Category: Teaching & Examination

Lesson 065 Morning or Afternoon

 M: 大家好！Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ, Wǒ shì ML.
S: Dàjiā hǎo. Wǒ shì Stuart. ML, c?
M: We’ll continue learning to tell the time.
S: Hǎo zhúyì.
M: Please, Stuart, could you tell me what time it is now? 请问，现在是几点钟？qǐng wèn, xiànzài shì jí diǎn zhōng?
S: 8:30. Xiànzài shì bā diǎn bàn, bā diǎn bàn.
M: Morning or afternoon? 上午还是下午？shàngwǔ háishì xiàwǔ？
S: Morning. shàngwǔ bā diǎn bàn.
M: And 8:30 pm would really be the evening, 晚上 wǎnshàng.
S: Méi cuò. Xiànzài shìshàngwǔbā diǎn bàn, bú shìwǎnshàng, bú shìwǎnshàng.
M: Hǎo, now we’ll go over the new stuff.
S: And more.
S: Back again! We started with, 请问，现在是几点钟？qǐng wèn, xiànzài shì jí diǎn zhōng?
M: 请问 qǐngwèn. Qǐng QING qǐng, ‘please’. 问 WEN wèn, means to ‘ask’. So qǐngwèn, means, ‘please may I ask’. So, all together, 请问，现在是几点钟？qǐngwèn, xiànzài shì jí diǎn zhōng?
S: 8:30. Xiànzài shì bā diǎn bàn, bā diǎn bàn.
M: Morning or afternoon? 上午还是下午? shàngwǔ háishì xiàwǔ.
S: Morning. shàngwǔ, shàngwǔ. We’ve learnt 早晨 zǎochén, which means ‘early morning’. The morning in general is shàngwǔ.
M: Shàngwǔ. Shàng SHANG literally means ‘on’ shàng. 下 XIA means ‘under’, xià. And 午 WU wǔ, is ‘midday, noon’.
S: So if shangwu is ‘morning’, what is xiàwǔ? Duìle. ‘afternoon’, xiàwǔ.
M: For midday, we say 中午 zhōngwǔ. The zhōng means middle, as in Zhōngguó.
S: And the evening is, 晚上 wǎnshàng.
M: So, let’s quickly say early morning, morning, noon, afternoon and evening.
S: zǎochén, zǎochén.
M: shàngwǔ, shàngwǔ.
S: xiàwǔ, xiàwǔ.
M: zhōngwǔ, zhōngwǔ,
S: wǎnshàng, wǎnshàng.
M: Hén hǎo. And these make it really easy for us to learn to say ‘breakfast’ ‘lunch’ and ‘dinner’.
S: Welcome back. Now, guess what we’re saying. Remember, we’re always very hungry, hǎn è.
M: 早晨我们吃早饭 zǎochén wǒmen chī zǎofàn.
S: 中午我们吃午餐zhōngwǔ wǒmen chī wǔcān.
M: 晚上我们吃晚饭 wǎnshàng wǒmen chī wǎnfàn.
S: 很容易 really easy, hěn róngyì.
M: zǎo ZAO zǎo, means ‘early’. Fàn FAN fàn, food. Zǎo fàn, ‘early food’, ‘breakfast’.
S: Wǔcān WU CAN wǔcān. The can is the same can as in Chinese food, zhōngcān, or restaurant, cānguǎn. So, wǔcān, ‘midday food’, ‘lunch’ wǔcān.
M: And 晚饭 WAN FAN wǎnfàn. Wǎn here means evening, wǎnfàn, evening food, meaning, of course, ‘dinner’.
S: Well, that’s enough zhōngwén for today, so, wǒmen xià kè. Zài jiàn.

