Level 1 - Lesson 14
You point to stores, restaurants, movies, TV, songs, and things nearby or farther away.
Contains 5 words
shop; store
restaurant; hotel
shop; store
supermarket
bookstore
Contains 5 words
Contains 9 words
Contains 1 word
这是饭店吗？
Zhè shì fàndiàn ma?
Is this a restaurant?
这是商店。
Zhè shì shāngdiàn.
This is a shop.
那个是超市吗？
Nà ge shì chāoshì ma?
Is that one a supermarket?
这个是书店。
Zhè ge shì shūdiàn.
This one is the bookstore.
那个是电影院。
Nà ge shì diànyǐngyuàn.
That one is a cinema.
Situation: Two people identify a shop and the bookstore on a street.
美美
Meimei
这是饭店吗？
Is this a restaurant?
Demonstrative pronouns
Choose 这 (zhè) for something near, 那 (nà) for something farther away, and 哪 (nǎ) to ask which. The form changes depending on whether you say ‘this is,’ ‘this one,’ ‘this thing,’ or ‘these.’
Say this is or that is
Identifies a nearby or farther person, place, or thing.
cinema; movie theater
movie; film
television
song
look at; watch; read
this
that
which
these
those
which (plural)
this one
that one
which one
thing
你看电影吗？
Nǐ kàn diànyǐng ma?
Do you watch movies?
你看电视吗？
Nǐ kàn diànshì ma?
Do you watch TV?
这是好歌。
Zhè shì hǎo gē.
This is a good song.
哪个是书店？
Nǎ ge shì shūdiàn?
Which one is the bookstore?
这个电影很好看。
Zhè ge diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn.
This movie is good to watch.
哪些是你的？
Nǎxiē shì nǐ de?
Which ones are yours?
电视很好看。
Diànshì hěn hǎokàn.
TV is very good to watch.
那些是老师的。
Nàxiē shì lǎoshī de.
Those are the teacher's.
方方
Fangfang
不是，这是商店。
No, this is a shop.
美美
Meimei
哪个是书店？
Which one is the bookstore?
方方
Fangfang
这个是书店。
This one is the bookstore.
Situation: Two students use the cinema's movie choices to decide which movie they will watch together.
美美
Meimei
哪个电影好看？
Which movie is good?
方方
Fangfang
这个电影很好看。
This movie is very good.
美美
Meimei
我看这个电影，你呢？
I will watch this movie. How about you?
方方
Fangfang
我也看这个。
I will watch this one too.
Situation: Students sort out which nearby things belong to whom.
美美
Meimei
这些东西是你的吗？
Are these things yours?
方方
Fangfang
不是，这些是老师的。
No, these are the teacher's.
美美
Meimei
哪些是你的？
Which ones are yours?
方方
Fangfang
这些是我的。
These are mine.
Situation: Two classmates look at several marked businesses on a street map and sort them into bookstores and supermarkets.
美美
Meimei
这些和那些都是商店吗？
Are these and those all shops?
方方
Fangfang
是，都是商店。
Yes, they are all shops.
美美
Meimei
哪些是书店？
Which ones are bookstores?
方方
Fangfang
这些是书店，那些是超市。
These are bookstores, and those are supermarkets.
这是饭店 (zhè shì fàndiàn) means ‘This is a restaurant.’ Bare 这 (zhè) comes directly before 是 (shì); do not insert 个 (ge).
Choose one
Identifies this one, that one, or asks which one.
哪个是书店 (nǎ ge shì shūdiàn) asks the listener to choose one place.
Point to one thing by name
Places this, that, or which one before a general noun.
这个东西 (zhè ge dōngxi) means ‘this thing.’ Here the one-item pointer comes before the noun.
Point to several things
Identifies these, those, or asks which ones, with an optional noun.
这些东西 (zhèxiē dōngxi) points to several things near the speaker.
Use 这个 (zhè ge) for one nearby place or thing.
这个是书店。
This one is the bookstore.
Use 这些 (zhèxiē) for several nearby things.
这些东西是你的吗？
Are these things yours?
Use 哪些 (nǎxiē) when asking about several items.
哪些是你的？
Which ones are yours?
那个是电影院吗？
Is that one a cinema?
这些东西是你的吗？
Are these things yours?
Dialogue 01: Finding Stores, Turn 3
Ask which place
哪个是书店？
Which one is the bookstore?
Dialogue 01: Finding Stores, Turn 4
Answer with this one
这个是书店。
This one is the bookstore.
Dialogue 03: Sorting Things, Turn 1
Ask about these things
这些东西是你的吗？
Are these things yours?
Dialogue 03: Sorting Things, Turn 3
Ask which ones
哪些是你的？
Which ones are yours?
Use bare 这 (zhè) or 那 (nà) directly before 是 (shì) to identify something: 这是饭店 (zhè shì fàndiàn), ‘This is a restaurant.’ Use 这个 (zhè ge), 那个 (nà ge), or 哪个 (nǎ ge) when the word itself means ‘this one,’ ‘that one,’ or ‘which one’: 哪个是书店 (nǎ ge shì shūdiàn), ‘Which one is the bookstore?’ The same one-item form can modify a general noun: 这个东西 (zhè ge dōngxi), ‘this thing.’ For several items, use 这些 (zhèxiē), 那些 (nàxiē), or 哪些 (nǎxiē), with a noun when useful: 这些东西 (zhèxiē dōngxi), ‘these things.’ Do not add 个 (ge) to bare 这是 (zhè shì) or 那是 (nà shì).
