Chinese for English speakers Zoo · Lesson 1

What's the difference?

Chinese 哪里不一样 — 青蛙和蟾蜍很像, 哪里不一样? (Frogs and toads look similar, what's the difference?).

Conversation

  1. Pishi Pishi

    青蛙和蟾蜍很像，

    qīng wa hé chān chú hěn xiàng,

    Frogs and toads look very similar,

    Tip: 蟾蜍 <chānchú> = toad

  2. Pishi Pishi

    哪里不一样？

    nǎ lǐ bù yí yàng?

    What's the difference between them?

    Tip: 一样 <yíyàng> = similar, same, alike

  3. Cassian Cassian

    青蛙没有蟾蜍大，

    qīng wā méi yǒu chān chú dà,

    Frogs are not as big as toads are.

    Tip: A没有 <méiyǒu> B + adjective A is not as ... as B

  4. Cassian Cassian

    而且蟾蜍不喜欢跳跃。

    ér qiě chān chú bù xǐ huan tiào yuè.

    Besides, toads don't like to jump.

    Tip: 而且<érqiě> = also, besides 跳跃 <tiàoyuè> = to jump

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What does 哪里不一样 mean?

'Where are they different?' = 'what's the difference?'. 哪里 (where) + 不一样 (not the same).

What is 像?

'Resemble / look like'. 像他 = 'looks like him'. 很像 = 'very similar'.

Chinese animal vocabulary?

青蛙 (frog), 蟾蜍 (toad), 蛇 (snake), 蜥蜴 (lizard), 乌龟 (turtle), 鸟 (bird), 鱼 (fish).

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Chinese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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