Chinese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 5 of 12
Family and friends
家人和朋友Jiārén hé péngyou
Talk about your family in Mandarin: family words, “my” and “your” with 的, 有 and 没有, how many people, and how old someone is.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Name the people in your family
- Say what you have and don't have with 有 (yǒu) and 没有 (méiyǒu)
- Ask and say how old someone is
- Ask who someone is
Listen
At an office in Guangzhou, Huang Lei looks at a family photo on his colleague Sun Li's phone. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Huang Lei
这是你家的照片吗？
Zhè shì nǐ jiā de zhàopiàn ma?
Is this a photo of your family?
Sun Li
是。这是我爸爸，这是我妈妈。
Shì. Zhè shì wǒ bàba, zhè shì wǒ māma.
Yes. This is my dad, and this is my mum.
Huang Lei
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are there in your family?
Sun Li
五口人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥、妹妹和我。
Wǔ kǒu rén: bàba, māma, gēge, mèimei hé wǒ.
Five: my dad, my mum, my older brother, my younger sister and me.
Huang Lei
他是谁？是你哥哥吗？
Tā shì shéi? Shì nǐ gēge ma?
Who's he? Is he your brother?
Sun Li
对，他是医生。
Duì, tā shì yīshēng.
Yes, he's a doctor.
Huang Lei
你哥哥多大？
Nǐ gēge duō dà?
How old is your brother?
Sun Li
他今年三十二岁。你有姐姐吗？
Tā jīnnián sānshí'èr suì. Nǐ yǒu jiějie ma?
He's thirty-two. Do you have an older sister?
Huang Lei
没有。我有一个弟弟，他二十五岁。
Méiyǒu. Wǒ yǒu yí ge dìdi, tā èrshíwǔ suì.
No. I have a younger brother; he's twenty-five.
Sun Li
我妹妹也二十五岁！
Wǒ mèimei yě èrshíwǔ suì!
My sister is twenty-five too!
Understand
My, your: 的, and when to leave it out
To show that something belongs to someone, put (de) after the owner: (wǒ de shǒujī), my phone; (nǐ de míngzi), your name; (wǒ tóngshì de zhàopiàn), my colleague's photo (, tóngshì, colleague). Think of as the English “'s”.
With family members and close groups, is usually dropped: (wǒ bàba), my dad; (nǐ gēge), your older brother; (wǒ jiā), my family, my home. For a friend, (péngyou), both (wǒ de péngyou) and the more casual (wǒ péngyou) are fine.
This works with every pronoun from chapter 1, so there are no separate words for “my”, “his” or “their”: pronoun + (de) is all you need. (zhè) means “this”: (zhè shì wǒ māma), this is my mum.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| (wǒ de) | my, mine |
| (nǐ de) / (nín de) | your, yours |
| (tā de) / (tā de) | his / her, hers |
| (wǒmen de) | our, ours |
| (nǐmen de) | your, yours (more than one person) |
| (tāmen de) | their, theirs |
- 这是我的照片。Zhè shì wǒ de zhàopiàn.This is my photo.
- 这是我妈妈。Zhè shì wǒ māma.This is my mum.
- 她是我姐姐。Tā shì wǒ jiějie.She's my older sister.
有 and 没有: having and not having
(yǒu) means “to have”: (wǒ yǒu yí ge dìdi), I have a younger brother. Its negative is always (méiyǒu), never 不有. on its own is also the short answer “no” to a question with .
To ask how many people are in someone's family, use (jǐ, how many) with the special measure word (kǒu, literally “mouth”): (nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?). is only for family members; for people in general, use (ge): (liǎng ge gēge). (hé) means “and”, but only between nouns.
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (wǒ yǒu jiějie.) | I have an older sister. |
| (wǒ méiyǒu jiějie.) | I don't have an older sister. |
| (nǐ yǒu mèimei ma?) | Do you have a younger sister? |
| (wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén.) | There are four of us in my family. |
Age: 岁 and 多大？
To give an age, say the number + (suì, years old), with no verb: (tā jīnnián sānshí'èr suì), he's 32 (this year). (jīnnián) means “this year” and often comes before the age.
How you ask depends on the person. For adults about your age, ask (nǐ duō dà?), “how big are you?”. For children, ask (nǐ jǐ suì?). For older people, the respectful question is (nín duō dà niánjì?).
(shéi, who) goes where the answer goes, like every question word: (tā shì shéi?), who is he? … (tā shì wǒ gēge), he's my older brother.
More in the grammar: Negation: 不, 没 and 别 · Pronouns and 你 vs 您 · 是: to be · 有 and 在, and location words · 的: possession and describing
New words
- 家jiāfamily; home · (wǒ jiā), my family, my home.
- 照片zhàopiànphoto
- 爸爸bàbadad, father
- 妈妈māmamum, mother
- 几口人jǐ kǒu rénhow many people (in a family) · (kǒu) is the measure word for family members.
- 哥哥gēgeolder brother
- 妹妹mèimeiyounger sister
- 谁shéiwho · Also said shuí in careful speech.
- 医生yīshēngdoctor
- 多大duō dàhow old · (nǐ duō dà?), How old are you? For adults of about your age.
- 岁suìyears old · No (shì) before an age: (wǒ èrshí suì), I'm 20.
- 姐姐jiějieolder sister
- 没有méiyǒunot to have; no · The negative of (yǒu). Never 不有.
- 弟弟dìdiyounger brother
Practise
1.How do you say “I don't have an older sister”?
2.Put the words in order to ask how many people there are in someone's family.
Tap the words below in the right order.How many people are there in your family?
3.Match the family words.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.You want to ask a little girl how old she is. What's the usual question?
5.Put the words in order: he's my older brother.
Tap the words below in the right order.He's my older brother.
6.Huang Lei sees Sun Li's phone on the table. How does he say “This is your phone”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
我家有四口人。
Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén.
There are four of us in my family.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.