Learn how to use 白 to say something was done without results, or in vain, from a conversation between two people in China
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Intermediate, season 2, Lesson 13. Chinese Insurance Might Not Be a Sure thing! |
| Chloe:大家好。(Dàjiā hǎo.)I’m Chloe! |
| Becky:Hi everyone, I’m Becky and welcome back to ChineseClass101.com. This is Intermediate Season 2, Lesson 13 - Chinese Insurance Might Not be a Sure Thing! |
| Chloe:In this lesson, you’ll learn how to express that you’re doing something in vain. |
| Becky:The conversation takes place in the office. |
| Chloe:这次的对话发生在一位公司职员和一位经理之间。(Zhè cì de duìhuà fāshēng zài yī wèi gōngsī zhíyuán hé yī wèi jīnglǐ zhī jiān.) |
| Becky:The employee is negotiating insurance payments with the m |
| Becky: The employee is negotiating insurance payments with the manager. So they will be using informal language. Okay let’s listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| A:经理，我能不交五险一金吗？ |
| (A: Jīnglǐ, wǒ néng bù jiāo wǔ xiǎn yī jīn ma?) |
| B:不行，这是国家规定的，必须交。公司还给你交一大部分呢。 |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè shì guójiā guīdìng de, bìxū jiāo. Gōngsī hái gěi nǐ jiāo yī dà bùfèn ne.) |
| A:我看新闻里说养老金现在就亏空一大笔钱，我怕等我老了，这些钱都白交了。 |
| (A: Wǒ kàn xīnwén li shuō yǎnglǎo jīn xiànzài jiù kuīkong yī dà bǐ qián, wǒ pà děng wǒ lǎole, zhèxiē qián dōu bái jiāole.) |
| B:几十年以后的事谁也说不好。 |
| (B: Jǐ shí nián yǐhòu de shì shuí yě shuō bu hǎo.) |
| A:那我能少交点儿吗？ |
| (A: Nà wǒ néng shǎo jiāodiǎn er ma?) |
| B:不行，这都是根据你的工资按比例交的。要不公司少发你点儿工资？ |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè dōu shì gēnjù nǐ de gōngzī àn bǐlì jiāo de. Yào bù gōngsī shǎo fā nǐ diǎn er gōngzī?) |
| A:算了，那还是按原来的交吧。 |
| (A: Suànle, nà háishì àn yuánlái de jiāo ba.) |
| Becky: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly. |
| A:经理，我能不交五险一金吗？ |
| (A: Jīnglǐ, wǒ néng bù jiāo wǔ xiǎn yī jīn ma?) |
| B:不行，这是国家规定的，必须交。公司还给你交一大部分呢。 |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè shì guójiā guīdìng de, bìxū jiāo. Gōngsī hái gěi nǐ jiāo yī dà bùfèn ne.) |
| A:我看新闻里说养老金现在就亏空一大笔钱，我怕等我老了，这些钱都白交了。 |
| (A: Wǒ kàn xīnwén li shuō yǎnglǎo jīn xiànzài jiù kuīkong yī dà bǐ qián, wǒ pà děng wǒ lǎole, zhèxiē qián dōu bái jiāole.) |
| B:几十年以后的事谁也说不好。 |
| (B: Jǐ shí nián yǐhòu de shì shuí yě shuō bu hǎo.) |
| A:那我能少交点儿吗？ |
| (A: Nà wǒ néng shǎo jiāodiǎn er ma?) |
| B:不行，这都是根据你的工资按比例交的。要不公司少发你点儿工资？ |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè dōu shì gēnjù nǐ de gōngzī àn bǐlì jiāo de. Yào bù gōngsī shǎo fā nǐ diǎn er gōngzī?) |
| A:算了，那还是按原来的交吧。 |
| (A: Suànle, nà háishì àn yuánlái de jiāo ba.) |
| Becky: Now. Let’s hear with English translation. |
| A:经理，我能不交五险一金吗？ |
| (A: Jīnglǐ, wǒ néng bù jiāo wǔ xiǎn yī jīn ma?) |
| A: Manager, can I not pay for the five insurance payments? |
| B:不行，这是国家规定的，必须交。公司还给你交一大部分呢。 |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè shì guójiā guīdìng de, bìxū jiāo. Gōngsī hái gěi nǐ jiāo yī dà bùfèn ne.) |
