🗣️ Key Phrases for Conversation
請問你是⋯小姐/先生嗎？
Qǐngwèn nǐ shì ... xiǎojiě/xiānshēng ma?
Excuse me, are you Miss/Mr. ...?
Use when identifying someone you're meeting for the first time.
是的。/ 是。
Shìde. / Shì.
Yes. / That's right.
Affirming a yes/no question.
謝謝你來接我們。
Xièxie nǐ lái jiē wǒmen.
Thank you for coming to pick us up.
Polite expression of gratitude when being picked up.
不客氣。
Búkèqì.
You're welcome. / Don't mention it.
Standard polite response to 謝謝.
我是⋯ / 我姓⋯，叫⋯
Wǒ shì ... / Wǒ xìng ..., jiào ...
I am ... / My surname is ..., my first name is ...
Two ways to introduce yourself. 我姓X，叫Y is more specific (surname + given name).
這是⋯先生/小姐。
Zhè shì ... xiānshēng / xiǎojiě.
This is Mr./Miss ...
Introducing someone else to a third person.
你好。/ 你們好。
Nǐ hǎo. / Nǐmen hǎo.
Hello. / Hello everyone.
Basic greeting. Add 們 when greeting a group.
歡迎你們來臺灣！
Huānyíng nǐmen lái Táiwān!
Welcome to Taiwan!
Swap 臺灣 for any place: 歡迎來我家 = Welcome to my home.
📘 Lesson 2 Phrases
請喝茶。/ 請喝咖啡。
Qǐng hē chá. / Qǐng hē kāfēi.
Please have some tea. / Please have some coffee.
Use 請 + verb to politely invite someone to do something as a host.
你要不要喝⋯？
Nǐ yào bù yào hē ...?
Would you like to drink …?
A-not-A question with 要 to offer something. Swap in 茶, 咖啡, etc.
這是什麼茶？
Zhè shì shénme chá?
What kind of tea is this?
什麼 (what) goes before the noun it asks about: 什麼茶 = what tea, 什麼人 = what kind of person.
對不起，你是哪國人？
Duìbuqǐ, nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
I'm sorry — which country are you from?
對不起 is used to apologize before correcting yourself or asking a sensitive question.
他不是日本人，他是美國人。
Tā bù shì Rìběn rén, tā shì Měiguó rén.
He is not Japanese. He is American.
Pattern: 不是 [X]，是 [Y]. Use this to correct a wrong assumption.
我喜歡喝茶，你呢？
Wǒ xǐhuān hē chá, nǐ ne?
I like to drink tea. What about you?
呢 after a noun/pronoun means "what about…?" — great for keeping conversations going.
⚽ Lesson 4 Phrases — Weekend Activities
你喜歡做什麼？
Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme?
What do you like to do?
Great conversation opener. Replace 做什麼 with a specific verb: 你喜歡打球嗎？
我常⋯，也常⋯。
Wǒ cháng ..., yě cháng ...
I often ..., and I also often ...
Use 常 for habitual activities, 也 to add a second one. 我常打籃球，也常踢足球。
我們去⋯，怎麼樣？
Wǒmen qù ..., zěnmeyàng?
How about we go ...? / What do you think about going to ...?
Perfect for making plans. 我們週末去打球，怎麼樣？= How about we go play ball on the weekend?
我們⋯吧！
Wǒmen ... ba!
Let's ...!
吧 at the end softens the suggestion and invites agreement. 我們看臺灣電影吧！= Let's watch a Taiwanese movie!
今天晚上 / 明天早上 / 週末
Jīntiān wǎnshàng / Míngtiān zǎoshàng / Zhōumò
Tonight / Tomorrow morning / On the weekend
Time expressions go BEFORE the verb (or before/after the subject). Always order larger → smaller: 明天晚上, not ~~晚上明天~~.
⋯還是⋯？
... háishi ...?
... or ...? (choice question)
還是 offers a choice in a question. 美國電影還是臺灣電影？= American movie or Taiwanese movie? (Not used in statements — use 或是/或者 there.)
⋯，我都想看。/ ⋯，我都喜歡。
..., wǒ dōu xiǎng kàn. / ..., wǒ dōu xǐhuān.
I'd like to see both. / I like them all.
Topic-comment + 都: list the options first (美國電影、臺灣電影), then comment with 都. A great way to be agreeable!
⋯可以學中文。
... kěyǐ xué Zhōngwén.
You can learn Chinese by ...
可以 = can/may (possibility). 看電影可以學中文 = Watching movies, you can learn Chinese. Drop in any activity!
🏠 Lesson 3 Phrases — My Family
歡迎！請進。
Huānyíng! Qǐng jìn.
Welcome! Please come in.
The classic host greeting. 歡迎 = welcome, 請進 = please enter/come in. Often said twice for warmth: 歡迎，歡迎！
你家很漂亮。
Nǐ jiā hěn piàoliang.
Your home is very beautiful/pretty.
