Lesson 158 Seasons and Weather (2)

Cam: Welcome to Chinese Studio everyone, wo shi Cam.
YJ: wo shi Yajie. Cam, you are going to learn all about keeping warm in today's show.
Cam: And I need it, Yajie.  I was sick so often last winter, because I wasn't dressed properly.
YJ:  Let's hear Key Words of the Day.

Key Words of the Day
to rain下雨，to snow 下雪 ，hotpot火锅，  Can you turn up the heat, please? 请把暖气开大一点，好吗？All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam:  The winter is famous for bringing rain in my hometown of Vancouver... how do I say rain in Chinese?
Yajie: it’s yu3.
Cam:  yu3. Then how do I say the rain like in “it rains a lot”?
YJ： I see. you can say 下雨 ( xià yǔ).
Cam:  xià yǔ.
YJ: xia4 means to fall,
Cam: xia4
YJ: yu3 means the rain.
Cam: yu3.
YJ: 下雨 ( xià yǔ).
Cam: 下雨 ( xià yǔ).to rain. It rains a lot in my hometown.
YJ: But in Beijing, we see snow a little more often.  Snow is xue3.
Cam: xue3.
YJ: When it snows, it’s very beautiful.
Cam: yes, so can I say “xia4 xue4” which means the snow falling.
YJ: surely you can. “xia4 xue4“下雪
Cam: xia4 xue4. to snow.

Conversation1:
1.A：看样子好像快要下雨了
B：别忘了带伞，天气预报也说今天会下雨。

2. A：你喜欢下雨还是下雪？
B：我喜欢下雪，因为可以不用带伞。

Cam: Then Yajie I’d like to know what I should eat to keep warm in the winter.
YJ: the first choice would be 火锅.
Cam: What is that?
YJ: it’s hotpot. In Chinese is huo3 guo1.
Cam:  huo3 guo1.
YJ:  huo3 means fire,
Cam:  huo3
YJ: guo1 means pot.
Cam:  guo1.
YJ: There are many varieties of hotpot. For the traditional one in Beijing, the pot is made of brass with a wide outer rim around a chimney in which the charcoal burns to heat the soup.
Cam: Sounds interesting. How exactly should I eat it?
YJ: When the soup is boiling, you dip slices of raw meat in the soup wher it quickly boils, and then put them into a kind of sauce like sesame sauce, soy sauce, chili oil, and vinegar.
Cam: what kind of meat can it be?
YJ: The meat can be beef, mutton, chicken, fish, prawn, lots of things but not pork if you are in an Islamic restaurant.
Cam: I see. How about vegetables?
YJ: You can put mushrooms or bean curd, which can be cooked quickly. Of course you can try whatever you like.
Cam: Sounds fantastic! Shall we go for it after work?
YJ: Why not!

Conversation2:
A: 冬天应该吃点什么呢？
B: 一定要吃火锅。
A: 我喜欢吃火锅。

Cam:  Yajie，I often get into taxi cabs or offices, and they are so cold!  How do I tell them to turn up the heat??
YJ: you can say qing1 ba3 nuan3 qi4 kai1 da4 yi4 dian3, hao3 ma1? 请把暖气开大一点，好吗？
Cam: qing1 ba3 nuan3 qi4 kai1 da4 yi4 dian3, hao3 ma1?
YJ: qing3 means please,
Cam: qing3 please,
YJ: nuan3 qi4 means the heat,
Cam: nuan3 qi4,
YJ: kai1 da4 means to turn up,
Cam: kai1 da4.
YJ: yi4 dian3, a little bit, 
Cam: yi4 dian3,
YJ: hao3 ma, is it ok? It shows your politeness.
Cam:  hao3 ma
YJ: 请把暖气开大一点，好吗？
Cam: qing1 ba3 nuan3 qi4 kai1 da4 yi4 dian3, hao3 ma1? Can you turn up the heat, please?

Conversation3:
 
1 A: 这太冷了，请把暖气开大一点，好吗？
B: 好的，没问题。
2 A: 我怕冷，请把暖气开大一点，好吗？
B: 对不起，这已经是最大了。

Key Words Reminder
to rain下雨，to snow下雪，hotpot火锅，  Can you turn up the heat, please? 请把暖气开大一点，好吗？All in today’s Chinese Studio.