Learn the phrases to use at a post office
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| All right guys, in today’s lesson, we are going to take a trip to the post office. Now in Chinese, post office is 邮局(yóu jú), one more time, 邮局(yóu jú), last time, 邮局(yóu jú). That’s second tone, then second tone again, both are rising tones, 邮局(yóu jú). So today we are going to work on getting things to people in other countries sending postcards, packages, gifts. So the phrase for today is going to be I’d like to send this to and then you say the destination. Today we are going to use Tokyo. So first of all, in Chinese, Tokyo is 东京(dōng jīng), that’s first tone and first tone again, both flat tones, 东京(dōng jīng). All right guys, most of the time when you are talking about foreign cities, you can just say the English word. Even for Tokyo, you could probably at the post office just say Tokyo or you might write out Tokyo and they can probably look it up and figure out what you mean but you should know that every city in the world has a Chinese name which may or may not sound like the English pronunciation and in the case of Tokyo, 东京(dōng jīng) does not sound anything like the English pronunciation. So in Chinese, I’d like to send this to Tokyo is 我想把这个送到东京(Wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhège sòng dào dōngjīng.). So first the tones, 我(wǒ) is third tone, the falling rising tone, 我(wǒ), but it becomes second tone in this phrase. 想(xiǎng) is also third tone, 想(xiǎng), but becomes second tone in this phrase. 把(bǎ) is also third tone. That’s three third tones in a row, 把(bǎ), three third tones in a row. So the first two are going to become second tone, so 我想把(Wó xiáng bǎ). 这个(zhè ge), 这(zhè) is fourth tone falling tone, 个(ge) has no tone, we’ve talked about this before. 送(sòng) fourth tone, falling tone, 送(sòng). 到(dào), fourth tone, falling tone, 到(dào). 东京(dōng jīng), like we said before, two first tones, 东京(dōng jīng). So altogether, 我想把这个送到东京(Wó xiáng bǎ zhège sòng dào dōngjīng.). The meaning broken down word by word is 我(wǒ) which means I or me, 想(xiǎng), to want to. 把(bǎ), in this case, 把(bǎ) marks the object, it says which noun is being acted upon. 这个(zhè ge), this, 这个(zhè ge). 送(sòng), to deliver, 到(dào) to arrive or to get to. Here when combined with 送(sòng), it means to deliver to and 东京(dōng jīng), Tokyo. So I want this, the object to be delivered to Tokyo. So translated literally it means, I want this send to Tokyo. I would like to send this to Tokyo, 我想把这个送到东京(Wó xiáng bǎ zhège sòng dào dōngjīng.) Let’s try to build on this phrase. Instead of just saying I want to send this we can say I want to send this letter or I want to send this package. Guys, I know we have email, I know we have phones now-a-days but truthfully there is nothing as romantic as a letter and maybe you want to send your stuff home before you come back from China. Maybe you want to send souvenirs back or maybe you have friends in other countries that you want to send gifts too before you get back. You have friends in other countries that you want to send gifts to that you won’t be able to take personally to them. For these kind of things, the post office is really, really useful and it’s not very expensive. Sending a letter within China is only 0.8 Yuan. That’s like maybe $0.10 guys whereas sending a letter outside of China is something like 5 Yuan, so maybe $0.50. It’s not very expensive at all. Sending a postcard is even cheaper. Sending a postcard is only going to be 2 maybe 3 Yuan which is only like $0.20, $0.25. Sending a small package, something that’s only half a pound or so is maybe $2 or $3 whereas sending a bigger package 4 or 5 pounds is going to cost you something around $10. Still it’s not very expensive and it’s much easier than trying to take back big things over the plane. You go in with your package or your postcard or whatever, you go up to the counter of the post office and you say 我想把这个送到(Wó xiáng bǎ zhège sòng dào) and then you say, where you want to send it to. So maybe 送到(sòng dào) New York or 送到(sòng dào) 东京(dōng jīng), Tokyo and the guy, he takes your postcard, he takes your package and he says 明白了(Míng bai le.), means I understand, 明白了(Míng bai le.), I understand. It’s second tone, then second tone again and then no tone on the le. So 明(míng), second tone, 明(míng), 白(bái), second tone, 白(bái) [ "白" has no tone in the phrase "明白"(míng bai)], and 了(le), no tone, 明白了(Míng bai le.). It means I understand. He will take your package, he will say 明白了(Míng bai le.), I understand and then he should tell you the price. If he doesn’t tell you the price immediately, you can ask him, then he will tell you the price. |
| 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!) I want to send this to Tokyo, 我想把这个送到东京(Wó xiáng bǎ zhège sòng dào dōngjīng.). I understand, 明白了(Míng bai le.). |
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