| Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | | Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | |
Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - It is common for Chinese elders to start a conversation with children by commenting on their appearance, because this can lead to talks about how life is going (e.g. if they have gotten taller).
| - Describing people, places, and things
| Describe appearance - 他的眼睛很大 (tā de yǎnjīng hěn dà) (‘His eyes are very big’)
- 他不高 (tā bù gāo) (‘He is not tall’)
- 他非常矮 (tā fēi cháng ǎi) (‘He is extremely short’)
Describe qualities - 我的朋友很聪明 (wǒ de péngyǒu hěn cōngmíng) (‘My friend is very smart’)
- 今天是星期五, 我很高兴 (jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ, wǒ hěn gāoxìng) (‘Today is Friday, I am very happy’)
- 这只狗很友好 (zhè zhī gǒu hěn yǒuhǎo) (‘This dog is really friendly’)
- 这些鸟很漂亮 (zhè xiē niǎo hěn piàoliang) (‘These birds are pretty’)
Subject + 很 (hěn) + adjective - 老师很友好 (lǎoshī hěn yǒuhǎo) (‘The teacher is (very) friendly’)
- 我的头发很长 (wǒ de tóufa hěn cháng) (‘My hair is (very) long’)
- 中国菜很好吃 (zhōngguó cài hěn hǎochī) (‘Chinese food is delicious’)
Noun phrases using 的 (de) - 他有什么颜色的头发？ (tā yǒu shénme yánsè de tóufǎ) (‘What colour hair does he have?’)
- 他有黑色的头发 (tā yǒu hēisè de tóufǎ) (‘He has black hair’).
| - In Chinese culture, it is considered polite to be modest. People often downplay compliments and avoid overly direct praise, especially in public.
| - Describing people, places, and things in more detail
| Basic counting and measuring words - 这是一本书 (zhè shì yī běn shū) (‘This is a book’)
- 那是一本书 (nà shì yī běn shū) (‘That is a book’)
- 那个很高的人是我的老师 (nà gè hěn gāo de rén shì wǒ de lǎoshī) (‘That tall person is my teacher’)
Descriptive phrases - 我的狗很友好, 也很可爱 (wǒ de gǒu hěn yǒuhǎo, yě hěn kě’ài) (‘My dog is very friendly and also very cute’)
- 爸爸又高又帅 (bàba yòu gāo yòu shuài) (‘Dad is both tall and handsome’)
- 那条鱼又大又长 (nà tiáo yú yòu dà yòu cháng) (‘That fish is big and long’)
- 这双鞋子太大了 (zhè shuāng xiézi tài dà le) (‘This pair of shoes is too big’)
- 那件衣服很漂亮 (nà jiàn yīfu hěn piàoliang) (‘That piece of clothing is beautiful’)
- 这本是中文书 (zhè běn shì zhōngwén shū) (‘This book is a Chinese book’)
- 那些人是学生 (nà xiē rén shì xuéshēng) (‘Those people are students’).
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| - New vocabulary in Chinese is often built by combining familiar characters with clear meanings, such as:
- 老人 (lǎo rén) (old person)
- 小狗 (xiǎo gǒu) (puppy)
- 黑猫 (hēi māo) (black cat).
- The literal translation of 很 (hěn) is ‘very’. However, when used in the basic sentence structure [subject] + 很 + [adjective], it often functions as a grammatical connector rather than conveying the meaning of ‘very’. It is not used in a negative sentence, for example 他不聪明 (‘He is not smart’).
- Describing words or adjectives are used before the noun. Adjectives can be attributed to a noun or noun phrase by using 的 (de), for example 漂亮的老师 (beautiful teacher).
- Unlike in English, 是 (shì) (to be) cannot be used to link a subject to an adjective
- Additional elements can be added to basic sentence structures to express more detail
- 只 (zhī) is the most commonly used counting word for most animals, except fish and horses
- Use demonstrative pronouns 这 (zhè) (this) and 那 (nà) (that) with counters for stationery, animals, and people. For demonstrative plural pronouns, use 这些 (zhè xiē) (these) and 那些 (nà xiē) (those).
