3. Transformation and Response Drills

 

Unit 1, Part 1: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Add the final particle a to the following greetings and questions to make them softer and more colloquial.

Nĭ hăo!	Nĭ hăo a?
“How are you?”	“How are you?”
Wāng Jīngshēng, nĭ hăo!	Wāng Jīngshēng, nĭ hăo a!
“Wang Jingsheng, how are you?”	“Wang Jingsheng, how are you?”
Nĭ dào năr qù?	Nĭ dào năr qù a?
“Where are you going?”	“Where are you going?”
Kē Léi’ēn dào năr qù bàn shì?	Kē Léi’ēn dào năr qù bàn shì a?
“Where is Ke Leien going to take care of things?”	“Where is Ke Leien going to take care of things?”

2. Use ne to abbreviate the question about the second person.

Wŏ huí sùshè. Nĭ dào năr qù?	Wŏ huí sùshè. Nĭ ne?
“I’m going back to the dormitory. Where are you going?”	“I’m going back to the dormitory. How about you?”
Wŏ qù bàn yìdiănr shì. Nĭ dào năr qù?	Wŏ qù bàn yìdiănr shì. Nĭ ne?
“I’m going to go take care of some stuff. Where are you going?”	“I’m going to go take care of some stuff. And you?”
Wŏ qù shítáng. Nĭ dào năr qù?	Wŏ qù shítáng. Nĭ ne?
“I’m going to the cafeteria. Where are you going?”	“I’m going to the cafeteria. And how about you?”
Wŏ qù túshūguăn. Nĭ dào năr qù?	Wŏ qù túshūguăn. Nĭ ne?
“I’m going to the library. Where are you going?”	“I’m going to the library. And you?”

3. You will hear a statement about somebody who is going to do something. Repeat the statement and, using the adverb yĕ “also, too,” add a comment to the effect that you are going to do the same thing as the person being talked about.

Kē Léi’ēn huí sùshè.	Kē Léi’ēn huí sùshè, wŏ yĕ huí sùshè.
“Ke Leien is returning to the dormitory.”	“Ke Leien is returning to the dormitory, and I’m returning to the dormitory, too.”
Wāng Jīngshēng qù shítáng.	Wāng Jīngshēng qù shítáng, wŏ yĕ qù shítáng.
“Wang Jingsheng is going to the cafeteria.”	“Wang Jingsheng is going to the cafeteria, and I’m going to the cafeteria, too.”
Nĭ qù túshūguăn.	Nĭ qù túshūguăn, wŏ yĕ qù túshūguăn.
“You’re going to the library.”	“You’re going to the library, and I’m going to the library, too.”
Nĭ qù bàn yìdiănr shì.	Nĭ qù bàn yìdiănr shì, wŏ yĕ qù bàn yìdiănr shì.
“You’re going to go take care of some things.”	“You’re going to go take care of some things, and I’m going to go take care of some things, too.”

 

Unit 1, Part 2: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Add dōu to each sentence.

Wŏ bàba, māma hĕn máng.	Wŏ bàba, māma dōu hĕn máng.
“My father and mother are busy.”	“My father and mother are both busy.”
Wŏ àiren, háizi qù túshūguăn.	Wŏ àiren, háizi dōu qù túshūguăn.
“My spouse and children go to the library.”	“My spouse and children all go to the library.”
Tāmen xiān zŏule.	Tāmen dōu xiān zŏule.
“They left early.”	“They all left early.”
Nĭ bàba, māma hĕn lèi.	Nĭ bàba, māma dōu hĕn lèi.
“Your father and mother are tired.”	“Your father and mother are both tired.”

2. Change the following statements into questions by adding the question particle ma.

Tāmen hĕn máng.	Tāmen hĕn máng ma?
“They are busy.”	“Are they very busy?”
Nĭ lèile.	Nĭ lèile ma?
“You’ve gotten tired.”	“Have you gotten tired?”
Tāmen qù túshūguăn.	Tāmen qù túshūguăn ma?
“They’re going to the library.”	“Are they going to the library?”
Tā huí sùshè.	Tā huí sùshè ma?
“She’s going back to the dormitory.”	“Is she going back to the dormitory?”
Wŏ àiren xiān zŏule.	Wŏ àiren xiān zŏule ma?
“My spouse left already.”	“Did my spouse leave already?”
Tā hái hăo.	Tā hái hăo ma?
“He’s O.K.”	“Is he O.K.?”

3. Create stative verb sentences with hĕn using the subjects and stative verbs given you.

Nĭmen, lèi.	Nĭmen hĕn lèi.
“You (plural), tired.”	“You are very tired.”
Tā, máng.	Tā hĕn máng.
“She, busy.”	“She is very busy.”
Wŏ, hăo.	Wŏ hĕn hăo.
“I, good.”	“I am doing very well.”
Nĭ, máng.	Nĭ hĕn máng.
“You, busy.”	“You are very busy.”
Tāmen, lèi.	Tāmen hĕn lèi.
“They, tired.”	“They are very tired.”

4. Change the pronoun subject tā to the plural by adding -men.

Tā qù túshūguăn.	Tāmen qù túshūguăn.
“He’s going to the library.”	“They’re going to the library.”
Tā huí sùshè.	Tāmen huí sùshè.
“She’s going back to the dormitory.”	“They’re going back to the dormitory.”
Tā hĕn máng.	Tāmen hĕn máng.
“He is very busy.”	“They are very busy.”
Tā xiān zŏule.	Tāmen xiān zŏule.
“She left earlier.”	“They left earlier.”

 

Unit 1, Part 3: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Change the following from the pattern NOUN + STATIVE VERB to the pattern STATIVE VERB USED AS AN ADJECTIVE + NOUN.

Gōngzuò hăo.	hăo gōngzuò
“The job is good.”	“good job”
Háizi xiăo.	xiăo háizi
“The child is little.”	“little child”
Bàba hăo.	hăo bàba
“Father is good.”	“good father”
Shítáng hăo.	hăo shítáng
“The cafeteria is good.”	“good cafeteria”
Shìr xiăo.	xiăo shìr
“The matter is small.”	“small matter”
Yàngzi lăo.	lăo yàngzi
“The appearance is old.”	“old appearance, old way”

2. Transform the following verbs to the negative with bù. Remember that before syllables in Tone Four, bù changes from Tone Four to Tone Two to become bú.

máng	bù máng
“busy”	“not busy”
jĭnzhāng	bù jĭnzhāng
“nervous”	“not nervous”
lèi	bú lèi
“tired”	“not tired”
xiăo	bù xiăo
“little”	“not little”
lăo	bù lăo
“old”	“not old”
kùn	bú kùn
“sleepy”	“not sleepy”
nán	bù nán
“hard”	“not hard”
róngyi	bù róngyi
“easy”	“not easy”
qù	bú qù
“go”	“not go”

3. Change the following sentences into the negative by adding bù or bú.

Wŏ huí sùshè.	Wŏ bù huí sùshè.
“I’m going back to the dormitory.”	“I’m not going back to the dormitory.”
Tāmen hăo ma?	Tāmen bù hăo ma?
“Are they well?”	“Are they not well?”
Nĭ háizi lèi ma?	Nĭ háizi bú lèi ma?
“Is your child tired?”	“Is your child not tired?”
Nĭmen hĕn máng.	Nĭmen bù hĕn máng.
“You are very busy.”	“You are not very busy.”
Bàba qù gōngzuò.	Bàba bú qù gōngzuò.
“Father goes to work.”	“Father does not go to work.”
Xuéxí Zhōngwén nán ma?	Xuéxí Zhōngwén bù nán ma?
“Is learning Chinese hard?”	“Is learning Chinese not hard?”

4. Change the following statements into questions by using the positive-negative question pattern.

Tā qù.	Tā qù bu qù?
“She is going.”	“Is she going or not?”
Nĭ hĕn kùn.	Nĭ kùn bu kùn?
“You are sleepy.”	“Are you sleepy or not?”
Tāmen hĕn máng.	Tāmen máng bu máng?
“They are busy.”	“Are they busy or not?”
Bàba hĕn lèi.	Bàba lèi bu lèi?
“Dad is tired.”	“Is Dad tired or not?”
Māma hĕn gāo.	Māma gāo bu gāo?
“Mom is tall.”	“Is Mom tall or not?”
Tā hĕn hăo.	Tā hăo bu hăo?
“He is good.”	“Is he good or not?”
Zhōngwén hĕn nán.	Zhōngwén nán bu nán?
“Chinese is hard.”	“Is Chinese hard or not?”

