Original Text · Elementary · Lesson 4

About Family.

VOL. 04 NETCHAI ORIGINAL TEXT
Elementary · Lesson 4

01Vocabulary

有(v.)

yǒu

to have; to exist

几(num.)

jǐ

how many; a few

口(measure)

kǒu

measure word for family members

人(n.)

rén

person; people

三(num.)

sān

three

和(conj.)

hé

and

爱人(n.)

àiren

spouse; husband or wife

一(num.)

yī

one

个(measure)

gè

general measure word for people and things

儿子(n.)

érzi

son

做(v.)

zuò

to do; to work

她(n.)

tā

she; her

家庭(n.)

jiātíng

family; household

主妇(n.)

zhǔfù

housewife

家务(n.)

jiāwù

household chores

照顾(v.)

zhàogù

to take care of; to look after

孩子(n.)

háizi

child; children

妹妹(n.)

mèimei

younger sister

上班(v.)

shàngbān

to go to work; to start work

了(part.)

indicates completion of an action

还(adv.)

hái

still; also; in addition

学生(n.)

xuésheng

student

学习(v.)

xuéxí

to study; to learn

英语(n.)

yīngyǔ

English (language)

姐姐(n.)

jiějie

older sister

银行(n.)

yínháng

bank

结婚(v.)

jiéhūn

to get married

医生(n.)

yīshēng

doctor; physician

两(num.)

liǎng

two (used before a measure word)

02Proper Nouns

北京外国语大学

běijīng wàiguóyǔ dàxué

Beijing Foreign Studies University

03Key Sentences

你nǐ家jiā有yǒu几jǐ口kǒu人rén？

How many people are in your family?

您nín爱ài人ren做zuò什shén么me工gōng作zuò？

What kind of work does your spouse do?

你nǐ妹mèi妹mei上shàng班bān了le吗ma？

Does your younger sister work?

她tā还hái是shì个gè学xué生sheng。

She is still a student.

我wǒ家jiā有yǒu爸bà爸ba妈mā妈ma和hé一yí个ge姐jiě姐jie。

My family has my father, mother, and one older sister.

他tā在zài银yín行háng工gōng作zuò。

He works at a bank.

我wǒ妈mā妈ma不bù工gōng作zuò。

My mother does not work.

她tā爱ài人ren是shì医yī生shēng。

Her husband is a doctor.

04Dialogue

SCENE 1

tiánzhōng田中

李lǐ兰lán，你nǐ家jiā有yǒu几jǐ口kǒu人rén？

lǐ lán李兰

我wǒ家jiā有yǒu三sān口kǒu人rén。我wǒ爸bà爸ba妈mā妈ma和hé我wǒ。您nín家jiā呢ne？

tiánzhōng田中

也yě有yǒu三sān口kǒu人rén。我wǒ爱ài人ren和hé一yí个gè儿ér子zi。

lǐ lán李兰

您nín爱ài人ren做zuò什shén么me工gōng作zuò？

tiánzhōng田中

她tā是shì家jiā庭tíng主zhǔ妇fù，在zài家jiā做zuò家jiā务wù，照zhào顾gù孩hái子zi。

SCENE 2

wáng lì王力

杨yáng金jīn，你nǐ家jiā有yǒu什shén么me人rén？

yáng jīn杨金

爸bà爸ba妈mā妈ma和hé一yí个ge妹mèi妹mei。

wáng lì王力

你nǐ妹mèi妹mei上shàng班bān了le吗ma？

yáng jīn杨金

不bù，她tā还hái是shì个ge学xué生sheng。她tā在zài北běi京jīng外wài国guó语yǔ大dà学xué学xué习xí英yīng语yǔ。你nǐ家jiā有yǒu谁shuí？