- 大 (dà) (large) and 小 (xiǎo) (small) can also refer to age or maturity, not just size
- 老 (lǎo) literally means ‘old’, but it can also imply experience or seniority, as in 老师 (lǎoshī) (teacher)
- In spoken Chinese 这一个 (this one) is often pronounced ‘zhèi ge’ instead of ‘zhè yí ge’
- Similarly, 那一个 (that one) is commonly pronounced ‘nèi ge’ instead of ‘nà yí ge’.
| - 又 … 又 … (yòu … yòu …) can be used to describe someone or something with two similar qualities — either both positive or both negative.
- 和 (hé) cannot be used to link two describing words.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - The Chinese concept of time and space is ‘vertical’. The word 下 (down) can be used to express ‘next’ or ‘forward’, whereas 上 (up) can be used to express ‘previous’.
| - Communicating using time phrases/markers
| Time phrases and expressions - 今天 (jīntiān) (today)
- 明天 (míngtiān) (tomorrow)
- 昨天 (zuótiān) (yesterday)
- 现在 (xiànzài) (now)
- 今年 (jīn nián) (this year)
- 去年 (qù nían) (last year)
- 明年 (míng nián) (next year)
- 这个月 (zhè gè yuè) (this month)
- 这星期 (zhè xīngqī) (this week)
- 下个月 (xià gè yuè) (last month)
- 下星期 (xià xīngqī) (last week)
- 上个月 (shàng gè yuè) (next month)
- 上星期 (shàng xīngqī) (next week)
- 你星期一几点上课？ (nǐ xīngqī yī jǐ diǎn shàngkè) (‘What time do you have class on Monday?’)
- 我早上七点半吃早饭 (wǒ zǎoshang qī diǎn bàn chī zǎofàn) (‘I eat breakfast at 7.30 a.m.’)
- 星期二和星期四我打篮球 (xīngqī èr hé xīngqī sì wǒ dǎ lánqiú) (‘I play basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays’).
| - It is not considered impolite to ask about someone’s income.
- Chinese people, particularly from the older generation, take pride in getting a good bargain. When they purchase something at great value, they like to show other people and ask them to 猜猜多少钱 (‘Guess how much’).
| - Communicating about units, quantity, cost, and distance
| Numbers beyond 100 - 百 (bái) (hundred)
- 一百 (yībái) (100)
- 两百 (liǎngbái) (200)
- 一百零一 (yī bǎi líng yī) (101)
- 一百零二 (yī bǎi líng èr) (102)
- 一百一十 (yī bǎi yī shí) (110)
- 一百二十 (yī bǎi èr shí) (120)
- 一百一十五 (yī bǎi yī shí wǔ) (115)
- 一百二十五 (yī bǎi èr shí wǔ) (125)
Cost - 多少钱？(duō shǎo qián) (‘How much?’)
- 一百块钱 (yī bǎi kuài qián) (‘100 yuan’ — informal)
- 一百元 (yī bǎi yuán) (‘100 yuan’ —formal)
- 一百块 (yī bǎi kuài) (‘100’ — slang)
Distance - 多远？(duō yuán) (‘How long?’)
- 米 (mí) (metre)
- 公里 (gōnglǐ) (kilometre)
Quantity - 多少人？(duō shǎo rén) (‘How many people?’)
- 几个？(jǐ gè) (‘How many?’)
- 一百个 (yī bǎi gè) (‘100’)
- 两百个 (liǎng bǎi gè) (‘200’).
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| - Time phrases are often used in Chinese to express tense and are usually at the beginning of a sentence, although they can also follow the subject. However, the verb in Chinese stays the same. They are often grouped together in the sentence
- 昨 (zuó) is only used for days, whereas 去 (qù) is used for years:
- 昨天 (zuótiān) (yesterday)
- 去年 (qù nían) (last year).
- Unlike English, which places ‘a.m.’ or ‘p.m.’ after the minutes, Chinese time expressions begin with the largest time unit and proceed in order (starting with the part of the day, followed by the hour and then the minutes).
