Chinese-Peace-Corps/CN_Mandarin_Language_Lessons.xml

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<book xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="5.0">
    <info>
        <title>Chinese Basic Lessons for Invitees</title>
        <author>
            <orgname>Peace Corps volunteer</orgname>
            <affiliation>
                <orgdiv>Peace Corps / China</orgdiv>
            </affiliation>
        </author>
        <pubdate>11/28/2006</pubdate>
    </info>
    <preface>
        <title>Audio tracks</title>
        <para>The script accompanies the following 15 audio tracks:<informaltable frame="none">
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_1</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 3:39) (File Size:1.5MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_2</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 14:52)(File Size:6.1MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_3</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 4:45) (File Size:1.95MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_4</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 2:07) (File Size:873KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_5</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 3:14) (File Size:1.3MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_6</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 4:22) (File Size:1.8MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_7</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 3:01) (File Size:1.24MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_8</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 3:37) (File Size:1.49MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_9</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:24) File Size:576KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_10</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:50)(File Size:757KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_11</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:19)(File Size:544KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_12</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:12)(File Size:497KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_13</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 2:41)(File Size:1.1MB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_1</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:01)(File Size:420KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>CN_Mandarin_Lesson_1</entry>
                            <entry>(Time 1:25)(File Size:588KB)</entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable></para>

    </preface>
    <chapter>
        <title>Introduction to Chinese Language</title>

        <para>Text</para>
        <para> Mandarin is the official language of the People’s Republic of China. It is the
            dialect spoken in the capital Beijing. It is taught in all schools and is used for
            television and broadcast. Almost the entire population understands Mandarin. The
            language taught in Pre-Service Training (PST) is Mandarin. </para>
        <para> Chinese is a language with a large number of words with the same pronunciation but a
            different meaning; what distinguishes these ‘homophones，is their ‘tonal，quality - the
            raising and lowering of pitch on certain syllables. Mandarin has four tones - high,
            rising, falling-rising and falling, plus a fifth ‘neutral，tone. To illustrate, look at
            the word ma which has four different meanings according to tone: </para>
        <informaltable>
            <tgroup cols="3">
                <colspec colwidth="33*" align="left"/>
                <colspec colwidth="33*" align="left"/>
                <colspec colwidth="33*" align="left"/>
                <tbody>
                    <row>
                        <entry>
                            <para> High </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ma </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ‘mother， </para>
                        </entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>
                            <para> Rising </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ma </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ‘hemp， or ‘numb， </para>
                        </entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>
                            <para> Falling-rising </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ma </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ‘horse， </para>
                        </entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>
                            <para> Falling </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ma </para>
                        </entry>
                        <entry>
                            <para> ‘to scold， or ‘swear， </para>
                        </entry>
                    </row>
                </tbody>
            </tgroup>
        </informaltable>
        <section>
            <title>Writing System</title>
            <para> Chinese is not a phonetic language and the characters do not bear any resemblance
                to actual pronunciation. Chinese is often referred to as a language of pictographs. </para>
            <para> There are about 56,000 characters, but the vast majority of these are archaic. It
                is commonly felt that a well-educated, contemporary Chinese might know and use
                between 6000 and 8000 characters. To read a Chinese newspaper you will need to know
                2000 to 3000, but 1200 to 1500 would be enough to get the gist. </para>
            <para> Each Chinese character represents a spoken syllable, so many people declare that
                Chinese is a ‘monosyllabic language.，Actually, it，s more a case of having a
                monosyllabic writing system. While the building block of the Chinese language is
                indeed the monosyllabic Chinese character, Chinese words are usually a combination
                of two or more characters. </para>
            <para> You could think of Chinese words as being compounds. </para>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Phonetic system 一 Pinyin</title>
            <para> In 1958 China adopted a system of writing their language using the Roman
                alphabet. It's known as Pinyin. It is used in this course. </para>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Grammar</title>
            <para> Chinese grammar is much simpler than that of European languages. There are no
                articles (a/the), no tenses and no plurals. The basic point to bear in mind is that,
                like English, Chinese word order is subject-verb-object. In other words, a basic
                English sentence like ‘I (subject) love (verb) you (object)，is constructed in
                exactly the same way in Chinese.. </para>
        </section>
    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Phonetics</title>
        <section>
            <title>Phnetics</title>

