Overview
This lecture covers how to greet others and introduce yourself in Chinese, focusing on basic sentence patterns, name order, and pronunciation rules.
Greetings in Chinese
- "你好" (nǐ hǎo) means "Hello" in Chinese.
- "你" (nǐ) means "you" and "好" (hǎo) means "good," "well," or "okay."
- When two third tones appear together, the first is pronounced as a second tone.
Introducing Yourself
- Chinese names typically have the last name (family name) first, followed by the first name (given name).
- Last names are usually one character, first names one or two characters.
- To introduce your last name: "我姓___" (wǒ xìng ___) means "My last name is ___."
- To introduce your full name or first name: "我叫___" (wǒ jiào ___) means "My name is ___."
Common Examples
- Bruce Lee: 李小龙 (Lǐ Xiǎolóng), 李 is the last name, 小龙 the first name.
- Jackie Chan: 成龙 (Chéng Lóng), 成 is the last name, 龙 the first name.
- If you introduce only your first name, it must have two characters; one-character first names require using your full name or a two-character nickname.
Practice & Review
- Practice saying "你好" and the sentence patterns for introducing your last and full names.
- Try introducing yourself with these patterns using your real or Chinese name.
Key Terms & Definitions
- 你好 (nǐ hǎo) — Hello
- 姓 (xìng) — Last name or family name
- 叫 (jiào) — To be called or named
- 第三声 (third tone) — A tone in Mandarin Chinese, changes pronunciation when two occur together
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete the quiz for this lesson on the lesson page.
- Prepare to learn character memorization methods in the next topic.
- Sign up on the website for more materials and resources.