Lesson 172 What subjects does she like most?

M: Da4jia1 hao3. Huan1ying2 shou1ting1 Xian4zai4 Xue2 Han4yu3. Wo3 shi4 ML.

S: Wo3 shi4 Stuart.

M: Jin1 tian1 shi4 fu4xi2 ke4.

S: Let's start with a memory test. Everybody say, This is my big brother's son. He is 13. He goes to middle school, grade 1.

M: Hen3 hao3 这是我哥哥的儿子。他十三岁. 他上中学一年级 zhe3 shi4 wo3 ge1ge de er2zi. Ta1 shi2 san1 sui4. Ta1 shang4 zhong1xue2, yi1 nian2ji2.

S: And how to say, Who is this? Dui4 le. 这是谁 zhe4 shi4 shei2? Fei1chang2hao3! Now ting1 and chong2fu4 the following.

M:她是我姐姐的女儿 ta1 shi4 wo3 jie3jie de nv3er2.

S: She also goes to middle school? 她也上中学吗？Ta1 ye3 shang4 zhong1xue2 ma?

M: Shi4 de. 二年级 er2 nian2ji2.

S: What subjects does she like most? 她最喜欢什么学科 ta1 zui4 xi3huan1 shen2me xue2ke1?

M: Maths. 她最喜欢数学 ta1 zui4 xi3huan1 shu4xue2.

S: Er, 这是谁 zhe4 shi4 shei2?

M: 我丈夫的弟弟 wo3 zhang4fu de di4di. 他上大学了 ta1 shang4 da4 xue2le.

S: What does he study? 他学什么 ta1 xue2 shen2me?

M: Zoology, and also chemistry 他学动物学, 也学化学 ta1 xue2 dong4wu xue2, ye3 xue2 hua4xue2.

S: What year will he graduate? 他哪年毕业 ta1 nei3 nian2 bi4ye4.

M: 他明年毕业 ta1 ming2 nian2 bi4ye4.

S: That brings us to the lesson before last, when I asked, ML, have you bought a present? ML, 你买礼物了没有 ni3 mai3le li3wu4 mei2 you3?

M: 我没有买礼物 wo3 mei2you3 mai3 li3wu4. 我为什么要买礼物？Wo3 wei4 shen2me yao4mai3 li3wu4?

S: Because today is my birthday. 因为今天是我的生日 yin1wei2 jin1 tian1 shi4 wo3 de sheng1ri4.

M: 祝你生日快乐 zhu4 ni3 sheng1ri4 kuai4le4.

S: xie4xie4. 但是，我的礼物在哪儿 wo3 de li3wu4 zai4 nar3?

M: 好，好，我去买 wo3 qu4 mai3. 你要什么礼物 ni3 yao4 shen2me li3wu4?

S: The more expensive, the better 越贵越好 yue4 gui4 yue4 hao3.

M: He never changes!

S: And last lesson we learnt to ask when someone was born. Now everybody, ask Mrs. Ma when she was born. To be born, remember, is chu1sheng1.

M: I know you all said, 马女士，你是什么时候出生的 ni3 shi4 shen2me shi2hou4 chu1sheng1 de?

S: In Chinese word order, I was in 1948，March 14th, born.

M: 我是一九四八年三月十四号出生的 wo3 shi3 yi1 jiu3 si4 jiu3 nian2 chu1sheng1 de.

S: Ah, she belongs to the Year of Rat. 她属老鼠。Ta1 shu3 lao3shu3. The first shu3 means ‘belong to'. So, ta1 shu3 lao3 shu3, She belongs to the rat.

M: A horse, ma3, belonging to a rat!

M: And, did you hear how I said 1948? We simply say the four numbers, followed by nian2.

S: Then the month, yue4, then the date, hao4.

M: So everybody say, 2002, January 3. Hen3 hao3. 二零零二年一月三号 er4 ling2 ling2 er2 nian2 yi1 yue4 san1 hao4.

S: Now say, March 15, 1985. Fei1chang2 hao3. 一九八五年三月十五号 yi1 jiu3 ba1 wu3 nian2 san1 yue4 shi2 wu3 hao4.

M: Now everybody say, in Chinese of course, I was born on – and use your own date of birth.

S: Cheng2gong1 le ma? Succeeded? Sure you did.

M: Ok, zai4 jian4.

S: Ming2tian1jian4.