9 Unit 3
9.1 Introduction
9.1.1 Topics covered in this unit
Nationality.
Home state, province, and city.
9.1.2 Prerequisites to the unit
P&R 5 and P&R 6 (Tapes 5 and 8 of the resource module on Pronunciation and Romanization.)
NUM 1 and NUM 2 (Tapes 1 and 3 of the resource module on Numbers), the numbers from 1 to 10.
9.1.3 Material you will need
The C-1 and P-1 tapes, the Reference List and Reference Notes.
The C-2 and P-2 tapes, the workbook.
The 3D-1 tape.
9.2 References
9.2.1 Reference List
1. | A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you American? | |
B: | 我是美國人。 | I’m American. | ||
2. | A: | 你是中國人嗎? | Are you Chinese? | |
B: | 我是中國人。 | I’m Chinese. | ||
3. | A: | 王先生,你是英國人嗎 ? | Mr. | , are you English?|
B: | 我不是英國人。 | I’m not English. | ||
4. | A: | 你是中國人嗎? | Are you Chinese? | |
B: | 不是。 | No. | ||
A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you American? | ||
B: | 是。 | Yes, I’m. | ||
5. | A: | 馬小姐是美國人嗎? | Is Miss | an American?|
B: | 不是,他不是美國人。 | No, she is not an American. | ||
A: | 他是中國人嗎? | Is she Chinese? | ||
B: | 是, 他是中國人。 | Yes, she is Chinese. | ||
6. | A: | 你是哪國人? | What is your nationality? | |
B: | 我是美國人。 | I’m American. | ||
7. | A: | 他是哪國人? | What is his nationality? | |
B: | 他是英國人。 | He is English. | ||
8. | A: | 他是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? | |
B: | 我是上海人。 | I’m from | .||
9. | A: | 他是方寶蘭的先生。 | He is | ’s husband.|
10. | A: | 他是哪兒的人? | Where is he from? | |
B: | 他是山東人。 | He’s from | .||
11. | A: | 你是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? | |
B: | 我是加州人。 | I’m Californian. | ||
12. | A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you an American? | |
B: | 你是哪國人? | What’s your nationality? | ||
A: | 你是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? |
9.2.2 Vocabulary
的 | possessive marker | |
德國 | Germany | |
俄國 | Russia | |
法國 | France | |
國 | country | |
加州 | California | |
美國 | America, United States | |
哪兒 | where? | |
哪 | which? | |
哪國 | which country? | |
人 | person | |
日本 | Japan | |
山東 | a province name | |
上海 | a city name | |
英國 | England | |
中國 | China |

9.2.3 Reference Notes
9.2.3.1 Notes on № 1-3
1. | A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you American? | |
B: | 我是美國人。 | I’m American. | ||
2. | A: | 你是中國人嗎? | Are you Chinese? | |
B: | 我是中國人。 | I’m Chinese. | ||
3. | A: | 王先生,你是英國人嗎 ? | Mr. | , are you English?|
B: | 我不是英國人。 | I’m not English. |
is a noun, “person” or “persons”; so is a noun phrase, literally “American person.” Sometimes, however, it is preferable or necessary to translate expressions of this sort as adjectives or prepositional phrases.
他是美國人。 | He is an American (noun phrase) | |
他是中國人。 | He is Chinese (adjective) | |
他是山東人。 | Hi is from | . (prepositional phrase)
Although
is translated here as “an American,” in other contexts it may be translated as “the American,” “American,” or “the Americans.” Later you will learn the various ways to indicate in Chinese whether a noun is definite or indefinite, singular or plural.The syllable
usually loses its tone in expressions like . (some speakers drop the tone when the word stands alone: .)9.2.3.2 Notes on № 4-5
4. | A: | 你是中國人嗎? | Are you Chinese? | |
B: | 不是。 | No. | ||
A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you American? | ||
B: | 是。 | Yes, I’m. | ||
5. | A: | 馬小姐是美國人嗎? | Is Miss | an American?|
B: | 不是,他不是美國人。 | No, she is not an American. | ||
A: | 他是中國人嗎? | Is she Chinese? | ||
B: | 是, 他是中國人。 | Yes, she is Chinese. |
The short “yes” answer
is really the verb “am” of the longer, more complete answer. The short “no” answer is really the “am not” of the longer answer.It is possible to reduce a “no” answer to
(note the Falling tone), but polite usage requires that you follow it up with a more complete answer. Both the short answers and are commonly followed by complete answers.9.2.3.3 Notes on № 6-7
6. | A: | 你是哪國人? | What is your nationality? | |
B: | 我是美國人。 | I’m American. | ||
7. | A: | 他是哪國人? | What is his nationality? | |
B: | 他是英國人。 | He is English. |
- is the question word “which.” It is a bound word—a word which cannot stand alone—not a free word.
- | ||
which | country | person |
Notice that the syllable -
, “country,” in the phrase may lose its rising tone.9.2.3.4 Notes on № 8-11
8. | A: | 他是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? | |
B: | 我是上海人。 | I’m from | .||
9. | A: | 他是方寶蘭的先生? | He is | ’s husband.|
10. | A: | 他是哪兒的人? | Where is he from? | |
B: | 他是山東人。 | He’s from | .||
11. | A: | 你是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? | |
B: | 我是加州人。 | I’m Californian. |
is the question word “where.” The syllable is the possessive marker; it functions like the English possessive ending -’s.
