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Mandarin Chinese I | 中文课程1

In Lesson 7, you will learn useful expressions for socializing in China including phrases used in celebrations, inviting guests, and giving directions. In this lesson you will also discuss how you feel. In the following video, listen to Wang Qiang invite Mary to a birthday celebration.

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Were you able to understand some or all of what was said in the video? Play it several times to see if you can. Check your understanding by reading the transcript, below.

Transcript, vocabulary, and notes

Text 课文 (Kèwén)

After you have watched the video, check your understanding by reading the transcript and the English translation.

Pinyin Simplified Traditional English Listen Notes
Wáng Qiáng
Mǎlì, nǐ zuò shénme ne?
王强
玛丽, 你做什么呢?
王強
瑪麗, 你做什麼呢?
Wang Qiang
Mary, what are you doing?

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L22
Mǎlì
Wǒ zài kàn shū ne.
玛丽
我在看书呢。
瑪麗
我在看書呢。
Mary
I am reading a book.

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G36
Wáng Qiáng
Míngtiān wǒ shēngri, wǎnshàng zài wǒ jiā kāi wǔhuì, nǐ néng lái ma?
王强
明天我生日, 晚上在我家开舞会。 你能来吗?
王強
明天我生日, 晚上在我家開舞會。 你能來嗎?
Wang Qiang
Tomorrow is my birthday and I am having a dance at my house tomorrow night. Can you come?

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L23
Mǎlì
Hǎo a. Jǐ diǎn zhōng?
玛丽
好啊。 几点钟?
瑪麗
好啊。 幾點鐘?
Mary
Fantastic! What time?

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Wáng Qiáng
Qī diǎn zhōng. Nǐ zhīdao bù zhīdao zěnme zǒu?
王强
七点钟。 你知道不知道怎么走?
王強
七點鐘。 你知道不知道怎麼走?
Wang Qiang
7:00 pm. Do you know how to get there?

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Mǎlì
Bù zhīdao, nǐ děi gàosù wǒ.
玛丽
不知道, 你得告诉我。
瑪麗
不知道, 你得告訴我。
Mary
No. You will need to tell me.

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G37
Wáng Qiáng
Nǐ zhùzài nǎr?
王强
你住在哪儿?
王強
你住在哪兒?
Wang Qiang
Where do you live?

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Mǎlì
Wǒ zhù sùshè.
玛丽

我住宿舍。

瑪麗
我住宿舍。
Mary
I live in the dorm.

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Wáng Qiáng
Nǐ cóng sùshè yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu, guò sān gè lùkǒu, wǎng yòu yī guǎi jiù dào le.
王强
你从宿舍一直往前走, 过三个路口, 往右一拐就到了。
王強
你從宿舍一直往前走, 過三個路口, 往右一拐就到了。
Wang Qiang
Go straight from your dorm, pass three intersections, then make a right turn and you’ll be there.

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G38
Mǎlì
Nǐ jiā shì duōshǎo hào?
玛丽
你家是多少号?
瑪麗
你家是多少號?
Mary
What is your house number?

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Wáng Qiáng
Sì yī sān hào.
王强
四一三号。
王強
四一三號。
Wang Qiang
413

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L24
Mǎlì
Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo?
玛丽
你的电话号码是多少?
瑪麗
你的電話號碼是多少?
Mary
What is your telephone number?

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Wáng Qiáng
Wǔ wǔ wǔ yī líng yī líng.
王强
五五五一零一零。
王強
五五五一零一零。
Wang Qiang
555-1010.

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G39
Mǎlì
Hǎo, míngtiān jiàn.
玛丽
好, 明天见。
瑪麗
好, 明天見。
Mary
Good. See you tomorrow.

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Wáng Qiáng
Zàijiàn.
王强
再见!
王強
再見!
Wang Qiang
Bye!

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New Words 生词 (Shēngcí)

simplifiedtraditionalpinyinpart of speechmeaninglisten
1zuòvto make, to do

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2开舞会開舞會kāi wǔhuìvto have a dance

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kāivto hold (a party, meeting)

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舞会舞會wǔhuìndance, ball

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3知道知道zhīdaovto know

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4zǒuvto walk

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5děivmust

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6告诉告訴 gàosuvto tell

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7zhùvto live

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8宿舍宿舍sùshèndormitory

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9cóngprepfrom

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10一直一直yīzhíadvstraight, forward, continuously

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11wǎngpreptowards

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12qiánnforward

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13guòvto pass

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14路口路口lùkǒunintersection

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15yòunright

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16guǎivto turn

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17dàovto arrive

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18多少多少duōshǎopronhow much? how many?