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Lesson 064 Revision of Some Expressions for Time (

 M: Péngyǒumen, nǐmen hǎo! Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML.
S: Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Stuart. Today it’s a revision lesson. 今天是复习课 jīntiān shì fùxí kè. Don’t forget to repeat everything with us, the louder the better.
M: Remember how to say ‘we were too full’? Dui le. 我们吃得太饱了.
S: Wǒmen chīde tài bǎole.
M: You ate so much food. 你吃了那么多菜 nǐ chīle nème duō cài.
S: 对, 太多了, tài duōle. I’m a bit tired. 我有点累.
M: What do you want to do now? 现在你想干什么? xiànzài ní xiǎng gàn shénme?
S:我想睡觉 wó xiǎng shuìjiào.
M: Hao, you go sleep, 你去睡觉 nǐ qù shuìjiào. I’ll return home, 我回家wǒ huí jiā.
S: After that nice break, everybody say, ‘I’ll go and sleep’.
M: Hén hǎo. Wó qù shuìjiào, wó qù shuìjiào.
S: Now say, ‘I’ll return home’.
M: Duìle! 我回家wǒ huí jiā.
S: And can you say. ‘I’ll go back’?
M: Méicuò! 我回去, wǒ huí qù.
S: What’s the time now? 现在是几点? xiànzài shì jídiǎn?
M: Half-past ten. 十点半 shí diǎn bàn.
S: What time will you come tomorrow? 你明天几点钟来, nǐ míngtiān jídiǎnzhōng lái?
M: Tomorrow morning明天早晨，míngtiān zǎochén, 六点钟liù diǎn zhōng.
S: liù diǎn, 你开玩笑! liù diǎn, nǐ kāiwánxiào!
M: Ok. 六点半，six thirty, liù diǎn bàn.
S: Liù diǎn bàn. kāiwánxiào!
M: 八点半，行不行 bā diǎn bàn, xíng bù xíng?
S: 8:30. bā diǎn bàn, bā diǎn bàn. Ok.
S: wǒ hěn lèi. xiànzài shì jí diǎn? Quarter past eleven! 十一点一刻shí yī diǎn yī kè. 现在，我睡觉 xiànzài, wǒ shuìjiào.
S: jí diǎn le? 7:45, in the early morning! 早晨，七点三刻，zǎochen, 七 diǎn sān kè. ML’s coming at half-past eight! ML 要八点半来, ML yào bā diǎn bàn lái. I still have 45 minutes! 我还有四十五分钟 wǒ hái yǒu sì shí wǔ fēnzhōng.
M: No he doesn’t!
S: wéi. 您好？nínhǎo?
M: 我是曼丽.
S: 曼丽，你说你八点半来，nǐ shuō nǐ bā diǎn bàn lái. 现在是七点三刻, xiànzài shì qī diǎn sānkè.
M: bú dui. Now it’s 8:25. 现在是八点二十五分. xiànzài shìbā diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn.
S: 8:25?! bā diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn?
M: No, it’s 8:26 now. xiànzài shì bā diǎn èr shí liù fēn. bā diǎn èr shí liù fēn.
S: bā diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn, bā diǎn èr shí liù6 fēn . So fussy!
M: Get most of it? Hén hǎo. Now it’s time to xiàkè.
S: One more thing. ML, this time will you lend me ten thousand dollars?
M: 你开玩笑, kāiwánxiào!
S: ML is so mean! Zàijiàn.

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Lesson 063 It’s Three Quarters Past Six Now.

