Learn how to say, "Where are the power converters?"
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| Taiwanese Mandarin Survival Phrases Lesson 20: Where Are the Power Converters? |
| In this lesson, you will learn how to ask for an item in a store. |
| In Chinese, if you want to ask, “Where can I buy power converters?” you can say, 我在哪裡可以買變壓器(Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi biànyāqì)? |
| Let’s break it down by tone: |
| 我(wǒ) is third tone, the falling-rising tone. |
| 在(zài) is fourth tone, the falling tone. |
| 哪裡(nǎlǐ) is third tone, the falling-rising tone. |
| 可(kě) is also third tone, the falling-rising tone. |
| 以(yǐ) is third tone again. |
| 買(mǎi) is once again third tone. |
| 變(biàn) is in fourth tone, |
| 壓(yā) is in first tone, |
| 器 (qì) is in fourth tone |
| Because you have five third tones in a row, you need to break them up with second tones, the rising tones. When you have four third tones in a row, you need to make the first syllable and the third syllable a second, rising tone. When you have five third tones in a row, we can change the first syllable and the third syllable to a second tone. Since 以 has no tone, we can keep the fifth third tone |
| Now, let’s break down the meanings. |
| 我(wǒ) is "I.” |
| 在(zài) means "at." |
| 哪裡(nǎlǐ) means "where." |
| 可以(kě yǐ) means "to be able to" or "can." |
| 買(mǎi) is "to buy." |
| 變壓器(biàn yā qì) means "power converter." |
| When translated to English, this whole phrase means “Where can I buy a power converter?” Also, please note that we use the question word "where,” so we do not need to use 嗎(ma) at the end of the sentence. |
| Altogether, we have 我在哪裡可以買變壓器(Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi biànyāqì)? |
| Listen again, one more time, slowly: |
| [Slow] 我在哪裡可以買變壓器(Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi biànyāqì)? |
| [Normal] 我在哪裡可以買變壓器(Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi biànyāqì)? |
| In Chinese, if you want to ask about any item in general, you can substitute “power converter” for any other item. |
| For example, you can ask about a telephone card. |
| In Chinese, "telephone card" is 電話卡(diàn huà kǎ). |
| Let’s break it down by tone: |
| 電(diàn) is in fourth tone. |
| 話(huà) is in fourth tone. |
| 卡(kǎ) is in third tone. |
| By meaning, 電話(diàn huà) means "telephone" and 卡(kǎ) means "card". |
| Altogether, “Where can I buy a telephone card,” is 我在哪裡可以買電話卡(Wǒ zài nár kěyí mǎi diànhuàkǎ)? |
| Listen again, one more time, slowly: |
| [Slow] 我在哪裡可以買電話卡(Wǒ zài nár kěyí mǎi diànhuàkǎ)? |
| [Normal] 我在哪裡可以買電話卡(Wǒ zài nár kěyí mǎi diànhuàkǎ)? |
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