YJ: Hi,everyone, wo3 shi4 YJ. It’s weekend again. Now it's time for us to review,  some useful expressions of duration we learned this past week. Let’s hear Sentences in the Week.

Sentences in the Week

我学汉语已经一年了。I’ve been studying Chinese already for a year. 坐飞机要13个小时. It’ll take 13 hours by plane.

YJ: In the past week, we learned some phrases of duration. For example: yi4 nian2 means one year. We just need to put the number in front of nian2, year. 

Cam: And this rule can also be applied on tian1 which means day, and fen1 zhong1, minute. For example: seven days is七天(qi1 tian1) , five minutes is五分钟(wu3 fen1 zhong1). 

YJ: In other occasions with yue4, month and xiao3 shi2, hour, we need to add ‘ge4’, the most popular measure word, after the number. For instance: 一个月(yi2 ge4 yue4) means one month. And 13个小时(shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2) means 13 hours.

Cam: YJ, you know, as a foreigner who is studying Chinese, now I know the Chinese for this question: ‘How long have you been studying Chinese’. 

YJ: ‘Ni3 xue2 han4 yu3 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 le?’ ni3 means you. Xue2 means to study. Han4 yu3 means Chinese language. duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 means how long. And le in the end indicates the completion of an action. 

Cam: So together it’s: ni3 xue2 han4 yu3 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 le? How long have you been studying Chinese? And YJ , to answer this question " I’ve been studying Chinese  for a year already". 

YJ: Wo3 xue2 han4 yu3 yi3 jing1 yi4 nian2 le。已经(yi3 jing1) means already. 

Cam: Wo3 xue2 han4 yu3 yi3 jing1 yi4 nian2 le。

YJ: Another adverb 才(cai2), which means ‘only’, also works in this case. But it can’t be used together with the ending particle word le. So the whole sentence is: Wo3 xue2 han4 yu3 cai2 yi4 nian2。 

Cam: Wo3 xue2 han4 yu3 cai2 yi4 nian2。I’ve been studying Chinese for only a year.

Conversation1:

YJ: Cam, have you been asked this question - how long have you been in Beijing?

Cam: I get that one all the time. So how do you say that in Chinese?

YJ: “Ni3 lai2 bei3 jing1 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 le”？

Cam: “Ni3 lai2 bei3 jing1 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 le”？How long have you been in Beijing?

Conversation2:

YJ: Since my friend is leaving for Canada next week, so I’d like to know去加拿大要多长时间（qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1）?

Cam: Remember, qu1 means to go. jia1 na2 da4 is Canada. 

YJ: And 要, fourth tone, means ‘need’. duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1,  means ‘how long’. Together, qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1? How long will it take to get to Canada? 

Cam: qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1? It’ll take 13 hours by plane. So YJ, what’s the Chinese for it again?

YJ: It would be ‘坐飞机要13个小时(zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2)”. fei1 ji1 means ‘plane’. zuo4 fei1 ji1 means to take a plane. 

Cam: And remember, shi san means thirteen. xiao3 shi2 means hour. So “shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2” means thirteen hours. 

YJ: The whole sentence would be 坐飞机要13个小时(zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2). It’ll take 13 hours by plane.

Cam: zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi4.

Conversation3:

YJ: Well, time to wind up this review lesson. Now here comes our question of the day: What’s the Chinese for “How long will it take to get to China?”

Cam: Email your answer to [email protected]. We look forward to sending out gifts to those who have got a right answer. And Hope you’ll tune in next week for more on Chinese Studio. 下周见(xia4 zhou1 jian4)。 

YJ: xia4 zhou1 jian4.

(Written by Wang Anjing)

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