HSK 1Lesson 2
You meet new classmates and ask who they are. You also practice saying whether someone is Chinese, from Beijing, or from France.
You will learn to ask someone's name, say your own name, and ask simple yes/no identity questions.
Ask a name and make or negate a simple identity statement.
Part 1 · 11 new words
Contains 3 words
to be called
name
what
Contains 3 words
to be
not
Contains 5 words
person
China
Part 2 · 10 phrases
我叫___。
My name is ___.
你叫什么名字？
What is your name?
你叫什么？
What are you called?
我是中国人。
I am Chinese.
我不是中国人。
I am not Chinese.
你是中国人吗？
Are you Chinese?
不是，我不是中国人。
No, I am not Chinese.
你呢？
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Two new classmates exchange names; one asks about nationality after hearing the classmate's name.
美美Meimei
你好，你叫什么名字？
Hello, what is your name?
方方Fangfang
我叫方方。你呢？
My name is Fangfang. And you?
美美
Part 4 · 4 points
Connecting nouns with 是
Use 是shì to connect a person with an identity, place identity, or role.
Person plus 是 (shì) plus identity
Says what identity or place connection belongs to a person.
Use the same core pattern for
yes/no question particle
country
Beijing
France
And you?
我是法国人。
I am French.
你是北京人吗？
Are you from Beijing?
我叫美美。你是中国人吗？
My name is Meimei. Are you Chinese?
方方Fangfang
不是，我不是中国人。
No, I am not Chinese.
A Beijing student meets a new classmate and asks whether she is also from Beijing.
美美Meimei
你好，我叫美美。我是北京人。你呢？
Hello, my name is Meimei. I am from Beijing. And you?
方方Fangfang
你好，我叫方方。我不是北京人。
Hello, my name is Fangfang. I am not from Beijing.
美美Meimei
你是中国人吗？
Are you Chinese?
方方Fangfang
不是，我是法国人。
No, I am French.
Before class, one student confirms a new classmate's name and place identity.
美美Meimei
你叫方方吗？
Is your name Fangfang?
方方Fangfang
是，我叫方方。
Yes, my name is Fangfang.
美美Meimei
你是法国人吗？
Are you French?
方方Fangfang
是，我是法国人。
Yes, I am French.
A student checks a new classmate's name and place identity for a class record.
美美Meimei
你叫美美吗？
Is your name Meimei?
方方Fangfang
不是，我叫方方。
No, my name is Fangfang.
美美Meimei
方方，你是北京人吗？
Fangfang, are you from Beijing?
方方Fangfang
不是，我是法国人。
No, I am French.
In sentences
Identity statement
我是中国人。
I am Chinese.
Use this to state an identity directly.
Identity question
你是北京人吗？
Are you from Beijing?
The same identity pattern becomes a question with 吗ma.
是shì works like a linking verb in the beginner sentences in this lesson. Put the person first, then 是shì, then the identity.
Use 我是中国人wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén to say "I am Chinese." Add 吗ma at the end when you want to ask whether the identity is true, as in 你是北京人吗？nǐ shì Běijīng rén ma?.
Standard negation with 不
Put 不bù before 是shì to say that someone is not an identity.
Put 不 (bù) before 是 (shì)
Says the identity is not true.
不bù goes before 是shì. Together, 不是bú shì uses the spoken tone change shown here.
In sentences
Negative identity statement
我不是中国人。
I am not Chinese.
The negative marker comes right before 是shì.
No plus correction
不是，我是法国人。
No, I am French.
Use 不是bú shì first, then state the correct identity.
不是，我不是北京人。
No, I am not from Beijing.
To negate 是shì, put 不bù directly before it. In speech, 不bù changes tone before 是shì, so 不是 is pronounced bú shì.
Use 我不是中国人wǒ bú shì Zhōngguó rén to say "I am not Chinese." In a short answer, start with 不是bú shì, then give the full correction.
Interrogative pronouns
Use 什么shénme in the place where the answer would appear.
Ask what name
Asks what someone is called.
The question word stays in the spot where the name answer would go.
In sentences
Full name question
你叫什么名字？
What is your name?
This is the main polite beginner form in the lesson.
Short name question
你叫什么？
What are you called?
A shorter form keeps 什么shénme in the answer position.
In a name question, 什么shénme marks the unknown part. In 你叫什么名字？nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?, the unknown answer is the name.
The word order stays close to the answer pattern. You do not move 什么shénme to the front. Keep it where the name information belongs.
Basic SVO order
Simple Chinese sentences usually put the person first, then the action or linking verb.
Put the person first
Names who the sentence is about before giving the name or identity.
The same order works for 我叫方方wǒ jiào Fāngfang and 我是中国人wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén: who first, then the key verb, then the answer.
In sentences
Say your name
我叫方方。
My name is Fangfang.
The person comes first, then 叫jiào, then the name.
Say your identity
我是中国人。
I am Chinese.
The person still comes first, then 是shì, then the identity.
For the beginner sentences in this lesson, start with the person. Then say what the person is called or what identity the person has.
Use 我叫方方wǒ jiào Fāngfang for names and 我是中国人wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén for identity. The first piece tells who the sentence is about.
你好，我叫方方。我不是北京人。
Hello, my name is Fangfang. I am not from Beijing.
我不是北京人negative identity
Why it matters · The second sentence uses 不bù before 是shì to deny the Beijing identity.
Dialogue 2 · Introducing City and Country Identity · Turn 1
Introduce name and identity
你好，我叫美美。我是北京人。
Hello, my name is Meimei. I am from Beijing.
我叫美美name statement我是北京人identity statement
Why it matters · Both sentences keep the person first before the name or identity.
