Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 126 – Chinese Plural

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 126 – Chinese Plural

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about a Chinese tongue twister—en and –ing. Today, we will talk about Chinese Plural.

In English, the plural can be formed by adding “s” or change some letter to the singular. But in Chinese, we have to add some words to the end of the singular one to express plural meanings.

For examples:

nǐ  /  nǐ men                            wǒ / wǒ men

你 /  你   们 (you / you)          我  /  我   们 (I / we)

tā (tā)  / tā (tā) men

他(她) / 他 (她)   们 (he (she) / they/ they)

péng yǒu / péng yǒu men

   朋     友 /     朋    友    们 (friend / friends)

zhè ge rén / zhè xiē rén

  这  个  人 /    这  些   人  (This guy / these guys)

nà gè rén / nà xiē rén

 那 个  人 /  那   些  人 (That guy / those guys)

yī gè  rén / hǎo duō rén / rén men

一 个   人 /    好    多  人  /   人   们

(one person / many people/ many people)

In some cases, we just need to add numbers and measure words to express Plural.  We talked about  Chinese measure words in our previous class. For example:

liǎng zhī wà zi  /  xié zi / shǒu tào

  两     只  袜 子 /   鞋 子 /    手   套

(a pair of socks / shoes / gloves)

yī dī shuǐ  / sān dī shuǐ

一滴    水  /   三   滴  水

(one drop of water / three drops of water)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)