Chinese for Dummies

Chinese For Dummies
	About the Author
	Dedication
	Author’s Acknowledgments
	Contents at a Glance
	Table of Contents
	Introduction
		About This Book
		Conventions Used in This Book
		Foolish Assumptions
		How This Book Is Organized
		Icons Used in This Book
		Where to Go from Here
	Part I: Getting Started
		Chapter 1: Chinese in a Nutshell
			Grasping Chinese Dialects
			Pīnyīn Spelling: Beijing, Not Peking
			Sounding Off: Basic Chinese Sounds
			Adding Idioms and Popular Expressions to Your Repertoire
		Chapter 2: The Written Word: Checking out Chinese Characters
			Perusing Pictographs, Ideographs, and the Six Scripts
			The Chinese Radical: A Few Clues to a Character’s Meaning
			Following the Rules of Stroke Order
			Which Way Did Those Characters Go? Unraveling Character Order
			Separating Traditional and Simplified Characters
			Using a Chinese Dictionary . . . without an Alphabet!
		Chapter 3: Warming Up with the Basics: Chinese Grammar
			The Basics of Chinese Nouns, Articles, and Adjectives
			Getting Into Verbs, Adverbs, Negation, and Possession
			Asking Questions
		Chapter 4: Getting Started with Basic Expressions: Nǐ Hǎo!
			Making Introductions
			Greeting and Chatting
		Chapter 5: Getting Your Numbers, Times, and Measurements Straight
			Counting in Chinese
			Telling Time
			Save the Date: Using the Calendar and Stating Dates
			Sizing Up Weights and Measures
		Chapter 6: Speaking Chinese at Home
			Hanging Out at Home
			Hunting for an Apartment
			Decorating Your New Digs
			Appointing Your Rooms, Fēng Shuǐ Style
	Part II: Chinese in Action
		Chapter 7: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk
			Establishing a Connection
			Making Small Talk on the Job
			Talking About Where You Live
		Chapter 8: Dining Out and Shopping for Food
			All About Meals
			Getting to Know Chinese Cuisines
			Dining Out
			All the Tea in China
			Taking Your Chinese to Go
		Chapter 9: Shopping Made Easy
			Going to Stores
			Getting What You Want at a Department Store
			Shopping for Clothes
			Shopping for Other Items
			Getting a Good Price and Paying
		Chapter 10: Exploring the Town
			Attending a Performance
			Exploring Museums and Galleries
			Visiting Historical Sites
			Going to the Movies
			Hopping Around Bars and Clubs
		Chapter 11: Taking Care of Telecommunications
			Getting Familiar with Telephone Terms
			Going Mobile with a Cellphone
			Making a Phone Call
			Sorry, I’m Not Home Right Now . . .
			Using the Internet
			Checking Your E-Mail
		Chapter 12: Chinese at School and at Work
			Going to School
			Settling into Your Office Digs
			Conducting a Meeting
			Discussing Business and Industry
		Chapter 13: Recreation and Outdoor Activities
			Naming Your Hobbies
			Exploring Nature
			Tapping into Your Artistic Side
			Striking Up the Band
			Playing on a Team
	Part III: Chinese on the Go
		Chapter 14: Planning a Trip
			Talking about When You Want to Travel
			Celebrating the Chinese Holidays
			Where To? Deciding on a Destination
			Passports and Visas: Don’t Leave Home without ’Em
			Packing for Your Trip
			Enlisting the Help of a Travel Agency
		Chapter 15: Making Cents of Money
			Staying Current with Chinese Currency
			Exchanging Money
			Spending Money
			Doing Your Banking
			Tips on Tipping
		Chapter 16: Getting Around
			Flying Around the Airport
			Navigating Around Town
		Chapter 17: Asking for Directions
			Avoiding 20 Questions: Just Ask “Where?”
			Expressing Distances (Time and Space) with Lí
			Using Ordinal Numbers to Clarify Points of Reference
			Specifying Cardinal Points
		Chapter 18: Finding a Place to Stay
			Making a Room Reservation
			Checking In Before You Hit the Pool
			Taking Advantage of Hotel Service
			Checking Out Before Heading Out
		Chapter 19: Handling Emergencies
			Calling for Help in Times of Need
			Receiving Medical Care
			Calling the Police
			Acquiring Legal Help
	Part IV: The Part of Tens
		Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Learn Chinese Quickly
			Listen to Chinese-Language Tapes, CDs, and CD-ROMs
			Check Out a Peking Opera Performance
			Cook with a Wok
			Shop for Food in Chinatown
			Surf the Net
			Watch Kung-Fu Flicks
			Exchange Language Lessons
			Make Chinese Friends
			Study Chinese Calligraphy
		Be Curious and Creative
		Chapter 21: Ten Things Never to Do in China
			Never Accept a Compliment Graciously
			Never Make Someone Lose Face
			Never Get Angry in Public
			Never Address People by Their First Names First
			Never Take Food with the Wrong End of Your Chopsticks
			Never Drink Alcohol Without First Offering a Toast
			Never Let Someone Else Pay the Bill Without Fighting for It
			Never Show Up Empty-Handed
			Never Accept Food, Drinks, or Gifts Without First Refusing a Few Times
			Never Take the First “No, Thank You” Literally
	Part V: Appendixes
		Chinese-English Mini-Dictionary
		English-Chinese Mini-Dictionary
		Appendix B: Chinese Verbs
		Appendix C: On the CD
			Track Listing
			Customer Care
		Appendix D: Answer Key
	Index