Our comprehensive and free Mandarin Chinese course continues following 一年级上册语文 – the Chinese State School textbook for primary school year 1 continues. We are now up to lesson 4 and today’s topic features the characters 天地人. The link to the video of today’s class is here: Sky，earth, people 天地人
Take this class to explore the meaning of the Chinese characters 天 ，地，and 人。
By now we hope that you have become much more confident in your listening and that some of the classroom commands have become familiar. Whether you are a student of Chinese in China or outside the country this course will be a huge support in understanding the learning culture of China.
In the previous three classes the focus was on some of the skills necessary for being part of a class: how to hold a pen; how to listen to and tell a story; how to behave in class and around school. In today’s class we look closely at the Chinese characters 天，地 and 人。
Below is the 4th video in the online series of classes following the 一年级上册语文 Chinese Year One state school textbook for language and literature. Click on the video and open in a new tab, then follow our transcript and lesson points for the best free Chinese learning experience on the web. 加油！
4.1 A new Teacher and 6 Chinese Characters
| Character | Pinyin | English |
| 天 | tiān | Sky |
| 地 | dì | Land |
| 人 | rén | People |
| 你 | nǐ | You |
| 我 | wǒ | Me |
| 他 | tā | him |
| 打开 |
dǎkāi | open eg. a book |
| 页 |
yè | page |
| 题目 |
tímù | Topic |
In today’s class we take a more systematic look at the 一年级上册语文 Chinese school textbook. Our new teacher begins on page 6 with the 6 Chinese characters: 天 ，地， 人， 你，我，他. Do you know what these characters mean? Are you able to write them? Do you know which is the correct tone for each of these characters? By the end of this class you will have a much deeper meaning of each of these characters, including their pronunciation, meaning and context.
It is easiest to follow this lesson on a laptop or PC. Make sure you have the video for this lesson open in a separate tab. It is probably easiest if you click on the YouTube link below and then open the video in a separate tab. That way you can pause the video if you come to a bit you don’t understand or need explaining and see our transcript for support.
Below we meet the teacher called 贾雪芳 （Jiǎ xuě fāng）, who teaches at a primary school called 翠微小学 （cuì wēixiǎo xué）， located in the Haidian District of Beijing
00.04 – 同学们好， 我是北京市海淀区翠微小学贾雪芳老师。很高兴和你们一起来学习。
Tóngxuémen hǎo wǒshì BěijīngShì Hǎidiàn qū cuìwēi xiǎoxué. Jiǎ xuě fāng lǎoshī. Hěngāoxīng hé nǐmen yìqǐlái xuéxí.
Hello Students, I am Jiaxue Fang a teacher at Cuiwei Primary School in Haidian, Beijing. I’m very happy to study with you.
Task 1
Now our new teacher reminds us of some of the content from Lesson Two and Lesson Three of this course. Can you remember the lyrics to the Going to School Song 上学歌？And can you remember the story of the Monkey King？
- Share you thoughts and what you can remember about the Monkey King 孙悟空 story with a partner.
- Share some of the lyrics that you remember from the Going to School Song 上学歌.
00.17 – 太阳当空照，花儿对我笑。同学们你们一定是一名小学生了，在学校和同学们一起读书，写字，讲故事。是不是一定感受到了学习的快乐。
Tàiyang dāngkōng zhào huāér duì wǒ xiào。 Tóngxuémen nǐmen yīdìng shì yīmíng xiǎoxuéshēng le， zài xuéxiào hé tóngxuémen yīqǐ dúshū， xiězì， jiǎng gùshi。 Shìbùshì yīdìng gǎnshòu dào le xuéxí de kuàilè。
The sun is shining down, the flowers are smiling. Pupils you are now certainly students, you read, write and tell stories together at school. Are you feeling happy about your studies?
4.2 – 天地人 Sky，land and people
In the next part of the class we open the 一年级上册语文 Chinese Year One textbook and turning to page 6 we focus on three Chinese characters. In this class we will learn more about the etymology of these characters, some words in which they appear, and how to pronounce them correctly.
