MIT Open Courseware

Readings

Special software is required to use some of the files in this section: .mp3.

This course utilizes Julian Wheatley's Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin. Part 1. (The Character Text). The following table lists the readings with a PDF for that specific session as well as audio recordings for select readings. A PDF version of the Character Text by lesson is also listed below.

Readings by Lesson

Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin. Part 1.

Preface (PDF)

Table of Contents (PDF)

Unit 1 (PDF)

Unit 2 (PDF)

Unit 3 (PDF)

Unit 4 (PDF)

Chars 1 (PDF)

Chars 2 (PDF)

Chars 3 (PDF)

A word a day from about.com

Shenme - Daily Mandarin Lesson
Asking "What"
By Qiu Gui Su, About.com

The Mandarin Chinese word for “what” is shénme. It is most commonly used as a question word, but can also be used in certain expressions like méi shén me - 沒甚麼 (it doesn’t matter).

Shénme has two characters: 甚麼. The first character shén 甚 means “what” and the second character is a non-independent particle which is always used in conjunction with other characters.

Shénme occurs after the verb it references, or when used with a noun, can appear at the beginning of the phrase.