Tag: learn chinese

M: Da jia hao! Huanying dao Learn Chinese Now. Wo shi ML.
S: Wo shi Stuart. Before women kaishi, don’t forget to repeat everything with us.
M: At the end of our last lesson, Stuart just needed his key, tā de yàoshi.
S: Now I have my key. Xiànzài wǒ yǒu wǒ de yàoshi.
M: So now we’ll go to your room. Xianzai women qu nide fangjian. Xianzai women qu nide fangjian.
S: Where’s the lift? 电梯在哪儿？Diàntī zài nǎr?
M: 电梯在那儿。Diàntī zài nàr。
S: You get in first, ML. ML, 你先进，ni xian jin.
M: 不，bu! 你先进。
S: 别客气，请,qing.
M: 好吧，xiexie.
S: What floor? 几楼? Ji lou?
M: 14th floor. Shí sì lóu. shí sì lóu.
S: Hao, women qu shisi lou. Hao, women qu shisi lou.
M: And we’ll practice the new stuff on the way up.
S: Ok, we are back again. I’m feeling lazy, where’s the lift? Dianti zai nar?
M: Dianti zai nar. Dian DIAN dian, means electric, like in ‘dianhua’, ‘electric words’, or ‘telephone’. Ti TI ti, is ‘ladder’, or ‘staircase’.
S: So guess what dianti means. Dui le. ‘Lift’ or ‘elevator’, dianti.
M: The lift is there. Diantizai nar, dianti zai nar.
S: Ever the gentleman, I said. ML, 妳先进.
M: ni xian jin qu. Xian XIAN xian, means ‘first’ or ‘before’. Jin JIN jin, 4th tone, here means ‘to enter’. Ni xian jin. You get in first.
S: Ni xian jin. Also polite, ML replied,
M: 不，你先进。But Stuart insisted.
S: Qing. Please.
M: We often say qing, when offering to let someone on the bus first, or go through the door first, that type of situation.
S: And I asked, ‘what floor?’ Ji lou. You often hear nice people ask you this in the lift, and you can ask them if they can’t reach the buttons.
M: ji lou? Ji JI ji, means ‘how many?’. Lou LOU lou, means ‘storey’, ‘floor’. Ji lou? What floor? Ji lou?
S: shi si lou, 14th floor, shi si lou.
M: The dialogue again. 现在我们去你的房间. Xianzai women qu nide fangjian.
S: 电梯在哪儿? Dianti zai nar?
M: 电梯在那儿. Dianti zai nàr.
S: ML, 妳先进, ni xian jin.
M: bù,nǐ xiān jìn.
S: Qing.
M: xiexie.
S: 几楼? Ji lou?
M: Shí sì lóu. shí sì lóu.
S: 好，我们去十四楼. Hao, women qu shisi lou.
M: And up we go! 我们上去. Women shang qu.
S: Great! 我们到了十四楼. Wǒmen dào le shí sì lóu. And here is my room, 我的房间在这儿。我开门，I’ll open the door. ML, qǐng.
M: xiexie.
S: Qing. I use it all the time.
M: So it’s a good time to 下课, xia ke.
S: Wo tong yi. Women xia ke. Zai jian.

Lesson 027 What’s Your Name?

