Standard Chinese, a modular approach. Directions module unit 1, production tape 1.
On the comprehension tape in this unit, you learn to understand some sentences asking or giving directions.
Before you learn how to say these things, test your comprehension of them.
Put the following exchanges from the target list into English.
Number 1,你知道不知道華美咖啡廳?Do you know of the huame coffee house?
知道。Yes, I know. Number 2,到那里去怎么走?How do I go there?
从这里往左走。From here you go to the left.
到了路口,往右走就到了。When you reach the intersection, then you go to the right, and then you're there.
Number 3,从这里到银行去,我先往右走,对不对?
To get from here to the bank, first I go to the right, is that correct?
不是,从这里一直走。No, from here you go straight.
然后到了路口,往左走。After that, when I reach the intersection, I go to the left.
对了。That's correct.
好,我知道了,谢谢。
Good, I've got it now, thank you.
If you had any trouble understanding these sentences, rewind the tape and work on them some more.
If you understood them all, you should begin learning how to say them.
Listen to this exchange as two friends meet on the street.
你到哪里去?我到咖啡厅去。Repeat the verb to go.
去,去。Repeat the question, where are you going?
Literally, you to where go.你到哪里去?你到哪里去?
So far you've seen 到 as a full verb meaning to arrive.
Here it's a prepositional verb meaning to.
Do remember that other prepositional verbs such as 给 for could also be full verbs such as 给 to give.
Repeat, where are you going?你到哪里去?你到哪里去?
Notice the word order, the prepositional verb phrase 到哪里? goes before the full verb 去.
How do you say, where are you going?你到哪里去?
You've probably found prepositional verbs such as 到 or 给 easy enough to handle.
The resemblance to English prepositions such as 到 in or for is a help.
You've had to remember, however, that the prepositional phrase like 给我 precedes a full verb like 还还.
Now you've come to another point to remember.
Chinese often uses a prepositional verb like 到 where English uses no preposition.
How do you say, where are you going?
你到哪里去?
Listen to the exchange again.你到哪里去?我到咖啡厅去.
Repeat the word for coffee house.咖啡厅.咖啡厅.
Repeat, I'm going to a coffee house.我到咖啡厅去.
我到咖啡厅去.
Notice that although we say going to a coffee house in English, there is no word in the Chinese corresponding to the article a.
How do you say, I'm going to a coffee house?我到咖啡厅去.
Listen to this exchange.你到哪里去?我到咖啡厅去.
你要不要去?好,我去.
Now you try it. You're going to a coffee house.
When you meet a friend on the street and she asks you where you're headed, you tell her and then ask if she wants to go.你到哪里去?
我到咖啡厅去.你要不要去?好,我去.
Again.你到哪里去?
我到咖啡厅去.你要不要去?好,我去.
The conversation continues. Listen.
你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?不知道.
Repeat the verb to know or to know of.知道.知道.
Repeat the name of the coffee house, the huamei coffee house.
华美咖啡厅.
Repeat the question, do you know of the huamei coffee house?你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?
你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?
Try saying it yourself, ahead of the speaker.你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?
Try asking the question again, this time you'll get a reply.你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?不知道.Again.
你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?不知道.
Since neither of the friends know where the huamei coffee house is, they ask someone on the street. Listen.
你知道不知道华美咖啡厅?知道.到哪里去怎么走?
从这里往左走,到了路口,再往右走就到了.Repeat, how do I go?
怎么走?怎么走?
You've already seen the verb 走 means to leave. Here you find another meaning of the verb 走 to take a route, to go by way of. Now repeat the whole sentence. How do I go there?
到哪里去怎么走?到哪里去怎么走?
Notice that the question starts off with what could be a complete sentence itself. A propositional verb phrase and a full verb.到哪里去?I'm going there.
It's then followed by a question word and another full verb.怎么走?By what route?How do you say, how do I go there?
到哪里去怎么走?
Try it again. This time you'll get a reply.
到哪里去怎么走?
从这里往左走,到了路口,再往右走就到了.Again.
到哪里去怎么走?
从这里往左走,到了路口,再往右走就到了.
Listen to how you might break these directions up into parts.我先往左走,对不对?
对了.Repeat the adjectival verb to be correct.对,对,对.Repeat, is that correct?对不对?对不对?
Now repeat the prepositional verb which means towards or in the direction of.往,往.
Although both prepositional verbs往 and到 can be translated as to, they mean different things.
Use到 to mean to as in到北京去.Go to Peking when you actually do go all the way to the place.Use往 to mean towards when you go in the direction of a place but not all the way there.
Now repeat the word for the direction left.左,左.Repeat, go to the left.往左走,往左走.
Repeat the adverb first.先,先.Repeat, first I go to the left.我先往左走,我先往左走.
Notice that the adverb先 comes directly after the subject 我,before the prepositional verb 往.Repeat, first I go to the left.is that correct?我先往左走,对不对?
Try asking the question yourself. You'll get a reply.First I go to the left.is that correct?我先往左走,对不对?
