Cam: Yajie, I have been busy studying all week for this week’s review lesson. Welcome to Chinese Studio everyone. I’m Cam.
YJ: Wo3 shi4 YJ. Cam, I want to see how much you’ve learned. Follow along with Sentences in the Week.
Sentences in the Week
好久没见了。Long time no see 冰箱里有什么？What’s in the refrigerator? 客厅在门口 The living room is near the entrance. All in today’s Sentences in the Week.
YJ: 好久没见了(Hao3jiu3 Mei2 jian4 le)。I haven’t seen you for a long time. 好久 long time.And没见, not see. 好久没见了(Hao3jiu3 Mei2 jian4 le) Long time no see.
Cam: Hao3jiu3 Mei2 jian4 le. Long time no see.
YJ: 你好吗？（ni2 hao3 ma1）, means ‘How are you?’
Cam: 你好吗？how are you? And what’s the Chinese for I feel “Not bad”
YJ: 还不错(Hai2 bu2 cuo4)”. Not bad. 还(Hai2) means still. 不错(bu2 cuo4), not bad. “还不错(Hai2 bu2 cuo4)”. Not bad.
Cam: 还不错(Hai2 bu2 cuo4).
Conversation1:
Cam: The most important thing we learned in the past week is how to describe ‘there is something in someplace.’
YJ: We learned two ways: one with the verb 有(you3) which originally means ‘to have’, the other with the verb 是(shi4) which means ‘to be’. For instance: 冰箱里有什么？What’s in the refrigerator? 冰箱(Bing1 Xiang1), both in the first tone, means refrigerator. 里 means inside. 冰箱里(Bing1 Xiang1 li3), in the refrigerator.
Cam: 冰箱里(Bing1 Xiang1 li3) describes a location. And 有什么(you3 shen2 me) means ‘have what’.
YJ: Together it’s: 冰箱里有什么 (Bing1 Xiang1 li3 you3 shen2 me)? What’s in the fridge？
Cam: Bing1 Xiang1 li3 you3 shen2 me? Actually we can get the answer if we use words like Coca Cola and orange juice to replace 什么(shen2 me).
YJ: So it becomes冰箱里有可乐和橙汁(Bing1xiang1 li3 you3 ke3le4 he2 cheng2zhi1). There is Coca Cola and orange juice in the refrigerator. 可乐, also known as 可口可乐, is the Chinese for Coca Cola.
Cam: Orange juice is 橙汁(cheng2 zhi1). The whole sentence: Bing1xiang1 li3 you3 ke3le4 he2 cheng2zhi1. There is Coca Cola and orange juice in the refrigerator.
Conversation2:
YJ: Now let’s review the second way to express “there is something in some place”. Remember, the key is the verb 是 which means ‘to be’. For instance: What’s the Chinese for ‘There is a bedroom next to the living room”?
Cam: Next is 隔壁(ge2 bi4).And the living room is 客厅(ke4 ting1)。So “next to the living room” would be 客厅隔壁(ke4 ting1 ge2 bi4).
YJ: Right. And a hint: this location plus 是(shi4), then plus bedroom, 卧室(wo4 shi4), would be the answer.
Cam: So it’s 客厅隔壁是卧室。(ke4 ting1 ge2 bi4 shi4 wo4shi4). there is a bedroom next door to the living room.
YJ: Right. 客厅隔壁是卧室。(ke4 ting1 ge2 bi4 shi4 wo4shi4). One more example: 卧室对面是洗手间. 洗手间(xi3 shou3 jian1) means washroom. And 对面(dui4 mian4) means to the opposite. 卧室对面(wo4 shi4 dui4 mian4), to the opposite of the bedroom
Cam: So the whole sentence starts with the location, followed by the verb 是(shi4) and xi3 shou3 jian1, washroom. 卧室对面是洗手间wo4 shi4 dui4 mian4 shi4 xi3 shou3 jian1. To the opposite of the bedroom is a washroom.
Conversation3
YJ: Well, it’s time to wind up this review lesson. Remember, we announced three questions in the past week. First, can you say ‘There is orange juice in the refrigerator’ in Chinese? Second, what’s the Chinese for ‘There are photographs of my whole family’. And finally, how do you say “the kitchen is next to the living room” in Chinese.
Cam: You just need to choose one question, and send us your answer to [email protected]. Then you’ll have a chance to win a CRI gift. Why not have a try? Well, class is over. See you next week. Xia4 zhou1 jian4.
YJ:下周见。
(Written by Wang Anjing)
