We haven't come out with a lesson for absolute beginners in a while, partially because whenever we start teaching something simple Brendan segues into a rambling discourse on character etymology and before we know it we've produced another graduate seminar about regional dialects in the Song dynasty. So today we slowed him down with an intentionally simple and very straightforward dialogue. This one teaches how to ask basic questions and tell others a bit about yourself.In fact, those of you without a graduate degree in linguistics will be pleased to hear that we even managed to restrain Brendan from using the word "copula" in this podcast. This was accomplished somewhat by the dialogue itself, but mostly by Echo, who threatened the use of physical force unless Brendan used "actual English real people understand." So if you're totally new to mandarin and afraid of our other lessons, fire up your iPod and check out this one, which makes the basics about as easy as they can get.
luolin
said on November 18, 2009
Yes, it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, now "copula" is an equal sign of some sort. I am sorry, my brain wants that "shi" (sorry no IME on this computer) to be part of the irregular verb "to be." I am afraid to ask, but what's the difference (in a reader's digest version kinda way) between, no wait, just what is a copula? My Chinese teacher called it a "stative verb."
barrister
said on November 18, 2009
@luolin - unless I'm mistaken "stative verb" is just a fancy word for adjectives like 贵 or 好 which follow adverbs of degree like 很. So 是 is definitely not a stative verb.
derek
said on November 18, 2009
Copula - a word or set of words that act as a connecting link between subject and predicate complement, eg - the verbs "be" and "seem". (also Equational Verb).
I know! It is so horrible.
Gail天堂的声音
said on November 18, 2009
@luolin,haha, you are asking one of the most difficult questions in Chinese! good question!是is a copula （sometimes),but not exactly the same as "to be". actually we call it a copula just because it acts like "to be" some times. :Dpersonally i think 是(to be) answers questions with who and what:who is she?她是小王。whose book is this? 这是谁的书？-这是我的书。/这本书是我的。what is your opinion?你的意见是什么？-我的意见是：我们回去吧。when we ask about "how":how did you come here? 你（是）怎么来的？-我（是）开车来的。-attention, here, when we use 是，we have to put a 的at the end.是 has many other usages, too. beginners and intermediate students are expected to use some of them. even high level students may make mistakes when they use 是, so, you really needn't worry about this character.and for daily life we don't need to understand every usage of 是.when you speak more chinese and talk more with chinese people, you will suddenly know exactly how to use this character...加油！
Gail天堂的声音
said on November 18, 2009
@Echo, @Lanzi,what do you guys think?
LanZi
said on November 18, 2009
@Gail,
What do i think? Hmm......I think you are right.
LanZi
lan@popupchinese.com
trevelyan
said on November 18, 2009
@luolin - we try to avoid thinking of 是 as the Chinese equivalent of the English verb "to be" for two reasons (1) it can't be used to suggest existence in the way "to be" can as with "I think therefore I am", and (2) it is used differently grammatically. For an example of the latter point, we can't put it in front of Chinese adjectives the same way we do in English with sentences such as "I am hungry" or "He is tired". So calling it a copula or an equalizing verb is more accurate. This is a beginner series, so part of the goal is trying to teach things in a way that people won't fall into natural traps by creating sentences like 我是好. Gail will quibble with me here about whether that's grammatically possible, but she's wrong. Even if you can do it sometimes, it doesn't mean what a native English speaker would think it means.
xiaoxin
said on November 18, 2009
学了一个新词——copula
luolin
said on November 21, 2009
Thanks for all the explanations. My broken brain may have been fixed!
Echo
said on November 21, 2009
@luolin,
别客气 :)
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
ary_loka_muxos
said on October 2, 2010
I really think Echo should really stop saying "right, mh huh, exactly, yes" after every single sentence. Well if he is saying it maybe it is because it is right.
xiaozhu
said on July 21, 2012
Actually, I like Echo's interjections.
LauraMarseglia2
said on August 11, 2014
@ary_loka_muxos:Be nice to Echo! I agree with xiaozhu, she's fine. Lighten up.
