Lesson 074 – Taxi Cabs (2)

Cam:  It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only wu3 fen1 zhong1 a day… welcome to Chinese Studio, I’m Cam.
YJ:  And wo shi Yajie – Cam, yesterday we learned how to tell a taxi driver wher you want to go. So, does that help you?
Cam:  Well, it did.  But I still need to learn how to say a few other things as well.
Yajie:  Well, let’s check Key Words of the Day.

Key Words of the Day
Left，左(zuǒ)；Right，右(yòu)。 Please turn left，请左拐(qǐng zuǒ guǎi)。It’s near the hotel。在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn) Please stop here. 请停这儿。All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam:  Yajie, I live on a street that is confusing for taxi drivers to get to.  The driver always drives down the road, and I have to keep pointing right, because I need him to turn into a driveway. But how do I just say, “Please turn right”?
YJ: You know in Chinese right is 右, y-o-u, the fourth tone.
Cam: 右(yòu).
YJ: And turn, listen carefully, is 拐 (guǎi), g-u-a-i, the third tone.
Cam: 拐 (guǎi).
YJ: So turn right is 右拐( yòu guǎi).
Cam: 右拐( yòu guǎi)
YJ: Yes. And,in oral Chinese we say “师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi)”
Cam: So what does 师傅 (shīfu) mean?
YJ: 师傅 (shīfu) is how you call taxi driver in oral Chinese. We’ll explain it more in later shows.
Cam:　师傅 (shīfu). So that's the taxi driver.
YJ: “师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi)” Please turn right.
Cam: 师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi).

Conversation1:

Cam: Yajie, please turn right is 右拐，so I guess turn left is 左拐( zuǒ guǎi) , since in Chinese zuo is left, Right?
YJ: Absolutely. And one more useful phrase is请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu), please go straight.
Cam: 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu). 直(zhí) means straight? And 走(zǒu) means go?
YJ: Yes, they are. 直, z-h-i, the second tone, and  走,z-ǒ-u, the third tone. 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu), please go straight.
Cam: 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu).

Conversation2:

YJ: And you can give more information to make it easier to find. For example, if the place is near a hotel, then you may say在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn).
Cam: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn).
YJ:  宾馆(bīnguǎn) means hotel. 在…..附近 (zài…fùjìn) together means near some place.
Cam: 宾馆(bīnguǎn),  hotel. and 在…..附近 (zài…fùjìn), near some place.
YJ: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn), near the hotel
Cam: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn). So then how do I say it’s near the stadium.
YJ: stadium in Chinese is 体育馆(tǐyùguǎn).
Cam: 体育馆(tǐyùguǎn). So in Chinese if i want to say“it’s near the stadium" is在体育馆附近(zài tǐyùguǎn fùjìn), right?
YJ: Yes. 在体育馆附近(zài tǐyùguǎn fùjìn), it’s near the stadium.
Cam: OK,so finally here I am. But how do you say “Please stop here”?
YJ: it’s 请停这儿。 请means please, 停，stop, 这儿, here 请停这儿 . Please stop here.
Cam: qing ting zhe er.

Conversation3:

Key Words Reminder
Left，左(zuǒ)；Right，右(yòu)。Please turn left，请左拐(qǐng  zuǒ guǎi)。 It’s near the hotel。在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn) Please stop here. 请停这儿
YJ:Well,we’ve run out of time today… but our question of the day is, how do you say, “It’s near the hotel” in Chinese?