- Time questions often drop the verb 是 (shì) for brevity and natural flow. Answers include 是 to form a full sentence with [subject] + 是 + [time detail].
- In Mandarin Chinese, when answering questions, the interrogative word (e.g. What, when, where) is replaced directly with the specific information being asked for (e.g. When responding to a question about a date or time, the word ‘when’ is replaced with the actual answer), and pronouns may be adjusted to match the context.
| - Multiple hundreds are expressed by adding the single-digit number before the hundred (e.g. 300 is 三百).
- For numbers such as 110, 210, and 310, the word for ‘10’ is expressed as ‘one ten’ (一十), while other multiples of 10 follow the usual pattern.
- For numbers such as 101, 201, and 301, the single-digit number is preceded by 零 (zero).
- The Chinese word 多 means ‘many’ and is often used in questions about quantity, such as ‘how many’, ‘how long’, or ‘how far’. The phrase 多少 (duōshǎo) means ‘how much’ or ‘how many’ and is commonly used when asking about prices or the number of people.
- 几 （jǐ）(how many) is commonly used in questions, followed by a counter (e.g. 几个 (jǐ gè?)？).
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - In Chinese culture, mentioning the weather is often associated with concern for others.
- In Chinese culture, people prefer to stay warm and not be in the cold. Being cold is often associated with the cause of sickness.
| - Communicating about weather
| Asking and talking about the weather - 今天天气怎么样 (jīntiān tiānqi zěnmeyàng) (‘What is the weather like today?’)
- 星期一是晴天 (xīngqi yī shì qíngtiān) (‘It is sunny on Monday’)
- 昨天天气很冷 (zuótiān tiānqi hěn lěng) (‘Yesterday’s weather was cold’)
Predicting the weather - 周末会下雨 (zhōumò huì xiàyú) (‘In the weekend it will rain’)
- 明天会刮风 (míngtiān huì guā fēng) (‘It is going to be windy tomorrow’)
- 下个星期的天气怎么样？(xià gè xīngqī de tiānqì zěnmeyàng) (‘What is the weather going to be like next week?’)
Expressing concern - 今天天气很冷，要多穿一点 (jīntiān tiānqì hěn lěng, yào duō chuān yì dian) (‘It is very cold today, you should wear a bit more’)
- 天气很冷，容易感冒 (tiānqì hěn lěng, róngyì gǎnmào) (‘It is very cold, easy to catch a cold’).
| | - Communicating about length of time
| Questions - 什么时候？ (shénme shíhòu) (‘When?’)
- 多久？(duōjiǔ) (‘How long?’ — informal)
- 多长时间？(duōcháng shíjiān) (‘How long?’ — formal)
Duration of time - 去机场要一个半小时 (qù jīchǎng yào yī gè bàn xiǎoshí) (‘It will take one hour and a half to get to the airport’)
- 三十分钟 (sān shí fēn zhōng) (‘Three minutes’)
- 十天 (shí tiān) (‘Ten days’)
Verb 了 + duration 了 - 我学了中文学了两年了 (wǒ xué le zhōngwén xué le liǎng nián le) (‘I have been studying Chinese for two years’)
- 她昨天晚上做了两个小时的作业 (tā zuó tiān wǎnshàng zuò le liǎng ge xiǎoshí de zuòyè) (‘She did two hours of homework last night’).
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| - The modal verb 会 (will, be going to) can be used to express future tense. It is commonly used with time phrases to sound natural and clear.
- 要 can mean ‘ought to’, ‘must’, or ‘to express a strong desire to do something’. In this context, 要 can be used to indicate advice.
| - Use 了 to show completed or continuous action.
- Use 的 to modify a noun (e.g. 两个小时的电影).
