Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 3

你叫什么名字What's your name

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi

Introducing yourself, asking someone's name, simple "是" sentences.

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在学校— At school

  1. 马小明你nǐ好hǎo! 我wǒ叫jiào马mǎ小xiǎo明míng。你nǐ叫jiào什shén么me?Hello! My name is Ma Xiaoming. What's your name?
  2. 大山你nǐ好hǎo! 我wǒ叫jiào大dà山shān。Hello! My name is Dashan.
  3. 马小明你nǐ是shì学xué生shēng吗ma?Are you a student?
  4. 大山是shì! 我wǒ也yě是shì老lǎo师shī!Yes! I'm also a teacher!
  5. 马小明不bú是shì不bu是shì! 你nǐ是shì学xué生shēng!No no! You're a student!
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在学校— At school

  1. 大山你nǐ好hǎo! 您nín是shì老lǎo师shī吗ma?Hello! Are you (formal) a teacher?
  2. 谢小文我wǒ?? 不bù! 我wǒ不bú是shì老lǎo师shī, 我wǒ也yě是shì学xué生shēng!Me?? No! I'm not a teacher, I'm also a student!
  3. 大山对duì不bù起qǐ!Sorry!
  4. 谢小文没méi关guān系xì。It's OK.
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在学校— At school

  1. 高老师你nǐ好hǎo。我wǒ叫jiào高gāo老lǎo师shī。Hello. My name is Teacher Gao.
  2. 大山您nín好hǎo! 您nín也yě是shì学xué生shēng吗ma?Hello (formal)! Are you also a student?
  3. 高老师我wǒ? 我wǒ不bú是shì学xué生shēng! 我wǒ是shì老lǎo师shī!Me? I'm not a student! I'm the teacher!
  4. 大山对duì不bù起qǐ!Sorry!
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我wǒ

pronounI; me

叫jiào

verbto be called

什shén么me

pronounwhat

名míng字zì

nounname

是shì

verbto be

老lǎo师shī

nounteacher

学xué生shēng

nounstudent

吗ma

particle(yes-no question particle)

谁shuí

pronounwho

不bú是shì

phrasenot to be; no

也yě

adverbalso; too

马mǎ小xiǎo明míng

pn.Ma Xiaoming (a person)

谢xiè小xiǎo文wén

pn.Xie Xiaowen (a person)

大dà山shān

pn.Dashan ("Big Mountain"; common Chinese name adopted by foreigners)

高gāo老lǎo师shī

pn.Teacher Gao

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在zài

at; on (preposition)

现在 xiànzài — now正在 zhèngzài — right now (V-ing)
学xué

to study; (in 学生 = student)

学生 xuéshēng — student同学 tóngxué — classmate; fellow student大学 dàxué — university
校

school (in 学校)

学校 xuéxiào — school
叫jiào

to be called

马

horse; (in 马小明, a surname)

马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)马上 mǎshàng — right away马山 Mǎ Shān — Ma Shan (persona — energetic fitness instructor / 王月 neighbor)
小

small; little (common in given names)

马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)谢小文 Xiè Xiǎowén — Xie Xiaowen (a person)小学 xiǎoxué — primary school
明

bright; (in 马小明)

马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)明天 míngtiān — tomorrow明年 míngnián — next year
什

"what" component (亻+十, ch3)

什么 shénme — what为什么 wèi shénme — why (Level 1 revisit, formal lesson here)
么

(in 什么 = what)

什么 shénme — what多么 duōme — how (exclamation degree adverb)为什么 wèi shénme — why (Level 1 revisit, formal lesson here)
是shì

to be

不是 bú shì — not to be; no但是 dànshì — but; however还是 háishi — or (in question A or B); "let us just" (in 还是…吧 frame — chapter anchor)
生

to be born; raw; (in 学生 = student)

学生 xuéshēng — student大学生 dàxuéshēng — university student中学生 zhōngxuéshēng — middle / high school student
吗ma

(yes-no question particle)

真的吗 zhēn de ma — really? (frequent reaction)
也yě

also; too

也许 yěxǔ — perhaps; maybe怎么也 zěnme yě — no matter how; in no way
名

(in 名字 = name)

名字 míngzi — name
字zì

(in 名字 = name); written character

名字 míngzi — name汉字 Hànzì — Chinese character
谁shuí

who

文wén

language; literature; (in 谢小文)

谢小文 Xiè Xiǎowén — Xie Xiaowen (a person)中文 Zhōngwén — Chinese (written)文山 Wén Shān — Wen Shan (persona — male university student)
他tā

he (亻+也, ch4)

他们 tāmen — they; them (male/mixed)
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我

wǒI; meWriting

7 strokessingle-component

Originally depicted a weapon. Later borrowed to mean the first-person pronoun "I".

是

shìto beWriting

9 strokestop-bottom

Top: "日" (sun). Bottom: "正" (correct). Originally meant "correct", later became the copula "to be".

也

yěalso; tooWriting

3 strokessingle-component

The shape originally depicted an ancient vessel. Today it is the adverb "also". It appears as a component in many characters: 他, 她, 地, 池.

叫

jiàoto be calledRecognition

5 strokesleft-rightradical 口

生

shēngto be born; raw; (in 学生 = student)Recognition

5 strokessingle-component

学

xuéto study; (in 学生 = student)Recognition

8 strokestop-bottom

吗

ma(yes-no question particle)Recognition

6 strokesleft-rightradical 口

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The "是" Sentence

Explanation

"是" links a subject to a noun, expressing equality or membership. The negative is "不是".

Examples

  • 我是学生。I am a student.
  • 他不是老师。He is not a teacher.
  • 我叫马小明,我是学生。My name is Ma Xiaoming. I am a student.
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Yes-No Questions with "吗"

Explanation

Add "吗" to the end of a statement to make a yes-no question. The word order does not change.

Examples

  • 你nǐ是shì学xué生shēng吗ma?Are you a student?
  • 您是老师吗?Are you (formal) a teacher?
  • 他是大山吗?Is he Dashan?
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Specific Questions with "什么" and "谁"

Explanation

Replace the unknown noun with "什么" (for things) or "谁" (for people). The word order does not change.

Examples

  • 你叫什么?What's your name?
  • 谁是大山?Who is Dashan?
  • 谁是学生?Who is a student?

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