Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 12

那是什么What is that

Nà shì shénme

Pointing — 这些 / 那些 / 哪儿 / 哪里 / 哪个. Common objects (书 / 本子 / 桌子 / 杯子 / 手机). Negation 没 / 没有.

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那是什么— What is that?

  1. 大山xiǎomíng, shìshénme?Ma Xiaoming, what is that?
  2. 马小明shìdeshǒu.That's my phone.
  3. 大山zhègene?And this?
  4. 马小明zhèshìbēizi. bēiziyǒushuǐ.That's a cup. There's water in the cup.
  5. 大山shìdebēizi?Which one is your cup?
  6. 马小明geshìde. zhègeshìde.That one's mine. This one's yours.
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哪儿有书— Where are the books?

  1. 谢小文gāolǎoshī, éryǒushū?Teacher Gao, where are the books?
  2. 高老师éryǒushū. zhuōzishàngyǒu.Books are over there. On the desk.
  3. 谢小文běnzizàiérma?Are the notebooks there too?
  4. 高老师méiyǒu, méiběnzi. xiǎngyàoběnzima?No notebooks. Do you want one?
  5. 谢小文xiǎngyàoběnzi.I'd like a notebook.
  6. 高老师zhègeběnzishìde.This notebook is yours.
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我没有— I don't have

  1. 马小明shān, yǒushǒuma?Dashan, do you have a phone?
  2. 大山yǒu. ne?I do. You?
  3. 马小明méiyǒu. deshǒuzàizhèér.I don't. My phone isn't here.
  4. 大山zài?Where is it?
  5. 马小明zàijiā. jiāyǒugeshǒu.At home. The phone's at home.
  6. 大山méiyǒushǒuzěnme? zhègede, yòng!How do you manage? — Here, take mine!
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zhèxiē

pronounthese

xiē

pronounthose

ér

pronounwhere

pronounwhere (more formal)

pronounwhich one

shū

nounbook

běnzi

nounnotebook

zhuōzi

nountable; desk

bēizi

nouncup; glass

shǒu

nounmobile phone

méi

adverb(negative for 有)

méiyǒu

verbnot have

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shǒu

hand

手机 shǒujī — mobile phone举手 jǔshǒu — raise the hand (recall Bk2)

machine

手机 shǒujī — mobile phone飞机 fēijī — airplane机场 jīchǎng — airport
bēi

cup

杯子 bēizi — cup; glass一杯 yì bēi — one cup

inside (in 哪里)

哪里 nǎlǐ — where (more formal)里边 lǐbiān — inside里面 lǐmiàn — inside (recall Bk1)
shū

book

图书馆 túshūguǎn — library看书 kàn shū — read books (recall Bk1)
zhuō

(in 桌子)

桌子 zhuōzi — table; desk
shàng

up; on

早上 zǎoshang — morning上午 shàngwǔ — morning (am)晚上 wǎnshang — evening; night

measure for books; root

本子 běnzi — notebook课本 kèběn — textbook

(in 怎么也 = no matter how; in no way)

怎么也 zěnme yě — no matter how; in no way
yòng

use

不用 bùyòng — no need; don\'t bother有用 yǒuyòng — useful

some; a few

这些 zhèxiē — these那些 nàxiē — those一些 yìxiē — some; a few
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xiēsome; a fewWriting

8 strokestop-bottom

Modern: "some / a few." Anchors 这些, 那些, 一些 — plural-marker for demonstratives.

shūbookWriting

4 strokesstandalone

běnmeasure for books; rootWriting

5 strokesstandalone

shǒuhandWriting

4 strokesstandalone

Pictograph: a hand with five fingers. Modern: hand. Anchors 手机 (mobile phone).

bēicupRecognition

8 strokesleft-right

machineRecognition

6 strokesleft-rightradical 木

shén(in 什么 = what)Recognition

4 strokesleft-rightradical 亻

me(in 什么)Recognition

3 strokesstandalone

inside (in 哪里)Recognition

7 strokesstandalone

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Demonstratives — 这 / 那 / 哪 with 些 / 个

Explanation

Demonstrative expansion: SINGULAR — 这个 (this one), 那个 (that one), 哪个 (which one). PLURAL — 这些 (these), 那些 (those). LOCATION — 哪儿 = 哪里 (both = "where"). PATTERNS: A 是 B (这是书 / 那是手机 / 哪个是你的?). For LOCATION: 这 / 那 / 哪 + 在 + place. NEGATION: 不是 / 没有.

Examples

  • 那是什么?What is that?
  • 这是我的书. 那是你的本子.This is my book. That is your notebook.
  • 哪个是你的手机?Which one is your phone?
  • 我没有杯子.I don't have a cup.

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