Learn how to ask for clarification
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| Hi! 大家好，我是李殷如。 |
| (Dà jiā hǎo, wǒ shì Lǐ Yīnrú.) |
| “Hi, everyone! My name is Yinru Li.” |
| In this lesson, we’ll talk about how to ask for clarification in Chinese. |
| Wait a second. Clarification? What is that? What does that mean? |
| Well, when we don’t understand someone or we didn’t hear someone very well, we check for the person who we are speaking with to make sure we understand them correctly. This is asking for clarification. |
| Well, in Chinese, there are a few different ways to do that, of course. And here, I have listed 10 phrases, 10 sentences you can use to ask for clarification under different circumstances. |
| The first group is when you don’t understand or hear someone very well, you can say this. |
| First: |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) means “What did you say?” |
| 你 (Nǐ) is “you” and 说 (shuō) is “to say” and 什么 (shénme) is what. |
| So, “You said what?” |
| “What did you say?” |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| Okay. This is a good one to use with someone we have a close relationship with, but when you’re speaking with someone who’s older than you or who is your boss or a person you- people you don’t know really very well yet, it’s always safer and more polite to add an “excuse me” or “I’m sorry.” |
| So, you can say: |
| 不好意思，你说什么？(Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| 不好意思，你说什么？(Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ shuō shénme?) “I’m sorry, what did you say?” |
| Okay, the next one is: |
| 我没听清。 (Wǒ méi tīng qīng.) |
| 我没听清 (Wǒ méi tīng qīng) means “I didn’t hear clearly.” |
| So, 我没听清 (wǒ méi tīng qīng), “I didn’t hear you clearly,” I didn’t hear it very well. |
| 我没听清。 (Wǒ méi tīng qīng.) |
| 你说什么？ 我没听清。 (Nǐ shuō shénme? Wǒ méi tīng qīng.) |
| Okay, the third one: |
| 我听不懂。 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.) |
| 我听不懂 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng) is probably something you have seen in Chinese survival phrases handbook or cheatsheet. So, suppose, you’re a foreigner who is traveling to China and you don’t speak the language yet, and some Chinese person just starts speaking Chinese. |
| You can use this phrase: |
| 我听不懂。 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.) “I don’t understand.” |
| Please don’t speak Chinese to me. I don’t understand. |
| 我听不懂。 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.) |
| 我听不懂。 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.) |
| This is also- this can be also used in other settings, for example, in a classroom, where your teacher just explained something, but it just didn’t make sense to you, so you can say, 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) “I don’t understand.” |
| 我听不懂。 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.) |
| Well, next is a set of phrases that are useful for language learners, especially beginners. So, these are asking people to repeat what they said or to say it slowly. Okay. |
| First one: |
| 请再说一遍。 (Qǐng zàishuō yībiàn.) |
| 请再说一遍 (Qǐng zàishuō yībiàn) means “Please say it again.” |
| 请 (Qǐng) means “please.” |
| We often use 请 (qǐng) at the beginning of a verb phrase to politely ask someone to do something, like 请 (qǐng) do this, okay? 请 (Qǐng) 怎么怎么样 (zěnme zěnmeyàng). |
| And next, 再 (zài) means “again,” 再 (zài). |
| 说 (Shuō) means “to say.” |
| And 一遍 (yībiàn) means “one time.” |
| So, 请再说一遍 (qǐng zàishuō yībiàn) literally is “please, again, say one time” or more naturally, please say it one more time or please say it again. |
| Well, 请再说一遍 (qǐng zàishuō yībiàn) can be used in a question form to make a request. |
| 能再说一遍吗？ (Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) |
| 能再说一遍吗？ (Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) |
| We know 再说一遍 (zàishuō yībiàn) is to say it one more time, say it again. |
| And 能 (néng) means “can” and 吗 (ma) is just a question marker. |
| So, 能再说一遍吗？ (Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) translates to “Can you say it one more time?” Even though the subject, 你 (nǐ); 你能再说一遍吗？ (nǐ néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) 的你 (de nǐ) is omitted here. |
| 能再说一遍吗？ (Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) “Can you say it one more time?” |
| Okay, next: |
| 请说慢一点。 (Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) is also in the 请 (qǐng) form, like “please.” |
| Please say 说慢 (shuō màn) “slow” 一点 (yīdiǎn) “a bit.” |
| 请说慢一点。 (Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) “Please say it slowly” or “Please say it slower.” |
| 请说慢一点。 (Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) |
| If we change this into the 能 (néng) question form, it’s: |
| 能说慢一点吗？(Néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma?) “Can you say it slower?” “Can you say it slowly?” |
| 能说慢一点吗？(Néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma?) |
| Well, the 请 (qǐng) [something] and 能 (néng) 什么什么吗 (shénme shénme ma) [something], essentially, they’re pretty interchangeable. The only slight difference is that 请 (qǐng) may sound a little formal, like little official, you know, 请 (qǐng) to do something, and 能 (néng) [something] 吗 (ma) is probably more personal, more colloquial, more gentle. |
| All right. Well, next, next, a few phrases involve writing and reading. |
| So, when you have a hard time communicating with someone through, you know, conversations, speaking or listening, it might be a good idea just to write things down, just to be clear. |