- 要 in this context expresses that something requires a certain amount of time to complete. It is commonly used to talk about how long an activity will take.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | | - Communicating about events and activities that have happened in the past
| Past tense verb + 了 - 昨天中午，我吃了面包和水果 (zuótiān zhōngwǔ, wǒ chī le miànbāo hé shuǐguǒ) (‘Yesterday at noon, I ate bread and fruit’)
- 我没有看到他 (wǒ méiyǒu kàn dào tā) (‘I did not see him’).
| - The weather and seasons hold deep cultural significance in the Chinese lunar calendar, influencing festivals, agriculture, and traditional beliefs.
| - Comparing and contrasting weather and seasons
| Compare and contrast weather - 今天很冷，但是我没有穿毛衣 (jīntiān hěn lěng, dànshì wǒ méi yǒu chuān máoyī) (‘Today is cold, but I didn’t wear my jumper’)
- 今天下雨，可是我没有带雨伞 (jīntiān xiàyú, kěshì wǒ méiyǒu dài yúsǎn) (‘Today is raining, but I did not bring my umbrella’)
- 今天比昨天冷 (jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng) (‘Today is colder than yesterday’).
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| - 了 (le) is used to indicate that an action is complete. It is added after the verb. A time word or phrase (e.g. yesterday) can be added to show when it happened, adding emphasis or specificity.
- While 不 (bù) is the basic word for negation, 没 (méi) and 没有 (méiyǒu) are used to say something did not happen in the past.
| - 比 (bǐ) is a basic word used to compare people, objects, or things. It means 'to compare' or 'than'.
- To express "A is more [adjective] than B" in Chinese, use the structure: A 比 (bǐ) B plus adjective.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Educational philosophy, classroom culture, and after-school life in Asian cultures compared to Western cultures are different and should be explored
- in China, school days are often longer, especially in high school, discipline and respect are highly valued in the classroom, homework load is heavy, and many students attend after-school classes.
| - Communicating about habits, hobbies, and daily routines
| What? - 他在做什么？(tā zài zuò shénme?) (‘What is he doing?’)
- 他在看书 (tā zài kànshū) (‘He is reading’)
When? - 你什么时候上学? (nǐ shénme shíhòu shàng xué) (‘When do you go to school?’)
- 你几点起床? (nǐ jǐ diǎn qǐ chuáng) (‘What time do you get up?’)
Who with? - 我跟妈妈去买东西 (wǒ gēn māma qù mǎi dōngxi) (‘I will go shopping with my mother’)
- 我和朋友一起打篮球 (wǒ hé péngyǒu yìqǐ dǎ lánqiú) (‘I play basketball with my friend’)
Where? - 学生在图书馆上中文课 (xúeshēng zài túshūguǎn shàng kè) (‘The students have class in the library’)
- 他在饭馆吃饭 (tāmen zài jiàoshì zuò fàn) (‘They are cooking in the classroom’).
| | - Comparing and contrasting habits, routines, and daily activities
| Frequency of events - 每天 (měitiān) (every day)
- 常常 (chángcháng) (often)
- 有时候 (yǒu shíhou) (sometimes)
- 不常 (bù cháng) (rarely)
- 从不 (cóngbù) (never)
- 我常常游泳和打篮球 (wǒ chángcháng yóuyǒng hé dǎ lánqiú) (‘I often swim and play basketball’)
- 爸爸不常跑步 (bàba bù cháng pǎobù) (‘Dad doesn’t often run’)
- 昨天中午，我吃了面包和水果 (zuótiān zhōngwǔ, wǒ chī le miànbāo hé shuǐguǒ) (‘Yesterday at noon, I ate bread and fruit’).
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| - Adverbial phrases are used to express details (e.g. Time, place, manner) of an action and to sequence ideas. They usually come before the verb or adjective they modify
- In Chinese, word order is important (e.g. Frequency adverbs typically come before the action).
- 在 (zài) is one of the basic Chinese prepositions used to show the location of people or objects. Use 不在 (bùzài) (not present) for negation.
- There are regional differences in vocabulary (e.g. 哪儿 (nǎr) and 哪里 (nǎlǐ), both meaning ‘where’).
- 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used to emphasise and express an action that is ongoing.