M: Da jia hao, huanying dao xianzai xue hanyu, Learn Chinese Now!
S: We’re in my hotel room. Meeting some new people tonight, so now we’ll keep learning things like ‘what’s your name?’ ‘My name is’… Then I can have a rest.
M: Now listen and repeat. Remember, xing is ‘family name’, xing. mingzi is ‘given name’, mingzi. Kaishi!
S: 我是Stuart Parkins. Wo xing Parkins. Bai is my Chinese xing, which comes before the mingzi in Chinese names. 白是我的中文姓. Bai shi wo de zhongwen xing.
M: 我是赵曼丽. Wo shi Zhao Manli. 我姓赵. Wo xing Zhao. 我的名字是曼丽. Wo de mingzi shi Manli.
S: 我的中文名字是君士. Wo de zhongwen mingzi shi Junshi. So I am called Bai Junshi. 我叫白君士. Wo jiao Bai Junshi.
M: Hao. Let’s look at what we just said.
S: Wo xing Bai. Easy. My family name is Bai. Wo xing Bai.
M: Bai is his Chinese surname. Bai shi ta de zhongwen xing. The zhong in Zhongwen is the same one as in zhongguo, the Middle Kingdom, China. Wen WEN wen, 2nd tone, wen, means ‘language’. zhongwen means the ‘Chinese language’. Wo de zhongwen xing. My Chinese family name.
S: So what does this mean? Wo de zhongwen mingzi shi Junshi. Dui le. My Chinese given name is Junshi – meaning, appropriately, gentleman scholar. So, wo jiao Bai Junshi.
M: Ta jiao Bai Junshi. Wo jiao Zhao Manli. 叫 JIAO jiao, is a verb, meaning ‘name’ or ‘call’. Wo jiao Zhao Manli, ‘I am called ZML’, or ‘my name is ZML’.
S: So what does this mean? 你叫什么名字?
M: Ni jiao shenme mingzi?
S: Dui le! Literally, ‘You are called what name?’ In real English, ‘What’s your name?’ Here, the mingzi is understood to mean the whole name, xing and mingzi.
M: Ni jiao shenme mingzi?
S: Wo jiao Bai Junshi.
M: You say it at home. Ask the question, then answer yourself. What’s your name? My name is something something. Ready? With Stuart, go!
S: Ni jiao shenme mingzi? Wo jiao Fred Smith, or whatever. Again. …
M: Feichang hao! You’ve earnt a three second rest!
S: Now let’s be very polite. Remember the polite form of ni, you? Right, it’s nin.
M: And two lessons ago the lady at the front desk asked Stuart, Nin gui xing? Gui here means ‘noble’. Nin gui xing?
S: What is your noble family name? That seems pretty polite. Nin gui xing?
M: Wo xing Zhao.
S: You say it at home, use your own name.
M: Hen hao! But Stuart is looking a bit tired.
S: Dui, wo hen lei. Wo hen lei.
M: So let’s hear the Chinese again, then we’ll let Stuart have a rest.
M: Ni jiao shenme mingzi? Or, Nin gui xing?
S: Wo shi Bai Junshi. Wo xing Bai. Bai shi wo de zhongwen xing. Wo de zhongwen mingzi shi Junshi.
M: Wo shi Zhao Manli. Wo xing Zhao. Wo de mingzi shi Manli.
S:. Wo de zhongwen mingzi shi Junshi. Wo jiao Bai Junshi. Wo de zhongwen mingzi …
M: Tian a! Oh, dear! Stuart needs to rest. I’ll creep out. Zaijian.