| B: No, this is prescribed by law, you must pay. The company is paying a large part of it for you. |
| A:我看新闻里说养老金现在就亏空一大笔钱，我怕等我老了，这些钱都白交了。 |
| (A: Wǒ kàn xīnwén li shuō yǎnglǎo jīn xiànzài jiù kuīkong yī dà bǐ qián, wǒ pà děng wǒ lǎole, zhèxiē qián dōu bái jiāole.) |
| A: I saw the news saying that most of the pension funds are taken by embezzlement, I'm afraid that all my money will be gone by the time I retire. |
| B:几十年以后的事谁也说不好。 |
| (B: Jǐ shí nián yǐhòu de shì shuí yě shuō bu hǎo.) |
| B: That's many years from now, we can't say for sure. |
| A:那我能少交点儿吗？ |
| (A: Nà wǒ néng shǎo jiāodiǎn er ma?) |
| A: Can I at least pay a bit less? |
| B:不行，这都是根据你的工资按比例交的。要不公司少发你点儿工资？ |
| (B: Bùxíng, zhè dōu shì gēnjù nǐ de gōngzī àn bǐlì jiāo de. Yào bù gōngsī shǎo fā nǐ diǎn er gōngzī?) |
| B: No, this is calculated proportionately based on your salary. Unless you want a lower salary? |
| A:算了，那还是按原来的交吧。 |
| (A: Suànle, nà háishì àn yuánlái de jiāo ba.) |
| A: Nevermind then, let's just do it the way it is. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Becky: The employee doesn’t seem very happy about the insurance situation. |
| Chloe:没错，其实那位经理也不怎么乐观。(Méi cuò, qíshí nà wèi jīnglǐ yě bù zě me lèguān.) |
| ［Yeah, the manager doesn’t seem too positive either.］ |
| Becky:So what is a ‘five insurance payment’? Is it a form of social insurance? |
| Chloe:“五险一金”这个词其实在中国非常常见。在社会新闻或者招聘广告里会经常出现这个词。“五险”指的是养老保险、医疗保险、失业保险、工伤保险和生育保险。(Wǔ xiǎn yī jīn” zhège cí qíshí zài zhōngguó fēicháng chángjiàn. Zài shèhuì xīnwén huòzhě zhāopìn guǎnggào lǐ huì jīngcháng chūxiàn zhège cí.“Wǔ xiǎn” zhǐ de shì yǎnglǎo bǎoxiǎn, yīliáo bǎoxiǎn, shīyè bǎoxiǎn, gōngshāng bǎoxiǎn hé shēngyù bǎoxiǎn.) |
| Becky So the five insurances refer to endowment, medical, unemployment, employment injury and maternity insurance. |
| Chloe 没错。“一金”则指的是住房公积金(Méi cuò.“Yī jīn” zé zhǐ de shì zhùfáng gōngjījīn)，the housing fund。 |
| ［Well, in China, you will often see the word 五险一金(Wǔ xiǎn yī jīn) used in news about social issues or job advertisements. 五险(Wǔ xiǎn) refers to endowment, medical, unemployment, employment injury and maternity insurance. 一金(Yī jīn) refers to the housing fund.］ |
| Becky:So if you are an employee, you’ll have to pay for the five insurances and the housing fund every month. |
| Chloe:是的。不论你是在公司还是政府机构上班，只要你的雇用合同在有效期内，你的工资就会被扣除相应的金额。不过你每月只需支付医疗保险，失业保险和住房公积金。而你的雇主则需要为你支付全部五种保险以及公积金。(Shì de. Bùlùn nǐ shì zài gōngsī háishì zhèngfǔ jīgòu shàngbān, zhǐyào nǐ de gùyòng hétóng zài yǒuxiàoqí nèi, nǐ de gōngzī jiù huì bèi kòuchú xiāngyìng de jīn'é. Bùguò nǐ měi yuè zhǐ xū zhīfù yīliáo bǎoxiǎn, shīyè bǎoxiǎn hé zhùfáng gōngjījīn. Ér nǐ de gùzhǔ zé xūyào wèi nǐ zhīfù quánbù wǔ zhǒng bǎoxiǎn yǐjí gōngjījīn.) |
| ［That’s right. As long as your contract is in effect, you’ll have to pay. Actually you don’t have to pay for all of them, just the medical, unemployment insurance and housing funds. But your employer should pay all of them.］ |
