Free audio Mandarin Chinese basic Lesson 1 What is your favorite color? Chinese text, pinyin, English translation. Use interrogative pronoun 什么 shén me to form question sentences.Learn to say color names, sing color song.

Posted on 04/02/2012 by Chinesetolearn

Free audio Mandarin Chinese basic Lesson 1 What is your favorite color?

Dear readers:
The lesson consists 1. audio Chinese text dialogue, 2. Chinese text with pinyin, 3. Chinese text with pinyin and English annotation, 4. Chinese text with English translation, 5. vocabulary, 6. grammar, and 7. homework. At the end there are two beautiful songs about color for you to enjoy! Feel free to ask question if you have any. Have fun learning.

Audio Chinese text dialogue

A 你喜欢什么颜色？[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to88.mp3|titles=listen to]
B 我喜欢红色。你呢？[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to89.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 我也喜欢红的颜色。[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to90.mp3|titles=listen to]
B 除了红色，你还喜欢什么颜色？[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to91.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 除了红色，我还喜欢绿色。[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to93.mp3|titles=listen to]
B 绿色好看，我也喜欢绿色。[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to94.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 你喜欢穿绿色的衣服吗？[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to95.mp3|titles=listen to]
B 我喜欢穿绿色的衣服。你呢？[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to96.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 我不喜欢穿绿色的衣服，我喜欢穿白色的衣服。[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to97.mp3|titles=listen to]
B 白色的衣服好看，我也喜欢穿白色的衣服。[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to98.mp3|titles=listen to]

Dialogue with pinyin
A 你[nǐ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 什么[shén me] 颜色[yán sè] ？
B 我[wǒ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 红色[hóng sè] 。你[nǐ] 呢[ne] ？
A 我[wǒ] 也[yě] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 红[hóng] 的[de] 颜色[yán sè] 。
B 除了[chú le] 红色[hóng sè] ，你[nǐ] 还[hái] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 什么[shén me] 颜色[yán sè] ？
A 除了[chú le] 红色[hóng sè] ，我[wǒ] 还[hái] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 绿色[lǜ sè] 。
B 绿色[lǜ sè] 好看[hǎo kàn] ，我[wǒ] 也[yě] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 绿色[lǜ sè] 。
A 你[nǐ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 穿[chuān] 绿色[lǜ sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] 吗[ma] ？
B 我[wǒ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 穿[chuān] 绿色[lǜ sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] 。你[nǐ] 呢[ne] ？
A 我[wǒ] 不[bù] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 穿[chuān] 绿色[lǜ sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] ，我[wǒ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 穿[chuān] 白色[bái sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] 。
B 白色[bái sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] 好看[hǎo kàn] ，我[wǒ] 也[yě] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 穿[chuān] 白色[bái sè] 的[de] 衣服[yī fu] 。

Annotated dialogue with pinyin
A 你[nǐ, you] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 什么[shén me, what] 颜色[yán sè, color] ？
B 我[wǒ, I] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 红色[hóng sè, red] 。你[nǐ, you] 呢[ne, particle] ？

A 我[wǒ, I] 也[yě, also] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 红[hóng, red] 的[de, connecting particle] 颜色[yán sè, color] 。
B 除了[chú le, besides] 红色[hóng sè, red] ，你[nǐ, you] 还[hái, also] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 什么[shén me, what] 颜色[yán sè, color] ？

A 除了[chú le, besides] 红色[hóng sè, red] ，我[wǒ, I] 还[hái, also] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 。
B 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 好看[hǎo kàn, good looking] ，我[wǒ, I] 也[yě, also] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 。

A 你[nǐ, you] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 穿[chuān, wear] 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 的[de, connecting particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] 吗[ma, question marker] ？
B 我[wǒ, I] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 穿[chuān, wear] 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 的[de, connecting particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] 。你[nǐ, you] 呢[ne, open ended question particle] ？

A 我[wǒ, I] 不[bù, don’t] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 穿[chuān, wear] 绿色[lǜ sè, green] 的[de, particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] ，我[wǒ, I] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 穿[chuān, wear] 白色[bái sè, white] 的[de, particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] 。
B 白色[bái sè, white] 的[de, particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] 好看[hǎo kàn, good looking] ，我[wǒ, I] 也[yě, also] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 穿[chuān, wear] 白色[bái sè, white] 的[de, particle] 衣服[yī fu, clothes] 。

Chinese text with English translation

A 你喜欢什么颜色？
What color do you like?
B 我喜欢红色。你呢？
I like red, and you?