Lesson 028 Revision of Expressions Used in Hotel

S: Da jia hao. Huānyíng nǐ dào xiànzài xué Hanyu. Learn Chinese Now. Wǒ shì Stuart.
M: Wo shi ML.
S: And it’s fuxi, revision fuxi time. 不要浪费时间. Don’t waste time. Bu yao langfei shijian. Women zai nar?
M: We’re at the hotel. Women zai bin’guan.
S: Where do I check in? 我在哪儿登记? Wo zài nǎr dēngjì?
M: Zài nàr.
S: I’ll go register. 我去登记. Wǒ qù dēngji. Ni hao!
DESK: 您好. 您贵姓? Nín guì xìng?
S: Wo xing Parkins. 我的名字是Stuart. Wǒ de míngzi shì Stuart.
DESK: Let’s have a look. 我看一看.Wǒ kàn yī kàn. 找到了. Zhǎo dào le. Room 1 4 8 9. 您的房间号码是幺四八九. Nín de fángjiān hàomǎ shì yāo sì bā jiǔ. This is your key. 这是您的钥匙. Zhe shi nin de yaoshi.
S: Xiexie.
M: Now we’ll go to your room. Xianzai women qu nide fangjian. Xianzai women qu nide fangjian.
S: Where’s the electric ladder? 电梯在哪儿? Dianti zai nar?
M: Dianti zai nar.
S: You get in first ML. 妳先进, ni xian jin.
M: 请!
S: qing.
M: xiexie.
S: What floor? 几楼? Ji lou?
M: 14th floor. Shí sì lóu. shí sì lóu.
S: Hao, women qu shisi lou. women qu shisi lou.
M: And up we go! 我们上去. Women shang qu.
S: Still not at the 14th floor. 我们还没到十四楼. Women hai mei dao shi si lou. What floor are we up to? 我们在几楼? Women zai ji lou?
M: 我们在十楼，十一楼，十二楼，十三楼
S: We’ve made it. 我们到了十四楼. Women dao le shi si lou. ML, you go first. 妳先走.
M: bu, ni xian zou.
S: Bie keqi. Qing, qing.
M: xiexie.
S: We’re in my hotel room. Meeting people tonight. Quick revision of things like
M: ‘what’s your name?’ ni jiao shenme mingzi?
S: 我叫Stuart Parkins. Wo xing Parkins. 我的名字是Stuart. Wo de mingzi shi Stuart.
M: Wo shi Zhao Manli. 我姓赵. Wo xing Zhao. 我的名字是曼丽. Wo de mingzi shi Manli.
S: 我的中文名字是君士. Wo de zhongwen mingzi shi Junshi. Wo de zhongwen xing shi Bai. So, 所以，我叫白君士. Wo jiao Bai Junshi.
M: wo jiao Zhao Manli. Ni jiao shenme mingzi? What’s your name?’ Remember, here the mingzi is understood to mean the whole name, xing and mingzi.
S: Now let’s be very polite. Remember the polite form of ni, you? Right, it’s nin.
M: 您贵姓? Nin gui xing?
S: Bai is my noble family name. Wo xing Bai. Bai Junshi.
M: Yes, Stuart. Women zhidao! We all know. 我们都知道. White Gentleman Scholar. How inappropriate!
S: That’s it! I’m leaving!
M: Don’t worry. He’ll be ok tomorrow. Zai jian.

Lesson 030 I’m Waiting for A Friend.

S: 朋友们,你们好! 我是Stuart.
M: Wo shi ML. 欢迎来到Learn Chinese Now. Let’s not waste time. 我们不要浪费时间. women bu yao langfei shijian. Repeat everything, and, yi er san. Kaishi!
S: Now listen for the Chinese for ‘tell’ and ‘friends’.
M: Stuart, please tell our friends what time it is. 请告诉我们的朋友们, 现在是几点钟. Qing gaosu women de pengyoumen xianzai shi jidian zhong.
S: 朋友们,现在是六点. Pengyoumen, xianzai shi liu dian.
M: Please tell our friends where we are now. 请告诉我们的朋友们现在我们在哪儿.
S: 朋友们，现在我们在我的房间. Pengyoumen, xianzai women zai wo de fangjian.
M: We’re waiting for a friend. 我们在等一个朋友. Women zai deng yi ge pengyou.
S: Then we’ll go to the bar. 然后我们去酒吧。Ranhou women qu jiuba. Wo hen gaoxing.
M: Ok, Stuart, first we have to check the new words.
S: Ok. Let’s not waste time. 我们不要浪费时间
M: women bu yao langfei shijian. Bu yao, literally ‘not want’, bu yao. But it actually means “don’t”. Langfei LANGFEI langfei, to ‘waste’. Shijian SHIJIAN shijian, is ‘time’.
S: So, pengyoumen, try to say, with no help from us, ‘waste time’. … Dui le, langfei shijian. Langfei shijian.
M: Now try, let’s not waste time…….. Hen hao. Women bu yao lang fei shijian. 再来一次. Once again. Zai lai yi ci. Women bu yao lang fei shijian.
S: And did you catch how we say ‘friends’? Right. Pengyoumen, pengyoumen.
M: Now, if ‘we’ is women, and ‘I’ is wo, if ‘they’ is tamen, and ‘he’ or ‘she’ is ta, and if pengyoumen means ‘friends’, then how do we say ‘friend’? Right, pengyou, PENGYOU, pengyou, 2nd tone, 3rd tone, pengyou. Say it, pengyou, pengyou.
S: Hen hao. Now, do you remember ML saying?
M: And we’re waiting for a friend. 我们在等一个朋友. Women zai deng yi ge pengyou.
S: And do you remember, way back in lesson 1, that we told you Chinese has lots of classifiers, like head of cattle, where ‘head’ is the classifier? And how we always say, one ge person, or three ge persons. By the way, you can also call classifiers ‘measure words’, same idea.
M: Well, we’ve already used ge. Remember 打个电话，make a phone call, da ge dianhua. Well, the ge here is the measure word for ‘phone call’.
S: Now listen again to ML say, ‘we’re waiting for a friend’.
M: 我们在等一个朋友. Women zai deng yi ge pengyou.
S: There’s the ge again. Can you guess how to say ‘three friends”?
M: Dui le. 三个朋友. San ge pengyou.
S: And four friends?
M: Right. 四个朋友,si ge pengyou.
S: Five friends.
M: 五个朋友 wu ge pengyou.
S: Enough, enough! 够了,够了! That’s enough friends.
M: So, pengyoumen, see you tomorrow. 明天见.
S: Mingtian jian