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19电话電話diànhuàntelephone

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20号码號碼hàomǎnnumber

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21再见再見zàijiànexprgoodbye (bye)

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Language Notes

L22. 你做什么呢? versus 你是做什么的?

你做什么呢? means “What are you doing?”

For example:

Màikè, nǐ zuò shénme ne?
麦克, 你做什么呢?
What are you doing, Mike?

Wǒ zài kànshū ne.
我在看书呢。
I am reading.

However, the following means, “What’s your job?” 你是做什么的?

For example:

Wén Qiáng, nǐ shì zuò shénme de?
文强, 你是做什么的?
What’s your job, Wen Qiang?

Wǒ shì lǎoshī.
我是老师。
I am a teacher.

L23. 开舞会

开舞会 means “to hold a dance party.”

here means “to hold (a party).”

L24. Address

Chinese word order for addresses is opposite to that of English. It is from larger scope to smaller scope.

For example:

Zhōngguó Liáoníng Shěng Shěnyáng Shì Qíshān Lù èr yī sān hào
中国辽宁省沈阳市岐山路二一三号

China
Liaoning Province,
Shenyang City,
Qishan Road,
# 213

Grammar Notes

G36. Progression of an Action
Rule:When a verb is preceded by the adverb or zhèngzài 正在, or when the particle it signifies an act is in progress.

For example:

  • Mǎlì, nǐ zài zuò shénme ne?
  • 玛丽, 你在做什么呢?
  • What are you doing, Mary?
  • Wǒ xiě Hànzì ne.
  • 我写汉字呢。
  • I am writing Chinese characters.
G37.
Rule: Optative verb děi means “have to, must, or to be required.” The negative form of is bùyòng 不用 (need not) or bùbì 不必 (need not), not bù děi 不得.
For example:

  • Nǐ bùyòng fùxí Zhōngwén.
  • 你不用复习中文。
  • You need not review Chinese.
  • Nǐ bùbì fùxí Zhōngwén.
  • 你不必复习中文。
  • You need not review Chinese.
G38. 从……一直 往……走, 过……, 往……一拐, 就到了
Rule: This pattern means from (someplace) keep going (a certain direction), pass (someplace), make a turn toward (a certain direction), and you will be there.
For example:

G39. Enumeration
Rule: In reading a cardinal number, for example, telephone numbers, house numbers, passport numbers, car numbers, etc., no matter how many digits there are, they are read out one by one. Identical numbers are read out one by one.

For example:

  • Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì wǔ sì qī bā sì qī bā.
  • 我的电话号码是五四七八四七八。
  • My telephone number is 5478478.
  • Wǒ jiā shì sān liù sì bā hào.
  • 我家是三六四八号。
  • My house number is 3648.

Sentence Patterns

These sentences highlight and repeat some of the grammatical concepts introduced in this lesson.

Pinyin Simplified Traditional English Listen
Wǒ zài kàn shū ne. 我在看书呢。 我在看書呢。

I am reading a book.

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Nǐ děi gàosù wǒ. 你得告诉我。 你得告訴我。

You must tell me.

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Nǐ cóng sùshè yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu, guò sān gè lùkǒu, wǎng yòu yī guǎi jiù dào le. 你从宿舍一直往前走, 过三个路口, 往右一拐就到了。 你從宿舍一直往前走, 過三個路口, 往右一拐就到了。

From the dorm, go straight. Pass three intersections. Then make a right turn and you’re there.

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Nǐ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo? Jiǔ yī jiǔ sì jiǔ yī jiǔ sì sì liù. 你的电话号码是多少? 九一九四九一九四四六。 你的電話號碼是多少? 九一九四九一九四四六。

What is your telephone number? 919-491-9446.

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Cultural Notes

We often hear that the world is becoming smaller. What does this mean? In April 1992, McDonalds opened in Beijing. Situated near Tiananmen Square the restaurant was the largest in the world with 700 seats and nearly 30 cash registers. Serving nearly 40,000 people just in its first day, McDonalds set a world precedent in the fast food industry. What does this imply?