HSK 1 · Lesson 3你是哪国人？ Where are you from?
Countries and languages, 也 “also”, the question word 哪 “which”.
Speed:Male voice:
Dialogues
At university
A
你是哪国人？
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
Where are you from?
B
我是中国人。你呢？
Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén. Nǐ ne?
I’m Chinese. And you?
A
我是俄罗斯人。
Wǒ shì Éluósī rén.
I’m from Russia.
B
你会说汉语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō Hànyǔ ma?
Can you speak Chinese?
A
会一点儿。我在学习汉语。
Huì yìdiǎnr. Wǒ zài xuéxí Hànyǔ.
A little. I’m learning Chinese.
B
我也学习外语。
Wǒ yě xuéxí wàiyǔ.
I’m learning a foreign language too.
New words
- 哪nǎhow; which
- 国guócountry; nation; state
- 中国ZhōngguóChina
- 人rénperson; people
- 外国wàiguóforeign country
- 汉语HànyǔChinese language
- 中文ZhōngwénChinese language
- 外语wàiyǔforeign language
- 说shuōto speak; to talk; to say
- 会huìcan; to have the skill; to know how to
- 学习xuéxíto learn; to study
- 一点儿yìdiǎnra little, a bit
- 在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
Grammar
1. Nationality: country + 人
“Chinese person” is 中国人, literally “China person”. Likewise 俄罗斯人 a Russian, 外国人 a foreigner. The question is 你是哪国人？ “a person of which country?”.
他是外国人。
Tā shì wàiguó rén.
He is a foreigner.
老师是哪国人？
Lǎoshī shì nǎ guó rén?
Where is the teacher from?
2. 也 “also” — always before the verb
Subject + 也 + verb
也 goes after the subject and before the verb, never at the end: 我也是学生 “I am a student too”.
她也会说汉语。
Tā yě huì shuō Hànyǔ.
She speaks Chinese too.
我们也是中国人。
Wǒmen yě shì Zhōngguó rén.
We are Chinese too.
3. 会 “can” (a learned skill)
会 + verb is a learned skill: 我会说汉语 “I can speak Chinese”. Negative — 不会.
你会写汉字吗？
Nǐ huì xiě Hànzì ma?
Can you write Chinese characters?
我不会说外语。
Wǒ bú huì shuō wàiyǔ.
I can’t speak foreign languages.
Exercises
1. Put 也 in the right place
- 我是学生。（也）
Answer
我也是学生。 - 他会说汉语。（也）
Answer
他也会说汉语。
2. Translate
- Where are you from?
Answer
你是哪国人？ - I speak a little Chinese.
Answer
我会说一点儿汉语。 - He is a foreigner too.
Answer
他也是外国人。
💡 Did you know?: 汉语 or 中文?
Both mean “Chinese”. 汉语 is the language as a subject (textbooks, the HSK is 汉语水平考试), 中文 is more about the written language and everyday use: 中文书 “a book in Chinese”.
Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).