Standard Chinese, A Modular Approach
Biographic Information Module Unit 7, Production Tape 1
On the copy-hatch of tape in this module, you learn to understand
questions and answers about where you work, what and where you've studied
and what languages you speak.
Before going on to learn how to say these things,
test your understanding of them by putting them into English.
Number 1
你在哪裡工作?
Where do you work?
我在美国国务院工作。
I work for the State Department.
Number 2
您来做什么?
What did you come here to do?
我来念书。
I came here to study.
哦,我也是学校。
Oh, I'm a student too.
请问您认什么?
I ask, what are you studying?
我念历史。
I'm studying history.
Number 3
有学过英文吗?
Have you ever studied English?
结果。
Yes.
Number 4
你的中文很好。
Your Chinese is very good.
哪里哪里?
我就会说一点点。
Not at all.
I can only speak it a little.
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.
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.
If you had any problems with these sentences,
rewind the tape and work on them some more.
If you understand them all,
you can begin working on how to ask these questions
and how to answer them.
First we'll take up the question of occupation.
This Mao is talking with Mr. King.
Listen,您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
Repeat State Department.
国务院。
Repeat US State Department.
美国国务院。
As you know,
when sentences telling both the action and where it happened,
the word order is place then action.
Repeat,I work with the State Department.
我在美国国务院工作。
How do you say US State Department?
美国国务院。
Trust bound into the question.
Assume that you're with the State Department.
您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
Again,您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
Here's a similar exchange.
Mr. Mao is talking with Mr. Cook now.
Listen,您在哪里工作?
我是学生.
Repeat the word for student.
学生.
Repeat,I'm a student.
我是学生.
Trust bound into the question yourself.
Assume that you're a student this time.
您在哪里工作?
我是学生.
Again,您在哪里工作?
我是学生.
Now try to answer the next questions.
Assume that you're with the State Department
and your wife is a student.
您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
你太太呢?
她在哪里工作?
她是学生.
Try it again.
您在哪里工作?
我在美国国务院工作。
你太太呢?
她在哪里工作?
她是学生.
Here's a way you might be asked
what you've come to China to do.
Listen.
您来做什么?
我来念书.
Repeat the phrase that means to study,
literally read books.
念书.
Now repeat,I came to study.
Literally,I come read books.
我来念书.
Try responding to the question.
Assume you've come to China as a student.
你来做什么?
我来念书.
Again,你来做什么?
我来念书.
Repeat the verb to do.
做.
Repeat,what did you come here to do?
你来做什么?
Try asking the question yourself.
You get a confirmation and a reply.
你来做什么?
我来念书.
Again,你来做什么?
我来念书.
Here's a quick review.
What's the verb to work?
工作.
What's the expression to study?
念书.
What's the verb to do?
做.
What's the word for student?
学生.
How do you say US State Department?
美国国务院.
After you've said that you've come to study,
the conversation might continue like this.
我也是学生.
请问你念什么?
我念历史.
Repeat the word for history.
历史.
Repeat I study history.
我念历史.
Try answering the question yourself.
Say you study history.
请问你念什么?
我念历史.
Again,请问你念什么?
我念历史.
Here's a similar exchange.
Listen.
请问你念什么?
我在这里学中文.
When you're talking about studying a language,
another verb is used instead of 念.
Repeat this second verb to study.
学.
Repeat I'm studying Chinese.
我学中文.
Repeat I'm studying Chinese here.
我在这里学中文.
Try responding to the question yourself.
Say that you're here studying Chinese.
请问你念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Notice that the word order in your reply is place, then action.
Try answering again.
请问你学什么?
我在这里学中文.
Listen to this exchange.
你来做什么?
我来念书.
请问你念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Now you try.
You've come to study.
You're studying Chinese here.
你来做什么?
我来念书.
请问你念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Again.
你来做什么?
我来念书.
请问你念什么?
我在这里学中文.
Here's an exchange.
We'll show you how to ask about someone's English ability.
Listen.
你学过英文吗?
学过.Repeat the word for English.
英文.英文.英文.
The verb学 to study can be used as a short answer.
You'll remember that the whole verb form is used,
that is, in this case, the verb学 and the marker过.
Repeat the short answer yes, as in yes I've studied it.
学过.学过.学过.
Here, as with the sentence asking,
have you ever been here before?
你从前来过吗?
过 is used to mean to have had the experience of.
Repeat. Have you studied English?
你学过英文吗?
Try asking the question yourself.
Have you studied English?
You'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你学过英文吗?
我学过.Again.
你学过英文吗?
我学过.Here's another way to ask about someone's language ability.
Listen.
你会说英文吗?
我会说一点.Repeat the auxiliary verb can in the sense of know how to.
会.会.会.
Repeat the verb to speak or say.
说.说.说.
The auxiliary verb会.
Proceeds the main verb for.
