Republic of the Philippines

PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

FOREIGN LANGUAGE 1

Nĭ hăo Xuésheng! Nĭ zhŭnbèi hăole ma?

Hello students! Are you ready?

LESSON 2
BASIC GRAMMAR
Mandarin grammar is relatively straight forward. These are no verb conjunctions, no plurals, no articles (a/the), and no
gender or tenses. In other words, a Basic English sentence like ‘I (subject) love (verb) you (object)’ are constructed in
exactly the same way in Chinese.

Let us learn a few words first:

This zhè
That nà
To be shì
Tea chá
Rice/meal fàn
Cup bēizi
Egg jīdàn
Question particle mā
No bù/ bushi
What shénme

Note: ‘shì’ is ‘to be’. It is generally followed by a noun which defines the subject/topic.

HOW TO FORM A QUESTION?

A very simple way to form a question in Chinese is by putting a question particle ‘ma’ at the end of a sentence that
would otherwise be a plain statement.

Examples:

Is this tea? zhè shì chá ma?

Yes/ No shì/Bú shì
Is that rice? Nà shì fàn ma?
Yes/ No shì/Bú shì
Is this a cup? zhè shì bēizi ma?
Yes/ No shì/Bú shì
Is that an egg? Nà shì jīdàn ma?
Yes/ No shì/Bú shì

Note: the word ‘Bù’ is the negative word. It precedes the verb to indicate that something does not happen. Here its tone
changes from the fourth to the second because it is followed by a fourth one. You will learn the rule in the future.
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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

HOW DO YOU ASK WHAT SOMETHING IS?

Shénme is the interrogative word ‘what’. The most important feature about Chinese interrogative pronouns is that,
unlike English practice which shifts all interrogative pronouns to the beginning of the question, Chinese keeps them in
the position in the sentence where the answer would be expected.

What is this? zhè shì shénme?

This is tea. zhè shì chá

What is that? Nà shì shénme?

That is a cup. Nà shì bēizi

HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF

In Chinese, a self-introduction is called “ziwo jieshao”. In theory, introducing yourself in Chinese should be quite
simple as it is not too different from how you would introduce yourself in any other language; you start with hello, say
your name, and then tell people a little bit about yourself.

Basic Self-introduction in Chinese

Chinese introductions are straightforward on a basic level, so keep it simple: smile, extend a hand, and respond
appropriately to the person you’re meeting or the one you’re being introduced to.

Here is the 3-step Chinese introduction method that will get you through most situations. You can learn it right away.

1. Start with a Greeting – “Hello” in Chinese

First thing first: greetings. They are how almost any conversation in Chinese will start. This is true – whether you are
meeting a Chinese person for the first or the hundredth time – you’ll want to use an appropriate greeting to start off the
conversation on the right foot!

(Nǐ hǎo)
- A basic, middle-of-the-road greeting in Chinese is (Nǐ hǎo). (nǐ) means “you”, and (hǎo) means “good”, so this
expression literally translates to “you good”. Both syllables in this word should be pronounced using the third tones, with
the first one slightly faster than the latter. You can use this well-wish at any time of the day, and it is almost as universal
as the English “hi” or “hello.”
(Nín hǎo)
- A more formal version of “hello” in Chinese is (Nín hǎo). When respect is called for, replace the (nǐ) – “you” in (Nǐ
hǎo) with its honorific form (nín) to help you sound humble and polite. (This polite form is particularly common in Beijing)

Now, before discussing other essential phrases, it’ll be helpful to know the basic rule of thumb when to use (nín) over
(nǐ) in Chinese.
 When talking to family, friends, or colleagues, you’re expected to use the informal (nǐ). And in casual social
situations, it’s perfectly acceptable to use (nǐ) right away to address people near your age – even if they are
strangers.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
 When you’re introducing yourself to someone who’s older or has higher social status than you (e.g.,
teacher, manager, officer), use the honorific form of “you” instead and say (nín). You also need to use
the formal form of address with people you’re in a professional relationship with, such as your business
partners, clients, or customers.
 When you are in doubt, start with the honorific form – (nín) and don’t take the initiative to break the relationship
out of (nín). You can switch to (nǐ) when the other person tells you to address him/her otherwise.

