This page contains the three lessons of Unit 1.
Lesson 1.1. Your First Chinese Lesson
In your first Chinese lesson, you’ll learn some basic greetings. Pay very close attention to pronunciation, especially the four tones of Chinese. This is the part of the Chinese language that beginners find most difficult, as we don’t have the concept in European languages. Don’t worry if it seems a bit difficult at first, this is normal when you are beginning to learn any new language. Once you get familiar with the sounds you’ll find that Chinese is really quite easy.
Lesson summary and vocabulary list
Basic greetings • saying hello • how are you? • some family members • ‘also’ • good-bye 好hăo good 你nǐ you 妳nǐ (female) you 你nǐ 我wǒ I, me 他tā he, him 她tā she, her 吗ma particle for yes/no questions, put at the end of a question 很hěn very 爸bà 爸ba dad/ father 妈mā 妈ma mum/ mother 也yě also
Lesson 1.2
Being busy is very important to Chinese people and it is often used as an icebreaker to get conversations going in much the same way as British people talk about the weather.
Lesson summary and vocabulary list
Talking about being busy
- siblings
- ‘both’ and ‘all’
- pronouns: singular and plural
- what about…..
忙máng busy 不bù not 太tài too 不bú 太tài 你nǐ 哥gē 哥ge /他tā 哥gē 哥ge your older brother/ his older brother 姐jiě 姐jie older sister 们men 他tā们men /我wǒ们men /你nǐ 们men they we you 都dōu both, all 爸bà 妈mā Mum and Dad 弟dì 弟di younger brother 妹mèi 妹mei younger sister 呢ne ─particle, meaning ‘how about’, put at the end of a question 很hěn 忙máng 都dōu 很hěn 忙máng 也yě 都dōu 很hěn 忙máng 再zài again 见jiàn see
Lesson 1.3
In this lesson, you’ll be learning some more greetings and be introduced to the Chinese concept of time, which differs from how people in the west think of time.
Lesson summary and vocabulary list
More greetings
- thank you
- good morning/ good afternoon/ good evening
谢xiè 谢xie thanks 家jiā 人rén family (members) 早zăo early 午wŭ noon 晚wăn late 上shàng above 中zhōng middle
Audio Review
The help you consolidate what you have learned in the first unit, we have put together a quick audio review recording. The audio review will help you with your listening comprehension and remind you of some Chinese sentence patterns and vocabulary.