Learn how to chat about the weather and pollution
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Yinru: Hi everyone, I’m Yinru. |
| Yuriy: And I’m Yuriy. Welcome back to ChineseClass101.com. This is Lower Intermediate, Season 2, Lesson 25 - Why Isn’t the Sky Blue in China? |
| Yinru: In this last lesson of the series, you’ll learn how to use the phrase 越来越 (Yuè lái yuè), meaning “more and more.” We’ll hear Tom and a guy from Beijing talking about the air quality in China. |
| Yuriy: They’re chatting, so the language they’re using is casual, but since they’re strangers, they still speak politely. |
| Yinru: The conversation takes place in a park in Hangzhou. |
| Yuriy: Let’s listen to the conversation. |
Lesson conversation |
|---|
| Tom: 你是杭州人吗？(nǐ shì Hángzhōu rén ma?) |
| 北京男子: 不是，我是北京人。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : bú shì, wǒ shì Běijīngrén.) |
| Tom: 听说北京的雾霾越来越严重了。(tīngshuō Běijīng de wùmái yuèláiyuè yánzhòng le.) |
| 北京男子: 没错。出门必须戴口罩。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : méicuò. chūmén bìxū dài kǒuzhào.) |
| Tom: 五年前我来旅游的时候，天空还是很蓝的。(wǔ nián qián wǒ lái lǚyóu de shíhou, tiānkōng hái shì hěn lán de.) |
| 北京男子:这样下去，中国哪里还能看见蓝天? (BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : zhèyàng xiàqu, Zhōngguó nǎlǐ hái néng kànjiàn lántiān?) |
| Tom: 这样下去，也没有人愿意来中国了。(zhè yàngxiàqu, yě méiyǒu rén yuànyì lái Zhōngguó le.) |
| Yuriy: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly. |
| Tom: 你是杭州人吗？(nǐ shì Hángzhōu rén ma?) |
| 北京男子: 不是，我是北京人。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : bú shì, wǒ shì Běijīngrén.) |
| Tom: 听说北京的雾霾越来越严重了。(tīngshuō Běijīng de wùmái yuèláiyuè yánzhòng le.) |
| 北京男子: 没错。出门必须戴口罩。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : méicuò. chūmén bìxū dài kǒuzhào.) |
| Tom: 五年前我来旅游的时候，天空还是很蓝的。(wǔ nián qián wǒ lái lǚyóu de shíhou, tiānkōng hái shì hěn lán de.) |
| 北京男子:这样下去，中国哪里还能看见蓝天? (BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : zhèyàng xiàqu, Zhōngguó nǎlǐ hái néng kànjiàn lántiān?) |
| Tom: 这样下去，也没有人愿意来中国了。(zhè yàngxiàqu, yě méiyǒu rén yuànyì lái Zhōngguó le.) |
| Yuriy: Now let’s hear it with the English translation. |
| Tom: 你是杭州人吗？(nǐ shì Hángzhōu rén ma?) |
| Yuriy: Are you from Hangzhou? |
| 北京男子: 不是，我是北京人。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : bú shì, wǒ shì Běijīngrén.) |
| Yuriy: No, I'm from Beijing. |
| Tom: 听说北京的雾霾越来越严重了。(tīngshuō Běijīng de wùmái yuèláiyuè yánzhòng le.) |
| Yuriy: It's said that the smog in Beijing is getting worse. |
| 北京男子: 没错。出门必须戴口罩。(BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : méicuò. chūmén bìxū dài kǒuzhào.) |
| Yuriy: True. We have to wear a mask when we go outside. |
| Tom: 五年前我来旅游的时候，天空还是很蓝的。(wǔ nián qián wǒ lái lǚyóu de shíhou, tiānkōng hái shì hěn lán de.) |
| Yuriy: When I traveled to China five years ago, the sky was still very blue. |
| 北京男子:这样下去，中国哪里还能看见蓝天? (BĚIJĪNG NÁNZǏ : zhèyàng xiàqu, Zhōngguó nǎlǐ hái néng kànjiàn lántiān?) |
| Yuriy: If this continues, where in China will we be able to see the blue sky? |
| Tom: 这样下去，也没有人愿意来中国了。(zhè yàngxiàqu, yě méiyǒu rén yuànyì lái Zhōngguó le.) |
| Yuriy: Also if this continues, nobody will want to come to China. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Yinru: Air pollution in Beijing is getting more severe, just like they mentioned in the conversation. |
| Yuriy: I think that’s true not only in Beijing, but also in other parts of China, right? |
| Yinru: That’s right. Even neighboring countries, like Korea and Japan, are complaining about the polluted air being blown into their territories. |
| Yuriy: Of course nobody wants that. |
| Yinru: To limit the harmful effects of the pollution, Chinese homes and offices are using air purifiers. |
| Yuriy: I don’t think they had those ten years ago. |
| Yinru: No, and I doubt they use purifiers in places like Australia or Hawaii! |
| Yuriy: Definitely not. Do a lot of people wear masks these days? |
| Yinru: Yeah, sometimes you might feel like you’re in Japan, there are so many people wearing them! People in Japan have worn masks for a long time, but it didn't happen so much in China until recently. |
| Yuriy: And it’s all because of the polluted air. |
