Learn about shipping packages in China and a colloquial sentence pattern
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| INTRODUCTION |
| David: Welcome to chineseclass101.com. I am David. |
| Echo: Hi, 大家好，我是Echo. (Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Echo.) |
| David: And we are here today with upper intermediate, season 1, Lesson 5. |
| Echo: 唔，这个名字非常有意思。 (Wú, zhège míngzì fēicháng yǒuyìsi.) |
| David: Yes it’s Follow the Chinese Rules to Open the Chinese Box. |
| Echo: 太长了！ (Tài zhǎngle!) |
| David: And it’s weird because there aren’t really any rules. It’s about someone who delivers a courier package. |
| Echo: 唔，对，但是还是有.... 有这个规则, 你需要怎么样才能拿得到你的盒子。 (Wú, duì, dànshì háishì yǒu.... Yǒu zhège guīzé, nǐ xūyào zěnme yàng cáinéng ná dédào nǐ de hézi.) |
| David: Yes and there is going to be a dispute about that. So we are going to take you to the dialogue. Don’t panic if you don’t understand it because we are going to be along with the translation very soon. |
| Echo: 没错，而且在我们的这个课结束的时候, 你会完全了解怎么接收一个中国的包裹。 (Méi cuò, érqiě zài wǒmen de zhège kè jiéshù de shíhòu, nǐ huì wánquán liǎojiě zěnme jiēshōu yīgè zhōngguó de bāoguǒ.) |
| DIALOGUE |
| 您好，您的快递。请签收。 (Nínhǎo, nín de kuàidì. Qǐng qiān shōu.) |
| 谢谢。让我先检查一下。我买的是易碎品。 (Xièxiè. Ràng wǒ xiān jiǎncháyīxià. Wǒ mǎi de shì yìsuìpǐn.) |
| 不好意思，公司规定，顾客不签收是不能打开箱子的。 (Bùhǎoyìsi, gōngsī guīdìng, gùkè bù qiān shōu shì bù néng dǎkāi xiāngzi de.) |
| 可如果东西损坏了怎么办？ (Kě rúguǒ dōngxi sǔnhuài le zěnme bàn?) |
| 您可以回头和公司联系，安排退货。公司会再派人上门取件儿。 (Nín kěyǐ huítóu hé gōngsī liánxì, ānpái tuìhuò. Gōngsī huì zài pàirénshàngmén qǔ jiàn ér.) |
| 好吧，你把箱子给我签一下。 (Hǎo ba, nǐ bǎ xiāngzi gěi wǒ qiānyīxià.) |
| 谢谢你的合作。 (Xièxie nǐ de hézuò.) |
| 对不起，我们家收货也有规距，要不让开箱验货，就不把箱子还给你。 (Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen jiā shōu huò yě yǒu guī jù, yàobu ràngkai xiāng yàn huò, jiù bù bǎ xiāngzi huángěi nǐ.) |
| A: How are you? This delivery is for you. Please sign to receive. |
| B: Thanks. Let me check it first. I bought some stuff that is fragile. |
| A: I am sorry, but it's a company policy, customers can't open the box without signing for it. |
| B: But what if the goods are damaged? |
| A: You can contact our company later to arrange a refund. The company will then send someone to pick up the goods. |
| B: Okay. Give me the box to sign. |
| A: Thank you for your cooperation. |
| B: I'm sorry but there's a rule in our family as well regarding receiving goods. If I'm not allowed to check them, I won't be able to return the box to you. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| David: This sounds like a good idea but it doesn’t work. |
| Echo: 为什么？ (Wèishéme?) |
| David: Well it just turns into one of these Chinese stalemates. |
| Echo: 不然你就让哪个签快递的人就.... 就说 Okay, 你先走吧！ (Bùrán nǐ jiù ràng nǎge qiān kuàidì de rén jiù.... Jiù shuō Okay, nǐ xiān zǒu ba!) |
| David: Yeah but you say that but they don’t go. |
| Echo: 对，你可以说 (Duì, nǐ kěyǐ shuō) Okay …. |
| David: You said that right. |
| Echo: 那你在我们家待着吧！ (Nà nǐ zài wǒmen jiā dàizhuó ba!) |
| David: Right and then you are waiting there and they are waiting there and eventually, you are in this, you know this past regressive standoff. Nobody… |
