Lesson 1 — Introduction & Basic Communication
Learn Pinyin, tones, basic greetings, essential characters, common sentences, and practice dialogues in Chinese.
1. Pinyin & Tones | 拼音和声调
Pinyin is the Romanization system for Chinese characters, helping learners read and pronounce words. Chinese has 4 main tones, which change the meaning of words.
| Tone | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tone 1 (High Level) | 妈 | mā | mother |
| Tone 2 (Rising) | 麻 | má | hemp |
| Tone 3 (Falling-Rising) | 马 | mǎ | horse |
| Tone 4 (Falling) | 骂 | mà | scold |
2. Basic Greetings | 基本问候
Essential phrases for saying hello, goodbye, and polite expressions:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 再见 | zài jiàn | Goodbye |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | Thank you |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | You’re welcome |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | Sorry |
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | It’s okay / No problem |
3. Basic Characters | 基本汉字
Learn some fundamental Chinese characters and how to use them in sentences:
| Character | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Sentence Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I / me | 我是学生 | I am a student |
| 你 | nǐ | you | 你好吗? | How are you? |
| 他 | tā | he / him | 他是老师 | He is a teacher |
| 学 | xué | study / learn | 我学习中文 | I study Chinese |
| 家 | jiā | home / family | 我的家 | My home |
| 爱 | ài | love | 我爱我的家 | I love my family |
| 吃 | chī | eat | 我喜欢吃米饭 | I like to eat rice |
| 喝 | hē | drink | 我喝水 | I drink water |
4. Common Sentences | 常用句子
Use these sentences in daily conversations:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好吗? | nǐ hǎo ma? | How are you? |
| 我很好, 谢谢! | wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie! | I am fine, thank you! |
| 你叫什么名字? | nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? | What is your name? |
| 我叫李明. | wǒ jiào lǐ míng. | My name is Li Ming. |
| 请问, 厕所在哪里? | qǐngwèn, cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? | Excuse me, where is the bathroom? |
| 我不明白 | wǒ bù míngbái | I don’t understand |
| 请慢慢说 | qǐng màn man shuō | Please speak slowly |
5. Example Dialogue | 对话示例
Practice conversation for meeting someone:
A:
你好! 你叫什么名字?
Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Hello! What is your name?
B:
我叫王芳。你呢?
Wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng. Nǐ ne?
My name is Wang Fang. And you?
A:
我叫李明。很高兴认识你!
Wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng. Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ!
My name is Li Ming. Nice to meet you!
B:
我也很高兴认识你!
Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ!
Nice to meet you too!
6. Practice Exercises | 练习
- Practice writing the four tones using example words: 妈, 麻, 马, 骂.
- Introduce yourself using: 我叫____.
- Ask someone’s name: 你叫什么名字?
- Use greetings: 你好, 再见, 谢谢, 对不起.
- Create simple sentences using 我, 你, 他, 学, 家, 爱, 吃, 喝.
- Role-play dialogue with a friend.
7. Summary | 总结
In this lesson, you learned Pinyin, tones, basic greetings, fundamental characters, common sentences, and simple dialogues. Practicing these words and sentences will help you start communicating in Chinese confidently.