Standard Chinese, A Modular Approach, Transportation Module Unit 4, Production Tape 1.
On the comprehension tape in this unit, you learn to understand a number of sentences about using the train and buying tickets.
If you think that you might not remember the meaning of these sentences, go back to the end of the C1 tape and review the target list sentences.
If you feel that you understand them all, you should begin learning how to say them.
Listen to the first exchange, an American in Taipei is talking with a friend.
我想去台南玩几天.
Repeat the verb to player to relax.
玩
Repeat, I'm going to Tainan to relax for a few days.
我去台南玩几天.
Here again you see the bound syllable 几, which can mean how many, used to mean a few.
Repeat, I'm thinking of going to Tainan to relax for a few days.
我想去台南玩几天.
Try saying it ahead of the speaker.
I'm thinking of going to Tainan to relax for a few days.
我想去台南玩几天.
Again
我想去台南玩几天.
Listen as they discuss how to get to Tainan.
做公路局的车行不行?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Repeat the phrase for a bus which goes between cities.
公路局的车
Repeat, would it be alright to take the bus?
做公路局的车行不行?
Try asking the question yourself, you'll get a reply.
Would it be alright to take the bus?
做公路局的车行不行?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Again
做公路局的车行不行?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Now let's take a look at the answer.
Repeat the adjectival verb to be convenient.
方便
Repeat not too convenient.
不大方便
You've already learned that 不太 can mean not too or not very.
Now you see that the word 大 to be large in the phrase 不大 can also be used with this meaning.
Repeat it's not too convenient to go to 台南 by bus.
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Notice that the phrase 到台南去 to go to 台南 comes at the front of the sentence in the topic position.
It sets the scene for the following comment.
By bus it's not too convenient.
Repeat again.
It's not too convenient to go to 台南 by public bus.
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
The word order in the sentence you just said is quite different from the English word order.
The topic of the sentence to go to 台南 is followed by the subject taking the bus.
Next comes the phrase 不大 right before what it modifies the verb 方便.
How do you say it's not too convenient to go to 台南 by bus?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Try responding to the question yourself now.
It's not too convenient to go to 台南 by bus.
做公路局的车行不行?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Again.
做公路局的车行不行?
到台南去做公路局的车不大方便.
Now here's another way to ask about the transportation available to 台南.
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
做火车去好.
First repeat the answer.
It's better to go by train.
做火车去好.
In the money module, you saw adjectival verbs used in comparisons of nouns or things as in
红的便宜.
The red one is cheaper.
Here we see another adjectival verb 好 to be good used in a comparison.
But this time it's in a comparison of activities.
Answer the question yourself now.
It's better to go by train.
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
做火车去好.
Again.
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
做火车去好.
Now let's take a look at the question.
Repeat.
Is it better to go by train or to go by bus?
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
Is it better to go by train or to go by bus?
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
In this sentence, the 是 in the first part of the sentence and the 还是 in the second part of the sentence are used together to mean or.
Notice that the 是 and the 还是 come right before the verb phrase in each part of the sentence.
Repeat again.
Is it better to go by train or to go by bus?
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
是做火车去好呢?
还是做公路局的车去好呢?
The acronym is also used to offer a choice.
is it better to go by train or to go by bus?
Again
是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
做火車去好
Now here's a fuller version of that question. Listen.
你說是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
到台南,做火車最方便
你說是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
你說我是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
到台南,做火車最方便
你說我是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
到台南,做火車最方便
Repeat, most convenient
最方便
Repeat, it's most convenient to take the train to Tainan
到台南,做火車最方便
In this sentence the phrase to Tainan is in the topic position.
As you can see, it's as common for a sentence to start with the topic as it is for it to start with the subject.
Try answering the question yourself now. It's most convenient to take the train to Tainan.
你說我是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
到台南,做火車最方便
Again
你說我是做火車去好呢?還是做公路局的車去好呢?
到台南,做火車最方便
The American has another question. Listen
得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票
Repeat the word for ticket
票
Repeat the question. Is it necessary to buy tickets ahead of time?
得先買票嗎?
The word order in this sentence is important.
As you know, both adverbs such as 先 and auxiliary verbs such as 得
come before the main verb.
But which comes first in the sentence could change the meaning of the sentence.
How do you say, is it necessary to buy tickets ahead of time?