A natural compliment to give when entering someone's home. 漂亮 = pretty, beautiful.
請坐。
Qǐng zuò.
Please sit down.
Host invites a guest to sit. 請 + verb = polite invitation to do something.
你叫什麼名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name?
The most natural way to ask someone's name. Reply: 我叫… (My name is…). You already know 叫 and 什麼 — 名字 = name.
你家有幾個人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè rén?
How many people are in your family?
幾 (how many) + measure word (個) + noun (人). Great conversation-starter topic in Chinese culture.
你有沒有兄弟姐妹？
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi?
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
A-not-A question using 有沒有. 兄弟 = brothers, 姐妹 = sisters. Together: 兄弟姐妹 = siblings.
我家有___個人。
Wǒ jiā yǒu ___ gè rén.
There are ___ people in my family.
Fill in a number: 兩個, 三個, 五個… Note: use 兩 (not 二) before measure words.
伯母，您好。
Bómǔ, nín hǎo.
How do you do, ma'am. (greeting a friend's mother)
伯母 is a polite term for a friend's mother regardless of age. 您 is the respectful form of 你 — always use it with elders.
📖 Grammar Patterns — All Lessons (5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1)
❓ Question Words — Cross-Lesson Reference
Question words in Chinese stay in place — they go exactly where the answer would go. They never move to the front of the sentence like in English.
| Word |
Pinyin |
Meaning |
Example |
Lesson |
| 什麼 |
shénme |
what |
你喝什麼？
Nǐ hē shénme? — What are you drinking?
|
L2 |
| 做什麼 |
zuò shénme |
do what / what to do |
你喜歡做什麼？
Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme? — What do you like to do?
|
L4 |
| 誰 |
shéi |
who |
那個人是誰？
Nà gè rén shì shéi? — Who is that person?
|
L3 |
| 哪 |
nǎ / nèi |
which |
你是哪國人？
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? — Which country are you from?
你喜歡哪種手機？
Nǐ xǐhuān nǎ zhǒng shǒujī? — Which kind of phone do you like?
|
L1 |
| 幾 |
jǐ |
how many (under ~10) |
你家有幾個人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè rén? — How many people are in your family?
|
L3 |
| 多少 |
duōshǎo |
how much / how many |
一共多少錢？
Yīgòng duōshǎo qián? — How much is it altogether?
|
L5 |
| 怎麼樣 |
zěnmeyàng |
how / what do you think |
明天去打球，怎麼樣？
Míngtiān qù dǎ qiú, zěnmeyàng? — How about we play ball tomorrow?
|
L4 |
| 為什麼 |
wèishénme |
why |
你為什麼要買新的？
Nǐ wèishénme yào mǎi xīn de? — Why do you want to buy a new one?
|
L5 |
💡 Key rule — question words stay in place:
English: "What do you want to drink?" — question word moves to the front
Chinese: 你要喝什麼？ — 什麼 stays where 茶/咖啡 would go
This applies to ALL question words: 你喜歡誰？（Who do you like?） 一共多少錢？（How much altogether?）
🛒 Lesson 5 — How Much Does That Cost? (第四課)
I Measure Words: 塊 kuài, 杯 bēi, 支 zhī, 種 zhǒng — counting nouns
A measure word is required between a number (or determiner) and a noun. Different nouns use different measure words.
Det + Numeral + Measure + N
這兩杯熱咖啡一共多少錢？
Zhè liǎng bēi rè kāfēi yīgòng duōshǎo qián?
How much in total for these two cups of hot coffee?
那三支手機太舊了。
Nà sān zhī shǒujī tài jiù le.
Those three cell phones are too old.
哪種手機不貴？
Nǎ zhǒng shǒujī bù guì?
Which type of cell phone is not expensive?
Determiners (這 this, 那 that, 哪 which) precede the numeral: 這兩杯 (these two cups), 那三支 (those three phones). When no numeral is needed, you can say 這種 / 那種 directly.
II Preposition 幫 bāng — on behalf of / for — introducing the beneficiary
幫 introduces the person who benefits from an action — "do something FOR someone."
Subject + 幫 + Beneficiary + VP
請幫我微波包子。
Qǐng bāng wǒ wēibō bāozi.
Please microwave the baozi for me.
請幫我買一杯咖啡。
Qǐng bāng wǒ mǎi yī bēi kāfēi.
Please buy a cup of coffee for me.
請幫我照相。
Qǐng bāng wǒ zhàoxiàng.
Please take a picture for me.
Negation: Subject + 不幫 + Beneficiary + VP
他不幫我微波包子。
Tā bù bāng wǒ wēibō bāozi.
He won't microwave the baozi for me.
姐姐不幫弟弟買咖啡。
Jiějie bù bāng dìdi mǎi kāfēi.
Sister won't buy coffee for brother.
Questions: Subject + 幫不幫 + Beneficiary + VP？
你幫不幫他買手機？
Nǐ bāng bù bāng tā mǎi shǒujī?