5. Convert the following ma questions into positive-negative questions.

Nĭ zuìjìn hăo ma?	Nĭ zuìjìn hăo bu hăo?
“Have you been well recently?”	“Have you been well recently or not?”
Tā qù túshūguăn ma?	Tā qù bu qù túshūguăn?
“Does he go to the library?”	“Does he go to the library or not?”
Zhōngwén róngyi ma?	Zhōngwén róngyi bu róngyi?
“Is Chinese easy?”	“Is Chinese easy or not?”
Nĭ gōngzuò jĭnzhāng ma?	Nĭ gōngzuò jĭnzhāng bu jĭnzhāng?
“Is your work intense?”	“Is your work intense or not?”
Tā àiren ăi ma?	Tā àiren ăi bu ăi?
“Is her spouse short?”	“Is her spouse short or not?”
Nĭmen qù shítáng ma?	Nĭmen qù bu qù shítáng?
“Do you go to the cafeteria?”	“Do you go to the cafeteria or not?”

6. First listen to each comment about Xiăo Wáng, then make a comment about yourself using bú tài.

Xiăo Wáng hĕn kùn.	Wŏ bú tài kùn.
“Little Wang is very sleepy.”	“I am not too sleepy.”
Xiăo Wáng hĕn lèi.	Wŏ bú tài lèi.
“Little Wang is very tired.”	“I am not too tired.”
Xiăo Wáng hĕn gāo.	Wŏ bú tài gāo.
“Little Wang is very tall.”	“I am not too tall.”
Xiăo Wáng zuìjìn hĕn hăo.	Wŏ zuìjìn bú tài hăo.
“Little Wang has been very well recently.”	“I have not been too well recently.”
Xiăo Wáng hĕn lăo.	Wŏ bú tài lăo.
“Little Wang is very old.”	“I am not too old.”
Xiăo Wáng gōngzuò hĕn jĭnzhāng.	Wŏ gōngzuò bú tài jĭnzhāng.
“Little Wang is very nervous at work.”	“I am not too nervous at work.”

7. Transform the following sentences from the hĕn + STATIVE VERB pattern to the tĭng...-de pattern.

Tā hĕn kùn.	Tā tĭng kùnde.
“He is very sleepy.”	“He is quite sleepy.”
Zhōngwén hĕn nán.	Zhōngwén tĭng nánde.
“Chinese is very hard.”	“Chinese is quite hard.”
Wŏ māma hĕn máng.	Wŏ māma tĭng mángde.
“My mother is very busy.”	“My mother is quite busy.”
Nĭ àiren hĕn ăi.	Nĭ àiren tĭng ăide.
“Your spouse is very short.”	“Your spouse is quite short.”
Tā bàba hĕn lăo.	Tā bàba tĭng lăode.
“Her father is very old.”	“Her father is quite old.”
Nĭ yàngzi hĕn jĭnzhāng.	Nĭ yàngzi tĭng jĭnzhāngde.
“You look like you’re very nervous.”	“You look like you’re quite nervous.”
Tā zuìjìn gōngzuò hĕn lèi.	Tā zuìjìn gōngzuò tĭng lèide.
“He is very tired from work lately.”	“He is quite tired from work lately.”

 

Unit 1, Part 4: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Add the surname and title of the wife to the husband’s surname and title.

Zhào Xiānsheng	Zhào Xiānsheng, Zhào Tàitai
“Mr. Zhao”	“Mr. and Mrs. Zhao”
Gāo Xiānsheng	Gāo Xiānsheng, Gāo Tàitai
“Mr. Gao”	“Mr. and Mrs. Gao”
Wáng Xiānsheng	Wáng Xiānsheng, Wáng Tàitai
“Mr. Wang”	“Mr. and Mrs. Wang”
Kē Xiānsheng	Kē Xiānsheng, Kē Tàitai
“Mr. Ke”	“Mr. and Mrs. Ke”
Lín Xiānsheng	Lín Xiānsheng, Lín Tàitai
“Mr. Lin”	“Mr. and Mrs. Lin”
Xiè Xiānsheng	Xiè Xiānsheng, Xiè Tàitai
“Mr. Xie”	“Mr. and Mrs. Xie”

2. Add the title Xiáojie to each of the following surnames.

Wáng	Wáng Xiáojie
“Wang”	“Miss/Ms. Wang”
Lín	Lín Xiáojie
“Lin”	“Miss/Ms. Lin”
Hé	Hé Xiáojie
“He”	“Miss/Ms. He”
Xiè	Xiè Xiáojie
“Xie”	“Miss/Ms. Xie”
Gāo	Gāo Xiáojie
“Gao”	“Miss/Ms. Gao”
Zhào	Zhào Xiáojie
“Zhao”	“Miss/Ms. Zhao”

3. Add the title Lăoshī to each of the following surnames.

Lín	Lín Lăoshī
“Lin”	“Teacher Lin”
Xiè	Xiè Lăoshī
“Xie”	“Teacher Xie”
Gāo	Gāo Lăoshī
“Gao”	“Teacher Gao”
Zhào	Zhào Lăoshī
“Zhao”	“Teacher Zhao”
Hé	Hé Lăoshī
“He”	“Teacher He”
Wáng	Wáng Lăoshī
“Wang”	“Teacher Wang”

4. Add qĭng to the following sentences to create polite imperatives.

Nĭ qù shítáng.	Qĭng nĭ qù shítáng.
“You go to the cafeteria.”	“Please go to the cafeteria.”
Nĭ qù gōngzuò.	Qĭng nĭ qù gōngzuò.
“You go work.”	“Please go work.”
Tā huí sùshè.	Qĭng tā huí sùshè.
“He goes back to the dormitory.”	“Ask him to please go back to the dormitory.”
Nĭmen qù túshūguăn bàn yìdiănr shì.	Qĭng nĭmen qù túshūguăn bàn yìdiănr shì.
“You go to the library and take care of some stuff.”	“Please go to the library and take care of some stuff.”
Tāmen xiān zŏu.	Qĭng tāmen xiān zŏu.
“They leave earlier.”	“Ask them to please leave earlier.”

5. Add changed status le to the following sentences.

Wŏ dĕi qù gōngzuò.	Wŏ dĕi qù gōngzuòle.
“I have to go to work.”	“I have to go to work now.”
Tā zĕmmeyàng?	Tā zĕmmeyàng le?
“How is he?”	“What happened to him?”
Tā xiān zŏu.	Tā xiān zŏule.
“She leaves earlier.”	“She left earlier already.”
Xiăo Lín qù shítáng.	Xiăo Lín qù shítáng le.
“Little Lin goes to the cafeteria.”	“Little Lin went to the cafeteria.”
Shéi bú qù?	Shéi bú qùle?
“Who is not going?”	“Who is not going now?”
Tāmen huí sùshè.	Tāmen huí sùshè le.
“They go back to the dormitory.”	“They went back to the dormitory.”

6. Add changed status le to the following questions ending in ma.

Tā māma hăo ma?	Tā māma hăole ma?
“Is her mother well?”	“Has her mother gotten well?”
Nĭ jĭnzhāng ma?	Nĭ jĭnzhāngle ma?
“Are you nervous?”	“Have you gotten nervous?”
Wŏmen kéyi huí sùshè ma?	Wŏmen kéyi huí sùshè le ma?
“Can we go back to the dormitory?”	“Can we go back to the dormitory now?”
Tā qù túshūguăn bàn shì ma?	Tā qù túshūguăn bàn shì le ma?
“Is he going to the library to take care of some stuff?”	“Has he gone to the library to take care of some stuff?”
Háizi kùn ma?	Háizi kùnle ma?
“Are the kids sleepy?”	“Have the kids gotten sleepy?”
Nĭmen qù shítáng ma?	Nĭmen qù shítáng le ma?
“Are you going to the cafeteria?”	“Have you gone to the cafeteria?”

 

Unit 2, Part 1: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Respond to the following questions with an equative verb sentence beginning with shì.

Tā shi Mĕiguo rén ma?	Shì, tā shi Mĕiguo rén.
“Is she American?”	“Yes, she is American.”
Tā shi Zhōngguo rén ma?	Shì, tā shi Zhōngguo rén.
“Is he Chinese?”	“Yes, he is Chinese.”
Tā shi Wáng Lăoshī ma?	Shì, tā shi Wáng Lăoshī.
“Is she Teacher Wang?”	“Yes, she is Teacher Wang.”
Tā shi nĭ àiren ma?	Shì, tā shi wŏ àiren.
“Is he your spouse?”	“Yes, he is my spouse.”
Nĭ shi tā bàba ma?	Shì, wŏ shi tā bàba.
“Are you her father?”	“Yes, I am her father.”
Nĭ shi tā māma ma?	Shì, wŏ shi tā māma.
“Are you his mother?”	“Yes, I am his mother.”

