Lesson Twenty-three

请把节目录下来

Basic expressions

As his old TV could not receive the CCTV (China Central TV), Mr. Smith bought a good quality digital TV set three months ago. He is very pleased with his new set. Today his friend Mr. Brown, a student of Chinese, visited him. They talked about the Chinese programmes that they had watched.

Let’s learn some new words before starting today’s dialogue.

When it is placed before a noun it functions as an adjective.

xīnshū 新书 new books

xīndiànhuà 新电话 new telephone

When it is placed before a verb, it functions as an adverb recently.

xīnmăi de 新买的 recently bought

xīnxiĕ de xìn 新写的信 a letter that is just written

This is followed by a clause which indicate a reason for an action, as in

a.             wèile    guójiā   tā  xué  zhōngwén   

                为了    国家   他  学    中文。

                for LE country he learn Chinese

                He studies Chinese for his country.

b.             tā  wèile  qù   zhōngguó gōngzuò xuéxí  hànyŭ

                他  为了 去   中国        工作    学习  汉语。

                he for LE go   China       work    study  Chinese

                He studies Chinese in order to go to work in China.

a.

sān  nián  yĭqián  tā   jiù   kāishĭ  xuéxí  hànyŭ

三   年    以前   他  就   开始  学习  汉语。

three year ago     he JIU  start    learn Chinese

Three years ago, he    started learning Chinese.

b.

sān diăn          yĭqián  qĭng   nĭ    dào    wŏ  jiā

三  点            以前    请   你    到      我   家。

three o’clock  before please you arrive my home

Get to my house before three o’clock.

c.

yĭqián  wŏ  bú  huì  yīngwén.

以前   我   不  会  英文  。

before  I   not know English

In the past,  I did not know English.

mĕi nián 每年every year

mĕi rén 每人every person

mĕi xīngqī 每星期 every week

mĕi xiăoshí  每小时 every hour

T

his sentence pattern is used to link two clauses. The first clause indicates a given situation, and the second indicates the contrary result.

a.

suīrán     tā yŏu  hĕn duō    qián,   dànshì tā  hái bu  mănyì

虽然     他 有   很   多     钱 ，  但是 他 还  不  满意。

although he has very much money, but    he still not satisfied

Although he has a lot of  money,  he is still not happy.

b. 

lăoshī   suīrán     méi qù guo    déguó,    dànshì tā zhīdào  hĕn duō      déguó     de shìr

老师    虽然      没 去 过      德国，  但是  他 知道   很  多        德国      的 事儿。

teacher although not go GUO Germany  but    he  know  very many  Germany DE matter

Although he has not been to Germany, the teacher knows a lot about Germany.

a.

tā  duì  wŏ de  xuéxí  bu  mănyì

他 对  我  的  学习 不  满意。

he  to   I DE   study not satisfied

He is not happy with my studies.

b. 

lăoshī   duì  xuésheng  hĕn  hăo

老师    对  学生        很    好。

teacher to  students    very good

The teacher is very nice to his students.

c.

wáng xiānsheng  duì  wáng  tàitai  shuō   wŏ qù  yínháng

王      先生        对   王     太太  说： “我 去 银行”。 

Wang   Mr.         to   Wang Mrs.  say       I  go bank

Mr. Wang said to Mrs. Wang: ‘I am going to the bank’.

a.

xuéxí  hànyu    yŏu hĕn  duō      hăochù

学习  汉语     有  很    多        好处。

Study Chinese you very many advantages

There are many advantages to study Chinese.

b.

tā  bu  zuò duì  tā   méi  hăochù  de  shìr

他 不  做  对  他  没   好处    的   事儿。

he not do   to  him  not benefit  DE matter

He does not  do  what  does not benefit him.

Bă can be used as a co-verb to form the 把bă construction. The 把bă construction is used to indicate what one does to a particular object or how one does it. Verbs used in the 把bă construction take complex forms, and are verbs of action attached to resultative words, directional words or other elements. The attached elements refer to the direct object of the sentence. For instance, in 我 把 酒 喝 完了wŏ bă jiǔ hē wán le I finished drinking the alcohol. The resultative word wán finish refers to the alcohol, but not to the action of drinking. I finished drinking would be expressed by the simple utterance 我 喝 完 酒 了wŏ hē wán jiǔ le. The following are some examples of 把bă sentences.

a. 

nĭ   bă   lăoshī    qĭng    lái

你  把   老师     请     来。

you BA teacher invite come

You invite the teacher to come here.

b. 

mălì    bă   xìn     xiĕ   hăo      le

玛丽  把   信     写    好       了。

Mary  BA  letter write finish LE

Mary has finished writing the letter. 

c.

nĭ     bă  zhè  bĕn   zìdiăn        ná    zhe

你    把 这   本     字典        拿    着。

You BA this BEN dictionary hold ZHE

Take this dictionary with you.  

a.

wŏ  lù       le  hànyu    jiémù

我  录      了 汉语     节目。

I   record LE Chinese  programme

I recorded the Chinese language program.

b.

tā   lù      guo     dì   yī    kè.

他  录     过     第  一  课。

he record GUO DI one lesson

He recorded Lesson One.

下来 is used as directional verb to the action verb lù录. 

nĭ    bă   shū    ná    xià     lái

你  把   书     拿    下     来。

you BA book take down come

Take the book down.

It is used as a co-verb in a sentence, as in

a.

wŏ xiàng tā   xuéxí

我  向    他  学习。

I    from him learn

I learn from  him.

qĭng    nĭ    xiàng     dōng zŏu

请      你   向         东    走 。

please you towards east go

Please go to the east.