Cam:  Wo shi Cam…. It’s been a good week Yajie, because I’m learning how to get around town in a taxi cab.  But yesterday I was in a cab, and the traffic was horrible!  I didn’t know how much longer it was going to take?

YJ:  Why didn’t you ask him?

Cam:  I didn’t know how! 

YJ:  Okay, then listen up!

Key Words of the Day 

多远，how far, 还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?) How much further ? 我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?) Are we there yet? 多少钱？(duōshao qián) How much is it?  要，need, 发票，receipt, 我要发票。 (wǒ yào fāpiào) I’d like the receipt. All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam:  So Yajie, I’ve learned how to say turn left and turn right, and to ask where to go.  But with the horrible traffic in Beijing, my last trip takes longer than I thought. So how do I say, “How much further is it?”

YJ: It’s还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?)

Cam: 还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?)

YJ: 还有，means still have blah blah left. Here it means it still has certain distance left. 

Cam: 还有，hai2 you3. 

YJ: 多远 (duō yuǎn) means how far. 

Cam: 多远 (duō yuǎn).

YJ: 还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?)

Cam: 还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?) How much further is it?

Conversation1:

YJ: So Cam, if there is really bad traffic, you might not know when you finally arrive at your destination.  So you can ask your cab driver:   我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?) Are we there yet?

Cam: 我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?)

YJ: 我们(wǒmen), we.

Cam: 我们(wǒmen). 

YJ: 到了 (dào le), arrived. 

Cam: 到了 (dào le). I often hear that on the subway.

YJ: That's right. As we mentioned before吗 is a question mark. 

Cam: 吗 (ma). 

YJ: 我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?)

Cam: 我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?) Are we there yet?

YJ: or you can just say “到了吗？” for short. 

Cam: 到了吗？

YJ: Well then you may hear taxi driver say “到了” if you reach your place. 

Cam: dao4 le which would mean arrived.

YJ: Otherwise the driver would say “没到”， not yet.  

Cam: 没到 (méi dào).

Conversation2:

Cam: Then before I leave, I have to be sure to pay the driver.  But before I do that, I have to ask how much my trip cost, which we have learned before.  多少钱？(duōshao qián). Right? 

YJ: Exactly. 多少钱？(duōshao qián) How much is it?

Cam: And sometimes I’d like to get the receipt. How do you say it in Chinese? 

YJ: It’s我要发票。(wǒ yào fāpiào)

Cam: 我要发票。(wǒ yào fāpiào)

YJ: 要 means need.

Cam: 要 (yào)

YJ: And receipt in Chinese is 发票(fāpiào).

Cam: 发票(fāpiào).

YJ: 我要发票。(wǒ yào fāpiào)

Cam: 我要发票。(wǒ yào fāpiào) I’d like the receipt.  And if I don’t want the receipt, can I say wo bu yao fapiao?

Yajie:  Right!

Conversation3:

Key Words Reminder 

多远，how far, 还有多远？(hái yǒu duō yuǎn?) How much further ? 我们到了吗？(wǒmen dào le ma?) Are we there yet? 多少钱？(duōshao qián) How much is it?  要，need, 发票，receipt, 我要发票。 (wǒ yào fāpiào) I’d like the receipt.

YJ: That wraps up today’s lesson…. Hopefully you can now get around town with ease.

Cam: It’s time for today’s question of the day.  How do you say, “how much further is it” in Chinese?  This is an easy one.  Send your answer to [email protected]. 

YJ: And check out our website if you get a chance as well.  We are at en.chinabroadacast.cn, and click Learn Chinese.  See you tomorrow! 

Cam: Zai jian!

(Written by Zhao Pingping)

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