| Echo: 那你有什么好方法哪？ (Nà nǐ yǒu shé me hǎo fāngfǎ nǎ?) |
| David: There is no good method. You go to the store, you get it in person if it’s fragile. Anyway our vocab today is all about |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Echo: 快递送货。(Kuàidì sòng huò.) |
| David: Yeah, courier. |
| Echo: 我们来听一听吧！快递。 (Wǒmen lái tīng yī tīng ba! Kuàidì.) |
| David: Courier. |
| Echo: 快 递, 快递, 签收。 (kuài dì, kuàidì, Qiānshōu.) |
| David: To sign, to receive. |
| Echo: 签 收, 签收, 易碎。 (Qiān shōu, Qiānshōu, yìsuì.) |
| David: Fragile. |
| Echo: 易 碎, 易碎, 检查。 (yì suì, yìsuì, jiǎnchá.) |
| David: To check. |
| Echo: 检 查, 检查, 损坏。 (jiǎn chá, jiǎnchá, sǔnhuài.) |
| David: To damage. |
| Echo: 损 坏, 损坏, 上门。(sǔn huài, sǔnhuài, shàngmén.) |
| David: To the door. |
| Echo: 上 门, 上门, 验货。 (shàng mén, shàngmén, yàn huò.) |
| David: To check goods. |
| Echo: 验 货, 验货, 取件。 (yàn huò, yàn huò, qǔ jiàn.) |
| David: To pick up something. |
| Echo: 取 件, 取件, 回头。 (qǔ jiàn, qǔ jiàn, huítóu.) |
| David: In a while. |
| Echo: 回 头, 回头。 (huí tóu, huítóu.) |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| David: Let’s have a closer look at the usage for some of these words and phrases. Our first word is |
| Echo: 快递。 (Kuàidì.) |
| David: Courier. |
| Echo: 快递。 (Kuàidì.) |
| David: Right. So there is courier companies. |
| Echo: 快递公司。 (Kuàidì gōngsī.) |
| David: Right and they are great. |
| Echo: 唔....... 除了他们把你的东西弄丢了的时候以外。 (Wú....... Chúle tāmen bǎ nǐ de dōngxī nòng diūle de shíhòu yǐwài.) |
| David: Okay. They will lose your stuff but they will do it really cheaply. |
| Echo: 对，在中国很便宜。 (Duì, zài zhōngguó hěn piányí.) |
| David: Yes. So if you need to send something to someone by 快递 (Kuàidì), how do you say that? |
| Echo: 发快递。 (Fā kuàidì.) |
| David: To send a 快递. (Kuàidì.) |
| Echo: 对，发快递就好像发邮件一样。 (Duì, fā kuàidì jiù hǎoxiàng fā yóujiàn yīyàng.) |
| David: Right. So let’s say you |
| Echo: 发快递。 (Fā kuàidì.) |
| David: Right and the company is going to send someone to pick up the delivery. |
| Echo: 唔, 对, 这个时候你就需要打电话 叫快递。 (Wú, duì, zhège shíhòu nǐ jiù xūyào dǎ diànhuà jiào kuàidì.) |
| David: So you call for them and they send someone to pick up the delivery. |
| Echo: 取件 or 取件儿都可以。 (Qǔ jiàn or qǔ jiàn er dōu kěyǐ.) |
| David: Yes to pick up the goods. |
| Echo: 取件儿。 (Qǔ jiàn er.) |
| David: Yeah and that’s adding the “儿” 发音 (“Er” fāyīn) either one works. |
| Echo: 对，取件 or 取件儿都可以。 (Duì, qǔ jiàn or qǔ jiàn er dōu kěyǐ.) |
| David: Right. As in our dialogue, they can come to your door to pick up the goods. |
| Echo: 唔，上门取件。 (Wú, shàngmén qǔ jiàn.) |
| David: So you can ask them on the phone, can you come over here and pick up the goods. |
| Echo: 你们能上门取件吗？ (Nǐmen néng shàngmén qǔ jiàn ma?) |
| David: Can you come here and pick up the goods. |
| Echo: 你们能上门取件吗？ (Nǐmen néng shàngmén qǔ jiàn ma?) |
| David: And basically everyone does this. |
| Echo: 对。(Duì.) |
| David: So that’s the best way of doing it. |
| Echo: 没错，而且非常非常便宜。 (Méi cuò, érqiě fēicháng fēicháng piányí.) |
| David: Yes. However, if your goods are fragile. |
| Echo: 唔，易碎。 (Wú, yì suì.) |
