standing Chinese a modular approach
biographic information module unit 7 comprehension tape 1
this unit is set in the ROC
on this tape you learn to understand questions and answers about where you work
where and what you studied and what languages you can speak
Ms. Mao, a graduate student, has just met Mr. King and Mr. Crook
listen as she finds out what Mr. King does
Where do you work?
您在哪里工作?
I work for the State Department.
我在美国国务院工作。
Here's the word for State Department.
国务院。
Here's the exchange live.
您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
In English, saying you work at the State Department
means you work at its headquarters in Washington.
When you're employed by the State Department somewhere else,
you say,
I work for the State Department.
In Chinese,
you would answer with the prepositional verb 再 in either case.
Here's the exchange again.
您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
Check your comprehension.
您在哪里工作?
Where do you work?
我在美国国务院工作。
I work for the State Department.
Now listen as Miss Mao finds out what Mr. Cook does.
Where do you work?
您在哪里工作?
I'm a student.
我是学生.
Here's the word for student.
学生.
Here's the exchange again, live.
您在哪里工作?
我是学生.
Again,
您在哪里工作?
我是学生.
Check your comprehension.
您在哪里工作?
Where do you work?
我是学生.
I'm a student.
Instead of being asked directly where you work,
you are more likely to be asked what you came to do.
Here's the word for to do.
坐.
Here's how you say to study.
念书.
Literally the expression 念书 means to study books.
Listen to the following exchange between Miss Mao and Mr. Cook.
What did you come here to do?
您来做什么?
我来念书.
When the verb lie to come is followed by another verb,
the second verb expresses the purpose of the coming.
Here's the exchange live.
您来做什么?
我来念书.
Again,您来做什么?
我来念书.
Check your comprehension.
您来做什么?
What did you come here to do?
我来念书.
I came here to study.
To ask a person about his own occupation,
you use the question 你在哪里工作?
In asking about a third person's occupation,
you can use a blunter question.
Listen to this live exchange.
您朋友的哥哥做什么?
他在台湾银行工作.
Again,您朋友的哥哥做什么?
他在台湾银行工作.
Check your comprehension.
您朋友的哥哥做什么?
What does your friend's older brother do?
他在台湾银行工作.
He works at the Bank of Taiwan.
Let's go back to Miss Mao's conversation with Mr. Cook.
When you're talking about studying a particular subject,
the verb 念 to study is followed by the name of that subject.
Listen as the conversation continues.
Oh, I'm a student too.
哦,我也是学生.
May I ask, what are you studying?
请问,您念什么?
I'm studying history.
我念历史.
Here's the word for history.
历史.
Now here's the exchange live.
哦,我也是学生.
请问,您念什么?
我念历史.
Again.
哦,我也是学生.
请问,您念什么?
我念历史.
Check your comprehension.
哦,我也是学生.
Oh, I'm a student too.
请问,您念什么?
May I ask, what are you studying?
我念历史.
I'm studying history.
If you want to talk about studying a language,
you usually use a different word for it to study.
Here it is.
学.
The word学
means study in the sense of learning or acquiring a skill.
You'll recognize it from the word for student.
学生.
The word 念 on the other hand is used for taking courses
and formal book learning.
Here's the word for Chinese in the sense of the Chinese language.
中文.
The conversation continues.
What are you studying, Mr. Cook?
科先生,您念什么?
I'm studying Chinese here.
我在这里学中文.
The term 中文
can mean either the spoken or the written language.
The use of the verb 学 in Mr. Cook's answer
implies that he is learning spoken Chinese,
which involves acquiring an active skill.
If you were concentrating on
just being able to re-written Chinese,
he would probably have answered with 念.
Here's the exchange slide.
科先生,您念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Again.
科先生,您念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Check your comprehension.
科先生,您念什么?
What are you studying, Mr. Cook?
科先生,您念什么?
我在这里学中文.
I'm studying Chinese here.
Now here's the word for English.
英文.
Here's how you could find out if someone knows any English.
May I ask, have you ever studied English?
请问,您学过英文吗?
Yes. 学过.
学过.
In the question, the marker 过
is translated by the English word ever.
In a statement, however, 过 can't be translated.
The literal translation of the full answer
我学过 would be simply,
I have studied it.
Just as if the sentence were 我学了
with the marker 乐 rather than 过.
Here's the exchange line.
请问,您学过英文吗?
学过.
Again.
请问,您学过英文吗?
学过.
Check your comprehension.
请问,您学过英文吗?
May I ask, have you ever studied English?
学过.
Yes.
Here's a similar question with a polite answer.
May I ask, can you speak English?
请问,您会说英文吗?
I can speak it a little.
我会说一点.
Here's the verb to speak.
说,说,说.
It can also mean to say.
Here's an auxiliary verb which means can
in the sense of know how to.
会,会,会.
It goes before the main verb.
会说, to know how to speak.
And here's the word for a little.
一点.
Now listen to the exchange again.
May I ask, can you speak English?
请问,您会说英文吗?
I can speak it a little.
我会说一点.
Notice the Chinese has no word for it in the answer.
Here's the exchange line.
请问,您会说英文吗?
我会说一点.
Again.
请问,您会说英文吗?
我会说一点.
Check your comprehension.
请问,您会说英文吗?
May I ask, can you speak English?
我会说一点.
I can speak it a little.
The term 中文, as we said, may refer either to the written or to the spoken language.
Another common word for Chinese refers only to the spoken language.
Literally, it means China's speech.
Listen.
中国话.
Ms. Mao continues with her questions.
Can your wife speak Chinese too?
你太太也会说中国话吗?
No, she can't.
不会,她不会说.
