Dialogue

Vocabulary (Review)

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Start speaking Chinese in minutes and grasp the language, culture and customs in just minutes more with Chinese survival phrases, a completely new way to master the basics of Chinese. To get more Chinese lessons and for free, go to chineseclass101.com and sign up for your free lifetime account. Signing up takes less than a minute and you will find more great lessons just like this one. To get more free Chinese lessons, go to chineseclass101.com
Michael: Hey guys, I started studying Chinese in America in University, but when people asked me where I learned my Chinese, I always tell them that I learned it in China from Chinese people. Now a dictionary is a good way to learn Chinese words but an even better way is talking to Chinese people. Today we are going to give you some phrases that help you learn straight from the source. Today’s first phrase is, can you say it again. In Chinese, that’s 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yībiàn.) All right guys, one more time 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yībiàn.) Last time guys 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yībiàn.) All right, let’s break it down first with the tones 请(qǐng) is third tone, the falling rising tone, 再(zài) is fourth tone, the falling tone, 说(shuō) is first tone, the flat tone, 一(yī) is first tone, the flat tone and 遍(biàn) fourth tone, the falling tone. So one more time 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yíbiàn.) (Update: Note that 一遍 should be pronounced yí biàn. 一 has special pronunciation rules. When it is before a fourth tone, its pronunciation will be changed to the second tone. Therefore, 一 here pronounces yí. ) All right, now let’s do the meanings 请(qǐng) means please. I think we’ve already gone over that, 再(zài) means again, 说(shuō) means to say, 一(yī) is one and 遍(biàn) means once through or a time for something you are doing like watching a movie or reading a book. So literally it is please again say once more and that would be in proper English, please say it once again or can you say it again. When I first went to China, I had very few Chinese friends. I found it hard to communicate with Chinese people and one reason is, Chinese people tend to talk very, very fast and often with an accent. So maybe they repeat it but you might still not understand. Then you might need to say, slowly please. In Chinese, this is 请慢一点。(Qǐng màn yīdiǎn.) All right, let’s go to the tones first. 请(qǐng) is third tone again, that is falling rising tone, 慢(màn) is fourth tone, the falling tone, 一(yī) is first tone, the flat tone and 点(diǎn) is third tone, again the falling rising tone. So it’s 请慢一点。(Qǐng màn yìdiǎn.) (Update: Note that 一点 pronounces yì diǎn. 一 has special pronunciation rules. When it is before a non-fourth tone, its pronunciation will be changed to the fourth tone. Therefore, 一 here pronounces yì.) One more time, 请慢一点。(Qǐng màn yìdiǎn.) All right, word by word, the meaning is 请(qǐng) which means please, 慢(màn) means slow and 一点(yìdiǎn) means a little bit. So literally it is, please slow a little bit or slowly please and we could translate this as slowly please. And so now you have the 1, 2, combo for learning Chinese in China. This is especially important because I can teach you some things but there are going to be plenty of things that you are going to need later on, things that I forgot about that you are just going to run into, new situations that you are going to have, that you are going to need to know how to meet by yourselves. So good luck guys.
All right to close our today’s lesson, we’d like you to practice what we’ve just learned. I will provide you with the English equivalent of a phrase and you are responsible for shouting it out loud. You will have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So 加油(jiā yóu)! The first phrase, can you say it again please, 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yíbiàn.). Slowly please, 请慢一点。(Qǐng màn yìdiǎn.)
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