1biometricdocuments11
said on April 13, 2022
documents consultant for immigration Real Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 2022Top 10 Genuine Biometric Consultant Online sales@biometricdocument.com. - Biometric Document Consultant OnlineHow to Get Resident Permit, ID Card, Driving License, IELTS, TOEFL, NEBOSH, US & UK Passport? ( sales@biometricdocument.com)Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/https://www.biometricdocument.com/contact-us-now/Documents consultant for immigrationReal Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 20222022 Documents Consultant For Immigration German and Italy PassportHow to get a real Documents Consultant For Immigration Where To find a genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationTop 10 Documents Consultant For ImmigrationDocuments Consultant For Immigration 2022 Passport, I.D Cards for sale.Canadian Documents Consultant For Immigration In EuropeEuropean Documents Consultant For Immigration Documents Consultant For Immigration Like Passport, Drivers License, I.D Cards, ssn cards, visa cards.Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/Diplomatic Documents Consultant For Immigration buy real passport, SSNGovernment Documents Consultant For Immigration US and CanadaDepartment Post for Documents Consultant For Immigration Validated Documents Consultant For Immigration OnlineGood Documents Consultant For Immigration From Pakistan to AustraliaSpain Visa From Documents Consultant For Immigration New Documents Consultant For Immigration and how to apply onlineHow to apply for real and genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationOriginal and registered Documents Consultant For Immigration UK, USA, Canada, German.
1biometricdocuments11
said on April 13, 2022
documents consultant for immigration Real Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 2022Top 10 Genuine Biometric Consultant Online sales@biometricdocument.com. - Biometric Document Consultant OnlineHow to Get Resident Permit, ID Card, Driving License, IELTS, TOEFL, NEBOSH, US & UK Passport? ( sales@biometricdocument.com)Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/https://www.biometricdocument.com/contact-us-now/Documents consultant for immigrationReal Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 20222022 Documents Consultant For Immigration German and Italy PassportHow to get a real Documents Consultant For Immigration Where To find a genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationTop 10 Documents Consultant For ImmigrationDocuments Consultant For Immigration 2022 Passport, I.D Cards for sale.Canadian Documents Consultant For Immigration In EuropeEuropean Documents Consultant For Immigration Documents Consultant For Immigration Like Passport, Drivers License, I.D Cards, ssn cards, visa cards.Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/Diplomatic Documents Consultant For Immigration buy real passport, SSNGovernment Documents Consultant For Immigration US and CanadaDepartment Post for Documents Consultant For Immigration Validated Documents Consultant For Immigration OnlineGood Documents Consultant For Immigration From Pakistan to AustraliaSpain Visa From Documents Consultant For Immigration New Documents Consultant For Immigration and how to apply onlineHow to apply for real and genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationOriginal and registered Documents Consultant For Immigration UK, USA, Canada, German.
1biometricdocuments11
said on April 13, 2022
documents consultant for immigration Real Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 2022Top 10 Genuine Biometric Consultant Online sales@biometricdocument.com. - Biometric Document Consultant OnlineHow to Get Resident Permit, ID Card, Driving License, IELTS, TOEFL, NEBOSH, US & UK Passport? ( sales@biometricdocument.com)Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/https://www.biometricdocument.com/contact-us-now/Documents consultant for immigrationReal Documents Consultant For Immigration Online 20222022 Documents Consultant For Immigration German and Italy PassportHow to get a real Documents Consultant For Immigration Where To find a genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationTop 10 Documents Consultant For ImmigrationDocuments Consultant For Immigration 2022 Passport, I.D Cards for sale.Canadian Documents Consultant For Immigration In EuropeEuropean Documents Consultant For Immigration Documents Consultant For Immigration Like Passport, Drivers License, I.D Cards, ssn cards, visa cards.Contact InfoUnited Statescall+1 (352) 405-1569sales@biometricdocument.comwhatsapp+1 (352) 405-156924/7 - Monday to Sundayhttps://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/driving-licence-quickly/https://www.biometricdocument.com/citizenship/https://www.biometricdocument.com/identification-card/https://www.biometricdocument.com/passport-service/https://www.biometricdocument.com/https://www.biometricdocument.com/birth-certificate/https://www.biometricdocument.com/blog/https://www.biometricdocument.com/about-us/Diplomatic Documents Consultant For Immigration buy real passport, SSNGovernment Documents Consultant For Immigration US and CanadaDepartment Post for Documents Consultant For Immigration Validated Documents Consultant For Immigration OnlineGood Documents Consultant For Immigration From Pakistan to AustraliaSpain Visa From Documents Consultant For Immigration New Documents Consultant For Immigration and how to apply onlineHow to apply for real and genuine Documents Consultant For ImmigrationOriginal and registered Documents Consultant For Immigration UK, USA, Canada, German.