| Yinru: Also, you’re supposed to eat more of some types of food. |
| Yuriy: For what? To fight against the smog as well? |
| Yinru: Exactly. You know how important food is in Chinese people’s lives. Chinese believe all foods have certain medical effects. |
| Yuriy: Ah, so they’re eating food that is believed to cleanse the lungs, stomachs, and other internal organs. What kinds of food do that? |
| Yinru: Soy products like 豆腐(Dòufu), “tofu,” 豆浆(Dòujiāng), “soy milk,” and vegetables and fruits like 胡萝卜(Húluóbo), "carrots,” 萝卜(Luóbo),” radish,” and 梨(Lí), “pears.” And have you heard about 木耳 and 百合? (Mù'ěr and bǎihé?) |
| Yuriy: What are they? |
| Yinru: 木耳 (Mù'ěr)is “wood ear fungus,” a type of mushroom, and 百合 (Bǎihé)is the “bulb part of a lily plant.” |
| Yuriy: I’m not sure if I could eat those things! |
| Yinru: Well, I suppose we’ll eat anything that’s good for our health in China! |
| Yuriy: Okay, now onto the vocab. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Yuriy: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. The first word we shall see is: |
| Yinru: 听说 (Tīng shuō)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: to hear, it is said |
| Yinru: 听说 (Tīng shuō)[slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 听说(Tīng shuō) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 雾霾 (Wù mái) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: smog |
| Yinru: 雾霾 (Wù mái) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 雾霾 (Wù mái)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 严重 (Yánzhòng) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: severe, serious |
| Yinru: 严重 (Yánzhòng) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 严重 (Yánzhòng) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 出门 (Chūmén)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: to go outdoors |
| Yinru: 出门 (Chūmén) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 出门 (Chūmén) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 戴 (Dài)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: to put on, to wear |
| Yinru: 戴 (Dài) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 戴 (Dài) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 口罩 (Kǒuzhào)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: mask |
| Yinru: 口罩 (Kǒuzhào) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 口罩 (Kǒuzhào)[natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 天空 (Tiānkōng) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: sky |
| Yinru: 天空(Tiānkōng) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 天空 (Tiānkōng) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: Next: |
| Yinru: 这样下去 (Zhèyàng xiàqù) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: if this goes on |
| Yinru: 这样下去 (Zhèyàng xiàqù) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 这样下去 (Zhèyàng xiàqù) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: And Last: |
| Yinru: 愿意 (Yuànyì) [natural native speed] |
| Yuriy: to be willing to |
| Yinru: 愿意(Yuànyì) [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Yinru: 愿意 (Yuànyì)[natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Yuriy: Let’s take a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Yinru: First we have 听说(Tīng shuō), which literally means “to hear say.” |
| Yuriy: A better translation is probably “it’s said that” or “someone heard.” |
| Yinru: When we use 听说 (Tīng shuō) at the beginning of a sentence, we usually omit the subject, which in most cases is “I”. |
| Yuriy: Now let’s take a look at some sample sentences and see how it’s used. |
| Yinru: 听说他要辞职了(Tīng shuō tā yào cízhíle). |
| Yuriy: “I heard he’s going to quit.” |
| Yinru: The subject is 我(Wǒ), 我听说他要辞职了(Wǒ tīng shuō tā yào cízhíle), but it’s not stated in the sentence. |
| Yuriy: That means that using this word without the subject is more natural, unless you want to emphasize the subject. |
| Yinru: For example, 听说那个餐馆的牛排很好吃 (Tīng shuō nàgè cānguǎn de niúpái hěn hào chī). |
| Yuriy: “I heard the steak in that restaurant is really good.” |
| Yinru: 听说坐飞机去日本只需要三个小时(Tīng shuō zuò fēijī qù rìběn zhǐ xūyào sān gè xiǎoshí), 是吗?(Shì ma?) |
| Yuriy: “It’s said that it only takes three hours to fly to Japan; is that true?” |
