GESC Chinese Education Training Center Level-1 Lesson 10 Study Notes

Lesson 10 Vocabulary: Definitions and Classifications

The tenth lesson (Dì-shí kè) of the GESC Chinese Education Training Center Level-1 course, titled "Jiyiji," introduces a comprehensive set of vocabulary covering physical descriptions, actions, household objects, and health states. The vocabulary is categorized into nouns (n), adjectives (adj), and verbs (v) or prepositions (prep). Below is the exhaustive list of the 22 terms provided in the lesson material:

  1. gèzi (n): Height.
  2. cháng, duǎn (adj): Long and short, typically used for length.
  3. bǐ (v/prep): Structure used for comparison.
  4. dǎkāi, guān (v): To open and to close.
  5. chuānghu (n): Window.
  6. mén (n): Door.
  7. kuài, màn (adj): Fast and slow.
  8. shuō huà (v): To speak or to talk.
  9. zǒu lù (v): To walk.
  10. yīfu (n): Clothes.
  11. tóufa (n): Hair.
  12. dà, xiǎo (adj): Big/old and small/young.
  13. kū, xiào (v): To cry and to laugh/smile.
  14. hǎo, huài (adj): Good and bad or broken.
  15. bìngrén (n): Patient.
  16. huí jiā (v): To go home.
  17. xīguā (n): Watermelon.
  18. níngméng (n): Lemon.
  19. cǎoméi (n): Strawberry.
  20. diànnǎo (n): Computer.
  21. piàoliang (adj): Beautiful, specifically used for girls or objects.
  22. shuài (adj): Handsome, specifically used for boys.

Comparative Descriptions and Physical Attributes

The lesson utilizes the vocabulary to construct sentences describing the physical appearance of family members and others. One example focuses on height using the "gèzi" noun and descriptors "gāo" (tall) and "ǎi" (short). Speaker A states, "Wǒ gēge de gèzi gāo," meaning their older brother's height is tall. Speaker B responds with, "Wǒ mèimei de gèzi ǎi," indicating their younger sister's height is short.

Weight and build are also compared. In a question-and-answer format, Speaker A asks, "Nǐ gēge pàng ma?" (Is your older brother fat?). Speaker B clarifies, "Wǒ gēge bú pàng, tā hěn shòu," which translates to his brother not being fat, but rather very thin. To distinguish between people, descriptive hair length is used. When asked about the identity of two people ("Tāmen liǎng gè shì shéi?"), the response explains that "Cháng fà de shì wǒ jiějie" (The one with long hair is my elder sister) and "duǎn fà de shì wǒ mèimei" (The one with short hair is my younger sister).

Expressing Precise Age Differences

The grammatical structure "bǐ" is employed to compare ages between siblings, incorporating specific numerical values. Speaker A asks how many years older the sister is compared to the speaker: "Nǐ jiějie bǐ nǐ dà jǐ suì?".

The responses provide exact age gaps:

  • "Jiějie bǐ wǒ dà sān suì." (The elder sister is older than me by 33 years.)
  • "Mèimei bǐ wǒ xiǎo liǎng suì." (The younger sister is younger than me by 22 years.)

Imperative Commands and Manner of Action

Specific verbs for household actions and the description of how actions are performed are detailed. Imperative sentences often use "Qǐng" (Please) for politeness. Examples include "Qǐng dǎkāi chuānghu" (Please open the window) and "Qǐng bǎ mén guān qǐlái" (Please close the door).

The speed and quality of actions for specific individuals are also noted:

  • "Xiǎomíng shuōhuà hěn kuài." (Xiaoming speaks very fast.)
  • "Ali zǒu lù hěn màn." (Ali walks very slowly.)

Quantities and Physical Descriptions

The lesson includes adjectives for relative quantity, "duō" (many/much) and "shǎo" (few/little), applied to possessions and body parts. For instance, "Tā yǒu hěn duō yīfu" describes someone having many clothes, while "Wǒ de tóufa hěn shǎo" describes someone having very little or sparse hair.

Descriptive States, Health, and Emotional Expressions

The final section of the lesson material covers sensory descriptions, human emotions, and the status of objects or health. For taste, the grape (pútao) is described: "Zhè pútao bù tián, yǒudiǎn suān" (These grapes are not sweet, they are a little sour).

Emotional states and their manifestations include:

  • "Xiǎo Wáng kū zhe huíjiā le." (Xiao Wang went home crying.)
  • "Nǐ xiào qǐlái hěn kě'ài." (Your smile/laughing is very cute.)

Status updates regarding technology and health are also provided:

  • "Wǒ de diànnǎo huài le." (My computer is broken.)
  • "Tā de bìng hǎo le." (His illness is better/he has recovered.)