standard Chinese,a modular approach,biographic information module,unit 5,production tape 1.
on the comprehension tape in this unit,you learn to understand a number of questions and answers about dates and ages.
before you go on to learn how to say these things,test your comprehension of them.
number 1
你是在哪儿生的?
Where were you born?
我是在德州生的。
I was born in Texas.
number 2
你们是星期四到的吗?
Did you arrive on Thursday?
不,我们是星期五到的。
No, we arrived on Friday.
你们星期几走?
What day are you leaving?
我们星期天走。
We're leaving on Sunday.
number 3
你是哪年生的?
What year were you born?
我是1939年生的。
I was born in 1939.
你是几月几号生的?
What month and what day were you born?
我是7月4号生的。
I was born on July 4th.
number 4
你多大了?
How old are you?
我35了。
I'm 35.
你们女孩子几岁了?
How old is your daughter?
她八岁了。
She's eight.
If you had any problems with these sentences,
rewind the tape and work on them some more.
If you understood them all,
you can begin working on how to ask these questions
and how to answer them.
Listen.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在德州生的。
Notice that once again,
the details of a completed action
are asked with a shurda construction.
Repeat the verb to be born.
生
Try repeating,
I was born in Texas.
我是在德州生的。
Here it's the place that's focused upon
and therefore,在德州 is within the shurda construction.
Repeat,
I was born in Texas again.
我是在德州生的。
Try responding to the question.
Assume that you were born in Texas.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在德州生的。
Again,你是在哪儿生的?
我是在德州生的。
What's the word for California?
加州
How do you say he was born in California?
他是在加州生的。
Listen to this conversation.
Mrs. Anderson is answering some questions
about her husband and herself.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在德州生的。
你爱人也是在德州生的吗?
不是,他是在加州生的。
Now you try it.
Assume that you were born in Texas
and your spouse was born in California.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在德州生的。
你爱人也是在德州生的吗?
不是,他是在加州生的。
Repeat the question.
Where are you born?
你是在哪儿生的?
Here it's the question phrase.
在哪儿?
which is focused upon.
So it's within the surda construction.
How do you say where are you born?
你是在哪儿生的?
Prior asking the question
where are you born again?
This time you'll get a confirmation
and a reply.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在山东生的。
Again.
你是在哪儿生的?
我是在山东生的。
Now let's turn our attention
from where to when.
You've already learned
how to say yesterday, today,
and tomorrow.
Now we'll take a look
at the days of the week.
Listen.
Are you from the week 4?
No.
We're from the week 5.
Repeat the word for week.
星期.
The days of the week
are simply the word
for week,
followed by a number.
Repeat the word for Monday.
星期一.
Now Tuesday.
星期二.
Repeat after the speaker
Wednesday,
Thursday,
Friday,
Saturday.
星期三.
星期四.
星期五.
星期六.
星期三.
星期四.
星期五.
星期六.
星期三.
星期四.
星期五.
星期六.
你們是星期四到的嗎?
不是,我們是星期五到的。
What's the word for Friday?
星期五。
Far responding to the question yourself.
Assume that you arrived on Friday.
你是星期四到的嗎?
不是,我們是星期五到的。
Again,你是星期四到的嗎?
不是,我們是星期五到的。
Mrs. Anderson has asked another question. Listen.
你們星期幾走?
我們星期天走。
The word for Sunday is formed a bit differently than the other days of the week.
It's the word for week, followed by the word for day.
Repeat Sunday.
星期天。
Repeat, we're leaving on Sunday.
Notice the difference in word order between Chinese and English.
我們星期天走。
Try responding to the question yourself now.
Say that you're leaving on Sunday.
你們星期幾走?
我們星期天走。
Now let's look at the question, what day are you leaving?
The question word, what day, is the word for week,
followed by the bound word for how many.
即,repeat which day?
星期即。
Repeat the question, what day are you leaving?
你們星期幾走?
Try asking the question now, what day are you leaving?
You'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你們星期幾走?
我們星期天走。
Now take Mrs. Anderson's part and answer questions about your arrival and departure.
You arrived on Friday and you're leaving on Sunday.
你們是星期四到的嗎?
不是,我們是星期五到的。
你們星期幾走?
我們星期天走。
Again,你們是星期四到的嗎?
不是,我們是星期五到的。
你們星期幾走?
我們星期天走。
Let's review a bit.
What's the word for Monday?
星期一。
How do you say what day as in day of the week?
星期幾。
What's the word for Sunday?
星期天。
What's the verb to be born?
上。
Now let's turn our attention to asking and answering questions about when someone was born.
Listen to this exchange.
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
Repeat the question word which year?
哪年。
Since we're interested in which year the event happened, not whether the event happened which can be assumed,
the question is asked using the shurda construction.
Try repeating the question which year were you born?
你是哪年生的?
Try asking what year were you born ahead of the speaker.
你是哪年生的?
This time you'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
To answer the question what year were you born, replace the question word with the year.
Repeat the year 1939 which is literally 1939 year.
1939年。
Now try repeating, I was born in 1939.
我是1939年生的。
How do you say 1939?
1939年。
How do you say I was born in 1939?
我是1939年生的。
Try answering the question which year were you born?
I said you were born in 1939.
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
Again。
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
Here's a similar exchange.
你是哪年生的?
我是1952年生的。
Repeat 1952年。
1952年。
Now you answer the question, say that you were born in 1952.
你是哪年生的?
我是1952年生的。
Again。
你是哪年生的?
我是1952年生的。
From your birth we go to month of birth. Listen.
