| Let's take a closer look at the conversation. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Do you remember how the teacher asks, | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "Is this your family?" | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是你的家人吗? | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 这 (zhè), "this." 这. 这。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 是 (shì), in this case, it's like the "is," in "This is…." 是. 是。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After this is 你的 (nǐ de), meaning, "your."  你的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | There are two parts: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 你 (nǐ), "you." 你. 你。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Second is 的 (de),a possessive-marking particle. 的. 的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Think of 的 as a way to indicate possession. The word it follows possesses the thing that comes after it. In this sentence, it marks 你, "you," as the possessor. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 你的 (nǐ de), "your." 你的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 家人 (jiārén), "family." 家人。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | This has two parts: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 家 (jiā), "home" or "family." 家 家. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 人 (rén), "person" or "people." 人. 人. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, it's 家人, literally "home people," but translates as "family." 家人. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Last is 吗 (ma). This is a question-marking particle. It turns a sentence into a question. 吗. 吗. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | All together, it's 这是你的家人吗?(Zhè shì nǐ de jiārén ma?) "This is your family?" but it translates as "Is this your family?" 这是你的家人吗? | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Remember this question. You'll hear it again later. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Let's take a closer look at the response. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Do you remember how Karen says, | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "Yes, it is. This is my husband, son, daughter, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 是的。这是我的先生、儿子、女儿和我。 (Shì de. Zhè shì wǒ de xiānsheng, érzi, nǚér hé wǒ.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | There are two parts to the response: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 是的 (shì de), which translates as "Yes, [it is]," in this context. 是的. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | This starts with 是 (shì), meaning "yes," when responding to a yes-no question. 是. 是. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Note: 是 is used to affirmatively answer questions that contain 是, like | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是你的家人吗?(Zhè shì nǐ de jiārén ma?) "Is this your family?" | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | By replying with 是 (shì), you are affirming the information in the question. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | It's followed by 的 (de), which, in this case, is a sentence-final particle that indicates the speaker is certain about what he or she is saying. 的 (de). | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 是的 is a set phrase meaning "Yes, [it is]." 是的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Note: "it is," is understood from context, as this is a response to the question. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After this, Karen points to the picture, and says, | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是我的先生、儿子、女儿和我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | (Zhè shì wǒ de xiānsheng, érzi , nǚér hé wǒ.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "This is my husband, son, daughter, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 这是 (zhè), "this" 这。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 是 (shì), in this case, it's like the "is," in "This is…." 是. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 这是, "this is." 这是。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After this, 我的, meaning "my." 我的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | There are two parts: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | First is 我 (Wǒ), "I." 我. 我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 的 (de), the possessive-marking particle. 的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 我的, "my." 我的。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 先生 (xiānsheng). The formal way to say "husband." 先生. 先生. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Together, 我的先生 , "my husband." 我的先生 。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 儿子 (érzi), "son." 儿子. 儿子。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | After this is 女儿 (nǚér), "daughter." 女儿. 女儿。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Next is 和 (hé), "and" 和. 和。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Finally, she points at herself in the picture and says 我, translating as "me" in this context. 我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | All together, it's 这是我的先生、儿子、女儿和我。(Zhè shì wǒ de xiānsheng, érzi, nǚér hé wǒ.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "This is my husband, son, daughter, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是我的先生、儿子、女儿和我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | The pattern is: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是 我的 {family member} 、{family member} 、{family member}和我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "This is my {family member} ,{family member} ,{family member}, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | To use this pattern, simply replace the {family member} placeholders with your family members. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Imagine your family members are your wife, son, daughter, and you. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Wife is 太太 (tàitai). 太太. 太太. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Say | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "This is my wife, son, daughter, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | Ready? | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是我的太太、儿子、女儿和我。 (Zhè shì wǒde tàitai, érzi, nǚér hé wǒ.) | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | "This is my wife, my son, my daughter, and me." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 这是我的太太、儿子、女儿和我。 | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | In this lesson, you learned two relatively formal words for husband and wife. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 先生 (xiānsheng), "husband," and 太太 (tàitai), "wife." | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | In less formal situations, the following words are commonly used: | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 老公 (lǎogōng), "husband." 老公. 老公. | 
                                                                    
                                                                
                                                                            | 老婆 (lǎopo), "wife." 老婆. 老婆. | 
                                                                    
                                                        
                     
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