你好！第一次见面
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Greet someone and respond to a greeting in Mandarin.
- Introduce yourself using 是 and identify others using 你, 我, 他, and 她.
- Ask a yes/no question with 吗 and answer it.
- Use 也 to add information about yourself or someone else.
- Produce the four lexical tones and the neutral tone on familiar syllables with reasonable accuracy.
- Recognize, read, and begin to type or copy a first set of high-frequency simplified characters.
- Complete a short, supported greeting and self-introduction exchange, in speech and in writing.
Communication Scenario
Sarah has just arrived for the first meeting of her evening Mandarin class. The instructor, 王老师 (Teacher Wang), greets every new student at the door, asks a simple question, and helps each person say a short sentence about themselves. Everyone in the room is meeting everyone else for the first time, so the whole evening runs on short, repeated exchanges: a greeting, a name, a simple "yes," and a seat.
- This chapter gives you the exact language Sarah and her classmates use on that first night: greetings, basic self-introduction, and a first yes/no question.
- It also gives you your very first look at Mandarin sounds, tones, Pinyin, and simplified characters — the systems you will build on throughout the whole series.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 1 opens Volume I and Unit I. It introduces no full tense system, no case marking, and no verb conjugation — Mandarin does not use these — but it does introduce your very first tones, your first Pinyin spellings, and your first simplified characters. This chapter gives you a small number of complete, usable sentence frames, so that Chapters 2 through 4 can build classroom identity, family, and time expressions on a stable first step.
Coming Into This Chapter
No prior Mandarin knowledge is assumed. This is the very first chapter of the very first volume.
New in This Chapter
你好 and other greeting formulas; 我是... for giving your name; 你/我/他/她 as basic pronouns; 吗 for yes/no questions; 也 for "also"; the four lexical tones and neutral tone; and a first set of about twenty high-frequency simplified characters.
Looking Forward
Chapter 2 uses 这 and 那 to identify people and things, expands negation with 不是, and introduces your first basic character components and stroke-order principles.
Core Vocabulary
The words below are your very first productive Mandarin vocabulary. Read across each row: the simplified character form first, since characters are the primary script of this course, then Hanyu Pinyin with tone marks, then the English meaning. Pinyin is a pronunciation support, not a replacement writing system — rely on the characters as soon as you can.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Part/Function | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | greeting | hello | all-purpose greeting; literally "you good" |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | leave-taking | goodbye | used when parting |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | expression | thank you | second syllable is neutral tone |
| 不客气 | bú kèqi | expression | you're welcome | literally "don't be polite/formal" |
| 我 | wǒ | pronoun | I / me | third tone |
| 你 | nǐ | pronoun | you | third tone |
| 他 | tā | pronoun | he / him | same pronunciation as 她; distinguished only in writing |
| 她 | tā | pronoun | she / her | same pronunciation as 他; distinguished only in writing |
| 是 | shì | verb | to be (identity/equation) | used with names, nouns, and identities |
| 也 | yě | adverb | also, too | placed before the verb |
| 吗 | ma | sentence particle | question marker | added to the end of a statement to form a yes/no question; neutral tone |
| 学生 | xuésheng | noun | student | second syllable is neutral tone |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | noun | teacher | used as a title after a family name, e.g. 王老师 |
| 朋友 | péngyou | noun | friend | second syllable is neutral tone |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | proper noun | China | capitalized in Pinyin as a proper noun |
| 美国 | Měiguó | proper noun | the United States | capitalized in Pinyin as a proper noun |
| 人 | rén | noun | person | used in compounds such as 中国人 |
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | expression | may I ask... | polite opener before a question |
| 叫 | jiào | verb | to be called, to call | used with names: 我叫... |
| 名字 | míngzi | noun | name | second syllable is neutral tone |
数字 0–10 — Numbers 0–10 (recognition and supported use):
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 零 | líng | 0 |
| 一 | yī | 1 |
| 二 | èr | 2 |
| 三 | sān | 3 |
| 四 | sì | 4 |
| 五 | wǔ | 5 |
| 六 | liù | 6 |
| 七 | qī | 7 |
| 八 | bā | 8 |
| 九 | jiǔ | 9 |
| 十 | shí | 10 |
Numbers appear here as reference support. You are not expected to use them in full sentences yet; simply begin to recognize their shapes and sounds. Full number, date, and time systems begin in Chapter 4.
