Level 1 - Lesson 5
The lesson uses family names and ages in short conversations. You practice saying whether someone has a family member.
Contains 6 words
years old
how many; what number
much; many
big; old
this year
change-of-state particle
Contains 5 words
Contains 4 words
Contains 2 words
Contains 2 words
你几岁了？
Nǐ jǐ suì le?
How old are you?
你多大了？
Nǐ duō dà le?
How old are you?
我今年八岁了。
Wǒ jīnnián bā suì le.
I am eight this year.
他今年十岁了。
Tā jīnnián shí suì le.
He is ten this year.
他们是我的家人。
Tāmen shì wǒ de jiārén.
They are my family.
Situation: Two children look at a family picture and ask about age and an older brother.
美美
Meimei
你几岁了？
How old are you?
Dates, clock time, days of the week, and age
In this lesson, the time-and-age grammar focuses on age: use 几岁 (jǐ suì) or 多大 (duō dà) to ask, and number + 岁 (suì) to answer.
Age question
Asks how old someone is.
family member; family
dad; father
mom; mother
child
child; little friend
older brother
older sister
younger brother
younger sister
son
daughter
to have; there is
do not have; there is not
他们是我爸爸、妈妈。
Tāmen shì wǒ bàba, māma.
They are my dad and mom.
你有弟弟吗？
Nǐ yǒu dìdi ma?
Do you have a younger brother?
我没有姐姐。
Wǒ méiyǒu jiějie.
I do not have an older sister.
她有女儿。
Tā yǒu nǚ'ér.
She has a daughter.
她是小朋友。
Tā shì xiǎopéngyou.
She is a child.
方方
Fangfang
我今年八岁了。
I am eight this year.
美美
Meimei
你哥哥多大了？
How old is your older brother?
方方
Fangfang
他今年十岁了。
He is ten this year.
Situation: A classmate looks at a family picture and asks who is in it.
美美
Meimei
他们是你的家人吗？
Are they your family?
方方
Fangfang
是，他们是我爸爸、妈妈。
Yes, they are my dad and mom.
美美
Meimei
她是你姐姐吗？
Is she your older sister?
方方
Fangfang
不是，她是我妹妹。
No, she is my younger sister.
Situation: Two classmates look at a family picture and identify one sibling before asking about another.
美美
Meimei
他是你弟弟吗？
Is he your younger brother?
方方
Fangfang
是，我有弟弟。
Yes, I have a younger brother.
美美
Meimei
你有姐姐吗？
Do you have an older sister?
方方
Fangfang
我没有姐姐。
I do not have an older sister.
Situation: A student asks a classmate about the girl in the classmate's family picture.
美美
Meimei
她是你的女儿吗？
Is she your daughter?
方方
Fangfang
是，她是我的女儿。
Yes, she is my daughter.
美美
Meimei
她几岁了？
How old is she?
方方
Fangfang
她今年五岁了。
She is five this year.
你几岁了？ (nǐ jǐ suì le?) asks age directly. 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) uses 多大 (duō dà). Final 了 (le) is familiar support in these lesson questions, not a required part of every age question.
Current age answer
Says the person's age this year.
我今年八岁了 (wǒ jīnnián bā suì le) and 她今年五岁 (tā jīnnián wǔ suì) both state a current age; final 了 (le) is not required in every age answer.
几岁 (jǐ suì) is a direct age question.
你几岁了？
How old are you?
多大 (duō dà) also asks age.
你哥哥多大了？
How old is your older brother?
你几岁了？
How old are you?
你哥哥多大了？
How old is your older brother?
Dialogue 01: Asking Age, Turn 1
Ask age with 几岁 (jǐ suì)
你几岁了？
How old are you?
Dialogue 01: Asking Age, Turn 3
Ask age with 多大 (duō dà)
你哥哥多大了？
How old is your older brother?
The broader curriculum group includes dates, clock time, days of the week, and age. Here, the usable part is age. Ask 你几岁了？ (nǐ jǐ suì le?) for a simple age question, especially with children. Ask 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) as another common age question.
To answer, say the person, then 今年 (jīnnián), then the number plus 岁 (suì): 我今年八岁了 (wǒ jīnnián bā suì le). The lesson often adds final 了 (le) in familiar age questions and answers, but the age pattern itself does not require it: 她今年五岁 (tā jīnnián wǔ suì) is also a complete age statement.
