Lesson Twenty B

Could I change some foreign currency

Basic expressions

zhè bĕn  zìdiăn          guì          bu    guì ?

这   本   字典          贵          不    贵？

this BEN dictionary expensive not expensive

Is this dictionary expensive?

 bā diăn sān 八点三: 8.3.

We learned the counting of whole numbers in Lessons 3 and 6, but we have not learned how to use decimals in Chinese.  It’s simple, just like in English

       èr  diăn  sān  二 点 三2.3  two point three.

       bā  diăn sān八 点 三  8 .3  eight point three.

       shíliù diăn bābā十六点八八 16 .88 sixteen  point  eighty eight.

líng  diăn líng  liù   零点零六 0 . 0 6  zero point zero six.    

a.   tā  zŏu  de  hĕn  kuài.

他  走   得   很   快。

he walk DE very fast

He  walks  very  fast.

b.   qĭng  nĭ   kuài  shuō.

请    你   快    说。

please you fast speak

Speak  faster  please.

a.  lăoshī  néng  shuō  Zhōngwén,  hái  néng shuō yīngwén.

老师    能     说     中文   ，   还   能   说    英文 。

teacher can speak Chinese       also can speak English

                 The teacher  speaks English as well as Chinese.

b. wŏ  yào  qù  Bĕijīng,  Xī’ān,  Guìlín ,  hái  qù  Hángzhōu hé  Shànghăi.

我   要   去   北京 、西安、桂林 , 还  去   杭州        和  上海 。

I want    go Beijing  Xi’an,  Guilin      also go  Hangzhou  and Shanghai

I  am  going to Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin,  and Hangzhou, Shanghai  as well.

a. qĭng    nĭmen  zhùyì            tīng.

请      你们    注意           听 。

please you     pay attention listen

Please pay attention and listen.

              b. nĭ  yào  zhùyì           kàn   diànnăo.

 你  要   注意              看    电脑。

you must pay attention look computer

You must pay attention and look at the computer.

               c. zhùyì               shíjiān, bú yào  wăn le .

  注意               时间，不  要   晚    了。

  pay attention to time      not want late LE

  Keep an eye on the time, and don’t be late.

a.    duì bu qǐ    wŏ bù qīngchu. qĭng      nĭ    zài    shuō   yí cì.

对不起，  我 不  清楚 。 请      你   再     说     一 次。

sorry,          I   not  clear     please you again speak YICI

                     Sorry, I don’t understand.  Say it again, please.

b.    tā  kàn de hĕn qīngchu.

他  看  得 很  清   楚。

he see  DE very clear

He sees it very clearly.

Conversation

In the following dialogue “A” is a foreign visitor who is looking for a bank to change his money, and “B” is a Chinese passer-by who has just been to a bank and is now on his way home.

a.  wèi,   nín   hǎo!

喂， 您  好！

hi      you good

Hi! Hello

qǐng wèn,   zhèlǐ  yǒu kěyǐ    huàn     wàihuì                de   yínháng  ma?

请   问，   这里 有  可以  换        外  汇               的   银行     吗 ？  

please ask, here  has  can    change foreign exchange DE  bank     MA

Excuse me, is there any bank that can exchange foreign currency here?

b. zhèli   méi you. dōngchéng yŏu    yíge     dà  yínháng.

这里  没  有。东     城     有    一个   大    银行。

here not have   east city     has   one GE big bank

     Not here. In the eastern part of the city there is a big bank that can do it.

cún qián, qǔ qián,      jì qián,          huàn wàihuì                   dōu kě yǐ.

存   钱、取  钱、    寄钱 、       换    外   汇                  都 可以。      

deposit, draw money send money  change foreign currency all can

You can deposit, withdraw and send money there, and change foreign currency.

a.   lí       zhèlǐ    yuǎn  bù  yuǎn?

离     这里  远    不 远 ？

from here    far     not far

Is it far from here?

b.  kě    bú    jìn    à!

可   不     近 啊 ！

really not close A

      It’s quite far away.

a. rúguǒ  zuò gōnggòng qìchē qù,  zěnme  zǒu?