A 我也喜欢红的颜色。
I like red color too.
B 除了红色，你还喜欢什么颜色？
Besides red, what else color do you like?

A 除了红色，我还喜欢绿色。
Beside red, I also like green.
B 绿色好看，我也喜欢绿色。
Green is good looking, I like green too.

A 你喜欢穿绿色的衣服吗？
Do you like wearing green clothes?
B 我喜欢穿绿色的衣服。你呢？
I like wearing green clothes, and you?

A 我不喜欢穿绿色的衣服，我喜欢穿白色的衣服。
I don’t like green clothes. I like wearing white clothes.
B 白色的衣服好看，我也喜欢穿白色的衣服。
White clothes are good looking; I like wearing white clothes too.

Vocabulary:[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to99.mp3|titles=listen to]

1 喜欢[xǐ huan] verb, like.
2 什么[shén me] interrogative pronoun, what.
3 颜色[yán sè] noun, color.
4 衣服[yī fu] noun, clothes.
5 穿[chuān] verb, wear.
6 好看[hǎo kàn] adjective, good looking.

Grammar:

1 Use interrogative pronoun 什么[shén me] to form question sentences.
In the dialogue, you learned:
你[nǐ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 什么[shén me] 颜色[yán sè] ？

什么[shén me] means what. The sentence structure is:
Subject + verb + 什么[shén me] + noun?

For example, you can ask —

[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to100.mp3|titles=listen to]
你喜欢什么水果？
你[nǐ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 什么[shén me] 水果[shuǐ guǒ] ?
你[nǐ, you] 喜欢[xǐ huan, like] 什么[shén me, what] 水果[shuǐ guǒ, fruit] ?
What fruit do you like?

他吃什么菜？
他[tā] 吃 [chī] 什么[shén me] 菜[cài] ?
他[tā， he] 吃 [chī， eat] 什么[shén me， what] 菜[cài，vegetable] ?
What vegetable does he like to eat?

妹妹做什么功课?
妹妹[mèimei] 做 [zuò] 什么[shén me] 功课[gōng kè] ?
妹妹[mèimei， sister] 做 [zuò， does] 什么[shén me，what] 功课[gōng kè，homework] ?
What homework did sister do?

那个人打什么球?
那个人 [nǎ ge rén] 打 [dǎ] 什么[shén me] 球[qiú] ?
那个人 [nǎ ge rén, that person] 打 [dǎ, play] 什么[shén me, what] 球[qiú, ball] ?
What ball does that person play?

老师看什么书?
老师[lǎoshī] 看 [kàn] 什么[shén me] 书[shū] ?
老师[lǎoshī, teacher] 看 [kàn, read] 什么[shén me, what] 书[shū, book] ?
What book does the teacher read?

2 Use 呢[ne] to form open ended questions.

In the dialogue, you learned:
A 你[nǐ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 什么[shén me] 颜色[yán sè] ？
B 我[wǒ] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 红色[hóng sè] 。你[nǐ] 呢[ne] ？
When someone ask you about something, after you provide him or her with your answer, you can add — 你[nǐ] 呢[ne] (How about you?) to ask him or her the same question.
For example:

[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to101.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 小王你好吗？
小[xiǎo] 王[wáng] 你好吗[nǐ hǎo ma] ？
小[xiǎo, little] 王[wáng, Wang- a Chinese surname] 你好吗[nǐ hǎo ma, how are you] ？
Little Wang, how are you?
B 我很好， 你呢？
我[wǒ] 很好[hěn hǎo] ， 你[nǐ] 呢[ne] ？
我[wǒ, I] 很好[hěn hǎo, very good] ， 你[nǐ, you] 呢[ne, a particle to form question sentences] ？
I am very good, and you?

A 你想喝什么？
你[nǐ] 想[xiǎng] 喝[hē] 什么[shén me] ？
你[nǐ，you] 想[xiǎng, would like] 喝[hē, drink] 什么[shén me, what] ？
What would you like to drink?