Repeat can speak.
会说.会说.会说.
Repeat the question.
Can you speak English?
你会说英文吗?
Try asking the question yourself.
You'll get a confirmation and a reply.
你会说英文吗?
我会说一点.Again.
你会说英文吗?
我会说一点.
Here's a similar exchange.
Listen.
你会说中文吗?
我会说一点.Repeat the word for a little.
一点.一点.一点.
Repeat. I can speak it a little.
我会说一点.我会说一点.
Try responding to the question.
Answer for yourself.
你会说中文吗?
我会说一点.Again.
你会说中文吗?
我会说一点.
We're talking about what languages people speak.
What's the verb to know how to?
会.What's the verb to speak?
会.What's the word for English?
英文.What's the word for Chinese?
中文.Now listen to this exchange.
Miss Mao is talking with Mr. King again.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.You'll notice that the negative ad verb 不
the auxiliary verb 会.Repeat cannot.
不会.不会.不会.
Repeat the sentence. She can't speak it.
Notice that there's no word for it in the Chinese sentence.
她不会说.她不会说.
Try answering the question.
Assume your wife doesn't speak Chinese.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.Again.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.The phrase 中国话
is another way to say the Chinese language,
but one that refers specifically to the spoken language.
Repeat the Chinese language.
中国话.中国话.中国话.
Repeat the question. Can she speak Chinese?
她会说中国话吗?
Notice that the word also.
Yeah, go before the first verb.
Repeat.Can she also speak Chinese?
她也会说中国话吗?
Repeat.Can your wife also speak Chinese?
你太太也会说中国话吗?
Try asking the question yourself.
Assume that you can speak a little Chinese,
but that your wife can't speak it at all.
Try asking the question yourself.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.Again.
你太太也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.
Now try responding to both questions yourself.
Assume that you can speak a little Chinese,
but that your wife can't speak it at all.
你会说中国话吗?
我会说一点.
你太太呢,她也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.Again.
你会说中国话吗?
我会说一点.你太太呢,
她也会说中国话吗?
她不会说.Again.
Here's another conversation. Listen.
胡小姐,你学过英文吗?
学过.
陈小姐也会说英文吗?
她会说一点.Now you try.
You're talking with Miss Hu,
and you ask her if she studied English.
Then you ask if Miss Cheng can also speak it.
胡小姐,你学过英文吗?
学过.
陈小姐也会说英文吗?
她会说一点.
Try again.
胡小姐,你学过英文吗?
学过.
陈小姐也会说英文吗?
她会说一点.
The conversation might continue like this.
你的中文很好.
哪里?哪里?我就会说一点点.
Repeat the word for not at all.
Literally, where?
哪里?哪里?哪里?
Repeat the word for only.
就.就.就.就.
The word only.就.
Goes to the verb or verb,
like other ad-verbe Chewvcene.
Now repeat a little.
一点点.
You'll notice that the last syllable of the word,
一件事情,
is repeated here.
This emphasizes the meaning of the word.
Repeat,not at all.
I can only speak it a little.
哪里哪里? 我就会说一点点。
It's considered a sign of good manners to never accept or acknowledge a compliment, but instead to deny it. Try responding to the compliment yourself.
你的中文很好。
哪里哪里? 我就会说一点点。
Try it again. 你的中文很好。
哪里哪里? 我就会说一点点。
The conversation with Miss Mao and Mr. King continues. Listen.
你是在哪里学的?
我是在华盛顿学的。
Repeat the Chinese word for Washington.
华盛顿。
Repeat, I studied it in Washington.
我是在华盛顿学的。
华盛顿学的。
Try responding to the question yourself.
Assume that you studied Chinese in Washington.
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。
Mr. King and Miss Mao are still talking. Listen.
你是在大学学的英文吗?
是的,我是在台湾大学学的英文。
Repeat the word for university or college.
大学。
Repeat, did you study English in college?
你是在大学学的英文吗?
Repeat, again, did you study Chinese in college?
你是在大学学的英文吗?
One more thing to take note of in this sentence is the position of the object 英文.
It's outside the shirt, the construction, but follows the verb as usual.
Try asking the question, did you study English in college?
You'll get a confirmation and a reply.
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。
Now let's review what we've covered in this unit.
I'll give you some English sentences and you put them into Chinese.
Let's start.
Number one, have you ever studied English?
Yes, I have.
Number two, what did you come here to do?
你来做什么?
I came here to study.
我来念书。
Oh, I'm a student, too.
你学过英文吗?
Oh, I'm a student, too.
哦,我也是学长。
May I ask, what are you studying?
请问,你念什么?
I'm studying history.
我念历史。
Number three, your English is very good.
你的英文很好。
Not at all, I can only speak it a little.
哪里哪里?我就会说一点点。
Number four, 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。
This is the end of the tape.
And a biographic information module unit seven production tape one.