 M: Dàjiā hǎo. Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ, lesson 63. Wǒ shì ML.
S: Wǒ shì Stuart. 今天我们yào xué, more about time, 时间 time shíjiān.
M: Stuart has returned to his room, 他回了他的房间 tā huìle tāde fángjiān.
S: And ML has returned home, 她回家了 tā huí jiā le.
M: Actually, we’re in the studio!
S: Don’t tell anyone!
S: wǒ hěn lèi. xiànzài shì jí diǎn? Quarter past eleven! 十一点一刻shí yī diǎn yī kè. 现在，我睡觉 xiànzài, wǒ shuìjiào.
S: Xiànzài shì jídiǎn le? 6:45, in the early morning! 早晨，六点三刻，zǎochen, liù diǎn sān kè. ML’s coming at half-past seven! ML 七点半来, ML qī diǎn bàn lái. I still have 45 minutes. 我还有四十五分钟 wǒ hái yǒu sì shí wǔ fēnzhōng.
M: That’s what he thinks!
S: wéi. 您好？nín hǎo?
M: 我是曼丽.
S: 曼丽?! 你说你七点半来。nǐ shuō nǐ qī diǎn bàn lái. 现在是六点三刻, xiànzài shì liù diǎn sān kè.
M: bú dui. Now it’s 7:25. 现在是七点二十五分xiànzài shì qī diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn.
S: 7:25?! qī diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn?
M: Now it’s 7:26. xiànzài shì qī diǎn èr shí liù fēn. qī diǎn èr shí liù fēn.
S: qī diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn, qī diǎn èr shí liù fēn. She’s so fussy!
M: Now we’ll go over the new stuff.
S: Quarter past eleven. 十一点一刻.
M: shí yī diǎn yī kè. 一刻 one kè. Can you guess what yī kèis? Duìle. A quarter of an hour.
S: So can you say, ‘a quarter past one’? Duìle. Yī diǎn yī kè.
M: And then …
S: 六点三刻.
M: What is liù diǎn sān kè? Méicuò! 6:45. liù diǎn sān kè, liù diǎn sān kè.
S: And I said, I still have 45 minutes! 我还有四十五分钟.
M: wǒ hái yǒu sì shí wǔ fēnzhōng. What is a fēnzhōng? Duìle. A ‘minute’. Fēnzhōng FEN ZHONG fēnzhōng
M: Now for the dialogue again.
S: wǒ hěn lèi. xiànzài shì jí diǎn? shì yī diǎn yī kè. Xiànzài, wǒ shuìjiào.
S: xiànzài shì jídiǎn le? Zǎochén, liù diǎn sān kè! ML qī diǎn bàn lái. wǒ hái yǒu sì shí wǔ fēnzhōng.
S: wéi. nín hǎo?
M: Wǒ shì ML.
S: Nǐ shuō nǐ qī diǎn bàn lái. Xiànzài shì liù diǎn sānkè.
M: bú dui. Xiànzài shì qī diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn.
S: Qī diǎn èr shí wǔ fēn?
M: Xiànzài shì qī diǎn èr shí liù fēn.
M: Get most of it? Hěn hǎo. Now it’s time to xiàkè.
S: One thing. ML, will you lend me a thousand dollars?
M: 你开玩笑, kāiwánxiào!
S: Oh dear. But we did have to practice ‘kāiwánxiào ‘. Zàijiàn

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Lesson 062 When Will You Come Tomorrow?