Are you going to buy a cell phone on his behalf?
誰能幫安同微波包子？
Shéi néng bāng Āntóng wēibō bāozi?
Who can microwave a baozi for Antong?
Key rule: The negation marker 不 is placed BEFORE 幫, not before the verb. He不幫我微波包子 ✓ / ~~He幫我不微波包子~~ ✗
III 的 De-phrase — Head Noun Omitted — "a new one", "the hot one"
When the head noun is clear from context, drop it and keep just the modifier + 的. This creates the equivalent of English "one" after an adjective.
Modifier + 的 (head noun implied)
A: 你要買新手機還是舊手機？
Do you want to buy a new or old cell phone?
B: 我要新的，不要舊的。
I want a new one, not an old one.
A: 新手機貴不貴？
Are new cell phones expensive?
B: 新的很貴。
New ones are expensive.
這杯咖啡不熱，我要熱的。
Zhè bēi kāfēi bù rè, wǒ yào rè de.
This coffee isn't hot. I want a hot one.
房子很貴，我不買大的。
Fángzi hěn guì, wǒ bù mǎi dà de.
Houses are expensive. I won't buy a large one.
The negation structure 不是…的 asserts what something is NOT: 你的手機不是新的 = Your phone is not a new one. Questions: 你喜歡新的嗎？手機，他買舊的嗎？
IV 太 tài…了 le — Overly / Too — excessive, negative observation
太…了 expresses that something is excessive — usually a mild complaint or negative observation by the speaker.
太 + Vs
predicate use (descriptive)
太 + Vs + 了
subjective / stronger complaint
那支手機太貴了，我不買。
Nà zhī shǒujī tài guì le, wǒ bù mǎi.
That cell phone is way too expensive. I won't buy it.
我這支手機太舊了，不好看。
Wǒ zhè zhī shǒujī tài jiù le, bù hǎokàn.
This phone of mine is way too old. It's unattractive.
With vs. without 了: 太 + Vs alone is purely descriptive (那支手機太貴 = "that phone is too expensive" as a fact). Adding 了 makes it more subjective and emotional, as if the speaker is reacting: 那支手機太貴了！= "That phone is way too pricey!" (mild outrage).
V 能 néng — Capability — can, to be able to
能 is an auxiliary verb expressing what someone or something is capable of doing. It focuses on physical ability or possibility.
Subject + 能 + VP
新手機能上網。
Xīn shǒujī néng shàngwǎng.
New cell phones can go online.
那支手機能照相。
Nà zhī shǒujī néng zhàoxiàng.
That cell phone can take photos.
Negation: Subject + 不能 + VP
我的手機不能上網。
Wǒ de shǒujī bù néng shàngwǎng.
My cell phone cannot access the internet.
誰的手機不能照相？
Shéi de shǒujī bù néng zhàoxiàng?
Whose cell phone cannot take pictures?
A-not-A Questions: Subject + 能不能 + VP？
你的手機能不能照相？
Nǐ de shǒujī néng bù néng zhàoxiàng?
Can your cell phone take pictures?
舊的能不能上網？
Jiù de néng bù néng shàngwǎng?
Can the old one go online?
那支手機能不能上網？
Nà zhī shǒujī néng bù néng shàngwǎng?
Can that cell phone go online?
能 vs 可以: Both mean "can" but 能 focuses on physical capability (what the device/person is able to do), while 可以 focuses on permission or possibility. 這支手機能照相 = this phone is capable of taking photos. 你可以用我的手機 = you may use my phone.
VI 多 duō — …and More — over / more than
多 placed after a number means "and more" or "over." It signals an approximate amount greater than the stated number.
Number + 多 (+ Measure + N)
over 20 people (but under 30)
一千多支手機
yīqiān duō zhī shǒujī
over 1,000 cell phones (but under 2,000)
那種手機不便宜，一支要一萬五千多。
Nà zhǒng shǒujī bù piányí, yī zhī yào yīwàn wǔqiān duō.
That kind of phone is not cheap. One costs over NT$15,000.
With numbers ≥ 10 — 多 indicates the residual (remainder after the round number):
二十多 = 21–29 | 五百多 = 501–599 | 三萬四千多 = 34,001–34,999
With single-digit numbers — 多 just means "more than":
五塊多 = more than 5 NT (but under 6) | 一杯多 = more than one cup
over 500 baozi (but under 600)
more than 5 NT (but under 6)
Numbers in Chinese: 百 = 100, 千 = 1,000, 萬 = 10,000. Unlike English, Chinese has a dedicated word for 10,000. So 50,000 = 五萬, 150,000 = 十五萬, 1,000,000 = 一百萬.
⚽ Lesson 4 — What Are You Doing Over the Weekend? (第三課)
I Placement of Time Words — when things happen
Time words (TW) appear mostly after the subject, or before it (both are fine). They always come before the verb phrase.
Subject + TW + VP
most common
TW + Subject + VP
for emphasis
我們今天去看電影。
Wǒmen jīntiān qù kàn diànyǐng.