00.34 – 这节课学习是字义天地人。这是你们正式学习汉字的第一课，很期待吧。
Zhè jié kè xuéxí shì zìyì tiān dì rén。 Zhè shì nǐmen zhèngshì xuéxí hànzì de dì yī kè hěn qīdài ba。
In this class we will study the meaning behind the characters for sky, land and people. This is our first class in which we study Chinese characters. Looking forward to it!
Grammar point 1 – 把 structure
In the next sentence we are introduced to the 把 structure. This structure shows that someone is doing something to or having an effect on something. The sentence order here will be subject (you) + 把 + object + action. In this case we are told to take our books and open them to page 6.
把 + 书 （book）+ 打开 （open）
The book our teacher is referring to is 一年级上册语文, the Chinese state school textbook for primary schools.
00.45 – 请轻轻把书打开第六页。
Qǐng qīngqīng bǎ shū dǎkāi dìliù yè。
Please open your books gently and turn to page 6.
00.51 – 刚快来看，这课书上面是我们的题目。题目是什么呢？一起来读一读：1）天地人。
Gāng kuài láikàn zhè kè shū shàngmian shì wǒmen de tímù. Tímù shì shénme ne？ Yìqǐlái dú yī dú tiān dì rén。
Now look, up there is our topic. What is our topic? Let’s read together: 1）sky, land, people.
1.03 – 题目下方这两行六个字是这课书的学习内容。下方蓝色双线中是这课书要认识的汉字朋友。
Tímù xiàfāng zhè liǎng háng liùgè zì shì zhè kè shū deī xuéxí nèiróng. Xiàfāng lánsè shuāng xiàn zhōng shì zhè kè shū yào rènshi de hànzì péngyou。
Underneath the topic are the characters that make up the content of today’s class. At the bottom between the blue lines are our our Chinese character friends that we will get to know in this book.
1.15 – 这课书的六个字你们都认识吗？如果认识自己读一读。不认识也没有关系，和老师一起来学习就能和他们成为好朋友。
Zhè kè shū de liùgè zì nǐmen dōu rènshi mǎ? Rúguǒ rènshi zìjǐ dú yī dú. Bùrènshí yě méiyǒu guānxi hé lǎoshī yìqǐlái xuéxí jiù néng hé tāmen chéngwéi hǎo péngyou。
Do you recognise the six words in the book? If you recognise them then read them. If you don’t recognise them then no problem, you can study them with the teacher until they become like old friends.
1.29 – 让我们刚快来学习吧。请你们先听老师读课文要用耳朵认真听，眼睛字词看。读书的时候先读题目，在读内容。
Ràng wǒmen gāng kuài lái xuéxí bā。 Qǐng nǐmen xiān tìngyǐn lǎoshī dú kèwén yào yòng ěrduo rènzhēn 。 Yǎnjing zìcí kàn dúshū deshíhòu xiān ， tímù zài dú nèiróng。
Now let’s study. Please can you first use your ears to listen carefully as the teacher reads. With you eyes follow the topic and then the content.
1.46 – 老师开始读书了。一 天地人。天地人，你我他。你们会读了吗？读了吗？
Lǎoshī kāishǐ dúshū le。 Yī tiān dì rén 。 tiān dì rén， nǐwǒ tā。 Nǐmen huì dú le mǎ？
Teacher will start the reading. One. Sky, land, people, you, me, him. Can you read it?
Grammar point 2
Note，in the sentence below the teacher’s second use of the 把 – structure。In this case we are the subject and the object is the words, which we should read clearly.
2.00 – 读书的时候要把每个字读清楚, 不错颤音。
Dúshū deshíhòu yào bǎ měigè zì dú qīngchu bùcuò chànyīn。
When reading pronounce every character clearly, with clear tones.
