How to Indicate Objects with the Help of Gestures

Learn how to indicate objects with the help of gestures

Dialogue

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Vocabulary (Review)

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Chinese by ChineseClass101.com.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask for something at a grocery store in Chinese.

For example, "Give me that, please." is

请给我那个。(Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

Jason Xu is at a small grocery store.

After finding something he wants, he points at the item and asks for it.

Before you hear the conversation, let's learn some of its key components.

那个 (nèige)

"that"

那个

给您 (Gěi nín.)

"here you go"

给您

Listen to the conversation.

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

Once more with the English translation.

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

"Give me that, please."

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

"Okay. Here you go."

Let’s break down the conversation.

Do you remember how Jason Xu says,

"Give me that, please."

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

First is 请 (qǐng), “please.” 请 . 请.

Here it’s a polite word used at the beginning of a request.

Next is 给我 (gěi wǒ), "give me." 给我.

First is 给 (gěi), "to give." 给 . 给.

After that is 我 (wǒ), translating as "me," in this context. 我. 我.

Together, the first part of the sentence is 请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ). "please give me." 请给我。

Pronunciation note: when there are three third tones in a row, the one in the middle changes to the second tone. Listen to the pronunciation again. 请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ). 请给我.

Last is 那个 (nèige), translating as "that." 那个 . 那个.

Translation note: 那个 (nèige) could also translate as “that one,” as the second character is 个 (gè), which is a universal measure word. 个 . 个.

Pronunciation note: 那 (nèi) can be pronounced as 那 (nà) or 那 (nèi). 那 (Nèi) is more colloquial, and what is used here.

All together, 请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.) Literally, "Please give me that," or in more natural English, “Give me that, please."

请给我那个。(Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

Do you remember how the shopkeeper says,

"Okay. Here you go."

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

First is 好 (hǎo), literally, “good,” but translates as "okay," in this context. 好 . 好。

Next is 给您 (Gěi nín), translating as, "Here you go." 给您 (Gěi nín).

First is 给 (gěi), "to give." 给.

Next is 您 (nín), the polite form of "you." 您 . 您.

As the clerk is talking to a customer, he uses 您 (nín) to show respect.

In more casual cases, you may hear the more colloquial form of you, 你 (nǐ).

Together 给您 (Gěi nín) literally means "give you," but in this case, it translates as "Here you go." 给您.

All together, the clerk responds with 好。给您。(Hǎo. Gěi nín.) "Okay. Here you go.

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

The pattern is

请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ) ITEM.

"Give me {ITEM}, please."

请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ) ITEM.

To use this pattern, simply replace {ITEM} with something else you'd like to ask for.

Imagine you'd like some water. 水 (shuǐ). 水 . 水.

Say

"Give me some water, please."

Ready?

请给我水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.)

"Give me some water, please."

请给我水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.)

Again, the key pattern is:

请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ) ITEM.

"Give me {ITEM}, please."

请给我 (Qǐng gěi wǒ) ITEM.

Let’s look at some more examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

“Give me that, please.”

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

请给我水。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ .)

“Give me some water, please.”

请给我水。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ .)

请给我水和香蕉。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ hé xiāngjiāo.)

“Please give me the water and banana please.”

请给我水和香蕉。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ hé xiāngjiāo.)

请给我这个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ zhèige.)

“Give me this, please”

请给我这个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ zhèige.)

我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ, xièxie.)

“I’d like some water, thanks.”

我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ, xièxie.)

Did you notice how the native speaker used a different pattern?

我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ, xièxie.)

Literally, "I want water, thanks," but translates as, “I’d like some water, thanks.”

我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ, xièxie.)

First is 我 (Wǒ), translating as “I,” in this context. 我 (Wǒ).

Next is 要 (yào), “to want.” 要 . 要 (yào).

Last is 水 (shuǐ), “water.” 水.

Finally, to make the request more polite, we add 谢谢 (xièxie). "thanks." 谢谢.

All together it's 我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ, xièxie.)

In Chinese, pointing at something, and using the pattern “I want...” is not considered rude; actually, it's pretty common and colloquial.

However, adding a 谢谢 (xièxie), “thanks,” at the end of your request definitely makes the request more polite, as in the example.

我要水，谢谢。(Wǒ yào shuǐ , xièxie.) ”I’d like some water, thanks.”

Let’s review the key words.

水 (shuǐ)。

“water”

水 . 水。

香蕉 (xiāngjiāo)。

“banana”

香蕉 . 香蕉。

这个 (zhèige)。

“this”

这个 . 这个。

和 (hé)。

“and”

和 . 和。

Let's review.

Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after the native speaker, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

Do you remember how to say "that?"

那个 (nèige)

And how to say “me?”

我 (wǒ)

Do you remember how to say "to give?"

给 (gěi)

Do you remember how Jason Xu says,

"Please give me that."

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

Do you remember how the clerk says, "okay?"

好 (hǎo)

And the polite way to say “you?”

您 (nín)

Do you remember how the clerk says,

"Ok. Here you go."

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

Do you remember how to say "water?"

水 (shuǐ)

And how to say "this?"

这个 (zhèige)

Let's practice.

Imagine you’re Jason , and you’re at the grocery store. Ask for some water, or 水 (shuǐ).

Ready?

请给我水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.)

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

Listen again and repeat.

请给我水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.)

Let's try another.

You see an item on the counter, but you don’t know the name for it. Point, and ask for “this,” or 这个 (zhèige)

Ready?

请给我这个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ zhèige.)

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

Listen again and repeat.

请给我这个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ zhèige.)

Let’s try one more.

Imagine you’re Anna , and you see a cake you want to buy in the showcase behind the counter. Point, and ask for "that" or 那个 (nèige).

Ready?

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

好。给您。 (Hǎo. Gěi nín.)

Listen again and repeat.

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ nèige.)

请给我那个。 (Qǐng gěi wǒnèige.)

Well done! This is the end of this lesson.

In this lesson, you learned how to request something by pointing, an essential skill for shopping at a grocery store.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

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