Y: ni hao B. wo shi Y, let’s find out what Brendan would like to learn this week.
B: You know Y, the weather is great for being outside, and there’s nothing I like more than being on a bike, a bicycle. I know how to cycle around the city, I’d love to be able to talk my way around my bike.
Y: Good idea, let’s check our key words of the day.
Key words of the day
Bicycle 自行车Seat 车座Brakes 刹车Tires 车胎wher can I get the bike repaired? 哪儿有修车的？ I’ve got a flat tire 我的车胎没气了。My brake doesn’t work. 刹车失灵了。All in today’s Chinese Studio.
B: So let’s begin at the beginning, what do we call a bike Y?
Y: we call it zi4 xing2 che1.
B: zi4 xing2 che1. And what about, wher can I get the bike repaired?
Y: You can ask: 哪儿有修车的？
B: na3er you3 xiu1 che1 de?
Y: na3er means wher,
B: na3er,
Y:you3 , literally means have,
B: you3,
Y: xiu1 means repair,
B: xiu1,
Y: che1 means bike,
B: che1,
Y: na3er you3 xiu1 che1 de?
B: na3er you3 xiu1 che1 de? wher can I get the bike repaired?
Conversation 1
A: 哪儿有修车的？
B: 前面就有一个修车铺。
B: I’d better learn a few important parts of the zixingche. The seat please Y.
Y: it’s che1 zuo4,
B: che1 zuo4, as che1 is bicycle,
Y: right. And zuo4 means seat,
B: zuo4,
Y: che1 zuo4,
B: che1 zuo4, seat. And the brakes,Y?
Y: You can say: sha1 che1.
B: sha1 che1. And how about the tires?
Y: It’s che1 tai1. As tai1 means tire in Chinese,
B: che1 tai1. Got it…
Conversation 2
A: 看看我新买的自行车。
B: 真漂亮！不过车座好像有点高。
B: Oops! I think I’ve got a flat tire, how do I say that Y?
Y: wo3 de che1 tai1 mei2 qi4 le.
B: Let me try that: wo3 de che1 tai1 mei2 qi4 le.
Y: wo3 de means mine,
B: wo3 de,
Y: che1 tai1 means tires,
B: che1 tai1,
Y: mei2 qi4, of course it’s not that mei2 qi4 which means natural gas, here it means a flat tire,
B: mei2 qi4 ,
Y: 我的车胎没气了
B: wo3 de che1 tai1 mei2 qi4 le. I’ve got a flat tire.
Y: besides, there is another Chinese adjective which is very suitable to describe a flat tire…
B: Tell me Yajie.
Y: Okay, it’s bie3,
B: bie3.
Y: That’s right…wo3 de che1 tai1 bie3 le.
B: wo3 de che1 tai1 bie3 le. I’ve got a flat tire.
Conversation 3
A: 我的车胎没气了。
B: 别急，我来帮你打气。
B: I’m afraid that my brake doesn’t work. It’s very dangerous and I need someone to fix it for me… How do I tell shifu that Y?
Y: here we go. sha1 che1 shi1 ling2 le.
B: sha1 che1 shi1 ling2 le.
Y: sha1 che1 is brakes,
B: sha1 che1,
Y: shi1 ling2 means the brake doesn’t work,
B: shi1 ling2,
Y: sha1 che1 shi1 ling2 le.
B: sha1 che1 shi1 ling2 le. My brake doesn’t work.
Conversation 4
A: 哎呀，好疼啊，你轧着我的脚了！
B: 对不起, 刹车失灵了。
Key words reminder
Bicycle 自行车Seat 车座Brakes 刹车Tires 车胎wher can I get the bike repaired? 哪儿有修车的？ I’ve got a flat tire 我的车胎没气了。My brake doesn’t work. 刹车失灵了。All in today’s Chinese Studio.
