YJ:  And wo shi Yajie – Cam, yesterday we learned how to tell a taxi driver where you want to go. So, does that help you?

Cam:  Well, it did.  But I still need to learn how to say a few other things as well. 

Yajie:  Well, let’s check Key Words of the Day.

Key Words of the Day 

Left，左(zuǒ)；Right，右(yòu)。Please turn left，请左拐(qǐng zuǒ guǎi)。It’s near the hotel。在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn) Please stop here. 请停这儿。All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam:  Yajie, I live on a street that is confusing for taxi drivers to get to.  The driver always drives down the road, and I have to keep pointing right, because I need him to turn into a driveway. But how do I just say, “Please turn right”?

YJ: You know in Chinese right is 右, y-o-u, the fourth tone. 

Cam: 右(yòu). 

YJ: And turn, listen carefully, is 拐 (guǎi), g-u-a-i, the third tone.

Cam: 拐 (guǎi).

YJ: So turn right is 右拐( yòu guǎi).

Cam: 右拐( yòu guǎi)

YJ: Yes. And,in oral Chinese we say “师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi)”

Cam: So what does 师傅 (shīfu) mean? 

YJ: 师傅 (shīfu) is how you call taxi driver in oral Chinese. We’ll explain it more in later shows. 

Cam:　师傅 (shīfu). So that's the taxi driver.

YJ: “师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi)” Please turn right. 

Cam: 师傅，请右拐(shīfu, qǐng yòu guǎi).

Conversation1:

Cam: Yajie, please turn right is 右拐，so I guess turn left is 左拐( zuǒ guǎi) , since in Chinese zuo is left, Right? 

YJ: Absolutely. And one more useful phrase is请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu), please go straight.

Cam: 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu). 直(zhí) means straight? And 走(zǒu) means go? 

YJ: Yes, they are. 直, z-h-i, the second tone, and  走,z-ǒ-u, the third tone. 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu), please go straight.

Cam: 请直走(qǐng zhí zǒu).

Conversation2:

YJ: And you can give more information to make it easier to find. For example, if the place is near a hotel, then you may say在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn). 

Cam: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn).

YJ:  宾馆(bīnguǎn) means hotel. 在…..附近 (zài…fùjìn) together means near some place.

Cam: 宾馆(bīnguǎn),  hotel. and 在…..附近 (zài…fùjìn), near some place. 

YJ: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn), near the hotel 

Cam: 在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn). So then how do I say it’s near the stadium. 

YJ: stadium in Chinese is 体育馆(tǐyùguǎn). 

Cam: 体育馆(tǐyùguǎn). So in Chinese if i want to say“it’s near the stadium" is在体育馆附近(zài tǐyùguǎn fùjìn), right? 

YJ: Yes. 在体育馆附近(zài tǐyùguǎn fùjìn), it’s near the stadium.

Cam: OK,so finally here I am. But how do you say “Please stop here”? 

YJ: it’s 请停这儿。 请means please, 停，stop, 这儿, here 请停这儿 . Please stop here.

Cam: qing ting zhe er.

Conversation3:

Key Words Reminder 

Left，左(zuǒ)；Right，右(yòu)。Please turn left，请左拐(qǐng  zuǒ guǎi)。 It’s near the hotel。在宾馆附近。(zài bīnguǎn fùjìn) Please stop here. 请停这儿

YJ:Well,we’ve run out of time today… but our question of the day is, how do you say, “It’s near the hotel” in Chinese?

Cam:  Send your answer to [email protected]. And check out our website too, at en.chinabroadcast.cn and click “learn Chinese”.  See you tomorrow! 

YJ: Ming tian jian.

(Written by Zhao Pingping)

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