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Mythic Mandarin

A photo

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 1 About 3 minutes

一张照片

Yì zhāng zhàopiàn

A photo

Story

  1. 。

    zhè shì Xiǎowén jiā de zhàopiàn.

    This is a photo of Xiaowen's family.

    Words in this sentence
    这 zhè
    this Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    小文 Xiǎowén
    Xiaowen (name)
    家 jiā
    home, family Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    照片 zhàopiàn
    photo Dictionary

  2. 。

    tā jiā yǒu wǔ gè rén.

    There are five people in his family.

    Words in this sentence
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    家 jiā
    home, family Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    五 wǔ
    five Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary

  3. 。

    zhè shì tā bàba hé māma.

    This is his dad and his mum.

    Words in this sentence
    这 zhè
    this Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    爸爸 bàba
    dad Dictionary
    和 hé
    and Dictionary
    妈妈 māma
    mum Dictionary

  4. 。

    zhè shì tā gēge hé mèimei.

    This is his older brother and his younger sister.

    Words in this sentence
    这 zhè
    this Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    哥哥 gēge
    older brother Dictionary
    和 hé
    and Dictionary
    妹妹 mèimei
    younger sister Dictionary

  5. ：“？”

    péngyou kàn zhàopiàn:“ zhè gè háizi shì shéi?”

    His friend looks at the photo: "Who is this child?"

    Words in this sentence
    朋友 péngyou
    friend Dictionary
    看 kàn
    to look, to watch, to read Dictionary
    照片 zhàopiàn
    photo Dictionary
    这 zhè
    this Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    孩子 háizi
    child Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    谁 shéi
    who Dictionary

  6. “！”

    “ zhè gè háizi shì wǒ!”

    "That child is me!"

    Words in this sentence
    这 zhè
    this Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    孩子 háizi
    child Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 的 shows possession: 小文家的照片 "a photo of Xiaowen's family"
  • 谁 "who" in a question

Vocabulary

Questions

1小文家有几个人？Xiǎowén jiā yǒu jǐ gè rén?How many people are in Xiaowen's family?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 2: 他家有五个人, "There are five people in his family."

  • A: Count them: dad, mum, brother, sister and Xiaowen himself make 五 (five).
  • B: Sentence 2 says 五个人, five people.
2小文有一个哥哥。Xiǎowén yǒu yí gè gēge.Xiaowen has an older brother.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. True. Sentence 4: 这是他哥哥和妹妹, "This is his older brother and his younger sister."

  • B: Sentence 4 shows 他哥哥, "his older brother", so the statement is true.
3照片上的孩子是谁？Zhàopiàn shàng de háizi shì shéi?Who is the child in the photo?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Sentence 6: Xiaowen answers 这个孩子是我, "That child is me!" The fifth person is Xiaowen when he was little.

  • B: His sister is in sentence 4; the friend asks about another child, and Xiaowen says 这个孩子是我.
  • C: The friend is the one asking the question in sentence 5.
4这个孩子是＿＿？Zhè gè háizi shì __?Who is this child?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 5: 这个孩子是谁？ 谁 asks about a person.

  • A: 什么 asks about a thing; for a person, ask 谁.
  • B: 几 asks for a small number, not for a person.
5这是他爸爸＿＿妈妈。Zhè shì tā bàba __ māma.This is his dad ___ his mum.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. Sentence 3: 他爸爸和妈妈. 和 joins two nouns: dad and mum.

  • A: 是 links a subject and what it is; between two nouns you need 和.
  • C: 也 goes before a verb, not between two nouns.

Speaking task

介绍你的家。

Jièshào nǐ de jiā.

Introduce your family.

Tips

  • Start with 我家有……个人.
  • Point at a photo and say 这是我……: 这是我妈妈.
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

我家有四个人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥和我。

Wǒ jiā yǒu sì gè rén: bàba, māma, gēge hé wǒ.

There are four people in my family: dad, mum, my older brother and me.

About the HSK 1 level