1. Chinese writing system
Hui-Ju Chuang
University of Hawaii-Manoa

2. Sound system review Initials Simple finals a o e i u ü b p m f d t n l
g k h
j q x
z c s
zh ch sh r
Hui-Ju Chuang

3. Sound system review
cha
xiang xu lu su
qian re
nan
zhou
Hui-Ju Chuang

4. Sound system review zū cǒng fùmǔ zhèng shuì huì jiǔ xuě bànyè yóng
Hui-Ju Chuang

5. Tone changed rules
When a third tone syllable is followed by another third tone syllable, the first syllable change to second tone
e.g. hěn hǎo --> hén hǎo (very good) hǎo jiǔ  -->háo jiǔ (good wine)
Hui-Ju Chuang

6. But only apply to two words yì (one) and bù (not)
When two forth tone syllables occur together, the first syllable will change to second tone
But only apply to two words yì (one) and bù (not)
e.g. yì dìng --->yí dìng (definitely) bù duì--> bú duì (not correct)
Hui-Ju Chuang

7. Numbers 10, 20, 30, 40…90 十(shí), 二十(èr shí), 三十(sān shí), … 11~19
十一(shí yī), 十二(shí èr), 十三(shí sān), …
Hui-Ju Chuang

8. Chinese writing system
Six categories
象形 (xiàngxíng) Pictographs
Hui-Ju Chuang

9. Chinese writing system
2. 指事 (zhǐshì) Self-explanatory characters
Hui-Ju Chuang

10. Chinese writing system
3. 會意(huìyì) Associative compounds
Sun moon - bright
日rì 月yuè 明míng
4. 形聲(xíngshēng) Pictophonetic characters
Hui-Ju Chuang

11. Chinese writing system
5. 轉注(zhuǎnzhù) Mutually explanatory characters
e.g 老 lǎo 考kǎo
‘elder’ ‘to test’
6. 假借 (jiǎjiè) Phonetic loan characters
e.g 來lái 花huā
‘to come’ ‘flower/to spend’
Hui-Ju Chuang

12. Chinese basic stroke 點 ‘dot’ 橫 ‘horizontal’ 豎 ‘vertical’
撇 ‘downward left’
捺 ‘downward right’
提 ‘upward’
橫鈎 ‘horizontal hook’
豎鈎 ‘vertical hook’
斜鈎 ‘slanted hook’
橫折 ‘horizontal bend’
豎折 ‘vertical bend’
Hui-Ju Chuang

13. Guidelines for stroke order
A. From left to right
B. From top to bottom
C. Horizontal before vertical
D. From outside to inside
E. Middle before two sides
F. Inside before closing
Hui-Ju Chuang

14. Useful expressions A: Nǐ hǎo! ‘How do you do?’
B: Nǐ hǎo! ‘How do you do?’
A: Dàjiā hǎo! ‘How are you, everyone?’
B: Lǎoshī hǎo! ‘How are you, teacher?’
Hui-Ju Chuang

15. Shàng kè ‘Let’s begin the class.’ Xià kè ‘The class is over.’
A: Míngbai ma? ‘Do you understand?’
B: Míngbai le. ‘Yes, I/we understand.’
A: Dǒng bù dǒng? ‘Do you understand?’
B: Dǒng le. ‘Yes, I/we understand.’
Hui-Ju Chuang

16. ‘Please repeat after me.’ Qǐng zài shōu yí biàn. Qǐng wèn….. Xièxie!
Qǐng gēn wǒ shōu.
‘Please repeat after me.’
Qǐng zài shōu yí biàn.
‘Please say it again.’
Qǐng wèn…..
‘Excuse me…; May I ask…?’
Xièxie!
‘Thank you.’
Hui-Ju Chuang