- | ||
where | ’s | person |
By reversing the word order, a slightly more idiomatic translation is possible: “a person of where.” The closest English equivalent is “a person from where.” To clarify the role of -
in this expression, the tape gives the following example of - functioning like the English possessive ending -’s:- | ||
’s | husband |
9.2.3.5 Notes on № 12
12. | A: | 你是美國人嗎? | Are you an American? | |
B: | 你是哪國人? | What’s your nationality? | ||
A: | 你是哪兒的人? | Where are you from? |
9.3 Drills
9.3.1 Response Drill
Statement | Answer | ||
---|---|---|---|
1. |
他是中國人嗎? Is he Chinese? |
他是中國人。 He is Chinese. |
|
2. |
他是日本人嗎? Is he Japanese? |
他是日本人。 He is Japanese. |
|
3. |
他是中國人嗎? Is he Chinese? |
他是中國人。 He is Chinese. |
|
4. |
他是美國人嗎? Is he American? |
他是美國人。 He is American. |
|
5. |
他是德國人嗎? Is he German. |
他是德國人。 He is German. |
|
6. |
T阿斯加拿大人嗎? Is he Canadian? |
他是加拿大人。 He is Canadian. |
|
7. |
他是法國人嗎? Is he French. |
他是法國人。 He is French. |
9.3.2 Response Drill
Statement | Cue | Answer | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
他是加拿大人嗎? Is he Canadian? |
England 英國 |
他不是加拿大人。是英國人。 He not Canadian. (He) is English. |
||
2. |
他是日本人嗎? Is he Japanese? |
China 中國 |
他不是日本人。是中國人。 He is not Japanese. (He) is Chinese. |
||
3. |
他是英國人嗎? Is he English? |
America 美國 |
他不是英國人。是美國人。 He is not English. (He) is American. |
||
4. |
他是美國人嗎? Is he American? |
Canada 加拿大 |
他不是美國人。是加拿大人。 He is not American. (He) is Canadian. |
||
5. |
他是俄國人嗎? Is he Russian? |
Germany 德國 |
他不是俄國人。是德國人。 He is not Russian. (He) is German . |
||
6. |
他是越南人嗎? Is he Vietnamese? |
China 中國 |
他不是越南人。是中國人。 He is not Vietnamese. (He) is Chinese. |
||
7. |
他是法國人嗎? Is he French? |
England 英國 |
他不是法國人。是英國人。 He is not French. (He) is English. |
9.3.3 Response Drill
Statement | Cue | Answer | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
France 法國 |
他是法國人。 He is French. |
||
2. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
China 中國 |
他是中國人。 He is Chinese. |
||
3. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
America 美國 |
他是美國人。 He is American. |
||
4. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
Canada 加拿大 |
他是加拿大人。 He is Canadian. |
||
5. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
Japan 日本 |
他是日本人。 He is Japanese. |
||
6. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
Russian 俄國 |
他是俄國人。 He is Russian. |
||
7. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
German 德國 |
他是德國人。 He is German. |
9.3.4 Response Drill
Statement | Cue | Answer | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
北京 |
他是北京人。 He is from . |
||
2. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
上海 |
他是上海人。 He is from . |
||
3. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
長沙 |
他是長沙人。 He is from . |
||
4. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
臺中 |
他是臺中人。 He is from . |
||
5. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
臺北 |
他是臺北人。 He is from . |
||
6. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
天津 |
他是天津人。 He is from . |
||
7. |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
北京 |
他是北京人。 He is from . |
9.3.5 Transformation Drill
Statement | Answer | ||
---|---|---|---|
1. |
他是北京人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
|
2. |
他是中國人。 He is from China. |
他是哪國人? Where is he from? |
|
3. |
他是加拿大人。 He is from Canada. |
他是哪國人? Where is he from? |
|
4. |
他是臺北人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
|
5. |
他是上海人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
|
6. |
他是英國人。 He is from England. |
他是哪國人? Where is he from? |
|
7. |
他是美國人。 He is from America. |
他是哪國人? Where is he from? |
|
8. |
他是臺中人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
9.3.6 Transformation Drill
1. |
她是李太太。 She is Mrs. . |
她不是李太太。 She is not Mrs. . |
|
2. |
他姓高。 Her surname is . |
他不姓高。 Her surname is not . |
|
3. |
她是臺北人。 Hi is from . |
她不是臺北人。 Hi is not from . |
|
4. |
他姓劉。 Her surname is . |
他不姓劉。 Her surname is not . |
|
5. |
她是美國人。 She is American. |
她不是美國人。 She is not American. |
|
6. |
她是加拿大人。 She is Canadian. |
她不是加拿大人。 She is not Canadian. |
9.3.7 Transformation Drill
Statement | Answer | ||
---|---|---|---|
1. |
他姓胡。 His surname is . |
他姓胡嗎? Is his surname ? |
|
2. |
他是北京人。 He is from . |
他是北京人嗎? Is he from ? |
|
3. |
他是王大年。 He is . |
他是王大年嗎? Is he ? |
|
4. |
她姓林。 Her surname is . |
她姓林嗎? Is her surname ? |
|
5. |
她是中國人。 She is Chinese. |
她是中國人嗎? Is she Chinese? |
9.3.8 Transformation Drill
1. |
他姓張。 His surname is . |
他姓什麼? What’s his surname? |
|
2. |
他是北京人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
|
3. |
他是王大年。 He is . |
他是誰? Who is he? |
|
4. |
他是日本人。 He is Japanese. |
他是哪國人? What is his nationality? |
|
5. |
他是山東人。 He is from . |
他是哪兒的人? Where is he from? |
|
6. |
他是陳同志。 He is Comrade . |
他是誰? Who is he? |