| Becky:And the payment for both employee and employer is calculated based on salary in a certain proportion? |
| Chloe:对，是这样的。 (Duì, shì zhèyàng de.) |
| Becky: Okay. Now let’s move on to the vocab. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Becky: Let’s take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. The first word we shall see is |
| Chloe: 白 (bái) |
| Becky: In vain. |
| Chloe: 白 (bái) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 发 (fā) |
| Becky: To send out. |
| Chloe: 发 (fā) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 五险一金 (wǔ xiǎn yì jīn) |
| Becky: The five insurances plus the housing fund. |
| Chloe: 五险一金 (wǔ xiǎn yì jīn) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 养老金 (yǎnglǎojīn) |
| Becky: Pension. |
| Chloe: 养老金 (yǎnglǎojīn) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 亏空 (kuīkōng) |
| Becky: To be in the red, to have a deficit. |
| Chloe: 亏空 (kuīkōng) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 规定 (guīdìng) |
| Becky: Provision. |
| Chloe: 规定 (guīdìng) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 工资 (gōngzī) |
| Becky: Salary. |
| Chloe: 工资 (gōngzī) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 比例 (bǐlì) |
| Becky: Proportion. |
| Chloe: 比例 (bǐlì) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 交 (jiāo) |
| Becky: To deliver. |
| Chloe: 交 (jiāo) |
| Becky: Next |
| Chloe: 根据 (gēnjù) |
| Becky: On the basis of. |
| Chloe: 根据 (gēnjù) |
| Becky: And last |
| Chloe: 一大笔 (yídàbǐ) |
| Becky: A large amount of. |
| Chloe: 一大笔 (yídàbǐ) |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Becky: Let’s take a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Chloe:好的，第一个词是“根据”。它是由“根”和“据”这两个字组成的，它们都有(Hǎo de, dì yī gè cí shì “gēnjù”. Tā shì yóu “gēn” hé “jù” zhè liǎng gè zì zǔchéng de, tāmen dōu yǒu)“basis”, “foundation”的意思。比方说，“树根”。(De yìsi. Bǐfāng shuō,“shù gēn”.) |
| ［The first word we’ll look at is 根据(Gēnjù). This word is made up of two characters, 根(Gēn) and 据(Jù). Both 根(Gēn) and 据(Jù) has the meaning of “basis”, “foundation”. For example, we have the word 树根(Shù gēn).］ |
| Becky:The root of a tree. |
| Chloe:对，根就是(Duì, gēn jiùshì)“root”的意思。再来看“据”这个字，有一个词叫“凭据”，它的意思是(De yìsi. Zàilái kàn “jù” zhège zì, yǒu yīgè cí jiào “píngjù”, tā de yìsi shì)“proof”。 |
| ［Yes, 根(Gēn) means “root”. And to take the example of 据(Jù), we can say 凭据(Píngjù). It means “proof”.］ |
| Becky:And our key word here means “on the basis of” “according to” |
| Chloe:是的，我们来看一些例子，比如说，“根据法律”。(Shì de, wǒmen lái kàn yīxiē lìzi, bǐrú shuō,“gēnjù fǎlǜ”.) ［That’s right. Let me give you some examples. We say 根据法律.］ |
| Becky:This means “under the law”. |
| Chloe:对。再比如在新闻里我们经常可以听到这样一个短语“根据情节轻重”。(Duì. Zài bǐrú zài xīnwén lǐ wǒmen jīngcháng kěyǐ tīng dào zhèyàng yīgè duǎnyǔ “gēnjù qíngjié qīngzhòng”.) |
| ［Yes, and in the news, we can often hear 根据情节轻重(Gēnjù qíngjié qīngzhòng)］ |