2. Respond to the following questions with a negative equative verb sentence beginning with bú shi.

Nĭ shi Zhōngwén lăoshī ma?	Bú shi, wŏ bú shi Zhōngwén lăoshī.
“Are you a Chinese teacher?”	“No, I am not a Chinese teacher.”
Nĭ shi Lín Xiáojie ma?	Bú shi, wŏ bú shi Lín Xiáojie.
“Are you Ms. Lin?”	“No, I am not Ms. Lin.”
Nĭmen shi Jiā’nádà rén ma?	Bú shi, wŏmen bú shi Jiā’nádà rén.
“Are you all Canadian?”	“No, we’re not Canadian.”
Tā shi Wáng Xiānsheng ma?	Bú shi, tā bú shi Wáng Xiānsheng.
“Is he Mr. Wang?”	“No, he’s not Mr. Wang.”

3. Respond to the following questions either with an equative verb sentence beginning with Shì or with a negative equative verb sentence beginning with Bú shi, depending on the cue provided.

Tā shi nĭ bàba ma? (Shì.)	Shì, tā shi wŏ bàba.
“Is he your dad?” (“Yes.”)	“Yes, he is my dad.”
Tā shi nĭ māma ma? (Bú shi.)	Bú shi, tā bú shi wŏ māma.
“Is she your mom?” (“No.”)	“No, she’s not my mom.”
Qĭng wèn, nĭ shi Bái Lăoshī ma? (Bú shi.)	Bú shi, wŏ bú shi Bái Lăoshī.
“Excuse me, are you Teacher Bai?” (“No.”)	“No, I’m not Teacher Bai.”
Tā shi Huáyì Mĕiguo rén ma? (Shì.)	Shì, tā shi Huáyì Mĕiguo rén.
“Is he an American of Chinese descent?” (“Yes.”)	“Yes, he’s an American of Chinese descent.”
Nĭmen shi Táiwān rén ma? (Bú shi.)	Bú shi, wŏmen bú shi Táiwān rén.
“Are you Taiwanese?” (“No.”)	“No, we’re not Taiwanese.”

4. Transform the following statements into questions using shì bu shi.

Tā shi Rìbĕn rén.	Tā shì bu shi Rìbĕn rén?
“He is Japanese.”	“Is he Japanese?”
Nĭ shi tā àiren.	Nĭ shì bu shi tā àiren?
“You are her spouse.”	“Are you her spouse?”
Nĭmen shi Xībānyá rén.	Nĭmen shì bu shi Xībānyá rén?
“You are Spanish.”	“Are you Spanish?”
Tā shi Wáng Xiáojie.	Tā shì bu shi Wáng Xiáojie?
“She is Miss Wang.”	“Is she Miss Wang?”
Nĭ zuìjìn hĕn máng.	Nĭ zuìjìn shì bu shi hĕn máng?
“You have been very busy recently.”	“Have you been very busy lately?”
Tā dào túshūguăn qù.	Tā shì bu shi dào túshūguăn qù?
“He is going to the library.”	“Is it the case that he’s going to the library?”

5. Answer the following questions about nationality using the cues provided.

Tā shi nĕiguó rén? (Jiā’nádà rén)	Tā shi Jiā’nádà rén.
“What nationality is he?” (“Canadian”)	“He’s Canadian.”
Nĭ àiren shi nĕiguó rén? (Rìbĕn rén)	Tā shi Rìbĕn rén.
“What nationality is your spouse?” (“Japanese”)	“She’s Japanese.”
Nín shi nĕiguó rén? (Mĕiguo rén)	Wŏ shi Mĕiguo rén.
“What nationality are you?” (“American”)	“I’m American.”
Mă Xiáojie shi nĕiguó rén? (Zhōngguo rén)	Mă Xiáojie shi Zhōngguo rén.
“What nationality is Ms. Ma?” (“Chinese”)	“Ms. Ma is Chinese.”
Xiăo Lín shi nĕiguó rén? (Măláixīyà rén)	Xiăo Lín shi Măláixīyà rén.
“What nationality is Little Lin?” (“Malaysian”)	“Little Lin is Malaysian.”
Nĭ lăoshī shi nĕiguó rén? (Xīnjiāpō rén)	Wŏ lăoshī shi Xīnjiāpō rén.
“What nationality is your teacher?” (“Singaporean”)	“My teacher is Singaporean.”

6. Respond to the following questions about someone’s name using the cues provided.

Tā jiào shémme míngzi? (Hé Zhìwén)	Tā jiào Hé Zhìwén.
“What is his name?”	“He is called He Zhiwen.”
Nĭ àiren jiào shémme míngzi? (Wáng Dàmíng)	Wŏ àiren jiào Wáng Dàmíng.
“What is your spouse’s name?”	“My spouse is called Wang Daming.”
Nĭ māma jiào shémme míngzi? (Xiè Wéntíng)	Wŏ māma jiào Xiè Wéntíng.
“What is your mom’s name?”	“My mom’s name is Xie Wenting.”
Nĭ bàba jiào shémme míngzi? (Zhào Guólì)	Wŏ bàba jiào Zhào Guólì.
“What is your dad’s name?”	“My dad’s name is Zhao Guoli.”
Nĭ jiào shémme míngzi? (give your own name)	Wŏ jiào...
“What is your name?”	“My name is...”

7. Negate the following sentences by placing a bù before the dōu.

Tāmen dōu shi Zhōngguo rén.	Tāmen bù dōu shi Zhōngguo rén.
“They are all Chinese.”	“They are not all Chinese.”
Tāmen dōu hĕn kùn.	Tāmen bù dōu hĕn kùn.
“They are all very sleepy.”	“They are not all very sleepy.”
Wŏmen dōu huí sùshè.	Wŏmen bù dōu huí sùshè.
“We are all going back to the dorm.”	“We are not all going back to the dorm.”
Wŏmen dōu shi Huáyì Mĕiguo rén.	Wŏmen bù dōu shi Huáyì Mĕiguo rén.
“We are all Chinese-Americans.”	“We are not all Chinese-Americans.”
Nĭmen dōu shi hăo háizi!	Nĭmen bù dōu shi hăo háizi!
“You are all good children!”	“You are not all good children!”
Dōu shi xiăo shì.	Bù dōu shi xiăo shì.
“They are all small matters.”	“They are not all small matters.”

8. Disagree with your interlocutor. Answer “It’s not THIS person, it’s THAT person!” etc.

Shì zhèige rén ma?	Bú shi zhèige rén, shi nèige rén!
“Is it this person?”	“It’s not this person, it’s that person!”
Shì zhèige háizi ma?	Bú shi zhèige háizi, shi nèige háizi!
“Was it this kid?”	“It wasn’t this kid, it was that kid!”
Shì zhèiwèi lăoshī ma?	Bú shi zhèiwèi lăoshī, shi nèiwèi lăoshī!
“Is it this teacher?”	“It isn’t this teacher, it’s that teacher!”
Shì zhèiwèi tóngxué ma?	Bú shi zhèiwèi tóngxué, shi nèiwèi tóngxué!
“Is it this classmate?”	“It isn’t this classmate, it’s that classmate!”
Shì zhèige míngzi ma?	Bú shi zhèige míngzi, shi nèige míngzi!
“Was it this name?”	“It wasn’t this name, it was that name!”
Shì zhèige sùshè ma?	Bú shi zhèige sùshè, shi nèige sùshè!
“Was it this dormitory?”	“It wasn’t this dormitory, it was that dormitory!”

9. Respond to the questions with nĕi- “which?” by using nèi- “that.”

Shì nĕige rén?	Shì nèige rén!
“Which person was it?”	“It was that person!”
Shì nĕige háizi?	Shì nèige háizi!
“Which child was it?”	“It was that child!”
Shì nĕiwèi lăoshī?	Shì nèiwèi lăoshī!
“Which teacher is it?”	“It’s that teacher!”
Shì nĕiwèi tóngxué?	Shì nèiwèi tóngxué!
“Which classmate is it?”	“It’s that classmate!”
Shì nĕige gōngzuò?	Shì nèige gōngzuò!
“Which job was it?”	“It was that job!”
Shì nĕige shítáng?	Shì nèige shítáng!
“Which dining hall was it?”	“It was that dining hall!”

