HSK 1 · Lesson 4这是我的家 This is my family
Family, 这/那 “this/that”, possessive 的, 有/没有 “have / not have”.
Speed:Male voice:
Dialogues
A photo
A
这是你的家人吗？
Zhè shì nǐ de jiārén ma?
Is this your family?
B
是。这是我爸爸，那是我妈妈。
Shì. Zhè shì wǒ bàba, nà shì wǒ māma.
Yes. This is my dad, and that is my mum.
A
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are in your family?
B
我家有四口人：爸爸、妈妈、姐姐和我。
Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén: bàba, māma, jiějie hé wǒ.
Four: dad, mum, my older sister and me.
A
你有弟弟吗？
Nǐ yǒu dìdi ma?
Do you have a younger brother?
B
没有。
Méiyǒu.
No.
New words
- 家jiāhome; family; (polite) my (sister, uncle etc)
- 家人jiārénfamily members
- 爸爸bàba(coll.) father; dad
- 妈妈māmamama; mommy; mother
- 哥哥gēgeolder brother
- 姐姐jiějieolder sister
- 弟弟dìdiyounger brother
- 妹妹mèimeiyounger sister; young woman
- 爷爷yéye(coll.) paternal grandfather; grandpa
- 奶奶nǎinai(informal) grandma (paternal grandmother)
- 的depossessive particle (“of”, “~’s”); target; aim
- 这zhè(pronoun) this; these; this; the (followed by a noun)
- 那nà(specifier) that; the; those (colloquial pr.)
- 有yǒuto have; there is; having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 intentional)
- 没有méiyǒuhaven't; hasn't; doesn't exist
- 几jǐhow many; how much; several; a few
- 口kǒumouth
- 和hé(joining two nouns) and; together with; with (Taiwan pr.)
- 四sìfour; 4
Grammar
1. 的 — possession
owner + 的 + thing
我的书 my book, 老师的名字 the teacher’s name. With family members and groups 的 is usually dropped: 我妈妈 my mum, 我家 my home, 我们学校 our school.
这是我的书。
Zhè shì wǒ de shū.
This is my book.
他是我哥哥。
Tā shì wǒ gēge.
He is my older brother.
2. 有 “to have” and 没有
Subject + 有 / 没有 + object
The negative of 有 is always 没有 (never “不有”): 我没有妹妹 “I don’t have a younger sister”.
我有一个姐姐。
Wǒ yǒu yí ge jiějie.
I have an older sister.
他没有哥哥。
Tā méiyǒu gēge.
He has no older brother.
3. 几口人 — how many in the family
几 “how many” is for small numbers (under 10). Family members are counted with 口: 三口人, 五口人. 和 “and” joins only nouns: 爸爸和妈妈.
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are in your family?
爷爷和奶奶
yéye hé nǎinai
grandpa and grandma
Exercises
1. Answer in the negative
- 你有哥哥吗？
Answer
我没有哥哥。 - 这是你的书吗？
Answer
这不是我的书。
2. Translate
- This is my dad.
Answer
这是我爸爸。 - I have a younger sister.
Answer
我有一个妹妹。 - There are five people in my family.
Answer
我家有五口人。
💡 Did you know?: Older and younger
Chinese has no plain “brother” or “sister”: you always say older or younger — 哥哥/弟弟, 姐姐/妹妹. Paternal grandparents are 爷爷 and 奶奶, maternal ones 姥爷 and 姥姥.
Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).