Lesson 063 May I Use the Phone?

Yajie: Perfect Chinese your way, in only five minutes a day. Welcome to this edition of Chinese Studio. I’m Yajie.
Cam: Dajia hao. And I’m Cam.
Yajie: Today we are going to carry on learning how to send requests and win agreements. 
Cam: Sounds good to me. Now first let’s check key words of the day.

*******key words of the day
可以, could;  电话, telephone. 可以用一下电话吗？May I use the phone? 便宜, cheap. 能不能便宜点儿？Could it be a little bit cheaper? 字典, dictionary. 可以用一下你的字典吗？May I use your dictionary? All in today’s Chinese Studio.
*****

Yajie: 可以用一下电话吗？(keyi yong yi xia dianhua ma?) Could I use the phone?
Cam: 可以用一下电话吗？(keyi yong yixia dianhua ma?)
Yajie: 可以 means could.
Cam: 可以(keyi).
Yajie: 用 means to use. Yong, the fourth tone.
Cam: 用(yong).
Yajie: 电话 (dianhua), telephone.
Cam: 电话 (dianhua).
Yajie: 可以用一下电话吗？(keyi yong yi xia dianhua ma?) May I use the phone?
Cam: 可以用一下电话吗？(keyi yong yixia dianhua ma?)
Yajie: The answer is expected to be “Go ahead”. 用吧.
Cam: 用吧.(yong ba)

Conversations(1):

Yajie: There is another word often used when delivering requests. It’s 能, also means could. N-e-n-g, the second tone.
Cam: 能(neng).
Yajie: Cam, remember we learned how to bargain in the previous show.
Cam: Yes, I remember, it’s能不能便宜点儿？(neng bu neng pian yi dianer)
Yajie: 便宜, cheap.
Cam: 便宜(pianyi).
Yajie: 点儿is short for 一点儿, means a little bit.
Cam: 点儿(yi dianr).
Yajie: 能不能便宜点儿？Could it be a little bit cheaper?
Cam: 能不能便宜点儿吗？(neng bu neng pian yi dianr?) 
Yajie: If it could be a little bit cheaper, the seller may say “可以”.
Cam: 可以(keyi).
Yajie: but if the price could not be lower, then the seller would say: 不能再便宜了. (buneng zai pianyi le)
Cam: 不能再便宜了. (buneng zai pianyi le)
Yajie: 不能, could not.
Cam: 不能 (bu neng).
Yajie: 再, any more . 
Cam: 再 (zai).
Yajie: 便宜, cheap.
Cam: 便宜(pianyi).
Yajie: 不能再便宜了. (buneng zai pianyi le), It can’t be cheaper any more. 
Cam: 不能再便宜了. (buneng zai pianyi le)

Conversations (2)

Yajie: 可以用一下你的字典吗？May I use your dictionary?
Cam: 可以用一下你的字典吗？(ke yi yong y ixia ni de zi dian ma?)
Yajie: 可以 means could.
Cam: 可以(keyi).
Yajie: 用 means to use.
Cam: 用(yong).
Yajie: 你的, your
Cam: 你的 (ni de)
Yajie: 字典 (zidian), dictionary.
Cam: 字典(zidian).
Yajie: 可以用一下你的字典吗？May I use your dictionary?
Cam: 可以用一下你的字典吗？ (ke yi yong y ixia ni de zi dian ma?)
Yajie: the answer could be “Go ahead”. 用吧， or simply  行，可以。
Cam: 用吧。（yong ba ）

Conversations (3)

*******key words reminder
可以, could;  电话, telephone. 可以用一下电话吗？May I use the phone? 便宜, cheap. 能不能便宜点儿？Could it be a little bit cheaper? 字典, dictionary. 可以用一下你的字典吗？May I use your dictionary?
*****

Cam: Yajie, 可以休息一下吗？（ke yi xiu xi yi xia ma?）Can I take a rest? I’ve been working for six hours without a break!
Yajie: 可以. Ok. Time to wind up today’s Chinese Studio. 
Cam: Now comes your homework— the question of the day: what’s the Chinese for “May I use your dictionary?”