- Use 跟 (gēn) to talk about who you did something with. It can often be used interchangeably with 和 (hé), both meaning ‘with’ or ‘together’.
| - 常常 and 经常 can both be used to express ‘often’.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Chinese people express politeness through using indirect language, soft particles, and respectful phrasing.
| - Communicating about basic commands and polite requests
| - 请给我 … (qǐng gěi wǒ …) (‘Please give me …’)
- 我能不能早一点走 (wǒ néng bù néng zǎo yìdiǎn zǒu) (‘Am I able to leave a little earlier?’)
- 我可以 … 吗？(wǒ kéyǐ … ma) (‘Can I ...?’)
Directional complements - 收起来 (shǒu qǐlái) (put away)
- 坐下来 (zuò xiàlái) (sit down)
- 拿出来 (ná chūlái) (take out)
- 放 进去 (fàng jìnqù) (put in)
Polite requests - 麻烦你 帮我一下吧 (máfán nǐ bàng wǒ yí xià ba) (‘Could I trouble you to help me for a moment’)
- 老师不好意思， 我可以去喝水吗? (lǎoshī bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ kéyǐ qù hē shuǐ ma) (‘Excuse me, teacher, could I go and drink some water?’)
- 说中文吧 (shuō zhōngwén ba) (‘Speak Chinese’).
| | - Using connectives (linking words) to link ideas, activities, and descriptions
| - 先 (xiān) (first)
- 然后 (ránhòu) (then, after)
- 你想去哪里？(nǐ xiǎng qù nǎlǐ) (‘Where do you want to go?’)
- 我想先去书店，然后去饭馆 (wǒ xiǎng xiān qù shūdiàn, ránhòu qù fànguǎn) (‘I want to go to the bookstore first, then to the restaurant’)
- 你早上做什么？(nǐ zǎoshang zuò shénme) (‘What do you do in the morning?’)
- 我先刷牙，再吃早饭，然后上学 (wǒ xiān shuāyá, zài chī zǎofàn, ránhòu shàngxué) (‘I brush my teeth first, then eat breakfast, and afterwards go to school’)
- 以后 (yǐ hòu) (after)
- 以前 (yǐ qián) (before)
- 就 (jiù) (right away)
- 下课以后, 我们就去吃饭 (xiàkè yíhòu, wǒmen jiù qù chī fàn) (‘After class, we will go eat’)
- 我睡觉以前，做完了作业 (wǒ shuì jiào yǐqián, zuòwǎnle zuòyè) (‘Before bed, I finished my homework’)
- 五岁的时候我住在澳大利亚 (wǔ suì de shí hòu wǒ zhù zài Àodàlìyà) (‘When I was five years old, I lived in Australia’).
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| - The 把 (ba) structure is commonly used in polite requests or instructions to clearly show what should be done to an object. The 把 sentence rearranges word order to focus on the result or effect of an action on a specific object (e.g. 请 + 把 + [object] + [verb phrase]).
- 请给我 is often used with a counter and object (e.g. 请给我一杯可乐).
- The 把 structure is often used with directional complements. These are added to verbs to show where the action is going. They often use 来 (lái) or 去 (qù) to indicate direction towards or away from the speaker.
- Polite phrases are used in Chinese to soften requests and commands, reflecting the indirect nature of Chinese, for example:
- 麻烦你 (‘Sorry to trouble you’)
- 打扰一下 (‘May I interrupt you for a moment’)
- 不好意思 (‘Excuse me’).
- 吧 and 呢 are particles that can also soften a phrase.
- Modal verbs 可以 and 能 can be used to express possibility or permission.
| 以后 means ‘after’ and 以前 means ‘before’. However, the sentence order needs to be understood in reverse (e.g. 我吃早饭以前刷牙 means ‘I brush my teeth before I eat breakfast’, and 我回家以后洗澡 means ‘I shower after I get home’).
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Responses to praise reflect modesty, humility, and indirectness in Chinese culture, for example 哪里哪里 (nǎli nǎlǐ) (‘Not at all’) is a humble way to deflect praise.