 M: Dàjiā hǎo! Huānyíng dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML.
S: Wǒ shì Stuart. Remember, Listen tīng, speak shuō, and guess cāi yī cāi.
M: 今天,第六十二课. Today, Lesson 62. Jīntiān, dì liù shí èr kè. Repeat it everybody.
S: Jīntiān, dì liù shí èr kè.
M: Hǎo. What did we decide at the end of the previous lesson?
S: I’d go to sleep. 我去睡觉 wǒ qù shuìjiào. You’ll return home. 你回家 nǐ huí jiā.
M: But first we’ll plan our schedule for tomorrow.
S: And learn more about telling the time.
M: What’s the time now? 现在是几点 xiànzài shì jídiǎn?
S: Half-past ten. 十点半 shí diǎn bàn.
M: Ok, I’ll go home. 好，我回家. wǒ huíjiā.
S: What time will you come tomorrow? 你明天几点钟来? nǐ míngtiān jídiǎnzhōng lái?
M: Tomorrow morning明天早晨，míngtiān zǎochén, 六点钟liù diǎn zhōng.
S: míngtiān zǎochén, liù diǎn, you’re joking! Liù diǎn, 你开玩笑, liù diǎn, nǐ kāiwánxiào!
M: Ok. 六点半，six thirty, liù diǎn bàn.
S: L iù diǎn bàn. kāiwánxiào!
M: 七点半，行不行? qī diǎn bàn, xíng bù xíng?
S: qī diǎn bàn, wó xiǎng yī xiǎng. Ok.
M: Now let’s go over the new stuff.
S: Here’s what we said.
M: 现在是几点? That’s easy. What’s the time now? xiànzài shì jídiǎn?
S: 十点半.
M: shí diǎn bàn. Shí diǎn, 10 o’clock. Bàn BAN bàn, means ‘half’. So what does shí diǎn bàn mean?
S: Mei cuo! Half past 10. Say it. Shí diǎn bàn, shí diǎn bàn.
M: 好，我回家.
S: What time will you come tomorrow? 你明天几点钟来?
M: nǐ míngtiān jídiǎnzhōng lái? 明天 means ‘tomorrow’.
S: Actually, míng, means ‘bright’, and tiān means ‘day’, so, always optimistic, ‘bright day, tomorrow’ míngtiān.
M: zǎochén, 早 ZAO zǎo, is ‘early’. 晨CHEN chén, is ‘morning’. zǎochén, 3rd tone 2nd tone, is ‘early morning’. Say it, zǎochén, zǎo chen.
S: But, ML, nǐ yào zǎochén liù diǎn zhōng lai, liù diǎn. Tài zǎo le! Too early! You’re joking! Nǐ kāiwánxiào!
M: Ok. 六点半，six thirty, liù diǎn bàn.
S: Liù diǎn bàn. hái shì kāiwánxiào!
M: 七点半，行不行? qī diǎn bàn, xíng bù xíng?
S: qī diǎn bàn, wó xiǎng yī xiǎng. 行，Ok.
S: Time to hear the dialogue again. Try to say it with us.
M: 现在是几点? xiànzài shì jídiǎn?
S: 十点半 shí diǎn bàn.
M: 好，我回家 wǒ huíjia.
S: 你明天几点钟来, nǐ míngtiān jídiǎnzhōng lái?
M: 早晨六点钟zǎochén liù diǎn zhōng.
S: zǎochén liù diǎn, Liù diǎn, 你开玩笑, nǐ kāiwánxiào!
M: Ok. 六点半，liù diǎn bàn.
S: Liù diǎn bàn. kāiwánxiào!
M: 七点半，行不行 qī diǎn bàn, xíng bù xíng?
S: qī diǎn bàn, wǒ xiǎng yī xiǎng. 行，Ok.
S: Finally, a very useful expression. ‘You’re joking!’ 你开玩笑!
M: nǐ kāiwánxiào! All together, nǐ kāiwánxiào!
S: Or simply, kāiwánxiào! Right, now we’ll give you a bit of homework to do.
M: Practice saying, nǐ jídiǎn lái? And answering, , half-past one, 2, half-past two, etc, right up to 2:30.
S: Now, we xiàkè. Zàijiàn.

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Lesson 061 What Are You Going to Do Now?

