Wǒ de míngzì jiào Zhāng Sān, jīnnián 20 suì. Wǒ shì Dézhōu, Xiūsīdùn rén. Shì Xiūdà èr niánjí de xuéshēng. Wǒ hái méiyǒu zhuānyè. Wǒ zài dàxué shàng zhōngwén kè. Lǎoshī xìng Mài. Mài Lǎoshī shì Měiguó rén, tàitài shì Táiwān rén, tāmen jiā yǒu sān zhī gǒu. Yǒu Xiǎo Hēi, Xiǎo Bái, hé Xiǎo Huā.
My name is Zhang San, this year I am 20. I am from Texas, Houston. (I) am UH sophomore student. I still do not have a major. At university I take Chinese class. The teacher is surnamed Mai. Professor Mai is American, his wife is Taiwanese, their family has three dogs. The dogs names are Xiao Hei, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Hua [small = xiao3, varied = hua1]
Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén, bàba māmā zǎo jiù líhūn le. Wǒ hé māmā, gēgē, hé jiějiě zhù. Wǒ shì lǎoyāo. Gēgē shì lǎoshī, jiějiě zài túshūguǎn gōngzuò. Wǒ jiějiě yǒu nán péngyǒu, wǒ gēgē yě yǒu.
My family has three people, my parents got divorced long ago. I live (zhu) with Mom, elder brother, and elder sister. I am the youngest. Gege is a teacher, jiejie works at a library. Jiejie has a boyfriend, my gege also has (a boyfriend).
Chen TongzhiShow/Hide Pinyin-English
Gēgē de nán péngyǒu shì Zhōngguó rén, tā xìng Chén, wǒ jiào tā Chén Tóngzhì. Wǒ hé tā shuō Zhōngwén. Wǒ māmā shì Mòxīgē rén. Tā huì shuō Xībānyá yǔ. Wǒ yě huì shuō yīdiǎn.
Gege’s boyfriend is Chinese, he is surnamed Chen, I call him “Comrade” Chen. I speak Chinese with him.I speak Chinese with him.My mother is Mexican, she can speak Spanish. I also can apeak a little.
[tongzhi means comrade, and in the last several decades has acquired a second connotation, “gay.”]
Wǒmen jiā xǐhuān chī Zhōngguó cài. Māmā hé gēgē xǐhuān chī ròu, wǒ hé jiějiě xǐhuān chī dòufu. Nǐ ne? Nǐ xǐhuān bù xǐhuān chī dòufu?
Zài Zhōngwén kè Mài Lǎoshī yǒu diǎn fēng, tā jiào wǒmen shuō dànbái, dànhuáng, hónglǜdēng, fěnhóng bào děng děng. Wǒ juédé fěnhóng bào hěn hǎowán. Nǐ ne?
My family (our household) likes to eat Chinese food. Mom and Gege like to eat meat, me and jiejie like to eat tofu. And you? Do you like to eat tofu?
* chi1 dou4fu2 = slang for “flirt.”
Wǒ jiā yǒu gǒu, yǒu māo, yěyǒu niǎo. Tāmen dōu shì péngyǒu, hěn hǎowán. Wǒ jiào tāmen sān gè chòu píjiàng. Yīgè bǐ yīgè běn, yīgè bǐ yīgè kě’ài. Nǐ juédé wǒ kě’ài ma? Kěwù!
My family has a dog, a cat, and a bird. They are all friends. How fun! I call them The Three Stooges. Each is stupider than the next, and each cuter than the next. Do you think I am cute? Perv!
]
Wǒ bù xǐhuān hé jiǔ, wǒ xǐhuān hē chá. Xǐhuān hóngchá, yě xǐhuān lǜchá. Chá, zhège zì hěn yǒuyìsi. Chá, Yīngwén shì Tea. Zài Táiwān chá jiào “day,” T hé D chàbùduō, zhè jiù shuō, Yīngwén “tea“shì Táiwān lái de zì. Yīngwén ketchup yě shì Táiwān de zì.
I don’t like to drink (alcohol), I like to drink tea. I like hóngchá (black tea in English), and also like green tea. The character “tea: is interesting.
[Literally: Tea, this character is interesting.] Chá [in] English is “tea.” In Taiwan “tea” is pronounced “day.” T and D are similar, this is to say, English “tea” is a word from Taiwan. English ketchup is also a word from Taiwan.
[t and d are both alveolar stops, so have similar sounds although t is unvoiced and d is voiced].
Wǒ de shēngrì shì 9 yuè 30 hào. Jīnnián 9 yuè 30 hào shì Xīngqíwǔ. Xīngqíwǔ wǒ méiyǒu kè, wǒ qù duànliàn, mǎi cài. Wǎnshàng zàijiā kàn diànyǐng. Wǒ xǐhuān Fàn Bīngbīng de diànyǐng. Wǒ shǔ lóng. Gēgē de nán péngyǒu yě shǔ lóng. Nǐ zhīdào bù zhīdào tā jīnnián duōdà?
Hǎo, wǒ shuō hǎole. Xiěle hěnduō zì. Nǐ dōu dǒngle ma? Nǐ dōu dǒngle, wǒ sòng nǐ yīgè qiǎokèlì bǐnggān. Hào chī!
My birthday is/was September 30. This year September 30 is a Friday. Friday I have no class, I go work out, and go grocery shopping (buy vegetables). In the evening I will watch a movie. I like Fan Bingbing’s movies. My zodiac sign is dragon. My brother’s boyfriend is also a dragon. Do you know (can you figure out) how old I am this year?
Ok, I am finished speaking. (I) wrote a lot of characters. Do you understand [it] all? If you understand everything, I will give you a chocolate cookie. They are great!
Zài Zhōngwén kè Mài Lǎoshī yǒu diǎn fēng, tā jiào wǒmen shuō dànbái, dànhuáng, hónglǜdēng, fěnhóng bào děng děng. Wǒ juédé fěnhóng bào hěn hǎowán. Nǐ ne?
In Chinese class Professor McArthur is a little crazy, he teaches us words like egg white, egg yolk, traffic signal, pink panther etc. I think The Pink Panther is entertaining. What about you?