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? 你今天還有課嗎? 沒有課了 Repeat the word for class. 課 課 課 Repeat, I don't have any more classes. 沒有課了 沒有課了 沒有課了 Repeat the word for class. 沒有課了 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 军人 军人 repeat is your father a military man 你父亲是军人吗 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 军官 军官 repeat navy 海军 海军 海军 repeat naval officer 海军军官 海军军官 repeat he's a naval officer 他是海军军官 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 病 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 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 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 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 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