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
The names of the months are formed from the numbers 1 through 12 followed by the word for month.
Repeat January.
一月。
As you remember, the high tone on the number one and sometimes also on the number seven and eight
changed to rising tone before falling tone.
Repeat July.
七月。
What would August be?
八月。
Repeat the sentence, I was born in July.
我是七月生的。
You answer the question, what month were you born? Answer July.
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
Again。
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
As with the days of the week, we're dealing with low numbers when we talk about the month.
For 幾, literally how many is usually used with lower numbers and is used here.
Repeat which month?
幾月。
Repeat what month were you born?
你是幾月生的?
Try asking it ahead of the speaker.
你是幾月生的?
Ask again, what month were you born?
This time you'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
Now try answering the following questions.
I was born in July of 1939.
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
Again。
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
你是幾月生的?
我是七月生的。
Now listen as Mrs. Anderson is asked her day of birth.
你是幾號生的?
我是四號生的。
Repeat the expression what day, literally what number?
幾號。
Repeat what day were you born?
你是幾號生的?
Try asking it ahead of the speaker.
You'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你是幾號生的?
我是四號生的。
Repeat the word for fourth.
四號。
Repeat, I was born on the fourth.
我是四號生的。
What would the sixth be?
六號。
How do you say I was born on the sixth?
我是六號生的。
Try responding to the question about date of birth.
Say that you were born on the fourth.
你是幾號生的?
我是四號生的。
Again,你是幾號生的?
我是四號生的。
The questions asking what month were you born and what day were you born are often collapsed into one question.
Listen,你是幾月幾號生的?
我是七月四號生的。
The month comes first, then the day.
Repeat, I was born on the fourth of July.
我是七月四號生的。
Try answering the question yourself.
Assume that your birthday is July 4th.
你是幾月幾號生的?
我是七月四號生的。
Now try answering all the questions concerning your date of birth.
Again, assume your birthday is July 4th, 1939.
你是哪年生的?
我是1939年生的。
你是幾月幾號生的?
我是七月四號生的。
Now let's turn to the question of asking someone's age.
Listen,你多大了?
我35了。
Notice that there is no verb 士 in the Chinese sentences.
This is because the state verb 大 itself means to be large.
Repeat the state verb to be big or by extension to be old.
大
Repeat the question word for how much.
多
Now repeat how large or how old.
多大
This exchange includes a new usage of the marker 勒.
This 勒 doesn't indicate completed action in any way.
The marker 勒 here indicates only a change of state.
In the question, how old are you?
What is actually being asked is, how old are you now?
You're dealing with state, not action.
Repeat, how old are you?
Literally, how big are you?
你多大了?
For asking the question yourself, you'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你多大了?
我35了。
Repeat the answer, I'm 35.
我35了。
Notice that the answer is simply subject, number, and change of state 勒.
How do you say I'm 35?
我35了。
Try answering the question now, assume that you're 35.
你多大了?
我35了。
Children who seem under 10 years old are asked their ages in another way, listen.
你们女孩子几岁了?
她把岁了。
The word 岁 means years of age.
It contrasts with 年, meaning calendar years.
Repeat, eight years of age.
八岁,八岁,八岁.
The marker 勒 indicates a change of state here too.
The daughter is eight years old now.
Repeat, she's eight years old.
她八岁了,她八岁了.
Try responding to the question, assume you have a daughter who's eight.
你们女孩子几岁了?
她八岁了。
The question word 岁 is used to ask how many for lower numbers,
so it's quite logical to find it used here asking children's ages.
Repeat, how many years of age?
几岁,几岁,几岁.
Repeat, how old is your daughter?
你们女孩子几岁了?
Try asking the question yourself.
You get a confirmation and a reply.
你们女孩子几岁了?
她八岁了。
Next, you might be asked the ages of your son.
Listen,你们男孩子都几岁了?
一个九岁了,一个六岁了。
Did you notice the word 都, meaning both are all in the question?
Repeat, how old are your boys?
你们男孩子都几岁了?
What's the word for boy?
男孩子。
Repeat, how old are both your boys again?
你们男孩子都几岁了?
Try asking the question,
how old are your boys yourself?
You get a confirmation and a reply.
你们男孩子都几岁了?
一个九岁了,一个六岁了。
You'll notice that the answer is simply
one is nine, one is six.
There's no such word as and in the sentence.
Repeat, one is nine and one is six.
一个九岁了,一个六岁了。
Try responding to the question yourself.
Assume that you have two sons, one nine, one six.
你们男孩子都几岁了?
一个九岁了,一个六岁了。
Now let's review what we've covered in this unit.
I'll give you some English sentences
and you put them into Chinese.
They're arranged in exchanges.
Let's start.
One, where were you born?
你是在哪儿生的?
I was born in Texas.
我是在德州生的。
Number two, did you arrive on Thursday?
你是星期四到的吗?
No, we arrived on Friday.
不,我们是星期五到的。
What day are you leaving?
你们星期几走?
We're leaving on Sunday.
我们星期天走。
Number three, what year were you born?
你是哪年生的?
I was born in 1939.
我是1939年生的。
What month and what day were you born?
你是几月几号生的?
I was born on July 4th.
我是七月四号生的。
Number four, how old are you?
你多大了?
I'm 35.
我35了。
How old is your daughter?
你们女孩子几岁了?
She's eight years old.
她八岁了。
How old are both your boys?
你们男孩子都几岁了?
One is nine and one is six.
一个九岁了,一个六岁了。
This is the end of the tape.
And of biographic information module unit five, production tape one.