Mandarin Essentials
Answers to the Exercise on Chinese Grammar – How to express “having to work” in Chinese?
Correct Answer: A “要(yào),” as an auxiliary verb, means “should” or “must, ” such as “要写作业(yào xiězuòyè), must do homework,” “要去吃饭(yào qùchīfàn), must go to eat ” etc. Being an auxiliary verb, “要(yào)” should be followed by a verbal phrase. Example Linda: Jīntiān xiàwǔ wǒmen …
I have to work tomorrow!
Jason: Rose, Míngtiān wǒmen qù kàndiànyǐng ba? Jason: Rose，明天 我们 去 看电影 吧？ Jason: Rose, let’s go to see a movie tomorrow, ok? Rose: Bùxíng, wǒ míngtiān___ shàngbān. Rose: 不行， 我 明天 ___ 上班。 Rose: I’m sorry, but I have to work tomorrow. A. 要(yào)…
Answers to the Key Learning Points in March, 2014
Correct Answers: 1. A 2. A 3. B 4. C
<<Back to “Monthly Mandarin Review (Test) – Key Learning Points in March, 2014”
Monthly Mandarin Review (Test) – Key Learning Points in March, 2014
We have published 4 issues of newsletter in March, 2014. Have you read all of them? Let’s see how much you have learned from this month’s issues!
1. Asking Questions in Chinese (Elementary)
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Zhāng Míng: …
Mandarin Test: Difference Between “们(men)” and “大家(dàjiā)”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Jack appeared in a party and said hello to everyone. Jack：Péngyou___,dàjiā___hǎo！ Jack：朋 友 ___，大家___好！ Jack: Hi there, everyone! Blare：Nǐhǎo，Jack！ Blare：你好，Jack！ Blare: Hi, Jack! A. 们(men), / B. /, 们(men) C. /, / D. 们(men)，们(men)
…Plural Form of Personal Pronoun
Correct Answer: A “们(men)”, when used as an auxiliary word, is used after personal pronouns or nouns to indicate their plural forms as in “我们(wǒmen) we,” “他们(tāmen) they,” “同学们(tóngxuémen) classmates,” etc.
Examples:
Wǒmen
qù kàn diànyǐng ba?
我们
去 看 电影 吧？
Shall we go …
Popular Words: “奇葩儿子(qípā érzi)”
1. Wang Li met a “奇葩(qípā)” on her way home. That means ___.
A. Wang Li is acquainted with the person
B. Wang Li dislikes the person
C. Wang Li loves the person
2. Zhang Wei’s friends often call him “奇葩(qípā)” ironically. What does it …
The difference between “知道(zhīdào)” and “认识(rènshi)”
Correct Answer: A
In the Chinese language, both “知道(zhīdào)” and “认识(rènshi)” can be used to indicate “to know.” However, they are actually used to express quite different meanings, especially in the two situations below.
Situation 1:
“知道(zhīdào)” someone ≠ “认识(rènshi)” someone
“知道(zhīdào)” someone means that …
I know her but I am not acquainted with her!
Mary：Chē lǐ de nà ge rén shì Wáng Fāng ma? Mary： 车 里 的 那 个 人 是 王 芳 吗？ Mary： Is the person in the car Wang Fang? Zhāng Míng: Wáng Fāng? Wǒ ___ tā, dàn wǒ bú___ tā. 张 明 ： 王 …
How do you say “one and a half” when referring to time in Chinese?
Correct Answer: C
Analysis:
In Chinese, we usually use the structure below to express “one and a half.” Number + Measure Word + 半(bàn) + Noun E.g. Yí ge bàn xiǎoshí 一 个 半 小时 One and a half hours Similarly, we can use the …
How Do You Say “One and A Half Hours?”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Ella: Jack, Nǐ měitiān xuéxí duō cháng shíjiān zhōngwén? Ella: Jack, 你 每天 学习 多 长 时间 中文？ Ella: Jack, how much time do you spend studying Chinese every day? Jack: ____. Jack: ____. Jack: …
“极品老妈(jípǐn lǎomā)” – Best Mom or Worst Mom?
1. If you have “极品(jípǐn)” coffee then it means that___.
A. the coffee is of the best quality.
B. people often drink this kind of coffee in an unconventional way.
C. this kind of coffee is nearly out of use.
2. If we call a …
Talking about the Weather in Chinese
C is the correct answer.
Analysis:
“是(shì)” is an equative-verb which equates two nouns (or nominal expressions) as in: “我是美国人(Wǒ shì měiguó rén), I am American.” “下雨(xiàyǔ), to rain” is not a noun. In this case, “今天是下雨(Jīntiān shì xiàyǔ)” is not a correct sentence. “雨(yǔ), …
Chinese Test: It’s rainy today！
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Tom: Jenny, jīntiān tiānqì zěnmeyàng? Tom: Jenny, 今天 天气 怎么样？ Tom: Jenny, how’s the weather today? Jenny: Jīntiān____. Jenny：今天_____。 Jenny: It’s rainy today. A. 是下雨(shì xiàyǔ)
B. 是雨(shì yǔ)
C. 下雨(xiàyǔ)