nǐ hǎo. In this lesson, we are going to learn how to introduce yourself. First, let
me introduce myself. nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì yāng yāng. Let me say that again. nǐ hǎo, wǒ
shì yāng yāng. Ok you probably have already heard me say this a million times, but this
is how you say hello in chinese. nǐ hǎo. That literally means you good, nǐ is you
and hǎo is good, nǐ hǎo, nǐ hǎo. To answer this greeting you simply say nǐ hǎo. Well
both nǐ, you and hǎo, good are third tones. Remember third tone signs, it sounds very
clumsy right? In chinese there's a rule called the three three becomes two three rule. The
rule says when you have two third tones back to back, the first third tone changes to a
second tone. In this case, instead of saying nǐ hǎo, you change nǐ, third tone to ní,
second tone. So nǐ hǎ, three three becomes ní hǎo, two three when you say it. But it's
still written three three. When chinese people greet each other, they seldom ask how are
you. This 'how are you' greeting thing is a very western thing. In china if you ask
someone how he or she is doing, you usually know that person and care about what the answer
is. It's not quite true in the U.S I have to say. I remember the first year when I was
in the states, whenever people here ask me how I was doing, I always took the question very
very seriously. I started telling this really long story about my life. But gradually I
realized that nobody really cared. They were like half a mile away already when I was talking.
Well, now when you are in Rome, do what the Romans do. My answer to the question 'how
are you' have been significantly shorten to 'awesome'. Well what I'm trying to say here
is that to greet someone in chinese is simple, nǐ hǎo is enough. Ok, let's move on and
learn I am so and so. In chinese, I and me are the same word. Now please point to yourself,
ok and say wǒ, third tone. In chinese, am/is/are/were/was,
as long as it is the word 'to be' , it is
all shì, shì. Also please pay attention to your tone here when you say to be, it is
the fourth tone, a dropping tone. Like when you say 'no'. shì, shì. Alright, do you
still remember how to say number 10? Yes, number ten is shí, shí. It's supposed to
be a second tone, a rising tone like when you say 'what?!'. shí, shí. Now say the verb
'to be', shì, shì. Now say ten, shí. Now first to say 'to be' and then to say number
ten. shì, shí. Again, shì, shí. Alright, now let's say 'I am', wǒ shì, wǒ shì.
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì yāng yāng. Hello, I am yangyang. Do you still remember how to say
'you' in chinese? You is nǐ, as in hello, nǐ hǎo remember? So do you say 'You are'?
nǐ shì, nǐ shì. Say I am, wǒ shì, wǒ shì. Now at your own name and you are able
to introduce yourself. Say I am john. You are Mary. That would be wǒ shì John, nǐ
shì Mary. Again, wǒ shì John, nǐ shì Mary. Yea, good job. In our next lesson we
are going to learn how to introduce your nationality. zài jiàn.