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Daily lessons · Day 3 of 90
Saying who you are
Names, nationality, and 是
Today you can introduce yourself, ask for someone's name the polite way, and say where you are from. You also meet 是, which does one job and only one.
Names
Two verbs share the work, and the polite question asks for a different part of the name.
Why it works
叫 means to be called and takes a whole name or a given name. 姓 means to have as a surname and takes the family name only. The polite question asks for the surname because that is how you will address the person: 王先生, Wáng xiānsheng, Mr Wang. Asking a stranger's given name first is like calling a new client by their first name before they have offered it.
Where you are from
One pattern covers every country, with nothing irregular to learn.
Why it works
Country plus 人, rén, person, gives the nationality, with no exceptions: 法国人, Fǎguó rén, is French, and 日本人, Rìběn rén, is Japanese. Many foreign country names were chosen for their sound, using a character that also carries a good meaning, which is how America became beautiful country. Learn your own country once and you can introduce yourself anywhere.
I, you, he and she
Chinese pronouns never change form, whatever they are doing in the sentence.
Why it works
There is no I and me, no he and him. 我 is the subject and the object: 我叫安娜 is I am called Anna, and 他叫我, tā jiào wǒ, is he is calling me. Word order carries the grammar instead, subject then verb then object, the same order as English. That is one reason early Chinese sentences often feel easier than you expected.
Surname first
Chinese names put the family name first, and it is usually one character. 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 张 Zhāng, 刘 Liú and 陈 Chén are the commonest. The given name follows, usually one or two characters. 王小明, Wáng Xiǎomíng, is Mr Wang, never Mr Xiaoming. Many Chinese people who work with foreigners also use an English name, so do not be surprised to meet a Wang who is also Kevin.
Carried over from earlier days
Say each one out loud before you look at the English.
Today’s words 12
Check yourself
8 questions. Get 6 right to finish the day.
What does 我叫安娜 literally say?
- I am called Anna
- my surname is Anna
- I am Anna's
- call me Anna
Show the answer
I am called Anna 叫 is to be called, and it takes a whole name or a given name.
Type the word for I in pinyin.
Show the answer
wǒ One word for I and me, and it never changes.
Meeting an older business contact, you ask
- 你叫什么名字？ nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
- 您贵姓？ nín guì xìng?
- 你是谁？ nǐ shì shéi?
- 你是哪国人？ nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
Show the answer
您贵姓？ nín guì xìng? The polite question asks for the surname, which is how you will address them.
Someone asks you 您贵姓. You answer
- 我姓王 wǒ xìng Wáng
- 我贵姓王 wǒ guì xìng Wáng
- 我叫贵 wǒ jiào guì
- 我是贵 wǒ shì guì
Show the answer
我姓王 wǒ xìng Wáng 贵 honours the other person, so it never goes on your own name.
How do you make a nationality from a country name?
- add 人, person
- add 们
- add 是
- change the tone
Show the answer
add 人, person 英国人, 美国人, 中国人. The same for every country.
Type the pinyin for 中国人, a Chinese person.
Show the answer
Zhōngguó rén 中国 is the middle country, and 人 makes it a person.
他 and 她 sound
- identical
- different in tone
- different in the first letter
- different only in the south
Show the answer
identical Both are tā. Only the writing tells you whether it is he or she.
王小明 is addressed as
- Mr Wang
- Mr Xiaoming
- Mr Xiao
- Mr Ming
Show the answer
Mr Wang The family name comes first. 王 is the surname.
Question 1 of 8
Writing practice optional
Every character from today, in the order it came up. Watch it, trace it, then write it from memory.
Press Watch to see the stroke order.
Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.
Character 1 of 23
This lesson is written by an English speaker who learned Mandarin as a second language, and it is waiting on a check by a native speaker. If you spot something off, please tell us and we will fix it.