Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 64 of 240

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How my family is in Traditional Chinese

On a video call home, Maya shares a few family details with Auntie Lin nearby. A-Li waves at the phone and greets everyone.

Learn to say where your family lives, how old a sibling is, and how close you are.

Then listen as Maya talks about growing up with her sister and missing her parents.

By the end of this lesson

Say how old family members are, where they live, what they do, and how close you are.

  • 我的爸媽住在國外My parents live abroad.
  • 我弟弟今年二十歲My younger brother is twenty this year.
  • 我們很親We're close.
  • 你爸媽是做什麼的？What do your parents do?
  • 我跟我姐姐一起長大I grew up with my older sister.
  • 我不常見到他們I don't see them often.

Scene — a call home

Maya is on a video call with her family at Banyan Breakfast. Auntie Lin is curious about the people on the screen, and asks Maya about her family.

A-Li waves at the phone to say hello to everyone. His soy milk is still unfinished beside him; the call brings ordinary family news, not answers about the fortune slip.

Morning light reaches the counter at Banyan Breakfast in Da'an. Auntie Lin welcomes Maya, while A-Li sits at the back with his soy milk beside him. He knows the shop well, but Maya has only just arrived. The greetings ar

Learn — talking about family

These lines help you describe your family: where your parents live, your sibling's age, and how you get along.

Notice how 歲 follows a number to give someone's age.

  1. maya is the one speaking. The moment means: Hello.

    我的爸媽住在國外

    My parents live abroad.

    When to use it: Use this to say your parents live in another country.

  2. maya is the one speaking. The moment means: Hello, politely.

    我弟弟今年二十歲

    My younger brother is twenty this year.

    When to use it: Use this to give your younger brother's age this year.

    歲 follows the number to express someone's age.

  3. lin is the one speaking. The moment means: Good morning.

    我們很親

    We're close.

    When to use it: Use this to describe a close relationship with someone.

    親 describes a close relationship; 很 commonly comes before it in this sentence.

  4. lin is the one speaking. The moment means: Good afternoon.

    你爸媽是做什麼的？

    What do your parents do?

    When to use it: Ask this to find out what someone's parents do for work.

    是做什麼的 asks about someone's job in a natural conversational way.

  5. lin is the one speaking. The moment means: How are you?

    我跟我姐姐一起長大

    I grew up with my older sister.

    When to use it: Use this to say you and your older sister grew up together.

    跟…一起 describes doing or experiencing something together.

  6. maya is the one speaking. The moment means: I'm good, thanks.

    我不常見到他們

    I don't see them often.

    When to use it: Use this to say you do not see those people very often.

    不常 means not often and comes before the verb phrase.

Story — a family video call

Maya calls home while she is at Banyan Breakfast. Auntie Lin asks about her family, and A-Li waves at the phone to greet everyone.

Listen for the details Maya shares about her parents, brother, and sister.

  1. Auntie Lin瑪雅，你有兄弟姊妹嗎？Maya, do you have any siblings?
  2. Maya我弟弟今年二十歲。My younger brother is twenty this year.
  3. Maya她是我的姐姐。She's my older sister.
  4. Maya我跟我姐姐一起長大。I grew up with my older sister.
  5. Auntie Lin你爸媽是做什麼的？What do your parents do?
  6. Maya我的爸媽住在國外。My parents live abroad.
  7. Maya他們在國外工作。They work abroad.
  8. Maya我們很親。We're close.
  9. Maya我不常見到他們。I don't see them often.
  10. A-Li你好！Hello!

Practice — share family details

Try nine quick exercises about family members, age, homes, and work. Listen for the right meaning, then build and complete useful lines.

Some questions review family words from your earlier lesson.

0 of 9 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我的爸媽住在國外

  2. What do you say?

    Auntie Lin asks your younger brother's age. Say he is twenty this year.

  3. Build the line

    We're close.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    What do your parents do?

    你爸媽是做____？

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我的爸媽住在國外Drop the English here
    我弟弟今年二十歲Drop the English here
    我們很親Drop the English here
    你爸媽是做什麼的？Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Traditional Chinese, or tap one and then the other.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    你常見到爸媽嗎？

    Do you see your parents often?

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    You join Maya's call and greet her family on the screen.

  9. What do you say?

    Show Auntie Lin a photo and identify your older sister.

Say it — talk about your family

You play Maya during a call home at Banyan Breakfast. Auntie Lin asks about your family, and you answer with a few personal details.

Listen to each cue, then say the matching line aloud. A-Li is nearby, ready to wave at the people on screen.

  1. Auntie Lin asks Maya about her younger brother.
  2. Auntie Lin你弟弟幾歲？How old is your younger brother?
  3. Maya (you)Say that your younger brother is twenty this year.

    我弟弟今年二十歲

    My younger brother is twenty this year.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我的爸媽住在國外My parents live abroad.
我弟弟今年二十歲My younger brother is twenty this year.
我們很親We're close.
你爸媽是做什麼的？What do your parents do?
我跟我姐姐一起長大I grew up with my older sister.
我不常見到他們I don't see them often.
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