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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 9

他们都是学生They're all students

Tāmen dōu shì xuéshēng

Say "all" with 都, and talk about university, middle school and primary school students.

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Dialogue

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他们都是学生— They're all students

  1. 大山马mǎ小xiǎo明míng, 你nǐ的de同tóng学xué都dōu是shì大dà学xué生shēng吗ma?Ma Xiaoming, are all your classmates university students?
  2. 马小明是shì, 我wǒ们men都dōu是shì大dà学xué生shēng.Yes, we're all university students.
  3. 大山你nǐ妹mèi妹mei呢ne?What about your sister?
  4. 马小明我wǒ妹mèi妹mei是shì小xiǎo学xué生shēng. 她tā不bú是shì大dà学xué生shēng.My sister is a primary school student. Not a university student.
  5. 大山我wǒ哥gē哥ge也yě不bú是shì大dà学xué生shēng. 他tā是shì中zhōng学xué老lǎo师shī.My brother isn't a university student either. He's a middle school teacher.
  6. 马小明你nǐ哥gē哥ge是shì老lǎo师shī? 真zhēn好hǎo!Your brother is a teacher? That's great!

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男生 和 女生— Boys and girls

  1. 高老师同tóng学xué们men, 你nǐ们men有yǒu几jǐ个gè男nán生shēng?Class, how many boys among you?
  2. 马小明十shí个gè男nán生shēng.Ten boys.
  3. 高老师几jǐ个gè女nǚ生shēng?How many girls?
  4. 谢小文七qī个gè女nǚ生shēng.Seven girls.
  5. 高老师同tóng学xué们men都dōu是shì大dà学xué生shēng吗ma?Are all the students university students?
  6. 大山都dōu是shì大dà学xué生shēng! 我wǒ是shì外wài国guó大dà学xué生shēng.All university students! I'm a foreign university student.

Vocabulary

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大dà学xué

noununiversity

大dà学xué生shēng

noununiversity student

中zhōng学xué

nounmiddle / high school

中zhōng学xué生shēng

nounmiddle / high school student

小xiǎo学xué

nounprimary school

小xiǎo学xué生shēng

nounprimary school student

老lǎo人rén

nounelderly person

男nán人rén

nounman

女nǚ人rén

nounwoman

男nán生shēng

nounmale student

女nǚ生shēng

nounfemale student

男nán孩hái儿ér

nounboy

New characters

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男nán

male

男人 nánrén — man男生 nánshēng — male student男孩儿 nánháir — boy

Hanzi — writing & recognition

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不

bùnotWriting

4 strokesstandalone

Universal negator for verbs and adjectives. (For 有, use 没.) First met in ch2; this chapter teaches it fully.

没

méinot (with 有)Writing

7 strokesleft-rightradical 氵

Compound: 氵 (water) + 殳. Modern: negates existence (没 / 没有). Cannot be replaced by 不 with 有.

都

dōuallWriting

10 strokesleft-right

生

shēngstudent; bornWriting

5 strokesstandalone

Pictograph: a plant growing from the ground. Modern: "born / grow / student." Anchors 学生 (ch3) and 大学生 / 中学生 / 小学生 (this chapter).

大

dàbigRecognition

3 strokesstandalone

学

xuéstudy; schoolRecognition

8 strokestop-bottom

小

xiǎosmallRecognition

3 strokesstandalone

老

lǎooldRecognition

6 strokesstandalone

男

nánmaleRecognition

7 strokestop-bottom

Grammar

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The adverb 都 + negation 不 / 没

Explanation

Two items: (1) 都 (dōu) = "all / both / each." Pattern: Subject (plural) + 都 + V. 我们都是学生 (we're all students); 他们都是中国人 (they're all Chinese). NOTE: 都 goes after subject, before verb. (2) Negation 不 / 没: 不 negates verbs and adjectives in general (我不是 / 我不去 / 不好). 没 negates 有 specifically (没有, taught ch6). KEY: 不 + 是 = 不是 (NEVER *没是).

Examples

  • 他tā们men都dōu是shì学xué生shēng.They're all students.
  • 我wǒ们men都dōu不bú是shì老lǎo师shī.We're none of us teachers.
  • 爸bà爸ba妈mā妈ma都dōu很hěn好hǎo.Dad and mom are both well.
  • 我wǒ没méi有yǒu姐jiě姐jie.I don't have an older sister.

Grammar

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Short answers: no need for a whole sentence

Explanation

When you answer, you can leave out what has already been said and give only the new part: 你们有几个男生? 十个男生 (How many boys do you have? Ten boys). A question can be short too: 几个女生? (How many girls?).

Examples

  • 你nǐ们men有yǒu几jǐ个gè男nán生shēng? 十shí个gè男nán生shēng.How many boys do you have? Ten boys.
  • 几jǐ个gè女nǚ生shēng?How many girls?
  • 都dōu是shì大dà学xué生shēng.All university students.

Pronunciation

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六个单韵母The Six Single Finals

六个单韵母 — The Six Single Finals

Mandarin has six single finals — these are the foundation of all the compound finals you'll learn later.

  • a — like the "a" in "father"
  • o — like the "o" in "more"
  • e — like the "e" in "her" (without the r)
  • i — like the "ee" in "see"
  • u — like the "oo" in "boot"
  • ü — no English equivalent — say "ee" then round your lips while keeping your tongue still

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