Standard Chinese, a modular approach, Biographical Information Module Unit 8, Comprehension Tape 1.
This unit is set in Taipei. On this tape, you'll learn more of how to talk about what you've done and how long you did it.
You'll also learn from expressions used in talking about military service.
Clara Matthew, an American student at Taiwan University, is talking with another student, Chen Da-gang, on campus.
Do you have any more classes today?
你今天還有課嗎?
I don't have any more classes.
沒有課了.
In the sentence,沒有課了.I don't have any more classes.
The marker low indicates a new situation.This morning she had classes, now she doesn't.
Listen to the exchange live.
你今天還有課嗎?
沒有課了.Again.
你今天還有課嗎?
沒有課了.Check your comprehension.
你今天還有課嗎?
沒有課了.I don't have any more classes.
Listen as the conversation continues live.
你呢?
我也沒有課了.Again.
你呢?
我也沒有課了.Check your comprehension.
你呢?And you?
我也沒有課了.I don't have any more classes either.
Since both Clara Matthews and Chen Da-gang have no more classes for the day,
they decide to make a visit to the palace museum.
On their way out to the museum, they talk about their studies.
How long did you study English?
你從天念英文念了多久?
I studied English for six years.
我念英文念了六年.
When you want to talk about how long you did something,
you first state the activity,
then repeat the verb and tell how long you did it.
Listen again to the exchange, lot.
你從天念英文念了多久?
我念英文念了六年.
Notice that the marker low for completed action
follows the second verb in the sentence.
Listen to it again.
你從天念英文念了多久?
我念英文念了六年.
Check your comprehension.
你從天念英文念了多久?
How long did you study English?
我念英文念了六年.
I studied English for six years.
Now suppose Clara also knew
that he had also studied American history.
She might ask a question like this.
美國歷史呢?
我念美國歷史念了一年.
Again.
美國歷史呢?
我念美國歷史念了一年.
Check your comprehension.
美國歷史呢?
And American history?
我念美國歷史念了一年.
I studied American history for one year.
The conversation continues.
What are you studying now?
你現在念什麼呢?
I'm studying French.
我念法文了.
This is the word for French language.
法文,法文,法文.
Here's the exchange line.
你現在念什麼呢?
我念法文了.
The marker is used to indicate an ongoing action.
Listen again.
你現在念什麼呢?
我念法文了.
Check your comprehension.
你現在念什麼呢?
What are you studying now?
我念法文了.
I'm studying French.
Listen to Claire's next question.
How long have you been studying French?
你念法文念了多久了?
I've been studying for one year.
我念了一年了.
When you want to talk about the duration of an action which is still going on,
you use two little markers,
the marker lower for completed action after the second verb,
and the marker lower for new situation at the end of the sentence.
Here's the exchange line.
你念法文念了多久了?
我念了一年了.
Notice that in the reply,
Chan Da Gang gives a shortened answer.
Since it's clear that they're talking about studying French,
he doesn't restate the activity before telling how long he's been doing it.
Listen again to the exchange line.
你念法文念了多久了?
我念了一年了.
Check your comprehension.
你念法文念了多久了?
How long have you been studying French?
我念了一年了.
I've been studying for one year.
Chan Da Gang continues lying.
你现在念什么呢?
我念中国历史呢.
你念中国历史念了多久了?
我念了三年了.
我在美国念了两年,在这里念了一年了.
Again.
你现在念什么呢?
我念中国历史了.
你念中国历史念了多久了?
我念了三年了.
我在美国念了两年,在这里念了一年了.
Check your comprehension.
你现在念什么呢?
What are you studying now?
我念中国历史了.
I'm studying Chinese history.
你念中国历史念了多久了?
How long have you been studying Chinese history?
我念了三年了.
I've been studying it for three years now.
我在美国念了两年.
I studied it for two years in America.
在这里念了一年了.
I've been studying it here for a year.
Chan Da Gang has another question for Clara.
Listen.
Can you write Chinese characters?
你会写中国字吗?
I can a little.
会一点。会一点。
This is the verb to write.
写。写。写。
This is the word for a character.
字。字。字。
Here's the way you say a little or some.
一点。一点。一点。
Here's the exchange lot.
你会写中国字吗?
会一点。
Check your comprehension.
你会写中国字吗?
Can you write Chinese characters?
会一点。
I can a little.
Clara continues.
Last year, I couldn't yet write them.
去年我还不会写.
Now I can write a little bit.
现在我会写一点了.
Notice that even though she's talking about last year,
the negative marker 不 is used.
This is because 会 is an auxiliary verb.
Auxiliary verbs along with adjectival verbs such as 好
to be good are state verbs.
State verbs never take the negative marker 没.
Listen to it again, lie.
去年我还不会写.
现在我会写一点了.
