Lesson 173 谁的生日宴会?

M: Peng2you3men. Ni3men hao3! Huan1ying2 shou1ting1 Xian4zai4 Xue2 Han4yu3. Wo3 shi4 ML.

S: Wo3 shi4 Stuart. Before we get into today's lesson, one small point. We've learnt the order of the year animals, but you must remember that the traditional Chinese years run from one lunar new year to the next, so if you were born in January or early February, you might think you belong to the wrong animal.

M: And that would be terrible! Never mind, because now I'm going to organize a birthday party. 现在我要安排一个生日宴会 xian4zai wo3men yao4 an1pai2 yi2 ge sheng1ri4 yan4hui4.

S: Organize a …Whose birthday party? 谁的生日宴会?

M: 我的生日宴会。

S: Which day is your birthday 你的生日是哪一天？ni3de sheng1ri4 shi4 na3yi4tian1?

M: Next weekend, Saturday 下周末，星期六 xia4 zhou1mo4, xing1qi1 liu4.

S: What do you intend to do? 你们打算干什么 ni3men da3suan4 gan4shen2me?

M: First we'll eat dinner. 我们先吃晚饭 wo3men xian1 chi1 wan3fan4. After we've eaten, we'll go to a karaoke bar. 吃完饭之后，我们去唱卡拉OK。Chi1 wan2 fan4 zhi1hou4, wo3men qu4
chang4 ka3la1OK.

S: And is it all on you 你请客吗? ni3qing3ke4ma?

M: We'll go Dutch. 我们AA制.

S: Karaoke, wonderful! But first, the new stuff. ML said she's going to organize a birthday party - sheng1ri4 yan4hui4'. Try to pick out the word ‘organize'. Over to you ML.

M: 现在我要安排一个生日宴会 xian4zai wo3yao4 an1pai2 yi4ge sheng1ri4 yan4hui4.

S: Hear "organize'? Dui4le. 安排 AN PAI, an1pai2, 1st tone 2nd tone, an1pai2.

M: So try to say, Is everything organized ok? Mei2cuo4. 都安排好了吗 dou1 an1pai2 hao3 le ma?

S: Now say, Everything's organized ok. Quite right. 都安排好了 dou1 an1pai2 hao3 le.

M: Back to the birthday party, which is next weekend, Saturday. 下周末，星期六. Xia4zhou1mo4, xing1qi1 liu4.

S: 你打算干什么？

M: ni3 da3suan4 gan4 shen2me? 打算 DA SUAN da3suan4, means ‘plan', ‘intend' or the noun ‘intention', da3suan4.

S: So try to say, What do you intend to do? Hen3 hao3. 你打算干什么 ni3 da3suan4 gan4 shen2me?

M: I answered, FIRST, we'll eat dinner.

S: Pay attention. ML will say, ‘Now we'll eat.' Then she'll say, ‘FIRST, we'll eat.' So try to hear how we say ‘first' here.

M: 现在我们吃饭. Xian4zai4 wo3men chi1 fan4. Changing to ‘first'. 我们先吃饭 wo3men xian1 chi1 fan4.

S：Hear it? Mei2 cuo4. It's 先 XIAN xian1. First we'll eat 我们先吃饭 wo3men xian1 chi1fan4.

M: Bu2 dui4. 我们先下课。Zai4jian4!

S: zai4jian4.