And don’t worry, Chinese people are aware that the cultural nuance could be quite tricky for foreigners, so they always
accept the use of (nǐ) with no grudges!

(Dàjiā hǎo)
Both (nǐ) and (nín) are singular only – they can’t be used to address more than one person.

If you’re greeting a group of people – it doesn’t matter what your relationship is – say (Dàjiā hǎo). This is a
polite Chinese equivalent of “hello everyone” (literally, “everyone good”).

Time word + (hǎo)

You could also choose your greeting according to the time. Though less common, it is totally fine to replace the fitting
pronouns with a time word depending on the time of the day before the word (hǎo).

- For instance, you may say (Zǎoshang hǎo) – “morning good” for the morning, (Xiàwǔ hǎo) – “afternoon good” for the
afternoon and (Wǎnshang hǎo) – “evening good” for the evening. You could also say (Wǎn’ān) – “evening peace”, but
that’s generally used to say goodbye when it’s late at night or when you’re heading to bed.

(Wèi)
- Lastly, if you are talking to someone on the phone, answer or greet them with (Wèi) – “hello”. In other contexts,
however, (Wèi) is a rude way of getting people’s attention.

2. Introduce Your Name – “My name is …” in Chinese

- While you might not want to further your conversations with street vendors or restaurant waiters, meeting a local in a
-

cafe or a fellow guest in your hotel is a great place to make a Chinese friend.
- “What’s your name?” is the first question you can expect to hear when meeting someone for the first time. There are
several ways to ask it in Chinese.
- The most common question you will get is (Nǐ jiào shénme). This translates to “You are called what?” and is considered
rather informal.
- A slightly more formal version of this question is (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) – “You are called what name?”
- Alternatively, they will ask (Nǐ de míngzi jiào shénme) – “Your name is called what?”.
If you hear any of these questions, it means the person wants to know your name – (míngzi), although you cannot
really be sure if the person wants to know your full name or just your first name.

(Wǒ jiào …)
- The typical way to answer “What’s your name” in Chinese is to begin your sentence with (Wǒ jiào …) – “I am
called…” and then say your name. It is fine to answer with either your full name or your first name.
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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
- In return, it is always polite to ask for the other person’s name. You could repeat the question or simply ask (nǐ ne) – “and
you?” for informal situations or (nín ne) – “and you?” for formal situations after you have introduced your name. This is a
quick way to return the question that you have just been asked.

(Wǒ de míngzi jiào …)

- Once you are feeling confident, you may expand the sentence a bit. To do so, simply replace the (wǒ) – “I” in (Wǒ jiào …)
with the phrase (wǒ de míngzi) – “my name”. This adds a formal element to your name introduction.
And again, you have the option to include your full name or just your first name in the answer, depending on the
formality of the meeting.

(Wǒ shì …)
- You could also say (Wǒ shì) and then state your name in response to “What’s your name?” in Chinese. (shì) is the verb
“to be”, so it’s like saying “I am…” in English. Although this method may be a slightly less common way of introducing
yourself in Chinese, it is still perfectly acceptable and is easier to learn.
- (Wǒ de míngzi shì …)
- The last method may be the most straightforward way of introducing your name for those who speak English as a first
language: You can say (Wǒ de míngzi shì …) followed by your name. This is the exact equivalent to the English “My
name is…”. When answering “What’s your name?” or when you are the one initiating the conversation, you can introduce
yourself in Chinese by using any of the four expressions above. And whichever expression you use, do not be afraid to
sound silly. You will be understood by following our directions, and in nearly any Chinese-speaking area even the feeblest
attempts to speak Chinese will be appreciated!

Your Name in Chinese

Most Chinese people will have a hard time pronouncing a foreign name. If you haven’t picked a Chinese name yet,
follow our guide to give yourself a Chinese-sounding name, or you can transliterate your name into Chinese to help
them pronounce and remember your name better. For instance, instead of introducing yourself as “Elijah”, you could
ask them to call you (Yī lì yà).
Now, here is an interesting fact:
Chinese people generally do not refer to each other by their first name unless they’re close. To address those who they
do not know well or in a hierarchically higher position, the person’s family name or job title is often used. For instance,
 (Lǐ xiānsheng) – Mr Li
 (Zhāng jīnglǐ) – Manager Zhang
 (Wáng lǎoshī) – Teacher Wang
Admittedly, you’ll be less likely to get asked about your family name being a foreigner, if it does come up, however,
someone may ask (Nín guì xìng) – “(What’s) your noble family name?”, or in informal contexts: (Nǐ xìng shénme) –
“You’re surnamed what?”. This means the speaker wants to learn your last name – (xìng), specifically.To respond to
these questions, begin your answer with (Wǒ xìng …) – “My surname is…” (literally, “I am surnamed”), then state your
last name.

