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Parent guide · Grade 1 Mandarin · Unit 3

Lesson 3.1 你几岁? How Old Are You?

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 15–20 minutes
Goal
Count from 零 (zero) to 十. Ask 你几岁? (how old are you?). Answer 我…岁 (I am … years old).
You need
  • Blocks, cups or Lego
  • Paper labels
  • A sketchbook or plain paper, and crayons
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (8:31))

Steps

  1. Do this together: Hold up fingers to show how old you are. Now show how old a baby brother or cousin is. Today we learn to ask and answer “How old are you?” in Chinese.

  2. Read aloud: The story. Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days.” Every year of your life is a gift from God. In China, a child’s first birthday is a big celebration, and long life is a common wish.

    Read aloud: How Chinese works. To ask a child’s age, say 你nǐ几jǐ岁suì? (you how-many years?). To answer, put the number before 岁: 我wǒ六liù岁suì (I am six). For two years old, say 两岁 (liǎng suì), not 二岁.

    Read aloud: Say it out loud. Count from 零 (ling) to 十. Then ask everyone in the family: 你几岁?

  3. Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

    • 几 (jǐ) [jee (dipping)]: how many (small numbers)
    • 岁 (suì) [sway (falling)]: years old
    • 零 (líng) [ling (rising)]: zero
    • 两 (liǎng) [lyahng (dipping)]: two (before a measure word)
  4. A great wooden arch bridge crowded with people, carts and stalls crosses a river; a large boat below is lowering its mast to pass under while crowds on the bridge watch and shout.
    Along the River During the Qingming Festival (detail), Zhang Zeduan, early 12th century (Song dynasty). Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

    Do this: Look at the picture together for a quiet minute before anyone talks.

    Read aloud: This is one of the most famous paintings in China. Zhang Zeduan painted a whole city by a river on a scroll more than five meters long, with over eight hundred people, animals, boats and carts. This part shows the busy Rainbow Bridge.

    Point and find:

    • Count the boats you can see: 一, 二, 三…
    • Count the people on the boat.
    • Find a donkey or ox.
    • What is happening with the big boat’s mast?

    Ask:

    • “Why are the people on the bridge leaning over?”
    • “Which person would you like to be in this picture?”

  5. Show: A friend asks 你几岁? You are seven. Answer.

    Say this: “Seven is 七.”

    Say this: “Number before 岁.”

    Answer: 我七岁 (wǒ qī suì).

    Show: How do you ask a little cousin how old she is?

    Say this: “How many years: 几岁.”

    Say this: “You: 你.”

    Answer: 你几岁? (nǐ jǐ suì?)

  6. Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

    Ask: Say zero in Chinese.

    Listen for: 零 (líng).

    Ask: Count from one to ten.

    Listen for: 一 to 十.

    Ask: Say how old you are.

    Listen for: 我…岁.

    1 more on the lesson page.

  7. Read aloud: Build a tower of blocks for each person’s age.

    Steps:

    1. Ask each person 你几岁?
    2. Build a tower with that many blocks, counting in Chinese.
    3. Label each tower with the Chinese number.
    4. Which tower is tallest?

    Tips for you:

    • For big ages like Dad’s, count by tens: 十, 二十, 三十…

    Done when your child can say:

    • I asked 你几岁?
    • I counted the towers in Chinese.

  8. Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

    1. Draw yourself with candles for your age. Write 我…岁 with your number.

  9. Read aloud: In old China, babies were counted as one year old at birth, and everyone added a year at the New Year. Many families still remember this “traditional age.”

    • Saying 我是六岁. Chinese leaves out 是: 我六岁.
    • Saying 二岁 for two years old. Say 两岁 (liǎng suì).

  11. Line up stuffed animals. The child asks each one 你几岁? and the parent answers in a funny voice with a number in Chinese. The child holds up that many fingers.

  12. Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Count from 零 (zero) to 十.; Ask 你几岁? (how old are you?).; Answer 我…岁 (I am … years old).

  13. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

    Psalm 90:12 (KJV)

    In the Chinese Bible (Chinese Union Version), this verse reads: <span class="zh-block" lang="zh-Hans">求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子</span><span class="py-line">Qiú nǐ zhǐ jiào wǒ men zěn yàng shù suàn zì jǐ de rì zi</span> Moses asked God to teach us to number our days, so that we use each one wisely.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Picture study and show how.
  2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
  3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.