Standard Chinese, A Modular Approach, Biographic Information Module Unit 8, Production Tape 1
On the comprehension tape in this unit, you learn to understand a number of expressions telling about what you've done and how long you did it.
You also learn some expressions used in talking about military service.
Before you go on to learn how to say these things, check your understanding of them.
Put the following sentences into English.
Number 1
你今天還有課嗎?
Do you have any more classes today?
沒有課了
I don't have any more classes.
Number 2
你從前念英文念了多久?
How long did you study English?
我念英文念了四年
I studied English for four years.
Number 3
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 one year.
Number 4
去年我還不會寫中國字
Last year I couldn't write Chinese characters.
現在我會寫一點了
Now I can write a little bit.
Number 5
你父親是軍人嗎?
Is your father a military man?
是,他是海軍軍官
Yes, he's a naval officer.
Number 6
我今天不來了
I'm not coming today.
我病了
I'm sick.
Number 7
今天好了嗎?
Are you better today?
今天好嗎?
I'm all right today.
If you had any problems with these sentences,
rewind the tape and work on them some more.
If you understood them,
you should begin learning how to say them.
Listen to this first exchange.
Karl Matthews and Chen Da Gang
are talking after class.
你今天還有課嗎?
沒有課了
Repeat the word for class.
課
Repeat, I don't have any more classes.
沒有課了
Repeat the word for class.
沒有課了
You have no more classes.
never occurred with the marker l'er
or that is true for most verbs
the verb yo is an exception
other verbs negated with bu occur with new situation l'er
to give the idea of not anymore
or punien hula
I'm not going to study anymore
since the verb yo never takes the negative prefix bu
you hear the prefix me along with the marker l'er
an expression such as me or l'er
there is no more
how do you say
I don't have any more classes
没有课了
how would you say
he's not coming anymore
他不来了
how would you say
she's not going to study anymore
他不念书了
proresponding in the exchange yourself now
when asked if you have any more classes
answer that you don't
你今天还有课吗
没有课了
again
你今天还有课吗
没有课了
since claire matthews and chuan dagang have the rest of the day free
they are going to visit the palace museum
on the ride out to the museum they talk
你从前念英文念了多久
我念英文念了六年
when you want to ask someone how long they did something
you first state the activity you're asking about
then you repeat the verb and ask how long
repeat
how long did you study English
你念英文念了多久
notice that any aspect marker such as the marker lower for completed action
follows the second verb in the question
repeat again
how long did you study English
你念英文念了多久
if you want to make it even more clear that you're asking about a completed action here
you can add the adverb从前
formerly or in the past
repeat
how long did you study English
你从前念英文念了多久
notice that any adverb of time such as从前
comes before the first verb in the sentence
try asking the question yourself now
ask how long did you study English
你从前念英文念了多久
我念英文念了六年
again
你从前念英文念了多久
我念英文念了六年
listen as the conversation continues
你现在念什么呢
我念法文呢
repeat the word for French
法文
repeat I'm studying French
我念法文呢
the marker no is used to indicate an ongoing activity
take the part of Tan Da Gang and answer the question
say that you're studying French now
你现在念什么呢
我念法文呢
again
你现在念什么呢
我念法文呢
Claire has another question
lie
你念法文念了多久了
我念了一年了
repeat how long have you been studying French
你念法文念了多久了
in this question you're asking about the duration of an ongoing action
you've seen this before in questions such as
你来了多久了
where the marker law for completed action follows the verb
and the marker law for new situations comes at the end of the sentence
repeat the question again
how long have you been studying French
你念法文念了多久了
notice again that the aspect markers come in the second part of the sentence
ask the question again
this time you'll get a reply
你念法文念了多久了
我念了一年了
again
你念法文念了多久了
我念了一年了
here's a short review
how do you ask how long did you study English
你从前念英文念了多久
how do you ask how long have you been studying French
你念法文念了多久了
how would you say I studied history for two years
我念历史念了两年
how would you say I've been studying Chinese for two years
我念中文念了两年了
now Chen Da Gang has a question for Clara
listen
你会写中国字吗
会一点
repeat the expression a little bit
一点
repeat I can a little
会一点
会点
try answering the question yourself
你会写中国字吗
会一点
again
你会写中国字吗
会一点
now let's take a look at the question
repeat the verb to write
写
repeat Chinese characters
中国字
repeat can you write Chinese characters
你会写中国字吗
as an auxiliary verb 会 can comes before the main verb 写 to write
try asking the question yourself now
you'll get a reply