2.05 – 每行的三个字要读连贯，和老师一起识字来读一读。一，天地人，天地人，你我他。现在自己识字来读一读。
Měi háng de sān gè zì yāo dú liánguàn， hé lǎoshī yīqǐ shízì lái dú yī dú. yī tiān dì rén， tiān dì yī 。 nǐwǒ tā。 Xiànzài zìjǐ shízì lái dú yī dú。
Let’s follow the teacher in reading the rows together. One.. sky, land, people, sky, land, people, you, me, him. Now learn to read it on your own.
4.3 – A reminder about our reading posture
Do you remember any of the principles regarding our posture when reading taught to us by our previous teacher in lesson 3? Our teacher gives us a brief reminder about how to hold our body when we learn to read Chinese.
2.23 – 还记得读书的姿势吗？图上的小姑娘在提醒大家呢。身坐直，脚放平，双手拿书向外倾。
Hái jìde dúshū de zīshì mǎ? Tú shàng xiǎo gūniang zài tíxǐng dàjiā ne. Shēn zuò zhí, jiǎo fàngpíng, shuāngshǒu ná shū xiàngwài qīng.
Can you still remember the reading posture? The girl in the picture is providing a reminder for you all. Body sits straight, feet lie flat, two hands on the book leaning out.
2.34 – 请你们和老师一起来坐: 身坐直，脚放平，双手拿书向外倾. 准备好了吗？开始读书了。开始读书了。
qǐng nǐmen hé lǎo shī yìqǐlái zuò： shēn zuò zhí， jiǎo fàngpíng ， shuāngshǒu ná shū xiàngwài qīng。 Zhǔnbèi hǎole mǎ？Kāishǐ dúshū le。
Please follow the way I am sitting: sit up straight, feet flat, both arms holding the book leaning out. Are you ready? Start reading.
4.4 – Focus on the characters 天，地，人
| Character | Pinyin | English |
| 屏幕 | píngmù | screen |
| 画家 | huàjiā | painter |
| 世界 | shìjiè | The world |
In this next section of the class we home in on the characters for sky, land and people. We learn about how the characters are formed, how to pronounce them, and how to use them in words and sentences.
2.51 – 一 天地人，天地人你我他。
Yī tiān dì rén, tiān dì rén nǐwǒ tā.
One, sky land people, sky land people you me him.
3.03 – 听，这位同学读的正确，有清楚。请轻轻把书放下，看老师的屏幕。
Tīng, zhèwèi tóngxué dú de zhèngquè ， yǒu qīngchu. Qǐng qīngqīng bǎ shū fàngxià, kàn lǎoshī de píngmù.
The student read properly, very clearly. Please put your books down gently and look at the teacher’s screen.
3.12 – 第一行这三个字和题目是一样的。你们还认得吗？读一读：天地人。
Dìyī háng zhè sān gè zì hé tímù shì yīyàng de nǐmen hái rènde mǎ? Dú yīdú: tiān dì rén
The characters on this row and the topic are the same. Can you still remember? Read it: Sky, land, people.
Next our teacher introduces us to a work of art by 20th Century Chinese watercolour artist 傅抱石 fùbàoshí. This landscape piece perfectly illustrates the characters 天地人。
3.20: 这一页书中还有一副著名画家傅抱石画的水墨画. 从画中你看到什么了？
Zhèyī yè shū zhōng háiyǒu yī fù zhùmíng huàjiā fùbàoshí huà de shuǐmòhuà。Cóng huà zhōng nǐkān dào shénme le？
This page has a watercolour painting by the famous painter fùbàoshí. What can you see in this painting?
3.29 – 从图中我看到两个人，好像站在山顶望直远方。
Cóng tú zhōng wǒ kàndào liǎng ge rén hǎoxiàng zhàn zài shāndǐng wàng zhí yuǎnfāng。
On the picture I can see two people standing at the top of a mountain and looking out into the distance.
3.36 – 这画中有天，有地，还有人。现在老师向吧这三个字放到画上合适的位置上。
Zhè huà zhōng yǒu tiān ， yǒu dì háiyǒu rén。 Xiànzài lǎoshī xiàng ba zhè sān gè zì fàngdào huà Shàng hé shì de wèizhi shàng.
