Season 3 of the Absolute Beginner series is hosted by Jane and Canaan. In this season, you'll learn how to express pain, say "Happy Birthday" and "Good Luck", how to ask questions and more! And just like all our other lessons, you'll learn Chinese in the fastest, easiest and more fun way!
| Lesson |
Title |
Topic |
Function |
Conversation in target language |
Cultural Insight |
Vocabulary |
Expressions |
Grammar |
| #1 |
Feeling sick in China |
greetings |
long time no see |
好久不见，你好。
我不好。
为什么？
我头疼。 |
Borrowing Words |
发烧, 拉肚子, 感冒, 嗓子疼, 疼, 牙疼, 头疼, 好久不见 |
我头疼。Wǒ tóuténg.
"I have a headache." |
疼 "hurt" VS 痛 "hurt" |
| #2 |
Being a Chinese culinary champion |
food |
Chinese cooking |
你会做饭吗？
当然。
你会做什么菜？
炒鸡蛋。 |
Food in China |
面包, 烧, 开水, 鸡蛋, 炒菜, 当然, 做饭 |
我当然能 去。
Wǒ dāngrán néngqù
"Of course I can go." |
当然 (dāngrán) is a common phrase meaning, "of course." |
| #3 |
Clock-watching in China |
time |
vocabularies around the clock |
现在几点了？
十点半。
什么？我晚了。
我也晚了。 |
China's Time Zone |
一刻, 秒, 早, 晚, 分, 半, 几点, 现在 |
我晚了。Wǒ wǎn le.
"I am late." |
Noun (noun phrase) / Adjective (adjective phrase) + 了 |
| #4 |
Bag a Chinese bargain |
bargain |
bargin hard and be a little bit aggressive in China |
这个多少钱？
这个一百块钱。
一百？太贵了。五块怎么样？
神经病！ |
Bargaining |
砍价, 打折, 钱, 便宜, 贵, 疯了, 神经病 |
太贵了Tài guì le
"Too expensive" |
太...了 (tài ...le) can be used to modify adjectives, certain verbs, auxiliary verbs, and phrases meaning, "too," or "excessively." |
| #5 |
Have a happy birthday in China |
greetings |
special occasion's greetings in Chinese |
祝你生日快乐。
谢谢。
你几岁了？
三十了。
你老了。 |
Important Chinese Birthdays |
多大, 生日, 生日礼物, 年轻, 老, 几岁, 快乐, 祝你 |
祝你生日快乐。Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè.
"Happy birthday to you." |
祝你 "to wish you..." |
| #6 |
A Chinese case of mistaken identity |
dating |
turning heads |
你在看谁？
我谁也没看。
骗人！你在看美女！
我...我在看你。
|
Chinese Attractions |
帅哥, 胡说, 大爷, 大妈, 美女, 骗人, 看 |
我谁也没看。Wǒ shéi yě méi kàn.
"I am not looking at anyone." |
"anyone", "anything" |
| #7 |
Planning a fun night in China? |
sightseeing |
where to go |
你想去哪儿？
三里屯。
人太多，不好走。
那酒吧街呢?
更不好走！ |
Partying it up in China |
酒吧街, 网吧, 电影院, 更, 酒吧, 不, 好, 走, 三里屯, 想 |
人太多，不好走。
Rén tài duō, bù hǎo zǒu.
"Too many people, difficult to get to." |
不 "not" + 好 "good" + (Verb) |
| #8 |
Being polite helps in China |
apology |
apologizing |
唷,对不起!
哎哟，疼死了。
真不好意思。
算了算了。 |
Being Polite in China |
不好意思, 劳驾, 道歉, 甭客气, 麻烦您了, 算了, 对不起 |
疼死了。
Téngsǐ le.
