LinguaThree things this unit gave you
First, kinship words that carry more than yours do: every one of them says whether the person is older or younger than you, and grandparents also say which side of the family they come from. Second, the verb có and its negative không có. Third, possession – the thing owned first, the owner second.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bố | father (northern word) |
| mẹ | mother (northern word) |
| anh trai | older brother |
| chị gái | older sister |
| em trai | younger brother |
| em gái | younger sister |
| con | child of a parent |
| cháu | grandchild or a sibling's child |
Having and not having
có never changes its form, whoever the subject is. To deny it, put không immediately in front: không có. The same rule negates any other verb, and it is always the same order – subject, không, verb.
Tôi không có chị gái.I do not have an older sister.
Whose it is
The thing owned opens the phrase and the owner follows it: nhà của tôi. With family words, with your name and with your home, the linking word của is simply dropped: mẹ tôi, tên tôi, nhà tôi. Keep của when the owner is a longer phrase: nhà của bố mẹ tôi.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gia đình | family | Gia đình tôi có sáu người. There are six people in my family. |
| bố | father, dad | Bố tôi có hai con. My father has two children. |
| mẹ | mother, mum | Mẹ tôi sống ở Hà Nội. My mother lives in Hanoi. |
| anh trai | older brother | Anh trai tôi có một con gái. My older brother has one daughter. |
| em gái | younger sister | Em gái tôi không có chồng. My younger sister does not have a husband. |
| có | to have | Tôi có một chị gái. I have one older sister. |
| không có | to not have | Nam không có em trai. Nam does not have a younger brother. |
| con | child (of a parent) | Bà ngoại tôi có bốn con. My mother's mother has four children. |
| của | of, belonging to | Tên của em gái tôi là Mai. My younger sister's name is Mai. |
| nhà | house, home | Nhà của anh ấy ở Hà Nội. His house is in Hanoi. |
Exercises
This lesson has 11 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 2
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which word do you use for a female sibling who is older than you?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.