这是谁的？ Whose is this? — HSK 1, lesson 16

Dialogues

Cats and dogs

A

这是谁的狗？

Zhè shì shéi de gǒu?

Whose dog is this?

B

是我的。你喜欢狗吗？

Shì wǒ de. Nǐ xǐhuan gǒu ma?

It’s mine. Do you like dogs?

A

喜欢！我家有两只猫。

Xǐhuan! Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng zhī māo.

I do! We have two cats at home.

B

你的猫多大了？

Nǐ de māo duō dà le?

How old are your cats?

A

一只三岁，一只一岁。我很爱它们。

Yì zhī sān suì, yì zhī yí suì. Wǒ hěn ài tāmen.

One is three, the other is one. I love them very much.

Whose clothes?

A

这些衣服都是你的吗？

Zhèxiē yīfu dōu shì nǐ de ma?

Are all these clothes yours?

B

有的是我的，有的是我哥哥的。

Yǒude shì wǒ de, yǒude shì wǒ gēge de.

Some are mine, some are my brother’s.

A

这件新衣服真漂亮！是谁的？

Zhè jiàn xīn yīfu zhēn piàoliang! Shì shéi de?

This new piece of clothing is so pretty! Whose is it?

B

是我的。我明天穿。

Shì wǒ de. Wǒ míngtiān chuān.

It’s mine. I’ll wear it tomorrow.

A

哪些是你哥哥的？

Nǎxiē shì nǐ gēge de?

Which ones are your brother’s?

B

那些都是他的。

Nàxiē dōu shì tā de.

Those are all his.

A

你们的衣服都很好看！

Nǐmen de yīfu dōu hěn hǎokàn!

You both have nice clothes!

New words

谁shéi/shuíwho
这些zhèxiēthese
那些nàxiēthose
哪些nǎxiēwhich ones?; who?; what?
些xiēclassifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some…
一些yìxiēsome; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er
有的yǒude(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
有些yǒuxiēsome
哪个nǎgewhich (one)
都dōuall; both; entirely
它tāit; it (pronoun for an animal)
它们tāmenthey; them
她们tāmenthey; them (females)
狗gǒudog
猫māocat (CL:隻); (dialect) to hide oneself; (loanword) (coll.) modem
只zhīmeasure word for animals
穿chuānto bore through; to pierce; to perforate
新xīnnew; newly; meso- (chemistry)
漂亮piàoliangpretty; beautiful
好看hǎokàngood-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good
爱àito love; to be fond of; to like

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 谁 “who” and 谁的 “whose”

This + 是 + 谁(的)？

谁 means “who”. Like 什么, it sits where the answer will be: 他是谁？ — 他是王明. “Whose” is 谁的: 这是谁的手机？ If the thing is clear, drop the noun: 这是谁的？ “Whose is this?”. It is read shéi (more common in speech) or shuí — both are correct.

他是谁？

Tā shì shéi?

Who is he?

这是谁的手机？

Zhè shì shéi de shǒujī?

Whose phone is this?

2. 这些 / 那些 / 哪些 — “these / those / which”

这 / 那 / 哪 + 些 + noun

些 means “a few”, and it makes the pointing words plural: 这些 “these”, 那些 “those”, 哪些 “which (ones)”. No measure word after 些: 这些书, but 这本书. For one item use 哪个 “which one”: 你要哪个？一些 means “some, a few”: 我买了一些水果.

这些书是我的。

Zhèxiē shū shì wǒ de.

These books are mine.

你喜欢哪些水果？

Nǐ xǐhuan nǎxiē shuǐguǒ?

Which fruits do you like?

我买了一些水果。

Wǒ mǎile yìxiē shuǐguǒ.

I bought some fruit.

