Standard Chinese A Modular Approach
Orientation Module Unit 1
Production Tape 1
This tape covers the same material as the first comprehension tape in the module
Questions and answers involving personal names and titles
Instead of just listening, now you are to participate actively
You may have hardly begun your work on the sound system of Chinese
and so this tape provides some pointers on the harder consonants and vowels that come up
But you should at least have gone through the first pronunciation and romanization tape
the one on the four tones
You'll need to pay particular attention to identifying and remembering the tone patterns of words
As a speaker of English, you're not in the habit of associating contours of pitch with individual words
As a student of Chinese, you must develop that habit
Remember, there's now such thing as the right word but in the wrong tone
Here's the first exchange you had on the comprehension tape, live
你是誰?
我是王大年
Again
你是谁?
我是王大年
Here it is with the word for word translation
你是谁?
You are who?
我是王大年
I am Wang Danian
So far, you've only been listening
Now you're going to begin to take the part of Daniel King and answer the question
Let's build up to it word by word
First try repeating Mr. King's Chinese name
王大年 after the speaker
王大年
Getting a sequence of three tones at once can be difficult
Try repeating the rising tone surname alone
王
Now try repeating the falling rising giving name
大年
And now try repeating the full name, rising falling rising
王大年
Now try saying the full name by yourself
And then repeat after the speaker
王大年
Did you get the tone pattern right?
Or did you have to correct yourself on the repetition?
Try saying the full name again and repeat
王大年
Now try repeating the word for I
我
Be sure to give it the low tone
Repeat I again
我
Try saying I by yourself and repeat
我
Set by itself, the word for Am
是
Is in the falling tone, try repeating Am
是
The vowel in 是
Is just a prolonged R sound
是
Try repeating Am again
是
To make this R sound, you had to curl the tip of your tongue back
The SH part of 是
is also pronounced with the tip of the tongue curled back
in what we call the retroflex position
Try repeating 是 again
making sure to keep the tip of your tongue curled back throughout
是
Try saying Am by yourself and repeat
是
We are translating 是 as Am here
because we are working on the sentence
I am 王大年
But you'll remember that it can also be translated R and Is
In other words, 是 is the verb to be
The word Am often gets partly swallowed up in English
so that I Am is contracted to I
In just the same way, the word 是
is often weakened in the Chinese sentence
to the point where nothing is left
but a toneless SH sound
Listen
我是王大年
But when it is emphasized as in Yes I Am
是
keeps us long R sound and the falling tone
Listen
我是王大年
Try repeating the second speaker's answer in the exchange
你是谁
我是王大年
Again
你是谁
我是王大年
This time try giving the answer ahead of the second speaker
and then repeat
你是谁
我是王大年
Again
你是谁
我是王大年
Here's another live exchange
Listen
你是谁
我是胡美玲
Again
你是谁
我是胡美玲
Try repeating Miss 胡美玲's surname
Her's is the most common of the four surnames spelled H-U
The one in the rising tone
胡
Now try repeating her given name 美玲
The tones are low rising
美玲
And now try repeating her full name
胡美玲
Try saying the full name yourself and then repeat
胡美玲
Now let's see if you can answer a rather unlikely question from Miss 胡
Ahead of Mr. King
Repeat his answer after him
我是谁
你是胡美玲
Did you say you are胡美玲
Try it again
我是谁
你是胡美玲
Here's the next exchange you had on the comprehension tape
Listen
你姓什么
我姓王
Again
你姓什么
我姓王
The verb we translate as to be surnamed for the lack of a need equivalent in English is
姓
Here's the exchange with a word for word translation
你姓什么
You are surnamed what
我姓王
I am surnamed 王
Try repeating to be surnamed
我姓
Notice that it starts with a sound that is neither quite like English S nor quite like English SH
Listen
我姓
It might help to think of 姓 as halfway between the first syllables of the English word single and shingle
If it sounds more like shingle to you, notice these two differences
姓 is pronounced with the tongue farther forward and with the lips spread
First, try repeating 姓
Concentrate on keeping your tongue forward in a tight E position
姓
Now, without losing the tongue position, concentrate on spreading your lips rather than protruding them
姓
Let's compare the consonants of 是 and 姓
Try repeating
是
姓
是
姓
是
姓
Try saying to be surnamed and repeat
姓
Now try repeating the answer in the exchange
你姓什么
我姓王
Again
你姓什么
我姓王
This time give the answer ahead of the second speaker and then repeat it after him
你姓什么
我姓王
Again
你姓什么
我姓王
Now listen carefully to Miss Hu and try to answer her question ahead of Mr. King
我是胡美玲
我姓什么
你姓胡
Try it again
我是胡美玲
我姓什么
你姓胡
Let's see if you can give the appropriate answers to the two questions
Who are you and what's your name
Taking the part of 王大年
Answer before the second speaker and then repeat after him
你是谁
我是王大年
你姓什么
我姓王
你姓什么
我姓王
你是谁
我是王大年
Now try it when some of Miss Hu Mei Ling's questions are about herself
我是谁
你是胡美玲
你是谁
我是王大年
你姓什么
我姓王
我姓什么
你姓胡
你是谁
我是王大年
我是谁
你是胡美玲
你姓什么
我姓王
我姓什么
你姓胡
So far Miss Hu and Mr. King have been discussing themselves
using 你 and 我
Now listen to them discuss the third person, Mr. Ma Ming Li, live
他是谁
Again,他是谁
他是马明李
Try repeating Mr. Ma Ming Li's surname
Be sure to copy the low tone
马
Try repeating his given name, Ming Li
Notice that the tones are rising low
明李
马明李
Try repeating the full name
马明李
Now try saying the full name yourself and then repeat
马明李
Try repeating the word for he, 他
Try repeating the extra explosiveness of the T
他
You'll remember that 他 can also mean 她
Try he or she again
Making sure to give it the high tone
他
Here's the exchange again, repeat Mr. King's reply
他是谁
他是马明李
Again,他是谁
他是马明李
Try answering ahead of Mr. King and repeat after him
他是谁
他是马明李
Again,他是谁
他是马明李
Now let's see if you can take Mr. King's part and answer Ms. Hu's questions
She'll ask about Mr. Ma, about you and about herself
你是谁
我是王大年
他是谁
他是马明李
你姓什么
我姓王
他姓什么
他姓马
你是谁
我是王大年
我是谁
你是胡美玲
他姓什么
他姓马
你姓什么
我姓王
他是谁
他是马明李
我姓什么
你姓胡
你是谁
我是王大年
你姓什么
我姓王
It's true that a beginner is much less likely to take the initiative in a conversation
which is just the reason we have only had you answering questions so far
but it's highly to be able to ask them too
Let's put in a few minutes on asking questions
Try repeating the word for who
谁
You may be hearing 谁 as beginning with an English SH sound
but there is a slight difference
The tongue is curled back in the retroflex position for the consonant of 谁
It's the same sound you had in 是
Try repeating the word for who with this R-flavored SH
谁
Have you been paying attention to the tone?