Lesson 023 How Much?

M: Da jia hao! 现在学汉语。Now learn Hanyu, with Learn Chinese Now! Woshi ML.
S: Woshi Stuart.
M: And Stuart is using my shǒujī to talk with Mary. He has just told her we’ll get to the hotel at sān diǎn zhōng. Three o’clock. San dian zhong. Listen, and see if you can hear what time Mary will come to look for Stuart at the 友谊宾馆.
S: Mary told me:
MY: 我六点钟来找你。好不好? Hǎo, wǒ liù diǎn lái zhǎo nǐ. Hǎo bù hǎo?
S: hǎo. liù diǎn zhōng jiàn. hǎo. liù diǎn zhōng jiàn.
M: What time will Mary look for Stuart at the hotel?
MY: 我六点钟来找你。wǒ liù diǎn lái zhǎo nǐ.
M: Dui le! Yī èr sān sì wǔ5 liù6: liù diǎn, liù diǎn zhōng, 6 o’clock.
MY: Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ. Hǎo bù hǎo.
M: I’ll come to look for you. Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐ. Hǎo bù hǎo, ‘good not good’, meaning, Ok? Is that alright? Hǎo bù hǎo.
S: hěn hǎo. liù diǎn zhōng jiàn.
M: liù diǎn zhōng jiàn, to ‘see’, like in ‘zài jiàn’. So, ‘see you at six’, liù diǎn zhōng jiàn. Liu dian zhong jian.
M: And now we’ve finally arrived at the Youyi Bin’guan.
S: 好，我们到了。Hǎo, wǒmen dào le.
M: 我们到了友谊宾馆. Women dao le Youyi Bin’guan.
S: And we’ll have to pay the taxi fare. Guess we’ll have to learn a few more numbers. We’ll learn some now, and more in the bar later, when we work out the prices of drinks.
M: I’ll ask the driver how much money it is. 司机，多少钱? Duōshǎo qián.
TD: 七十块。 Qī shí kuai.
S: Duōshǎo. Duōshǎo is ‘how many’, or ‘how much’. Qián QIAN qián, is ‘money’. How much? How much money? Duōshǎo qian? Here they are again
M: 司机，多少钱? Duōshǎo qián.
TD: 七十块。 Qī shí kuài.
S: Now, listen carefully, repeat everything, and guess what 七十 qīshí and qi shi kuai mean. A clue – qī shí kuai is less than 100 元, and a yuán is a Chinese dollar. ML’s counting out the money.
M: shí, èr shi, sān shi, sì shí, wǔ5 shí, liù shí, qī shí. Qī shí kuài. Gěi nǐ qī shí kuài.
TD: Xièxiè. 正好. Zhèng hǎo.
S: So what does qī shí mean? Right, seventy. Literally, ‘seven’ ‘ten’. Manli counted in tens from ten to seventy.
M: shí, èr shi, sān shi, sì shí, wǔ shí, liù shí, qī shí. Qī shí kuài. Gěi nǐ qī shí kuài.
TD: Xièxiè. 正好. Zhèng hǎo.
S: Now for the last few words.
M: Qī shí kuài. Qī shí kuài.
S: Kuài KUAI kuai, here means Chinese dollar, or yuán. ‘Give you seventy yuan’
M: Gěi nǐ qī shí kuài.
TD: Xièxiè. 正好. Zhèng hǎo.
S: zheng ZHENG zhèng, means ‘exact, right, just’. When you pay someone the exact amount of money, they’ll say, Zhèng hǎo, zheng hao.
M: So, after the lesson, why don’t you people at home practice “duo shao qian?’
S: Answer with ten, twenty, etc. kuai, and then say.
M: Zhèng hǎo.
S: Hǎo zhúyi. Good idea. Hao zhuyi.
Zaijian.

