Standard Chinese, A Modular Approach, Money Module, Unit 5, Comprehension Tape 1, This unit is set in the PRC. On this tape, you'll learn to understand questions and answers used in changing money.
Ms. Novak is at the front desk of her hotel in Peking. She has a $10 bill in Chinese currency that she wants to break. Listen. Please give me two fives.
请你给我两张五块的。
Here's the counter for bills and other flat things. You've already seen it as a counter for maps.
张
We might translate 两张 as two sheets. Here's how he says five's.
五块的。五块的。
Adding the marker 德 to 五块 changes it from an amount to something characterized by that amount. Besides referring to a $5 bill, the expression 五块的 could refer to a $5 item, that is, a $5 one.
You've already had the marker 德 used in a similar way in the expression 红的, red ones. So we could translate 两张五块的 word for word as two sheets, five dollar ones. Listen to Ms. Novak's request live.
请你给我两张五块的。
Check your comprehension.请你给我两张五块的。
Please give me two fives. It would have been more tactful for Ms. Novak to have used a less direct approach, such as this. Listen.
Sorry to bother you. I have a 10 here.
麻烦你,我这儿有一张10块的。
Here's the verb to bother.麻烦。麻烦。
The expression 麻烦你, really means I'm bothering you.
Notice that Ms. Novak refers to herself in terms of location with the phrase 我这儿, which means something like here where I am. So that the verb 有 has no subject and is being used in its impersonal sense. There is.
We can't of course translate the sentence here where I am. There is a $10 bill.
Listen to Ms. Novak's polite opening live.麻烦你,我这儿有一张10块的。
Again,麻烦你,我这儿有一张10块的。
Check your comprehension.麻烦你,我这儿有一张10块的。
Sorry to bother you. I have a 10 here. The indirect approach continues. Listen. Please change it for me.
请你给我换换。请你给我换换。
Here's the verb to change.换。换。
Here it is reduplicated to soften the request.换换。换换。
Notice the neutral tone of the second syllable.
In this sentence, the verb 给 is translated not by the English verb to give, but as the preposition for.
There is a logical connection between the meanings to give and for, but it is best to keep the two functions distinct.
The main verb of this sentence, of course, is 换换. Listen to the request live.请你给我换换。
Again,请你给我换换。
Check your comprehension.请你给我换换。
Please change it for me. Here's another live exchange using the prepositional verb 给.
请你给我买点点心。好。Again,请你给我买点点心。好。
Check your comprehension.请你给我买点点心。
Would you buy me a snack, please?好。
Okay. Listen as Miss Novak continues getting her change.
How do you want to change it?您要怎么换?您要怎么换?
Would you give me two fives, please?请你给我两张五块的吧。请你给我两张五块的吧。
Here's the adverb 好。怎么?怎么?
Notice that the adverb 怎么好 comes before the main verb 换 to change, not before the auxiliary verb 要 to want to.
Here's the exchange live.您要怎么换?请你给我两张五块的吧。Again,您要怎么换?请你给我两张五块的吧。
Check your comprehension.您要怎么换?
How do you want to change it?请你给我两张五块的吧。 Would you give me two fives, please?
Here's a live exchange on the same theme. Listen.麻烦您,请你给我换换这张十块的。好,这是一张五块的,五张一块的。
Again,麻烦您,请你给我换换这张十块的。好,这是一张五块的,五张一块的。
Check your comprehension.麻烦您,请你给我换换这张十块的。
Sorry to bother you. Please change this ten for me.好,这是一张五块的。
Here's a live exchange on the same theme.麻烦您,请你给我换换这张十块的。好,这是一张五块的,五张一块的。
Again,麻烦您,请你给我换换这张十块的。好,这是一张五块的,五张一块的。
请你给我换换。您要怎么换?您要两张五块的,还是一张五块的,五张一块的?