| David: You are going to want to be a bit more careful. |
| Echo: 对，我觉得如果其实是易碎的东西, 你最好不要用快递。 (Duì, wǒ juédé rúguǒ qíshí shì yì suì de dōngxī, nǐ zuì hǎo bùyào yòng kuàidì.) |
| David: Yeah. How do you say that again, fragile? |
| Echo: 易碎, 如果是易碎的东西, 最好别用快递。 (Yì suì, rúguǒ shì yì suì de dōngxī, zuì hǎo bié yòng kuàidì.) |
| David: Right. How do you say that again? |
| Echo: 易碎。 (Yì suì.) |
| David: Yeah don’t send fragile things by 快递 (Kuàidì). You are inviting disaster. |
| Echo: 对。(Duì.) |
| David: In fact, what you are inviting is that the goods will be damaged. |
| Echo: 损坏。 (Sǔnhuài.) |
| David: To damage. |
| Echo: 损坏。 (Sǔnhuài.) |
| David: Which is a combination of two words. The first is the damage and the second is bad. |
| Echo: 损坏。 (Sǔnhuài.) |
| David: Yes it was… |
| Echo: 对，因为如果是损了，它就坏了。 (Duì, yīnwèi rúguǒ shì sǔnle, tā jiù huàile.) |
| David: Yes damaged bad. Now, technically if the 快递 (Kuàidì) company damages the goods, they are supposed to pay for it. |
| Echo: 所有损坏的物品，都由快递公司赔偿。 (Suǒyǒu sǔnhuài de wùpǐn, dōu yóu kuàidì gōngsī péicháng.) |
| David: This is what they will tell you at least. Let’s hear that again. |
| Echo: 所有损坏的物品，都由快递公司赔偿。 (Suǒyǒu sǔnhuài de wùpǐn, dōu yóu kuàidì gōngsī péicháng.) |
| David: In reality, this never happens. So you are on your own here. |
| Echo: 对，而且还有一个秘密我要告诉大家, 这个其实关系到我们下一个词, 验货。 (Duì, érqiě hái yǒu yīgè mìmì wǒ yào gàosù dàjiā, zhège qíshí guānxì dào wǒmen xià yīgè cí, yàn huò.) |
| David: Right. To check goods. |
| Echo: 验货。(Yàn huò.) |
| David: Right. So make sure that you check the goods. |
| Echo: 对，你需要验货，但是有一个问题, 就是确实像我们对话中写的这样, 一般的人不会验货，而且快递公司也不让你在签收以前验货。 (Duì, nǐ xūyào yàn huò, dànshì yǒu yīgè wèntí, jiùshì quèshí xiàng wǒmen duìhuà zhōng xiě de zhèyàng, yībān de rén bù huì yàn huò, érqiě kuàidì gōngsī yě bù ràng nǐ zài qiānshōu yǐqián yàn huò.) |
| David: Yes. And they want to just give it over and then run off as quickly as possible. |
| Echo: 对，没错，没错。(Duì, méi cuò, méi cuò.) |
| David: So anyway, a lot of vocab about sending things by courier. |
| Echo: 快递。 (Kuàidì.) |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| David: Right. Our grammar point is about a sentence pattern you need to know. It’s grammar time. Okay Echo, what are we learning today? |
| Echo: Ah, 今天我们要学这个文法点在对话中最后一个句子里。 (Jīntiān wǒmen yào xué zhège wénfǎ diǎn zài duìhuà zhōng zuìhòu yīgè jùzi lǐ.) |
| David: Yes. |
| Echo: 要不让开箱验货，就不把箱子还给你。 (Yào bù ràng kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiù bù bǎ xiāng zǐ huán gěi nǐ.) |
| David: If I can’t check it, I can’t return the parcel. |
| Echo: 要不让开箱验货，就不把箱子还给你。 (Yào bù ràng kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiù bù bǎ xiāng zǐ huán gěi nǐ.) |
| David: Right. And we are highlighting this because this is a colloquial modification of a really common sentence pattern and it’s not 要不. (Yào bù.) |
| Echo: 对。 (Duì.) |
| David: Right it’s |
| Echo: 要是...... (Yàoshi......) |
| David: Right. |
| Echo: 就.... (Jiù....) |
| David: So it’s the if then pattern but listen carefully to this again. |
| Echo: 要是...... 就 ......。 要不让开箱验货，就不把箱子还给你。 (Yàoshi...... Jiù....... Yào bù ràng kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiù bù bǎ xiāng zǐ huán gěi nǐ.) |
