basic mandarin chinese | lesson15 | numbers and currencies!

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Nǐ hǎo Lesson 15 on Basic Mandarin!


Revision

Speaker English Mandarin

Mark Who has a younger sister? Shéi yǒu meìmei?

Lisa Lǐ has a younger sister Lǐ yǒu meìmei

Mark Who is he? Tā shì shéi?

Lisa He is doctor Wáng Tā shì Wáng yīsheng

Mark Whose photo is this? Zhè shì shéi de zhào piàn?

Lisa This is my photo Zhè shì wǒ de zhào piàn

Mark Do you have an elder sister? Nǐ yǒu jiějie ma?

Lisa I don't have an elder sister Wǒ méi yǒu jiějie

Lisa I have a younger sister Wǒ yǒu yí ge meìmei


Revision

Speaker English Mandarin

Mark Who is he? Tā shì shéi?

Lisa He is my father doctor Wáng Tā shì wǒ bàba, Wáng yīsheng

Mark Is she your elder sister Tā shì nǐ jiějie ma?

Lisa No, I have a younger sister Bù, wǒ yǒu yí ge meìmei


Lesson objectives

1 Numbers and currencies


What's in store today?

Today we will have a casual conversation with a vendor in the market and cover

numbers in the process!


Basic questions

When asking the price of something in Mandarin, we use the phrase ‘duōshǎo qián’

This phrase is made up on three words, and can literally be translated as

‘many/few money’ implying ‘How much does it cost?’


Basic questions

It is pronounced with ahigh level tone

Many

Duō


Basic questions

It is pronounced with afalling rising tone

Few

Shǎo


Basic questions

It is pronounced with a mid rising tone

Money

Qián


Basic questions

Many few money

Duō shǎo qián


Basic questions

Literally meaning,‘many few money’

How much does it cost?

Duōshǎo qián?


Grammar tip

We can shorten this phrase to only mean ‘How much’, by removing the

word ‘money’ from it


Basic Questions

Literally, ‘many few?’

How much is it/ How much?

Duōshǎo?


Numbers

To answer these questions, we will have to learn the concept of numbers in Mandarin,

which is fairly simple and logical!

Let’s take a look!


Numbers


Numbers

The numbers 11-19 follow a slightly different order from the rest, where, instead of

calling out 11 as ‘1-10-1’, we simply omit the first one and call it ‘10-1’

Let’s take a look!


Numbers


Numbers

Now let’s learn how to deal with decimal points or fractions!

We use the word ‘diǎn’ to represent decimals, this is also a measure word

for time!


Numbers


Let's see if you remember…


Pick the right option

How do we say ‘ten’ in Mandarin?

1

Shí

2

Shí’èr

3

Shíyi


Solution

How do we say ‘ten’ in Mandarin?

1

Shí

2

Shí’èr

3

Shíyi



How do we say ‘how much’ in Mandarin?

1

Duō hǎo?

2

Duōshǎo?

3

Duōshǎoian?


Solution

How do we say ‘how much’ in Mandarin?

1

Duō hǎo?

2

Duōshǎo?

3

Duōshǎoian?



How do we say 11.1 in Mandarin?

1

Shídiǎnyī

2

Shí’èrdiǎnwǔ

3

Shí’yīdiǎnyī


Solution

How do we say 11.1 in Mandarin?

1

Shídiǎnyī

2

Shí’èrdiǎnwǔ

3

Shí’yīdiǎnyī


Moving on…

Great! Now let’s move on to answering those questions with varied statements

Here is what we will cover today

This is for 10 dollars This is for 18 yuan This is for 20 yen

This is for 12 dollars


Currencies

In mandarin, currencies are formed by adding thecountry name along with the Chinese currency!

Let’s see the following sentences and figure out!


Basic questions

Měiyuán = America + Chinese currency

It measure word is ten dollars

Zhè ge shí měiyuán


Grammar tip

Note that, ‘is’ is not translated as, ten is an adjective and the ‘to-be’ verb is not translated

before adjectives in Mandarin!

Also note that ‘this’ and ‘it’ translate to the same word in this case!


Currencies

It | Measure word| Amount| Currency

It is for 10 dollars

Zhè ge shí měiyuán


Currencies

Yuán and kuài can be usedinterchangeably in Mandarin

This is for 18 yuan

Zhè ge shíbā kuài


Currencies

Rìyuán= Japan + chinese currency

This is for 20 yen

Zhè shì èrshí rìyuán


Currencies

This is for 60 dollars

Zhè ge liùshí měiyuán


Let's see if you remember…



What word can be used instead of ‘Yuán’ in Mandarin?

1

Liùshí

2

Zhè

3

Kuài


Solution

What word can be used instead of ‘Yuán’ in Mandarin?

1

Liùshí

2

Zhè

3

Kuài


Revision

English Mandarin

How much does it cost? Duōshǎo qián?

How much is it? Duōshǎo?

This is for 10 dollars Zhè ge shí měiyuán

This is for 18 yuan Zhè ge shíbā kuài

This is for 20 yen Zhè shì èrshí rìyuán

This is for 60 dollars Zhè ge liùshí měiyuán


Culture leaf


Culture leaf

The Giant Panda is regarded as the symbol ofChina

And it is also the Chinese national animal

It is universally loved, and is a peaceful, bamboo-eating member of the bear family

It lives in bamboo forests in central China and is an endangered animal


Culture leaf

Surprisingly, Giant panda babies are very small,and weigh only 90–130 grams, which is about

1/900 of its mother's weight!


Culture leaf

In November 2007, China had 239 giant pandaswho lived in captivity

There are 27 giant pandas which live in zoosoutside of China, and the exact number of giant

pandas in the wild is not known


What's next?

In the next lesson we shall learn aboutexpression of time!


Credits

Content Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda

Voice over Tyler Crandall

Images http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chengdu-pandas-d18.jpg

Colegota http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pandas_du_zoo_de_

Beauval.jpg Isa2886


See you at the Alley!


basic mandarin chinese | lesson15 | numbers and currencies!

Travel

speaker english

sh shi

du ho

ge memei

elder sister

younger sister

practice games

grammar tip