- Chinese culture places high value on modesty and indirectness, especially when it comes to praise. Compliments are often downplayed or deflected to maintain social harmony and avoid appearing boastful.
| - Expressing a basic opinion, providing simple reasons where appropriate
| Degree words - 有点 (yǒu diǎn) (a little, very)
- 非常 (fēi cháng) (extremely)
- 最 (zuì) (the most)
- 太 … 了 (tài … le) (too, so)
- 我想中国菜最好吃 (wǒ xiǎng zhōngguó cài zuì hǎo chī le) (‘I think that Chinese food is most delicious’)
- 我觉得这个电影很好看 (wǒ juéde zhège diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn) (‘I think this movie is really good’)
- 太好了！你的画儿非常好看 (tài hǎo le! Nǐ de huàr fēichǎng hǎokàn) (‘Great! Your drawing is beautiful’).
Giving simple reasons Giving and receiving praise - 你的中文说得很好 (nǐ de zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo) (‘Your Chinese is really good’)
- 哪里哪里？ 还差得远呢 (nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ, hái chà de yuán ne?) (‘Not at all. I still have a long way to go’.)
- 你儿子真聪明！ (nǐ ěrzi zhēn cōngmíng) (‘Your son is so smart’)
- 没有没有，他还需要努力 (méiyǒu méiyǒu, tā hái xūyào nǔlì) (‘No no, he still needs to work hard’).
| - Chinese speakers often use exaggerated expressions like 累死了, which means ‘I am tired to death’, to emphasise strong feelings in mostly informal settings. This can be compared with idiomatic exaggerations in English (e.g. ‘I am freezing’).
| - Describing states and feelings
| Physical states and feelings - 天气热了 (tiānqì rè le) (‘The weather is hot’)
- 我累了 (wǒ lèi le) (‘I am tired’)
- 热死了 (è sǐ le) (‘I am starving’)
- 我觉得很开心 (wǒ juéde hěn kāixīn) (‘I feel very happy’)
- 你怎么了？ (nǐ zěn me le) (‘What’s wrong?’)
- 我的身体不舒服 (wǒ de shēntǐ bù shūfu) (‘I am not feeling well’)
- 我没事 (wǒ méi shì) (‘I am fine’)
Describing physical pain - 我头疼 (wǒ tóu těng) (‘My head hurts’)
- 我肚子疼 (wǒ dùzi těng) (‘My stomach hurts’)
- 我嗓子疼 (wǒ sǎngzi těng) (‘My throat hurts’).
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| - Use 觉得 (juéde) to show personal thoughts or reactions (e.g. to think, to feel).
- 想 is used to express thoughts, opinions, or mental activity.
- 因为 … 所以 … is used at the beginning of a clause to indicate reasoning. It is the equivalent of ‘because’ or ‘therefore’ in English. In natural speech, both 因为 and 所以 can be omitted if the meaning is clear.
| - 了 is often used to indicate change in physical state (e.g. suddenly hungry).
- When describing pain, the simple sentence structure [subject] + [body part] + 疼 is used.
- It is common to omit 我 when the context is clear that you are talking about yourself.
- 死了 (sǐ le) literally means ‘to death’ and is an expression used to intensify negative emotions (e.g. discomfort, annoyance, pain). In contrast, 极了 is used to intensify positive emotions (e.g. expression, enthusiasm). Both are common in spoken and casual settings.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | | - Communicating using an extended repertoire of formulaic expressions, instructions and short interactions
| - 请再说一遍 or 请再说一次 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn, qǐng zài shuō yí cì) (‘Please can you repeat’)
- 请慢一点儿说 (qǐng màn yì diǎnr shuō) (‘Please speak slower’)
- 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) (‘I don’t understand’)
- 没关系 (méi guānxi) (‘No problem’)
- 你怎么看? (nǐ zěnme kàn) (‘What do you think?’)
- 你说得对 (nǐ shuō de duì) (‘You are right’)
- 我不太明白你的意思 (wǒ bù tài míngbái) (‘I don’t really understand’)
- 什么意思 ? (shénme yìsi) (‘What does it mean?’)