The picture has the sky, the land, and also has people. Now teacher will place these three characters in their appropriate place on the picture.
3.47 – 你们也可以伸出小手来帮帮忙。天字放在哪呢? 天在上。地字吗？地在下。人字呢？人立于天地之间。
Nǐmen yě kěyǐ xiān shēn xiǎo shǒu lái bāngbāngmáng。 Tiān zì fàngzài nǎ ne？Zài shàng de。 Dì zì mǎ？。Dì zàixià。 Rén zì ne ？ Rén lǐ yú tiāndì zhījiān。
4.5 – examining the character 人 – the Chinese word for people
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 脚踏实地 | jiǎotàshídì | Feet planted firmly on the ground |
You can also help me by reaching out your hand and pointing to the right place. Where does the character for sky go? It goes up here. And the land? It goes below. The people? They are between the sky and the land.
4.04 – 世界很大有很多很多的人。你们知道有那些人吗？和老师来做接答游戏吧。
Shìjiè hěndà yǒu hěnduō hěnduō de rén。 Nǐmen zhīdào yǒu nàxiē rén mǎ？ Hé lǎoshī lái zuò jiē dá yóuxì ba。
The world is very big and has lots and lots of people. Do you know what people there are? Play a question and answer game with the teacher.
Our teacher now introduces us to a game in which she says a word and then you give the opposite word. This is not immediately made apparent, but this becomes apparent as the game progresses.
4.15 – 怎么做呢？先来听一听：
Zěnme zuò ne？ Xiān lái tīng yī tīng：
How do we do it? First let’s listen (to an example)
我说男人 Wǒ shuō nánrén
I say man
我说女人 wǒ shuō nu:3rén
I say woman
4.23 – 就这样和老师做接答游戏。老师说一句，你们接一句，和音频中的小朋友比一比，谁说的有对又快。游戏开始了。
Jiù zhèyàng hé lǎoshī zuò jiē dá yóuxì. Lǎoshī shuō yījù nǐmen jiē yījù ， hé yīn pín zhòng dì xiǎo péngyǒu bǐyibǐ shéi de yǒu duì yòu kuài yóuxì. Kāishǐ le.
This is how we play the game. The teacher says a sentence then you say a sentence, like in the audio, we see who can say it right and who can say it fastest. Go.
我说男人 wǒ shuō nánrén
I say man
我说女人 wǒ shuō nu:3rén
I say woman
我说年轻人 Wǒshuō niánqīngrén
I say young person
我说老年人 wǒ shuō lǎoniánrén
I say old person
我说中国人 wǒ shuō Zhōngguórén
I say Chinese person
我说外国人 wǒ shuō wàiguórén
I say foreigner
4.50 – 所有的人组成了人类大家听。如果你们还想到了些什么课下可以和身边的人做这个游戏。
Suǒyǒude rén zǔchéng le rénlèi dàjiā tīng。 Rúguǒ nǐmen hái xiǎngdào le xiē shénme kè xià kěyǐ héú shēnbiān de rén zuò zhège yóuxì。
As you have heard the human race is made up of lots of different types of people. If you can think of some more you can play this game after class with the people around you.
Our teacher now explores some of the history of the character 人 for people. We get to learn how this word was formed in the past and the teacher and students explain what it looks like to them.
Grammar – 把 structure
Note the following passage in which the teacher uses the 把 structure again this time she asks in the old times did people write 人 in this way？
5.00 – 人这个字大家认识了。那你知道古时候的人字是怎么写的吗？快来看：想不想一个侧身站里伸出手臂的人的样子。那古时候为什么把人字写成这样呢？
Rén zhège zì dàjiā rènshi le. Nà nǐ zhīdào gǔshíhou de rén zì shì zěnme xiě de mǎ? Kuài láikàn xiǎng bùxiǎng yīgè cèshēn zhàn lǐ shēnchū shǒubì de rénde yàngzi. Nà gǔshíhou wèishénme bǎ rén zì xiěchéng zhèyàng ne?
