Lesson 1 — Greetings (打招呼)
Learn how to say hello, ask and answer basic questions, and introduce yourself in Chinese.
1. Vocabulary | 生词
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | Hello (polite form) |
| 好吗 | hǎo ma | How are you? |
| 我 | wǒ | I / me |
| 很 | hěn | very |
| 谢谢 | xièxiè | Thank you |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | Goodbye |
| 请 | qǐng | Please |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | You’re welcome |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | Sorry |
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | It’s okay / No problem |
| 叫 | jiào | to be called / name |
| 名字 | míngzi | name |
2. Grammar | 语法
1. Greetings:
"你好 (nǐ hǎo)" means "hello" and is used in general situations. For polite or formal situations, use "您好 (nín hǎo)".
2. Asking How Someone Is:
Structure: 你 + 好吗？(nǐ hǎo ma?) = How are you?
Answer structure: 我 + 很 + adjective +，谢谢。(wǒ hěn + adj, xièxiè) = I am very ___, thank you.
Example: 我很好，谢谢。(wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè) = I am fine, thank you.
3. Introducing Yourself:
Structure: 我叫 + Name (wǒ jiào + Name) = My name is ___.
Example: 我叫李明。(wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng) = My name is Li Ming.
3. Example Dialogue | 对话示例
A: 你好！(nǐ hǎo) — Hello!
B: 你好！你好吗？(nǐ hǎo! nǐ hǎo ma?) — Hello! How are you?
A: 我很好，谢谢！(wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè) — I am fine, thank you!
B: 再见！(zàijiàn) — Goodbye!
Extended dialogue for practice:
A: 你叫什么名字？(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) — What is your name?
B: 我叫王芳。(wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng) — My name is Wang Fang.
A: 很高兴认识你！(hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ) — Nice to meet you!
B: 我也很高兴认识你！(wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ) — Nice to meet you too!
4. More Useful Phrases | 更多实用句子
- 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.
- 谢谢你！(xièxiè nǐ) — 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.
5. Mini Conversation Practice | 小对话练习
Scenario: Meeting a new friend
A: 你好！(nǐ hǎo) — Hello!
B: 你好！(nǐ hǎo) — Hello!
A: 你叫什么名字？(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) — What is your name?
B: 我叫李华。(wǒ jiào Lǐ Huá) — My name is Li Hua.
A: 很高兴认识你！(hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ) — 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. Exercises | 练习
- Translate the following into Chinese:
- Hello!
- How are you?
- I am fine, thank you.
- Goodbye!
- Write sentences using: 你好, 谢谢, 再见
- Practice asking someone’s name and answering: 你叫什么名字？ / 我叫___。
- Role-play a short dialogue with a partner.
7. Summary | 总结
In this lesson, you learned how to greet people, ask and answer "how are you?", introduce yourself, and use basic polite expressions in Chinese. You also practiced dialogues and mini conversations. Keep practicing daily to build confidence in speaking.