Learn how to ask, "How do you say this in Chinese?"
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| All right guys. So you’re in China, you’ve got this sort of basic handle of Chinese but you want to learn more, you want to get more out of your time in China. So how can you do that? You need some sort of reference. You need ways to pull in more Chinese words. Now you could walk around with a dictionary and just spend all day reading the dictionary but a much more fun way, a much more interactive way is to be able to ask people how to say things. So today, we are going to go over the phrase, how do you say this in Chinese, all right? The first way we are going to do this is, if you have the object in front of you, if you are standing next to something and you want to know how to say it in Chinese, you point to the object and you say 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) All right guys. Let’s break this down by meaning. 这个(zhège) which we talked about before means this, 用(yòng) means using or to use, 中文(zhōngwén) means Chinese, 怎么(zěnme) means how and 说(shuō) means to say. All right, so altogether it is this using Chinese how do say or how do you say this in Chinese, 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) It still is a little bit slower, 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?), one more time, 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) All right, let’s do the tones, 这个(zhège) is fourth tone and then no tone, 这个(zhège), then 用(yòng) is fourth tone, the falling tone, 中文(zhōngwén) is first tone flat tone followed by second tone, rising tone, 中文(zhōngwén), 怎么(zěnme) is third tone, the falling rising tone, then no tone on the me, 怎么(zěnme) and then last, 说(shuō) is flat tone, first tone, 说(shuō). 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) Now there are number of ways to say the word for the language Chinese. The most commonly used by Chinese people is probably 汉语(hànyǔ). This literally means the language of the Han Race, Han being the main race in China and 语(yǔ) meaning language. Most people when they are beginning though, they prefer to use the word 中文(zhōngwén), 中(zhōng)means middle and refers to China, the middle country and 文(wén) also means language. 中文(zhōngwén) is usually easier to pronounce for foreigners whereas 汉语(hànyǔ) involves sounds that English doesn’t actually have. So I would suggest that you use 中文(zhōngwén), but if somebody says 汉语(hànyǔ), you probably should know what they mean. 汉语(hànyǔ) is fourth tone, falling tone followed by third tone, the falling, rising tone. So it’s 汉语(hànyǔ), one more time, 汉语(hànyǔ), but remember guys, it might just be easier to say 中文(zhōngwén). All right, now what if you want to ask how to say something but that thing is not readily available. You are not standing anywhere near a boat but you want to know how to say boat. Well then you can just replace the 这个(zhège) this that we used in the last phrase with an English word. “Boat”用中文怎么说(“Boat” yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) “Boat”用中文怎么说(“Boat” yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?), one more time, “Boat”用中文怎么说(“Boat” yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?). Now let’s try to make things a little confusing and let’s try with that 汉语(hànyǔ) word. Are you ready? “Boat”用汉语怎么说(“Boat” yòng hànyǔ zěnme shuō?). All right guys, I got to tell you, being in school was really useful but I learned most of my Chinese from friends just being on the street and hanging out and so this asking, this learning how to ask questions in Chinese becomes absolutely invaluable. In fact, it would be best to learn how to exist without a dictionary. Learning how to explain yourself in Chinese, learning how to ask questions you need to ask so that you never have to speak English. So you should take your trip to the mall as a chance to have an extra Chinese lesson. You go with your Chinese friend and you just walked on the isles going, hey how do you say this in Chinese? 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) Whenever you see something that you think you might have to use in the future, it might be a good time to ask about it, 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) Maybe you will forget it. In fact probably you will forget 60% to 70% of the things you learned but the second, the third time, the fourth time you ask, one of those times it’s got to stick and to go with this phrase, the invaluable phrase please one more time, 请再说一遍(Qǐng zàishuō yíbiàn.) All right guys, one more time, 请再说一遍(Qǐng zàishuō yíbiàn.) Last time guys, 请再说一遍(Qǐng zàishuō yíbiàn.) All right, let’s break it down first with the tones, 请(qǐng) is third tone, the falling rising tone, 再(zài) is fourth tone, the falling tone, 说(shuō) is first tone, the flat tone, 一(yī) is first tone [一(yī) will change to the second tone "yí" before a fourth tone word, so 一遍 pronounces "yíbiàn"], the flat tone and 遍(biàn) fourth tone, the falling tone. So one more time, 请再说一遍(Qǐng zàishuō yíbiàn.) All right, now let’s do the meanings, 请(qǐng) means please, I think we’ve already gone over that. 再(zài) means again, 说(shuō) means to say, 一(yī) is one and 遍(biàn) means once through or a time for something you are doing like watching a movie or reading a book. So literally it is please again say once more and that would be in proper English, please say it once again or can you say it again? |
| All right, to close our today’s lesson, we’d like you to practice what we’ve just learned. I will provide you with the English equivalent of a phrase and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You will have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So 加油(Jiā yóu!) How do you say this in Chinese, 这个用中文怎么说(Zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) How do you say “boat” in Chinese, “Boat”用中文怎么说(“Boat” yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) Please one more time, 请再说一遍(Qǐng zàishuō yíbiàn.). |
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