| So, when you ask someone, can you write it down for me in Chinese, you can say: |
| 能写下来吗？ (Néng xiě xiàlái ma?) |
| 能写下来吗 (Néng xiě xiàlái ma) is also in the 能 (néng) 什么什么吗 (shénme shénme ma) form. |
| So, 写 (xiě) means “to write” and 下来 (xiàlái) “down.” So 写下来 (xiě xiàlái) “write it down.” |
| 能写下来吗？ (Néng xiě xiàlái ma?) “Can you write it down?” |
| 能写下来吗？ (Néng xiě xiàlái ma?) |
| Now, if you can read in Chinese, which is pretty awesome ‘cause reading in Chinese is challenging, but if you can read and you’re reading something and some word just doesn’t make sense to you, you don’t know what that means, you can check by saying… |
| 这个是什么意思？ (Zhège shì shénme yìsi?) |
| 这个是什么意思？ (Zhège shì shénme yìsi?) |
| 这个是什么意思？ (Zhège shì shénme yìsi?) means “What does this mean?” |
| 这个 (zhège) “this” |
| 是 (shì) “is” |
| 什么 (shénme) “what” |
| 意思 (yìsi) “meaning” |
| So, together, 这个是什么意思？ (Zhège shì shénme yìsi?) is “This is what meaning?” or “What does this mean?” |
| 这个是什么意思？ (Zhège shì shénme yìsi?) |
| All right. So, this is for checking the meaning of something. |
| But when you want to check the reading or the pronunciation of something, you can say: |
| 这个怎么念？(Zhège zěnme niàn?) |
| 这个怎么念？(Zhège zěnme niàn?) |
| 这个 (zhège) “this” |
| 怎么 (zěnme) “how to” |
| 念 (niàn) “read” |
| 这个怎么念？(Zhège zěnme niàn?) “This, how to read?” or “How do you read this?” |
| 这个怎么念？(Zhège zěnme niàn?) |
| All right. Last, I have a little bonus phrase for you. You don’t have to learn to say this in this lesson, but it’s good to know. So, like I said, Chinese writing or reading are pretty, pretty challenging, ‘cause the pronunciation system and the writing system are totally separate. So, for one syllable, when you say something, it could be, you know, a few different corresponding characters to that syllable. So, this is especially common when we learn someone’s name or when we have to write down someone’s name and we just- we’re not sure which character we should write down. |
| So, for example, this person’s name is Huang. So, he said, “My name is Huang” and you said, okay, which Huang? And again you will say, 哪个 (Nǎge) Huang? 哪个 (Nǎge) means “which,” and then you can put whichever you’re checking with here. 哪个 (Nǎge) 什么什么 (shénme shénme). 哪个 (Nǎge) “Which one?” Okay. |
| So, here are the 10 phrases we can use to ask for clarification in Chinese. |
| And next, we’re gonna hear a dialogue. So, this young man is meeting his neighbor and he’s introducing himself, but the neighbor didn’t really catch his name, so he asked for clarification. Now, let’s hear the dialogue and find out how the neighbor does it. Are you ready? |
| 我叫黄宏伟。(Wǒ jiào huáng hóngwěi.) |
| 不好意思，能再说一遍吗？(Bù hǎoyìsi, néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) |
| One more time, a bit slower. |
| 我叫黄宏伟。(Wǒ jiào huáng hóngwěi.) |
| 不好意思，能再说一遍吗？(Bù hǎoyìsi, néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) |
| Okay. So, the phrase the neighbor uses to ask for clarification is: |
| 能再说一遍吗？(Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) “Can you say it one more time? / Can you say it again?” |
| Okay. So, the first line of this dialogue is a way to make self-introduction to introduce your own name, 我叫 (wǒ jiào) “I’m called / my name is…” |
| 我叫黄宏伟。(Wǒ jiào huáng hóngwěi.) |
| Okay. And the neighbor didn’t catch the name, so he first apologizes by saying 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) “I’m sorry.” 能再说一遍吗？(Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) “Can you say it one more time?” |
| 不好意思，能再说一遍吗？(Bù hǎoyìsi, néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?) |
| Okay, next, let’s look at a few more scenarios, just to practice, okay? |
| For example, you are studying Chinese- you’re learning Chinese in a Chinese classroom, and the teacher just taught you a new phrase, but she said it kind of fast, like what I’m doing now, maybe. She said it too fast and you wanted to ask her to slow down. So, how do you say that to her? |
| You can use: |
| 请说慢一点。 (Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) |
| Or 能说慢一点吗？(Néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma?) |
| So, you can use this one or this one. |
| So you can say: |
| 老师，请说慢一点。 (Lǎoshī, qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) |
| Or 老师，能说慢一点吗？ (Lǎoshī, néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma?) |
| 老师 (Lǎoshī) means “teacher.” |
| So, you can just say: |
| 老师。 。 。 (Lǎoshī…) |
| 老师，请说慢一点。 (Lǎoshī, qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn.) |
| 老师，能说慢一点吗？ (Lǎoshī, néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma?) |
| Okay. Now, let’s say you are talking with your friend on the phone, but the connection signal is bad, so you tell the friend that, “What did you say? I didn’t hear you very well.” How do you say that? |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| 我没听清。 (Wǒ méi tīng qīng.) |
| 你说什么 (Nǐ shuō shénme), that’s here. |
| 你说什么？ (Nǐ shuō shénme?) |
| 我没听清。 (Wǒ méi tīng qīng.) |
| All right, third one. Let’s say your neighbor just told you about this awesome restaurant and you really want to check it out, so you ask the neighbor to write down the address and name of the restaurant for you, so you can show the taxi driver. So, how do you ask him to write it down for you? |
| You can say: |
| 能写下来吗？ (Néng xiě xiàlái ma?) “Can you write it down? / Could you write it down?” |
| 能写下来吗？ (Néng xiě xiàlái ma?) |
| Good job! |
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