Lesson 114 - Swimming (2)

Chris:  It is a swimming week on Chinese Studio. Welcome to the show everyone, wo shi Chris.
Yajie:  Dajia hao, wo shi Yajie.  We learned some terms in the previous lesson, and we are going to continue with more swimming, that is 游泳 stuff today.
Chris:  Let’s get started!

Key Words of the Day
backstroke 仰泳(yang3gyong3) breaststroke蛙泳(wa1yong3) freestyle自由泳(zi4 you2 yong3)Do you know how to swim? 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?)  poolside游泳池边(you2yong3chi2 bian1) All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Yajie: Chris, Let’s start with basic swimming styles. The first one is 仰泳(yang3gyong3), which means backstroke.
Chris:  仰泳(yang3gyong3)
Yajie: Right. 仰 yang3 in Chinese means lying with your face upward. So 仰泳yang2 yong3 is backstroke.
Chris: I see, 仰泳(yang2gyong3).
Yajie: And the second word is breaststroke蛙泳(wa1yong3).
Chris: 蛙泳(wa1yong3)…I know that frog in Chinese is 青蛙 (qing1wa1). So is that because breaststroke looks similar to frog swimming?
Yajie: Yes! That’s how it gets its name! 蛙(wa1) is short for青蛙 (qing1wa1), frog. 蛙泳(wa1yong3),breaststroke.
Chris: 蛙泳(wa1yong3)
Yajie:  Chris, I know besides backstroke, you are also good at free style. But do you know how to say that in Chinese?
Chris: I guess it’s 自由泳(zi4 you2 yong3), right?
Yajie: Very good! But we’d better explain it for our listeners.
Chris: Sure. 自由(zi4 you2 )means being independent without controls.
Yajie: Right. so free style should be 自由泳(zi4 you2 yong3). Chris, how about having a quick review before we move to the next part?
Chris: I’d love it.
Yajie: Okay,  仰泳(yang3gyong3) is backstroke.
Chris: 仰泳(yang3gyong3), and蛙泳(wa1yong3) is breaststroke.
Yajie: Right.  蛙泳(wa1yong3)… and free style would be…
Chris: 自由泳(zi4 you2 yong3).
Yajie: Very good!

Conversation1:

Chris: Yajie, do you know how to swim?
Yajie: Yes I do. 
Chris: But how do I ask that question in Chinese?
Yajie: Oh it’s 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?)
Chris: 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?)
Yajie: 你(ni3) means you.
Chris: 你(ni3)
Yajie: 会 (hui4), be able to.
Chris: 会 (hui4
Yajie: 游泳(you2yong3), swim.
Chris: 游泳(you2yong3)
Yajie: 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?)
Chris: 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?) Do you know how to swim?

Conversation2:

Chris: Yajie, after swimming for such a long time, I feel a little bit tired, so I want to lay by the poolside. How do I say poolside to my Chinese friends?
Yajie: It's 游泳池边(you2yong3 chi2 bian1)
Chris: 游泳池边(you2yong3 chi2 bian1)
Yajie: Yes, we learned swimming pool yesterday, which is游泳池(you2yong3 chi2),
Chris: 游泳池(you2yong3 chi2)
Yajie: 边（bian1）here means the margin of the pool.
Chris:  边（bian1）.
Yajie: 游泳池边(you2yong3 chi2 bian1), swimming poolside.
Chris: 游泳池边(you2yong3 chi2 bian1). Yajie, can we omit swimming like in English? Just poolside for short?
Yajie: of course, you can say 池边 for short.
Chris: 池边(chi2 bian1)

Conversation3:

Key Words Reminder
backstroke 仰泳(yang3gyong3) breaststroke蛙泳(wa1yong3) freestyle自由泳(zi4 you2 yong3)Do you know how to swim? 你会游泳吗？(ni3 hui4 you2yong3 ma?)  poolside游泳池边(you2yong3chi2 bian1) All in today’s Chinese Studio.