We are going to see a movie today.
你明天想去游泳嗎？
Nǐ míngtiān xiǎng qù yóuyǒng ma?
Would you like to go swimming tomorrow?
週末他要去打籃球。
Zhōumò tā yào qù dǎ lánqiú.
This weekend, he is going to play basketball.
明天你想做什麼？
Míngtiān nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?
What would you like to do tomorrow?
Larger → Smaller order: When combining time expressions, go from bigger unit to smaller. 明天晚上 (tomorrow evening) ✓, 週末早上 (weekend morning) ✓. Never reverse the order.
Question words with TW: 做什麼 (do what), 什麼 (what), and other question words slot in exactly where the answer would go — the time word stays in place. 你週末做什麼？= What do you do on weekends? | 你週末常做什麼？= What do you often do on weekends?
II Going Somewhere to Do Something: 去 qù + VP — intention to go and do
去 before a verb phrase signals that the subject goes somewhere else to perform the action — not just doing it where they are.
Subject + (TW) + 去 + VP
I am going (out) to play tennis.
我們去吃越南菜。
Wǒmen qù chī Yuènán cài.
Let's go eat Vietnamese food.
Negation / Modal: 不/想/要/可以 + 去 + VP
我不去打籃球。
Wǒ bù qù dǎ lánqiú.
I am not going to play basketball.
明天早上我不去游泳。
Míngtiān zǎoshàng wǒ bù qù yóuyǒng.
I am not going swimming tomorrow morning.
Negation markers, auxiliary verbs, and adverbs always come BEFORE 去 — never between 去 and the verb.
Questions: Subject + modal + 去 + VP + 嗎？
你要去看電影嗎？
Nǐ yào qù kàn diànyǐng ma?
Do you want to go see a movie?
你們常去吃越南菜嗎？
Nǐmen cháng qù chī Yuènán cài ma?
Do you often go eat Vietnamese food?
他不去打棒球嗎？
Tā bù qù dǎ bàngqiú ma?
Is he not going to play baseball?
III Topic-Comment Sentences — front-loading what you're talking about
Place the person, thing, or event you want to talk about at the very beginning of the sentence as the "topic." The rest of the sentence is the comment about it.
Topic，Subject + VP。
烏龍茶，臺灣人都喜歡喝。
Wūlóng chá, Táiwān rén dōu xǐhuān hē.
Oolong tea — Taiwanese people all like to drink it.
打棒球，我不喜歡。
Dǎ bàngqiú, wǒ bù xǐhuān.
Playing baseball — I don't like it.
美國電影、臺灣電影，我都想看。
Měiguó diànyǐng, Táiwān diànyǐng, wǒ dōu xiǎng kàn.
American movies, Taiwanese movies — I want to see them all.
越南菜，我常吃。
Yuènán cài, wǒ cháng chī.
Vietnamese food — I eat it often.
這張照片，我覺得很好看。
Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn, wǒ juéde hěn hǎokàn.
This photo — I think it's quite nice.
Multiple topics & collective nouns require 都: When you front-load two or more things or a collective noun, 都 is required in the comment.
• Two nouns: 哥哥、姐姐，我都有。(Brothers and sisters — I have both.)
• Collective: 中國菜，我都喜歡吃。(Chinese food — I like eating all of it.)
Topics are often omitted in active conversation since the context makes them clear.
IV 也 yě, 都 dōu, and 常 cháng — also / all / often
All three are adverbs that come before the verb. They can be combined but each has specific rules.
Subject + 也/都/常 + VP
他不喜歡看電影，我也不喜歡。
Tā bù xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng, wǒ yě bù xǐhuān.
He doesn't like movies, and I don't either.
我常打籃球，也常踢足球。
Wǒ cháng dǎ lánqiú, yě cháng tī zúqiú.
I often play basketball and also often play soccer.
我們都不是美國人。
Wǒmen dōu bù shì Měiguó rén.
他們不都是美國人。
Tāmen bù dōu shì Měiguó rén.
Not all of them are American.
都不 vs 不都: 都不 = "none" (all are not); 不都 = "not all" (some are, some aren't). Also: 也 connects two clauses with the same subject doing similar things — it always comes before the verb, never at the end.
⚠️ Negation Placement Rules
• 也 goes before negation → 也不、也沒有
• 常 goes after 不 → 不常 (不 is placed in front of 常)
• 都 can go before or after 不 — but the meaning changes: 都不 = none of them; 不都 = not all of them
我沒有弟弟，也沒有妹妹。
Wǒ méi yǒu dìdi, yě méi yǒu mèimei.
I don't have a younger brother, and I also don't have a younger sister.
我不常看電影。
Wǒ bù cháng kàn diànyǐng.
I don't watch movies often.
他不喜歡看電影，我也不喜歡看電影。
Tā bù xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng, wǒ yě bù xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.
He doesn't like watching movies, and I don't either.