B 我想喝咖啡，你呢？
我[wǒ] 想[xiǎng] 喝[hē] 咖啡[kā fēi] ，你[nǐ] 呢[ne] ？
我[wǒ, I] 想[xiǎng, would like] 喝[hē, drink] 咖啡[kā fēi, coffee] ，你[nǐ, you] 呢[ne, particle of open ended questions] ？
I would like to drink coffee, and you?

3 除了[chú le] adverb, besides.
In the dialogue, we learned:
除了[chú le] 红色[hóng sè] ，我[wǒ] 还[hái] 喜欢[xǐ huan] 绿色[lǜ sè] 。

Some other examples are:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to102.mp3|titles=listen to]
A 这周末， 除了看电影，你还做什么？
这[zhè] 周末[zhōu mò] ， 除了[chú le] 看[kàn] 电影[diàn yǐng] ，你[nǐ] 还[hái] 做[zuò] 什么[shén me] ？
这[zhè， this] 周末[zhōu mò， weekend] ， 除了[chú le， besides] 看[kàn， watch] 电影[diàn yǐng， movie] ，你[nǐ， you] 还[hái， still] 做[zuò， do] 什么[shén me， what] ？
This weekend, besides watched movies, what else did you do?

B 这周末， 除了看电影，我还听音乐。
B 这[zhè] 周末[zhōu mò] ， 除了[chú le] 看[kàn] 电影[diàn yǐng] ，我[wǒ] 还[hái] 听[tīng] 音乐[yīn yuè] 。
B 这[zhè, this] 周末[zhōu mò, weekend] ， 除了[chú le, besides] 看[kàn, watch] 电影[diàn yǐng, movie] ，我[wǒ， I] 还[hái, also] 听[tīng, listen] 音乐[yīn yuè, music] 。
This weekend, besides watched movies, I also listened to music.

Other useful phrases and words about color:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to103.mp3|titles=listen to]
白色[bái sè] white
红色[hóng sè] red
黑色[hēi sè] black
绿色[lǜ sè] green
蓝色[lán sè] blue
灰色[huī sè] grey
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to104.mp3|titles=listen to]
黄色[huáng sè] yellow
紫色[zǐ sè] purple
银色[ yín sè] silver
金色[jīn sè] golden
棕色[zōng sè] brown
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/listen-to.mp3|titles=listen to]
褐色[hè sè] brown
彩色[cǎi sè] colorful
粉红色[fěn hóng sè] pink
天蓝色[tiān lán sè] sky blue
橘色[Jú sè] orange

Homework if you want to do:
1. Make one Chinese sentence for each new vocabulary you learned in the new vocab section.
2. Make one sentence for each grammar structure you learned today.

周杰倫 – 彩虹mv

Kira Willey – Colors (lyrics)

Posted in Basic Chinese, Chinese lesson, One Chinese sentence a day | Tagged , | 4 Comments

History, origin, fun facts of April Fool’s Day. Mandarin Chinese, how to say ” Happy April Fool’s day. Let’s play pranks on him and put a frog in his desk as a practical joke.” phrases ridiculous, absurd, jester, fool, trick, tease.

Posted on 03/31/2012 by Chinesetolearn

“The first of April, some do say, April The 1st is set apart for All Fools’ Day. But why the people call it so, Nor I, nor they themselves do know. But on this day are people sent on purpose for pure merriment.”
Poor Robin’s Almanac (1790)

Happy April Fool’s day! Let’s celebrate the most light-hearted holiday of the year with learning this Chinese sentence.

[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to106.mp3|titles=listen to]
In Mandarin Chinese, how to say ” Happy April Fool’s day. Let’s play pranks on him and put a frog in his desk as a practical joke.” 愚人节快乐。我们来作弄他，放只青蛙在他的书桌里做为恶作剧。yú rén jié kuàilè . wǒmen lái zuònòng tā , fàng zhī qīngwā zài tā de shūzhuō lǐ zuò wèi èzuòjù . yú rén jié (愚 yú, adjective – foolish; 人 rén, noun – people or person; 节 jié, holiday; together these three words mean (April) Fool’s Day) kuàilè (快乐 static verb, happy). wǒmen lái (我们pronoun, we; 来lái, originally a verb means come, here 我们来 wǒmen lái means let’s) zuònòng ( 作弄 verb phrase means tease, play a trick or play pranks) tā (他 pronoun, him) , fàng (放 verb, put) zhī (只 here mean 一 只 yì zhī, 一 yì means one, 只 zhī measure word for frog) qīngwā ( 青蛙 noun, frog) zài (在 preposition, at) tā de (他的 possessive pronoun, his) shūzhuō (书桌 noun, desk) lǐ (里 preposition, within or inside) zuò wèi (做为 verb phrase, work as or act as) èzuòjù (恶作剧 noun, practical joke) .

