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Informationen zum Autor Dr. Wendy Abraham is an award-winning public speaker who has taught Chinese language, literature, and culture at universities throughout the U.S. Wendy is the creator and director of international academic, cultural, and travel programs, holds a doctorate from Columbia University, and pursued a PhD in Chinese literature at Stanford University. FREE access to conversational audio tracks online Klappentext Grasp grammar and cultural references Make small talk, ask for directions, and order food Find FREE conversational audio tracks online Learn to speak Chinese- with ease If you want to learn Mandarin Chinese to get ahead at school or work - or to make your travel to China easier - this is the handy reference you'll want by your side. Inside, you'll find easy-to-follow coverage of basic grammar, as well as the necessary vocabulary to make introductions and greetings, use proper etiquette, make small talk, make transportation arrangements, order food and beverages, ask directions, deal with money, shop, access recreation, and handle an emergency. Inside... Basic Chinese sounds Help with pronunciations How verbs work in Chinese A look at the p¿ny¿n system Chinese phrases and gestures Numbers, times, and measurements Jump-start your vocabulary with a two-way mini-dictionary Zusammenfassung The fun way to learn to speak ChineseWith more than 1.2 billion speakers across the globe -- and with nearly 3 million in the U.S. alone -- Mandarin Chinese claims the top spot as the world's most common language. If you want to learn this language to get ahead at school or work! or to make your travel to China easier! this is the handy reference you'll want by your side.Chinese For Dummies teaches basic grammar! as well as the necessary vocabulary to make introductions and greetings! use proper etiquette! make small talk! make transportation arrangements! order food and beverages! ask directions! deal with money! shop! access recreation! and handle an emergency.* Concentrates on Mandarin Chinese and features new and revised content* Includes major updates to all the necessary foundational information needed to speak Chinese* Covers grammar! verb conjugations! and pronunciations* Offers a refreshed mini-dictionary complete with even more vocabulary* Find free conversational audio tracks onlineAs the Chinese economy continues to grow! the importance of Chinese as a trade language will also increase. If you're a student or business professional who has a basic understanding of the language! you'll be poised to surpass your peers when it comes to dealing with international markets. So get started today! Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Getting Started with Chinese 7 Chapter 1: Chinese in a Nutshell: The Spoken Word 9 Grasping Chinese Dialects 10 P¿ny¿n Spelling: Beijing, Not Peking 11 Sounding Off: Basic Chinese Sounds 12 Starting off with initials 13 Ending with finals 14 Perfect pitch: Presenting . . . the four tones! 15 Adding Idioms and Popular Expressions to Your Repertoire 17 Chapter 2: The Written Word: Checking Out Chinese Characters 21 Perusing Pictographs, Ideographs, and the Six Scripts 22 The Chinese Radical: A Few Clues to a Character's Meaning 24 Following the Rules of Stroke Order 25 Rule 1 25 Rules 2 through 9 25 Up, Down, or Sideways? Deciphering the Direction of Characters 26 Traditional versus Simplified Characters: When to Use Which 28 Using a Chinese Dictionary . . . without an Alphabet! 29 Chapter 3: Warming Up with the Basics: Chinese Grammar <...
List of contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting Started with Chinese 7
Chapter 1: Chinese in a Nutshell: The Spoken Word 9
Chapter 2: The Written Word: Checking Out Chinese Characters 21
Chapter 3: Warming Up with the Basics: Chinese Grammar 31
Chapter 4: Getting Started with Basic Expressions: N? HÎo! 51
Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight 65
Chapter 6: Speaking Chinese at Home 85
Part 2: Chinese in Action 97
Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 99
Chapter 8: Dining Out and Shopping for Food 111
Chapter 9: Shopping Made Easy 137
Chapter 10: Exploring the Town 157
Chapter 11: Taking Care of Telecommunications 169
Chapter 12: Chinese at School and Work 187
Chapter 13: Recreation and Outdoor Activities 207
Part 3: Chinese on the Go 219
Chapter 14: Planning a Trip 221
Chapter 15: Making Cents of Money 233
Chapter 16: Getting Around 249
Chapter 17: Asking for Directions 267
Chapter 18: Finding a Place to Stay 281
Chapter 19: Handling Emergencies 297
Part 4: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Learn Chinese Quickly 313
Chapter 21: Ten Things Never to Do in China 317
Part 5: Appendixes 321
Appendix A: Chinese-English Mini-Dictionary 323
Appendix B: Chinese Verbs 355
Appendix C: Fun & Games Answer Key 359
Index 365
