Identify the names of various objects found in the classroom and the school environment

Identifying Classroom and School Objects in Chinese

In this lesson, you will learn how to name and identify objects you see every day in your classroom and school using Chinese words.

Key Question: "这是什么？"

The basic question to identify an object in Chinese is:

这是什么？ — Zhè shì shénme? — "What is this?"

To answer, use:

这是... — Zhè shì... — "This is..."

Important Classroom Vocabulary

Here are the main objects you need to know:

Chinese (Hanzi)	Pinyin	Meaning (Swahili)
书	shū	Kitabu (book)
笔	bǐ	Kalamu (pen)
铅笔	qiānbǐ	Penseli (pencil)
本子	běnzi	Daftari (notebook)
黑板	hēibǎn	Ubao (blackboard)
尺子	chǐzi	Rula (ruler)
椅子	yǐzi	Kiti (chair)
桌子	zhuōzi	Meza (table/desk)
电脑	diànnǎo	Kompyuta (computer)
地图	dìtú	Ramani ya dunia (map)
粉笔	fěnbǐ	Chaki (chalk)
教室	jiàoshì	Darasa (classroom)
学校	xuéxiào	Shule (school)
老师	lǎoshī	Mwalimu (teacher)
学生	xuésheng	Mwanafunzi (student)
同学	tóngxué	Mwanafunzi mwenza (classmate)

Worked Example

Here is a conversation between a teacher and students:

Teacher: 同学们，这是什么？ (Tóngxuémen, zhè shì shénme?) "Classmates, what is this?"

Students: 老师，这是汉语书！ (Lǎoshī, zhè shì hànyǔ shū!) "Teacher, this is a Chinese book!"

Teacher: 这是什么？ (Zhè shì shénme?) "What is this?"

Students: 老师，这是黑板！ (Lǎoshī, zhè shì hēibǎn!) "Teacher, this is the blackboard!"

Using "那" (Nà) for That

To ask about something farther away, use 那 (nà) meaning "that":

那是什么？ — Nà shì shénme? — "What is that?"

Example:

A: 那是什么？ (What is that?) B: 那是椅子。 (That is a chair.)

Quick Practice

Try to match these items:

• 电脑 → Kompyuta
• 地图 → Ramani
• 尺子 → Rula
• 本子 → Daftari

Real-life application

When you visit a shop in Tanzania to buy school supplies, you can now use Chinese to identify items. For example, if you go to a duka in Morogoro and see pens, pencils, and notebooks, you can point and say "这是笔" (this is a pen) or ask "那是什么？" (what is that?) to learn new words. This helps you practice Chinese while buying things you need for school, like a notebook for 2,000 TSh or a pencil for 500 TSh.