请你给我一张五块的,五张一块的吧。好。Again,麻烦您,我这儿有一张十块的,请你给我换换。
您要怎么换?您要两张五块的,还是一张五块的,五张一块的?
请你给我一张五块的,五张一块的吧。好。
Check your comprehension.麻烦您,我这儿有一张十块的。
Sorry to bother you, I have a ten here.请你给我换换。
Please change it for me.您要怎么换?
How do you want to change it?您要两张五块的,还是一张五块的,五张一块的?
Do you want two fives or one five and five ones?请你给我一张五块的,五张一块的吧。
Would you give me a five and five ones please?好。
Alright. The conversation between Ms. Novak and the clerk could have ended like this. Thank you.
谢谢。谢谢。You're welcome.不客气。不客气。
Here's the expression for your welcome.不客气。不客气。
More literally, the expression不客气 means don't be polite. The English expression you're welcome accepts thanks.
The Chinese expression不客气 declines thanks, saying in effect, you don't have to be so polite. I'm not worthy of it.
Here's the exchange live.谢谢。不客气。
Again,谢谢。不客气。Check your comprehension.谢谢。
Thank you.不客气。You're welcome. Mr. Anderson is on a trip to Canton and is about to pay for a purchase at the Dongfang Hotel there. Listen.
Do you accept US currency?你们收美金吗?你们收美金吗?
I'm sorry. We don't.对不起我们不收。对不起我们不收。
Here's the verb to accept.收。收。
Other meanings of收 are to receive, to collect, and to keep.
Here's the word for US currency.美金。美金。
The original meaning of金 is gold. Here it means currency. Listen to the exchange live.你们收美金吗?对不起我们不收。
Again,你们收美金吗?对不起我们不收。Check your comprehension.你们收美金吗?
Do you accept US currency?对不起我们不收。
I'm sorry. We don't. The conversation continues. Listen.
Well, where do I change it?Is there a bank here?在哪儿换呢?这儿有没有银行?在哪儿换呢?这儿有没有银行?
There is. The bank is right over there.有银行就在那儿。有银行就在那儿。
The marker 呢 at the end of Mr. Anderson's question 在哪儿换呢?shows that it follows from the clerk's suggestion.
We translate this 呢 loosely as well. Mr. Anderson would not have been able to start the conversation by asking 在哪儿换呢?
any more than he could start it in English with. Well, you've had this usage once before in the sentence.
Nina. Notice that in the choice question 呢,这儿有没有银行?the alternative affirmative and negative forms of the verb both come before the object.
This is as common as the way you've had already, where the negative form follows the object.
Notice also in the sense that the place word 这儿 comes before the verb 有 in Chinese.
But in English, the place word here comes at the end of the sentence. Listen to the exchange live. 在哪儿换呢?这儿有没有银行?有银行就在那儿。
Again 在哪儿换呢?这儿有没有银行?有银行就在那儿。
Check your comprehension. 在哪儿换呢?这儿有没有银行?
Well, where do I change it? Is there a bank here? 有银行就在那儿。
There is. The bank is right over there. Now Mr. Anderson approaches a teller. Listen.
May I ask, is it here that I change money? 请问,是不是在这儿换钱?
Yes, it is here that you change it. 是,是在这儿换。
As you'll remember, the marker 这儿 is used to indicate the center of interest of a sentence, which in this exchange is the location phrase. The marker 这儿 may be translated, it is, as in 是在这儿换钱, it is here that you change money.
So far, you've heard the marker 这儿 only in past time senses, accompanied by the marker 这儿。
我是在加州生的。 Literally, it was in California that I was born.
In this exchange, however, Mr. Anderson is talking about something he wants to do in the future, so the marker 这儿 is not used.
The question in this exchange is a choice type question. 是不是在这儿换钱?
Literally, is it or isn't it here that I change money? Or in more idiomatic English, is it here that I change money?
Here's the exchange live. 请问,是不是在这儿换钱?
