Boye Lafayette De Mente - Instant Chinese : How To Express Over 1,000 Different Ideas With Just 100 Key Words And Phrases! (A Mandarin Chinese Language Phrasebook)

Contents Part 1: Lists of Words/Expressions Part 2 Additional Vocabulary Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. www.tuttlepublishing.com Copyright 2004, 2015 Boy Lafayette De Mente All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher. LCC Card No. 2003110054 ISBN 978-0-8048-4537-3
ISBN 978-1-4629-1783-9 (ebook) Distributed by: North America, Latin America & Europe Tuttle Publishing 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436, USA Tel: 1 (802) 773 8930; Fax: 1 (802) 773 6993 www.tuttlepublishing.com Japan Tuttle Publishing Yaekari Building 3rd Floor, 5-4-12 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 1410032, Japan Tel: (81) 3 5437 0171; Fax: (81) 3 5437 0755 Asia Pacific Berkeley Books Pte Ltd 61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12, Singapore 534167 Tel: (65) 6280 1330; Fax: (65) 6280 6290 Indonesia PT Java Books Indonesia Jl. 9 Kawasan Industri Pulogadung Jakarta 13930, Indonesia Tel: 62 (21) 4682 1088; Fax: 62 (21) 461 0206 18 17 16 15 5 4 3 2 1 1509CP Printed in Singapore TUTTLE PUBLISHING is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. 9 Kawasan Industri Pulogadung Jakarta 13930, Indonesia Tel: 62 (21) 4682 1088; Fax: 62 (21) 461 0206 18 17 16 15 5 4 3 2 1 1509CP Printed in Singapore TUTTLE PUBLISHING is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

Preface In 1949 the newly established Chinese government issued an edict making Mandarin the national language of the country and mandating that it be taught in all schools. Today, virtually most Chinese speak Mandarin Chinese, known as putonghua (puu-toong-whah) or the common language, as their first or second language. This book uses English phonetics to represent the syllables making up Mandarin Chinese, making it possible for total newcomers to the language to communicate quickly and easily on a basic level without any previous introduction to the language. In addition, each Chinese word is given its tone in pinyin this is to enable those with a basic knowledge of Spoken Chinese to say the words more accurately, if they wish. However, for those who know nothing about tones, the phonetic versions presented here are close enough to the correct pronunciation that the meaning is generally understandable. With eight major dialects in China [some are actually different enough to be called languages!], the Chinese are used to coping with a variety of accents and variations in the tonal quality of speakers.

They are especially tolerant of foreigners who make an effort to speak Chinese, and go out of their way to help them. Here are a number of important introductory terms to get you started, keeping in mind that the phonetics are designed to be pronounced as English:

China	Zhnggu ( Johng-gwoh )
Chinese Language	Hny ( Hahn-yuu ) or Zhngwn ( Johng-wern )*
Chinese (person)	Zhnggurn ( Johng-gwoh-wren )
Beijinger	Bijngrn ( Bay-jeeng-wren )
Shanghaiese	Shnghirn ( Shanghai-wren )
Overseas Chinese	Hu Qio ( Hwah Chiaow )
Hong Kong	Xing Gng ( She-ahng Gahng )
Kowloon	Jilng ( Jow-lohng )
Macao	omn ( Ow-mern )

* Hny is the literary term for the Chinese language; Zhngwn is the term generally used in ordinary speech. Part 1

Hello N ho (Nee how)

Hello! (to one person) N ho! (Nee how) Hello! (to more than one person) Nmen ho! (Nee-mern how) Good morning! (until about 10 a.m.) N zo! (Nee zow) Good morning! (very polite form) Zoshang ho! (Zow-shahng how) Good afternoon / Good evening! N ho. (Nee how) Good night! Wn n! (Wahn ahn) Goodbye! Zi jin! (Dzigh jeean)

Thank You Xixie (Shay-shay)

Thank you. Xixie. (Shay-shay) Thank you very much.

