Yajie: Perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio. I’m Yajie.
Cam: And I’m Cam. We need to learn more about the Chinese character de!
Yajie: Sounds good to me!

********** Key words of the day
Today we’ll continue talking about the Chinese character “的”.  我的爸爸→我爸爸, my father. 他们的老师→他们老师 Their teacher. 我们的公司→我们公司 our company. All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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Yajie: We’ve learned that father in Chinese is爸爸 (bàba).
Cam: Yes. It’s爸爸 (bàba).
Yajie: And in the previous lesson we learned the Chinese character 的signalizes the relationship that one belongs to another.  
Cam: Yes. I remember the phrases我的，mine. And 我的书, my book.
Yajie:. Right. Do you know how do say “my father” in Chinese?
Cam: I think it’s 我的爸爸.
Yajie: Right. 我的爸爸. There are a few phrases that don’t require “de”, and this is one of them. For example, you may say 我爸爸 rather than 我的爸爸.
Cam: Ok. Seems easier.
Yajie: Another example is: their teacher could be said 他们的老师 in Chinese, but also you may say 他们老师.
Cam: 他们老师(tāmen lǎoshī).
Yajie: 他们, they. T-a-m-e-n, the first tone and the light tone. 他们(tāmen).
Cam: 他们(tāmen). And他们的(tāmen de) is theirs.
Yajie: Yes. 老师, teacher. The third tone and the first tone.
Cam: 老师 (lǎoshī).
Yajie: 他们老师, their teacher.
Cam: 他们老师(tāmen lǎoshī).

Conversations (1)

Yajie: 这是谁？(zhe shi shei) Who is this?
Cam: 这是谁？(zhe shi shei)
Yajie: 这means this.
Cam: 这(zhè).
Yajie: 是, s-h-i,  meaning “is”.
Cam: 是 (shì).　
Yajie: 谁, shei, the second tone.
Cam: 谁 (shéi).
Yajie: 这是谁？(zhe shi shei) Who is this?
Cam: 这是谁？(zhè shì shéi)
Yajie: Well, the answer to这是谁？could be 这是 plus that person. Or you may just say that person directly.  For example, if someone were pointing at your father’s photo and asking 这是谁, you may say 我爸爸, my father, for short.
Cam: 我爸爸.

Conversations (2)

Yajie: Also you may add a place or some other things after the pronouns such as 我,I; 你,you; 我们, our, etc. For example, if you ask 这是什么地方？What’s this place?
Cam: 这是什么地方？(zhè shì shénme difang) What’s this place?
Yajie: If it was your company, you may say “这是我们公司”, (zhe shi women de gong si) this is our company. 
Cam: 这是我们公司 (zhe shi women gōngsī).
Yajie: 公司, gong, si, both the first tone.
Cam: 公司 (gōngsī).
Yajie: 地方, difang, the first tone and the light tone.
Cam: 地方 (difang).
Yajie: 这个是我们家。This is our home. 家,j-i-a, the first tone.
Cam: 家 (jia). 这个是我们家。(zhe shi women jia)

Conversations (3)

**********Key words reminder
我的爸爸→我爸爸, my father. 他们的老师→他们老师 Their teacher. 我们的公司→我们公司 our company.
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