3. Express Pleasure to Meet Them – “Nice to meet you” in Chinese

- Once you’ve exchanged your names info and shaken hands, it’s a good idea to follow it up with “nice to meet you”. The
most universal way to express pleasure upon meeting someone in Chinese is to say (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ).

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
- In this expression, (hěn) means “very”, (gāoxìng) means “glad”, and (rènshi) means “to know or to be acquainted with
someone”. So, the sentence translates to “Very glad (to) know you” or something similar to “Very glad (to) make your
acquaintance”.

Watch out for the pronoun use here.

 To say “nice to meet you” to a senior person or someone important, switch to the honorific pronoun (nín) and
say (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín). And when you are addressing a group of people – (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi
dàjiā).
 If someone says “glad to meet you” ahead of you, you can simply respond (wǒ yě shì) – “I am (glad)
too” (literally, “I also am”) to indicate that you’re pleased to meet them too.Of course, there are a handful of
ways to end an introduction politely in Chinese, which I will teach you in a later section. But for most situations,
you can just stick to (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ/nín/dàjiā).

Chinese Self-introductions in a Nutshell

 The most common and simple way to introduce yourself in Chinese is to say “ (Wǒ jiào)” followed by your
name.
 Alternatives include (Wǒ de míngzi jiào)”,(Wǒ shì)” or (Wǒ de míngzi shì)” followed by your name.
 (Nǐ hǎo)” can be used for either “hi” or “hello.” When respect is called for, use “ (Nín hǎo)”. When introducing
yourself to a group of people, greet them with (Dàjiā hǎo).
 Conclude your self-introduction in Chinese with (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ/nín/dàjiā)”.

Basic Chinese Introduction Examples

 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Wēi lián, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.

Hi, my name is William. Nice to meet you.
 Nín hǎo, wǒ de míngzi jiào Ài lì sī, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín.
Hello, my name is Alice. Nice to meet you (honorific).
 Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Zhān mǔ sī · Bù léi dí , hěn gāoxìng rènshi dàjiā.
Hello everybody, I am James Brady. Nice to meet you all.

Chinese Etiquette to Introduce Yourself

It is great to know the phrases to say when introducing yourself in Chinese, but how you say those phrases will make or break
your self-introduction.

So, choose the version of the Chinese introduction wisely! Use the correct phrases to eliminate the awkwardness that
sometimes happens when people meet for the first time. If you are unsure, lean toward formality. You can always ease into a
more laid-back approach after the ice is broken.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

 Be Friendly
- Be friendly in any situation. You can show through your gestures that you are glad to meet them.
- Unlike Japanese and Koreans, Chinese people never bow when meeting someone. Eye contact, a firm handshake, a
smile, and a few standard phrases will be enough. (And please, no hugs or kisses!)
- One thing you do have to take note of is the order of the handshake – there are some strict conventional rules. Do not
move in for the handshake if you are meeting ladies and people in a higher position of authority or age. Instead,
wait for them to reach out first. But if you are meeting your peers, you don’t have to worry about who reaches out first
(generally, whoever reaches out first is considered more polite).
- And if you are not sure when to extend your hand, you can just hold it and let your conversation partner take the initiative.
Sometimes a simple nod of the head will show that you acknowledge the other person and that you are happy to make
their acquaintance.
 Address Properly
- In China, people either introduce themselves by their family names or full names. Chinese family names are
typically one character/syllable in length and easily recognizable. You can also take cues from the expression (Wǒ xìng
…) – “My surname is …” which is specifically used to introduce one’s family name.
- If someone only tells you their family name, it means they are not ready to be your friends yet and would prefer you to
address them by their family name + title (e.g. Mr. Wang, Professor Li, Engineer Zhou, etc). So do not ask for their first
name – it’s considered rude in Chinese culture.
- When Chinese people volunteer their full name, the family name comes first, and the first name comes second.

