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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

The adverb 都 (all) + negation 不 / 没. School types (大学 / 中学 / 小学), gendered nouns (男人 / 女人 / 男生 / 女生 / 男孩儿). Cultural section §2 (after ch10): how Chinese ask age.

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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生shēng.My brother isn't either. He's a middle school student.
  6. 马小明我wǒ们men家jiā人rén都dōu是shì学xué生shēng!Our families are full of different students!

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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! 大dà山shān是shì外wài国guó大dà学xué生shēng.All university students! Dashan is the foreign university student.

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老人和孩子— Elders and children

  1. 马小明大dà山shān, 你nǐ爷yé爷ye奶nǎi奶nai多duō大dà?Dashan, how old are your grandparents?
  2. 大山我wǒ爷yé爷ye七qī十shí五wǔ岁suì, 奶nǎi奶nai七qī十shí一yī岁suì. 都dōu是shì老lǎo人rén.Grandpa is 75, grandma is 71. Both elderly.
  3. 马小明我wǒ爷yé爷ye也yě是shì老lǎo人rén. 他tā八bā十shí岁suì.My grandpa is too. He's 80.
  4. 大山你nǐ爷yé爷ye真zhēn好hǎo! 我wǒ爷yé爷ye不bú是shì中zhōng国guó人rén, 你nǐ爷yé爷ye是shì中zhōng国guó人rén.Your grandpa is great! Mine isn't Chinese; yours is.
  5. 马小明都dōu是shì好hǎo爷yé爷ye!Both great grandpas!

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

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.) Bk1 ch2 introduced; this chapter formalizes.

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

  • 他们都是学生.They're all students.
  • 我们都不是老师.We're none of us teachers.
  • 爸爸妈妈都很好.Dad and mom are both well.
  • 我没有姐姐.I don't have an older sister.

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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