Audio Tutorial of Basic Chinese: Who, What, Where, Why, & How

Have a question about Chinese learning? Let's blog.

Home

Parenting

Dining

Greeting

Shopping

Time

Traveling

What

English	Chinese Pronunciation	Sound
(Once) every two years.	Liang3 nian2 yi2 ci4.
Abroard.	Zai4 guo2 wai4.
At Beijing University.	Zai4 Bei3 Da4.
Aunt (father's sister)	Gu1 gu
Aunt (Mother's sister)	Yi2
Because their bus was late.	Yin1 wei2 ta1 men de che1 wan3 le.
black	hei1
boy friend	nan2 peng2 you3
brother (older)	Ge1 ge
brother (younger)	Di4 di
Dad	Ba4 ba
dark green	shen1 luu4
dating	gao3 dui4 xiang4
daughter	nuu3 er2
engage	ding4 hun1
Father	Fu4 Qin1
fiance	wei4 hun1 fu1
fiancee	wei4 hun1 qi1
girl friend	nuu3 peng2 you3
Grandma / Grandmother (mother's mother)	Wai4 Po2
Grandma / Grandmother (father's mother)	Nai3 nai
Grandpa / Grandfather (mother's father)	Wai4 Gong1
Grandpa / Grandfather (father's father)	Ye2 ye
green	luu4
How can I learn a good Chinese?	Wo3 zen3 me cai2 neng2 xue2 hao3 zhong1 wen2?
How do you like Beijing?	Ni3 jue2 de Bei3 Jing1 zen3 me yang4?
How long will you stay here?	Ni3 yao4 zai4 zhe4 li3 dai1 duo2 jiu3?
How often do you come here?	Ni3 duo1 jiu3 lai2 yi2 ci4?
I am a student.	Wo3 shi4 yi2 ge4 xue2 sheng1.
I am a teacher.	Wo3 shi4 jiao1 shu1 de. Or Wo3 shi4 yi2 ge4 lao3 shi1.
I am from America.	Wo3 shi4 Mei3 Guo2 ren2.
I am going shopping.	Wo3 shang4 jie1.
I am going to school.	Wo3 qu4 shang4 xue2.
I am going to the campus.	Wo3 dao4 xue2 xiao4 qu4 yi2 tang4.
I am learning Chinese on the Internet.	Wo3 zai4 wang3 shang4 xue2 zhong1 wen2.
I came here a month ago.	Wo3 shi4 yi2 ge4 yue4 qian2 lai2 de.
I have been at school.	Wo3 yi4 zhi2 zai4 xue2 xiao4.
Is (someone) in his/her office?	(Someone) zai4 ta1 de ban4 gong1 shi3 ma?
I think it's beautiful.	Wo3 ren4 wei2 hen3 mei3.
I want to do business in China.	Wo3 xiang3 zai4 Zhong1 Guo2 zuo4 sheng1 yi4.
I will be here for another month.	Wo3 hai2 yao4 zai4 zhe4 dai1 yi2 ge4 yue4.
I've been to the bathroom.	Wo3 dao4 ce4 sou3 qu4 le.
It's blue.	Shi4 lan2 de.
light yellow	qian3 huang2
lover	qing2 ren2
marry *	jie2 hun1
Mom	Ma1 ma
Mother	Mu3 Qin1
Practice makes perfect.	Shu2 neng2 sheng1 qiao3.
red	hong2
She/He went home.	Ta1 hui2 jia1 le.
She's/He's not home.	Ta1 bu2 zai4 jia1.
She/He works in a joint-venture.	Ta1 zai4 yi4 jia1 he2 zi1 qi3 ye4 gong1 zuo4.
She/he's at home.	Ta1 zai4 jia1.
She/He's at work.	Ta1 zai4 ban1 shang.
She/He's gone to a meeting.	Ta1 kai1 hui4 qu4 le.
She/he's in her office.	Ta1 zai4 ban4 gong1 shi4.
She/He's my boss.	Ta1 shi4 wo3 de lao3 ban3.
She/He's out on a business errand.	Ta1 chu1 chai1 le.
sister (older)	Jie3 jie
sister (younger)	Mei4 mei
son	er2 zi
That is a pen.	Na4 shi4 yi4 zhi1 bi3.
These are books.	Zhe4 xie1 shi4 shu1.
This is a book.	Zhe4 shi4 yi4 ben3 shu1.
This is my husband.	Zhe4 shi4 wo3 zhang4 fu. (formal) Or Zhe4 shi4 wo3 lao3 gong1. (informal)
This is my wife.	Zhe4 shi4 wo3 tai4 tai.
Those are pens.	Na4 xie1 shi4 bi3.
Uncle (father's brother)	Shu1 shu
Uncle (Mother's brother)	Jiu4 jiu
wedding	hun1 li3
What are these?	Zhe4 xie1 shi4 shen2 me?
What are those?	Na4 xie1 shi4 shen2 me?
What are you?	Ni3 shi4 zuo4 shen2 me de?
What color is it?	Zhe4 shi4 shen2 me yan2 se4?
What is that?	Na4 shi4 shen2 me?
What is this?	Zhe4 shi4 shen2 me?
What is your occupation?	Ni3 zuo4 shen2 mo gong1 zuo4?
When did you come here?	Ni3 shen2 me shi2 hou4 lai2 de?
Where are you from?	Ni3 shi4 nar3 de ren2?
Where are you going?	Ni3 qu4 nar3?
Where have you been?	Ni3 shang4 nar3 le?
Where is she/he?	Ta1 zai4 nar3?
Where's she/he working?	Ta1 zai4 na3 gong1 zuo4?
Where's your brother studying?	Ni3 de Di4 di zai4 na3 xue2 xi2?
white	bai2
Who's this?	Zhe4 shi4 shei2?
Why do you learn Chinese?	Ni3 wei4 shen2 me yao4 xue2 zhong1 wen2?
Why were they late?	Ta1 men wei4 shen2 me chi2 dao4?
Will you marry me?	Jia4 gei3 wo3 hao3 ma? (man to woman) Qu3 wo3 ma? (woman to man)
yellow	huang2

Book cover of The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese by Haiwang Yuan

Tones of Chinese Pinyin

The numerals 1,2,3,4 at the end of each syllable stands for the different tones, 1 for the flat tone ; 2, the rising tone ; 3, the falling-rising tone and 4, the falling tone . Absence of numerals represent light or no tone.

Here is a link to practice the tones.

For more information about Pinyin, visit my pinyin links.

Related links:

Get your child a Chinese name
by typing in his/her first and last name and picking a desired essence of the name

Children's nursery rhymes.

Visit my China web site for information about the country.

Here is a site for those who are interested in learning Cantonese.

This is a comprehensive site on Chinese - dictionaries, online readings, Pinyin Chat and more - zhongwen.com.