Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

Start speaking Chinese in minutes and grasp the language, culture and customs in just minutes more with Chinese survival phrases, a completely new way to master the basics of Chinese. To get more Chinese lessons and for free, go to chineseclass101.com and sign up for your free lifetime account. Signing up takes less than a minute and you will find more great lessons just like this one. To get more free Chinese lessons, go to chineseclass101.com, lesson 55.
All right guys, China is an interesting and diverse place and there is going to be a lot of things you run into. So today, we are going to learn how to express your like or dislike of other things and we are going to learn the phrases I like it and I don’t like it. Let’s jump right in. I like it is 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān), the tones are second tone, 我(wó). Normally, 我(wó) is third tone, 我(wǒ), but here it is followed by another third tone 喜(xǐ) and so 我(wǒ) becomes 我(wó), second tone, 我(wó). Then third tone 喜(xǐ) and that’s followed by 欢(huān) which is first tone, 欢(huān). 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān), 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān), 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān). Now this means I like, 我(wǒ) means I and 喜欢(xǐ huān) means to like. In Chinese, you do not have to put “it” afterwards. You can just say I like and that means “I like it”. In English, you have to say I like it but in Chinese all you say is 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān). Now we can also put this or that after this. So you can say “I like this” 我喜欢这个(Wó xǐhuan zhège). We’ve learned this and that before but let’s just refresh your memory. “This” is 这个 (zhège) fourth tone and then no tone, 这个(zhège). So to make I like this you just place 这个(zhège) “this” after 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān) I like this. Very simple guys just like English. 我喜欢这个(Wó xǐhuan zhège),我喜欢这个(Wó xǐhuan zhège). Let’s try with “that”. You all remember how to say that, right? 那个(nàge) fourth tone and then no tone 那个(nàge). So it is the same way as with 我喜欢这个(Wó xǐhuan zhège), you just place it right after 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān), 我喜欢那个(Wó xǐhuan nàge). Very simple guys. The only thing that changed was the noun we put after the phrase. The phrase itself doesn’t change at all. Now let’s try with a specific noun after I like. We are going to use Chinese food because we all know Chinese food is delicious, tasty and wonderful and everyone is going to like it. So I like Chinese food. The way to say Chinese food is 中国菜(zhōngguó cài) The tones are first tone 中(zhōng), second tone 国(guó) and then fourth tone 菜(cài). 中国菜(zhōngguó cài). This literally means “Chinese food”; 中国 (zhōngguó) means “China” and 菜(cài) is a word that can be used to mean food or dish. So “I like Chinese food” 我喜欢中国菜(Wó xǐhuān zhōngguó cài). You see how it changed. In fact nothing changed. We just replaced the noun just like with 这个(zhège) and 那个(nàge) We just switched out nouns. The phrase 我喜欢(Wó xǐhuān) doesn’t change at all, 我喜欢中国菜(Wó xǐhuān zhōngguó cài). Now inevitably you are going to run across or you already have things that you don’t like. So let’s learn how to express that dislike. The only change that comes is that you put 不(bù) no in between “I” and “like”. “I no like”. 我不喜欢(wǒ bù xǐhuan) Now you should notice there has been a little change in the pronunciation because you have separated 我(wǒ) and 喜(xǐ), 我 goes back to being a third tone. It stops being a second tone. So it’s 我(wǒ) third tone, 不(bù) fourth tone, falling tone, 喜(xǐ) third tone again, 喜(xǐ); and 欢(huān), first tone 欢(huān). 我不喜欢(wǒ bù xǐhuan), that means I don’t like it. 我不喜欢(), 我不喜欢() 我不喜欢(). Now let’s try this with a different noun at the end of it. Let’s use American food. The way to say American food is just to say “America, food” just like it was “China, food”. Before it was 中国菜(zhōngguó cài). The way you say America is 美国 (měiguó); third tone 美(měi) and second tone 国(guó), 美国 (měiguó). And then we follow this with the word that means dish or food 菜 (cài), So 美国菜(měiguócài) is fourth tone, the falling tone. 美国菜 (měiguó cài). So the phrase altogether would be 我不喜欢美国菜 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan měiguó cài), 我不喜欢美国菜 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan měiguó cài), 我不喜欢美国菜 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan měiguó cài).
All right, to close our today’s lesson, we’d like you to practice what we’ve just learned. I will provide you with the English equivalent of a phrase and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You will have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So 加油 (jiāyóu). Phrase 1, I like it, 我喜欢 (Wó xǐhuan). Phrase 2, I like this, 我喜欢这个(Wó xǐhuan zhège). Phrase 3, I like Chinese food, 我喜欢中国菜(Wó xǐhuān zhōngguó cài). Phrase 4, I don’t like it, 我不喜欢(wǒ bù xǐhuan). Phrase 5, I don’t like American food, 我不喜欢美国菜 (Wǒ bù xǐhuan měiguó cài).
Remember to go to chineseclass101.com and sign up for your free lifetime account. Signing up takes less than 1 minute and you will find more great lessons just like this one. Chinese survival phrases will have you speaking with proper pronunciation and arm you with cultural insights and other information to utterly shock and amaze your friends, teachers, colleagues and the people you meet along the way.

Comments

Hide