   如果     坐   公共    汽车    去 ，怎么  走？ 

    if         take  public   bus      go,    how to go

    How do I get there by bus?

b. zuò qìchē tài máfan,  nǐ    yào         huàn    jǐ      cì    chē.  chūzūchē bú guì,           hái kuài.   

    坐  汽车  太 麻烦, 你    要         换       几     次   车。出租车  不  贵，       还   快。

   take bus   too trouble you  have to change a few CI  bus   taxi        not expensive, also fast

   It’s too difficult to get there by bus; you have to change many times. Actually a taxi   

   would not be too expensive, and it would be fast.

nǐ   zuì   hǎo     zuò  chūzūchē.

你  最   好      坐   出租   车。

you most good take taxi

You’d better take a taxi.

a. ò,   nín  zhīdào  Měiyuán   hé   Rénmínbì  de   bǐjià                 ma?

噢,  您  知道   美元       和   人民币     的  比价               吗 ？

oh  you know   US dollar and RMB         DE exchange rate MA

     Oh! Do you know the exchange rate between US dollars and Chinese dollars?

b. tài qiǎo le!            wǒ zuótiān     gāng yòng Rénmínbì huàn    le   Měiyuán.

    太   巧 了!          我  昨天         刚    用   人民币   换       了  美元  。

   too coincident LE  I     yesterday just use    RMB      change LE US dollar

   What a coincident!  I changed RMB into US dollars yesterday.

bǐjiàshì yì  Měiyuán      huàn     bādiǎn sān  Rénmíbì.

比价  是  一美元        换       八  点  三   人民币。 

rate     is  1  US dollar  change  8  .      3     RMB

The rate of exchange between US dollars and RMB is 1: 8.30.

a.  Yīngbàng  hé   Rénmínbì de bǐjiàshì  duōshao?

      英   镑    和   人民币   的 比价   是  多少 ？

      stirling     and RMB       DE rate     is how much

      What is the exchange rate between pounds sterling and RMB?

b.  duì bu qǐ,  wǒ méi  zhùyì.            wǒ bù  qīngchu.

     对不起。 我  没  注意。        我  不  清楚。

     sorry        I    not   pay attention. I   not clear

     Sorry, I didn’t look.  I am not sure.

a.   méi  guānxi.      xièxie,  zàijiàn!

      没关系，        谢谢，再见 ！

      not connection  thanks  goodbye

      It doesn’t matter. Thanks anyway.  Goodbye!

Practice

1. Repeat the dialogue out loud after me.

2. Answer the following questions based on the dialogue.

zhè lǐ yŏu  kě yǐ  huàn  wàihuì  de  yínháng  ma ?

这里  有  可以   换    外汇   的    银行    吗？

năli  yŏu  kě yǐ  huàn  wàihuì  de  yínháng  ?

哪里  有  可以   换   外汇   的  银行 ？

nà ge  yínháng lí zhèli  yuăn  bù  yuăn  ?

那个  银行  离 这里 远    不   远  ？

zuò  qìchē  qù  nà  ge   yínháng,  máfan  ma  ?

    坐   汽车  去 那 个    银行,    麻烦  吗 ？

chūzūchē guì  bù  guì  ?

出租车  贵   不   贵   ？

chūzūchē  kuài  bù  kuài  ?

    出租车   快   不   快  ？

wèishénme zuìhăo zuò  chūzūchē  ?

为什么      最 好  坐   出租车  ？

 Mĕiyuăn  hé  rénmínbì de  bĭjià   shì  duōshao

美    元    和  人民币  的 比价  是    多少  ？

Yīngbāng  hé  rénmínbì de  bĭjià   shì  duōshao?

             英    镑   和  人民币  的 比价  是   多少？

3. Ask questions by using the sentence constructions in the above dialogue.

4. Listen to the dialogue and read it out loud.

5. Think up a dialogue about how to find a bank and change RMB.

Tape version

Part one: new words

Supplementary words

Part two: expressions

Part three: conversation