# Chinese (Mandarin)/Traditional/Lesson 2

| Lessons: | Main - Pron. - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 |
| Subpages: | Simplified - Exercises - Stroke Order |

# Lesson 2: 今天你忙不忙？

Lesson 2 contains a dialogue of two students discussing their classes for the day.

## Dialogues 1 & 2: Characters

Dialogue 1
| | Traditional Characters | | Simplified Characters |
| 東尼: | 艾美，早安。 | 东尼: | 艾美，早安。 |
| 艾美: | 早。你好嗎？ | 艾美: | 早。你好吗？ |
| 東尼: | 我很好，謝謝。妳呢？ | 东尼: | 我很好，谢谢。你呢？ |
| 艾美: | 我也很好。今天你忙不忙？ | 艾美: | 我也很好。今天你忙不忙？ |
| 東尼: | 今天我很忙。我有五節課。 | 东尼: | 今天我很忙。我有五节课。 |
| 艾美: | 五節？！太多了！今天我祇有一節。 | 艾美: | 五节？！太多了！今天我只有一节。 |
| 東尼: | 一節？! 太少了！ | 东尼: | 一节？！太少了！ |
Dialogue 2
| Traditional Characters | Simplified Characters |

## Dialogues 1 & 2: Pīnyīn/English

Dialogue 1
| | Pīnyīn | | English |
| Dōngní: | Àiměi, zăoān. | Tony: | Good morning, Amy. |
| Àiměi: | Zăo. Nǐ hǎo ma? | Amy: | Good morning. How are you? |
| Dōngní: | Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie. Nǐ ne? | Tony: | I'm fine, thanks. How about you? |
| Àiměi: | Wǒ yě hěn hǎo. Jīntiān nǐ máng bù máng? | Amy: | I'm also fine. Are you busy today? |
| Dōngní: | Jīntiān wǒ hěn máng. Wǒ yǒu wǔ jié kè. | Tony: | I'm very busy today. I have five classes. |
| Àiměi: | Wǔ jié?! Tài duō le! Jīntiān wǒ zhĭ yǒu yì jié. | Amy: | Five?! That's too many! Today I only have one. |
| Dōngní: | Yì jié?! Tài shăo le! | Tony: | One?! That's too few! |
Dialogue 2
| Pīnyīn | English |

## Vocabulary

Note!: Visit this lesson's Stroke Order subpage to see images and animations detailing how to write the following characters. Audio files of the words are linked from the pīnyīn when available. Problems listening? See media help.
| | Traditional (Simplified in parentheses) | Pīnyīn | Part of speech | English [m.] |
| 1. | 一 | yī | (num) | one |
| 2. | 二 | èr | (num) | two |
| 3. | 三 | sān | (num) | three |
| 4. | 四 | sì | (num) | four |
| 5. | 五 | wǔ | (num) | five |
| 6. | 六 | liù | (num) | six |
| 7. | 七 | qī | (num) | seven |
| 8. | 八 | bā | (num) | eight |
| 9. | 九 | jiǔ | (num) | nine |
| 10. | 十 | shí | (num) | ten |
| 11. | 早 | zăo | (n) | morning (often spoken alone as a shortened form to mean "good morning" just like with English) |
| 12. | 安 | ān | (adj) | peaceful |
| 13. | 早安 | zăoān | (phrase) | good morning |
| 14. | 很 | hěn | (adv) | very |
| 15. | 謝謝 (谢谢) | xièxie | (v) | thanks |
| 16. | 天 | tiān | (n) | day/sky |
| 17. | 今天 | jīntiān | (n) | today |
| 18. | 忙 | máng | (adj) | busy |
| 19. | 有 | yǒu | (v) | to have, possess |
| 20. | 沒 (没) | méi | (adv) | negates yǒu |
| 21. | 節 (节) | jié | (m) | (measure word for sections of things) |
| 22. | 課 (课) | kè | (n) | class [節] |
| 23. | 太 | tài | (adv) | too, extremely |
| 24. | 了 | le | (part) | (combines with 太 - see grammar) |
| 25. | 多 | duō | (adj) | many |
| 26. | 少 | shăo | (adj) | few |
| 27. | 祇 (只) | zhĭ | (adv) | only, merely |

## Grammar
### Le [了] as emphasizer

* The particle le [了] as used here serves to add emphasis to the verb or adjective of the sentence. It is often seen paired with tài [太] to express excessiveness.

### Affirmative-negative questions

* A sentence can be made into a question by having both affirmative and negative options together. To answer in the affirmative, the verb or adjective is repeated. (An affirmative adjective in this case is usually preceded by hěn [很] to avoid a comparative tone.) Responding in the negative is simply saying "not verb" or "not adjective".
* S + V 不 V + O?
Example:
* Because the bù in affirmative-negative questions is often said quickly, marking the tone on bù is not strictly necessary in their case.
Q: 他是不是東尼?
    Tā shì bu shì Dōngní?
    Is he Tony?
A: 是。or 不是。
    Shì. or Bú shì.
    Yes (he is). or No (he isn't).
* S + adj. 不 adj.?
Example:
Q:今天艾美忙不忙?
    Jīntiān Àiměi máng bù máng?
    Is Amy busy today?
A: 她很忙。or 她不忙。
    Tā hěn máng. or Tā bù máng.
    Yes, she's busy. or No, she's not busy.

### Sentences using yǒu [有]

* Yǒu [有] means to have and indicates possession.
* S + 有 + O
Example:
我有三節課。
    Wǒ yǒu sān jié kè.
    I have three classes.
* Yǒu is negated when preceded by méi [没].
* S + 没有 + O
Example:
今天她們没有一節課。
    Jīntiān tāmen méi yǒu yì jié kè.
    They don't have any class today.
| Lessons: | Main - Pron. - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 |
| Subpages: | Simplified - Exercises - Stroke Order |