"It's so painful." |
死 is a verb that means "to die." When followed by 了 and preceded by an adjective, the connotation changes from literal to metaphorical. The particle 了 indicates something will happen in a short time.
|
| #9 |
You've got a lot to complain about in Chinese |
adjectives |
sensations |
我热死了。
我也是。
我累死了。
快到了。
我渴死了。
你烦死了。 |
China's Lucky and Not-So-Lucky Number |
到，慢，快，饿，渴，累，冷，热 |
我热死了。
Wǒ rè sǐ le.
"I am so hot." |
Adjectives Used as Verbs in a Sentence |
| #10 |
Too many Chinese culinary choices |
food |
deciding what to eat |
我想吃烧烤。
没问题。
不，我想吃烤鸭。
好吧。
不不，我想吃西餐。
你到底想吃什么? |
Old and New Chinese Restaurants |
中餐, 快餐, 西餐, 到底, 火锅, 烤鸭, 没问题, 烧烤 |
你到底想吃什么?
Nǐ dàodǐ xiǎng chī shénme?
"What on earth do you want to eat?" |
the adverb 到底 (dàodǐ) which precisely functions to emphasize the speaker's tone when we ask questions. |
| #11 |
Tell them what you really think in Chinese |
dating |
confession |
你喜欢这个吗？
喜欢，你呢？
我...喜欢你。
你太可爱了。 |
Polite Conversation in China |
讨厌, 有才, 诚实, 幽默, 聪明, 可爱 |
喜欢，你呢？
Xǐhuān, nǐ ne?
"Yes, I do. And you?" |
Verb Echoing in Yes-No Type Questions |
| #12 |
Saving Energy in China |
Electricity |
Energy saving |
这屋里有点儿黑。
要开灯吗？
要。
对不起，没电了。 |
China's Electricity |
关灯, 没电, 省电, 暗, 停电, 要, 开灯, 屋里 |
要开灯吗？
Yào kāidēng ma?
"Need the light turned on?" |
要 "to want" is often used in conjunction with another verb to express to want to do something, or to need to do something. |
| #13 |
Do these Chinese clothes make me look fat? |
shopping |
clothes-fitting |
这件衣服好看吗？
好看。
大不大？
不太大。正好。 |
Obesity |
正好, 瘦, 肥, 小, 大, 西服, 好看, 衣服 |
大不大？
Dà bù dà?
"Is it big?" |
"(adjective / verb) +不+ (adjective / verb)" to form questions. |
| #14 |
Finding important places in China |
bathroom |
asking where something is |
洗手间在哪儿？
在后面。
我看不见。
就在那儿！后面。 |
Chinese Bathrooms |
超市, 前面, 银行, 药店, 卫生间, 厕所, 洗手间 |
洗手间在哪儿？
Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
"Where is the washroom?"
| 在 (zài)Used as a Verb and Proposition Word |
| #15 |
It's all about who you know in China |
recognition |
do you know me? |
你是谁？
你不认识我吗？
我应该认识你吗？
我是你儿子！ |
Chinese Connections |
谁, 爱人, 前男友, 邻居, 老同学, 同事, 应该, 认识 |
你不认识我吗？
Nǐ bù rènshi wǒ ma?
"Don't you know me?" |
Rhetorical Questions |
| #16 |
Time, precious time in China |
days |
making appointment |
莉莉，咱们晚上吃饭吧。
不行，我有事。
那明天晚上？
明天我也有事。
那后天？大后天？ |
Chinese Dining |
下个月, 明天, 后天, 下星期, 咱们, 有事, 晚上 |
那明天晚上？
Nà míngtiān wǎnshang?
"Then how about tomorrow night?"
|
那... (nà...) Used as a Conjunction Word |
| #17 |
Shopping for a new Chinese computer? |
knockoff version |
new laptop |
你的笔记本不错。
新买的。
苹果的？
山寨的。 |
Faking It in China |
台式电脑, 新, 旧, 苹果, 山寨, 不错, 二手, 笔记本儿 |
新买的。
Xīn mǎi de.
