Lesson 4.1 我有…: I Have, I Don’t Have

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Empty your backpack or pencil case. What do you have? What don’t you have? Make two piles.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The big idea. 我wǒ有yǒu means I have. The opposite is 我wǒ没méi有yǒu. Never say 不有: 有 always uses 没.

   Read aloud: Measure words. In Chinese you cannot say “two brother.” You need a measure word between the number and the noun: 两liǎng个ge哥gē哥ge. The most common is 个. Remember: two is 两 before a measure word.

   Read aloud: Asking. 你nǐ有yǒu哥gē哥ge吗ma? Answer: 有 (yes) or 没有 (no). Notice the answer repeats the verb.

3. New words

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

   • 有 (yǒu) [yoh (dipping)]: to have; there is
   • 没有 (méiyǒu) [may-YOH]: not have; there isn’t
   • 个 (gè) [guh (often light: ge)]: general measure word
   • 朋友 (péngyou) [PUNG-yoh]: friend
4. Picture study: Sheep and Goat

   

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

   Read aloud: Zhao Mengfu was one of the greatest painters and calligraphers of China, about seven hundred years ago. He painted this sheep and goat with just black ink, and then wrote a note beside them. In Chinese, both animals are called 羊 (yáng); a sheep is 绵羊 and a goat is 山羊.

   Point and find:

   • How many animals are there? Say it with a measure word: 两只羊.
   • Which one is the sheep and which the goat?
   • Find the writing. What do you think the painter wrote about?
   • Did the painter use color?

   Ask:

   • “Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd. What does a shepherd do for his sheep?”
   • “Why might a painter use only black ink?”
5. Show how

   Show: Say “I have one older sister and two younger brothers.”

   Say this: “一个姐姐.”

   Say this: “两个弟弟 (two = 两).”

   Answer: 我有一个姐姐和两个弟弟.

   Show: Make it negative: 我有猫.

   Say this: “有 → 没有.”

   Answer: 我没有猫.

6. Practice together

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

   Ask: What does 没有 mean?

   Listen for: Don’t have; there isn’t.

   Ask: Say “I have a book.”

   Listen for: 我有书 (or 我有一本书).

   Ask: Ask “Do you have a younger sister?”

   Listen for: 你有妹妹吗?

   2 more on the lesson page.

7. Project: Family survey

   Read aloud: Survey your family and friends with 有 and 没有.

   Steps:

   1. Write three questions: 你有哥哥吗? 你有狗吗? 你有书吗?
   2. Ask at least four people.
   3. Record answers: 有 or 没有, and how many.
   4. Report: 爸爸有一个哥哥. 妈妈没有狗.

   Tips for you:

   • Use 个 for people.

   Done when your child can say:

   • I asked twelve questions.
   • I reported the answers in Chinese.
8. From history

   Read aloud: Chinese families were often large in the past. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins sometimes all lived in one compound.

9. Watch for
   • Saying 不有. Always 没有.
   • Leaving out the measure word: 三哥哥 should be 三个哥哥.
   • Saying 二个. Before a measure word, two is 两: 两个.
10. Game: Go Fish, Chinese style

    Play Go Fish with picture cards. Ask 你有猫吗? Answer 有 (and hand it over) or 没有 (go fish!).

11. Narration

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

    Listen for: Say 我有… and 我没有….; Ask 你有…吗?; Use 个 between a number and a noun.

12. Scripture

    The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

    Chinese Union Version (和合本): <span class="zh-block" lang="zh-Hans">我来了，是要叫羊得生命，并且得的更丰盛</span><span class="py-line">Wǒ lái le, shì yào jiào yáng dé shēng mìng, bìng qiě dé de gèng fēng shèng</span> Jesus came to give His sheep life, and life more abundantly.

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. 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.