| Yinru: Well, yeah, it is true. It’s not just heard, it’s proven. |
| Yuriy: By you. |
| Yinru: Yeah, by me. Okay, our next word is the verb 戴(Dài). |
| Yuriy: It means “to put on” or “to wear.” |
| Yinru: We've learned another word which also means “to put on” or “to wear,” which is 穿(Chuān). |
| Yuriy: So what’s the difference? |
| Yinru: 穿(Chuān) is to put on or wear something that is essential or necessary in life, such as clothes, pants, shoes, and socks. |
| Yuriy: Something you absolutely need. |
| Yinru: Yes. And the word 穿(Chuān) also means “to penetrate” or “to pass through,” so the items you can 穿(Chuān) are those that you can put your arms and legs through. |
| Yuriy: Like sleeves, pants, socks, and those items with a hole in them. |
| Yinru: Yeah, you can definitely think of it that way. But 戴 (Dài)means to put something on top of your body, and those things are not as important; they’re usually ornamental. |
| Yuriy: Like jewelry, hats, scarves, and masks. |
| Yinru: So we say, 穿毛衣, 穿裙子, 穿外套, 穿袜子, 穿鞋子.(Chuān máoyī, chuān qúnzi, chuān wàitào, chuān wàzi, chuān xiézi.) |
| Yuriy: “To wear a sweater; to wear a skirt or dress; to wear a jacket; to wear socks; to wear shoes.” |
| Yinru: But we say 戴帽子, 戴手表, 戴项链, 戴领带, 戴口罩.(Dài màozi, dài shǒubiǎo, dài xiàngliàn, dài lǐngdài, dài kǒuzhào.) |
| Yuriy: Meaning, “to wear a hat; to wear a watch; to wear a necklace; to wear a tie; to wear a mask.” Okay, now onto the grammar. |
Lesson focus |
| Yinru: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use a very easy phrase, which is 越来越...(Yuè lái yuè...) |
| Yuriy: And it means “more and more...” |
| Yinru: Like in English, we usually put an adjective after 越来越.(Yuè lái yuè.) |
| Yuriy: It’s as simple as that. |
| Yinru: That’s right. 比如(Bǐrú), for example: 你的中文越来越好了.(Nǐ de zhōngwén yuè lái yuè hǎole.) |
| Yuriy: “Your Chinese is getting better and better.” |
| Yinru: 天气越来越热了.(Tiānqì yuè lái yuè rèle.) |
| Yuriy: “The weather is getting hotter and hotter.” |
| Yinru: 他开车开得越来越快, 最后被警察拦下来了.(Tā kāichē kāi dé yuè lái yuè kuài, zuìhòu bèijǐngchálán xiàláile.) |
| Yuriy: “He was driving faster and faster; finally he was pulled over by the police.” |
| Yinru: Listeners, do you remember that we talked about the usage of 得(Dé) in previous lessons? We say 开得快 (Kāi dé kuài)for “driving quickly.” Well, you can put 越来越 (Yuè lái yuè) in between these words to say, 开得越来越快,(Kāi dé yuè lái yuè kuài,) to say “driving faster and faster.” |
| Yuriy: If you don’t remember this phrase, please go back to the grammar point in Lesson 4 of this season. |
| Yinru: 越来越 (Yuè lái yuè) can also be inserted into a sentence. |
| Yuriy: And, it’s usually placed after the subject. |
| Yinru: 你的女儿越来越像你了.(Nǐ de nǚ'ér yuè lái yuè xiàng nǐle.) |
| Yuriy: “Your daughter looks more and more like you.” |
| Yinru: The original sentence without 越来越 (Yuè lái yuè) is also complete: 你的女儿像你,(Nǐ de nǚ'ér xiàng nǐ,) meaning, “Your daughter looks like you.” But adding 越来越..了(Yuè lái yuè..Le) means that she looks more like you each day. It’s a state that’s changing, so we use the final particle 了(Le) here. |
| Yuriy: Let’s look at another one. |
| Yinru: 我越来越觉得健康是最重要的.(Wǒ yuè lái yuè juédé jiànkāng shì zuì zhòngyào de.) |
| Yuriy: “I’m beginning to realise that good health is the most important thing.” |
| Yinru: 我觉得健康是最重要的 (Wǒ juédé jiànkāng shì zuì zhòngyào de)is a complete sentence, and we made it into 我越来越觉得健康是最重要的 (Wǒ yuè lái yuè juédé jiànkāng shì zuì zhòngyào de) by putting “more and more” after the subject “I.” |
| Yuriy: Now let’s review how it’s used in our conversation. |
| Yinru: Tom says, 听说北京的雾霾越来越严重了.(Tīng shuō běijīng de wù mái yuè lái yuè yánzhòngle.) |
| Yuriy: He uses the most basic form, which is to add an adjective after “more and more.” |
| Yinru: Again, 了(Le) is at the end of the sentence, so we know the status has changed. The pollution was bad, but now it’s worse. |
Outro |
| Yuriy: Well, that’s the end of this lesson. |
| Yinru: And the end of this series! |
| Yuriy: If you have any questions or feedback, please leave us a comment at ChineseClass101.com. |
| Yinru: We’re happy to help! |
| Yuriy: Thanks for listening everyone, and we’ll see you in another series. Bye! |
Comments
Hide