得先買票嗎?
When the adverb 先 is followed by only one activity, it simply means ahead of time, not ahead of anything in particular.
Now listen to this sentence.
先得去買票,然後再去買糖
When the adverb 先 comes before the auxiliary 得
It indicates the ordering of more than one activity.
As in first do this, then do that.
Try asking the question now.
Is it necessary to buy tickets ahead of time?
You'll get a reply.
得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Again
得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Now let's take a look at the answer.
Repeat the phrase for best.
最好
Repeat two or three days.
兩三天
You can give the idea of a non-exact amount by using two consecutive numbers together.
Repeat four or five weeks.
四五個星期
How would you say two or three weeks?
兩三個星期
How do you say two or three days?
Remember the word for day is one which takes no counter.
兩三天
Now repeat.
It would be best for you to buy your tickets two or three days in advance.
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Again notice the word order in this sentence.
The phrase with 以前
Expressing the time must come before the main verb.
Repeat again.
It would be best for you to buy your tickets two or three days in advance.
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Notice also that the phrase 最好
Best acts as an adverb and comes after the subject 妳
How do you say it would be best for you to buy your tickets two or three days in advance.
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Try answering the question yourself now.
It would be best for you to buy your tickets two or three days in advance.
得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
Again
得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
The conversation continues.
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
Repeat
Is it necessary to buy tickets ahead of time for the bus also?
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
Try asking the question yourself.
This time you'll get a reply.
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
不必先買票。
Again
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
不必先買票。
And now the answer.
Repeat
Not necessary.
不必.
Notice that no negative form of the auxiliary verb day is used.
The word day is never used in the negative.
An entirely different negative expression is used.
不必.Repeat
It's not necessary to buy tickets ahead of time.
不必先買票。
Answer the question yourself now.
Answer
Not necessary to buy tickets ahead of time.
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
不必先買票。
Again
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
不必先買票。
Once again
What's the negative of day?
不必。
Answer both questions now.
For the train, it's best to go by tickets two or three days before.
For the bus, it's not necessary to buy the tickets ahead of time.
做火車得先買票嗎?
你最好兩三天以前去買票。
做公路局的車也得先買票嗎?
不必先買票。
A day before the trip, the American goes to buy the train tickets.
After he says he wants a ticket to Tainan for the next day on one of the two tourist trains,
the ticket seller has another question.
Listen
你要做什麼時候的車?
我要做上午的車。
Repeat
A morning train
上午的車
Repeat
I wish to take a morning train.
我要做上午的車。
Answer the question yourself now.
You wish to take a morning train.
你要做什麼時候的車?
我要做上午的車。
Again
你要做什麼時候的車?
我要做上午的車。
The conversation with the ticket seller continues.
對不起,上午的票都賣完了。
Repeat the phrase which means sold out, more literally self-finished.
賣完了。
Repeat
The tickets are all sold out.
票都賣完了。
Repeat
The tickets for the morning train are all sold out.
上午的票都賣完了。
Repeat
I'm sorry
The tickets for the morning train are all sold out.
對不起
上午的票都賣完了。
對不起
上午的票都賣完了。
Try saying it ahead of the speaker.
I'm sorry.
The tickets for the morning train are all sold out.
對不起
上午的票都賣完了。
Now let's review what's been covered on this tape.
Put the following sentences into Chinese.
Perhaps
讓我們看下一句, Put the following sentences into Chinese.
Romance
I'm thinking of going to the qund in Taiwan to relax for a few days.
Romance
I'm thinking of going to Taiwan to relax for a few days.
przez幾天
我想去台南玩几天。
Number 2. Would you say it's better for me to go by bus or to go by train?
你说我是坐火车去好呢?还是坐公路局的车去好呢?
It's most convenient to take the train to台南.
到台南,坐火车最方便。
Number 3. Is it necessary to buy tickets for the train ahead of time?
坐火车,得先买票吗?
It would be best for you to buy tickets for the train two or three days in advance.
你最好两三天以前去买票。
And the public bus?
坐公路局的车呢?
It's not necessary to buy tickets ahead of time.
不必先买票。
Number 4. I want to take a morning train.
我要坐上午的车。
I'm sorry, the tickets for the morning trains are all sold out.
对不起,上午的票都卖完了。