| Becky:On the basis of the seriousness of the crime or act committed. |
| Chloe:嗯，再来一个，“根据爱因斯坦的理论”。(Ń, zàilái yīgè,“gēnjù ài yīn sītǎn de lǐlùn”.) |
| Becky:According to Einstein’s theory. |
| Chloe:“根据”这个词也可以作名词。这个时候它的意思就变成了(Gēnjù” zhège cí yě kěyǐ zuò míngcí. Zhège shíhòu tā de yìsi jiù biàn chéngle)“basis” “evidence”。比方说，“事实根据”。(Bǐfāng shuō,“shìshí gēnjù”.) |
| ［That’s right. And 根据(Gēnjù) can also be used as noun. In this situation, it means “basis” or “evidence”. For example, 事实根据(Shìshí gēnjù).］ |
| Becky:This means “the basis of fact”: |
| Chloe:我们还可以说“历史根据”。(Wǒmen hái kěyǐ shuō “lìshǐ gēnjù”.) |
| Becky:Historical evidence. |
| Chloe:看法的根据 (Kànfǎ de gēnjù) |
| Becky “The basis of opinion.” Okay, now let’s move on to the next word. |
| Chloe:下一个词是“ 一大笔”。(Xià yīgè cí shì “yī dà bǐ”.) |
| Becky:A large amount of. |
| Chloe:“一大笔”其实是由“一笔”和“大”这两个词组成的。“一笔”是一个数量词，它一般和跟钱有关的词放在一起使用。“一笔”的意思是“a sum of”。我们来组词，比如说，“一笔钱”。(“Yī dà bǐ” qíshí shì yóu “yī bǐ” hé “dà” zhè liǎng gè cí zǔchéng de.“Yī bǐ” shì yīgè shùliàngcí, tā yībān hé gēn qián yǒuguān de cí fàng zài yīqǐ shǐyòng.“Yī bǐ” de yìsi shì “a sum of”. Wǒmen lái zǔ cí, bǐrú shuō,“yī bǐ qián”.) |
| ［This actually consists of two words: 一笔(Yī bǐ) and 大. 一笔(Dà. Yī bǐ) is a measure word. It’s often used with something related to money. And its meaning is “a sum of”. For example, 一笔钱(Yī bǐ qián)］ |
| Becky:A sum |
| Chloe:一笔财富 (Yī bǐ cáifù) |
| Becky:A fortune |
| Chloe:一笔账 (Yī bǐ zhàng) |
| Becky:An account |
| Chloe:一笔债 (Yī bǐzhài) |
| Becky:“A debt.” So how do we describe the amount of money? Where should we put the adjective? |
| Chloe:我们可以把形容词放在“一”和“笔”之间。像“一大笔”的话，“大”就是形容词，用来表示数额很多。我们也可以用它的反义词“小”来代替。比如说，“一小笔钱”。(Wǒmen kěyǐ bǎ xíngróngcí fàng zài “yī” hé “bǐ” zhī jiān. Xiàng “yī dà bǐ” dehuà,“dà” jiùshì xíngróngcí, yòng lái biǎoshì shù'é hěnduō. Wǒmen yě kěyǐ yòng tā de fǎnyìcí “xiǎo” lái dàitì. Bǐrú shuō,“yī xiǎo bǐ qián”.) |
| Becky:A small amount of money. |
| Chloe:一小笔费用 (Yī xiǎo bǐ fèiyòng) |
| Becky: A small fee. So can we use other adjectives except large and small? |
| Chloe: Well in Chinese, when you say the amount of money, you use large or small to describe it. If you use other words, it will sound weird. |
| Becky: That’s good to know. Now let’s move on to the grammar. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Becky: In this lesson, you will learn how to express that you do something in vain that your efforts don’t get results. |
| Chloe:是的，我们要介绍“白”这个词的新用法。大家对“白”这个词应该说已经是非常熟悉了，它的意思是“white” 或者 “clear”。这个时候它其实是一个形容词。我们来看一些例子，“白皮书” “白雪”。(Shì de, wǒmen yào jièshào “bái” zhège cí de xīn yòngfǎ. Dàjiā duì “bái” zhège cí yīnggāi shuō yǐjīng shì fēicháng shúxīle, tā de yìsi shì “white” huòzhě “clear”. Zhège shíhòu tā qíshí shì yīgè xíngróngcí. Wǒmen lái kàn yīxiē lìzi,“báipíshū” “báixuě”.) |
