SkarpChapter 4 of 9
Daily Life: Family, Occupations, and Simple Descriptions
Talk about your family, job or studies, and describe people and things using common adjectives and patterns.
New Words and Phrases: Family, Jobs, and Descriptions
In this step, you will learn key words to talk about your family, your job or studies, and simple descriptions of people using common adjectives.
| Word | Pronunciation | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 家人 | jiā rén (jyah ren) | family members | 我爱我的家人。(I love my family members.) |
| 爸爸 / 妈妈 | bàba / māma (bah-bah / mah-mah) | dad / mom | 我爸爸是老师，我妈妈是医生。(My dad is a teacher, my mom is a doctor.) |
| 哥哥 / 妹妹 | gēge / mèimei (guh-guh / may-may) | older brother / younger sister | 我有一个哥哥，没有妹妹。(I have one older brother and no younger sister.) |
| 学生 / 老师 | xuéshēng / lǎoshī (shweh-shung / lao-shr) | student / teacher | 我是学生，他是老师。(I am a student, he is a teacher.) |
| 医生 / 工程师 | yīshēng / gōngchéngshī (ee-shung / gong-chung-shr) | doctor / engineer | 她是医生，他是工程师。(She is a doctor, he is an engineer.) |
| 有 / 没有 | yǒu / méi yǒu (yo / may-yo) | to have / to not have | 我有两个姐姐，他没有弟弟。(I have two older sisters, he does not have a younger brother.) |
| 很高 / 很忙 | hěn gāo / hěn máng (hun gow / hun mahng) | very tall / very busy | 我哥哥很高，我爸爸很忙。(My older brother is very tall, my dad is very busy.) |
| 很聪明 / 很好 | hěn cōngmíng / hěn hǎo (hun tsong-ming / hun how) | very smart / very good | 我妹妹很聪明，这个老师很好。(My younger sister is very smart, this teacher is very good.) |
Language Pattern: Using 有, 没有, and 很 for Simple Descriptions
1. Using 有 (yǒu, to have) and 没有 (méiyǒu, to not have)
Structure:
- Subject + 有 + object = Subject has object
- Subject + 没有 + object = Subject does not have object
Examples:
- 我有一个哥哥。
- Wǒ yǒu yí gè gēge. (wo yo yee guh guh-guh)
- I have one older brother.
- 他没有妹妹。
- Tā méi yǒu mèimei. (tah may-yo may-may)
- He does not have a younger sister.
You can also talk about family size:
- 我们家有四个人。
- Wǒmen jiā yǒu sì gè rén. (wo-men jyah yo ss guh ren)
- There are four people in our family. (Literally: Our family has four people.)
2. Saying your job or that you are a student
Structure:
- Subject + 是 + occupation = Subject is [occupation]
Examples:
- 我是学生。
- Wǒ shì xuéshēng. (wo shr shweh-shung)
- I am a student.
- 我爸爸是医生。
- Wǒ bàba shì yīshēng. (wo bah-bah shr ee-shung)
- My dad is a doctor.
- 她妈妈是老师。
- Tā māma shì lǎoshī. (tah mah-mah shr lao-shr)
- Her mom is a teacher.
3. Using 很 (hěn) + adjective for descriptions
In Mandarin, you usually need something between the subject and an adjective. 很 (hěn) often fills this place. In beginner speech, you can think of it as meaning “very”, but often it just links the subject and adjective.
Structure:
- Subject + 很 + adjective = Subject is [adjective]
Examples:
- 我哥哥很高。
- Wǒ gēge hěn gāo. (wo guh-guh hun gow)
- My older brother is (very) tall.
- 我爸爸很忙。
- Wǒ bàba hěn máng. (wo bah-bah hun mahng)
- My dad is (very) busy.
- 我妹妹很聪明。
- Wǒ mèimei hěn cōngmíng. (wo may-may hun tsong-ming)
- My younger sister is (very) smart.
- 这个老师很好。
- Zhè ge lǎoshī hěn hǎo. (juh guh lao-shr hun how)
- This teacher is (very) good.
So to describe people in your family, combine these patterns:
- 我妈妈是老师，很忙。
- Wǒ māma shì lǎoshī, hěn máng. (wo mah-mah shr lao-shr, hun mahng)
- My mom is a teacher and (she is) very busy.
Practice Dialogue: Talking About Family and Jobs
In this dialogue, two classmates talk about their families, jobs, and simple descriptions using 有, 没有, and 很.
Two classmates are chatting after class about their families and what their parents do.
你家有几个人？
How many people are in your family?
我们家有四个人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥和我。
There are four people in my family: my dad, mom, older brother, and me.
你有妹妹吗？
Do you have a younger sister?
我没有妹妹，我只有一个哥哥。
I don’t have a younger sister; I only have one older brother.
你哥哥是学生还是工作？
Is your older brother a student or does he work?
他是工程师，很忙。
He is an engineer and (he is) very busy.
你爸爸妈妈做什么工作？
What do your dad and mom do for work?
我爸爸是医生，妈妈是老师。他们都很聪明。
My dad is a doctor, and my mom is a teacher. They’re both very smart.
你呢？你是学生吗？
What about you? Are you a student?
对，我是学生。我很忙，但是老师很好。
Yes, I am a student. I’m very busy, but the teacher is very good.
Check Your Understanding: Family and Descriptions
Answer this question to review how to use 有 / 没有 and 很 with family and adjectives.
How do you say: “I have one younger sister. She is very smart.”?
- 我有一个妹妹。她很聪明。
- 我没有妹妹。她很聪明。
- 我有妹妹。她是学生。
- 我有一个哥哥。他很聪明。
Show Answer
Answer: A) 我有一个妹妹。她很聪明。
Option 1, “我有一个妹妹。她很聪明。” (Wǒ yǒu yí gè mèimei. Tā hěn cōngmíng.), directly matches the meaning: “I have one younger sister. She is very smart.” It uses 有 to show you have a younger sister and 很 + 聪明 to describe her.
Key Terms
- 有
- to have; also used like 'there is/are' when talking about existence or quantity.
- 医生
- doctor; medical doctor.
- 哥哥
- older brother; male sibling older than you.
- 妈妈
- mom, mother; informal and very common.
- 妹妹
- younger sister; female sibling younger than you.
- 学生
- student; someone who studies at a school or university.
- 家人
- family members; literally 'home people', used to refer to people in your family.
- 很好
- very good; can describe people, teachers, classes, etc.
- 很忙
- very busy; describes someone with a lot to do.
- 很高
- very tall; 很 links the subject and the adjective 高 (tall).
- 没有
- to not have; also used like 'there is not/are not'.
- 爸爸
- dad, father; informal and very common.
- 老师
- teacher; person who teaches.
- 工程师
- engineer; technical or engineering professional.
- 很聪明
- very smart; describes someone intelligent.