can you write Chinese characters
你会写中国字吗
会一点
again
你会写中国字吗
会一点
clure continue
去年我还不会写
现在我会写一点了
repeat
last year I couldn't write them
去年我还不会写
notice that even though you're talking about something that happened last year
the negative mark of 不 is used
as a state verb 会 can only be negated with 不
repeat again
last year I couldn't yet write them
去年我还不会写
notice also the use of the adverb 还
which can mean yet
the adverb 还 is used in this sentence to emphasize the fact that
even last year she couldn't yet write Chinese
the use of 还
like the use of yet in English
leaves you expecting some change in the situation
how do you say
last year I couldn't write them
去年我还不会写
now repeat
now I can write them a little bit
现在我会写一点了
the marker learned in this sentence is the new situation marker
signaling the change in her learning to write Chinese characters
the marker learned for new situations always goes at the end of the sentence
repeat again
now I can write them a little bit
现在我会写一点了
notice that there is no equivalent of the word them in the Chinese sentence
you're actually saying
now I can write a little bit
the contact makes it clear that you're referring to Chinese characters
how do you say
last year I couldn't yet write them
去年我还不会写
how do you say
now I can write them a little bit
现在我会写一点了
here's a quick vocabulary review
what's the word for French
法文
what's the word for class
课
what's the verb to write
写
how do you say Chinese characters
中国字
later in the conversation Claire asks
你父亲是军人吗
是
他是海军军官
repeat military man
军人
repeat is your father a military man
你父亲是军人吗
price saying it ahead of the speaker
is your father a military man
你父亲是军人吗
ask the question again
this time you'll get a reply
is your father a military man
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
now let's take a look at the answer
repeat officer
军官
repeat navy
海军
repeat naval officer
海军军官
repeat
he's a naval officer
他是海军军官
repeat
yes he's a naval officer
是
他是海军军官
是
他是海军军官
try answering the question yourself now
say that he's a naval officer
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
what's the word for officer
军官
what's the word for military man
军人
how do you say naval officer
海军军官
a couple of days later
陈大刚
call clare to say that he won't be in class
我今天不来了
我病了
repeat the verb to get sick
病
the verb 病 to get sick is a process verb
as the name implies a process verb describes change from one state to another
like the change from raw to cooked
or the change from frozen to thawed
here the change is from healthy to ill
repeat I'm sick
or more literally
I've gotten sick
我病了
the marker lure in this sentence signals the completion of the process
that is he's no longer just coming down with something he's got it
how do you say I'm sick
我病了
now repeat I'm not coming today
我今天不来了
notice the use of the marker lure for new situation to indicate that there's a change
the change is in his usual routine
today he won't be coming to school
repeat I'm not coming today
I'm sick
我今天不来了
我病了
我今天不来了
我病了
try saying it ahead of the speaker
I'm not coming today
I'm sick
我今天不来了
我病了
a day or two later
程大刚 is back at school
he talks with Clara
今天好了没有
今天好了
repeat are you better today
今天好了没有
here the verb how is the process verb to get better to become well
not the state verb to be good or well
as a process verb how can occur with combined look
which shows both that the process is completed
and that a new situation has occurred
repeat again
are you better today
今天好了没有
notice that the question here is formed using
mail not ma
this can be done whenever the sentence includes a marker
lure for completed action
how do you say are you better today
今天好了没有
ask the question again
this time you'll get a reply
are you better today
今天好了没有
今天好了
again
今天好了没有
今天好了
now let's review what's been covered on this tape
put the following sentences into Chinese
number one
do you have any more classes today
你今天还有课吗
I don't have any more classes
没有课了
number two
how long did you study English
你从前念英文念了多久
I studied English for four years
我念英文念了四年
number three
what are you studying now
你现在念什么呢
I'm studying French
我念法文了
number four
how long have you been studying French
你念法文念了多久了
I've been studying it for one year
我念了一年了
number five
last year I couldn't write Chinese characters
去年我还不会写中文字
now I can write them a little
现在我会写一点了
number six
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
number seven
I'm not coming today
我今天不来了
I'm sick
我病了
number eight
are you better today
今天好了没有
I'm all right today
今天好了
this is the end of the tape
and the photographic information
unit eight production tape one