有 — possession and existence
Use 有 (yǒu) before a family word to say someone has that family member.
Have a family member
Says or asks whether a family member exists for someone.
你有弟弟吗？ (nǐ yǒu dìdi ma?) asks whether the listener has a younger brother.
有 (yǒu) comes before the family member.
你有弟弟吗？
Do you have a younger brother?
The answer repeats 有 (yǒu) to state the family member clearly.
有，我有弟弟。
Yes, I have a younger brother.
我有弟弟。
I have a younger brother.
她有女儿。
She has a daughter.
Dialogue 03: Asking About Siblings, Turn 2
Say you have a younger brother
是，我有弟弟。
Yes, I have a younger brother.
Dialogue 04: A Classmate's Daughter, Turn 1
Ask whether Teacher Wang has a child
王老师有小朋友吗？
Does Teacher Wang have a child?
有 (yǒu) means have or there is. In this lesson, use it to talk about family: 我有弟弟 (wǒ yǒu dìdi), 她有女儿 (tā yǒu nǚ'ér). To ask, put 吗 (ma) at the end: 你有弟弟吗？ (nǐ yǒu dìdi ma?).
Negation with 没有
Use 没有 (méiyǒu), not 不有 (bù yǒu), to say someone does not have something.
Do not have
Negates 有 (yǒu).
没有 (méiyǒu) is the normal negative form for 有 (yǒu).
Use 没有 (méiyǒu) as a short answer to a 有 (yǒu) question.
没有。
No.
Put 没有 (méiyǒu) before the family member.
我没有姐姐。
I do not have an older sister.
我没有姐姐。
I do not have an older sister.
没有，她有女儿。
No, she has a daughter.
Dialogue 03: Asking About Siblings, Turn 4
No older sister
我没有姐姐。
I do not have an older sister.
Dialogue 04: A Classmate's Daughter, Turn 2
No son
有，她有女儿，没有儿子。
Yes, she has a daughter and no son.
To say someone does not have a family member, use 没有 (méiyǒu). Say 我没有姐姐 (wǒ méiyǒu jiějie), not 我不有姐姐 (wǒ bù yǒu jiějie). 没有 (méiyǒu) can also answer a yes/no question by itself before giving more information.
Nominal predicate age statements
Chinese age statements do not need 是 (shì): say 我今年八岁了 (wǒ jīnnián bā suì le), not 我是八岁 (wǒ shì bā suì).
Age statement without 是 (shì)
Says how old someone is.
There is no 是 (shì) in either 我今年八岁了 (wǒ jīnnián bā suì le) or 她今年五岁 (tā jīnnián wǔ suì). The optional lesson-ending 了 (le) does not create the age predicate.
The age follows the person and time word directly.
我今年八岁了。
I am eight this year.
Use the same pattern for another person.
他今年十岁了。
He is ten this year.
The age predicate is complete without final 了 (le).
她今年五岁。
She is five this year.
我今年八岁了。
I am eight this year.
他今年十岁了。
He is ten this year.
她今年五岁。
She is five this year.
Dialogue 01: Asking Age, Turn 2
I am eight
我今年八岁了。
I am eight this year.
Dialogue 01: Asking Age, Turn 4
He is ten
他今年十岁了。
He is ten this year.
In a simple age statement, the age phrase can work as the predicate. Say the person, then 今年 (jīnnián), then the age: 我今年八岁了 (wǒ jīnnián bā suì le) or 她今年五岁 (tā jīnnián wǔ suì). Do not put 是 (shì) before the age.
Final 了 (le) appears in several familiar age lines in this lesson, but it is formulaic support here, not a required part of the nominal-predicate structure. This differs from identity sentences such as 她是我妹妹 (tā shì wǒ mèimei), where 是 (shì) links a person to an identity.
The question uses 有 (yǒu) before 小朋友 (xiǎopéngyou), which means child in this family context.
Focus
Focus
Why it matters
他今年十岁了 (tā jīnnián shí suì le) follows the same no-是 (shì) age pattern.
Focus
Dialogue 04: A Classmate's Daughter, Turn 4
She is five without final 了 (le)
她今年五岁。
She is five this year.