| David: So the 不 is part of the phrase. If one cannot do this, then you can’t. Okay, we’ve got a couple of example sentences. The key thing here to note is how casual this is. |
| Echo: 唔, 没错, 你们要不能上门取件，我就不发了。 (Wú, méi cuò, nǐmen yào bùnéng shàngmén qǔ jiàn, wǒ jiù bù fāle.) |
| David: If you can’t pick it up at the door, I am not going to send it. |
| Echo: 你们要不能上门取件，我就不发了。 (Nǐmen yào bùnéng shàngmén qǔ jiàn, wǒ jiù bù fāle.) |
| David: Right. I am not going to send it if you can’t pick it up in person. Let’s have another example. |
| Echo: 要不开箱验货，就是你的责任了。 (Yào bù kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiùshì nǐ de zérènle.) |
| David: If you don’t inspect the goods, it’s your own responsibility. |
| Echo: 要不开箱验货，就是你的责任了。 (Yào bù kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiùshì nǐ de zérènle.) |
| David: Which is how things actually work in China. If you don’t inspect, it’s your problem. So listen to that one more time and note, one, it’s really casual. So we’ve dropped |
| Echo: 是。 (Shì.) |
| David: And we are just saying |
| Echo: 要不。 (Yào bù.) |
| David: Right. If not. |
| Echo: 要不开箱验货，就是你的责任了。 (Yào bù kāi xiāng yàn huò, jiùshì nǐ de zérènle.) |
| David: If you don’t inspect the box, it’s your responsibility. How about if you don’t call the delivery company now, they can’t send it today. |
| Echo: 你现在要不叫快递，他们今天就不能发货了。 (Nǐ xiànzài yào bù jiào kuàidì, tāmen jīntiān jiù bùnéng fā huòle.) |
| David: If you right now don’t call the delivery company. |
| Echo: 你现在要不叫快递 ….. (Nǐ xiànzài yào bù jiào kuàidì…..) |
| David: They won’t send it today. |
| Echo: 他们今天就不能发货了。 (Tāmen jīntiān jiù bùnéng fā huòle.) |
| David: Okay. So we’ve given you a couple of examples of what’s really a relatively simple point. Remember, |
| Echo: 要...... 就 ......。(Yào...... Jiù.......) |
| David: Is a simple form of |
| Echo: 要是...... 就 ......。(Yàoshi...... Jiù.......) |
| David: In this lesson, we see this being used in a colloquial and negative sentence pattern. |
| Echo: 要不..... 就 ......。(Yào bù..... Jiù.......) |
| David: If this doesn’t happen, something else won’t happen. |
| Echo: 唔，没错。(Wú, méi cuò.) |
| David: As usual, we’ve written all of this up in our lesson notes and if you are having trouble following the dialogue, come to our line by line recordings on the site. |
| Echo: 对，因为这个课有点难，所以你可以多听几次。 (Duì, yīnwèi zhège kè yǒudiǎn nán, suǒyǐ nǐ kěyǐ duō tīng jǐ cì.) |
| David: Yes and it’s going to help you identify the words that you are having trouble picking up. |
| Echo: 没错。(Méi cuò.) |
Outro |
| David: That said, that’s our lesson for today. We hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, come to chineseclass101.com and leave a comment on the site. |
| Echo: 没错, 或者你也可以给我们写邮件到 (Méi cuò, huòzhě nǐ yě kěyǐ gěi wǒmen xiě yóujiàn dào) contact us at chineseclass101.com |
| David: And we look forward to hearing from you. |
| Echo: Uhoo… |
| David: From Beijing, I am David. |
| Echo: 我是Echo. (Wǒ shì Echo.) |
| David: Thanks for listening. |
| Echo: 下次见吧！(Xià cì jiàn ba!) Bye bye. |
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