他們不都是美國人。（有美國人，也有日本人。）
Tāmen bù dōu shì Měiguó rén. (Yǒu Měiguó rén, yě yǒu Rìběn rén.)
Not all of them are American. (There are Americans, and also Japanese.)
V Making Suggestions with 吧 ba — let's / shall we
吧 at the end of a sentence softens a suggestion or command, inviting agreement. Without 吧, the sentence sounds demanding.
Subject + VP + 吧！
我們去喝咖啡吧。
Wǒmen qù hē kāfēi ba.
我們看臺灣電影吧！
Wǒmen kàn Táiwān diànyǐng ba!
Let's watch a Taiwanese movie!
我們打網球吧！
Wǒmen dǎ wǎngqiú ba!
吧 vs 好不好/怎麼樣: All three make suggestions. 吧 is the lightest nudge. 怎麼樣 asks "what do you think?" 好不好 is a direct yes/no check — the most direct of the three.
🏠 Lesson 3 — My Family (第二課)
I 的 (de) Possessive — linking possessor to object
的 is placed between the possessor and the thing possessed. Think of it like the English apostrophe-s ('s).
Possessor + 的 + Object
李老師的姐姐
Lǐ lǎoshī de jiějie
Teacher Li's older sister
Drop 的 with close relationships: When the possessor is a pronoun and the possessed is a close family member, 的 is often omitted. 我媽媽 (my mom), 他家 (his home), 我們老師 (our teacher) all sound natural without 的. Adding 的 is not wrong, just more formal.
II 的 (de) Modifier Marker — adjective before noun
的 also links a describing phrase (modifier) to its head noun — similar to an adjective before a noun in English.
Modifier + 的 + Noun
漂亮的小姐
piàoliang de xiǎojiě
很好看的房子
hěn hǎokàn de fángzi
When to drop 的: 的 can be omitted when modifier and noun are habitually used together, especially for nationality + person. Say 臺灣人 (Taiwanese person), not 臺灣的人. But 漂亮的臺灣人 (pretty Taiwanese person) needs 的 because 漂亮 is descriptive, not defining.
III 有 yǒu Possession — to have / existence
有 expresses possession or the existence of something. It behaves like a regular verb but has a special negation rule.
Subject + 有 + Object
我有很多照片。
Wǒ yǒu hěn duō zhàopiàn.
你有沒有兄弟姐妹？
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi?
Do you have any siblings?
我沒有兄弟姐妹。
Wǒ méi yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi.
I don't have any siblings.
Critical rule: 有 is ALWAYS negated with 沒 (méi), NEVER with 不 (bù). You cannot say ~~不有~~. For the A-not-A question form, use 有沒有？
IV 都 dōu Totality — all / both
都 is an adverb meaning "all" or "both" — it sums up all members of the subject. It must come after the subject noun and before the verb.
Subject(s) + 都 + VP
我家人都喜歡照相。
Wǒ jiārén dōu xǐhuān zhàoxiàng.
My family all like to take photos.
那些書都是我哥哥的。
Nàxiē shū dōu shì wǒ gēge de.
All those books are my older brother's.
我們都不是美國人。
Wǒmen dōu bù shì Měiguó rén.
你們都沒有哥哥。
Nǐmen dōu méi yǒu gēge.
Neither of you has an older brother.
Placement matters! 都 comes AFTER the subject and BEFORE the verb. "None of us" = 我們都不是 (NOT 我們不都是). In negatives: 都不 = "none", 不都 = "not all (but some)".
V Measure Words 個 gè & 張 zhāng — counting nouns
Chinese always needs a measure word (量詞) between a number and a noun. 個 is the most general; 張 is for flat objects.
Number + 個 + Noun
General measure word
Number + 張 + Noun
Flat objects: paper, photos, tickets
兩張漂亮的照片
liǎng zhāng piàoliang de zhàopiàn
兩 vs. 二 for "two": Before measure words, always use 兩 liǎng (NOT 二 èr). Say 兩個人 (two people), 兩張照片 (two photos). 二 is used when counting (一, 二, 三…) but 兩 is used with measure words.
☕ Lesson 2 — What Would You Like to Drink? (第二課)
III Modification Marker 很 hěn — modifying state verbs
很 modifies state verbs (Vs). In casual speech it's often a weak "filler" before Vs, not always meaning "very".
Subject + 很 + State Verb (Vs)
I am fine / I am very well.
This tea tastes very good.
他很喜歡臺灣。
Tā hěn xǐhuān Táiwān.
In Chinese, you generally can't say 我好 without 很 — it sounds like a comparison ("I'm better [than someone]"). So 很 acts as a default "neutral connector" even when you don't mean "very".
IV Contrastive Tag 呢 ne — "What about…?"
呢 creates a short tag question meaning "and you?" or "what about X?" — great for conversations!
S1 V O，S2 呢？
Same predicate, diff. subject
S V O1，O2 呢？
Same subject, diff. predicate
我要喝茶，你呢？
Wǒ yào hē chá, nǐ ne?