10. Confirm the truth of what your interlocutor says about the first person by repeating it, but add the new and different information about the other person that is given in the cue by using kĕshi.

Lăo Wáng shi Mĕiguo rén. (Xiăo Lín, Măláixīyà rén)	Lăo Wáng shi Mĕiguo rén, kĕshi Xiăo Lín shi Măláixīyà rén.
“Old Wang is American.” (“Little Lin, Malaysian”)	“Old Wang is American, but Little Lin is Malaysian.”
Lăo Bái shi Mĕiguo rén. (Xiăo Hé, Xībānyá rén)	Lăo Bái shi Mĕiguo rén, kĕshi Xiăo Hé shi Xībānyá rén.
“Old Bai is American.” (“Little He, Spanish”)	“Old Bai is American, but Little He is Spanish.”
Lăo Gāo shi Zhōngguo rén. (Xiăo Zhào, Rìbĕn rén)	Lăo Gāo shi Zhōngguo rén, kĕshi Xiăo Zhào shi Rìbĕn rén.
“Old Gao is Chinese.” (“Little Zhao, Japanese”)	“Old Gao is Chinese, but Little Zhao is Japanese.”
Lăo Lĭ shi Táiwān rén. (Xiăo Kē, Xīnjiāpō rén)	Lăo Lĭ shi Táiwān rén, kĕshi Xiăo Kē shi Xīnjiāpō rén.
“Old Li is Taiwanese.” (“Little Ke, Singaporean”)	“Old Li is Taiwanese, but Little Ke is Singaporean.”

 

Unit 2, Part 2: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Combine the first noun or pronoun with the noun that follows by adding -de.

wŏ, àiren	wŏde àiren
“I, spouse”	“my spouse”
Lăo Chén, tóngxué	Lăo Chénde tóngxué
“Old Chen, classmate”	“Old Chen’s classmate”
tā, bàba	tāde bàba
“he/she, father”	“his/her father”
nĭmen, sùshè	nĭmende sùshè
“you all, dormitory”	“your dormitory”
tāmen, māma	tāmende māma
“they, mother”	“their mother”
Zhào tóngxué, tóngwū	Zhào tóngxuéde tóngwū
“classmate Zhao, roommate”	“classmate Zhao’s roommate”

2. Transform the sentences with lái or qù followed directly by a place word to the dào...lái or dào...qù pattern.

Hĕn gāoxìng nĭ lái Bĕijīng!	Hĕn gāoxìng nĭ dào Bĕijīng lái!
“I’m glad you’ve come to Beijing!”	“I’m glad you’ve come to Beijing!”
Huānyíng nĭ lái Táiwān!	Huānyíng nĭ dào Táiwān lái!
“Welcome to Taiwan!”	“Welcome to Taiwan!”
Qĭng nĭ qù wŏde sùshè.	Qĭng nĭ dào wŏde sùshè qù.
“Please go to my dormitory.”	“Please go to my dormitory.”
Búyào qù túshūguăn!	Búyào dào túshūguăn qù!
“Don’t go to the library!”	“Don’t go to the library!”
Tā qù Rìbĕn le.	Tā dào Rìbĕn qùle.
“He went to Japan.”	“He went to Japan.”
Nĭ yīnggāi lái wŏde gōngsī.	Nĭ yīnggāi dào wŏde gōngsī lái.
“You should come to my company.”	“You should come to my company.”

3. Change the following imperative sentences to negative imperatives by using bié.

Qĭng nĭ qù gōngzuò.	Qĭng nĭ bié qù gōngzuò.
“Please go to work.”	“Please don’t go to work.”
Qĭng tāmen lái Táiwān.	Qĭng tāmen bié lái Táiwān.
“Ask them to come to Taiwan.”	“Ask them not to come to Taiwan.”
Chén Xiáojie, qĭng zuò.	Chén Xiáojie, qĭng bié zuò.
“Miss Chen, please sit.”	“Miss Chen, please don’t sit.”
Bàba, qĭng zŏu.	Bàba, qĭng bié zŏu.
“Father, please go.”	“Father, please don’t go.”
Qĭng nĭmen jiào wŏ Lăo Chén.	Qĭng nĭmen bié jiào wŏ Lăo Chén.
“You all please call me Old Chen.”	“You all please don’t call me Old Chen.”

4. Change the following negative imperative sentences with búyào to positive imperatives by deleting the búyào.

Qĭng nĭ búyào qù túshūguăn.	Qĭng nĭ qù túshūguăn.
“Please don’t go to the library.”	“Please go to the library.”
Qĭng nĭ búyào huí sùshè.	Qĭng nĭ huí sùshè.
“Please don’t go back to the dormitory.”	“Please go back to the dormitory.”
Qĭng tāmen búyào lái Mĕiguo.	Qĭng tāmen lái Mĕiguo.
“Ask them not to come to the States.”	“Ask them to come to the States.”
Qĭng nĭmen búyào qù Zhōngguo.	Qĭng nĭmen qù Zhōngguo.
“Please don’t go to China.”	“Please go to China.”
Qĭng nĭ búyào zèmme chēnghu wŏ.	Qĭng nĭ zèmme chēnghu wŏ.
“Please don’t address me in this way.”	“Please address me in this way.”
Qĭng nĭmen búyào qù gōngzuò.	Qĭng nĭmen qù gōngzuò.
“Please don’t go to work.”	“Please go to work.”

5. Respond to each question using the cue provided.

Zhè shi shéide lăoshī? (wŏde)	Zhè shi wŏde lăoshī.
“This is whose teacher?” (“my”)	“This is my teacher.”
Zhè shi shéide háizi? (nĭde)	Zhè shi nĭde háizi.
“Whose kid is this?” (“your”)	“This is your kid.”
Zhè shi shéide bàba? (tāmende)	Zhè shi tāmende bàba.
“Whose father is this?” (“their”)	“This is their father.”
Nà shi shéide àiren? (wŏde)	Nà shi wŏde àiren.
“Whose spouse is that?” (“my”)	“That is my spouse.”
Nà shi shéide māma? (tāmende)	Nà shi tāmende māma.
“Whose mother is that?” (“their”)	“That is their mother.”
Zhè shi shéide tóngxué? (nĭmende)	Zhè shi nĭmende tóngxué.
“Whose classmate is this?” (“your”)	“This is your classmate.”

 

Unit 2, Part 3: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Transform the polite questions with guìxìng to more ordinary questions with xìng shémme. Remember also to change polite nín to ordinary nĭ.

Nín guìxìng?	Nĭ xìng shémme?
“What’s your last name?”	“What’s your last name?”
Nèiwèi nǚshì guìxìng?	Nèiwèi nǚshì xìng shémme?
“What’s that lady’s last name?”	“What’s that lady’s last name?”
Nèiwèi lăoshī guìxìng?	Nèiwèi lăoshī xìng shémme?
“What’s that teacher’s last name?”	“What’s that teacher’s last name?”
Qĭng wèn, xiáojie, nín guìxìng?	Qĭng wèn, xiáojie, nĭ xìng shémme?
“Excuse me, Miss, what’s your last name?”	“Excuse me, Miss, what’s your last name?”
Zhèiwèi dàxué xiàozhăng guìxìng?	Zhèiwèi dàxué xiàozhăng xìng shémme?
“What’s this college president’s last name?”	“What’s this college president’s last name?”

2. Explain that, by golly, your roommate, classmate, colleague, etc. has the same surname as the speaker’s!

Wŏde tóngwū xìng Gāo.	Wŏde tóngwū yĕ xìng Gāo!
“My roommate’s last name is Gao.”	“My roommate’s last name is also Gao!”
Wŏde tóngxué xìng Lín.	Wŏde tóngxué yĕ xìng Lín!
“My classmate’s last name is Lin.”	“My classmate’s last name is also Lin!”
Wŏde tóngshì xìng Chén.	Wŏde tóngshì yĕ xìng Chén!
“My colleague’s last name is Chen.”	“My colleague’s last name is also Chen!”
Wŏde Zhōngwén lăoshī xìng Wú.	Wŏde Zhōngwén lăoshī yĕ xìng Wú!
“My Chinese teacher’s last name is Wu.”	“My Chinese teacher’s last name is also Wu!”
Wŏ māma xìng Mă.	Wŏ māma yĕ xìng Mă!
“My mom’s last name is Ma.”	“My mom’s last name is also Ma!”
Wŏmende xiàozhăng xìng Hé.	Wŏmende xiàozhăng yĕ xìng Hé!
“Our college president’s surname is He.”	“Our college president’s surname is also He!”

