Yí’ mean?

1

Boy

2

Measure word

3

One


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


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


Culture leaf


Culture leaf

The dragon boat festival, or Duānwǔ, is celebratedbetween late May and early June every year

It is to commemorate the death of an ancient poet, Qu Yuan, who lived 2000 year ago


Culture leaf

His advice to the king of Chu, was to hire honest people, rather than his favourites; and for this he

was banished from the kingdom

On hearing later that the kingdom fell, he threw himself into the Miluo river and drowned to death


Culture leaf

The people of Chu, threw bamboo shafts full of rice into the river, so that the fish

would eat rice and not his body

Till day, people throw rice dumplings into the river to revisit the sacrifice


Culture leaf

Today the day is also celebrated by ‘dragon-boat’ races to commemorate the poet

Many weeks are spent creating elaboratedragon boats which are similar to canoes


What's next?

In the next lesson we will learn question formation and negations!


Credits

Content Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duanwu_Festival

Images http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dragon_Boat_Festiv

al_in_Haiwei,_Ronggui,_2011.jpg Caiguanhao


See you at the Alley!


basic mandarin chinese | lesson 13 | learn about 'measure' words!

Travel

zu shnme gngzu

sh bn zdin

sh bn sh

sh zh qinb

zho zhng pin

zho pin zhng

zhng zho pin

falling rising