            <para> There are 6 basic vowels and 21 consonants in Mandarin Chinese. A syllable always
                consists of a vowel (V) or a consonant with a vowel (CV), such as ba, fo, ne.
                Consonant clusters, two or more consonants used in succession, are not permitted in
                Chinese. </para>
            <para> Syllabic combinations common in English such as VC (up, at), CVC (big, pat, map),
                CCVC (bred, dread, stone), CVCC (mask, best, sand), CcV (fly, blue, grow) CCCV
                (screw, spray, stray), VCC (old, and, ink), VCCC (Olds, ants, amps), CCVCC (brand,
                trains, swings), CVCCC (tests, tenths, lunged), CVCCCC (thirsts, texts, worlds),
                CCVCCC (slurps, prints, flirts), CCCVC (street, squat, strut), CCCVCC (struts,
                squats, sprained), and CCCVCCC (scrimps, sprints, squelched) are not possible in
                Chinese. CVC, on the other hand, is possible in Chinese, but the final C can only be
                the nasal sounds -n and -ng and the retroflex -r, such as jing, nan, yong and er.
                Consonants are often called initials because they invariably appear initially in a
                word with the exception of the final -n, -ng or r, which can appear finally. Vowels
                are also called finals because they appear medially or finally in a word. Vowels can
                stand by themselves when no initial consonant is present. </para>
            <para> Let’s learn the finals (vowels) first: </para>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="4">
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> MANDARIN </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> SIMILAR ENGLISH SOUND </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> EXAMPLE (PINYIN &amp; CHARACTER) </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> NOTE </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> a </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Father </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ba爸 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> e </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> fur </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ce测 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> i </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> see </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> dr地 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> o </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> or </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> po婆 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> u </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> flute </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> bu不 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> u </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> German ‘fur， </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Lu绿 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Written as ‘u， when appearing after ‘j q x， </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ai </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> fly </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> nai奶 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ao </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> now </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ha。好 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ei </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> day </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> mei美 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ia </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yard </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xia下 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ie </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yes </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xie谢 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> iu </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yolk </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> liu六 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ou </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> low </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> lou楼 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ua </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> wah </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> hua花 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ue </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> you ate </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yue月 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ‘ue， stands for a syllable by itself, so it is written as
                                    ‘yue，, with the 2 dots dropped </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ui </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> way </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> hu!会 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> uo </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> war </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zuo做 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> iao </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> miaow </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yao要 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Bb </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> boy </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ba爸 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Pp </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> paper </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> po婆 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Mm </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> mother </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma妈 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ff </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> food </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> fa发 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Dd </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> door </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> da大 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Tt </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tall </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ta他 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Nn </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> name </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ni你 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ll </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> life </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> le乐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Gg </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> girl </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ge个 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Kk </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> kid </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ke客 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Hh </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> high </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> he和 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Jj </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jeans </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jie姐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> the lips do not protrude </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Qq </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cheese </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qian 钱 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Xx </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> shock </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xiu休 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> the lips do not protrude </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zz </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> kids </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zuo坐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Cc </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cats </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ca擦 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Not a equivalent in English </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ss </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> sir </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> san三 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhzh </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para>
                                    <superscript>jo</superscript>y </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zhao 找 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> pronounced without rounding and protruding the lips </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
            <para> Now the initials (consonants): </para>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="4">
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> MANDARIN </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> SIMILAR ENGLISH SOUND </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> EXAMPLE (PINYIN &amp; CHARACTER) </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> NOTE </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Bb </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> boy </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ba爸 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Pp </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> paper </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> po婆 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Mm </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> mother </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma妈 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ff </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> food </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> fa发 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Dd </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> door </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> da大 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Tt </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tall </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ta他 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Nn </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> name </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ni你 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ll </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> life </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> le乐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Gg </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> girl </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ge个 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Kk </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> kid </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ke客 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Hh </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> high </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> he和 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Jj </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jeans </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jie姐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> the lips do not protrude </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Qq </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cheese </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qian 钱 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Xx </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> shock </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xiu休 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> the lips do not protrude </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zz </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> kids </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zuo坐 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Cc </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cats </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ca擦 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Not a equivalent in English </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ss </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> sir </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> san三 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhzh </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para>
                                    <superscript>jo</superscript>y </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zhao 找 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> pronounced without rounding and protruding the lips </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Chch </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> child </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> chuang 床 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> See above </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Shsh </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> shoe </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> shuo 说 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> See above </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Rr </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> red </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ruan 软 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> See above </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Vv </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> visit </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Only to spell foreign words </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Ww </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> white </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> wo夜 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is actually ‘u，when ‘u，stands for a syllable by itself
                                </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Yy </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> year </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> you有 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is actually ‘i，（see above) </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
            <para> Some sounds are especially difficult for English speakers to remember, and have
                similar pronunciations. The sound q<subscript>9</subscript> for example, sounds a
                little like ch. Similar pairs are xand h and j and zh. </para>
            <para> zi ci si zhi chi shi ri ji qi xi </para>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Tones</title>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> High </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> high, flat, continuous tone </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Rising ' </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> rising tone similar to the intonation used in the question
                                    What?， </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Falling-rising &quot; </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tone that falls then rises. You'll hear many Mandarin
                                    speakers ‘swallow，the rising sound, only giving it a clear
                                    falling-rising pattern far emphasis. </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Falling 、 </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> falling tone, similar to the one used when yelling ‘Damn!，
                                </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
            <para> To help you get close, here's a brief try at tones, transcribed in English.
                Consider the syllable ‘mmm，（a non-syllable in Mandarin). Then, </para>
            <para> The high level tone is what you might say in English if you were asked a
                question, and you had to think about it before answering. It's high, and it's a
                constant tone: “Mmm, sixteen, I think.” </para>
            <para> ' The rising tone is like a question: “Mmm? I didn't catch that.” </para>
            <para> ▽ The low level tone is what you might say in English to express doubt, or
                disbelief: “Mmm...I don't know about that.” </para>
            <para> 、 The falling tone is like an interjection: “Mmm! Well, I'll be!” </para>

