HSK 1 · Lesson 2你叫什么名字？ What’s your name?
Introductions: your name, “I am a student”, questions with 吗 and 什么.
Dialogues
Getting acquainted
New words
- 叫jiàoto shout; to call; to order
- 什么shénmewhat?; something; anything
- 名字míngziname (of a person or thing)
- 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true
- 不bùno; not so; not; un-
- 吗maquestion particle for "yes-no" questions
- 学生xuéshēngstudent
- 同学tóngxuéto study at the same school; fellow student; classmate
- 认识rènshito know; to recognize; to be familiar with
- 很hěnvery; quite
- 高兴gāoxìnghappy; glad; willing (to do sth)
- 也yěalso; too; as well; (not ...) either
- 呢nequestion particle (“and…?”, “what about…?”); particle of ongoing action
Grammar
1. Sentences with 是
Subject + 是 + noun
是 links two nouns: “I am a student”. Negative — 不是 (said bú shì). Do not use 是 before adjectives: “I am happy” is 我很高兴, not 我是高兴.
2. Questions with 吗
Statement + 吗？
For a yes/no question add 吗 at the end: 你是老师 “you are a teacher” → 你是老师吗？ “are you a teacher?”. The word order stays. Answer with the verb: 是 / 不是.
3. 什么 “what” and 呢 “and you?”
The question word sits where the answer will be: 你叫什么名字？ — 我叫王明. A short “and you?” is 你呢？
Exercises
1. Make a question with 吗
- 他是老师。
Answer
他是老师吗？ - 你叫王明。
Answer
你叫王明吗？ - 她是学生。
Answer
她是学生吗？
2. Put the words in order
- 名字 / 你 / 什么 / 叫
Answer
你叫什么名字？ - 是 / 我 / 不 / 老师
Answer
我不是老师。 - 高兴 / 认识 / 很 / 你
Answer
认识你很高兴。
3. Fix the mistake
- 我是高兴。
Answer
我很高兴。 - 你是学生呢？
Answer
你是学生吗？
💡 Did you know?: Chinese names
The family name comes first: in 王明, 王 Wáng is the surname and 明 Míng the given name. The most common surnames are 王, 李, 张, 刘, 陈. Foreigners often get a Chinese name based on sound: Anna — 安娜.
Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).