Lesson Fifteen (A)

Have you been busy recently

Basic expressions  

This is used as a time phrase in the above dialogue. This phrase consists of two Chinese characters: zuì 最most and jìn 近near. It can also be used for describing distance, as in zuìjìn de dìfang 最近的地方most close DE place: the nearest place.

 It is used as a colloquial expression to greet people and open up a conversation. We learned the question word zĕnme 怎么how which is placed before a verb. For instance,

zĕnme qù   běi jīng?

怎么 去  北京？

how     go   Beijing?

how to go to Beijing?

However, the expression zĕnmeyàng 怎么样 how are you doing is often placed at end of a phrase.

Wán完 finish is often appears after a verb, such as chīwán 吃完eat finish: finish eating.

xiěwán写完 write finish:  finish writing. Xuéwán dìyīkè 学完 第一课 learn finish DI first lesson:  finish studying the first lesson.

As in sān tiān yĭhòu, wŏ qù Bĕijīng 三天 以后，我去北京three days after, I go Beijing: I will go to Beijing in 3 days. Chīwán zăofàn yìhòu, nĭ qù xuéxiào ma? 吃完 早饭  以后， 你 去 学校 吗？eat finish early meal after, you go school MA: are you going to school after breakfast?

as in nĭ wăn le 你 晚了you late le: you are late.

It is used to indicate that the time is later or longer than expected. For instance,

xiànzài  shí diăn le.  nĭ    cái  lái      shàngkè.

现在     十 点   了,  你    才   来      上     课 。

now 10 o’clock LE. you CAI  come have lesson.

You came to class as late as 10 o’clock.

Conversation

We should go though these new words again and make sure that you know them well. Can you remember them? Lets hear the following dialogue which is carried out between a retired Chinese teacher, Professor Zhao, and his student.

a.        Zhào lăoshī,   nín  hăo !

赵   老师，您   好！ 

Zhao teacher, you good

Teacher Zhao, how are you?

zuìjìn    zĕnmeyàng ?

最近  怎么样 ？

recently how (are things)

How have you been doing recently?

       b.            zuìjìn    fēicháng máng.

最近  非常   忙 。

recently very    busy

I have been very busy recently.

mĕitiān  zăochén    liù diăn   qĭ chuáng.   chīwán    zăofàn      jiù    kāishĭ  gōngzuò.

每天   早  晨    六  点  起床。    吃完     早 饭，就  开始  工  作。

everyday morning 6 o’clock up bed        eat finish breakfast then start    work

                     I get up at 6 every morning , and I start work immediately after breakfast.

                     wănshang  hĕn  wăn  cái           shuìjiào.

晚上      很   晚  才         睡觉。

evening    very late  only then sleep

I don’t go to bed until very late in the evening.

Practice

Repeat the dialogue and answer the following questions.

a.  Zhào lăoshī   zuìjìn       máng  bu máng ?

     赵   老师   最近     忙   不   忙？

     Zhao teacher recently busy not busy

b.  Zhào lăoshī   mĕitiān      jĭ                diăn      qĭchuáng?

     赵    老师  每天     几           点      起床？

     Zhao teacher everyday how many o’clock get up?

c.  Zhào lăoshī  chī   zăofàn     ma ?

     赵  老师  吃  早 饭   吗？

     Zhao teacher eat breakfast MA?

d.  nĭ   zhīdào Zhào lăoshī      jĭ                diăn       chī zăofàn      ma ?

    你 知道  赵   老师    几          点       吃 早 饭     吗 ？

    you know Zhao   teacher how many o’clock eat breakfast  MA?

e.  Zhào lăoshī  wănshang  shuìjiào   zăo      ma?

    赵   老师   晚上      睡觉     早     吗 ？

     Zhao teacher evening    go to bed early MA?