You all know the character for person. But do you know how ancient people wrote the character for person? Quick look do you think: think of a man standing with his arms outstretched. Then why was it written like this in olden times?
5.18 – 请同学们站起来坐一坐这个动作，想想一下好像在干什么？
Qǐng tóngxuémen zhànqǐlai zuò yī zuò zhège dòngzuò xiǎngxiang yīxià hǎoxiàng zài gànshénme?
Please students stand up and try and form the ancient character for people (with your bodies). Think about it, what does it seem like you are doing?
Our first student suggests that the ancient character for people looks like a person bowing in respect. Those of you familiar with Chinese culture will know that paying respect to those in a senior position is a big part of family and work life. In the past this was even more apparent and the ancient character for people looks like a man bowing to a senior.
5.27 – 这个动作像正在和别人鞠躬行礼呢。
Zhège dòngzuò xiàng zhèngzài hé biéren jūgōng xínglǐ ne。
Doing this reminds me of people bowing (to show respect).
5.32 – 这个动作像是一个人翻着腰伸出手正在洗衣服呢。
Zhège dòngzuò xiàngshì yīgèrén fān zhe yāo shēnchū shǒu zhèngzàixǐ yīfu ne。
This action reminds me of a person bending at the waist and extending their arms to wash clothes.
5.40 – 同学们的想想真丰富啊。现在看这个人字经过这么多年的转变。像不像一个脚踏实地稳稳站立的人的样子啊。
Tóngxuémen de xiǎngxiang zhēn fēngfù a。 Xiànzài kàn zhège rén zì jīngguò zhèmeduō nián de zhuǎnbiàn。 Xiàng bùxiàng yīgè jiǎotàshídì wěn wěn zhànlì de rén de yàngzi a。
Students opinions were very rich (imaginative). Now look at this character which has been through many years of changes. Does it look like a person who is standing in a very stable way, with his feet firmly on the ground?
4.5 – examining the character 天 – the Chinese word for sky
Next our teacher guides us as we take a closer look at the Chinese character 天 which means sky.
5.53 – 这个字还认的吗？天字，天字啊和人也有关系呢。同学们来看。
Zhège zì hái rèn de mǎ? Tiān zì, tiān zì a hé rén yě yǒu guānxi ne. tóngxuémen láikàn.
Do you still know this character? Sky，the character for sky and the character for person are related… look..
6.05 – 这是古人创造的天子最初的写法。你想到什么了？
Zhè shì gǔrén chuàngzào de tiānzǐ zuìchū de xiěfǎ。 Nǐ xiǎngdào shénme le？
This is the earliest character that the ancient people used for the character. What do you think about it?
6.11 – 我觉得天字就像一个人张开双手站立的样子.
Wǒ juéde tiānzì jiùxiàng yīgèrén zhāngkāi shuāngshǒu， zhànlì deyàngzi。
I think the character for sky looks like a person holding out their two hands as they stand.
Next our teacher touches on an important and interesting point around the etymology of the Chinese character 天. We learn that the original meaning was the crown of our head and that only later did the chracter come to mean sky.
6.16 – 嗯, 天本来的意思是只人的头顶。 经过不断的演变天字变成了现在这个样子
en.. tiān běnlái de yìsi shì zhǐ rén de tóudǐng. Jīngguò bùduàn de yǎnbiàn, ，tiān zì biànchéng le xiànzài zhège yàngzi.
Mmm, the character for sky first meant the crown of a person’s head。 However, it has gone through a process of evolution until it became like today’s character.
In the literal sense the changes to this character are rather small. Instead of the round top part of the character that looked like a head, this was replaced by a line. However, in terms of meaning the change was huge. Although both the ancient and the modern characters for the character 天 convey the meaning up or at the top. The new character widens the meaning from just the crown of our head to the heavens and sky above us. Our teacher now elaborates on the way this character has both evolved and yet retained some of the original meaning.