Lesson 012 Revision of Going to the Hotel

S: Dàjiā hǎo! Wo shi Stuart. Welcome to Learn Chinese now.
M: 我是ML. 大家好!
S: Pencil and paper ready? Hao! 请，qǐng，please say the Chinese out loud with us. We’ll repeat most things.
M: Now for a quick revision of what we’ve learned this week, plus a little bit more. Agree?
S: Wǒ tóngyì. I agree. Wǒ tóngyì. So where are we going? Wǒmen qù nǎ’ér?
M: 我们去宾馆. 我们去你的宾馆.
S: nahao, women qu wo de binguan. Good! We’ re going to my hotel. Wǒmen qù wǒ de bīnguǎn.
M：去，qù, qù，to go. qù，forth tone. 去，try it. 去，qù.
S: And bīnguǎn，bīnguǎn shì shénme yìsi? What does bīnguǎn mean? Bīnguǎn
shì shénme yìsi?
M：是什么意思？It’s what meaning? Shì shénme yìsi？
S：So bīnguǎn shì shénme yìsi?
M: 宾馆是hotel. Bīnguǎn means hotel.
S: Fàndiàn shì shénme yisi? Fàndiàn.
M：饭店也是hotel, 或restaurant. Fàndiàn also is hotel or restaurant. 饭店也是hotel 或restaurant.
S：Fandian，好，嘿! Time for break.
M: I agree. 我同意.
S：Eh that was a quick break. Let’s continue with the quiz on the contents of the previous couple of lessons.
M: 好主意.Good idea. Hǎo zhǔyi. 现在我们开始.Now we begin. Xiànzài wǒmen kāishǐ. Stuart, 你的行李太多了. Nǐde xíngli tài duō le. 太多了，是什么意思？
S: Tài duō le，shì too much huò too many. Tài duō le.
M: 对了，right! Remember the little le, l,e, le, on the end doesn’t have any real meaning. It’s just colloquial habit. Stuart, 你的行李太重了. Nǐde xíngli tài zhòng le. 太重，是什么意思？
S: Tài zhòng, is too heavy. Tài zhòng.
M: Very good. 非常好. OK, Stuart. 你的行李太沉了. 太沉，是什么意思？
S: Shenme yisi? Shenme yisi? Ah！Tài chén yě shì too heavy. Tài chén is also tài zhòng.
M：对了. 太沉和太重一样。Tài chén hé tài zhòng yíyàng. Are the same. Yíyàng.
S: After revising that, we got ready to leave the jīchǎng. Airport. And we said let’s go out and get a taxi.
M: 我们走吧.我打车.
S: Hǎo，nǐ dǎchē. Wǒ dǎ gè diànhuà. I’ll make a phone call. Wǒ dǎ gè diànhuà.
M：Stuart finished phoning. The xíngli is ready, and chē lái le.The taxi is here. 车来了.
S: Na henhao. Chē lái le. Here’s the driver.
D:你们去哪儿？Nǐmen qù nǎ’er？
M：我们去友谊宾馆.We are going to the Friendship hotel. Wǒmen qù yǒuyì bīngguǎn.
D: 没问题.No problem.
S: Oh maybe we’re finally leaving the jichang.
M：Oh, 我很高兴.I’m very happy. wǒ hěn gāoxìng. 我很高兴.
S: Wǒ yě shì. So am I. Wo ye shi. Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng.
M：Now we are going to yǒuyì bīngguǎn. .The Friendship Hotel. So see you next lesson. 再见.
S: Zàijiàn!

