Joining debates in Mandarin can be a fun experience! To do well, it's important to know some easy phrases and structures that help you share your thoughts. Here are some useful language skills and key phrases for discussions in Mandarin.

Key Phrases for Expressing Opinions

1. Agreeing with Someone:

   • 我同意你的观点。 (Wǒ tóngyì nǐ de guāndiǎn.) – "I agree with your viewpoint."
   • 我认为你说得对。 (Wǒ rènwéi nǐ shuō dé duì.) – "I think you're right."

2. Disagreeing with Someone:

   • 我不同意。 (Wǒ bù tóngyì.) – "I disagree."
   • 我对这个观点有些不同看法。 (Wǒ duì zhège guāndiǎn yǒuxiē bùtóng kànfǎ.) – "I have a different opinion on this."

3. Sharing Your Opinion:

   • 在我看来，…… (Zài wǒ kàn lái, …) – "In my opinion, …"
   • 我个人认为，…… (Wǒ gèrén rènwéi, …) – "Personally, I believe that …"

4. Giving Reasons:

   • 首先，…… (Shǒuxiān, …) – "First, …"
   • 其次，…… (Qícì, …) – "Second, …"
   • 最后，…… (Zuìhòu, …) – "Finally, …"

5. Using Evidence:

   • 有数据显示，…… (Yǒu shùjù xiǎnshì, …) – "Data shows that …"
   • 根据我的研究，…… (Gēnjù wǒ de yánjiū, …) – "According to my research, …"

Structures Used in Debates

• If Statements:

  • 如果我们……，那么…… (Rúguǒ wǒmen…, nàme…) – "If we..., then..."

• Comparisons:

  • 相比而言，……更…… (Xiāng bǐ ér yán, … gèng …) – "In comparison, ... is more ..."

• Counterarguments:

  • 虽然……，但是…… (Suīrán…, dànshì…) – "Although…, but…"
  • 有些人认为……，而我觉得…… (Yǒuxiē rén rènwéi…, ér wǒ juéde…) – "Some people think that …, while I feel that …"

Listening and Speaking Practice

To improve your Mandarin, listen to Mandarin news or debates. This will help you understand the tone and how to pronounce words. Pay attention to how speakers use the phrases and structures mentioned above.

Summarizing and Rephrasing

After a debate or discussion, it’s helpful to summarize the main points. You could say, “总的来说，……的观点是……。” (Zǒng de lái shuō, … de guāndiǎn shì …) – "Overall, the viewpoint is that ..."

By learning these phrases and structures, students will get better at sharing their ideas when speaking and writing. This will help them take part more effectively in Mandarin debates!