是,是在这儿换。 Again. 请问,是不是在这儿换钱?
是,是在这儿换。 Check your comprehension. 请问,是不是在这儿换钱?
May I ask, is it here that I change money? 是,是在这儿换。 Yes, it is here that you change it.
Here's another exchange using the marker 这儿, without the marker 这儿。 Listen to it live.
它是不是明天来? 它不是明天来,它是后天来。 Again.
它是不是明天来? 它不是明天来,它是后天来。 Check your comprehension. 它是不是明天来?
Is it tomorrow that he's coming? 它不是明天来,它是后天来。
It isn't tomorrow that he's coming. It's the day after tomorrow. The conversation continues.
Listen. How much do you want to change? 你要换多少? 你要换多少?
I have a hundred dollars US in traveler's checks here. 我这儿有100块美金的旅行支票。
Here's how you say 100. 一百。 一百。 Here's the word for travel. 旅行。旅行。
And here's the word for a check. 支票。支票。
You'll remember that the marker 这儿 changes an amount of money to something worth that amount.
The phrase 一百块美金的旅行支票, therefore, refers to a traveler's check or several traveler's checks worth a hundred dollars US.
Listen to the exchange live. 你要换多少? 我这儿有100块美金的旅行支票。
Again. 你要换多少? 我这儿有100块美金的旅行支票。
Check your comprehension. 你要换多少?
How much do you want to change? 我这儿有100块美金的旅行支票。
I have a hundred dollars US in traveler's checks here. The conversation continues. Listen. What's today's exchange rate?
今天的排价是多少? 今天的排价是多少?
One dollar US to one dollar ninety-six cents人民币. 一块美金换一块九毛六人民币。
Here's the word for exchange rate. 排价。排价。
And here's the word for PRC currency. Literally, people's currency. 人民币。
Notice that the verb one here means changes into or can be changed for. Listen to the exchange live. 今天的排价是多少?
一块美金换一块九毛六人民币。Again. 今天的排价是多少?
一块美金换一块九毛六人民币。Check your comprehension. 今天的排价是多少?
What's today's exchange rate? 今天的排价是多少?
一块美金换一块九毛六人民币。One dollar US to one dollar ninety-six cents人民币。
On another day, the conversation might go like this, live. 麻烦你,我要换五十块美金的旅行支票。
好,今天的排价是一块美金换一块九毛八人民币。Again. 麻烦你,我要换五十块美金的旅行支票。
好,今天的排价是一块美金换一块九毛八人民币。Check your comprehension. 麻烦你,我要换五十块美金的旅行支票。
Sorry to bother you, but I'd like to change fifty dollars US in traveler's checks. 好,今天的排价是一块美金换一块九毛八人民币。
Certainly, today's exchange rate is one dollar US to one dollar ninety-eight cents人民币。
A review dialog for this unit will be found at the beginning of the C2 tape. Now let's review with the sentences from the target list.
Number one. 你们收美金不收?Do you accept US currency? Number two. 请问,是不是在这换钱?
May I ask, is it here that I change money? 今天的排价是一块美金换一块九毛六人民币。
Today's exchange rate is one dollar US to one dollar ninety-six cents人民币。
Number four. 麻烦你,我这儿有一张十块的。
Sorry to bother you, I have a ten here. Number five. 今天的排价是多少?
What's today's exchange rate? Number six. 这儿有没有银行?
Is there a bank here? Number seven. 你要换多少?
How much do you want to change? Number eight. 对不起,我们不收美金。
I'm sorry, we don't accept US currency. Number nine. 请你给我换换。
Please change it for me. Number ten. 请你给我两张五块的吧。
Would you give me two fives please? Number eleven. 你要怎么换?
How do you want to change it? Number twelve. 我这儿有一百块美金的旅行支票。
I have a hundred dollars US in traveler's checks here. If you think you're ready, go on to the P1 tape. This is the end of the tape.
End of money five, C1.