I want tea. What about you?
他不喝咖啡，陳小姐呢？
Tā bù hē kāfēi, Chén xiǎojiě ne?
He doesn't drink coffee. What about Miss Chen?
你喜歡喝茶，咖啡呢？
Nǐ xǐhuān hē chá, kāfēi ne?
You like tea. What about coffee?
呢 is one of the most useful words for making natural conversation — it shows you're listening and invites the other person to share. Use it to keep dialogue going!
🗺️ Lesson 1 — Where Are You From? (第一課)
I A-not-A Questions — neutral yes/no questions
The most neutral question form in Chinese — no assumption about the answer.
Subject + Verb 不 Verb + Object?
你是不是臺灣人？
Nǐ shì bù shì Táiwān rén?
他要不要喝咖啡？
Tā yào bù yào hē kāfēi?
Does he want to drink coffee?
臺灣人喜不喜歡喝茶？
Táiwān rén xǐ bù xǐhuān hē chá?
Do Taiwanese people like to drink tea?
For two-syllable verbs like 喜歡 (xǐhuān), you can drop the second syllable in the middle: 喜歡不喜歡 → 喜不喜歡. Both are correct!
I 嗎 (ma) Questions — short, conversational questions
Add 嗎 to the end of any statement to turn it into a yes/no question.
Statement + 嗎?
他是日本人嗎？
Tā shì Rìběn rén ma?
你喜歡喝茶嗎？
Nǐ xǐhuān hē chá ma?
Do you like to drink tea?
A-not-A vs. 嗎: A-not-A makes no assumption and works for longer questions. 嗎 is used for shorter, more casual questions. In most situations they are interchangeable.
II Affirmative Answers — repeating the verb
To say "yes", repeat the main verb from the question.
Q: V不V? → A: V，Subject + V + Object。
A: 他是不是臺灣人？
Is he Taiwanese?
B: 是，他是臺灣人。
Yes, he is Taiwanese.
A: 他喝不喝烏龍茶？
Does he drink Oolong tea?
B: 喝，他喝烏龍茶。
Yes, he drinks Oolong tea.
A: 你是王先生嗎？
Are you Mr. Wang?
Short answers just repeat the verb alone: 是、來、喜歡、喝. There is no direct equivalent of "yes" in Chinese — the verb IS the yes!
II Negative Replies with 不 bù — negation
Negative answers use 不 placed directly before the verb.
Q: V不V? → A: 不，Subject + 不 + V + Object。
A: 王先生喝茶嗎？
Does Mr. Wang drink tea?
B: 不，他不喝。
No, he doesn't drink (it).
A: 李小姐是臺灣人嗎？
Is Miss Li Taiwanese?
B: 不是，她不是臺灣人。
No, she is not Taiwanese.
Special case: For 姓 (surname) and 叫 (called), the negative uses 不姓/不叫, NOT 不是+姓. e.g. 他不姓李 (He is not surnamed Li), not ~~他不是姓李~~.
🔢 Numbers in Chinese
How numbers are built, how they combine with measure words, and how tones change.
① Basic Numbers 0–10
② How Numbers Are Built
Teens (11–19)
十 + digit
十一 shíyī 11
十二 shíèr 12
十五 shíwǔ 15
十八 shíbā 18
十九 shíjiǔ 19
⚠️ 10 = just 十 shí — NOT 一十
Tens (20–99)
digit × 十 (+ digit)
二十 èrshí 20
二十一 èrshíyī 21
三十五 sānshíwǔ 35
九十九 jiǔshíjiǔ 99
Hundreds (100–999)
digit × 百 (+ tens + units)
一百 yìbǎi 100
二百 èrbǎi 200
一百二十 yìbǎi èrshí 120
一百零一 yìbǎi líng yī 101
零 fills any gap: 101 = 一百零一, 1001 = 一千零一
Thousands & Ten-Thousands
千 (1,000) · 萬 (10,000)
一千 yīqiān 1,000
一萬 yīwàn 10,000
五萬 wǔwàn 50,000
一萬五千 yīwàn wǔqiān 15,000
十萬 shíwàn 100,000
一百萬 yìbǎiwàn 1,000,000
⚠️ Chinese groups by 萬 (10,000), not thousands. 50,000 = 五萬, not ~~五十千~~
兩 liǎng vs 二 èr
Both mean "2" — but they're NOT interchangeable.
兩 — before measure words: 兩個人, 兩杯茶, 兩支手機
二 — counting & ordinals: 一, 二, 三… / 第二課
二十 — tens position: 二十, 二十一 (NOT 兩十)
多 duō — and more
After a number: indicates the real amount is slightly above.
二十多 = 21–29 · 五百多 = 501–599
一萬五千多 = 15,001–15,999
五塊多 = more than ¥5 (but under ¥6)
③ Tone Change of 一 yī (Tone Sandhi)
The number 一 changes its tone depending on what follows it. This is called tone sandhi (變調 biàndiào).
