M: Dàjiā hǎo! Huānyíng nǐmen dào Xiànzài Xué Hànyǔ. Wǒ shì ML
S: Wǒ shì Stuart. Right, everybody say with ML, ‘today we learn Lesson 77’.
M: Get ready, start. Zhǔnbèi, kāishì. 今天我们学第七十七课 jīn tiān wǒmen xué dì qī shí qī kè.
S: Hén hǎo.
M: Stuart, 今天我们学什么? jīn tiān wǒmen xué shénme?
S: We are going to practice more ‘next week, next month and next year’ with lots of travel: next week – xià ge xīngqī - ML is going to Australia, next month – xià ge yuè - to New Zealand, and next year – míng nián - to Canada.
M: Lucky me!
S: Ok, now I’ll ask ML when – 什么时候 shénme shíhòu - she’s going to these places. Don’t forget, you guys at home must also ask and answer the questions out loud. Very important. Women kāishǐ. ML, 你什么时候去澳大利亚 nǐ shénme shíhòu qù àodàlìyà?
M: 我下个星期去澳大利亚 wǒ xià ge xīngqīqù àodàlìyà.
S: 你什么时候去新西兰?nǐ shénme shíhòu qù Xīnxīlán?
M: 我下个月去新西兰 wǒ xià gè yuè qùXīnxīlán.
S: Last one. 曼丽,你什么时候去加拿大?nǐ shénme shíhòu qù Jiānádà?
M: 我明年去加拿大 wǒ míngnián qù Jiānádà.
S: Did you follow ok? Hén hǎo.
M: Remember, 什么时候 shíhòu SHI HOU shíhòu, means ‘time’, shíhòu. Shénme shíhòu? ‘what time?’ ‘when?’ shénme shíhòu. It’s a more general way of saying ‘what time?’ than jídiǎn. jídiǎn refers to clock time, wheras shénme shíhòu can also refer to the day, week, month or whatever.
S: Let’s practice it a bit. Try to ask the question, ‘what time are you coming?’
M: Méi cuò. 你什么时候来 nǐ shénme shíhòu lái?
S: And, ‘What time are you going?’ …
M: Hén hǎo. 你什么时候走? nǐ shénme shíhòu zǒu? Or, you could say, 你什么时候去? nǐ shénme shíhòu qù?
S: One more. When will you return home – huíjiā?
M: Duìle. 你什么时候回家? nǐ shénme shíhòu huíjiā?
S: All correct! Congratulations. 恭喜 gōngxǐ.
S: Now, do you remember how to say ‘last year’?
M: Duìle. 去年qù nián.
S: And ‘last month’?
M: Méi cuò. 上个月 shàng ge yuè.
S: ‘Last week’.
M: Duìle. 上个星期 shàng ge xīngqī.
S: Ok, listen to a question, and tell ML you went to England last year.
M: 你什么时候去的英国? nǐ shénme shíhòu qù de Yīngguó?
S: Did you say, 我去年去的英国 wǒ qù nián qù de Yīngguó. Yes? Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ. Now, answer that you went to Canada last month.
M: 你什么时候去的加拿大? nǐ shénme shíhòu qù de Jiānádà?
S: Fēicháng hǎo. 我上个月去的加拿大 wǒshàng ge yuèqù de Jiānádà.
M: Now tell me you’ll go to the US next week. 你什么时候去美国nǐ shénme shíhòu qù Měiguó?
S: Duìle! 我下个星期去美国 wǒ xià ge xīngqī qù Měiguó.
M: Hén hǎo. nǐ xiàge xīngqī qù Měiguó. But now we’ll xiàkè.
S: Míngtiān jiàn.