Note:
The spoken Chinese Mandarin language has 4
spoken tones. We have attempted to re-create
those below where after each syllable we tell
you (1), (2), (3), or (4) as they correspond
to each of the 4 tones. We encourage you to
complement your Xianzai.com Emergency Chinese
newsletter with a good offline study program.
NEW
WORDS
(1)
Surname name: xing(4)
(2) Given name: ming(2)
(3)
Age: nian(2) ling(2)
(4) Birthplace: chu(1) sheng(1) di(4)
(5) Student: xue(2) sheng(1)
(6) Please: qing(3)
LESSON
- What
is your name please?
ni(3) jiao(4) shen(2) me ming(2) zi(4)?
-
Can you tell me your surname and given name
please?
ni(3) neng(2) gao(4) su(4) wo(3) ni(3) de
xing(4) ming(2) ma?
- Which
year were you born?
ni(3) na(3) yi(1) nian(2) chu(1) sheng(1)?
- Where
were you born?
ni(3) zai(4) na(3) er chu(1) sheng(1)?
-
Were you born in Beijing?
ni(2) zai(4) bei(3) jing(1) chu(1) sheng(1)
ma?
- Are
you a university student?
ni(2) shi(4) da(4) xue(2) sheng(1) ma?
*
Tip: Some people travel in China with
the mistaken idea that all Chinese are intensely
private about their personal details. Like
most people, most Chinese people are more
than happy to talk about where and when they
were born, especially if you make an effort
to communicate with them in basic Chinese.
Learn
a little Chinese and you will be amazed how
much richer your travel experiences will be!