Repeat who again
谁
Now try saying the word for who by yourself and repeat
谁
Try repeating the whole question
Who are you
你是谁
Now try asking who are you ahead of the speaker and repeat
你是谁
Again, who are you
你是谁
Now repeat the word for what
什么
The initial consonant in 什么 is the same as the initial consonant in 谁
The tip of the tongue is curled back in the retroflex position
Try it again
什么
In normal speech, the tone pattern of 什么
Sounds rather like a rising tone over both syllables
Try imitating it
什么
Try repeating the question
What's your surname
你姓什么
Again,你姓什么
Now try asking the question ahead of the speaker and repeat after him
Ask, what's your surname
你姓什么
Again, what's your surname
你姓什么
At this point, you should be able to ask
Who is he
Try it and repeat after the speaker
Who is he
他是谁
Try asking, what's her surname
他姓什么
Let's turn to the titles Mr, Mrs, Miss, and Comrade
Listen to this live exchange
他是谁
他是马先生
Listen carefully to the tone pattern of 先生
The word for Mr
先生
The first syllable is in the high tone
The second is in what we call the neutral tone
Notice that it is weak and short
And that its pitch is rather low
Listen to Mr. again
先生
Try repeating Mr, high tone, neutral tone
先生
The first syllable begins with the same consonant as 姓
which you make with the lip spread as if in a smile
and with the tongue in a tight E position
It may help to stretch out the first syllable
姓 and then speed it up
姓 先 先 Try it
Now repeat after the speaker
先 先 先
The second syllable of 先生
begins with the same consonant as 是 and谁
which you make with the tongue curled back
Try repeating Mr,先生
Your tongue has to shift gears so to speak
between the two syllables
It's forward for the first syllable 先
and retracted for the second 生
You won't find this easy
It takes practice
Try repeating Mr once more
先生
Now try saying Mr. 马 by yourself and repeat
马先生
先生 can also mean sir, husband and teacher
Try saying he is Mr. 马
他是马先生
Here's another live exchange
Listen 他是谁
Again 他是谁
Try repeating the word for Mrs. 太太
which also means wife 太太
The tones are falling neutral
The weak short neutral tone has a low pitch
Try repeating Mrs
太太
Try saying Mrs. 马
马太太
Try saying she is Mrs. 马
他是马太太
Here's another live exchange
Listen 她是谁
她是马小姐
Again 她是谁
她是马小姐
Try repeating 小姐
The word for Mrs. 小姐
In this word, both syllables begin with the tongue in the forward position
the so-called palatal position
Let me give you both syllables in a stretched out form first
and then speed it up
The first syllable is
小 小
The second is
姐 姐
The tones are rising neutral
with the weak short neutral tone in a medium pitch
Now try repeating Mrs. 小姐
小姐
Try saying Mrs. 马
马小姐
Try saying she is Mrs. 马
她是马小姐
Once more, she is Mrs. 马
她是马小姐
Here's a live exchange
you might hear on the mainland
Listen for 同志
Comrade
她是谁
她是马同志
Try repeating the word for comrade
同志
The first syllable is relatively easy
but try to give an extra explosiveness to the T as you repeat it
同
The second syllable 志
rhymes with 是
The tongue is curled back for the J sound
and stays curled back through the long R sound
Try repeating 志
Now try repeating comrade
The tone pattern is rising falling
同志
Try saying comrade 马
马同志
Try saying he is comrade 马
她是马同志
Try saying she is comrade 马
她是马同志
Now I'll ask you to say
Here she is Mr. Mrs. Miss or comrade 马
He is Mr. 马
她是马先生
He is comrade 马
她是马同志
She is Miss 马
她是马小姐
She is Mrs. 马
她是马太太
She is comrade 马
她是马同志
She is Mrs. 马
她是马太太
He is Mr. 马
她是马先生
She is Miss 马
她是马小姐
Now let's review what we've covered
Try putting the following English sentences into Chinese
I'm 王大年
我是王大年
What's your surname?
王大年吗?
He is Mr. 马明李
他是马明李先生
My surname is 王
我姓王
Sir, who is he?
先生,他是谁?
She is Mrs. 马
他是马太太
His surname is 马
他姓 马
She is comrade 方
他是 方同志
You are Miss 胡玫琳
What's his surname?
他姓什么?
This is the end of Orientation Module Unit 1
Production Tape 1