Fichng gnxi. (Fay-chahng gahn-shay) Thank you for your hospitality. Duxi n de kundi. (Dwoh-shay nee der kwahn-die) No, thanks. Xixie, b yo. / Youre welcome. B kqi. (Boo ker-chee)

Sorry / Excuse Me boqin (bow-chee-an)

Im sorry, I apologize. Dubuq. (Dway-boo-chee) Im very sorry. (Dway-boo-chee) Im very sorry.

W hn boqin. (Woh hern bow-chee-an) Excuse me. (to get attention, make way) Lo ji. (Lao jah) Excuse me (May I trouble you) Mfan n (Ma-fahn nee) Excuse me (May I ask a question) Qng wn (Cheeng wern)

Please Qng (Cheeng)

Please hurry! Qng gnkui! (Cheeng gahn-kwigh) Please be careful. Qng xioxn y din. Qng jn. (Cheeng jeen) Please sit down. Qng zu. (Cheeng zwoh) Can you please help me? Nng bng w y xi ma? (Nerng bahng woh ee-she-ah mah) ? Please write it down. (Cheeng zwoh) Can you please help me? Nng bng w y xi ma? (Nerng bahng woh ee-she-ah mah) ? Please write it down.

Qng xi xilai. (Cheeng shay she-ah lie) Please write it in Roman letters. Qng yng pnyn xi. (Cheeng yohng Peen-een shay)

I W (Woh)

Im an American. W sh Migurn. (Woh shr May-gwoh-wren) Im British/English.

W sh Ynggurn. (Woh shr Yeeng-gwoh-wren) I am _____. W sh _____. (Woh shr _____) _____

Australian	ozhurn (Ah-oh-joe-wren)
Canadian	Jindrn (Je-ah-nah-dah-wren)
French	F gurn (Fa-gwoh-wren)
German	Dgurn (Duh-gwoh-wren)
Japanese	Rbnrn (Ree-bern-wren)
Spanish	Xbnyrn (She-bahn-yah-wren)

I am from _______. W sh ______ li de. W li d ji. (Woh lie doo-jah) Im in China on holiday. (Woh lie doo-jah) Im in China on holiday.

W li Zhnggu lxng. (Woh lie Johng-gwoh lwee-sheeng) Im traveling on business. W zu shngyi lxng. (Woh zwoh sherng-ee lwee-sheeng) Im in China on business. W wile zu shngyi li Zhnggu. (Woh way-ler zwoh sherng-ee lie Johng-gwoh) I am traveling alone.

W dnd lxng. (Woh dahn-doo lwee-sheeng) I dont understand (listening). W tng b dng. (Woh teeng boo dohng) Ive had enough, thank you. W gu le, xixie. W zhdo. (Woh jr-dow) I dont know. W b zhdo. (Woh boo jr-dow) Im not sure. (Woh boo jr-dow) Im not sure.

W b qngchu. (Woh boo cheeng-choo) Ive (already) eaten. W ch le. (Woh chr ler)

My W-de (Woh-der)

These are my bags. Zh sh w-de xngli. (Jer shr woh-der sheeng-lee) My address is _____.

W-de dzh sh _____. (Woh-der dee-jr shr_____) _____ That is my book. Zh sh w-de sh. (Jer shr woh-der shoo)

You Ni (Nee)*

Are you Chinese? N sh Zhnggurn ma? (Nee shr Johng-gwoh-wren mah) ? Are you Japanese? N sh Rbnrn ma? (Nee shr Ree-bern-wren mah) ? Do you live here? N zh zi zh ge dfang ma? ? (Nee joo dzigh jay-guh dee-fahng mah) Are you married? N jihn le ma? (Nee jay-hoon-ler mah) ? Do you have children? N yu hizi le ma? (Nee you high-dzu-ler mah) ? *The you ( n ) is generally left out of sentences when it is understood from the context.

Yes / No* Sh (shr) / B (Boo)

*Yes and No are not commonly used on their own in Chinese . Yes is usually expressed by repeating the verb.

The negative is expressed by putting b (boo) or m i (may) in front of verbs and adjectives.

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