 M: Péngyǒumen, nǐmen, nǐ men hǎo! Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML.
S: Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Stuart. A quick reminder, 听, 说, 然后, 猜一猜. Listen, speak, then, ránhòu, guess. We learn a lot of a foreign language by guessing the meaning from the context. That’s largely how young kids learn.
M: 没错 méicuò. The last lesson, 上一课 shàng yī kè, 我们吃饱了 wǒmen chī bǎole.
S: Duile, we were too full, 我们吃得太饱了 wǒmen chī de tài bǎole.
M: Stuart, you ate so much food. 你吃了那么多菜 nǐ chīle nàme duō cài. What’s the time? 几点了 jídiǎn le?
M: two o’clock. Liǎngdiǎn, liǎngdiǎn. What do you want to do now? 现在你想干什么 xiànzài nǐ xiǎng gàn shénme?
S: Wǒ hěn lèi. 我想睡觉 wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào.
M: Hao, you go sleep, 你去睡觉 nǐ qù shuìjiào. I’ll return home, 我回家 wǒ huí jiā.
S: Here’s what we said.
M: 上一课 shàng yī kè. The previous lesson. Shàng SHANG shàng here means ‘previous’. Yī Kè, a lesson, the previous lesson, shàng yī kè, shàng yī kè.
S: 我们吃的太饱了 wǒmen chīde tài bǎole. Wǒmen chī 的, we ate, tài bǎole, too full. We were too full, wǒmen chī de tài bǎole.
M: Stuart, you ate so much food. 你吃了那么多菜nème NAME DUO nème here means ‘that’, as in ‘that good!’ 那么好 nème hǎo. That bad! 那么坏! nàme huài.
S: Now, you guys at home try to say, ‘Right, I ate that much food!’ ….
M: 对了, 我吃了那么多菜, wǒ chīle nème duō cài.
S: 对, 太多了 too much, tài duōle. I’m a bit tired. 我有点累.
M: wǒ yǒu diǎn lèi. Literally, ‘I have a bit tired’, meaning, ‘I’m a bit tired’. Say it everybody, wǒ yóu diǎn lèi, wǒ yóu diǎn lèi.
S: What’s the time now? 现在是几点 xiànzài shì jídiǎn?
M: Now it’s two o’clock.. 现在是两点xiànzài shìliángdiǎn. What do you want to do? 你想干什么 ní xiǎng gàn shénme?
S: 我很累 wó hěn lèi. 我想睡觉
M: wó xiǎng. shuìjiào. SHUI JIAO shuìjiào, to ‘sleep’. Everybody feel sleepy and say, ‘I want to sleep’ ……
S: Hén Hǎo. Wó xiǎng shuìjiào, Wó xiǎng shuìjiào.
M: Hao, you go sleep, 你去睡觉 nǐ qùshuìjiào. I’ll return home, 我回家 wǒ huí jiā. huí HUI hui, means ‘return’. Jiā JIA jiā, is ‘home’. Huí jiā, return home.
S: So ML’s off home, tā huí jiā le. So we’ll xiàkè, finish class, xiàkè. Zài jiàn. 

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Lesson 059 I’m Full.

 M: Da jia hao. Huanying nimen dao xianzai xue Hanyu. Wo shi ML.
S: Wo shi Stuart. Women mashang kaishi.
M: 今天是第五十九课, lesson 59, di wu shi jiu ke.
S: We’re still in the restaurant.
M: Women hai zi canguan.
S: To learn things like, ‘everything’s been eaten’, and ‘I’m full’.
M: Are you ready? 你们准备好了吗, ni men zhunbei hao le ma?
S: How many dishes did we eat? 我们吃了多少菜, women chi le duo shao cai?
M: 我看一看, wo kan yi kan. Yi er san si wu liu qi, qi ge chaocai. Seven stir-fried dishes, qi ge chaocai.
S: One soup, and two cold dishes. 一个汤, 和两个凉菜, yi ge tang, he liang ge liang cai.
M: And two bowls of rice, and a bowl of noodles. 还有两碗米饭, 一碗面条, hai you liang wan mifan, yi wan miantiao.
S: Everything’s been eaten! 菜都吃完了, cai dou chi wan le!
M: I;m full. 我吃饱了, wo chi bao le.
S: Me, too. 我也是, wo ye shi. Wo ye chi bao le.
S: Now, the new things. ML said:
M: Are you ready, 准备好了吗, zhunbei hao le ma? Zhunbei ZHUNBEI zhunbei, 3rd tone, 4th tone, zhunbei, to ‘prepare’. “Hao le” after a verb literally means ‘good and completed’. So, ni zhunbei hao le ma? ‘are you prepared?’. Say it, ni zhunbei hao le ma, Zhunbei hao le ma?
S: You could reply, zhunbei hao le, zhunbei hao le.
M: And, we had lots of food, including two bowls of rice. 两碗米饭, mifan MIFAN mifan, is ‘cooked rice’. Two bowls of rice, liang wan mifan. And a bowl of noodles, yi wan miantiao, 面条 MIAN TIAO miantiao, noodles. We usually just say, yi wan main, yi wan mian. Yi yang.
S:Everything’s eaten! 完 WAN wan, 2nd tone, to ‘finish’ or ‘use up’. 完了, finished, wan le. Cai dou chi wan le, all eaten, cai dou chi wan le.
S: I’m full. 我吃饱了．
M: Wo chi bao le. 饱 BAO bao, ‘full’, the tummy, that is. I’m full, wo chi bao le, wo chi bao le, or simply, wo bao le, wo bao le, or even, bao le, bao le.
S: Me, too. 我也是，literally, I also am, wo ye shi, wo ye shi.
M: Now, to finish. The dialogue again, full speed.
S: 你们准备好了吗，nimen zhunbei hao le ma?
M: Zhunbei hao le.
S: 我们吃了多少菜，women chi le duo shao cai?
M: 我看一看，wo kan yi kan. Yi er san si wu liu qi, wi ge chaocai. Qi ge chaocai.
S:需要汤，和两个凉菜，yi ge tang, he liang ge liang cai.
M: 还有两碗米饭，一碗面条，hai you liang wan mifan, yi wan miantiao.
S: 菜都吃完了，cai dou chi wan le!
M: 我吃饱了，wo chi bao le.
S: 我也是，wo ye shi
M: Women chi bao le.
S: So, we can go. See you next lesson.
M: Zai jian. 