Context
Rule
Examples
Before a 4th tone syllable
yí → 2nd tone ↗
一個 → yí gè
一萬 → yí wàn
一是 → yí shì
一樣 → yí yàng
Before a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone syllable
yì → 4th tone ↘
一杯 → yì bēi (1st tone)
一支 → yì zhī (1st tone)
一百 → yì bǎi (3rd tone)
一年 → yì nián (2nd tone)
In counting, ordinals, or isolation
yī → 1st tone (original) ‾
一, 二, 三… → yī, èr, sān
第一課 → dì yī kè
十一 → shíyī (11)
二十一 → èrshíyī (21)
④ Tone Change of 不 bù (Tone Sandhi)
不 also changes tone before 4th-tone syllables.
Context
Rule
Examples
Before a 4th tone syllable
bú → 2nd tone ↗
不是 → bú shì
不要 → bú yào
不去 → bú qù
不對 → bú duì
Before any other tone (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
bù → stays 4th tone ↘
不喝 → bù hē (1st)
不來 → bù lái (2nd)
不好 → bù hǎo (3rd)
不能 → bù néng (2nd)
⑤ Reading Numbers with Measure Words
When 一 precedes a measure word, its tone changes based on the measure word's tone.
| Measure Word |
Tone of MW |
一 changes to |
Full phrase |
Meaning |
| 個 gè | 4th ↘ | yí | 一個人 — yí gè rén | one person |
| 萬 wàn | 4th ↘ | yí | 一萬 — yí wàn | 10,000 |
| 杯 bēi | 1st ‾ | yì | 一杯茶 — yì bēi chá | one cup of tea |
| 支 zhī | 1st ‾ | yì | 一支手機 — yì zhī shǒujī | one cell phone |
| 張 zhāng | 1st ‾ | yì | 一張照片 — yì zhāng zhàopiàn | one photo |
| 百 bǎi | 3rd ∨ | yì | 一百 — yì bǎi | 100 |
| 種 zhǒng | 3rd ∨ | yì | 一種手機 — yì zhǒng shǒujī | one type of phone |
| 千 qiān | 1st ‾ | yì | 一千 — yì qiān | 1,000 |
⑥ Reading Prices (NT Dollars)
八十塊 → bāshí kuài = NT$80
一百二十塊 → yìbǎi èrshí kuài = NT$120
一千五百塊 → yìqiān wǔbǎi kuài = NT$1,500
一萬五千多塊 → yíwàn wǔqiān duō kuài = NT$15,000+
Asking the price:
一共多少錢？(Yīgòng duōshǎo qián?) — How much altogether?
一支賣多少錢？(Yī zhī mài duōshǎo qián?) — How much does one cost?
貴不貴？(Guì bù guì?) — Is it expensive? (A-not-A shorthand)
⑦ Reading Group Characters Digit-by-Digit
Phone numbers, ID numbers, years, room numbers, and bus lines are not calculated as one big number — each digit is read individually. The tone of each digit does not change (no sandhi). 一 stays yī, 不 is not a digit.
📞 Phone Numbers 電話號碼
Read each digit individually — no sandhi, no grouping.
0912-345-678
零 九 一 二 — 三 四 五 — 六 七 八
líng jiǔ yī èr — sān sì wǔ — liù qī bā
02-2345-6789
零 二 — 二 三 四 五 — 六 七 八 九
líng èr — èr sān sì wǔ — liù qī bā jiǔ
⚠️ 一 = yī (flat 1st tone) — no sandhi here!
📅 Years 年份
Each digit of the year is read individually, then 年 nián follows.
2024年
二 零 二 四 年
èr líng èr sì nián
1999年
一 九 九 九 年
yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián
Months & days use quantity reading: 三月 sān yuè = March, 十五號 shíwǔ hào = the 15th
🚌 Bus & Route Numbers 路線
Short route numbers often read as a quantity; long codes read digit-by-digit.
捷運 MRT line
淡水線 → Dànshuǐ Xiàn
公車 Bus 306
三百零六路 / or 三 零 六
sānbǎi líng liù lù / sān líng liù
🏠 Room & Floor Numbers 房間/樓層
Floor numbers use quantity reading; room codes often digit-by-digit.
三樓 — sān lóu = 3rd floor
十二樓 — shí'èr lóu = 12th floor
房間 1208
一 二 零 八號
yī èr líng bā hào
📌 The Key Rule
Quantity numbers (counting objects, prices, math) → tone sandhi applies: 一 changes tone before other syllables.
Serial / group numbers (phone, year, ID, room code) → read each digit at its base tone — 一 = yī, 二 = èr, 三 = sān, etc., no changes.
