Lesson 1 – Grammar Structures - Introduction to Greetings in Chinese:
For first time meeting someone, you can say:
"Ni Hao" 你好！or
"Nin Hao" 您好！ (polite form, or to people that are senior to you)
These greetings are based on the following grammar structures in Chinese.
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1) What is a Subject?
A Subject is usually a noun or a pronoun used in the beginning of a Chinese
sentence.
For example, the term “You” (singular as “Ni” 你) can be used as a Subject.
2) Fundamental Sentence Structures in Chinese:
A complete Chinese sentence can include Subject and Verb.
For example, the following two words in Chinese form a complete Chinese sentence.
Subject + Verb (= adjective)
Ni + Hao!
你 + 好！
(You + good!) (meaning: How do you do! / Hello!)
3）Chinese Verb Forms - there are 5 Chinese Verb Forms as follows:
a) Adjective functioning as a Verb (such as: “good”, “early”, “happy”)
b) Verb to be
c) Verb to do (all action verbs such as “to eat”, “to drink”, “to speak”)
d) Verb to have
e) The word “at” can function both as a Verb and as a preposition.
4) Chinese Verbs do not have conjugations such as singular or plural, nor do they have
conjugations on tenses such as past, present and future tenses. Only a specific word
may be added in front of a very or after a verb to make it future or past tense.
For first time meeting someone, you can say:
"Ni Hao" 你好！or
"Nin Hao" 您好！ (polite form, or to people that are senior to you)
These greetings are based on the following grammar structures in Chinese.
______________________________________________________________________________
1) What is a Subject?
A Subject is usually a noun or a pronoun used in the beginning of a Chinese
sentence.
For example, the term “You” (singular as “Ni” 你) can be used as a Subject.
2) Fundamental Sentence Structures in Chinese:
A complete Chinese sentence can include Subject and Verb.
For example, the following two words in Chinese form a complete Chinese sentence.
Subject + Verb (= adjective)
Ni + Hao!
你 + 好！
(You + good!) (meaning: How do you do! / Hello!)
3）Chinese Verb Forms - there are 5 Chinese Verb Forms as follows:
a) Adjective functioning as a Verb (such as: “good”, “early”, “happy”)
b) Verb to be
c) Verb to do (all action verbs such as “to eat”, “to drink”, “to speak”)
d) Verb to have
e) The word “at” can function both as a Verb and as a preposition.
4) Chinese Verbs do not have conjugations such as singular or plural, nor do they have
conjugations on tenses such as past, present and future tenses. Only a specific word
may be added in front of a very or after a verb to make it future or past tense.
