Dialogue

甲： 你好！

乙： 你好！

甲： 这是我爸爸，这是我妈妈。爸爸，妈妈，他是我朋友。

乙： 你们好。

爸爸，妈妈：你好！

甲： 爸爸，妈妈，我朋友的妈妈是大夫。

妈妈: 噢，你妈妈是大夫，你爸爸呢？

乙： 他也是大夫。

爸爸：大夫很忙。你爸爸，妈妈也很忙吗？

乙： 忙。

妈妈：他们好吗？

乙： 他们很好，谢谢！

Grammar

1. Number:

Like Chinese verbs, Chinese nouns do not differentiate between singular and plural. Thus English "a book" and "books" is expressed same as "书" in Chinese.

2. Structural particle 的:

The structural particle 的indicates that the word or phrase preceding it functions as an attributive which defines or modifies the noun or noun phrase that comes after it. For example:

好的车	hǎo de chē	good cars
很忙的大夫	hěn máng de dàifu	a very busy doctor
我的爸爸	wǒ de bàba	my father
她妈妈的书	tā māma de shū	her mom's books

In general, the particle "的" comes in as a link marker between the modifier and the noun or the noun phrase modified. But, there are some cases in which "的" is optional:

A. Where personal pronouns modify words denoting people in close relationship to them:

她(的)爸爸	tā bàba	her father
我们(的)哥哥	wŏmen gēge	our older brother
你(的)朋友	nĭ péngyou	your friends

B. Where monosyllabic adjectives modify nouns or noun phrases:

好(的)哥哥	hăo gēge	good older brother
好(的)车	hăo chē	good cars

There are some other cases, which we’ll discuss in the lessons to come.

3. The classificatory verb 是:

The verb "是" acts as a link between the subject and a description of it usually a way of identifying it. For instance:

 

他是大夫。

Tā shì dàifu.

He is a doctor.

To negate 是 use 不:

她不是我妈妈。

Tā bú shì wŏ māma.

She is not my mom.

To form a simple question, you just add interrogative particle "吗" at the end of a statement:

这是你的车吗？

Zhè shì nĭde chē ma?

This is your car?

What's next?

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