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Parent guide · Grade 3 Mandarin · Unit 2

Lesson 2.2 他是谁? Who Is He? Questions with 吗

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 20–30 minutes
Goal
Say 他 (he) and 她 (she), and ask 他是谁? (who is he?). Make a yes-or-no question with 吗. Answer 是 or 不是.
You need
  • Eight index cards
  • Pictures or drawings of people (family, Bible people, workers)
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (1:26))

Steps

  1. Do this together: Show photos of family or famous people. Ask in English: Who is he? Is she a teacher? Then learn to ask in Chinese.

  2. Read aloud: The big idea. To make a yes-or-no question, just add 吗ma to the end: 他是老师 (he is a teacher) → 他tā是shì老lǎo师shī吗ma? To answer yes, repeat the verb: 是. To answer no: 不bú是shì.

    Read aloud: Who? Put 谁shéi where the answer goes: 他tā是shì谁shéi? → 他是我哥哥. Chinese questions keep the same word order as the answer.

    Read aloud: He and she. 他 and 她 are both said tā. In speech you cannot hear the difference; in writing, 她 has the 女 (woman) part.

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

    • 他 (tā) [tah (high)]: he; him
    • 她 (tā) [tah (high)]: she; her
    • 谁 (shéi) [shay (rising)]: who
    • 吗 (ma) [mah (light)]: yes-or-no question marker
    • 不 (bù) [boo (falling)]: not; no

  4. Show: Make a question: 她是美国人.

    Say this: “Add 吗 at the end.”

    Answer: 她是美国人吗?

    Show: Answer no: 他是老师吗? (He is a student.)

    Say this: “No = 不是.”

    Say this: “Then say what he is.”

    Answer: 不是, 他是学生.

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

    Ask: What does 谁 mean?

    Listen for: Who.

    Ask: Add 吗: 你是学生.

    Listen for: 你是学生吗?

    Ask: Ask who she is.

    Listen for: 她是谁?

    2 more on the lesson page.

  6. Read aloud: Make cards for a guessing game.

    Steps:

    1. Draw a person on each card and write who it is on the back.
    2. Your partner picks a card secretly.
    3. Ask yes-or-no questions with 吗: 他是老师吗? 她是中国人吗?
    4. Guess: 他是谁? 他是…!

    Tips for you:

    • Answer with 是 or 不是.

    Done when your child can say:

    • I asked five questions with 吗.
    • I answered with 是 and 不是.

  7. Read aloud: Chinese did not use a separate character for “she” until about a hundred years ago; 她 was created by the scholar Liu Bannong in the 1910s.

    • Adding 吗 to a question with 谁. Do not: 他是谁吗 is wrong.
    • Answering 是 with 是的 or yes in English only. A Chinese answer repeats the verb: 是.

  9. Think of a family member or Bible person. Others ask yes-or-no questions with 吗; answer only 是 or 不是.

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

    Listen for: Say 他 (he) and 她 (she), and ask 他是谁? (who is he?).; Make a yes-or-no question with 吗.; Answer 是 or 不是.

  11. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

    John 14:6 (KJV)

    Chinese Union Version (和合本): <span class="zh-block" lang="zh-Hans">我就是道路、真理、生命</span><span class="py-line">Wǒ jiù shì dào lù, zhēn lǐ, shēng mìng</span> Jesus said who He is: the way, the truth and the life. Notice 是 in the Chinese.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. 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.