Learn Mandarin Chinese for free using self-paced audio-visual lessons and interactive practice exercises - CultureAlley - master conversations, grammar, vocabulary and more! This lesson teaches you some delightful conversations around talking about one's family. It covers family relations (like father, mother, brother, sister etc.) and possessive particle 'de'. To study this at your own pace, take quizzes and explore more lessons go to www.culturealley.com. See you at the Alley!

1. To view this with Audio and practice games, visit www.CultureAlley.com/Mandarin

2. Nǐ hǎo
Lesson 10 on Basic Mandarin!
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3. Revision
Translation
Mandarin
Chinese people
Zhōngguó rén
American people
Měiguó rén
English people
Yīngguó rén
French people
Fǎguó rén
Rén = People
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4. Revision
English
Mandarin
Which
Nǎ
Country
Guó
Which country?
Nǎ guó?
People
Rén
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5. Revision
English
Mandarin
Mark
Are you Chinese?
Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén ma?
Lisa
Yes, I am
Shì
Lisa
Where are you from?
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén
Mark
I am from Japan
Wǒ shì Riběn rén
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6. Lesson objectives
1
Familial Relations
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7. What's in store today?
Today we will learn the vocabulary for
familial relations, and also see the use
of the possessive particle 'de' with
respect to family!
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8. What's in store today?
Let’s begin with vocabulary!
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9. Familial relations
Home
Jiā
Jiā is pronounced using the
high level tone
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10. Familial relations
Father
Bàba
Bàba is pronounced using the
falling tone
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11. Familial relations
Mother
Māma
Māma is pronounced using the
high level tone
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12. Familial relations
Son
Érzi
Érzi is pronounced using the
mid rising tone
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13. Familial relations
Daughter
Nǚ’er
Nǚ’er is pronounced using the
falling rising tone
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14. Revision
English
Mandarin
Family, home
Jiā
Father
Bàba
Mother
Māma
Son
Érzi
Daughter
Nǚ’er
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15. Grammar tip
Mandarin uses different vocabulary for
addressing an elder sister/ brother
versus a younger sister/ brother
Let’s learn what they are
called in Mandarin!
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16. Familial relations
Elder sister
Jiějie
Jiějie is pronounced using the
falling rising tone
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17. Familial relations
Younger sister
Mèimei
Mèimei is pronounced using
the falling tone
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18. Familial relations
Elder brother
Gēge
Gēge is pronounced using
the high level tone
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19. Familial relations
Younger brother
Dìdi
Dìdi is pronounced using
the falling tone
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20. Revision
English
Mandarin
Elder sister
Jiějie
Younger sister
Mèimei
Elder brother
Gēge
Younger brother
Dìdi
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21. Let's see if you remember…
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22. Pick the right option
How do we say 'Home'?
1
2
3
Érzi
Gēge
Jiā
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23. Solution
How do we say 'Home'?
1
2
3
Érzi
Gēge
Jiā
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24. Pick the right option
How do we say 'Son'?
1
2
3
Érzi
Gēge
Jiā
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25. Solution
How do we say 'Son'?
1
2
3
Érzi
Gēge
Jiā
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26. Pick the right option
How do we say 'Younger sister'?
1
2
3
Mèimei
Jiějie
Dìdi
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27. Solution
How do we say 'Younger sister'?
1
2
3
Mèimei
Jiějie
Dìdi
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28. Pick the right option
How do we say 'Older brother'?
1
2
3
Gēge
Jiějie
Dìdi
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29. Solution
How do we say 'Older brother'?
1
2
3
Gēge
Jiějie
Dìdi
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30. Moving on…
Now let us try and have
a basic conversation!
Let’s see how do we ask
about relations!
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31. Familial relations
Is she your elder sister?
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32. Familial relations
Is
she
your
elder sister
?
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
Shì
tā
nǐ
jiějie
ma?
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33. Familial relations
Is she your elder sister?
Tā shì nǐ jiějie ma?
Literally, 'She is your
elder sister?'
