UNIT 1
UNIT 1
(movie not finished and Pinyin tone marks may still contain a few errors)
DIALOGUE 1
A: Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào ma? 这里有英文报吗.
Are there any English-language newspapers here?
B: Yŏu. Jiù zài nàli. 有。就在那里. Yes. They’re right over there.
DIALOGUE 2
A: Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào meiyou? 这里有英文报没有？ Are there any English-language newspapers here?
B: Yŏu. Jiù zài nàli. 有。就在那里。 Yes. They’re right over there.
A: Wŏ xiăng măi Yīngwén bào. 我想买英文报。 I Would like to buy an English-language newspaper.
B: Hăo. Jiù zài zhèli. 好。就在那里。Fine. They’re right here.
DIALOGUE 3
A: Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？ How much is this one?
B: Wǔkuài qián. 五块钱。 Five dollars.
DIALOGUE 4
A: Zhège Zhōngwén bào duōshao qián? 这个中文报多少钱？ How much is the Chinese-language newspaper?
B: Sānkuài qián yífèn. 三块钱一份。 Three dollars a copy.
DIALOGUE 5
A: Nĭmen zhèli mài Mĕiguo zázhì bu mai? 你们这里卖美国杂志不卖？ Do you sell American magazines here?
B: Mài. Wŏmen zhèli mài. 卖。我们这里卖。 Yes, we sell them here.
A: Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？ How much is this one?
B: Sānshíkuài qián yìbĕn. 三十块钱一本。Thirty dollars a copy.
A: Hăo, wŏ măi yìbĕn. 好。我买一本。 Fine, I’ll buy one.
8. A: Nĭmen zhèli you Mĕiguo shū meiyou? 你们这里有美国书？ Do you have any American books here?
B: Duìbùqǐ, Mĕiguo shū wŏmen bú mài. 对不起，美国书我们不卖。 I’m sorry, we don’t sell American books here.
9. A: Bào, zázhì, yígòng duōshao qián? 报，杂志，一共多少钱？
How much are the newspaper and magazine altogether?
B: Bào wǔkuài , zázhì sānshíkuài. 报五块，杂志三十块。The newspaper is five dollars; the magazine is thirty dollars.
B: Yígòng sānshíwǔkuài qián. 一共三十五块钱。 Altogether, it’s thirty-five dollars.
10. A: Nĭmen zhèli mài dìtú bu mai? 你们这里卖地图不卖？Do you sell maps here?
B: Mài. Zài nàli. 卖。在那里。 We do. They’re over there.
11. B: Nín xiăng măi shénme dìtú? 您想买什么地图？ What kind of map Would you like to buy?
A: Wŏ xiăng măi yĭzhāng Táibĕi dìtú. 我想买一张台北地图。 I Would like to buy a map of Taipei.
12. A: Zhèzhāng Táibĕi dìtú duōshao qián? 这张台北地图多少钱？ How much is this map of Taipei?
B: Shíèrkuài qián. 十二块钱。 Twelve dollars.
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED VOCABULARY
(not presented on C-l and P-l tapes)
13. yífèn(r) bàozhĭ 一份报纸 one newspaper
14. yīzhī bĭ 一支笔 one pen
15. yĭzhāng zhĭ 一张纸 one piece of paper
16. yì zìdiăn 一本字典 one dictionary
17. Hàn-Yīng zìdiăn 汉英字典 Chinese-English dictionary
18. Yīng-Hàn zìdiăn 英汉字典 English-Chinese dictionary
19. huàxué 化学 chemistry
20. shùxué 数学 mathematics
VOCABULARY
bào (yífèn) 报 (一份) newspaper
bàozhĭ (yífèn) 报纸 (一份) newspaper
-bĕn 本 volume
bĭ (yĭzhĭ) 笔 (一支) pen
dìtú (yìzhāng) 地图 (一张) map
duìbùqǐ 对不起 I’m sorry
duōshao 多少？how much, how many
-fèn(r) 一份 copy (counter for magazine or newspaper)
Hàn-Yīng zìdiăn 英汉字典 Chinese-English dictionary
huàxué 化学 chemistry
jiù 就 right, exactly (with reference to space)
-kuài 块 dollar (in context)
măi 买 to buy
mài 卖 to sell
qián 钱 money
shū (yĭbĕn) 书 (一本) book
shùxué 数学 mathematics
xiăng 想 to want to
xiăngyixiăng 想一想 to think it over
yígòng 一共 altogether
Yīng-Hàn zìdiăn 英汉字典 English-Chinese dictionary
zázhì (yĭbĕn) 杂志 (一本) magazine
-zhāng 张 (counter for flat things— tables, paper, pictures, etc.)