If you have a Chinese name, it is customary to introduce your full name because your Chinese family name is – let’s get
real – not your real family name.
For example, if your Chinese name is (Ān lóng), you should introduce yourself as (Ān lóng), not Mr (Ān) or just (Lóng). If your
name is transliterated from English, however, you do not need to change the order of names.
People with experience of living in the West would sometimes reverse the Chinese name order when interacting in English to
conform to the common Western practice. If you are not sure whether a switch has been made when you meet Chinese people
and they introduce themselves by full names, it is perfectly acceptable to ask which of their names is their family name or their
given name.

Beyond the Basics – Talking about Yourself in Chinese

You nailed the initial three pieces of the Chinese self-introduction. Great job!

Now you’ve said (Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào …) – “Hello, my name is …”, and you’ve smiled, nodded, shaken hands, and expressed delight
about meeting your new Chinese friends or associates, you’re ready to take the conversation to the next level!
From here we get into the fun stuff. You can start adding information about yourself, using short sentences that explain where
you are from, what you do, what you like, and so on.

Sharing basic information about you will help people get to know you better when you first introduce yourself. This is especially
valuable as you start to make more Chinese-speaking friends and acquaintances.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

1. Introducing Where You Are from

Being a foreigner in China always sparks the imagination of the Chinese. It is a good idea to let people know where you’re from
as the next step of your Chinese self-introduction. Even if you do not use it during the initial self-intro, your new Chinese friend
will probably ask you anyway, so memorizing a few of these phrases is extremely useful.

There are a few ways to ask, “where are you from?” in Chinese.
If you hear;
 (Nǐ shì nǎ gè guójiā de) – literally, “You are of which country?”
 (Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén) – “You are which country person?”, this means the person wants to know your country of origin.(Wǒ shì
… rén)
 The usual answer to questions about your country of origin is 我是…人 (Wǒ shì … rén) – I come from … (literally, “I
am … person”).
Simply start the sentence with (Wǒ shì), say the name of your country, and add the word (rén) – “person” afterward.

For example,

Wǒ shì Měiguó rén.

I am from America.
Literally, “I am America person.”

Wǒ shì Jiānádà rén.I am from Canada.

Literally, “I am Canada person.”
.
Note: You may also get asked (Nǐ shì nǎli rén) – literally, “You are where person?” or (Nǐ lái zì nǎli) – “You come from
where?” These questions are like the English “where are you from?”.
You may still respond with your country of origin, but you’re welcome to name your city, state, or prefecture as well if it’s a major
or well-known one like Paris or California. To do so, simply substitute the name of the specific place for the country.

For example,

Wǒ shì Bālí rén.

I am from Paris.
Literally, “I am Paris person.”

Wǒ shì Jiālìfúníyà rén.

I am from California.
Literally, “I am California person.”

(Wǒ lái zì …)
- You can also phrase your answer as (Wǒ lái zì) – “I come from” and the name of the place. It sounds slightly more formal
than the (Wǒ shì … rén) structure, but English speakers might find it easier to remember.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Examples:

Wǒ lái zì Fǎguó.
I come from France.

Wǒ lái zì Bālí.
I come from Paris.

Wǒ lái zì Měiguó.
I come from America.

Wǒ lái zì Jiālìfúníyà.
I come from California.

Take note: Don’t forget to ask the same questions in return or simply ask 你呢？(nǐ ne) or 您呢 (nín ne) – “and you?” to keep the
conversation going.
2. Introducing Where You Live
- Now that your new Chinese friends know where you’re from originally, they may want to know some additional
information about your current status.

For example, where you live now.

- If they are interested in your current place of residence, they might ask you (Nǐ zhù zài nǎli) or (Nǐ zhù zài nǎr) –
literally “You live in where?”.
- Both (nǎli) and (nǎr) mean “where”, with (nǎr) used more often in northern China. You can navigate your way around
China town or any place in China easily with this question word.

(Wǒ zhù zài …)

The best way to answer the question is to say (Wǒ zhù zài) – “I live in” and the name of the city or region where you live.

