- Choose a mode:
- Pinyin
- Simplified
- Traditional
- English
You answer “yes” or “no” to questions by restating the verb used in the question.
E.g. 你是中国人吗? 是，我是中国人.
In many cases when it is obvious, the pronoun is dropped. So in the above example, we answer 是 rather than 我是.
To reply “no” to such a question we negate the verb in question.
So in the example above:
Are you Chinese? Am not. I’m not Chinese.
你是中国人吗? 不是, 我不是中国人.
不 can change tone depending on the tone of the word that follows directly after it. If the word carries a falling tone, then 不 is pronounced with a rising tone 不.
The 一 in 一点 literally means “one” (you will learn numbers in lesson 6). There is no translation for “a” in Chinese so they use “one” instead.
The possessive particle 的 is sometimes omitted, when multiple objects require it, so you may hear 你中文说得很好 or 你的中文说得很好.
Note that in written form the 得 in 我中文说得不好 is different from the standard possessive particle 的 we see in 你的. Here it’s used as an adverbial particle to describe his speaking, rather than as a possessive particle.
Review Questions: Translate the following.
1. Are you American? Show Answer2. No, I am British. Show Answer
3. I can speak a little Chinese. Show Answer
4. You speak English very well. Show Answer
5. I’m sorry, I can’t speak Chinese very well. Show Answer
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