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34. Grammar tip
One can also omit the ‘your’ and just
say ‘she is elder sister?’, in Mandarin to
convey the same meaning
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35. Familial relations
Is she your elder sister?
Tā shì jiějie ma?
Literally, 'She is elder sister?'
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36. Familial relations
Yes, she is
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37. Familial relations
Yes, she is
Tā shì
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38. Familial relations
He
is
my
father
↓
↓
↓
↓
Tā
shì
wǒ
bàba
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39. Familial relations
He is my father
Tā shì wǒ bàba
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40. Moving on…
Lets learn how to say a few other
phrases regarding family
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41. Familial relations
My mother
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42. Familial relations
I
mother
↓
↓
Wǒ
de (possessive pronoun)
māma
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43. Familial relations
My mother
Wǒ de māma
Literally, ‘I (possessive) mother'
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44. Grammar tip
Recall that the particle ‘de’ , is a
possessive particle, used in
possessive pronouns, example
(mine = wǒ de)
It is also used for emphasis
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45. Grammar tip
The particle ‘de’ is often omitted in
colloquial speech after a personal
pronoun and before a kinship term
Lets look at a few examples
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46. Familial relations
English
Mandarin
Colloquial
My home
Wǒ de jiā
Wǒ jiā
My father
Wǒ de bàba
Wǒ bàba
My mother
Wǒ de māma
Wǒ māma
My son
Wǒ de érzi
Wǒ érzi
My daughter
Wǒ de nǚ’er
Wǒ nǚ’er
My elder brother
Wǒ de gēge
Wǒ gēge
My younger brother
Wǒ de dìdi
Wǒ dìdi
My elder sister
Wǒ de jiějie
Wǒ jiějie
My younger sister
Wǒ de mèimei
Wǒ mèimei
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47. Revision
Let's have a small familial conversation and
revise what we have learnt today!
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48. Revision
English
Mandarin
Mark
Hello!
Nǐ hǎo
Lisa
How are you?
Nǐ hǎo ma?
Mark I am good! Is she your sister?
Wǒ hěn hǎo!Tā shì jiějie ma?
Lisa
Yes,she is
Tā shì
Mark
Hello! He is my father!
Nǐ hǎo!Tā shì wǒ bàba
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49. Let's see if you remember…
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50. Pick the right option
How do we say 'Is he your father?'
1
2
3
Tā shì
bàba ma?
Tā shì
jiějie ma?
Tā shì
gēge ma?
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51. Solution
How do we say 'Is he your father?'
1
2
3
Tā shì
bàba ma?
Tā shì
jiějie ma?
Tā shì
gēge ma?
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52. Pick the right option
How do we say 'She is my mother',
in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Tā shì
jiějie ma
Tā shì wǒ
māma
Tā shì wǒ
bàba
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53. Solution
How do we say 'She is my mother',
in Mandarin?
1
2
3
Tā shì
jiějie ma
Tā shì wǒ
māma
Tā shì wǒ
bàba
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54. Pick the right option
How do we say 'My father', formally?
1
2
3
Wǒ de bàba
Wǒ bàba
Wǒ de gēge
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55. Solution
How do we say 'My father', formally?
1
2
3
Wǒ de bàba
Wǒ bàba
Wǒ de gēge
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56. Pick the right option
How do we say 'My daughter', informally?
1
2
3
Wǒ de nǚ’er
Wǒ nǚ’er
Wǒ érzi
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57. Solution
How do we say 'My daughter', informally?
1
2
3
Wǒ de nǚ’er
Wǒ nǚ’er
Wǒ érzi
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58. Culture leaf
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59. Culture leaf
Since 20th century, especially, the year
of 1949, Chinese family has
gotten great change
The modern Chinese family pattern varies,
and it develops mainly towards
small-size and direct line
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60. Culture leaf
Most of the families in the town consist
of couple and one or two children, while
in country the extended families are
still superior with three or more
than three generations
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61. What's next?
In the next lesson we will
learn numerals and use them
in conversations!
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62. Credits
Content
Team CultureAlley, Sunny Dang
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63. See you at the Alley!
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