Learn chinese. Lesson 3: Presentations

Phonetics and vocabulary

tā: she. Sounds like he, but the character is different. The t is aspirated like in English:

xìng: Be named (+ family name). The x is pronounced with the back of the tongue and g final is not pronounced , but dies in the throat:

jiào: call / be called (+ first name or family name and first name ). The j is pronounced like 'dz' but with the back of the tongue:

shénme: what ?

míngzì: first name g is not pronounced and dies in the throat. After the z, the i is pronounced e:

shéi: who ?

xiānsheng: mister. The x is pronounced like an s but with the back of the tongue. ian is pronounced like yen:

xuéshēng: student (different from tóngxué .See grammar).

xiǎojiě: miss.

shì: be. After the s, sh, c, ch, z, r (the r is pronounced as j in French ), the i is pronounced a:

rènshi: to know. The r is pronounced as j in French:

de: (possessive particle)

gāoxìng: Be happy , happy.

xiǎomíng: A first name, literally little light.

wáng: A surname / (king) (the word king is said guówáng).

lǐ: A surname / plum (the word plum is said lǐzi).

Note the tone: when two low tone are together, the first syllable becomes rising tone:
- nǐhǎo become níhǎo
- xiǎojiě become xiáojiě

This transformation is only spoken and not written.

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