            <para> Listen and repeat: first tone </para>
            <para>Choose the syllables you heard:</para>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="4">
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="25*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> first tone </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> second tone </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> third tone </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> fourthtone </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> a </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> a </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> a </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> a </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ma </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tang </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tang </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tang </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tang </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qing </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qing </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qing </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> qing </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yan </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yan </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yan </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> yan </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> guo </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> guo </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> guo </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> guo </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="5">
                    <colspec colwidth="20*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="20*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="20*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="20*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="20*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> didian </para>
                                <para> ditan </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> baobian </para>
                                <para> baopian </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> tonghong </para>
                                <para> gongtong </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> daodian </para>
                                <para> daotian </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zaizuo </para>
                                <para> caicuo </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xingqiu </para>
                                <para> jiyou </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> canting </para>
                                <para> kanxin </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cesuo </para>
                                <para> jiecuo </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jian </para>
                                <para> zhan </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xue yue shui jue </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> ri ceng zi qing </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> rou </para>
                                <para> zou </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> xuan </para>
                                <para> juan </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> zhun </para>
                                <para> zhen </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> chen yue chun yun </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> jiang </para>
                                <para> zhang </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> cang </para>
                                <para> shang </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Basic Grammar</title>
        <para>Mandarin grammar is relatively straightforward. There are no verb conjugations, no
            plurals, no articles (a/the), and no gender or tenses. At an elementary level, sentence
            order is similar to English: subject-verb-object. For example, the sentence ‘I study
            Chinese’ follows exactly the same word order in Mandarin: I study Chinese. W[o xu>e
            h]any[u 。(lit: I study Chinese)</para>
        <para>Let，s learn a few words first:</para>

