Family 2
Am I hearing ü or u?
The pinyin letter ü represents a final sound in Chinese that is sometimes spelled u. Pinyin spelling rules get a little complicated in this regard, but for now know that after y, j, q, or x, the letter u may actually sound like ü.
nǚ
女
round your lips and say "ee"
round your lips and say "ee"
The only time you’ll actually see ü spelled with the two dots on top is after l or n!
| Final Sound | Alternate spelling |
| ü | 鱼 (yú, fish) 去 (qù, to go) 需要 (xūyào, need) |
| üe | 月 (yuè, month) 学生 (xuésheng, student) |
| üan | 元 (yuán, yuan) 安全 (ānquán, safe) |
| ün | 运动 (yùndòng, sports) 裙子 (qúnzi, dress) |
Asking Questions
You already know how to use 吗 (ma) to ask questions with a yes or no answer; for example, 那是你的妻子吗？ (nà shì nǐ de qīzi ma, Is that your wife?).
Another way to ask the same question is to say 不 (bù, no) after the verb (in this case, 是) and then repeat the verb again.
Another way to ask the same question is to say 不 (bù, no) after the verb (in this case, 是) and then repeat the verb again.
那是不是你的妻子？
(Nà shì bu shì nǐ de qīzi?) Is that your wife?
他要不要牛奶？
(Tā yào bu yào niúnǎi?) Does he want milk?
两 (liǎng) vs. 二 (èr)
To say that there are two of something, use 两 (liǎng, two), not 二 (èr, two). You also need a measure word after 两!
两个洗手间
(liǎng ge xǐshǒujiān) two bathrooms
两个老师
(liǎng ge lǎoshī) two teachers