Chinese Studio 汉语对话 Lesson 071 How Long Will It Take to Get to Canada?

 Cam: Da4 jia1 hao3 . Good to have you with us again on Chinese Studio.   Wo3 shi4 Cam.

YJ: Da4 jia1 hao3 ,wo3 shi4 YJ. Cam, one of my friends is leaving for Canada next week. So since you’re from there, can you tell me 去加拿大要多长时间（qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1）?

Cam: Whoa… you lost me there Yaj…

YJ: Well then listen to our key words of the day!

Key Words of the Day

去加拿大要多长时间? How long will it take to get to Canada? 要 need. 飞机 plane,. 汽车, bus, 小时，hour. All in today’s Chinese Studio.

YJ: Now you know 去加拿大要多长时间（qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1）means ‘how long will it take to get to Canada’.  

Cam: Ok, so I know jia1 na2 da4 is Canada. 

YJ: Right. qu1 means to go. qu1 jia1 na2 da4, to go to Canada. 

Cam: “qu1 jia1 na2 da4” 

YJ: And duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1, we learned this last time, which means how long. And 要, y-ao, fourth tone, means ‘need’. Together, yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 means ‘how long will it take’. 

Cam:  yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1 - How long will it take? 

YJ: The whole sentence is: 去加拿大要多长时间（qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1).

Cam: Let me give that one more try, qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1? 

Conversation1:

YJ: Cam,  let’s go back to my question: 去加拿大要多长时间（qu1 jia1 na2 da4 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1）? How long will it take to get to Canada?

Cam: well, It's at least 13 hours by plane. so how do you say that in Chinese?

YJ: It would be ‘坐飞机要13个小时(zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2)”. fei1 ji1, both in first tone, means ‘plane’. And zuo4, we’ve learned as well, originally means to sit. Here zuo4 fei1 ji1 means to take a plane. 

Cam: zuo4 fei1 ji1, to take a flight. 

YJ:  And xiao3 shi2 means hour. 

Cam: So YJ,  I know shi san means thirteen. So I guess “shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2” means thirteen hours.

YJ: Very good. And remember yao4, fourth tone, means ‘need'. So “yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2” means to “need 13 hours”. 

Cam: “yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2”. 

YJ: The whole sentence is: 坐飞机要13个小时(zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi2). “It’ll take 13 hours by plane.”

Cam: zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 san1 ge4 xiao3 shi4.

Conversation2:

Cam: YJ, I’m planning to go to the chang2 cheng2, the Great Wall. So how long will it take? qu1 chang2 cheng2 yao4 duo1 chang2 shi2 jian1?

YJ: Of course it depends. Let’s just say “It’ll take one hour by bus.” 坐汽车要1个小时 (zuo4 qi4 che1 yao4 yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2)。Qi4 che1 means bus or coach. 汽, fourth tone. 车, first tone. 

Cam: So zuo4 qi4 che1 means to take a bus or coach.

YJ: Right. And yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2 means one hour. 

Cam:  yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2, one hour. 

YJ: The whole sentence: 坐汽车要1个小时(zuo4 qi4 che1 yao4 yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2)。It’ll take one hour by bus. 

Cam: zuo4 qi4 che1 yao4 yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2.

Conversation3:

Key Words Reminder:

去加拿大要多长时间? How long will it take to get to Canada? 要 'need'. 飞机 plane,汽车, bus, 小时，hour.

YJ: Well, class is over. But don’t forget our question of the day –what’s the meaning of “zuo4 fei1 ji1 yao4 shi2 yi1 ge4 xiao3 shi2”?

Cam:  Send us your answer to [email protected]. Zai4 jian4 everyone.

YJ: Zai4 jian4.

(Written by Wang Anjing)