Lesson 015 May I Borrow Your Mobile Phone?

S: 大家好，欢迎 to Learn Chinese Now, 现在学汉语. 我是Stuart.
M: And wo shi ML.
S: And we’re in the taxi going to my bin’guan.
M: Which is a good place to learn things like, ‘use your mobile phone’. And to ‘have’, ‘use’ and ‘give’.
S: Hao, xianzai women kaishi!
M: Don’t forget. Repeat everything we say. And always try to guess the meaning of new words, before we explain them.
S: But here’s a little help. 手shou SHOU shǒu, we know is ‘hand’.
M: And ji JI JI jī can mean ‘machine’. Can you guess what a shǒujī is?
S: let’s find out.
M: S wants to make a phone call. 他要打个电话. Ta yao da ge dianhua.
S: ML, 你有手机吗？nǐ yǒu shǒuji ma?
M: 有，我有手机. Yǒu, wǒ yǒu shǒujī. 你要用吗？ni yao yong ma?
S: 是的,我要用你的手机。可以吗？ Wo yao yong ni de xhou ji. Kěyǐ ma.
M: 可以。Keyi. 给你。Gei ni.
S: Xiexie.

Lesson 016 Revision of Leaving the Airport

M: Ni hao! 来学汉语。Come and learn hanyu, with Learn Chinese Now!. Woshi ML.
S: Woshi Stuart. It’s 复习 revision fùxí time. Lots to listen to and repeat. We’re going to move fast. kaishi!
M: The car’s come, 车来了，chē láile.
S：I’ll get my luggage. My luggage is very heavy. 我的行李很沉。Wo de xingli hen chen. Driver, can you help me? 司机,你能帮我吗? Siji, nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma?
TD: Mei wenti.
S: Xiexie.
M: Ni neng bang wo ma? Can you help me? Stuart could also have asked…
S: 你能帮忙吗？
M: Bāngmáng, add the máng MANG. bangmang, also means ‘help’. Please help, 请帮忙，qing bangmang.
M: We will sit in the front. 我们坐前面. Women zuò qiánmian.
S: The front, qiánmiàn. So far, so good!
S: Break over! A quick reminder. ‘Open’ – 开 KAI kai. ‘Shut – 关GUAN guan. Door – 门 MEN mén.
M: Get in the car – 上车 SHANG CHE shàng chē. Now the dialogue.
Please open the door. 请开门。Qǐng kāimén.
S: Ok, I’ll open the door. Hao, wo lai kai men. Wo lai kai men.
M: We get in the car. 我们上车, women shàng chē.
M: Please close the car door. 请关车门。Qǐng guān chē mén.
S: Ok, I’ll close it. 好，我来关。Wo lai guan.
M: The door’s closed,门关了. Remember the little ‘le’ after the verb – it indicates completion. Men guan le.
S: Now we leave the jichang. 现在我们离开机场, xianzai women likai jichang.
S: And we’re in the taxi going to my bin’guan.
M: Now we’ll fùxí revise things like, ‘use your mobile phone – shǒujī. And ‘to have’ – yǒu, yǒu; ‘to use’- yòng, yòng; and ‘give’ – gěi, gěi.
S: Not forgetting, kěyǐ – can do, or Ok. Hao, women kaishi.
M: Stuart wants to make a phone call. 他要打个电话. Ta yao da ge dianhua.
S: ML, do you have a mobile phone? 你有手机吗？nǐ yǒu shǒuji ma?
M: 有，我有手机. Yǒu, wǒ yǒu shǒujī. Want to use it? 你要用吗？ni yao yong ma?
S: 是的,我要用你的手机。可以吗？ Wo yao yong ni de xhou ji. Kěyǐ ma.
M: 可以。Of course. Keyi. 给你。Gei ni.
S: Xiexie.
M: 非常好. Stuart is making a phone call. Stuart 在打电话。Ta zài dǎ diànhuà.
S: Dui, wo zai da dianhua. I’m using ML’s mobile phone. Wo zai yong ML de shouji.
M: So maybe I should keep quiet.
S: Hao zhǔyì. Hao zhuyi!
M: So we’ll see you next time. Zaijian.
S: Zaijian.