| ［And we’ll introduce a new usage of the word “白(Bái)”. I think you should be very familiar with this word, it means “white” or “clear”. When it has such meaning, it is used as an adjective. For example, 白皮书, 白雪(Báipíshū, báixuě)］ |
| Becky:White paper, white snow |
| Chloe:真相大白 (Zhēnxiàng dàbái) |
| Becky:The truth comes out. |
| Chloe:在对话里，那位职员说了一句“我怕等我老了，这些钱都白交了。(Zài duìhuà li, nà wèi zhíyuán shuōle yījù “wǒ pà děng wǒ lǎole, zhèxiē qián dōu bái jiāole.)” |
| Becky:I’m afraid that all my money will be gone by the time I retire. |
| Chloe:是的，这句话里的“白”并不是形容词，它其实是一个副词(Shì de, zhè jù huà li de “bái” bìng bùshì xíngróngcí, tā qíshí shì yīgè fùcí)，adverb。 |
| ［Yes, here 白(Bái) is not an adjective but an adverb. |
| Becky:You can put it before a verb to express that you have tried to do something, but it wasn’t worth it. |
| Chloe:我们来看一些例句。“他弄错了地址，害得我们白跑了一趟。(Wǒmen lái kàn yīxiē lìjù.“Tā nòng cuòle dìzhǐ, hài dé wǒmen bái pǎole yī tàng.)” |
| Becky:He gave us the wrong address and made us go for nothing. |
| Chloe:下一句，“我试着让她改变主意，结果是白费力气。(Xià yījù,“wǒ shìzhe ràng tā gǎibiàn zhǔyì, jiéguǒ shì báifèi lìqì.)” |
| Becky:This means “I tried in vain to make her change her mind”. |
| Chloe:对，再看下一句，“因为一个失误，我们白忙了一场。(Duì, zài kàn xià yījù,“yīn wéi yīgè shīwù, wǒmen bái mángle yī chǎng.)” |
| Becky:Our efforts were in vain because of a mistake. |
| Chloe:假设你遇到了一个特别倔的人，而你的朋友想劝他，你可以对你的朋友说“他太固执了，你也别再劝他，劝了也是白劝。(Jiǎshè nǐ yù dàole yīgè tèbié jué de rén, ér nǐ de péngyǒu xiǎng quàn tā, nǐ kěyǐ duì nǐ de péngyǒu shuō “tā tài gùzhíle, nǐ yě bié zài quàn tā, quànle yěshì bái quàn.)” |
| Becky:He is too stubborn, don’t make efforts in vain to persuade him. |
| Chloe:好的，最后一个例子，“考试比想象中简单多了，我白担心了一场。(Hǎo de, zuìhòu yīgè lìzi,“kǎoshì bǐ xiǎngxiàng zhōng jiǎndān duōle, wǒ bái dānxīnle yī chǎng.)” |
| Becky:“The exam was much easier than expected – it was a waste of time for me to worry about it.” Okay, so the point of this lesson is that if we want to say we do something in vain, we put the word before a verb. |
| Chloe:对，没错！(Duì, méi cuò!) |
Outro |
| Becky: That’s all for this lesson. Listeners, do you know the reason flashcards are so popular? It’s because they work. We’ve taken this time tested studying tool and modernized with my wordbank flashcards. |
| Chloe: Learn vocabulary using your eyes and ears. |
| Becky: It’s simple and powerful. Save difficult and interesting words to your personal vocabulary list called my word bank. |
| Chloe: Master words in your my word bank by practicing with flashcards. |
| Becky: Words in my word bank come with audio, so you learn proper pronunciation. |
| Chloe: Well you learn to recognize words by sight. |
| Becky: Go to chineseclass101.com now and try my word bank and flashcards today. Please check the lesson notes to reinforce what you’ve learned and we will see you next time. Bye everyone. |
| Chloe:今天的课到此结束，我们下次再见。拜拜！(Jīntiān de kè dào cǐ jiéshù, wǒmen xià cì zàijiàn. Bàibài!) |
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