zhī 支 (counter for straight, stick-like objects)
-zhĭ (yĭzhāng) 纸 (一张) paper
zìdiăn (yibĕn) 字典 (一本) dictionary
REFERENCE NOTES
1. A: Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào ma? 这里有英文报吗 Are there any English-language newspapers here?
B: Yŏu. Jiù zài nàli. 有。就在那里. Yes. They’re right over there.
Notes on No, 1
Zhèli yŏu 这里有: The Chinese verb yŏu 有 sometimes means “to have” and sometimes means “to be” in the sense of “to exist.” in
exchange 1, yŏu 有 has the latter meaning. With this meaning, it often translates into English as “there is/are,”
Topic-comment sentences: The subject of a Chinese sentence need not be the person who performs an action or experiences a state.
Often, the relationship between the subject and the rest of the sentence is looser and can be analyzed as topic-comment.
A topic is a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence which sets the scene for the rest of the sentence. The topic is a starting point for
understanding a sentence, giving background information and establishing the perspective for listeners. For this reason, time and place
phrases are often used as topics.
Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào. 这里有英文报
(Here there are English-language newspapers.)
A comment is the rest of the sentence which follows the topic. Here are some examples:
Bĭ, tā yŏu; zhĭ, tā méiyou. 笔，他有；纸他没有。 He has a pen; he doesn’t have paper. (literally, “Pen he has; paper he doesn’t.”)
A: Nĭ shi nar? 你是哪儿？ Where are you calling from?
B: Wŏ shi Táiwan Dàxué 我是台湾大学。 Taiwan University.
Zhèzhāng dìtú mài shíkuài qián. 这张地图卖十块钱。 As for this map, they sell it for ten dollars.
Clearly, the last two examples are meaningful only when the relationship between the initial nouns/pronouns and verbs is understood to be one of topic-comment, not the usual subject-predicate relation of actor-action.
While there is no simple rule that tells you when to use topic-comment sentences in Chinese, some helpful generalizations can he made.
These generalizations will be discussed as example sentences appear in the Reference Lists,
Jiù zài nàli 就在那里。 “They’re right over there”: You have learned jiù as “only,” a synonym of zhī. In exchange 1, you see another use
of jiù 就: “right,” “exactly,” “precisely.” This word is often used to describe “right” where something is, and is followed by zài 在,
“in/at/on,”
2. A: Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào meiyou? 这里有英文报吗? Are there any English-language
newspapers here? B: Yŏu. Jiù zài nàli. 有。 就在那里。 Yes. They’re right over there.
Notes on No. 2
Yŏu…meiyou 有没有: The first sentence in exchange 2 is a yes/no-choice question. This type of question is formed by explicitly offering the
listener a choice between an affirmative and a negative answer. The negative alternative is tacked onto the end of the sentence. Similar questions exist in English. But the English question would be an impatient one, while the Chinese question is an ordinary one:
Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào meiyou? 这里有英文报没有?
Are there any English-language newspapers here, or aren’t there?
Neutral tones: Whether or not a syllable is pronounced in the Neutral tone often depends on the speed of speech and the mood the speaker is trying to convey. In informal conversation between native speakers, there are many more Neutral tones than in the more careful, deliberate speech of a language teacher speaking to foreign students, (Bear this point in mind when you find a discrepancy between the textbook marking of a word and the pronunciation of that word on tape.)
Most syllables in any stretch of spoken Chinese are neither completely “Neutral” (i.e., with no audible change in pitch for the duration of the syllable) nor completely “full” in length and amplitude. These syllables will usually be somewhere in between the two extremes.
Zhèli yŏu Yīngwén bào meiyou? 这里有英文报没有? Are there any English-language newspapers here?