3. Add ba to the following sentences to indicate that you think what you said is probably so.

Nĭ yĕ shi lăoshī.	Nĭ yĕ shi lăoshī ba?
“You are a teacher, too.”	“You are a teacher too, I guess?”
Tā shi nĭde tóngshì.	Tā shi nĭde tóngshì ba?
“She is your co-worker.”	“She is your co-worker, I suppose?”
Xiăo Zhào bú shi Zhōngguo rén.	Xiăo Zhào bú shi Zhōngguo rén ba?
“Little Zhao is not Chinese.”	“I suppose Little Zhao is not Chinese?”
Nĭ zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò.	Nĭ zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò ba?
“You work at the Foreign Ministry.”	“I guess you work at the Foreign Ministry?”
Chén Xiáojie shi Măláixīyà rén.	Chén Xiáojie shi Măláixīyà rén ba?
“Miss Chen is Malaysian.”	“Miss Chen is Malaysian, I guess?”
Tāmen bú rènshi nĭ.	Tāmen bú rènshi nĭ ba?
“They are not acquainted with you.”	“They are not acquainted with you, I assume?”

4. Respond to the following questions using the cue provided.

Nĭ zài năr gōngzuò a? (shítáng)	Wŏ zài shítáng gōngzuò.
“Where do you work?” (“cafeteria”)	“I work at the cafeteria.”
Nĭmen zài năr gōngzuò a? (dàshĭguăn)	Wŏmen zài dàshĭguăn gōngzuò.
“Where do you all work?” (“embassy”)	“We work at the embassy.”
Tā zài năr gōngzuò a? (dàxué)	Tā zài dàxué gōngzuò.
“Where does she work?” (“university”)	“She works at the university.”
Tāmen zài năr gōngzuò a? (túshūguăn)	Tāmen zài túshūguăn gōngzuò.
“Where do they work?” (“library”)	“They work at the library.”
Xiăo Chén zài năr gōngzuò a? (gōngsī)	Xiăo Chén zài gōngsī gōngzuò.
“Where does Little Chen work?” (“company”)	“Little Chen works at the company.”
Lăo Zhào zài năr gōngzuò a? (Wàijiāobù)	Lăo Zhào zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò.
“Where does Old Zhao work?” (“Foreign Ministry”)	“Old Zhao works at the Foreign Ministry.”

 

Unit 2, Part 4: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Transform the following sentences from bù to past negative with méi.

Wŏ bù lái.	Wŏ méi lái.
“I’m not coming.”	“I didn’t come.”
Wŏ bù zŏu.	Wŏ méi zŏu.
“I’m not leaving.”	“I didn’t leave.”
Wŏ bú dài míngpiàn.	Wŏ méi dài míngpiàn.
“I don’t carry name cards.”	“I didn’t carry name cards.”
Tā bú qù Zhōngguo.	Tā méi qù Zhōngguo.
“She’s not going to China.”	“She didn’t go to China.”
Nĭ yĕ bú wèn zĕmme qù.	Nĭ yĕ méi wèn zĕmme qù.
“And you don’t ask how to go.”	“And you didn’t ask how to go.”
Nĭmen bù huí sùshè ma?	Nĭmen méi huí sùshè ma?
“You’re not going back to the dorm?”	“You didn’t go back to the dorm?”
Nĭmen bú qù gōngsī ma?	Nĭmen méi qù gōngsī ma?
“You’re not going to the company?”	“You didn’t go to the company?”

2. Transform the following sentences with the coverb zài describing where someone works to noun phrases with -de that indicate a person’s affiliation.

Nèiwèi Shī Xiáojie zài Zhōng-Mĕi Màoyì Gōngsī gōngzuò.	Zhōng-Mĕi Màoyì Gōngsīde nèiwèi Shī Xiáojie
“That Miss Shi works at the Sino-American Trading Company.”	“that Miss Shi from Sino-American trading company”
Nèiwèi Mă Xiáojie zài Mĕiguo Dàshĭguăn gōngzuò.	Mĕiguo Dàshĭguănde nèiwèi Mă Xiáojie
“That Ms. Ma works at the American Embassy.”	“that Ms. Ma from the American Embassy”
Nèiwèi Hé Lăoshī zài Táiwān Dàxué gōngzuò.	Táiwān Dàxuéde nèiwèi Hé Lăoshī
“That Prof. He works at Taiwan University.”	“that Prof. He from Taiwan University”
Nèiwèi Wú Xiáojie zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò.	Wàijiāobùde nèiwèi Wú Xiáojie
“That Miss Wu works at the Foreign Ministry.”	“that Miss Wu from the Foreign Ministry”

3. Transform the sentences with bù dōu to dōu bù.

Tāmen bù dōu shi Rìbĕn rén.	Tāmen dōu bú shi Rìbĕn rén.
“They are not all Japanese.”	“They all are not Japanese.”
Wŏmen bù dōu zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò.	Wŏmen dōu bú zài Wàijiāobù gōngzuò.
“We don’t all work at the Foreign Ministry.”	“We all don’t work at the Foreign Ministry.”
Tāmen bù dōu rènshì Wáng Xiáojie.	Tāmen dōu bú rènshì Wáng Xiáojie.
“They don’t all know Ms. Wang.”	“None of them knows Ms. Wang.”
Wŏmen bù dōu xuéxí Zhōngwén.	Wŏmen dōu bù xuéxí Zhōngwén.
“We don’t all learn Chinese.”	“None of us is learning Chinese.”
Tāmen bù dōu huānyíng wŏ dào Bĕijīng qù.	Tāmen dōu bù huānyíng wŏ dào Bĕijīng qù.
“Not all of them welcome me to go to Beijing.”	“None of them welcomes me to go to Beijing.”

4. Transform the expressions with zhèi- to nèi- and also add yĕ.

Zhèiwèi xiānsheng xìng Wáng.	Nèiwèi xiānsheng yĕ xìng Wáng.
“This gentleman’s last name is Wang.”	“That gentleman’s last name is also Wang.”
Zhèiwèi tàitai xìng Bái.	Nèiwèi tàitai yĕ xìng Bái.
“This lady’s last name is Bai.”	“That lady’s last name is also Bai.”
Zhèiwèi xiáojie xìng Lín.	Nèiwèi xiáojie yĕ xìng Lín.
“This young lady’s last name is Lin.”	“That young lady’s last name is also Lin.”
Zhèige háizi hĕn lèi.	Nèige háizi yĕ hĕn lèi.
“This child is very tired.”	“That child is also very tired.”
Zhèiwèi jīnglĭ hĕn gāoxìng.	Nèiwèi jīnglĭ yĕ hĕn gāoxìng.
“This manager is very happy.”	“That manager is also very happy.”
Zhèige Mĕiguo rén wŏ bú rènshì.	Nèige Mĕiguo rén wŏ yĕ bú rènshì.
“I don’t know this American.”	“I don’t know that American either.”
Zhèige dàxué hĕn xīn.	Nèige dàxué yĕ hĕn xīn.
“This university is very new.”	“That university is also very new.”