In the second sentence,
the marker love for new situations is used to signal the change.
Here it is again, lie.
去年我还不会写.
现在我会写一点了.
Check your comprehension.
去年我还不会写.
Last year, I couldn't yet write them.
现在我会写一点了.
Now I can write a little bit.
The conversation continues, lie.
哦,你会写中国字,你是在哪里学的?
我是在这里学的.
Again.
哦,你会写中国字,你是在哪里学的?
我是在这里学的.
Check your comprehension.
哦,你会写中国字,你是在哪里学的?
Oh, you can write Chinese characters.
Where did you study?
我是在这里学的.
I studied here.
A little later in the conversation, Claire asks,
Is your father a military man?
你父亲是军人吗?
Yes, he's a naval officer.
是,他是海军军官.
Here's the word for military man.
军人,军人,军人.
Here's the word for navy.
海军,海军,海军.
Here's the word for officer.
军官,军官,军官.
Here's the exchange line.
你父亲是军人吗?
是,他是海军军官.
Again.
你父亲是军人吗?
是,他是海军军官.
Check your comprehension.
你父亲是军人吗?
Is your father a military man?
是,他是海军军官.
Yes, he's a naval officer.
Several days later,
陈大刚 calls Claire to say that he won't be in class.
I'm not coming today.
我今天不来了.
I'm sick.
我病了.我病了.
Here's the verb to get sick.
病,病,病.
Notice that the verb 病 is translated to get sick, not to be sick.
The verb 病 is not a state verb, but a process verb.
The process verb describes a change from one state to another.
In this case, from being healthy to being ill.
In other words, getting sick.
Listen to it again, live.
我今天不来了.我病了.
Notice that the sentence we translated as I'm sick ends with the marker 了.
This marker signals the completion of the process.
Up until now, we've called this the marker for completed action.
But as you see, it's also the marker for completed process.
A better translation for this sentence might be, I've become sick.
Listen to it again, live.
我今天不来了.我病了.
Notice that the sentence 我今天不来了.
I'm not coming today, also ends with the marker 了.
This is the marker 了 for new situations.
Contrary to what he did yesterday and contrary to what he expected to do today,
he's not coming to school.
To signal this change in the situation,
he uses the marker 了 at the end of the sentence.
Check your comprehension.
我今天不来了.
I'm not coming today.
我病了.
I'm sick.
A couple of days later,
程大刚 is back in class.
Are you better today?
今天好了没有?
I'm all right today.
今天好了.
Notice that the verb 好 to be good or well
is used here to talk about getting well,
or as we translated it in the sentence to get better.
There's an explanation for these different usages.
The verb 好 can be either a state verb or a process verb.
As a state verb 好 means to be good or well.
As a process verb, it means to get well.
Listen to the exchange line.
今天好了没有?
今天好了.
The process verb 好 to get well occurs here with combined 了.
That is the marker 了,which indicates a completed action and a new situation.
Check the reference notes for more about process verb.
Notice also that the question,
are you better today?
你今天好了没有?
is not formed with the question mark or mark.
Here it's formed with 没有.
This can be done in sentences in which the verb is marked for a completed action.
Here's the exchange again, live.
今天好了没有?
今天好了.
Check your comprehension.
今天好了没有?
Are you better today?
今天好了.
I'm all right today.
Here's another conversation between two classmates.
Listen to them lie.
李德芬上个星期没来啊.
这个星期还没来?
他病了吗?
他没病,他母亲病了.
Again.
李德芬上个星期没来啊.
这个星期还没来?
他病了吗?
他没病,他母亲病了.
Check your comprehension.
李德芬上个星期没来啊.
李德芬 didn't come last week.
这个星期还没来?
And this week she still hasn't come.
她病了吗?
Is she sick?
她没病,她母亲病了.
She's not sick, her mother's sick.
As a final review of what we've covered so far,
try translating each of the following sentences from the target list.
Number one.
你今天还有课吗?
Do you have any more classes today?
没有课了.
I don't have any more classes.
Number two.
你从前念英文念了多久?
How long did you study English?
我念英文念了六年.
I studied English for six years.
Number three.
你念法文念了多久了?
How long have you been studying French?
我念了一年了.
I've been studying it for a year.
Number four.
去年我还不会写中国字.
Last year I couldn't write Chinese characters.
现在我会写一点了.
Now I can write a little bit.
Number five.
你父亲是军人吗?
Is your father in the military?
是,他是海军军官.
Yes, he's a naval officer.
Number six.
你现在念什么呢?
What are you studying now?
我念法文呢.
I'm studying French.
Number seven.
我今天不来了.
I'm not coming today.
我病了.
I'm sick.
Number eight.
你今天好了没有?
Are you better today?
今天好了.
I'm all right today.
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 unit eight comprehension tape one.