"I just bought it." |
Auxiliary Particle 的 (de) |
| #18 |
A stressful subway experience in China |
transportation |
it's too crowded in the bus |
对不起，请让一下。
我也下车。
小心点儿!
怎么啦？
你踩了我的脚。 |
Another Side to the Chinese |
下车, 怎么啦, 踩, 小心, 脚, 让一下, 对不起 |
请让一下。
qǐng ràng yīxià.
"Please let me through." |
use 一下 (yīxià) after verbs in a sentence to give an impression that the action required only takes a little time and creates a casual and friendly tone. |
| #19 |
The perfect Chinese boyfriend |
marriage |
gold digger |
你有车吗？
有。
你有房子吗？
有。
我爱你。
我还有一个老婆。 |
Chinese Marriage Expectations |
楼房, 公寓, 平房, 民宅, 老婆, 房子, 车 |
我还有一个老婆。Wǒ huán yǒu yī ge lǎopo.
"I also have a wife." |
还有 (háiyǒu) indicates the continuation of a certain action or status of the same subject. |
| #20 |
In China, turning Japanese |
japan |
nationality |
你吃过寿司吗？
吃过。
你喝过日本烧酒吗？
喝过。
你去过日本吗？
我是日本人。
|
The Influence of Japan and China |
寿司, 东京, 烧酒, 富士山, 日语, 日本人, 日本 |
你吃过寿司吗？Nǐ chīguò shòusīma?
"Have you eaten sushi?" |
verb + 过 is often used to describe the experience of something done in the past. |
| #21 |
Stay safe on the Chinese roads |
directions |
giving directions |
怎么走？
左拐。不，右拐。
右拐？
对，就这儿右拐。小心！ |
Chinese Car Congestion |
右转, 停, 左转, 小心, 一直走, 拐, 走 |
就这儿右拐。
jiù zhèr yòu guǎi.
"Just here turn right." |
Use 就 to help stress what the speaker wants to express, sometimes to show the speaker's determination or strong idea to do something. |
| #22 |
Be entertained in China |
entertainments |
buying tickets |
还有票吗？
有。要几张？
三张。
就剩两张了。 |
Chinese Nightlife Options |
火车票, 门票, 飞机票, 剩, 电影票, 张, 票 |
三张。
Sān zhāng.
"Three." |
classifiers |
| #23 |
A visit to the Chinese hospital |
illness |
going to the doctor |
大夫，我不舒服。
哪儿不舒服？
哪儿都不舒服。
怎么人人都这么说？ |
No Complaining in China |
人人, 舒服, 难受, 怎么, 护士, 医生, 医院, 大夫 |
怎么人人都这么说？
Zěnme rénrén dōu zhème shuō?
"Why does everyone say the same thing?" |
There are a few words in Chinese having the same characteristic such as 天, 人, 月，年，分，秒, when duplicated by itself, the meaning becomes "every day, everyone, every month, every year, every minute, or every second."
|
| #24 |
Find out whether the weather is good in Chinese |
weather |
talking about weather |
今天天气怎么样？
挺好的。
冷不冷？
不冷，挺暖和的！ |
Chinese Climate Control |
气温，阴，暖和，晴，挺，凉快，冷，天气 |
挺好的。
Tǐng hǎo de.
"It's pretty good." |
挺 "rather" + adjective + 的 to express the speaker's content or less intensive feelings |
| #25 |
Get the party started in China |
social interaction |
partying |
派对真热闹！
喝饮料吗？
有鸡尾酒吗？
没有。来杯葡萄酒吧。 |
Chinese Alcohol |
鸡尾酒, 啤酒, 小吃, 葡萄酒, 请柬, 饮料, 派对, 热闹 |
来杯葡萄酒吧。
Lái bēi pútáojiǔ ba.
"How about a glass of wine?" |
use ending particle 吧 to give suggestions or requests, particularly in imperative sentence. |