5. Use gēn to join the second noun or pronoun to the first noun or pronoun.

wŏ (nĭ)	wŏ gēn nĭ
“I” (“you”)	“I and you”
wŏ (tā)	wŏ gēn tā
“I” (“he”)	“I and he”
wŏmen (nĭmen)	wŏmen gēn nĭmen
“we” (“you”)	“we and you”
wŏmen (tāmen)	wŏmen gēn tāmen
“we” (“they”)	“we and they”
Lăo Lĭ (Xiăo Bái)	Lăo Lĭ gēn Xiăo Bái
“Old Li” (“Little Bai”)	“Old Li and Little Bai”
àiren (háizi)	àiren gēn háizi
“spouse” (“child”)	“spouse and child”
xiānsheng (tàitai)	xiānsheng gēn tàitai
“husband” (“wife”)	“husband and wife”
Zhōngguo (Táiwān)	Zhōngguo gēn Táiwān
“Mainland China” (“Taiwan”)	“Mainland China and Taiwan”
Zhōngguo rén (Mĕiguo rén)	Zhōngguo rén gēn Mĕiguo rén
“Chinese” (“Americans”)	“Chinese and Americans”

6. Transform each phrase or sentence that you hear into a politer equivalent.

Nĭ hăo!	Nín hăo!
“How are you?”	“How do you do?”
Nĭ xìng shémme?	Nín guìxìng?
“What’s your last name?”	“What is your honorable surname?”
zhèige xiānsheng	zhèiwèi xiānsheng
“this man”	“this gentleman”
nèige tàitai	nèiwèi tàitai
“that lady”	“that lady”
Nĕige xiáojie?	Nĕiwèi xiáojie?
“Which young woman?”	“Which young lady?”
zhèige xiàozhăng	zhèiwèi xiàozhăng
“this school principal”	“this school principal”
nèige zŏngjīnglĭ	nèiwèi zŏngjīnglĭ
“that general manager”	“that general manager”
Nĕige nǚshì?	Nĕiwèi nǚshì?
“Which lady?”	“Which lady?”
yíge lăoshī	yíwèi lăoshī
“a teacher”	“a teacher”

 

Unit 3, Part 1: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Say the number that comes after the number you hear.

liù	qī
“six”	“seven”
jiŭ	shí
“nine”	“ten”
yī	èr
“one”	“two”
sì	wŭ
“four”	“five”
qī	bā
“seven”	“eight”
èr	sān
“two”	“three”
bā	jiŭ
“eight”	“nine”
sān	sì
“three”	“four”
wŭ	liù
“five”	“six”

2. Say the number that comes before the number you hear.

qī	liù
“seven”	“six”
shí	jiŭ
“ten”	“nine”
èr	yī
“two”	“one”
jiŭ	bā
“nine”	“eight”
wŭ	sì
“five”	“four”
sān	èr
“three”	“two”
liù	wŭ
“six”	“five”
bā	qī
“eight”	“seven”
sì	sān
“four”	“three”

3. Comment that, in each case, you have one more student in your class than the speaker does.

Wŏmen bānshang yŏu jiŭge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu shíge tóngxué.
“Our class has nine classmates.”	“Our class has ten classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu liăngge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sān’ge tóngxué.
“Our class has two classmates.”	“Our class has three classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu liùge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu qíge tóngxué.
“Our class has six classmates.”	“Our class has seven classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sìge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu wŭge tóngxué.
“Our class has four classmates.”	“Our class has five classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sān’ge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sìge tóngxué.
“Our class has three classmates.”	“Our class has four classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu qíge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu báge tóngxué.
“Our class has seven classmates.”	“Our class has eight classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu wŭge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu liùge tóngxué.
“Our class has five classmates.”	“Our class has six classmates.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu báge tóngxué.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu jiŭge tóngxué.
“Our class has eight classmates.”	“Our class has nine classmates.”

4. Comment that, in each case, the ratio of male students to female students in your class is the exact reverse of the speaker’s class.

Wŏmen bānshang yŏu liăngge nánshēng, yíge nǚshēng.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu yíge nánshēng, liăngge nǚshēng.
“Our class has two guys, one girl.”	“Our class has one guy, two girls.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sān’ge nánshēng, sìge nǚshēng.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu sìge nánshēng, sān’ge nǚshēng.
“Our class has three guys, four girls.”	“Our class has four guys, three girls.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu wŭge nánshēng, liùge nǚshēng.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu liùge nánshēng, wŭge nǚshēng.
“Our class has five guys, six girls.”	“Our class has six guys, five girls.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu qíge nánshēng, báge nǚshēng.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu báge nánshēng, qíge nǚshēng.
“Our class has seven guys, eight girls.”	“Our class has eight guys, seven girls.”
Wŏmen bānshang yŏu jiŭge nánshēng, shíge nǚshēng.	Wŏmen bānshang yŏu shíge nánshēng, jiŭge nǚshēng.
“Our class has nine guys, ten girls.”	“Our class has ten guys, nine girls.”

5. Use the conjunction nà and the final particle ne to introduce the new topic indicated.

Tāmen bānshang yŏu shíge tóngxué. (nĭmen bānshang)	Nà, nĭmen bānshang ne?
“Their class has ten classmates.” (“your class”)	“And how about your class?”
Tā yŏu sānwèi Zhōngwén lăoshī. (nĭ)	Nà, nĭ ne?
“He has three Chinese teachers.” (“you”)	“And what about you?”
Wŏmende gōngsī yŏu liăngwèi jīnglĭ. (nĭde gōngsī)	Nà, nĭde gōngsī ne?
“Our company has two managers.” (“your company”)	“And what about your company?”
Tāde lăoshī dōu shi nánde. (nĭde lăoshī)	Nà, nĭde lăoshī ne?
“Her teachers are all male.” (“your teachers”)	“And what about your teachers?”
Tā xìng Chén. (nĭ)	Nà, nĭ ne?
“Her last name is Chen.” (“you”)	“And what about you?”

6. Convert the following Beijing-style pronunciations to non-Beijing-style pronunciations.

yìdiănr	yìdiăn
“a little bit”	“a little bit”
shìr	shì
“matter”	“matter”
yíxiàr	yíxià
“(softens the verb)”	“(softens the verb)”
tóngwūr	tóngwū
“roommate”	“roommate”
yíbànr	yíbàn
“half”	“half”
yíbànr yíbànr	yíbàn yíbàn
“half and half”	“half and half”

 

Unit 3, Part 2: Transformation and Response Drills

1. In answering the question, comment that you are, in each case, three years older than your inter-locutor.

Wŏ jīnnián shíliùsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián shíjiŭsuì.
“I am sixteen this year. And you?”	“I am nineteen this year.”
Wŏ jīnnián èrshiyīsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián èrshisìsuì.
“I am twenty-one this year. And you?”	“I am twenty-four this year.”
Wŏ jīnnián sānshibāsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián sìshiyīsuì.
“I am thirty-eight this year. And you?”	“I am forty-one this year.”
Wŏ jīnnián sìshiwŭsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián sìshibāsuì.
“I am forty-five this year. And you?”	“I am forty-eight this year.”
Wŏ jīnnián wŭshiqīsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián liùshisuì.
“I am fifty-seven this year. And you?”	“I am sixty this year.”
Wŏ jīnnián liùshiliùsuì. Nĭ ne?	Wŏ jīnnián liùshijiŭsuì.
“I am sixty-six this year. And you?”	“I am sixty-nine this year.”

2. In responding, comment that your mother is, in each case, six years younger than your interlocutor’s mother.

Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián sìshibāsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián sìshi’èrsuì le.
“My mother is 48 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 42 this year.”
Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián sānshiliùsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián sānshisuì le.
“My mother is 36 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 30 this year.”
Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián wŭshiqīsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián wŭshiyīsuì le.
“My mother is 57 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 51 this year.”
Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián bāshiliùsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián bāshisuì le.
“My mother is 86 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 80 this year.”
Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián qīshiwŭsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián liùshijiŭsuì le.
“My mother is 75 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 69 this year.”
Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián liùshisānsuì le. Nĭ mŭqīn ne?	Wŏ mŭqīn jīnnián wŭshiqīsuì le.
“My mother is 63 this year. And your mother?”	“My mother is 57 this year.”

3. Reduplicate each single-syllable verb and add kàn.

Nĭ zuò.	Nĭ zuòzuo kàn.
“You sit.”	“Try and sit on it.”
Nĭ shuō.	Nĭ shuōshuo kàn.
“You say.”	“Try and say it.”
Nĭ tīng.	Nĭ tīngting kàn.
“You listen.”	“Try and listen to it.”
Nĭ xiăng.	Nĭ xiángxiang kàn.
“You think.”	“Try and think of it/something.”
Nĭ wèn.	Nĭ wènwen kàn.
“You ask.”	“Try and ask.”
Nĭ cāi.	Nĭ cāicai kàn.
“You guess.”	“Try and guess.”

4. Replace the final ba that indicates supposition with the tag question duì bu dui.

Zhè shi nĭ mèimei ba?	Zhè shi nĭ mèimei, duì bu dui?
“This is your sister, I suppose?”	“This is your sister, right?”
Tā hĕn ài tā xiānsheng ba?	Tā hĕn ài tā xiānsheng, duì bu dui?
“She loves her husband, I suppose?”	“She loves her husband, right?”
Nĭmen dōu shi Rìbĕn rén ba?	Nĭmen dōu shi Rìbĕn rén, duì bu dui?
“You are all Japanese, I suppose?”	“You are all Japanese, right?”
Tāmende fùqin wŭshisuì le ba?	Tāmende fùqin wŭshisuì le, duì bu dui?
“Their father is fifty, I suppose?”	“Their father is fifty, right?”
Nèiwèi xiáojie shi Lín Xiáojie ba?	Nèiwèi xiáojie shi Lín Xiáojie, duì bu dui?
“That young lady is Ms. Lin, I suppose?”	“That young lady is Ms. Lin, right?”
Zhèiwèi shi nĭ gēge ba?	Zhèiwèi shi nĭ gēge, duì bu dui?
“This is your brother, I suppose?”	“This is your brother, right?”