3. 有的…，有的… — “some…, others…”

有的 + noun + …，有的 + noun + …

有的 means “some” of a group. It comes first, before what you talk about, and is often repeated: 有的同学喜欢唱歌，有的同学喜欢看书 “some students like singing, others like reading”. It is not used after the verb. A similar word is 有些: 有些汉字我不认识 “there are some characters I don’t know”.

有的同学喜欢唱歌，有的同学喜欢看书。

Yǒude tóngxué xǐhuan chàng gē, yǒude tóngxué xǐhuan kàn shū.

Some students like singing, others like reading.

有些汉字我不认识。

Yǒuxiē Hànzì wǒ bú rènshi.

There are some characters I don’t know.

4. 都 “all, both” — before the verb

Subject (plural) + 都 + verb

都 comes after the people or things it sums up and before the verb: 我们都是学生 “we are all students” (never “都我们”). With negation the order matters: 都不 “none”, 不都 “not all”: 这些衣服不都是我的 “not all of these clothes are mine”.

他们都是老师。

Tāmen dōu shì lǎoshī.

They are all teachers.

这些衣服不都是我的。

Zhèxiē yīfu bù dōu shì wǒ de.

Not all of these clothes are mine.

5. 只 and 件; 它, 它们, 她们

The measure word 只 is for animals and birds: 一只狗, 两只猫. 件 is for clothes and matters: 一件衣服. 它 “it” is for an animal or thing, 它们 “they” for animals and things, 她们 “they” for women. Do not add 们 after a number: 三个朋友 (not 三个朋友们).

我有一只狗。

Wǒ yǒu yì zhī gǒu.

I have a dog.

这件衣服很漂亮。

Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn piàoliang.

This piece of clothing is very pretty.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

Answer
这是谁的手机？ Zhè shì shéi de shǒujī? — Whose phone is this?
Answer
我家有两只猫。 Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng zhī māo. — We have two cats at home.
Answer
这些都是我的。 Zhèxiē dōu shì wǒ de. — These are all mine.
Answer
她今天穿新衣服。 Tā jīntiān chuān xīn yīfu. — She’s wearing new clothes today.

2. Choose the missing word

这是___的书？
Answer
谁
我有一___狗。
Answer
只
我们___是学生。
Answer
都
___同学喜欢唱歌，___同学喜欢看书。
Answer
有的 … 有的

3. Build the sentence

All these clothes are mine.
Answer
这些衣服都是我的。 Zhèxiē yīfu dōu shì wǒ de.
Whose cat is that?
Answer
那是谁的猫？ Nà shì shéi de māo?
I love them very much.
Answer
我很爱它们。 Wǒ hěn ài tāmen.
Which one do you want?
Answer
你要哪个？ Nǐ yào nǎge?

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

You are speaker B. Pick the right reply and the conversation goes on.

A

你好！这是你的狗吗？

Nǐ hǎo! Zhè shì nǐ de gǒu ma?

Hi! Is this your dog?

B

是我的。你喜欢狗吗？

Shì wǒ de. Nǐ xǐhuan gǒu ma?

It’s mine. Do you like dogs?

A

很喜欢！它叫什么名字？

Hěn xǐhuan! Tā jiào shénme míngzi?

Very much! What’s its name?

B

它叫“牛奶”。

Tā jiào “Niúnǎi”.

Its name is “Milk”.

A

它几岁了？

Tā jǐ suì le?

How old is it?

B

它两岁了。

Tā liǎng suì le.

It’s two.

5. Translate into Chinese

Whose book is this?
Answer
这是谁的书？Zhè shì shéi de shū?
Some friends like dogs, others like cats.
Answer
有的朋友喜欢狗，有的朋友喜欢猫。
We all love cats.
Answer
我们都爱猫。Wǒmen dōu ài māo.

💡 Did you know?: shéi or shuí?

谁 has two correct readings. Dictionaries list shéi first — that is what nearly everyone says; shuí sounds bookish and is heard in songs and formal reading. The official HSK list gives both. Say shéi and you’ll be fine.