对了.Again.我先往左走,对不对?对了.The conversation continues.
然后呢?然后到了路口往右走.Repeat the word for after that or afterwards.然后,然后.Repeat, and after that.然后呢?然后呢?
Try saying it yourself. This time you'll get a reply.然后呢?然后到了路口再往右走.Again.然后呢?然后到了路口再往右走.
Try asking both questions now.First I go to the left.is that correct?Then I ask about afterwards.我先往左走,对不对?对了.然后呢?然后到了路口再往右走.Again.我先往左走,对不对?对了.然后呢?然后到了路口再往右走.Again.我先往左走,对不对?
对了.然后呢?然后到了路口再往右走.Let's break up that answer into several parts and take a closer look.Repeat the word for an intersection.路口。路口。Repeat the first part of the sentence.
When you reach the intersection, more literally, arrived at the intersection.
到了路口,到了路口。
Now the second part of the sentence.
Repeat the word for then, used in commands or suggestions.
在,在。
Now repeat the word for the direction right.
有,有。
Repeat, then go to the right.
再往右走。
Again you see the verb 走, used instead of the verb 去 to mean go.
This is because the emphasis is on the route taken, not on the final destination.
What's the word for the direction right?
有.
How do you say, then go to the right.
再往右走。
Repeat the first two parts of the sentence now.
When you reach the intersection, then you go to the right.
到了路口,再往右走。
Notice that the marker 路 is used to indicate completed action here.
The sentence does not say that he has reached the intersection already,
but when he has reached it, then he goes to the right.
Completed action 路 does not tell you whether the action is past, present or future.
This you must find out from the context.
How do you say, when you reach the intersection, you go to the right.
到了路口,再往右走。
What completed action 路 does tell you in this sentence,
is that getting to the intersection will be done before going to the right.
You use the marker 路 here to show the completion of one action in relation to another.
How do you say, when you reach the corner, you go to the right.
到了路口,再往右走。
Try answering the question yourself now.
After that, when you reach the intersection, then you go to the right.
然后呢?
然后到了路口,再往右走。
Again 然后呢?
然后到了路口,再往右走。
Listen to the final reply.
好,我知道了。
Repeat, now I've got it.
我知道了。
Notice that you use the new situation 了
to give the idea that now you know it although before you did not.
How do you say, now I've got it.
我知道了。
Repeat, good, now I've got it.
Thank you.
好,我知道了。谢谢。
Listen to this short conversation using what you've just learned.
请问,到华美咖啡厅去怎么走?
从这里往右走,到了路口,再往右走,就到了。
好,我知道了。
Now you try it.
Try asking how you get to the huame coffee house.
When you've heard the directions say good, now I've got it.
Thank you.
请问,到华美咖啡厅去怎么走?
从这里往右走,到了路口,再往右走,就到了。
好,我知道了。谢谢。
Again.
请问,到华美咖啡厅去怎么走?
从这里往右走,到了路口,再往右走,就到了。
好,我知道了。谢谢。
Here's a quick review.
What's the word for the direction right?
右。
What's the word for after that?
然后。
What's the word for the direction left?
左。
And what's the word for first?
先。
Here's another conversation. Listen.
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
不是,从这里一直走。
Repeat the prepositional verb from 从。
Unlike the prepositional verb 到, the prepositional verb 从 is never used alone as a full verb.
Repeat the prepositional phrase from here.
从这里。
Repeat to get from here to the bank.
从这里到银行去。
Repeat to get from here to the bank, you go right.
从这里到银行去往右走。
Repeat to get from here to the bank, you go right.
Is that correct?
从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
Now repeat.
May I ask, if you get from here to the bank, you go to the right, is that correct?
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
Try it again, this time you'll get a reply.
Repeat to get from here to the bank, you go right.
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
不是,从这里一直走。
Again.
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
从这里一直走。
Now repeat the adverb, straight.
一直,一直。
Repeat, go straight.
一直走,一直走。
Repeat, from here you go straight.
从这里一直走。
Notice that the adverb一直, comes right before what it most directly modifies, that is the verb走.
Repeat, no, from here you go straight.
不是,从这里一直走。
Try responding to the question yourself now, correct the person, tell her to go straight.
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
不是,从这里一直走。
Again.
请问,从这里到银行去往右走,对不对?
不是,从这里一直走。
Notice that even though the other person asks her question with,对不对?
You answer with,不是。
This is because the answer 不对, is considered rather blunt.
Now let's review what we've covered on this tape.
Put the following sentences from the target list into Chinese.
Number one.
I'm going to a coffee house.
Do you know the huamei coffee house?
No, I don't.
不知道。
Number two.
How do I get from here to the bank?
你到银行去怎么走?
From here you go straight.
从这里一直走。
Number three.
First from here I go straight, is that right?
我先从这里一直走,对不对?
That's right.
对了。
After that, when I've reached the intersection, I go to the right.
然后到了路口往右走。
No, go to the left.
我往左走。