6.26 – 像正人头部分的地方变成了一横画。后来天也只头顶之上。同学们如果你走到大自然中，抬头望上看会看到什么呢？对，是天空。
Xiàng zhèng réntóu bùfen de dìfāng biànchéng le yī héng huà. Hòulái tiān yě zhǐ tóudǐng zhīshàng. Tóngxuémen rúguǒ nǐ zǒu dào dà zìrán zhōng táitóu wàng shàng kàn huì kàn dào shénme ne?Duì shì tiānkōng.
The bit at the top that looks like a head was later replaced by a horizontal stroke. From this point this represented the sky above our heads. Students, if you go out into nature and look up what do you see? Yes, the sky.
4.6 – Words and Expressions for describing the sky and the weather in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 天空 | tiānkōng | The sky |
| 蓝天 | lántiān | Blue sky |
| 白云 | báiyún | White clouds |
| 晴天 |
qíngtiān | clear/sunny |
| 阴天 |
yīntiān | Cloudy / overcast |
| 雨天 | yǔtiān | rainy weather |
| 阳光灿烂 |
yángguāngcànlàn | In the heat of the sun |
| 乌云密布 |
wūyún mìbù | dense, dark clouds |
| 凉爽湿润 |
liángshuǎng shīrùn | Cool and moist |
| 季节 |
jìjié | Season |
| 春天 | chūntiān | Spring |
| 夏天 | xiàtiān | Summer |
| 秋天 | qiūtiān | Autumn |
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | Winter |
At this point we move on to discuss the most common modern uses of the character 天， which is to talk about the sky and to talk about the weather. This process begins with a guide to some of the common collocations and words associated with the character 天. Our teacher first guides us to look up at a blue sky on a cloudy day.
6.45 – 快来看，这是什么样的天空呀？蓝天上飘只多多白云，多每呀。我们一起喊出它的名字吧：蓝天。
Kuài láikàn zhè shì shénmeyàng de tiānkōng ya？ Lántiān shǎng piāo zhǐ duōduō báiyún ， duō měi ya。 Wǒmen yīqǐ hǎn chū tā de míngzi ba： lántiān。
Quick, look what type of sky is this? There are lots of clouds floating in the blue sky. Let’s all say the shout for this: Blue Sky.
Next our teacher discusses some of the characters that fit with the character 天 meaning sky to create a range of words. The collocations that she and her students come up with can be used to describe changes in the sky. Instead of mentioning the technical term collocation she describes finding friends for the character 天。Before we begin do you know any characters that can fit with 天 to create a word in Chinese? Would you be able to describe the sky on a sunny day? An overcast day? When it rains?
6.57 – 我们再帮“天”字多交些词语朋友吧
wǒmen zài bāng tiān zì duō jiāo xiē cíyǔ péngyou ba.
Now let’s help the character 天 find some more characters as friends.
7.02 – 看到天这个字，我想到今天是个晴天。你想到什么天气了？
Kàndào tiān zhège zì， wǒ xiǎngdào jīntiān shìgè qíngtiān. Nǐ xiǎngdào shénme tiānqì le.
When I see the character for sky 天, I think of a sunny day. What weather do you think of?
7.10 – 我想到了阴天，雨天.
Wǒ xiǎngdào le yīntiān, yǔtiān.
I think of overcast weather, and rainy weather.
Next our teacher introduces us to some expressions that we might use to speak about the weather. This first is 阳光灿烂 (yángguāngcànlàn), which means in the heat of the sun. In fact this expression formed part of the title of a 1994 movie by Chinese director 姜文. 阳光灿烂的日子，meaning (days of ) the heat of the sun, tells the story of a gang of boys growing up and getting into adventures and scrapes amidst the harsh backdrop of the Cultural Revolution. The full movie can be found on YouTube.