5. Replace the final ba that indicates supposition with the tag question shì bu shi.

Tā shi nĭ fùqin ba?	Tā shi nĭ fùqin, shì bu shi?
“He’s your father, I suppose?”	“He’s your father, isn’t he?”
Wŏmen hĕn kĕ’ài ba?	Wŏmen hĕn kĕ’ài, shì bu shi?
“We’re very cute, I suppose?”	“We’re very cute, aren’t we?”
Wáng Jīnglĭ sìshisuì le ba?	Wáng Jīnglĭ sìshisuì le, shì bu shi?
“Manager Wang is forty years old, I suppose?”	“Manager Wang is forty years old, isn’t he?”
Tā xiăng qù Zhōngguo ba?	Tā xiăng qù Zhōngguo, shì bu shi?
“He wants to go to China, I suppose?”	“He wants to go to China, doesn’t he?”
Nĭmen lèile ba?	Nĭmen lèile, shì bu shi?
“You’re tired, I suppose?”	“You’re tired, aren’t you?”

 

Unit 3, Part 3: Transformation and Response Drills

1. Answer each nĕige question with nèige.

Nĕige shítáng?	Nèige shítáng!
“Which cafeteria?”	“That cafeteria!”
Nĕige túshūguăn?	Nèige túshūguăn!
“Which library?”	“That library!”
Nĕige dàshĭguăn?	Nèige dàshĭguăn!
“Which embassy?”	“That embassy!”
Nĕige gōngshìbāo?	Nèige gōngshìbāo!
“Which briefcase?”	“That briefcase!”
Nĕige dàizi?	Nèige dàizi!
“Which bag?”	“That bag!”
Nĕige bēizi?	Nèige bēizi!
“Which cup?”	“That cup!”

2. Now answer each nĕige question with zhèige.

Nĕige dānwèi?	Zhèige dānwèi.
“Which unit?”	“This unit.”
Nĕige míngzi?	Zhèige míngzi.
“Which name?”	“This name.”
Nĕige bēibāo?	Zhèige bēibāo.
“Which backpack?”	“This backpack.”
Nĕige dàxué?	Zhèige dàxué.
“Which college?”	“This college.”
Nĕige sùshè?	Zhèige sùshè.
“Which dormitory?”	“This dormitory.”
Nĕige bān?	Zhèige bān.
“Which class?”	“This class.”

3. Add le after each instance of tài + STATIVE VERB.

tài guì	Tài guìle.
“too expensive”	“It’s too expensive.”
tài piányi	Tài piányile.
“too cheap”	“It’s too cheap.”
tài kĕ’ài	Tài kĕ’àile.
“too cute”	“It’s too cute.”
tài gāoxìng	Tài gāoxìngle.
“too happy”	“She’s too happy.”
tài xiăo	Tài xiăole.
“too small”	“It’s too small.”
tài lèi	Tài lèile.
“too tired”	“I’m too tired.”
tài nán	Tài nánle.
“too hard”	“It was too hard.”
tài yŏu yìsi	Tài yŏu yìsi le.
“too interesting”	“It’s too interesting.”
tài méi yìsi	Tài méi yìsi le.
“too uninteresting”	“It’s too uninteresting.”

4. Reduplicate the following single-syllable verbs.

kàn	kànkan
“look”	“take a look”
shuō	shuōshuo
“say”	“say something”
tīng	tīngting
“listen”	“listen”
zuò	zuòzuo
“sit”	“take a seat”
cāi	cāicai
“guess”	“take a guess”
wèn	wènwen
“ask”	“ask”

5. Add ba to the following sentences to create suggestions.

Nĭ qù.	Nĭ qù ba.
“You go.”	“Why don’t you go.”
Nĭ măi liăngge.	Nĭ măi liăngge ba.
“You buy two.”	“Why don’t you buy two?”
Wŏmen zŏu.	Wŏmen zŏu ba.
“We go.”	“Let’s go.”
Nĭmen huí sùshè.	Nĭmen huí sùshè ba.
“You go back to the dormitory.”	“Why don’t you go back to the dormitory.”
Xiăo Wáng, nĭ bēizi gĕi wŏ.	Xiăo Wáng, nĭ bēizi gĕi wŏ ba.
“Little Wang, give me your cup.”	“Little Wang, why don’t you give me your cup.”
Wŏmen qù shítáng.	Wŏmen qù shítáng ba.
“We go to the cafeteria.”	“Let’s go to the cafeteria.”

6. In each case, answer in the negative and state that you have 100 items more than the speaker thinks.

Nĭ yŏu yībăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu liăngbăige.
“Do you have a hundred?”	“No, I have two hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu liăngbăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu sānbăige.
“Do you have two hundred?”	“No, I have three hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu sānbăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu sìbăige.
“Do you have three hundred?”	“No, I have four hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu sìbăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu wŭbăige.
“Do you have four hundred?”	“No, I have five hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu wŭbăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu liùbăige.
“Do you have five hundred?”	“No, I have six hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu liùbăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu qībăige.
“Do you have six hundred?”	“No, I have seven hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu qībăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu bābăige.
“Do you have seven hundred?”	“No, I have eight hundred.”
Nĭ yŏu bābăige ma?	Bú shi, wŏ yŏu jiŭbăige.
“Do you have eight hundred?”	“No, I have nine hundred.”

7. In each case, using zhĭ, answer in the negative and state that you have $1000 less than the speaker thinks.

Nĭ yŏu jiŭqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu bāqiānkuài.
“Do you have nine thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have eight thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu bāqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu qīqiānkuài.
“Do you have eight thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have seven thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu qīqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu liùqiānkuài.
“Do you have seven thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have six thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu liùqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu wŭqiānkuài.
“Do you have six thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have five thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu wŭqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu sìqiānkuài.
“Do you have five thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have four thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu sìqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu sānqiānkuài.
“Do you have four thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have three thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu sānqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu liăngqiānkuài.
“Do you have three thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have two thousand dollars.”
Nĭ yŏu liăngqiānkuài ma?	Bú shi, wŏ zhĭ yŏu yìqiānkuài.
“Do you have two thousand dollars?”	“No, I only have one thousand dollars.”

8. You will be asked if you and your colleagues at a second hand store buy a certain type of item. Explain that you don’t buy this type of item, but you do sell them.

Nĭmen măi bēizi ma?	Wŏmen bù măi bēizi, kĕshi wŏmen mài bēizi.
“Do you buy cups?”	“We don’t buy cups, but we do sell cups.”
Nĭmen măi bēibāo ma?	Wŏmen bù măi bēibāo, kĕshi wŏmen mài bēibāo.
“Do you buy backpacks?”	“We don’t buy backpacks, but we do sell backpacks.”
Nĭmen măi gōngshìbāo ma?	Wŏmen bù măi gōngshìbāo, kĕshi wŏmen mài gōngshìbāo.
“Do you buy briefcases?”	“We don’t buy briefcases, but we do sell briefcases.”
Nĭmen măi dàizi ma?	Wŏmen bù măi dàizi, kĕshi wŏmen mài dàizi.
“Do you buy bags?”	“We don’t buy bags, but we do sell bags.”
Nĭmen măi míngpiàn ma?	Wŏmen bù măi míngpiàn, kĕshi wŏmen mài míngpiàn.
“Do you buy name cards?”	“We don’t buy name cards, but we do sell name cards.”

