Chinese Mandarin Course for Beginners — Learn Pinyin, Chinese Characters, Tones, Vocabulary & Basic Grammar

Lesson 22 — Asking a Question with 吗

To turn many simple statements into questions that can be answered with yes or no, you can add 吗 — ma at the end of the sentence.

Affirmative Sentence + 吗？

Example

你是学生。

Pinyin: Nǐ shì xuéshēng.

Translation: You are a student.

Becomes:

你是学生吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?

Translation: Are you a student?

10 Simple Questions

你好吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo ma?

Translation: How are you?

你是学生吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?

Translation: Are you a student?

你是老师吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?

Translation: Are you a teacher?

他是医生吗？

Pinyin: Tā shì yīshēng ma?

Translation: Is he a doctor?

她是老师吗？

Pinyin: Tā shì lǎoshī ma?

Translation: Is she a teacher?

你学习中文吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén ma?

Translation: Do you study Chinese?

你喜欢中文吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ xǐhuan Zhōngwén ma?

Translation: Do you like Chinese?

你喝茶吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ hē chá ma?

Translation: Do you drink tea?

你喝水吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ hē shuǐ ma?

Translation: Do you drink water?

你工作吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ gōngzuò ma?

Translation: Do you work?

Lesson 23 — Negation with 不

The word 不 — bù is used, among other things, to express negation in many simple sentences.

Subject + 不 + Verb / Information

10 Examples

我不是老师。

Pinyin: Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.

Translation: I am not a teacher.

他不是学生。

Pinyin: Tā bú shì xuéshēng.

Translation: He is not a student.

她不是医生。

Pinyin: Tā bú shì yīshēng.

Translation: She is not a doctor.

我不喝茶。

Pinyin: Wǒ bù hē chá.

Translation: I do not drink tea.

我不喝咖啡。

Pinyin: Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.

Translation: I do not drink coffee.

他不学习。

Pinyin: Tā bù xuéxí.

Translation: He does not study.

她不工作。

Pinyin: Tā bù gōngzuò.

Translation: She does not work.

我不喜欢茶。

Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuan chá.

Translation: I do not like tea.

我们不喝酒。

Pinyin: Wǒmen bù hē jiǔ.

Translation: We do not drink alcohol.

他们不学习中文。

Pinyin: Tāmen bù xuéxí Zhōngwén.

Translation: They do not study Chinese.

Lesson 24 — Basic Numbers

Numbers are essential for talking about age, prices, time, dates, and many everyday situations.

Building Numbers

十一

Pinyin: shí yī

Translation: eleven

十二

Pinyin: shí èr

Translation: twelve

二十

Pinyin: èr shí

Translation: twenty

二十一

Pinyin: èr shí yī

Translation: twenty-one

三十

Pinyin: sān shí

Translation: thirty

四十五

Pinyin: sì shí wǔ

Translation: forty-five

五十

Pinyin: wǔ shí

Translation: fifty

六十八

Pinyin: liù shí bā

Translation: sixty-eight

九十九

Pinyin: jiǔ shí jiǔ

Translation: ninety-nine

一百

Pinyin: yì bǎi

Translation: one hundred

Lesson 25 — Nationalities

We can now begin to say which country we come from or ask where another person comes from.

Vocabulary

10 Examples

我是中国人。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.

Translation: I am Chinese.

我是法国人。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì Fàguó rén.

Translation: I am French.

我是美国人。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì Měiguó rén.

Translation: I am American.

我是刚果人。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì Gāngguǒ rén.

Translation: I am Congolese.

你是中国人吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén ma?

Translation: Are you Chinese?

你是法国人吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì Fàguó rén ma?

Translation: Are you French?

他是美国人。

Pinyin: Tā shì Měiguó rén.

Translation: He is American.

她是中国人。

Pinyin: Tā shì Zhōngguó rén.

Translation: She is Chinese.

我们是刚果人。

Pinyin: Wǒmen shì Gāngguǒ rén.

Translation: We are Congolese.

他们是法国人。

Pinyin: Tāmen shì Fàguó rén.

Translation: They are French.

Lesson 26 — Unit 2 Review

This unit has enabled you to build your first real sentences in Chinese.

Key Points to Remember

• 是 — shì — is used, among other things, to identify someone or something.
• 吗 — ma — is used to form many yes/no questions.
• 不 — bù — is used, among other things, to express negation.
• Basic numbers allow you to count and begin talking about many pieces of everyday information.
• 人 — rén — means person and appears in many nationality words.

10 Final Review Sentences

我是学生。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì xuéshēng.

Translation: I am a student.

你是老师吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?

Translation: Are you a teacher?

我不是老师。

Pinyin: Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.

Translation: I am not a teacher.

我学习中文。

Pinyin: Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén.

Translation: I study Chinese.

我不喝咖啡。

Pinyin: Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.

Translation: I do not drink coffee.

你喜欢中文吗？

Pinyin: Nǐ xǐhuan Zhōngwén ma?

Translation: Do you like Chinese?

我是刚果人。

Pinyin: Wǒ shì Gāngguǒ rén.

Translation: I am Congolese.

她是中国人。

Pinyin: Tā shì Zhōngguó rén.

Translation: She is Chinese.

我们是朋友。

Pinyin: Wǒmen shì péngyou.

Translation: We are friends.

很高兴认识你！

Pinyin: Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ!

Translation: Nice to meet you!

🎉 Congratulations!

You have now completed the first foundations of Mandarin Chinese.

You can already recognize essential characters, use Pinyin, understand the role of tones, greet people, introduce yourself, use several pronouns, build sentences with 是, ask questions with 吗, use negation with 不, count, and begin talking about your nationality.

This is not the end!
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