Lesson 017 The Line’s Busy.

S: Da jia hao! Come and learn hanyu, with Learn Chinese Now!. Woshi S.
M: Woshi ML. 今天 today jīntiān, we have lots to learn.
S: Yes, we’re going to learn a bit about phoning, and some numbers. Try to mimic everything.
M：Stuart is using my mobile phone. 他在用我的手机。Ta zai yong wo de shouji.
S: 我在打电话。Wo zai da dianhua.
S: Busy! 占线，zhàn xiàn. I’ll try again. 我再打一遍。Wǒ zài dǎ yī biàn.电话号码是，dianhua hàomǎ shi 0 123 , líng yī èr sān.
S: 还是占线。Hái shì zhàn xiàn. 我再打一遍。Wo zai da yi bian. Ling yi er san. Ling yi er san.
VOICE – 喂? wéi.
S: 你好。玛丽在吗? Mǎlì zài ma?
VOICE: 打错了。 Dǎ cuò le.
M: Poor Stuart. 占线，然后，打错了。First it’s busy, then, wrong number. Zhànxiàn, ránhòu, dǎ cuò le!
S: Oh dear. Let’s go over the new words, then I’ll try again.
M: First, we had, 占线，ZHAN XIAN, zhan xian. Literally meaning, ‘occupy line’. So, zhànxiàn, line’s busy. Hái shì zhàn xiàn. It’s still busy. Hái shì zhàn xiàn.
S: Then we heard a few numbers. Try zero to three, everybody.
M: Zero líng, one, yī, two, èr, three, sān. Again, ling, yi er san, ling, yi er san. 好!
S: And I’ll dial again. Wo zai da yi bian.
M: 再 ZAI zài, here means ‘again’. Zài. It’s the same zài as in, can you guess? Dui le! Same as in 再见，zàijian, again see, or, ‘see you’. Dǎ yī biàn. yi bian, YI BIAN, means ‘one time’. So, zài dǎ yī biàn. dial again. Zai da yi bian. Wo zai da yi bian.
S: Then I said, ‘dianhua haoma shi’
M: 电话号码。Hàomǎ HAO MA hàomǎ, is ‘number’. So what does ‘dianhua haoma shi yi er san’ mean? Right. The telephone number is 1 2 3.
S: And how do people answer in China. Right, it’s usually with, 喂, wéi. Say it everybody, wéi.
M: Wéi, that’s not too difficult! Then Stuart asked, ‘is Mary there?’
S: Mali zai ma?
M: Is Mary there?
S: And then, the dreaded answer…
VOICE: 打错了，dǎ cuò le!
M: Cuò CUO cuò, 4th tone, means ‘wrong’. Da cuo le, dialed wrong, meaning, ‘wrong number’. Say it, da cuo le, da cuo le. Fei chang hao.
S: Wǒ zài dǎ yī biàn. Dianhua hàomǎ shi, líng yāo èr sān. Ling yao er san.
S: Hái shì zhàn xiàn! Wo zai da yi bian. Ling yao er san. Ling yao er san.
VOICE – 喂, wéi.
S: 你好. Mǎlì zài ma?
VOICE: Dǎ cuò le!
M: Da cuo le! What a way to end our lesson. Let’s hope Stuart does better next time.
S: Me too. But did you hear the other word for ‘one’? Yes, it’s yāo. We usually say yāo YAO yāo instead of yī for telephone numbers and such. Ok, that’s all for today, and don’t forget to practice! Zai jian.
M: Zaijian!