For example,

Wǒ zhù zài Lúndūn.

I live in London.

Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.

I live in Beijing.
- If you want to tell people you were born or grew up in one place, but live in another, you can use the conjunction (dàn) –
“but” to connect the two sentences, like

Wǒ shì Yīngguó rén , dàn wǒ zhù zài Àodàlìyà.

I am British, but I live in Australia.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025

Wǒ lái zì Niǔyuē , dàn wǒ zhù zài Dékèsàsī.

I am from New York, but I live in Texas.

3. Introducing Your Age

- As in many parts of the world, asking someone about their age is generally considered impolite in China, especially if you
are a man asking a woman her age. Nevertheless, you can volunteer your age when introducing yourself in Chinese, and
your conversation partner will probably do the same.
(Wǒ … suì)
- Here’s how you would say how old you are in Chinese: start with the pronoun (wǒ) – “I”, followed by the number of your
age, and end with (suì), which means “years of age”.

For example:

Wǒ èr shí wǔ suì.
I am twenty-five years old.
Literally, “I twenty-five years of age.”

Note: To tell people your age, simply substitute the number that corresponds to your age in the orange font.
You will notice that in English, you use the verb “to be” (am) when describing how old you are (and in some languages, you use
the verb “to have”).

- In Chinese, however, you must drop the verb entirely and connect the subject directly with the age. So, it is like
saying “I ___ years old.”
- Okay, to fully introduce yourself in Chinese and state your age, you will need to know Chinese numbers.
- At some point, you might still need to ask “how old are you?” in Chinese. And the way you compose this question should
be dependent on the age of the person you’re talking to.
- To ask about a kid’s age in Chinese, simply say (Nǐ jǐ suì?)
- But for inquiring about an adult’s age in Chinese, you should say
- (Nǐ duōshǎo suì) or (Nín duōshǎo suì) – if you want to show an extra level of respect.
- Both (duōshǎo) are Chinese question words for numbers. So all these questions translate to “You, what number years of
age?”, literally. The difference is that (jǐ) is reserved for small numbers, while (duōshǎo) is used to inquire about big
numbers.

Hello: Ni hao
My name is : Wo jiao (your name?)
I’m from Philippines: Wo laizi Fei lu bin
China : Wo laizi zhongguo
America: : Wo laizi yingguo

Activity # 1. Oral recitation

Directions: In pair perform the Q and A English to Chinese Mandarin. You may proceed to your chosen partner. The
students will be given 10 minutes to practice (30 points).

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Is this tea? zhè shì chá ma?

Yes/ No shì/Bú shì

Is that rice? Nà shì fàn ma?

Yes/ No shì/Bú shì

Is this a cup? zhè shì bēizi ma?

Yes/ No shì/Bú shì

Is that an egg? Nà shì jīdàn ma?

Yes/ No shì/Bú shì

What is this? zhè shì shénme?

This is tea. zhè shì chá

What is that? Nà shì shénme?

That is a cup. Nà shì bēizi

CRITERIA
Pronunciation and Tones 10
Fluency 10
Teamwork 10
TOTAL 30

VOCABULARY
May I ask…? Qĭngwèn…
You (singular) nĭ
What shénme

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 Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City

PSU-PCAT

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

First Semester, A.Y. 2024-2025
Name míngzi
I, me wŏ
Call, to be called, to be named jiào
Surname xìng
A male’s name Zhāng Wěi

Dialogue 1
Ask for the whole name.
A. May I ask your name? a. Qĭngwèn nĭ jiào míngzi
B. I’m called Zhang Wei. b. Wŏ jiào Zhāng Wěi

Dialogue 2
Ask for the family name and the given name.
A. May I ask your surname? a. Qĭngwèn nĭ shénme?
B. My family name is Wang b. Wŏ xìng Wang
I’m called Wang Jiande Jiào Wang Jiande
And you? Nĭ ne?
What is your name? Nĭ Jiào shénme míngzi
A. My family name is Zhang. I’m called Zhang Wei. a. Wŏ xìng Zhāng, Jiào Zhāng Wěi

Note: In Chinese name, the surname or family name always comes first, followed by the given name.

Prepared by:

MARIA THERESA ERIKA A. DUMANCAS

Instructor

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to him.
James 1:5

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