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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.

Dialogue

那是什么 — What is that?

大山马mǎ小xiǎo明míng, 那nà是shì什shén么me? Ma Xiaoming, what is that?
马小明那nà是shì我wǒ的de手shǒu机jī. That's my phone.
大山这zhè个ge呢ne? And this?
马小明这zhè是shì杯bēi子zi. 杯bēi子zi里lǐ有yǒu水shuǐ. That's a cup. There's water in the cup.
大山哪nǎ个gè是shì你nǐ的de杯bēi子zi? Which one is your cup?
马小明那nà个ge是shì我wǒ的de. 这zhè个ge是shì你nǐ的de. That one's mine. This one's yours.

Dialogue

哪儿有书 — Where are the books?

谢小文高gāo老lǎo师shī, 哪nǎ儿ér有yǒu书shū? Teacher Gao, where are the books?
高老师那nà儿ér有yǒu书shū. 桌zhuō子zi上shàng有yǒu. Books are over there. On the desk.
谢小文本běn子zi也yě在zài那nà儿ér吗ma? Are the notebooks there too?
高老师没méi有yǒu, 没méi本běn子zi. 你nǐ想xiǎng要yào本běn子zi吗ma? No notebooks. Do you want one?
谢小文我wǒ想xiǎng要yào一yí个gè本běn子zi. I'd like a notebook.
高老师这zhè个ge本běn子zi是shì你nǐ的de. This notebook is yours.

Dialogue

我没有 — I don't have

马小明大dà山shān, 你nǐ有yǒu手shǒu机jī吗ma? Dashan, do you have a phone?
大山我wǒ有yǒu. 你nǐ呢ne? I do. You?
马小明我wǒ没méi有yǒu. 我wǒ的de手shǒu机jī不bú在zài这zhè儿ér. I don't. My phone isn't here.
大山在zài哪nǎ里lǐ? Where is it?
马小明在zài家jiā. 我wǒ家jiā有yǒu那nà个ge手shǒu机jī. At home. The phone's at home.
大山没méi有yǒu手shǒu机jī你nǐ怎zěn么me? — 这zhè个ge我wǒ的de, 你nǐ用yòng! How do you manage? — Here, take mine!

Vocabulary

这zhè些xiē: pronoun these
那nà些xiē: pronoun those
哪nǎ儿ér: pronoun where
哪nǎ里lǐ: pronoun where (more formal)
哪nǎ个gè: pronoun which one
书shū: noun book
本běn子zi: noun notebook
桌zhuō子zi: noun table; desk
杯bēi子zi: noun cup; glass
手shǒu机jī: noun mobile phone
没méi: adverb (negative for 有)
没méi有yǒu: verb not have

New characters

手shǒu: hand
手机 shǒujī — mobile phone举手 jǔshǒu — raise the hand (recall Bk2)
机: machine
手机 shǒujī — mobile phone飞机 fēijī — airplane机场 jīchǎng — airport
杯bēi: cup
杯子 bēizi — cup; glass一杯 yì bēi — one cup
里lǐ: inside (in 哪里)
哪里 nǎlǐ — where (more formal)里边 lǐbiān — inside里面 lǐmiàn — inside (recall Bk1)
书shū: book
图书馆 túshūguǎn — library看书 kàn shū — read books (recall Bk1)
桌zhuō: (in 桌子)
桌子 zhuōzi — table; desk
上shàng: up; on
早上 zǎoshang — morning上午 shàngwǔ — morning (am)晚上 wǎnshang — evening; night
本: measure for books; root
本子 běnzi — notebook课本 kèběn — textbook
怎: (in 怎么也 = no matter how; in no way)
怎么也 zěnme yě — no matter how; in no way
用yòng: use
不用 bùyòng — no need; don\'t bother有用 yǒuyòng — useful
些: some; a few
这些 zhèxiē — these那些 nàxiē — those一些 yìxiē — some; a few

Hanzi — writing & recognition

些

xiē some; a few Writing

8 strokes top-bottom

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

书

shū book Writing

4 strokes standalone

本

běn measure for books; root Writing

5 strokes standalone

手

shǒu hand Writing

4 strokes standalone

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

杯

bēi cup Recognition

8 strokes left-right

机

jī machine Recognition

6 strokes left-right radical 木

什

shén (in 什么 = what) Recognition

4 strokes left-right radical 亻

么

me (in 什么) Recognition

3 strokes standalone

里

lǐ inside (in 哪里) Recognition

7 strokes standalone

Grammar

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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