        <para>
            <informaltable frame="none">
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>this</entry>
                            <entry>zhe</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>that</entry>
                            <entry>na</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>to be </entry>
                            <entry>shi</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>tea</entry>
                            <entry>cha</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>rice/meal</entry>
                            <entry>fan</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>cup</entry>
                            <entry>beizi</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>egg</entry>
                            <entry>jidan</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>question particle</entry>
                            <entry>ma</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>no</entry>
                            <entry>bu</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>what</entry>
                            <entry>shenme</entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
        </para>
        <para> Then you can talk about objects:</para>
        <informaltable frame="none">
            <tgroup cols="2">
                <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                <tbody>
                    <row>
                        <entry>This is tea.</entry>
                        <entry> Zhe shi ch 。 </entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>That is rice.</entry>
                        <entry>Na shi fan。</entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>This is a cup.</entry>
                        <entry>Zhe shi beizi。</entry>
                    </row>
                    <row>
                        <entry>That is an egg.</entry>
                        <entry>Na shi jid]an。</entry>
                    </row>
                </tbody>
            </tgroup>
        </informaltable>
        <para> Note: ‘Shi，is ‘to be，. It is generally followed by a noun which defines the
            subject/topic. It is not normally followed by an adjective on its own. </para>
        <section>
            <title>How to form a question?</title>
            <para> A very simple way to form a question in Chinese is by putting a question particle
                ‘ma，at the end of a sentence that would otherwise be a plain statement. English
                counterparts of these questions are usually formed by syntactically more complicated
                “transformational” processes such as movement of the verb to the beginning of the
                sentence. </para>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is this tea? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhe shi cha ma? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Yes./ No. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Shi / Bu shi。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is that rice? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Na shi fan ma? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Yes. /No. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Shi / Bu shi。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is this a cup? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhe shi beizi ma? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Yes./No. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Shi / Bu shi。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Is that an egg? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Na shi jidan ma? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Yes. /No. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Shi / Bu shi。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
            <para> Note: The word ‘bu，is the negative word. It precedes the verb to indicate that
                something does not happen. Here its tone changes from the fourth to the second
                because it is followed by a fourth tone. You will learn the rule in the future.
            </para>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>So how do you ask what something is?</title>
            <para>‘什么 Shenme’ is the interrogative word ‘what’. The most important feature about
                Chinese interrogative pronouns is that, unlike English practice which shifts all
                interrogative pronouns to the beginning of the question, Chinese keeps them in the
                position in the sentence where the answers would be expected.</para>
            <informaltable>
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <colspec colwidth="50*" align="left"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> What is this? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhe shi shenme? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> This is tea. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Zhe shi cha。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> What is that? </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Na shi shenme? </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>
                                <para> That is a cup. </para>
                            </entry>
                            <entry>
                                <para> Na shi b3izi。 </para>
                            </entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Greetings</title>
        <section>
            <title>Vocabulary</title>
            <informaltable frame="none">
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>you (singular)</entry>
                            <entry>n[i</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>I, me</entry>
                            <entry>w[o</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>good, all right</entry>
                            <entry>h[ao</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>goodbye</entry>
                            <entry>z]aiji]an</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>morning</entry>
                            <entry>z[ao</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>morning</entry>
                            <entry>z[aosh]ang</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>afternoon</entry>
                            <entry>xi]aw[u</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>evening</entry>
                            <entry>w[ansh]ang</entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </informaltable>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Dialogue 1</title>
            <para/>
            <table frame="none">
                <title>Greetings in all circumstances</title>
                <tgroup cols="2">
                    <colspec colname="c1" colnum="1" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <colspec colname="c2" colnum="2" colwidth="1.0*"/>
                    <tbody>
                        <row>
                            <entry>A: How are you?</entry>
                            <entry>A: N[[i h[ao。</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>B: How are you?</entry>
                            <entry>B: N[i h[ao。</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>A: Goodbye.</entry>
                            <entry>A: Z]aiji]an。</entry>
                        </row>
                        <row>
                            <entry>B: Goodbye.</entry>
                            <entry>B: Z]aiji]an。</entry>
                        </row>
                    </tbody>
                </tgroup>
            </table>
            <para>Note: You can change the morning ‘z[aosh]ang’ to afternoon ‘ xi]aw[u’ or evening
                ‘w[ansh]ang’ respectively, and add good ‘h[ao’ to greet people in different times of
                a day.</para>
        </section>
    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Introductions</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Vocabulary</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Dialogue 1</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Dialogue2</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>The personal pronouns:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Numbers/Prices</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title/>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Numbers 1-10:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Numbers 10-1 billion:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Ordianl numbers:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Dialogue 1</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Dialogue 2</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Vocabulary</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Food and Drinks</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Vocabulary</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Phrases and sentences:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Some Chinese Dishes</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Cold dishes:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Hot dishes (Main Course):</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Vegetable:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Noodles:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Rice and Grains:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Fruits:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Useful Phrases</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title/>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Sick and Emergency</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Sick:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Emergency:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Direction and Places</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Direction:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Places:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Clothes and Colors</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Clothes:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>
        <section>
            <title>Colors:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Time</title>
        <para>Text</para>
        <section>
            <title>Vocabulary:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

        <section>
            <title>Phrases and sentences:</title>
            <para/>
        </section>

    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Family</title>
        <para>Text</para>


    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Home Items</title>
        <para>Text</para>


    </chapter>
    <chapter>
        <title>Appendix: Measure words in Chinese (no audio)</title>
        <para>Text</para>


    </chapter>
</book>