Mandarin Phrasebook. Products Help People Learn Mandarin Chinese. How to Learn Chinese Mandarin. /title>

For All Ages

English/Simplified Chinese

with Pinyin

Book

Published by Lonely Planet

Author: Justin Rudelson

3.5" X 5"

312 Pages

Paper Back

Mandarin Phrasebook

With Two-Way Dictionary

DID YOU KNOW?

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world.
The standard form of Mandarin is based on the dialect of Mandarin spoken in Beijing. This is the form of Mandarin you’ll see and hear in the media and in official government communications.

THE MANDARIN WRITING SYSTEM

Mandarin is written using picture-like characters, or logographs. Each character usually represents a syllable and most words are made up of two or three characters. Meaning and sound is carried to some extent or another by a character. The complete set of characters numbers in the tens of thousands (dictionaries can contain 50,000 characters) but the average newspaper reader will need to know around 3000 characters to get by. It takes 10 years of formal schooling to achieve full literacy in Mandarin.

In 1958 the Chinese officially adopted a system for writing Chinese using the Roman alphabet, known as Pinyin. The main reason for developing Pinyin was to facilitate the spread of the Beijing dialect of Mandarin as the national standard language. If you go to China today you’ll see Pinyin everywhere: on maps, roadsigns, shop signs and in brand names.

TONES

diacritic	tone
¯	1 – high – at the top of your vocal range
´	2 – high rising – rises from the mid-low area of your range to the high area
˘	3 – low falling-rising – starts in the mid-low range and moves to the bottom before rising to the middle
`	4 – high-falling – starts high and falls through your voice range

While traveling in China, you'll hear many people call out 'Hello', the only English they know. Get beyond the basics and let the world's most spoken language turn your trip into an experience. Whether sampling the night life and markets or trying out the range of exotic cuisine, you'll never 'lose face' by not knowing what to say.

extensive menu of delicious dishes & regional cuisines

terms for meeting people, getting around, accommodation, around town, interests, food, in the country, health, times, dates, festivals, numbers, emergencies, hiking, cycling, business & shopping, specific needs, ....

cultural tips explaining guanxi (social networks), restaurant etiquette & body language

printed in English, Simplifies Chinese and Pinyin (roman script)

easy guide to pronunciation with Pinyin

Mandarin is spoken in Taiwan, Singapore & Mainland China

two-way dictionary: English-Mandarin and Mandarin-English

SAY IT IN MANDARIN!

Hello. 你好。 née·hăo

Goodbye. 再见。 zài·jyèn

Yes. 是。 shìr

No. 不是。 bóo·shìr

I’m from New Zealand.
我从新西兰来。
wŏr tsóong sīn·sēe·lún lái

Don't just stand there, say something!
不要只站在那里说些话！
bòo yào jĕe jàn zài nà·lee, shwōr shyair hwà

How can I explain this to my parents?
哎哟我怎么跟父母交待？
āi·yo wŏr zér·me gĕrn fòo·mŏo jyāo·dài

Price: $7.95