Speaking Languages: Mandarin
Why learn a language
Section titled “Why learn a language”- Number of people speaking the language
- Cultural interest
- Meeting, work, living with people speaking the language
Pronunciation
Section titled “Pronunciation”- Pinyin - Mandarin phonetic system
- Includes initials (consonants) and finals (vowel) with tones that indicate the pitch of syllables
Tones in Mandarin - 4 tones
Section titled “Tones in Mandarin - 4 tones”| Pinyin | Chinese Character | Meaning | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| mā | 媽 (trad) / 妈 (simp) | mother | High steady |
| má | 麻 | hemp | Rising |
| mǎ | 馬 / 马 | horse | Falling then rising |
| mà | 罵 / 骂 | scold | Falling |
Basic Mandarin Greetings
Section titled “Basic Mandarin Greetings”| English | Mandarin | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | nǐ hǎo |
| Goodbye | 再见 | zài jiàn |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | xiè xiè |
| I’m sorry | 对不起 | duì bu qǐ |
| Good morning (early morning) | 早上好 | zǎo shàng hǎo |
| Good afternoon | 下午好 | xià wǔ hǎo |
Chinese Basic Name Structure
Section titled “Chinese Basic Name Structure”- Western order: Given Name + Family Name
- Chinese order: Family Name + Generational name + Given Name
- Some generational names were established 600+ years ago