Receptive vocabulary (recognize only, do not produce yet): informal greeting variants such as 嗨 (hai); the title 同学 (classmate, used to address a fellow student); the polite plural 你们 (you all). These are not required for production in this chapter.
Pinyin, Tones, and First Characters
Mandarin is a tonal language: the pitch contour of a syllable is part of its meaning, not decoration added on top of it. Hanyu Pinyin is the romanization system used throughout this course to show pronunciation. Pinyin is a support tool for sound, typing, and dictionary lookup — it is not Chinese writing, and it will be used less and less as your character literacy grows.
1.1 The four tones and the neutral tone
Every Mandarin syllable (except neutral-tone syllables) carries one of four tones. Practice these on the syllable ma, said aloud slowly and clearly.
The third tone is often taught as a "dipping" contour in isolation, but in connected speech it frequently behaves as a low tone without the full dip. You will meet this pattern again as tone sandhi develops across the volume.
1.2 Tone pairs in this chapter's vocabulary
Notice how tones combine in words you already know: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is third tone plus third tone, which is commonly pronounced with the first syllable shifting toward a rising contour — written the same in Pinyin, but sounding slightly different in connected speech. 谢谢 (xièxie) is fourth tone followed by a neutral-tone repetition of the same syllable.
When two third-tone syllables occur next to each other, as in 你好 (nǐ hǎo), the first syllable is commonly pronounced closer to a second tone (rising), while the second syllable keeps its low or dipping quality: it often sounds closer to ní hǎo. The Pinyin spelling itself does not change to reflect this — you will continue to see nǐ hǎo in writing. This is a real, systematic pattern in Mandarin, not a casual shortcut, and it will be developed further in later chapters.
1.3 First simplified characters
Characters are the primary script of this course. Each character below is a word or part of a word you already met in the vocabulary list. For now, focus on recognizing the shape and connecting it to its sound and meaning; you are not expected to handwrite every character shown here.
他 and 她 are pronounced identically (tā) but written differently: 他 uses the person component 亻 on the left, while 她 uses the woman component 女 on the left. This is your first small look at how semantic components can distinguish characters that sound the same — a pattern you will meet again, not a rule that always predicts meaning.
1.4 Listening for greetings and tones
Listen for the overall shape of a greeting exchange before you try to isolate every tone. Mandarin questions formed with 吗 generally rise gently at the very end of the sentence, similar to many yes/no questions in English, even though the individual syllables keep their own lexical tones.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
1.5 Greeting formulas
Purpose: greet someone and take leave.
你好 is a safe, all-purpose greeting usable with almost anyone you are meeting for the first time, at any time of day. 再见 is used when parting.
- 你好！ Nǐ hǎo! Hello!
- 你好，再见。 Nǐ hǎo, zàijiàn. Hello, goodbye.
1.6 我是... for giving your name or identity
Purpose: say who you are, using basic SVO word order.
是 functions as an identifying or equational verb: it links a subject to a noun that names, defines, or identifies it. Mandarin verbs do not change form for person, number, or tense, so 是 stays exactly the same whether the subject is 我, 你, 他, or 她.
The basic pattern is subject + 是 + noun: 我是[名字]。 This is Mandarin's ordinary subject-verb-object order, and it will recur throughout the course. 是 does not change form for different subjects — there is no separate word for "am," "is," or "are."
- 我是学生。 Wǒ shì xuésheng. I am a student.
- 她是王老师。 Tā shì Wáng lǎoshī. She is Teacher Wang.
1.7 我叫... as an alternative way to give your name
Purpose: give your name using the verb 叫.
1.8 Pronouns: 你/我/他/她
Purpose: refer to yourself and others without gender or number marking on the verb.
Unlike English, Mandarin verbs never change form to agree with the subject. 我是, 你是, and 他是/她是 all use the identical verb form 是. This is true for every verb in Mandarin, not just 是 — there is no conjugation to memorize.
他 and 她 sound identical in speech; only the written character shows the distinction. In this chapter, focus on using both pronouns accurately in writing and understanding both from context in speech.