⑧ Digit Tone Quick-Reference
| Digit |
Character |
Base Pinyin |
Tone |
In group context |
| 0 | 零 | líng | 2nd ↗ | líng — no change |
| 1 | 一 | yī | 1st ‾ | yī — NO sandhi in serial numbers! |
| 2 | 二 | èr | 4th ↘ | èr — no change |
| 3 | 三 | sān | 1st ‾ | sān — no change |
| 4 | 四 | sì | 4th ↘ | sì — no change |
| 5 | 五 | wǔ | 3rd ∨ | wǔ — no change |
| 6 | 六 | liù | 4th ↘ | liù — no change |
| 7 | 七 | qī | 1st ‾ | qī — no change |
| 8 | 八 | bā | 1st ‾ | bā — no change |
| 9 | 九 | jiǔ | 3rd ∨ | jiǔ — no change |
⑨ Reading Normal Character Groups — Basic Rules
When Chinese characters are grouped into words and sentences, tones interact and some syllables change or disappear. Here are the key rules every learner needs.
① 輕聲 Neutral Tone (qīngshēng) — the "swallowed" syllable
Some syllables lose their tone completely — they become short, light, and unstressed. You cannot predict neutral tone from the character alone; you have to learn which words use it.
Sentence particles
嗎 ma — yes/no question marker: 你好嗎？Nǐ hǎo ma?
呢 ne — follow-up: 你呢？Nǐ ne?
吧 ba — suggestion/assumption: 走吧 zǒu ba
了 le — completed action: 吃了 chī le
的 de — noun modifier: 我的書 wǒ de shū
Common suffixes
們 men — plural: 我們 wǒmen, 你們 nǐmen
子 zi — noun suffix: 桌子 zhuōzi, 孩子 háizi
頭 tou — noun suffix: 裡頭 lǐtou, 上頭 shàngtou
著 zhe — ongoing aspect: 睡著 shuìzhe
Reduplicated verbs
Second copy of the verb becomes neutral tone — used to soften the action ("do a little").
看 → 看看 kànkan — take a look
說 → 說說 shuōshuo — say something
聽 → 聽聽 tīngting — listen a bit
想 → 想想 xiǎngxiang — think about it
② 三聲變調 Third-Tone Sandhi — the most important rule
Two 3rd-tone syllables in a row are hard to say — Chinese automatically raises the first to a 2nd tone. The written pinyin keeps the original marks, but speech changes.
3rd + 3rd → 2nd + 3rd
你好 nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo
所以 suǒ yǐ → suó yǐ
可以 kě yǐ → ké yǐ
也好 yě hǎo → yé hǎo
法語 fǎ yǔ → fá yǔ
Three 3rd tones — grouping matters
How you group the syllables changes which tone shifts.
我也好 (I'm fine too)
我｜也好 → wǒ + yé hǎo
買好酒 (buy good wine)
買好｜酒 → mái hǎo + jiǔ
Rule: change the 1st of each consecutive 3rd-tone pair.
📌 Pinyin in textbooks does NOT show the change — 你好 is always written nǐ hǎo, never ní hǎo. You apply the rule in your head when speaking.
③ Word Length Patterns — how characters cluster
Chinese has no spaces. Knowing the common word-length patterns helps you parse a sentence at a glance.
1-character words (單字詞)
Usually verbs, particles, numbers, pronouns.
我 wǒ · 你 nǐ · 他 tā · 是 shì
吃 chī · 去 qù · 大 dà · 好 hǎo
2-character words (雙音節詞) — most common
Modern Chinese strongly prefers 2-syllable words.
老師 lǎoshī · 學生 xuéshēng
手機 shǒujī · 謝謝 xièxie
週末 zhōumò · 喜歡 xǐhuān
4-character set phrases (四字格)
Always read in two groups of 2.
不客氣 → actually 3-char; but
一共多少 → 一共｜多少
沒有關係 → 沒有｜關係
成語 idioms: always 2+2 rhythm
④ Sentence Rhythm & Chunking
Native speakers chunk sentences into breath groups. The basic Chinese sentence order is Subject → Time/Place → Verb → Object, and each chunk is read as a unit.
我明天想去圖書館。
Wǒ / míngtiān / xiǎng qù / túshūguǎn.
I / tomorrow / want to go / library.
你週末要做什麼？
Nǐ / zhōumò / yào zuò / shénme?
You / weekend / want to do / what?
請問一共多少錢？
Qǐngwèn / yīgòng / duōshǎo qián?
Excuse me / altogether / how much money?
🎵 Rhythm tip: Chinese speech has a natural 2-beat pulse. Long sentences tend to break into groups of 2 or 4 syllables. When unsure how to group, default to 2+2 and you'll sound more natural than reading character-by-character.
📋 Quick Summary
● Neutral tone: particles (嗎 呢 吧 了 的), 們, 子, and the 2nd copy of a reduplicated verb — all go light/short.
● 3rd-tone sandhi: two consecutive 3rd tones → first becomes 2nd. Written pinyin stays unchanged.
● Word length: 2-char words dominate modern Chinese. Learn words as units, not single characters.
● Sentence rhythm: Subject | Time/Place | Verb | Object. Read in 2-syllable pulses.