Notice that the short answer uses the auxiliary verb 会,
can and not the main verb 说, speak.
Here's the exchange line.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
不会,她不会说.
Again.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
不会,她不会说.
Check your comprehension.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
Can your wife speak Chinese too?
不会,她不会说.
No, she can't.
Now let's say that Ms. Mao was talking to Mr. King again.
They're discussing his knowledge of Chinese.
Listen.
Your Chinese is very good.
你的中国话很好.
Not at all, not at all.
I can only speak a little.
哪里,哪里,我就会说一点.
Here's the word we translated, not at all.
哪里,哪里,哪里.
Literally, 哪里 is the word for where.
Here's the word for only.
就,就,就.
Now here's the exchange line.
你的中国话很好.
哪里,哪里,我就会说一点.
Again.
你的中国话很好.
哪里,哪里,我就会说一点.
Check your comprehension.
你的中国话很好.
Your Chinese is very good.
哪里,哪里,我就会说一点.
你的中国话很好.
Not at all, not at all.
I can only speak a little.
The Chinese don't say thank you to acknowledge a compliment.
Instead, they use some phrase like 哪里, not at all.
To indicate that the compliment isn't really deserved.
Now listen as the conversation continues.
Where did you study it?
你是在哪里学的?
I studied it in Washington.
我是在华盛顿学的.
Here's the Chinese for Washington.
华盛顿,华盛顿,华盛顿.
Here's the exchange line.
你是在哪里学的?
我是在华盛顿学的.
Again.
你是在哪里学的?
我是在华盛顿学的.
Check your comprehension.
你是在哪里学的?
Where did you study it?
我是在华盛顿学的.
I studied it in Washington.
Miss Mao is a graduate of Taiwan University.
Here's the word for university or college.
大学.
The conversation continues.
Did you study English in college?
你是在大学学的英文吗?
Yes, I studied English at Taiwan University.
是的,我是在台湾大学学的英文.
Notice that what was studied comes outside of the shi de construction.
Here's the exchange line.
你是在大学学的英文吗?
是的,我是在台湾大学学的英文.
Again.
你是在大学学的英文吗?
是的,我是在台湾大学学的英文.
Check your comprehension.
你是在大学学的英文吗?
Did you study English in college?
是的,我是在台湾大学学的英文.
Yes, I studied English at Taiwan University.
Miss Mao continues live.
请问,你是在哪个大学念的书?
我是在德州大学念的书.
Again.
请问,你是在哪个大学念的书?
我是在德州大学念的书.
Check your comprehension.
请问,你是在哪个大学念的书?
May I ask, what university did you study at?
我是在德州大学念的书.
I studied at the University of Texas.
Now let's review what we've covered about occupation, language and study.
Listen to the following live dialogue,
which takes place shortly after Mr. Cook's arrival in Taipei.
你来做什么?
我来学中文.
你从前学过中文吗?
我在大学学过.
你在大学学了多久?
我学了一年.
你想在这里学多久?
我想学九个月.
Again.
你来做什么?
我来学中文.
你从前学过中文吗?
我在大学学过.
你在大学学了多久?
我学了一年.
你想在这里学多久?
我想学九个月.
你来做什么?
我来学中文.
你从前学过中文吗?
我在大学学过.
我在大学学了多久?
你在大学学了多久?
你从大学学了多久?
我学了一年.
你想在这里学多久?
你想学多久?
你来学多久?
我想学九个月.
我在大学学了九个月.
你想在这里学多久?
我想在这里学多久?
你是在哪里学的中文?
我是在华盛顿学的.
你太太也学过中文吗?
她没学过.
她想在这里学一点.
请问你在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作.
您在哪里工作?
我在台湾银行工作.
你会说中国话吗?
我会说一点.
我想在这里学多久?
我在国务院工作。
我想在这里学多久?
我学了一年.
你想在这里学多久?
我想在这里学多久?
你力了多久?
你会说中国话吗?
Can you speak Chinese?
我会说一点。
I can speak it a little.
你学了多久?
How long did you study it?
我学了一年。
I studied it for a year.
你是在哪里学的中文?
Where did you study Chinese?
我是在华盛顿学的。
I studied it in Washington.
你太太也学过中文吗?
Has your wife studied Chinese too?
还没学过。
She hasn't studied it.
她想在这里学一点。
She's planning to study it here a little.
请问您在哪里工作?
May I ask, where do you work?
我在美国国务院工作。
I work for the State Department.
您在哪里工作?
Where do you work?
我在台湾银行工作。
I work at the Bank of Taiwan.
As a final review of what we've covered so far,
try translating each of the following exchanges from the target list.
我学中文,你念什么?
What are you studying?
我学中文。
I'm studying Chinese.
Number two,你是在哪里学的中文?
Where did you study Chinese?
我是在华盛顿学的。
I studied it in Washington.
Number three,你的中国话很好。
Your Chinese is very good.
哪里,哪里?我就会说一点。
Not at all, not at all.
I can only speak it a little.
Number four,您在哪里工作?
Where do you work?
我在美国国务院工作。
I work for the State Department.
Number five,您在大学念过历史吗?
Did you study history in college?
念过。
Yes.
Number six,您来做什么?
您来做什么?
What did you come here to do?
我来念书。
I came here to study.
Number seven,你们会说中文吗?
Can you speak Chinese?
我太太不会说,我会说一点。
My wife can't speak it.
I can speak a little.
Number eight,您在哪里工作?
Where do you work?
我是学生。
I'm a student.
You may want to rewind and listen to this part of the tape again.
If you feel you're ready, go on to the P1 tape.
This is the end of the tape.
And of Biographic Information Module Unit 7, Comprehension Tape 1.