9. Add or subtract as requested.

Yī jiā yī shi duōshăo?	Yī jiā yī shi èr.
“1 + 1 is how much?”	“1 + 1 is 2.”
Èr jiăn yī shi duōshăo?	Èr jiăn yī shi yī.
“2 − 1 is how much?”	“2 − 1 is 1.”
Qīshí jiā shí shi duōshăo?	Qīshí jiā shí shi bāshí.
“70 + 10 is how much?”	“70 + 10 is 80.”
Liùshí jiăn shí shi duōshăo?	Liùshí jiăn shí shi wŭshí.
“60 − 10 is how much?”	“60 − 10 is 50.”
Sìshisān jiā wŭshiwŭ shi duōshăo?	Sìshisān jiā wŭshiwŭ shi jiŭshibā.
“43 + 55 is how much?”	“43 + 55 is 98.”
Sānshiqī jiăn shí’èr shi duōshăo?	Sānshiqī jiăn shí’èr shi èrshiwŭ.
“37 − 12 is how much?”	“37 − 12 is 25.”
Sìqiān jiā liăngqiān shi duōshăo?	Sìqiān jiā liăngqiān shi liùqiān.
“4,000 + 2,000 is how much?”	“4,000 + 2,000 is 6,000.”
Jiŭbăi jiŭshijiŭ jiăn yībăi shi duōshăo?	Jiŭbăi jiŭshijiŭ jiăn yībăi shi bābăi jiŭshijiŭ.
“999 − 100 is how much?”	“999 − 100 is 899.”

 

Unit 3, Part 4: Transformation and Response Drills

1. In each case, indicate that the time is already one hour later than your interlocutor thinks.

Xiànzài yīdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng liăngdiăn le.
“It’s now one o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already two.”
Xiànzài liăngdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng sāndiăn le.
“It’s now two o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already three.”
Xiànzài sāndiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng sìdiăn le.
“It’s now three o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already four.”
Xiànzài sìdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng wŭdiăn le.
“It’s now four o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already five.”
Xiànzài wŭdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng liùdiăn le.
“It’s now five o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already six.”
Xiànzài liùdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng qīdiăn le.
“It’s now six o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already seven.”
Xiànzài qīdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng bādiăn le.
“It’s now seven o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already eight.”
Xiànzài bādiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng jiŭdiăn le.
“It’s now eight o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already nine.”
Xiànzài jiŭdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng shídiăn le.
“It’s now nine o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already ten.”
Xiànzài shídiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng shíyīdiăn le.
“It’s now ten o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already eleven.”
Xiànzài shíyīdiăn zhōng ba?	Bú shi, yĭjīng shí’èrdiăn le.
“It’s now eleven o’clock, right?”	“No, it’s already twelve.”

2. In each case, indicate that the correct time is two minutes earlier than the speaker says.

Xiànzài jiŭdiăn sìshibāfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài jiŭdiăn sìshiliùfēn.
“It’s now 9:48, right?”	“No, it’s 9:46.”
Xiànzài liăngdiăn sānshí’èrfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài liăngdiăn sānshífēn.
“It’s now 2:32, right?”	“No, it’s 2:30.”
Xiànzài sìdiăn wŭshiliùfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài sìdiăn wŭshisìfēn.
“It’s now 4:56, right?”	“No, it’s 4:54.”
Xiànzài liùdiăn líng sānfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài liùdiăn líng yīfēn.
“It’s now 6:03, right?”	“No, it’s 6:01.”
Xiànzài shídiăn èrshi’èrfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài shídiăn èrshifēn.
“It’s now 10:22, right?”	“No, it’s 10:20.”
Xiànzài shí’èrdiăn shíyīfēn, duì bu dui?	Bú duì. Xiànzài shí’èrdiăn líng jiŭfēn.
“It’s now 12:11, right?”	“No, it’s now 12:09.”

3. Answer the following questions in the negative, using kŏngpà and adding a changed status le at the end.

Xiăo Wáng lái bu lái?	Kŏngpà tā bù láile.
“Is Little Wang coming?”	“I’m afraid he’s not coming.”
Nĭ qù bu qù?	Kŏngpà wŏ bú qùle.
“Are you going?”	“I’m afraid I’m not going.”
Tāmen măi bu măi?	Kŏngpà tāmen bù măile.
“Are they going to buy it?”	“I’m afraid they’re not going to buy it.”
Lín Lăoshī yào bu yào?	Kŏngpà tā bú yàole.
“Does Prof. Lin want it?”	“I’m afraid she doesn’t want it.”
Wŏ mèimei kéyi bu kéyi lái?	Kŏngpà tā bù kéyi láile.
“Can my sister come?”	“I’m afraid your sister can’t come.”

4. Drop the nouns from the following phrases to create nominal phrases ending in -de.

shídiănbànde huŏchē	shídiănbànde
“the 10:30 train”	“the 10:30 one”
wŏ măide gōngshìbāo	wŏ măide
“the briefcase that I bought”	“the one I bought”
wŏ mèimeide dàizi	wŏ mèimeide
“my younger sister’s bag”	“my younger sister’s”
bānshangde nǚshēng	bānshangde
“the girls in the class”	“the ones in the class”
liăngdiăn zhōngde huŏchē	liăngdiăn zhōngde
“the 2:00 train”	“the 2:00 one”
nĭ màide bēibāo	nĭ màide
“the backpack that you sold”	“the one that you sold”
lăoshīde míngzi	lăoshīde
“the teacher’s name”	“the teacher’s”

5. When asked how many hours it will take, explain that you’re afraid it will take one hour more than the speaker says.

Yào bu yào yíge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào liăngge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take one hour?”	“I’m afraid it will take two hours!”
Yào bu yào liăngge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào sān’ge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take two hours?”	“I’m afraid it will take three hours!”
Yào bu yào sān’ge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào sìge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take three hours?”	“I’m afraid it will take four hours!”
Yào bu yào sìge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào wŭge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take four hours?”	“I’m afraid it will take five hours!”
Yào bu yào wŭge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào liùge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take five hours?”	“I’m afraid it will take six hours!”
Yào bu yào liùge zhōngtóu?	Kŏngpà yào qīge zhōngtóu!
“Will it take six hours?”	“I’m afraid it will take seven hours!”

6. When asked how many hours it will take, explain that you think it will probably take an hour less than the speaker says.

Yào wŭge bàn zhōngtóu ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào sìge bàn zhōngtóu ba.
“Will it take five and a half hours?”	“I think it will only take four and a half hours.”
Yào liăngge zhōngtóu ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào yíge zhōngtóu ba.
“Will it take two hours?”	“I think it will only take one hour.”
Yào liùge zhōngtóu ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào wŭge zhōngtóu ba.
“Will it take six hours?”	“I think it will only take five hours.”
Yào jiŭge bàn zhōngtóu ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào bāge bàn zhōngtóu ba.
“Will it take nine and a half hours?”	“I think it will only take eight and a half hours.”
Yào qīge zhōngtóu shíwŭfēn ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào liùge zhōngtóu shíwŭfēn ba.
“Will it take seven hours and fifteen minutes?”	“I think it will only take six hours and fifteen minutes.”
Yào shíge zhōngtóu ma?	Wŏ xiăng zhĭ yào jiŭge zhōngtóu ba.
“Will it take ten hours?”	“I think it will only take nine hours.”

7. Convert the 24-hour clock times, as commonly employed in mainland China and Taiwan, to 12-hour clock times. Add xiàwŭ or wănshang as appropriate.

Xiàyítàng dào Tiānjīnde huŏchē shísāndiăn èrshifēn kāi.	Xiàyítàng dào Tiānjīnde huŏchē xiàwŭ yīdiăn èrshifēn kāi.
“The next train to Tianjin departs at 13:20.”	“The next train to Tianjin departs at 1:20 in the afternoon.”
Xiàyítàng dào Bĕijīngde huŏchē èrshidiăn shífēn kāi.	Xiàyítàng dào Bĕijīngde huŏchē wănshang bādiăn shífēn kāi.
“The next train to Beijing departs at 20:10.”	“The next train to Beijing departs at 8:10 in the evening.”
Xiàyítàng dào Xīnjiāpōde huŏchē shíwŭdiăn wŭshifēn kāi.	Xiàyítàng dào Xīnjiāpōde huŏchē xiàwŭ sāndiăn wŭshifēn kāi.
“The next train to Singapore departs at 15:50.”	“The next train to Singapore departs at 3:50 in the afternoon.”
Xiàyítàng dào Jiā’nádàde huŏchē èrshi’èrdiăn sānshiwŭfēn kāi.	Xiàyítàng dào Jiā’nádàde huŏchē wănshang shídiăn sānshiwŭfēn kāi.
“The next train to Canada departs at 22:35.”	“The next train to Canada departs at 10:35 in the evening.”

For the remaining pages of Transformation

and Response Drills

(Unit 4, Part 1 through Unit 10, Part 4),

please refer to the Bonus Material.