Lesson 018 Call Mary.

M: Ni hao! Come and learn hanyu, with Learn Chinese Now! Woshi ML.
S: Woshi S. 今天 today jīntiān, we have lots to learn. More about making a phone call.
M: And do you remember the two words for the number ‘one’? Yes, yī yī and yāo yāo. We usually use yao for telephone numbers and such. So one two three is yao er san, not yi er san.
S: Now, qǐng, please, qǐng listen and repeat. Try to pick out the words for ‘in’, ‘do’, and ‘whose’. ML, 现在我们在哪儿?
M: We’re still in the taxi. 我们还在车里。Women hái zài chē lǐ.
S: And what am I doing? wǒ zài gàn shénme?
M: You’re making a phone call. 你在打电话。Nǐ zài dǎ diànhuà.
S: Whose phone am I using? wǒ zài yòng shéi de diànhuà?
M: 你在用我的手机。Ni zai yong wo de shouji.
S: Who am I phoning? 我打电话给谁？wo da dianhua gei shei?
M: 你打电话给玛丽。Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gěi Mǎlì.
S: 对了，我要打电话给玛丽。Dui le, wo yao da dianhua gei Mali.
M: Wow, that’s a lot of Chinese, 很多汉语. hěn duō hànyǔ. Let’s take a break and get ready to learn the new words.
S: Ready? Hao! ML, where are we now? xianzai women zai na’er? xianzai women zai na’er?
M: We’re still in the taxi. 我们还在车里。Women hái zài chē lǐ. zai che li, in the car. Zài ZAI zài here means ‘at’. The lǐ LI lǐ, means ‘in’ or ‘inside’. Zai che li, in the car.
S: And what am I doing? wǒ zài gàn shénme?
M: You’re making a phone call. 你在打电话。Nǐ zài dǎ diànhuà.
S: Whose phone am I using? 我在用谁的电话？wǒ zài yòng shéi de diànhuà?
M: Yòng shéi de dianhua? Shéi SHEI shéi, is ‘who’. Guess what 谁的,shéi de, means. Dui le, shéi de, ‘whose’. Literally, ‘I using whose phone?’ wǒ zài yòng shéi de diànhuà?
M: 你在用我的手机。Ni zai yong wo de shouji.
S: Who am I phoning? 我打电话给谁？wo da dianhua gei shei?
M: 你打电话给玛丽。Nǐ dǎ diànhuà gěi Mǎlì.
S: 是的，我要打电话给玛丽。Shi de, wo yao da dianhua gei Mali.
M: 他要打电话给玛丽。He wants to give Mary a phone call. Ta yao da dianhua gei Mali. Ta yao he wants ta yao. Yào YAO yào, to want. Ta yao da dianhua gei Mali.
S: Let’s practice this, very useful. Try to say, ‘I want to phone my Mama’.
M: Dui le. Wo yao da dianhua gei wode mama.
S: Now, I want to phone my papa.
M: Dui le, Wo yao da dianhua gei wode baba.
S: Of course, there are other words for mama and baba, but mama and baba are nice and easy!
M: Just right for finishing our lesson. Until next time, zai jian.
S: Zaijian!