wáng lì王力

我wǒ家jiā有yǒu爸bà爸ba妈mā妈ma和hé一yí个ge姐jiě姐jie。

yáng jīn杨金

你nǐ爸bà妈mā工gōng作zuò吗ma？

wáng lì王力

我wǒ爸bà爸ba工gōng作zuò。他tā在zài银yín行háng工gōng作zuò。我wǒ妈mā妈ma不bù工gōng作zuò。

yáng jīn杨金

你nǐ姐jiě姐jie结jié婚hūn了le吗ma？

wáng lì王力

结jié婚hūn了le。她tā爱ài人ren是shì医yī生shēng。

yáng jīn杨金

他tā们men有yǒu孩hái子zi吗ma？

wáng lì王力

有yǒu，他tā们men有yǒu两liǎng个ge孩hái子zi。

05Grammar

POINT 01

(1) Asking about the size and composition of a family

① "你nǐ家jiā有yǒu几jǐ口kǒu人rén？" means "How many people are in your family?" The measure word "口" is used exclusively to count family members. In all other contexts, the measure word "个" is used instead.

你nǐ们men班bān有yǒu几jǐ个gè学xué生sheng？

② "你nǐ家jiā有yǒu什shén么me人rén？" and "你nǐ家jiā有yǒu谁shuí？" share the same meaning: "Who is in your family?" The word "谁" can refer to either a single person or multiple people.

他tā是shì谁shuí？
他tā们men是shì谁shuí？

POINT 02

(2) Distinguishing "两" from "二"

Both "两" and "二" mean "two," but only "两" can be used directly before a measure word.

两liǎng位wèi朋péng友you
两liǎng个ge学xué生sheng

However, when "2" appears within a number greater than 10, "二" is used even before a measure word.

二èr十shí三sān个ge孩hái子zi
四sì十shí二èr个ge学xué生sheng

POINT 03

(3) Sentences with "有"

① Affirmative Pattern: Subject + 有 + (modifier +) noun
Sentences where "有" and its object form the predicate are called "有"-sentences. When expressing possession ("to have"), the verb "有" is used with a personal noun or personal pronoun as the subject. "有" can also indicate existence ("there is / there are").

我wǒ有yǒu一yí个ge弟dì弟di。
我wǒ有yǒu工gōng作zuò。

② Negative Pattern: Subject + 没有 + (modifier +) noun
To negate, place "没" before "有". Note that "不" cannot be used with "有".

我wǒ没méi有yǒu孩hái子zi。
他tā没méi有yǒu朋péng友you。

③ Question Pattern: Subject + 有 + (modifier +) noun + 吗？ / Subject + 有没有 + (modifier +) noun？
To form a question, add the modal particle "吗" at the end of the sentence, or insert "没有" after "有".

你nǐ有yǒu工gōng作zuò吗ma？　＝　你nǐ有yǒu没méi有yǒu工gōng作zuò？
他tā们men有yǒu孩hái子zi吗ma？　＝　他tā们men有yǒu没méi有yǒu孩hái子zi？

POINT 04

(4) Prepositional phrases (介词)

A preposition combines with its object to form a prepositional phrase, which functions as an adverbial modifier expressing place, time, cause, or object.

你nǐ在zài哪nǎ儿r学xué习xí？　⇒　在zài北běi京jīng大dà学xué。
我wǒ妹mèi妹mei在zài银yín行háng工gōng作zuò。

06Translation

Scene 1.田中Li Lan, how many people are in your family?
李兰There are three of us — my father, my mother, and me. How about your family?
田中Three as well. My wife and one son.
李兰What kind of work does your wife do?
田中She is a homemaker. She does the housework and takes care of the children at home.

Scene 2.王力Yang Jin, who is in your family?
杨金My father, mother, and one younger sister.
王力Does your younger sister work?
杨金No, she is still a student. She is studying English at Beijing Foreign Studies University. How about your family?
王力My family has my father, mother, and one older sister.
杨金Do both your parents work?
王力My father works. He works at a bank. My mother does not work.
杨金Is your older sister married?
王力Yes, she is. Her husband is a doctor.
杨金Do they have children?
王力Yes, they have two.