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Lesson 060 Revision of Some Dishes

 M: Dajia hao. Huan ying dao Xian Zai Xue Hanyu. Wo shi ML.
S: Wo shi Stuart.
M: Jin tian women xue di liu shi ke, lesson 60, di liu shi ke.
S: It’s a revishion lesson. 是个复习课．
M: Fuxi ke.
S: Ready? 你们准备好了吗，nimen zhun bei hao le ma?
M: Hao, women ma shang kaishi.
S: In lesson 57 … zai di wu shi qi ke ….
M: We ordered a few stir-fried dishes, but, no soup. 我们点了几个炒菜, 可是, 没有点汤. Women dian le ji ge chao cai, keshi, mei you dian tang.
S: 没有汤, mei you tang! That won’t do! 那不行, na bu xing.
M: 我点酸辣汤, 行不行？Wo dian suan la tang, xing bu xing?
S: xing.
M: 小姐, 请来一个酸辣汤, qing lai yi ge suan la tang.
WTRSS: 对不起, 今天没有酸辣汤. Dui bu qi, jin tian mei you suan la tang.
S: Mei you a! Qing lai yi bei Pijiu.
WTRSS: Dui bu qi. Mei you pijiu.
S: Mei you pijiu! Na bu xing!
M: Now for a few questions, ji ge wenti.
S: How do we say ‘stir-fried dishes’?
M: Dui le. chao cai, chao cai.
S: Now say, ‘But, no soup’.
M: Mei cuo. Ke shi, mei you tang, ke shi, mei you tang.
S: And what does ‘xingbu xing’ mean?
M: Dui le. It means ‘OK?’, ‘will that do?’.
S: What is 酸辣汤?
M: Suanla tang. Dui le. Hot and sour soup’, suanla tang.
S: and what is 对不起?
M: Dui bu qi. Right, it’s ‘sorry’, dui bu qi.
S: In lesson 58 we learned
M: Zai di wu shi ba ke women xue le – Fried noodles. 这是炒面, zhe shi chaomian.
S: And, na shi shenme cai? What’s that dish?
M: Wo bu zhidao. 我问一问, wo wen yi wen. Xiaojie, nashi shenme cai?
WTRS: 我看一看,那是麻婆豆腐, na shi mapo dofu.
M: mapo dofu, spicy bean curd, mapo dofu.
S: I’ll eat a bit more. 无再多吃一点, wo zai duo chi yi dian. Mmm, hen hao chi.
S: In lesson 59 we learned. Zai di wu shi jiuke women xue le.
M: Are you ready? 你准备好了吗, ni zhunbei hao le ma?
S: wo zhunbei hao le.
M: 我们吃了多少菜, women chi le duo shao cai?
S: Wo kan yi kan. 七个炒菜, qi ge chaocai. 一个汤, 和两个凉菜, yi ge tang, he liang ge liang cai.
M: Two bowls of rice, and a bowl of noodles. 还有两碗米饭, 一碗面条, hai you liang wan mifan, yi wan miantiao.
S: 菜都吃完了, cai dou chi wan le!
M: I’m full. 我吃饱了, wo chi bao le.
S: Me, too. 我也是, wo ye shi. Wo ye chi bao le.
M: So, it’s a good time to 下课, end the class, xia ke.
S: Until next time, zai jian. 

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