Basic Mandarin Chinese

Unit 1: Greetings and Useful Phrases

Unit 2: Introductions

Unit 3: Numbers, Dates, Time and Money (I)

Unit 4: Numbers, Dates, Time and Money (II)

Unit 5: Locating Persons, Places and Things

Unit 6: Biographical Information (I)

Unit 7: Biographical Information (II)

Unit 8: Getting Around Beijing (I)

Unit 9: Getting Around Beijing (II)

Unit 10: Weather

Part 1: "Where Are You Going?" Part 2: "Long Time No See" Part 3: Chance Encounter on the Street Part 4: Visiting an Acquaintance at Her Home

Part 1: Asking About Name and Nationality Part 2: Introducing a Roommate Part 3: Inquiring Formally as to Name and Place of Work Part 4: A Self Introduction

Part 1: "How Many Students in Your Class?" Part 2: Inquiring About Age Part 3: Purchasing a Tea Cup Part 4: Buying a Train Ticket

Part 1: Inquiring About Opening and Closing Times Part 2: Personal Information Part 3: Second Trip to China Part 4: Asking About Population

Part 1: Searching for Mary Wang Part 2: Conversation at a Noodle Stand Part 3: "Where Are You Staying?" Part 4: New Computer

Part 1: Conversation with a Six-year-old Part 2: Chat at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Part 3: Chat at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial (cont.) Part 4: Chat at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial (cont.)

Part 1: More Questions About One's Family Part 2: "You Can Speak Chinese!" Part 3: The Nosy Professor Part 4: Conversation with a Waitress

Part 1: "How Do I Get to the Beijing Hotel?" Part 2: Calling for a Taxi to the Airport Part 3: Calling for a Taxi to the Airport (cont.) Part 4: Calling for a Taxi to the Airport (cont.)

Part 1: Lost in Beijing Part 2: By Bus and Street Car to the Summer Palace Part 3: By Bus and Street Car to the Summer Palace (cont.) Part 4: By Bus and Street Car to the Summer Palace (cont.)

Part 1: A Weather Forecast Part 2: Beijing Weather Part 3: Taiwan Weather Part 4: Talking About the Weather in Your Hometown

Unit 10: Weather

Part 4: Talking About the Weather in Your Hometown

1. Hi!

2. Hello!

3. Excuse me, are you Chinese?

4. I’m Chinese-American.

5. Oh, you’re an American Chinese. So, where in the U.S. do you live?

6. On the U.S. west coast, California, not far from San Francisco.

7. What’s the climate like there?

8. Pretty nice. Winters are warmer than in Beijing, and not as dry as here; and summers are cooler than here. One could say it’s “warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

9. Well, you’ve been in Beijing so long, by now you must be used to Beijing’s climate?

10. Yeah, when I had just come, I wasn’t very much used to it. Now it’s pretty much O.K.