1.9 也 for "also"
Purpose: add matching information about another person.
也 is an adverb and is placed directly before the verb, following the general Mandarin pattern of adverbs preceding the verb they modify.
- 我是学生，他也是学生。 Wǒ shì xuésheng, tā yě shì xuésheng. I am a student; he is also a student.
1.10 吗 questions
Purpose: ask a simple yes/no question by adding one word to a statement.
To turn any statement into a yes/no question, add 吗 to the end. The word order of the statement itself never changes — this is simpler than English, which often requires reordering words or adding "do/does."
- 你是学生吗？ Nǐ shì xuésheng ma? Are you a student?
- 是，我是学生。 Shì, wǒ shì xuésheng. Yes, I am a student.
A full system of question types — including 呢, question words, and A-not-A questions — is introduced gradually starting in Chapter 2. For now, 吗 is your only productive question tool.
Model Dialogue
Setting: 王老师 greets Sarah at the door on the first night of the community Mandarin class.
Notice that 老师 is used as a title after a family name, as in 王老师, similar to how "Teacher" or "Professor" might be used before a name in English, but placed after the name in Mandarin.
理解问题 — Comprehension questions:
- 莎拉叫什么名字？ (What is Sarah's name?)
- 王老师是学生吗？ (Is Teacher Wang a student?)
- How does Sarah ask whether "he" is also a student?
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Mandarin speaker to read the model dialogue above aloud, at a natural pace, twice. On the first listen, simply notice the greeting words and the two names. On the second listen, complete the table below.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself, slowly and clearly at first, then at a more natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Mandarin speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
另一个介绍 — Another introduction:
"你好！我叫大卫。你叫什么名字？……我叫林娜。你好，林娜。你是学生吗？是，我是学生。你也是学生吗？是，我也是学生。谢谢，再见！"
听力任务 — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 第一个人叫什么名字？ (What is the first person's name?) | ______ |
| 第二个人叫什么名字？ (What is the second person's name?) | ______ |
| Are both speakers students, according to the passage? | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read the two name cards below aloud, sounding out each character slowly. These are the kind of simple cards 王老师 hands to each new student on the first night.
我叫马克。
我是学生。
谢谢。
我是林娜。
我也是学生。
理解问题 — Comprehension questions:
- What greeting word appears on both cards?
- Which card uses the frame from Language Focus 1.7 (我叫...), and which uses the frame from 1.6 (我是...)?
Writing Workshop
Create your own short self-introduction card, following the model cards above. Your card should use a greeting, one of the two self-introduction frames, and a sentence with 是 naming your identity as a student.
写作任务 — Writing task: Write two or three short sentences in simplified characters, typing them with Pinyin input if possible, or copying the characters carefully by hand.
- Choose a greeting. Start with 你好。
- Give your name. Use either 我是[名字]。 or 我叫[名字]。
- Add an identity sentence. Use 我是学生。
- Check your characters. Compare each simplified character you wrote against the character chart above.
修改清单 — Editing checklist:
- The card opens with a greeting.
- The card gives a name, using one of the two taught frames.
- The card includes a sentence with 是 naming an identity.
- Simplified characters are copied or typed carefully and clearly.
- A Chinese period (。) ends each sentence.
Speaking Practice
控制性练习 — Controlled practice: reading the model dialogue aloud
Read the model dialogue above aloud twice: once slowly, sounding out each tone, and once at a more natural pace. Pay attention to the rising pitch at the end of each 吗 question, and to the third-tone sandhi in 你好.
交际任务 — Communicative task: greet and introduce yourself
With a partner or small group, greet one another as if you were meeting for the first time on the opening night of a class. Use 你好, give your name with either taught frame, ask 你是学生吗？, and close with 谢谢，再见。
独立练习 — Solo alternative
Record yourself completing both sides of a short greeting and introduction exchange, playing both 王老师's and 莎拉's parts. Listen back and check your four tones, especially on 你, 我, and 好, all of which are third tone.
Culture and Communication
你好 is widely understood across Mandarin-speaking communities, but everyday greeting habits vary. In many casual contexts, people may simply say a person's name, ask "have you eaten?" (吃了吗？), or use no fixed greeting formula at all. Greeting practices also vary by region, generation, and setting. Do not assume that one greeting routine represents every Mandarin-speaking person or every Chinese-speaking community.