Often a syllable will not sound like a full tone. But if you ask “Then is this syllable in the Neutral tone?” the answer will be “No, not exactly.”
There is no distinct dividing line between a syllable with a tone and a syllable in the Neutral tone. Very often, the most helpful answer to the question “Should this be pronounced the way you hear it.” The language your ears hear more. in the Neutral tone?” is
“Pronounce it is taught in terms of four tones, but
Wŏ xiăng măi yĭ- zhāng Tái- bĕi dĭ- tú.
我想买一张台北地图。
3. A: Wŏ xiăng măi Yīngwén bào. 我想买英文报。
B: Hăo. Jiù zài zhèli. 好。就在这里。
I Would like to buy an English-language newspaper. Fine. They’re right here.
Note on No. 3
The auxiliary verb xiăng 想 is sometimes translated as “Would like to” or “to want to.” Here are some examples of translations you have
learned for xiăng 想:
Wŏ xiăng măi Yīngwén bào. 我想买英文报。 I’m thinking of buying an English-language newspaper. OR I Would like to buy an
English-language newspaper. OR I want to buy an English-language newspaper.
Wŏ xiăng tā xiăng míngtiān zou. 我想他想明天走。 I think he is planning to leave tomorrow.
Wŏ hen xiăng niàn shu. 我很想念书。 I very much want to study.
Wŏ bú tài xiăng qù. 我不太想去。I don’t want to go very much. Tài 太, meaning “too,” “excessively,” appears in Unit 3.3
A: Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？How much is this one?
B: Wǔkuài qián. 五块钱。 Five dollars.
Notes on No. 4
Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？ In Chinese sentences that ask for and give prices, the word shí, “to be,” is usually omitted.
Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？
[This one is how much money?]
Shĭ reappears, however, in negative and contrastive sentences:
Zhège bú shi sĭkuài qián, shi wǔkuài qián. 这个不是四块钱，是五块钱。 “This (item) isn’t four dollars; it’s five dollars.”
wǔkuài qián 五块钱 literally means “five dollars money,” The counter -kuài 块, “dollar,” indicates the units of the general class “money” that
are being counted (i.e., dollars as opposed to cents).
5. A: Zhège Zhōngwén bào duōshao qián? 这个中文报多少钱？
How much is the Chinese-language newspaper?
B: Sānkuài qián yīfèn. 三块钱一份。
Three dollars a copy.
Notes on No. 5
Notice in the sentence Zhēge Zhongwēn bào duōshao qián? 这个中文报多少钱？ that the general counter -ge 个 is used rather than the specific counter -fèn 份, “copy” The talking about the KIND of thing. In this case ce of a newspaper as a publication, not about cific counter
Would be used to talk about as in a sentence like “This copy of the China
counter -ge 个 is often used in the question is about the pri the price of a copy. The spe a particular concrete object, Post is torn.”
Yífen yífèn: In Chinese, when you talk about the unit price of an item, the unit is a counter. Notice that yífèn comes at the end of the sentence, just as “a copy” does in English.
6. A: Nĭmen zhèli mài Mĕiguo zázhì bu mai? 你们这里卖美国杂志不卖？ Do you sell American magazines here?
B: Mài. Wŏmen zhèli mài. 卖。我们这里卖。 Yes, we sell them here.
Notes on No. 6
Mài 卖, “to sell,” differs from the word mai, “to buy,” only in its tone.
Nĭmen zhèli 你们这里, “your place here,” literally, “you here”: Use nĭmen zhèli 你们这里 when talking to someone who represent a a store,
a bank, or other institutions. By putting zhèli (zhèr) 这里 (, “here,” or nàli (nàr), “there,” after a person’s name or a pronoun, you make a
phrase referring to a place associated with the person. For example, nĭ nàli means “over there where you are now,” and Wŏ zhèli means
“here where 1 am now.” Use these phrases when you want to express the idea of an item being close to a person (not necessarily
ownership).
Nĭ nàli you bĭ meíyou?
Do you have a pen over there? (i.e., “Is there a pen over there where you are?”)
