Personal descriptions, requests and forms of address
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| title | 称谓 | chēng wèi |
| permission | 许可 | xǔ kě |
A decision before an answer
- 王老师 and 王先生 address the same surname with different social roles. Choose the title from the situation.
- Your goal: Describe basic personal characteristics and experiences.
Read the relationship
- For a teacher, surname + teacher老师 is usual: 王老师。teacher先生 and lady女士 fit other respectful contexts.
- Exchange polite requests, advice and feelings.
Address a teacher named 王:
Surname precedes the role title.
Use the defining rule
- Describe a person with suitable adjective predicates: he / him他very很high高。Do not add to be / is是 before ordinary very很high高.
- Use surname-plus-title forms of address appropriately.
别说话 means:
别 introduces a negative instruction.
Check the conditions
- can / may可以…(yes/no ?)吗？ asks permission; to ask请… makes a polite request. don't别… gives a negative instruction.
- Use surname-plus-title forms of address appropriately.
王老师，I / me我can / may可以to come in进来(yes/no ?)吗？ means Teacher Wang, may I come in? can / may可以 asks permission and to come in进来 describes movement toward the speaker’s reference point. I'm sorry对不起，我来evening晚(completed / change)了 gives an apology and a changed arrival situation.
“Why?” is 为____？
为什么 is the question word for why.
Apply the task format
- why?为什么 asks why, and because因为 gives a reason. Questions and answers must preserve the intended social action.
- Use surname-plus-title forms of address appropriately.
Respectful titles depend on role and context, not a direct copy of English first-name use.
Which answer fits this case?
Describe basic personal characteristics and experiences
可以…吗？ can be used to ask permission.
It frames whether an action is allowed.
Keep the distinctions
- title title称谓 — A form used to address a person.
- permission to allow许可 — Approval to perform an action.
- Describe basic personal characteristics and experiences.
- Exchange polite requests, advice and feelings.
- Use surname-plus-title forms of address appropriately.
Match each term with its precise meaning in this lesson.
Keep the distinctions stated in the teaching example.
Put this lesson’s reasoning or event sequence in order.
The order follows the stated process; check each stage before the next.