B: … what shall we learn this week?
Y: This week we’ll talk about manners. This is something both Chinese and westerners cherish a lot!
B: Right… But I’m always wondering how to express good manners in Chinese.
Y: Let’s first check our key words of the day.
Key words of the day
Gentleman 绅士 Lady 淑女 Ladies first, 女士优先After you 您先请。He has good manners 他很有礼貌。 All in today’s Chinese Studio.
B: Yajie, in a civilized society, what do you think, everyone should try to behave like a gentleman or a lady.
Y: I totally agree.
B: What’s the Chinese for gentleman?
Y: it’s shen1 shi4.
B: shen1 shi4 . Then how do you say lady in Chinese?
Y: it’s shu1 nv3.
B: shu1 nv3.
Y: shu1 means tender, kind and gentle in Chinese.
B: shu1.
Y: and nv3 means female.
B: nv3.
Y: shu1 nv3.
B: shu1 nv3. lady.
Conversation1:
A: 现今社会礼仪至关重要。
B: 所以我们应该努力成为绅士和淑女。
B: We just learned how to say lady in Chinese. Yajie, I wonder how to say “Ladies first.”
Y: it’s nv3 shi4 you1 xian1.
B: nv3 shi4 you1 xian1. But lady is shu1 nv3, right?
Y: Right. nv3 shi4 is another way of calling a lady.
B: I see. what’s that again?
Y: it’s nv3 shi4.
B: nv3 shi4
Y: nv3 means female,
B: nv3,
Y: shi4 means person,
B: shi4.
Y: nv3 shi4
B: nv3 shi4, lady,
Y: you1 xian1, means have priority or take precedence.
B: you1 xian1.
Y: nv3 shi4 you1 xian1.
B: nv3 shi4 you1 xian1. Ladies first.
Conversation 2:
A: 您先请。
B: 不，您先请。女士优先嘛。
A: 谢谢。
B: 不客气。
Y: Brendan, I know that “After you” is good manners.
B: Right. it’s very popular in daily life. How do I say it in Chinese?
Y: You can say “nin2 xian1 qing3.”
B: nin2 xian1 qing3
Y: nin2 is the polite form of ni3, which means you,
B: nin2,
Y: xian1 here it means start off before the others,
B: xian1
Y: qing3 means please,
B: qing3.
Y: nin2 xian1 qing3
B: nin2 xian1 qing3 After you.
Conversation 3:
A: 您先请。
B: 谢谢。
Y: Wow, ta1 hen2 you3 li3 mao4.
B: Yajie, you have to explain that to me…
Y: Sorry. I just met a boy, and he has good manners. ta1 hen2 you3 li3 mao4.
B: ta1 hen2 you3 li3 mao4.
Y: ta1 means he,
B: ta1.
Y: hen2 means very much,
B: hen2,
Y: you3 means have,
B: you3,
Y: li3 mao4 means good manners.
B: li3 mao4.
Y: ta1 hen2 you3 li3 mao4.
B: ta1 hen2 you3 li3 mao4. He has good manners.
Conversation 4:
A: 他很有礼貌。
B: 没错，他是一位真正的绅士。
Key words reminder:
Gentleman 绅士 Lady 淑女 Ladies first, 女士优先After you 您先请。He has good manners 他很有礼貌。 All in today’s Chinese Studio.
