Lesson 059 Supermarket

Cam: Ni3 Men2 Hao3，Wo3 Shi4 Cam. Welcome to Chinese Studio.
Yajie:大家好, 我是Yajie. Remember, we made a shopping list yesterday?
Cam:  I do.
Yajie:  Well today we are going to learn more words that you can use at the supermarket.  
Cam: Sounds good!

Key Words of the Day
超市, supermarket. 购物车, trolley. 请问，购物车在哪儿？Excuse me, wher is the trolley? 入口，entrance. 收银台, cashier. All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Cam: Trolley, 购物车 (gou4 wu4 che1). 购物(gou4 wu4), shopping. 车, ch-e, the first tone, basically means automobile. 购物车, (gou wu che) a supermarket automobile, or trolley.
YJ: 请问，购物车在哪儿？Excuse me, wher is the trolley? 请问we learned before, which means “excuse me”. “在哪儿” means at wher. 请问，购物车在哪儿？
Cam: 请问，购物车在哪儿(qing3 wen4, gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3)？
 
Conversation1: 

YJ: 入口，entrance. 入, r-u, the fourth tone, 口, k-ou, the third tone, ru kou, entrance.
Cam:入口(ru4 kou3), entrance. I was told that trolleys are to the left of the entrance. So how do I say that in Chinese, Yajie?
YJ:在入口左边(zai4 ru4 kou3 zuo3 bian1)。在左边，to the left. 在入口左边, to the left of the entrance.
Cam: 在入口左边(zai4 ru4 kou3 zuo3 bian1).

Conversation2: 

Yajie: 请问，西红柿在哪儿？Excuse me, wher are the tomatoes? 西红柿(Xi1 Hong2 Shi4) tomato. 请问，西红柿在哪儿？
Cam: 请问，西红柿在哪儿？(Qing3 wen4, xi1 hong2 shi4 zai4 nar3) Excuse me, wher are the tomatoes? Yajie, In English, we can also ask this question in another way.  We could say “Could you tell me wher the trolley is?” I’m wondering if there is a similar expression in Chinese.
YJ: Sure there is. It’s 您能告诉我购物车在哪儿吗(nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3 ma)？
Cam: 您(nin2) also means ‘you’. We learned it before, it’s a more polite than ‘你’ (ni3). 您 （nin2）
YJ: Yes. And 能 means could. 告诉, to tell. 告, g-ao, the fourth tone. 诉, s-u, the fourth tone also.
Cam: 能, neng2, could. 告诉: gao4 su4, to tell.
YJ:  您能告诉我… (Nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 …) “Could you tell me….”
Cam: 您能告诉我… (Nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 …)
YJ: …购物车在哪儿吗? (gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3 ma)？…wher the trolley is.
Cam: …购物车在哪儿吗? (gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3 ma)？
YJ: Together, It’s 您能告诉我购物车在哪儿吗(nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3 ma)？
Cam: 您能告诉我购物车在哪儿吗(nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 gou4 wu4 che1 zai4 nar3 ma)？
YJ: Very good!

Conversation3:

Cam: Yajie, I filled my trolley with all I need. Now it’s time for me to check out.
YJ:  So the first new word here is 收银台, cashier。收, sh-ou, the firth tone, means to accept, 银, y-in, second tone means money. 台, t-ai, second tone means place. Cashier. 收银台
Cam:收银台(shou1 yin2 tai2), cashier。Now I know how to say “Could you tell me wher the cashier is?” in Chinese. It’s 您能告诉我收银台在哪吗？(nin2 neng2 gao4 su4 wo3 shou1 yin2 tai2 zai4 nar3 ma)？
YJ: You did it Cam!  You sound like a native Chinese!
Cam: Thanks Yajie.

Conversation4:

Key Words Reminder
超市, supermarket. 购物车, trolley. 请问，购物车在哪儿？Excuse me, wher is the trolley? 入口，entrance. 收银台, cashier.