YJ: Welcome to Chinese Studio on China Radio International. Wo3 Shi4 YJ
Cam: Da4 Jia1 Hao3, Wo3 Shi4 Cam. Hi, YJ, I visited my friend last night. She has rented a nice apartment.
YJ: Oh, I’m looking for a place too. Could you tell me more about it?
Cam: Sure. But I need to look up some key words first.
Key Words of the Day
公寓,apartment, 客厅,living room. 厨房,kitchen. 卧室,bedroom. 洗手间, washroom。客厅在门口 The living room is near the entrance. 客厅旁边是厨房 the kitchen is next to the living room. All in today’s Chinese Studio.
Cam: YJ, I love my friend’s apartment. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a beautiful living room.
YJ: Apartment, 公寓(gong1 yu4). 公, first tone. 寓, fourth falling tone. 公寓 means apartment.
Cam: 公寓(gong1 yu4).
YJ: So there must be a living room near the entrance. Right? 客厅在门口。
Cam: Yeah. So what’s the Chinese for ‘living room’again?
YJ: That’s 客厅(ke4 ting1). 客, fourth tone. 厅,first tone. 客厅.
Cam: Got it. 客厅(ke4 ting1) is living room.
YJ: and to say the “living room is right near the entrance” in Chinese is.客厅在门口 ( ke4ting1zai4men2kou3)。在(zai4)at someplace, 门口(men2kou3)entrance. 客厅在门口
Cam: 客厅在门口 ( ke4ting1zai4men2kou3)。
YJ:Good.
Conversation1
Cam: Actually next to the living room is her kitchen . How do I say that in Chinese?
YJ: It would be 客厅旁边是厨房(Ke4ting1 pang2bian1 shi4 chu2fang2)。厨房(chu2fang2) means kitchen.
Cam: chu2fang2.
YJ: Yes. And 旁边(pang2 bian1) means next to. 旁, second tone again. 边, first tone. 客厅旁边是厨房(Ke4ting1 pang2bian1 shi4 chu2fang2. )The kitchen is next to the living room.
Cam: Ke4ting1 pang2bian1 shi4 chu2fang2.
Conversation2
YJ: and wher is her bedroom?
Cam: Well, it’s next to the living room. Oh, I can almost kinda figure out how to say this sentence in Chinese, but first, what is the Chinese for bedroom?
YJ: it’s卧室(wo4 shi4), bedroom.
Cam: 卧室(wo4 shi4). So the bedroom is next to the living room would be Ke4ting1 pang2bian1 shi4 wo4 shi4, right?
YJ: very good. But we have another way to say this using the word隔壁(ge2 bi4), which means next door. 隔(ge2), second tone. 壁( bi4), fourth tone.
Cam: 隔(ge2),壁( bi4).
YJ: So wher is her bedroom again, Cam?
Cam: Well Yaj, 客厅隔壁是卧室。(ke4 ting1 ge2 bi4 shi4 wo4shi4). The bedroom is next to the living room.
Conversation3
Cam: YJ, I think I can say ‘There is a washroom to the opposite of the bedroom’ if you teach me the new words.
YJ: Oh, I would love to. washroom is 洗手间(xi3 shou3 jian1). 洗, third tone, means to wash. 手, third tone also, hand. 间, first tone, means room. Together洗手间(xi3 shou3 jian1) means washroom..
Cam: 洗手间(xi3 shou3 jian1). How about ‘to the opposite’?
YJ: It’s 对面(dui4 mian4), both in the fourth tone.
Cam: dui4 mian4 means to the opposite.
YJ: so “Washroom is to the opposite of bedroom” would be卧室对面是洗手间. (wo4 shi4 dui4 mian4 shi4 xi2 shou3 jian1)
Cam: 卧室对面是洗手间. (wo4 shi4 dui4 mian4 shi4 xi2 shou3 jian1)
Conversation4
Key Words Reminder
公寓,apartment, 客厅,living room. 厨房,kitchen. 卧室,bedroom. 洗手间, washroom。客厅在门口 The living room is near the entrance. 客厅旁边是厨房 the kitchen is next to the living room.