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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 3

你叫什么名字 What's your name

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi

Introducing yourself, asking someone's name, simple "是" sentences.

Dialogue

在学校 — At school

马小明你nǐ好hǎo! 我wǒ叫jiào马mǎ小xiǎo明míng。你nǐ叫jiào什shén么me? Hello! My name is Ma Xiaoming. What's your name?
大山你nǐ好hǎo! 我wǒ叫jiào大dà山shān。 Hello! My name is Dashan.
马小明你nǐ是shì学xué生shēng吗ma? Are you a student?
大山是shì! 我wǒ也yě是shì老lǎo师shī! Yes! I'm also a teacher!
马小明不bú是shì不bu是shì! 你nǐ是shì学xué生shēng! No no! You're a student!

Dialogue

在学校 — At school

大山你nǐ好hǎo! 您nín是shì老lǎo师shī吗ma? Hello! Are you (formal) a teacher?
谢小文我wǒ?? 不bu! 我wǒ不bú是shì老lǎo师shī, 我wǒ也yě是shì学xué生shēng! Me?? No! I'm not a teacher, I'm also a student!
大山对duì不bù起qǐ! Sorry!
谢小文没méi关guān系xì。 It's OK.

Dialogue

在学校 — At school

高老师你nǐ好hǎo。我wǒ叫jiào高gāo老lǎo师shī。 Hello. My name is Teacher Gao.
大山您nín好hǎo! 您nín也yě是shì学xué生shēng吗ma? Hello (formal)! Are you also a student?
高老师我wǒ? 我wǒ不bú是shì学xué生shēng! 我wǒ是shì老lǎo师shī! Me? I'm not a student! I'm the teacher!
大山对duì不bù起qǐ! Sorry!

Vocabulary

汉字	Pinyin	POS	Meaning
我	wǒ	pron.	I; me
叫	jiào	v.	to be called
什么	shénme	pron.	what
名字	míngzi	n.	name
是	shì	v.	to be
老师	lǎoshī	n.	teacher
学生	xuéshēng	n.	student
吗	ma	part.	(yes-no question particle)
谁	shéi / shuí	pron.	who
不是	bú shì	phrase	not to be; no
也	yě	adv.	also; too
马小明	Mǎ Xiǎomíng	pn.	Ma Xiaoming (a person)
谢小文	Xiè Xiǎowén	pn.	Xie Xiaowen (a person)
大山	Dàshān	pn.	Dashan ("Big Mountain"; common Chinese name adopted by foreigners)
高老师	Gāo lǎoshī	pn.	Teacher Gao

New characters

汉字	Pinyin	Meaning
在	zài	at; on (preposition) 现在 xiànzài — now正在 zhèngzài — right now (V-ing)
学	xué	to study; (in 学生 = student) 学生 xuéshēng — student同学 tóngxué — classmate; fellow student大学 dàxué — university
校	xiào	school (in 学校) 学校 xuéxiào — school
叫	jiào	to be called
马	mǎ	horse; (in 马小明, a surname) 马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)马上 mǎshàng — right away马山 Mǎ Shān — Ma Shan (persona — energetic fitness instructor / 王月 neighbor)
小	xiǎo	small; little (common in given names) 马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)谢小文 Xiè Xiǎowén — Xie Xiaowen (a person)小学 xiǎoxué — primary school
明	míng	bright; (in 马小明) 马小明 Mǎ Xiǎomíng — Ma Xiaoming (a person)明天 míngtiān — tomorrow明年 míngnián — next year
什	shén	"what" component (亻+十, ch3) 什么 shénme — what为什么 wèi shénme — why (Level 1 revisit, formal lesson here)
么	me	(in 什么 = what) 什么 shénme — what多么 duōme — how (exclamation degree adverb)为什么 wèi shénme — why (Level 1 revisit, formal lesson here)
是	shì	to be 不是 bú shì — not to be; no但是 dànshì — but; however还是 háishi — or (in question A or B); "let us just" (in 还是…吧 frame — chapter anchor)
生	shēng	to be born; raw; (in 学生 = student) 学生 xuéshēng — student大学生 dàxuéshēng — university student中学生 zhōngxuéshēng — middle / high school student
吗	ma	(yes-no question particle) 真的吗 zhēn de ma — really? (frequent reaction)
也	yě	also; too 也许 yěxǔ — perhaps; maybe怎么也 zěnme yě — no matter how; in no way
名	míng	(in 名字 = name) 名字 míngzi — name
字	zì	(in 名字 = name); written character 名字 míngzi — name汉字 Hànzì — Chinese character
谁	shéi / shuí	who
文	wén	language; literature; (in 谢小文) 谢小文 Xiè Xiǎowén — Xie Xiaowen (a person)中文 Zhōngwén — Chinese (written)文山 Wén Shān — Wen Shan (persona — male university student)
他	tā	he (亻+也, ch4) 他们 tāmen — they; them (male/mixed)

Hanzi — writing & recognition

我

wǒ I; me Writing

7 strokes single-component

Originally depicted a weapon. Later borrowed to mean the first-person pronoun "I".

是

shì to be Writing

9 strokes top-bottom

Top: "日" (sun). Bottom: "正" (correct). Originally meant "correct", later became the copula "to be".

也

yě also; too Writing

3 strokes single-component

The shape originally depicted an ancient vessel. Today it is the adverb "also". It appears as a component in many characters: 他, 她, 地, 池.

叫

jiào to be called Recognition

5 strokes left-right radical 口

生

shēng to be born; raw; (in 学生 = student) Recognition

5 strokes single-component

学

xué to study; (in 学生 = student) Recognition

8 strokes top-bottom

吗

ma (yes-no question particle) Recognition

6 strokes left-right radical 口

Grammar

"是"字句 The "是" Sentence

"是"连接主语和名词，表示等同或类属。否定形式是"不是"。

"是" links a subject to a noun, expressing equality or membership. The negative is "不是".

我是学生。 Wǒ shì xuéshēng. I am a student.
他不是老师。 Tā bú shì lǎoshī. He is not a teacher.
我叫马小明，我是学生。 Wǒ jiào Mǎ Xiǎomíng, wǒ shì xuéshēng. My name is Ma Xiaoming. I am a student.

Grammar

用"吗"提问 Yes-No Questions with "吗"

在陈述句末尾加"吗"，就变成是非问句。语序不变。

Add "吗" to the end of a statement to make a yes-no question. The word order does not change.

你是学生吗? Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma? Are you a student?
您是老师吗? Nín shì lǎoshī ma? Are you (formal) a teacher?
他是大山吗? Tā shì Dàshān ma? Is he Dashan?

Grammar

用"什么"和"谁"提问 Specific Questions with "什么" and "谁"

把不知道的名词换成"什么"（事物）或"谁"（人）。语序不变。

Replace the unknown noun with "什么" (for things) or "谁" (for people). The word order does not change.

你叫什么? Nǐ jiào shénme? What's your name?
谁是大山? Shéi shì Dàshān? Who is Dashan?
谁是学生? Shéi shì xuéshēng? Who is a student?

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