Lesson 189 – Haircut I

YJ: It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio on CRI. Wo shi Yajie.
Cam: And wo shi Cam.  Yajie, one of the hardest things for a foreigner to do in China is get a haircut… especially if he or she doesn’t speak Chinese!
YJ:  Well, consider this a valuable lesson.
Cam: I can’t wait.

Key words of the day 
Barber shop 理发店I would like a haircut. 我想剪头发。 How would you like it cut? 你想怎么剪？Just a trim. 修一下就可以了 Not too much off, 别剪太短了。All in today’s Chinese studio.

C: Yajie, first of all, I want to know the Chinese for barber shop.
Y: okay, it’s li3 fa4 dian4. 理发店
C: li3 fa4 dian4. 
Y: li3 fa4 means to have a haircut, 
C: li3 fa4. 
Y: dian4 means shop, 
C: dian4.  
Y: li3 fa4 dian4
C:li3 fa4 dian4 barber shop. Okay… I walk into a li3 fa4 dian4 off the streets of Beijing, what do I say?
YJ: You would tell them you need a haircut.  In Chinese, it’s 我想剪头发。
Cam:  wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa.  
YJ: wo3 xiang3. I’d like something. 
CM: wo3 xiang3. 
YJ: jian3 means to cut, 
C: jian3.
Y: tou2fa means hair, 
C: tou3 fa. 
Y: wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa.
C: wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa. I’d like a haircut.

Conversation1:
A: 你知道哪儿有理发店吗？
B: 街对面就有一个。
A: 我想剪头发。
B: 走吧，我陪你一起去。

Y: Then the stylist may ask you, how would you like it cut?
C: Right. What do they usually say? 
Y: they’ll ask you “你想怎么剪？”
C: ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3? 
Y: ni3 means you, 
C: ni3, 
Y: xiang3 means want or need, 
C: xiang3. 
Y: zen3me, how, 
C: zen3me,
Y: jian3 means to cut, 
C: jian3. 
Y: ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3?
C: ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3? How would you like it cut?

Conversation2:
A：我想剪头发。
B：你想怎么剪？ 
A：稍微修一下就可以了。
B：好的 。

Cam: So let’s tell them just a trim. 
Y: In Chinese it’s 修一下就可以了
C: xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le. 
Y: xiu1 yi2xia4 trim a little bit, 
C: xiu1 yi2xia4 
Y: jiu4 ke2yi3 le. Just be okay, 
C: jiu4 ke2yi3 le.
Y: xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le.
C: xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le. Just a trim will be fine.

Conversation3:
A: 你想怎么剪？
B: 修一下就可以了。别剪太短了
A: 好的。

C: Yajie, sometimes I’m afraid that they’ll cut my hair too short. How can I tell them not too much off?  
Y: You can say 别剪太短了
C: bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le. 
Y: bie2 means not, 
C: bie2,
Y: jian3 means cut, 
C: jian3, 
Y: tai4 means too much, 
C: tai4. 
Y: duan3 means short, 
C: duan3. 
Y: bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le.
C: bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le. Not too much off.

Conversatio4:
A: 别剪太短了
B: 行，保准您满意。

Key words Reminder
Barber shop 理发店I would like a haircut. 我想剪头发。 How would you like it cut? 你想怎么剪？Just a trim. 修一下就可以了Not too much off, 别剪太短了。All in today’s Chinese studio.