Learn about forbidding people to do things and when Confucianism was deemed dangerous
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| INTRODUCTION |
| David: So we’ve got a dialogue here involving two people. One of them knows a bit more than he is letting on. |
| DIALOGUE |
| A: 你知道？(Nǐ zhīdào?) |
| B: 等等，知道什么？(Děngdeng, zhīdào shénme?) |
| A: 知道他的事？(Zhīdào tā de shì?) |
| B: 怎么可能。(Zěnme kěnéng.) |
| A: 别装。(bié zhuāng.) |
| David: One more time a bit slower. |
| A: 你知道？(Nǐ zhīdào?) |
| B: 等等，知道什么？(Děngdeng, zhīdào shénme?) |
| A: 知道他的事？(Zhīdào tā de shì?) |
| B: 怎么可能。(Zěnme kěnéng.) |
| A: 别装。(bié zhuāng.) |
| David: And now with the English translation. |
| Sylvia: 你知道？(Nǐ zhīdào?) |
| David: Do you know? |
| Sylvia: 等等，知道什么？(Děngdeng, zhīdào shénme?) |
| David: Hold on, know what? |
| Sylvia: 知道他的事？(Zhīdào tā de shì?) |
| David: You know about his problem? |
| Sylvia: 怎么可能。(Zěnme kěnéng.) |
| David: How could I? |
| Sylvia: 别装。(bié zhuāng.) |
| David: Stop pretending! |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Sylvia 知道 (zhīdào)[natural native speed] |
| David to know |
| Sylvia 知道(zhīdào) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 知道 (zhīdào)[natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 等等(děngdeng) [natural native speed] |
| David hold on |
| Sylvia 等等(děngdeng) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 等等(děngdeng) [natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 事儿(shìr) [natural native speed] |
| David problem, matter |
| Sylvia 事儿(shìr) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 事儿(shìr) [natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 怎么(zěnme) [natural native speed] |
| David how |
| Sylvia 怎么(zěnme) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 怎么(zěnme) [natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 可能(kěnéng) [natural native speed] |
| David possibly, possible |
| Sylvia 可能(kěnéng) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 可能(kěnéng) [natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 别(bié) [natural native speed] |
| David don't |
| Sylvia 别(bié) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 别(bié) [natural native speed] |
| Sylvia 装(zhuāng) [natural native speed] |
| David to pretend |
| Sylvia 装(zhuāng) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Sylvia 装(zhuāng) [natural native speed] |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| David: Let’s take a closer look at some of these words and phrases. We already know the words to know 知道(zhīdào), possibly 可能(kěnéng), how 怎么(zěnme), and don’t 别(bié). What’s new in this lesson is the way we said hold on 等等(děngdeng), hold on 等等(děngdeng). It’s possible you already know the word to wait 等待(Děngdài), to wait 等待(Děngdài). Now 等(Děng) is a single character with the same meaning. |
| Sylvia: Yes. |
| David: It means wait 等(Děng). So what we have here is we have that verb reduplicated, 等等(Děng děng). As we know from previous lessons, this means exactly the same as 等一等(Děng yī děng). So you are asking someone to wait for just a second 等一等(Děng yī děng). Or that’s the literal meaning. Here though it is just being used the way in English we would say hold on 等等(Děng děng), hold on, I don’t understand 等等(Děng děng)，我不懂(Wǒ bù dǒng). Hold on, I don’t understand. |
| Sylvia: 等等，我不懂.(Děng děng, wǒ bù dǒng.) |
| David: Or maybe you are chatting with someone and they are speaking a mile a minute. You can slow them down by saying hold on, speak more slowly 等等，说慢点儿(Děng děng, shuō màn diǎn er) . Hold on, speak more slowly |
| Sylvia: 等等，说慢点儿(Děng děng, shuō màn diǎn er) |
| David: Or to use another phrase from our dialogue, perhaps you are chatting with someone and you don’t believe what they are saying. You might say hold on, how is that possible. 等等，怎么可能(Děng děng, zěnme kěnéng). Hold on, how is that possible... |
| Sylvia: 等等，怎么可能.(Děng děng, zěnme kěnéng.) |
| David: The next word we want to highlight here is the word 事(Shì) and this usually means a problem 事(Shì). It’s something. It’s not good. It might be work, it might be a personal issue. It’s a 事(Shì). |
| Sylvia: It can be anything. |
| David: Yeah. Listen carefully to the end sound. 事(Shì) Notice how we are adding that R sound. 事(Shì) Without that sound, the word is technically 事(Shì). So the sound is changing, 事(Shì). And you can use that. If you have a problem, you might say boss, I’ve got a problem 老板(Lǎobǎn)，我有事(Wǒ yǒushì), which is usually a way of saying I need time off work. |
| Sylvia: 老板，我有事.(Lǎobǎn, wǒ yǒushì.) |
| David: In the dialogue, someone was asked if they’ve heard of someone else’s problem. 他的事(Tā de shì). His problem 他的事(Tā de shì). And we don’t know what it is but we are guessing that it’s not pleasant. |
| Sylvia: Something… |
| David: It’s bad. It’s a problem. |
| Sylvia: Right. |
| David: It’s a 事.(Shì.) |
| Sylvia: Something he doesn’t want people to know. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| David: In our grammar point today, we are going to review how to say don’t 别(Bié). We heard this in this line in our dialogue 别装(Bié zhuāng). Don’t pretend 别装(Bié zhuāng). As we already know, we can use this with any single character verb. For instance, 别怕(Bié pà), don’t be afraid 别怕.(Bié pà.) |
| Sylvia: And you can use that word when you are watching a movie with your boyfriend and he is scared. |
| David: Yes you can. You can also use it with two character verbs such as don’t tell him 别告诉他(Bié gàosù tā). Don’t tell him 别告诉他(Bié gàosù tā). or don’t tell anyone else 别告诉别人(Bié gàosù biérén). Don’t tell anyone else 别告诉别人(Bié gàosù biérén). And we’ve got the character 别(Bié) repeated second time there. This is another meeting. Here it means “other” 别(Bié). Other people 别人(Biérén) Don’t tell anyone else 别告诉别人(Bié gàosù biérén). Now there is another way to say don’t in Chinese, 不要(Bùyào). And Sylvia, this is interchangeable with 别(Bié) right? |
| Sylvia: Yes it’s little longer than 别.(Bié.) |
| David: Right. So it’s longer, it’s not as easy, it’s a bit more formal but you can use this anywhere you can use 别.(Bié.) For instance, you could say 不要怕(Bùyào pà) don’t be afraid, 不要怕(Bùyào pà); or don’t tell anyone else 不要告诉别人(Bùyào gàosù biérén). Don’t tell anyone else 不要告诉别人(Bùyào gàosù biérén). So two really important words. The first 别(Bié) the second 不要(Bùyào). Use them to forbid other people from doing something or if you are Sylvia. |
| Sylvia: Keeping my boyfriend from getting scared. |
| David: Right. |
Outro |
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