Saying who you are
You finished this day
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
8 questions. Get 5 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
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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.
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wǒ One word for I and me, and it never changes.
Meeting an older business contact, you ask
- 您贵姓？ nín guì xìng?
- 你叫什么名字？ nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
- 你好！ nǐ hǎo!
- 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
- 我叫贵 wǒ jiào guì
- 我是贵 wǒ shì guì
- 我姓王 wǒ xìng Wáng
- 我贵姓王 wǒ guì xìng Wáng
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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?
- change the tone
- add 们
- add 人, person
- add 是
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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.
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Zhōngguó rén 中国 is the middle country, and 人 makes it a person.
他 and 她 sound
- different only in the south
- different in the first letter
- different in tone
- identical
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identical Both are tā. Only the writing tells you whether it is he or she.
我姓王 tells you…
- their surname is Wang
- their given name is Wang
- they are called Wang Wang
- they come from a place called Wang
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their surname is Wang 姓 is the surname. Chinese names put the surname first.
Question 1 of 8
Character 1 of 23
Press Watch to see the stroke order.
Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.