7.15 -晴天阳光灿烂，阴天乌云密布，雨天凉爽湿润。
Qíngtiān yángguāngcànlàn, yīntiān wūyún mìbù, yǔtiān liángshuǎng shīrùn
On a clear day we are in the heat of the sun, an overcast day we are covered by dense black clouds, and on a rainy day it is cool and humid.
Next our teacher shows us some more words that include the character 天. We learn the names in Chinese for the four seasons and some of the typical weather patterns we can expect in each.
7.22 – 这几个词语都和天气有关，天还和季节有关呢。现在天气渐渐凉爽了是秋天了。你还想到了什么季节呢？
Zhè jǐge cíyǔ dōu hé tiānqì yǒu guān, tiān hái hé jìjié yǒuguān ne. Xiànzài tiānqì jiànjiàn liángshuǎng le, shì qiūtiān le 。 Nǐ hái xiǎngdào le shénme jìjié ne?
These characters are all related to the weather, the character for sky 天 can also be found in the characters for the seasons. The weather now is cooler and more refreshing, it is the Autumn. Which other seasons can you think of?
7.37 – 老师我想到了一年有四个季节：春天，夏天，秋天，冬天。
Lǎoshī wǒ xiǎngdào le yī nián yǒu sìge jìjié: chūntiān xiàtiān ， qiūtiān, dōngtiān.
Teacher， I think one year has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Next our esteemed teacher provides us with some beautiful imagery to connect with each season. In the first picture we see the blooming red of a peach blossom tree and the green of the willow tree.
7.48 – 嗯，这就是一年的四个季节。快来看：
春天桃红柳绿
夏天荷香满湖
秋天黄叶飘飘
冬天白雪皑皑。多么美丽呀。
en zhèjiùshì yī nián de sìge jìjié kuài láikàn:
chūntiān táohóng liǔ lu:4
Xiàtiān hé xiāng mǎn hú
Qiūtiān huáng yè piāopiāo.
Dōngtiān báixuě áiái. Duōme měilì ya.
Right, these are the four seasons in a year. Quick, look:
Spring, the peach blossom turns red and the willow green.
Summer, the Lotus leaves covering the lake
Autumn, the yellow leaves fluttering
The white, white snow of winter. So very beautiful.
8.02 – 这四个季节看着图片再说说他们的名字。
zhè sìge jìjié kànzhuó túpiàn zàishuō shuō tāmende míngzi 。
Can you name these four seasons on the picture?
4.7 – An examination of the character 地，the Chinese for earth
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 土地 | tǔdì | land, earth |
| 地球 | dìqiú | the Earth |
| 沙地 |
shādì | the desert |
| 菜地 | càidì | vegetable garden |
The focus of today’s class now shifts from the sky above our head to the earth below our feet. Do you know what the Chinese character for earth is? It is 地。
8.08 – 我们头顶的是蓝天, 脚下踩的是大地。
Wǒmen tóudǐng de shì lántiān jiǎoxià cǎi de shì dàdì。
Above our heads is the sky and below our feet the ground.
The first Chinese word including the character 地 that we are introduced to is 土地，which means land, or soil.
8.12- 这就是我们可爱的地球。同学们看这是土地。
Zhèjiùshì wǒmen kěài de dìqiú. Tóngxuémen kàn zhè shì tǔdì
This is our lovely world. Students look, this is the land.
8.20 – 长满草的是草地。铺满雪的叫雪地.
Zhǎngmǎn cǎo de shì cǎodì. Pù mǎn xuě de jiào xuě dì.
The grass growing is a meadow. The snow covering is a blanket of snow.
8.25 – 老师我也能说到处是沙的叫沙地。种满菜的叫菜地。
Lǎoshī wǒyě néng shuō dàochù shì shā de shì shādì. Zhǒng mǎn cài de jiào càidì.
Teacher, I can also say the place which is covered with sand is called a desert. And the place where vegetables grow is the vegetable garden.
