Level 3 · Lesson 1

这是书，那是笔
This is a book, that is a pen

这是什么？这是书。那是笔。

Point with 这 and 那, and use 这是什么？ to learn the name of anything.

听 · Listen

这是什么？
 安娜 —  李明，这是什么？ 
Li Ming, what is this?  
 李明 —  这是书。 
This is a book.  
 安娜 —  那是什么？ 
And what is that?  
 李明 —  那是笔。 
That is a pen.  
 安娜 —  这是纸吗？ 
Is this paper?  
 李明 —  不是，这也是书。 
No, this is a book too.  
 安娜 —  那是纸！ 
That is paper!  
 李明 —  不错！ 
Not bad!  

讲解 · Explanation

这是什么？

This is the single most useful question in the language, and you can build it already. 什么 stays exactly where the answer will stand: 这是什么？ has the same shape as 这是书。 Chinese never moves a question word to the front. Learn this one sentence and you can collect nouns from anybody, all day long.

这是书。那是笔。

这 is what is near you, 那 is what is further off — the same near-and-far split as this and that. Both stand as the subject of a 是-sentence, in the slot where 我 or 他 would go. Notice what Chinese leaves out: there is no a, no the, and no plural ending. 这是书 is this is a book or these are books; the situation decides, not the grammar.

这不是纸，这是书。

To say no, put 不 in front of 是. Because 是 falls sharply (fourth tone), 不 rises against it and is written bú shì. A question with 吗 gets one of two answers: 是 or 不是 — and the polite habit is to follow 不是 straight away with what the thing really is.

生词 · Vocabulary

词	Meaning	注 · Note
这	this	the thing near the speaker
那	that	the thing further away
书	book	counted 一本书 yì běn shū
笔	pen, writing implement	counted 一支笔 yì zhī bǐ
纸	paper	counted 一张纸 yì zhāng zhǐ

练习 · Practice

______ 是书。 The book is right here in your hand. Which word starts the sentence?

安娜：这是笔吗？　李明：______，这是笔。 Li Ming agrees. Which answer fits?

那不 ______ 书，那是纸。 Fill in the verb: that is not a book, that is paper.

排一排。 Arrange the words: 'What is that?'

这、那、书、笔、纸 Match each word to its meaning.

用一用 · Use it

这是什么？这是书。那是笔。

Look around the room right now. Touch three things close to you and say 这是… for each; point at three things across the room and say 那是… If you do not know the word, ask it out loud anyway: 这是什么？ Then test yourself with a wrong guess and correct it — 这是纸吗？不是，这是书。