- 不要这样 (bú yào zhè yàng) (‘Stop that’).
| | - Communicating about the location of people, things, and events
| Asking and saying if someone or something is present - 爸爸在家吗？ (bàba zài jiā ma) (‘Is Dad at home?’)
- 老师不在教室里面 (lǎoshī bú zài jiàoshì lǐmiàn) (‘The teacher is not in the classroom’)
Specific location - 在哪里？(zài nǎlǐ) or 在哪儿？ (zài nǎr) (‘Where is it?’)
- 爸爸在哪里? (bàba zài nǎlǐ) or 爸爸在哪儿? (bàba zài nǎr) (‘Where is Dad?’)
- 爸爸在外面 (bàba zài wàimiàn) (‘Dad is outside’)
- 书在哪里？ (shū zài nǎlǐ) or 书在哪儿？ (shū zài nǎr) (‘Where is the book?’)
- 书在桌子上的面 (shū zài zhuōzi de shàngmiàn) (‘The book is on the table’)
Existence - 桌子上有一本书 (zhuōzi shàng yǒu yī běn shū) (‘There is a book on the table’)
- 我有很多朋友 (wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyǒu) (‘I have a lot of friends’)
Location of events 他们在图书馆学习数学 (tāmen zài túshūguǎn xuéxi) (‘They are at the library studying’). |
| - Chinese Mandarin learners should be able to expand beyond basic classroom phrases into more nuanced, socially and contextually appropriate expressions. At this stage, learners should be able to initiate, sustain, and conclude interactions using a broader set of formulaic language that reflects real-world communication.
| - 在(zài) is one of the basic Chinese prepositions used to show the location of people or objects. Use 不在 (bùzài) (not present) for negation.
- 面 (miàn) and 边 (biān) both mean 'side'. There are regional differences regarding whether direction words are paired with 面 or 边。
- 面 (miàn) or 边 (biān) (side) can be omitted for 上面/边 (shàng miàn/ biān) (up) and 下面/边 (xià miàn/ biān) (down).
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | | | | - In many Chinese-speaking regions, public transport is so convenient and cost-effective that many people travel to and from work by bus and train even if they own a car.
| - Communicating about modes of transport
| - 你要去哪里？ (nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ) (‘Where are you going?’)
- 我要去公园 (wǒ yào qù gōngyuán) (‘I’m going to the park’)
How? Going to places by transport - 坐 or 骑 … 去 (qù) (how someone goes somewhere)
- 火车 (huóchē) (train)
- 公车 (gōngchē) (bus)
- 飞机 (fēijī) (airplane)
- 自行车 (zìxíngchē) (bicycle)
- 我坐公车去公园 (wǒ zuò gōnggòng qìchē qù gōngyuán) (‘Yesterday, I went to the park by bus’)
- 他骑自行车去游泳馆 (tā qí zìxíngchē qù yóuyǒngguǎn) (‘He rides a bike to the swimming pool’)
- 小明每天坐车回家 (Xiǎomíng měitiān zuò chē huí jiā) (‘Xiaoming goes home by car every day’)
- 昨天早上我走路去图书馆 (zuótiān zǎoshàng wǒ zǒulù qù túshūguǎn) (‘I walked to the library yesterday morning’)
从 … 到 … (from … to) - 从五岁到八岁我住在美国 (cóng wǔ suì dào bā suì wǒ zhù zài Měiguó) (‘From five to eight years old, I lived in America’)
- 从早上到晚上我都在学习 (cóng zǎoshang dào wǎnshàng wǒ dū zài xuéxí) (‘From morning to night, I have been studying’).
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| | - Directional words such as 来 (lái), 去 (qù), and 回 (huí) are used to express movement towards or away from the speaker.
- The character 车 (chē) is the basic Chinese character for wheeled transport. It originated as a pictograph representing a chariot or cart.
- There are specific sentence structures to express going to places by using different modes of transportation.
- In spoken and casual conversation, 从 is sometimes omitted when the meaning is still clear from context, but it must be used in formal writing.
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