8.32 – 这位同学说的真清楚，太棒了！看着图片就能和老师说的一样好。真了不起！
Zhèwèi tóngxué shuō de zhēn qīngchu, tàibàngle ！ Kàn zhe túpiàn jiù néng hé lǎoshī shuō de yīyàng hǎo. Zhēn liǎobùqǐ ！
This student spoke very clearly, Great ! Look at this picture and with the teacher speak just as well. Very impressive!
Other words with the character 地：
陆地 （lùdì) – the land
地方 （dìfang）- place
扫地 （sǎodì）- sweep the floor
基地 – (jīdì) Base of operations
地板 – (dìbǎn) the ground
地铁 – (dìtiě ) subway
胜地 – (shèngdì) well-known scenic spot
4. 8 The difference between the Chinese characters 地 and 他
Our teacher now leads us on an examination of the formations of each of the characters 天，地 and 人. We learn how to differentiate these characters from other similar characters and also about the radicals used in each.
8.43 – 天地人，组成了我们这个美丽的世界。我们再来读一读第一行这三个字: 天地人。和老师做着动作来读一读：天地人。看读书也很有意思吧。
Tiān dì rén zǔchéng le wǒmen zhège měilì de shìjiè. Wǒmen zàilái dú yī dú dìyī háng zhè sān gè zì：Tiān dì rén. Hé lǎo shī zuò zhe dòngzuò lái dú yīdú Tiān dì rén 。 Kàn dúshū yě hěnyǒu yìsī ba。
Our beautiful world is made up of the sky, land and people. Let’s read the three characters on the top line again. Follow the teacher in doing these actions while you read: sky, land people. Reading is also very interesting.
Next our teacher introduces us to a character that bears a resemblance to the character for 地. We learn that the character for person 他，is the same as the character for land 地， other than the radicals that appear on the left hand side of the characters. In person we find the radical for people, while in earth we find the radical for mud.
9.04 – 同学们，第二行字中有一个字啊和地字非常像。你们发现了吗？
Tóngxuémen dì èr háng zì zhōng yǒu yīgè zì a hé dì zì fēicháng xiàng. Nǐmen fāxiàn le mǎ?
Students, on the second line there is a character that is very similar to the character for land. Have you noticed it?
9.12 – 对了是你我他的他字。那同学们仔细观察一下这两个字那里像呢？
Duìle shì nǐwǒ tāde tā zì. Nǎ tóngxuémen zǐxì guānchá yīxià zhè liǎng ge zì nàli xiàng ne?
Yes, among the you, me, him characters it is the character for his that is the same. But can you examine it and tell me how it is the same?
9.24 – 地字和他字左边不一样，右边相同。
Dì zì hé tā zì zuǒbian bùyīyàng yòubian xiāngtóng.
The left side of the character for ‘land’ and ‘him’ are different, but the right hand side are the same.
9.29 – 这个同学观察的很细致表达的也很准确。
Zhège tóngxué guānchá de hěn xìzhì biǎodá de yě hěn zhǔnquè.
The student has worked it out and expressed his finding clearly.
9.34 – 我们再来看看这三个字: 你我他。这三个字中有哪两个字很想呢？
wǒmen zàilái kànkan zhè sān gè zì:
nǐwǒ tā. Zhè sān gè zì zhōng yǒu nǎ liǎngge zì hěn xiǎng neLet’s look again at these characters: you, me, him. Among these three characters which two are very similar?
9.43 – 对是你字和他字。那你们能不能像刚才那位同学一样比较一下这两个字呢？
Duì shì nǐ zì hé tā zì. Nǎ nǐmen néng bùnéng xiàng gāngcái nǎ wèi tóngxué yīyàng bǐjiào yīxià zhè liǎng ge zì ne?
Yes, it is the character for you and the character for him. Can you describe the similiarity between these two characters in the same way as I just did?
9.57 – 你字和他字左边相同，右边不一样。
Nǐ zì hé tā zì zuǒbian xiāngtóng yòubian bùyīyàng。
The left side of the characters ‘you’ and ‘him’ are the same but the right hand side are different.
10.03 – 同学们这些外形相似的字啊，一定要看仔细才能分辨请呀。