April Fools’ Day happens on the first day of April. For the origin and history of April Fool’s Day, there are a few sayings.

[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/listen-to107.mp3|titles=listen to]
The first theory (理 论 [lĭlùn] ). It is said that in some ancient culture (文 化 [wénhuà] ), including those of the Romans (古 罗 马 人 [gŭ Luómărén] ) and Hindus (印 度 教 信 徒 [Yìndùjiào xìntú] ), celebrated New Year’s Day on or around April 1. However, in 1582, Pope (教 皇 [jiàohuáng] ) Gregory XIII ordered to replace the old Julian Calendar ( 历 法 [lìfă]) with the Gregorian Calendar. The new calendar celebrated New Year’s Day on Jan. 1. France, also adopted the new calendar and switched New Year’s day to Jan. 1. At that time, many people refused to accept the new date and some did not learn about the New Year’s day got switched, and so, they continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Thus, people began teasing (逗 弄 [dòunong] ) those old fashion people and tried to trick (耍 花 招 [shuă huāzhāo] ) them or make fun of them. Eventually, the practice spread all over Europe.

Another theory about the origin of April Fools’ Day is: According to Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that April Fool’s day started during the reign of Constantine (ancient Roman Emperor). Professor Boskin said, once there was a group of court jesters (小 丑 [Xiǎochǒu]) and fools [白 痴 [báichī] or 傻瓜 [Shǎguā] ), and they told the Roman emperor that “The Fools and Jesters of the court could Rule the Kingdom better than the Emperor.” The king, Constantine, felt this idea was fun, so he let a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel was said to have ruled on April 1st. On that day Kugel made an immediate announcement that only the absurd (荒 谬 的 [huāngmiù de] ) things were allowed to do on this day. Thus, for this reason, April Fool’s day is accustomed to be celebrated with playing tricks and pranks (恶 作 剧 [èzuòjù] ) on people.

Nowadays, April Fools’ Day is widely celebrated throughout the world. What you can do on this day? You can send someone you know on a fool’s errand (差 事 [chāshì] ). A fool’s errand is a task (任 务 [rènwù] ) that cannot be accomplished (完 成 [wánchéng]) because of fate or because it is a joke (笑 话 [xiàohua] ). It can be: trying to find something that does not exist (like a never dying flower?), or trying to accomplish an impossible task (like to drift to the moon with a potion). You can also play pranks or and try to get people to believe ridiculous (荒 谬 的 [huāngmiù de] ) things.

In England, tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played on you, you are a “noodle”. In Scotland, they celebrate April Fools Day for 48 hours, and if you got played, then you became “April Gowk”, which is another name for a cuckoo (杜 鹃 [dùjiān] ) bird. The second day is called Taily Day. In that day people like do pranks involving the buttocks (臀 部 [túnbù] ). In France, April Fool’s is called “April Fish” (Poisson d’Avril). The French fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends’ backs (背 部 [bèibù] ) and when someone discovers this trick, they yell “Poisson d’Avril!”

For you, a Chinese language learner, you can trick your classmates by saying: Starting from next month, the Chinese government is going to abolish all the Chinese characters, so there are going to have no Chinese characters to write or flashcards to practice. How cool, isn’t it? Or you can send your friend on a fool’s errand to catch a descendant of phoenix (凤 凰 [fènghuáng]), and give him or her a map to go to Arizona to capture that mythical (神 话 中 的 [shénhuà zhōng de] ) Chinese lucky bird’s off-spring. Oh, I forgot to tell you, from tomorrow on, due to lacking of funding, my account at host sever will be closed, so sorry to say that you are not going to read my posts anymore. I really enjoy writing posts for you and helping you with Chinese learning, but the economy is bad, very bad, and my salary is very limited too. I hope you can understand. Thank you for all your support and best wishes.

Happy April Fool’s Day everyone and see you tomorrow.

Posted in English song, Jokes, One Chinese sentence a day | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments