Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

OVERSEAS CHINESE AFFAIRS COMMISSION

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

Foreword
The main purpose of learning a language is the natural and fluent application of
the language in daily life. So is the purpose of over-seas youths of Chinese descent in
studying the Chinese language. Based on its consistent policy and concept of serving
overseas Chinese, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission (OCAC) has published
several series of Chinese teaching materials to meet the needs of overseas Chinese in
different regions. The present reader, Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words, follows
the mass line. It may be used by people of different age groups from different walks
of life. To pluralize the teaching materials, the OCAC has published Chinese-English,
Chinese-Thai, Chinese-Portuguese, Chinese-Spanish, Chinese-French, and ChineseIndonesian editions, hoping to benefit more youths of Chinese descent.
The main portion-Chinese portion-of this reader, is compiled by Professor Liu
Chi-hua of National Chengchi University, an expert on teaching the Chinese language.
With her years of experience, Professor Liu has made this reader more comprehensive
and more lively. The OCAC wishes to extend to her its heartfelt thanks.
This reader has 30 lessons and each lesson has four units: "Text", "Words and
Phrases", "Review", and "Extended Practice". The Text Unit, is practice-oriented, and its
materials are drawn from daily life. The materials range from self-introduction to family,
school, communication, and daily dialogues. The key and frequently used words and
phrases are fully elaborated in the Word and Phrase Units. This unit not only helps the
students understand the stroke order of the listed words but also the phrases derived from
these words as well. In the Review Unit, there are no phonetic symbols so as to enable
the students to indentify the words without the help of phonetic symbols, and get a better
under-standing of the texts. Finally, in the Application Unit, it is hoped that the students
can lively apply the glossary they have learned and use the Chinese language naturally
and fluently in their daily lives.
The contents of this reader are carefully compiled. To maximize its effect, the
OCAC hopes that the teachers who choose to use this reader can arrange a natural and
lively learning environment for the students to learn Chinese in a pleasant atmosphere.
The OCAC hopes that through such an arrangement the students can lay a good founation
of Chinese dialogues in preparation for further studies of the Chinese language.
The OCAC wishes to take this opportunity to invite comments and suggestions on
this reader, in the hope of bringing it to a higher horizon.
Chang Fu Mei
Minister of Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

CONTENTS

Lesson 1

Good morning

Lesson 2

How are you?

12

Lesson 3

What is this?

19

Lesson 4

Where are you going?

24

Lesson 5

Who is the teacher?

30

Lesson 6

How many students?

39

Lesson 7

The school is really big

46

Lesson 8

Almost alike

53

Lesson 9

Introductions

60

Lesson 10

How long have you studied?

66

Lesson 11

How many times a week?

75

Lesson 12

Sing Chinese songs

81

Lesson 13

What date is the day after tomorrow?

90

Lesson 14

As you please

98

Lesson 15

Do you like painting?

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

105

Lesson 16

Where can we buy them?

112

Lesson 17

How much is it?

120

Lesson 18

Its too late

126

Lesson 19

Sorry to keep you waiting

134

Lesson 20

Please try

140

Lesson 21

Make a telephone call

148

Lesson 22

Waiting for him to call back

154

Lesson 23

Why cant I get through?

162

Lesson 24

There are six people in my family

170

Lesson 25

Come to my house

178

Lesson 26

Getting lost

185

Lesson 27

How do I get there?

192

Lesson 28

Buying clothes

202

Lesson 29

Going to the seashore

212

Lesson 30

How old are your children?

Vocabulary List 221

229

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

Lesson 1

Good Morning

TEXT

ti

tai

Wng xin shng

nn zo

Mrs. Li: Good morning, Mr.Wang.

Wng xin shng zo

ti

tai

nn zo

Mr. Wang: Good morning, Mrs. Li. Good morning to you.

ti

tai

nn ho ma

Mrs. Li: How are you?

Wng xin shng w hn ho

Mr. Wang: I'm fine. Thank you.

xi xie nn

ti

tai

Wng ti

tai ho ma

Mrs. Li: How is Mrs. Wang?

Wng xin shng

hn ho

xi xie

Mr. Wang: She's fine. Thank you.

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

WORDS AND PHRASES

WngWang (surname)

LLi (surname)

xin shenghusband; Mr.

Wng xin shng

Mr. Wang

L xin shng

Mr. Li

ti taiwife; Mrs.

Wng ti

tai

Mrs. Wang

ti

Mrs. Li

tai

nyou
nnyou(honorific term for

you )

hogood, well, fine; all right; hello (used in greeting)

2

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

nn ho

Hello

Wng ti

tai

Hello, Mrs. Wang.

nn

ho

L xin shng

Hello, Mr. Li.

nn ho

ma(a question marker attached to questions)

ho ma

Are you all right?

ho ma

How are you?

Wng ti

tai

ho

Mrs. Wang, how are you?

ma

L xin shng

ho ma

Mr. Li, how are you?

wI, me

w hn ho

I am very well.

the, him
tshe, her

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

ho ma

How is he?

Wng xin shng

How is Mr. Wang?

ho

ma

ho ma

How is she?

ti

tai

How is Mrs. Li?

ho ma

zoearly, good morning

nn zo

Good morning (to you).

L xin shng

nn zo

Good morning, Mr. Li.

hnvery

hn ho

very good, very well

w hn ho

I'm very well.

hn ho

She's very well.

xi xieThank you
4

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

xi

xie

Thank you.

w hn ho

xi xie

I'm fine. Thank you.

ti

tai

hn ho

xi xie

My wife is fine. Thank you.

w xin shng hn ho

xi

xie

My husband is very well. Thank you.

REVIEW

Speak Mandarin in Five Hundred Words

EXTENDED PRACTICE

Wng xin shng

ti

tai

nn zo

Mr. Wang: Good morning, Mrs. Li.

ti

tai

zo

Wng xin shng

nn

Mrs. Li: Good morning, Mr. Wang.

zo

Wng xin shng

nn ho ma

Mr. Wang: How are you?

ti

tai

w hn ho

xi xie

Mrs. Li: I'm very well. Thank you.

Wng xin shng

xin shng ho

Mr. Wang: How is Mr. Li?

ma

ti

tai

hn ho

Mrs. Li: He's fine. Thank you.

xi

xie nn

sh png

mi hu

zo

Shi -ping: Mei- hua, good morning.

mi hu

zo

sh png

Mei-hua: Good morning, Shi-ping.

zo

sh png

ho ma

Shi-ping: How are you?

mi hu

w hn ho

xi xie

Mei-hua: I'm very well. Thank you.