Titles such as 老师 (teacher) are commonly placed after a family name, as in 王老师, and are used respectfully with instructors in many educational settings. As you meet more titles in later chapters, you will develop a fuller sense of which titles fit which relationships and settings.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying 我 (wǒ) or 你 (nǐ) without a clear tone contour, as if tone were just an accent detail.
Correction: Practice the tone contours from the Pronunciation Focus box above. Tones change meaning in Mandarin; a flat or incorrect tone can produce a different word or an unintelligible syllable.
Error: Trying to change 是 to match "am," "is," or "are," because English changes its verb forms for different subjects.
Correction: 是 never changes form. 我是, 你是, and 他是 all use the exact same word.
Error: Trying to move words around to form a question, by analogy with English "Are you...?"
Correction: Keep the statement word order exactly the same and simply add 吗 at the end: 你是学生。 → 你是学生吗？
Chapter Review
部分 A — 理解 (Comprehension)
1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:
- What does Sarah say when 王老师 asks for her name?
- How does 王老师 confirm that he is a teacher?
部分 B — 语法 (Grammar)
1. Complete each sentence using 是 with the identity given:
- (student) 我______学生。
- (teacher) 她______老师。
2. Turn this statement into a yes/no question: 你是学生。
部分 C — 阅读 (Reading)
1. Return to the two self-introduction cards above and answer:
- 第一张卡片上的名字是什么？ (What is the name on the first card?)
- 第二张卡片用哪个词表示"also"？ (Which word on the second card means "also"?)
部分 D — 写作 (Writing)
1. Write a three-sentence self-introduction card for yourself, combining a greeting, one self-introduction frame, and an identity sentence with 是.
部分 E — 口语 (Speaking)
1. Greet a partner, give your name, ask whether they are a student, and close the exchange politely, without reading from a script.
Tone Recognition Check
Say each word aloud and identify its tone or tones: 我, 你, 是, 也, 谢谢.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 1 Performance Task
Complete Greeting and Introduction Exchange
Complete the following four connected tasks in order, exactly as Sarah does on her first night of class.
- Listen to the model dialogue, or a similar exchange read by your instructor or partner, and complete the listening table above.
- Read the two self-introduction cards above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own short self-introduction card, following the writing workshop steps and editing checklist.
- Speak a complete greeting and introduction exchange with a partner, recording, or instructor, without reading from a script.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Greeting and leave-taking | An appropriate greeting and leave-taking formula are used naturally. |
| Self-introduction | The learner gives a name using one of the two taught frames. |
| Basic SVO and 吗 questions | 是 is used accurately, and a yes/no question is formed correctly with 吗. |
| Tone accuracy | The four tones and neutral tone are produced with reasonable, intelligible accuracy on familiar words. |
| Character recognition | Scheduled first characters are read and copied or typed with reasonable accuracy. |
This task assesses only what this chapter has taught. It does not require additional question types, negation beyond simple contexts, or full character handwriting mastery, all of which develop gradually across the volume.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- 她说"我叫莎拉。" (She says, "I'm called Sarah.")
- 他说"是，我是王老师。" (He says, "Yes, I am Teacher Wang.")
- She says 他也是学生吗？ ("Is he also a student?")
Listening
- David (大卫)
- Lina (林娜)
- Yes, both speakers say they are students.
Reading — Comprehension
- 你好 appears on both cards.
- The first card (Mark) uses 我叫...; the second card (Lina) uses 我是....
Chapter Review — 部分 B
- (a) 是 (b) 是
- 你是学生吗？
Chapter Review — 部分 C
- (a) Mark (马克) (b) 也
Tone Recognition Check — Correct answers
我 (wǒ) third tone; 你 (nǐ) third tone; 是 (shì) fourth tone; 也 (yě) third tone; 谢谢 (xièxie) fourth tone followed by neutral tone.
Looking Ahead
现在你会做什么 — What you can do now
You can greet someone, introduce yourself with two different frames, ask and answer a simple yes/no question with 吗, use 也 to add matching information, and produce the four tones and neutral tone on familiar words. You can also recognize your first set of simplified characters and connect each one to its sound and meaning.