Chinese For Dummies, 3rd Edition

The fun way to learn to speak Chinese

With more than 1.2 billion speakers across the globe — and with nearly 3 million in the U.S. alone — Mandarin Chinese claims the top spot as the world’s most common language. If you want to learn this language to get ahead at school or work, or to make your travel to China easier, this is the handy reference you’ll want by your side.

Chinese For Dummies teaches basic grammar, as well as the necessary vocabulary to make introductions and greetings, use proper etiquette, make small talk, make transportation arrangements, order food and beverages, ask directions, deal with money, shop, access recreation, and handle an emergency.

• Concentrates on Mandarin Chinese and features new and revised content
• Includes major updates to all the necessary foundational information needed to speak Chinese
• Covers grammar, verb conjugations, and pronunciations
• Offers a refreshed mini-dictionary complete with even more vocabulary
• Find free conversational audio tracks online

As the Chinese economy continues to grow, the importance of Chinese as a trade language will also increase. If you’re a student or business professional who has a basic understanding of the language, you’ll be poised to surpass your peers when it comes to dealing with international markets. So get started today!

Table of Contents

Part 1 Getting Started with Chinese
Chapter 1 Chinese in a Nutshell: The Spoken Word
Chapter 2 The Written Word: Checking Out Chinese Characters
Chapter 3 Warming Up with the Basics: Chinese Grammar
Chapter 4 Getting Started with Basic Expressions: Nǐ Hǎo!
Chapter 5 Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight
Chapter 6 Speaking Chinese at Home

Part 2 Chinese in Action
Chapter 7 Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk
Chapter 8 Dining Out and Shopping for Food
Chapter 9 Shopping Made Easy
Chapter 10 Exploring the Town
Chapter 11 Taking Care of Telecommunications
Chapter 12 Chinese at School and Work
Chapter 13 Recreation and Outdoor Activities

Part 3 Chinese on the Go
Chapter 14 Planning a Trip
Chapter 15 Making Cents of Money
Chapter 16 Getting Around
Chapter 17 Asking for Directions
Chapter 18 Finding a Place to Stay
Chapter 19 Handling Emergencies

Part 4 The Part of Tens
Chapter 20 Ten Ways to Learn Chinese Quickly
Chapter 21 Ten Things Never to Do in China

Part 5 Appendixes
Appendix A Chinese-English Mini-Dictionary
Appendix B Appendix B Chinese Verbs
Appendix C Fun & Games Answer Key