This kind of phrase is also used to mean a person’s home: nĭ nàli, “your place” (used when the sneaker is not at “your house”); wŏ zhèli
我这里 , “my place” (used when the speaker is at home)
A: Chen Xìăojiē zài nàli? Where is Miss Chán?
B: Tā zài Liú Tàitai nàli. She is at Mrs. Liú’s house.
Nĭmen zhèli mài Mĕiguo zázhì bú mài? In this sentence, nĭmen zhèli is used as a topic. Literally, the sentence means “As for your
place here, are American magazines sold?”
7. A: Zhège duōshao qián? 这个多少钱？
How much is this one?
B: Sānshikuai qián yìbĕn. 三十块钱一本。
Thirty dollars a copy.
A: Hăo, wŏ măi yìbĕn. 好。我买一本。
Fine, I’ll buy one.
Note on No. 7
The counter -bĕn, “volume,” “copy,” is used for both books and magazines.
A: Nĭmen zhèli yŏu Mĕiguo shū meiyou? 你们这里有美国书没有？ Do you have any American books here?
Duìbùqǐ Mĕiguo shū wŏmen bú mài. 对不起，美国书我们不卖。
I’m sorry, we don’t sell American books here.
Notes on No. 8
Duĭbuqĭ literally means “unable to face (you).” This word is used to I’m sorry” when you bump into a person, arrive late, and so on. It is not the word for “I’m sorry” when you sympathize with someone else’s misfortune (e.g., when a relative dies).
Mĕiguo shū wŏmen bú mài; 美国书我们不卖。
In this sentence, Mĕiguo shū 美国书, the object of the verb mài 卖, occurs at the beginning, in topic position. Here the order of the sentence elements is topic, subject, verb. Some speakers of English use this some word order.
Compare:
Mĕiguo shū wŏmen bú mài. 美国书我们不卖。
(American books we don’t sell.)
Notice that bú mài phrase keeps it tones in this sentence is not the ending of a yes/no-choice question. The s .
9. A: Bào, zāzhī, yígòng duōshao qian? 报，杂志，一共多少钱？
How much are the newspaper and magazine altogether?
B: Bào wǔkuài , zázhĭ sănshikuài. 报五块，杂志三十块。
The newspaper is five dollars; the magazine is thirty dollars.
B: Yígòng sānshíwǔkuài qián. 一共三十五块钱。
Altogether, it’s thirty-five dollars.
Notes on No. 9
Yígòng 一共, “altogether”: In totaling something up, the items being totaled begin the sentence, in topic position, and are followed by the
adverb yígòng 一共.
In many situations you will hear prices given without the word qián 钱.
10. A: Nĭmen zhèli mài dìtú bu mài? 你们这里卖地图不卖？
Do you sell maps here?
B: Mài. Zài nàli. 卖。在那里。
We do. They’re over there.
11. B: Nín xiăng măi shénme dìtú? 您想买什么地图？
What kind of map would you like to buy?
A: Wŏ xiăng măi yĭzhāng Táibĕi dìtú. 我想买一张台北地图。
I Would like to buy a map of Taipei.
Notes on No. 11
Shénme dìtú 什么地图 literally means “what map.” In exchange 11, this phrase is used to mean “what kind of map.”
Yĭzhāng: The counter -zhāng is used for flat objects. Literally, yĭzhāng Táibĕi dìtú means “one-sheet Taipei map.” In exchange 11, the
phrase is translated simply as “a map of Taipei.”
12. A: Zhèzhōng Tāibĕì dìtú duōshao qián? 这张台北地图多少钱？
How much is this map of Taipei?
B: Shíèrkuài qián. 十二块钱。
Twelve dollars.
Note on No, 12
Zhèzhāng dìtú; Compare the two phrases which follow.
zhè -zhāng dìtú (this map) 这张地图
zhè liăng -zhāng dìtú (these two maps) 这张地图
In the that wh order i first phrase, the counter -zhāng 张 does not have a number effect, the number 1 was dropped after the specifier sn a
specifier and a number occur together in Chinese, s Just like English: zhè liángzhāng dìtú 这张地图, “these two
V in front of zhè 这. Notice the word maps.”
Notes on Additional Required Vocabulary
Bàozhĭ and bào, two words for “newspaper,” are interchangeable.
