Lesson Nine

 Are you free

Basic expressions

After learning all the words and expressions for the last eight lessons you must be wondering if you can have some simple conversations with a native speaker of Chinese. It is true that applying the language in a real situation is one of the best ways of learning a foreign language.

Let’s learn the following new words.

This term is used to address someone senior, whom you respect, in academic institutions and schools in China.  老师 is preceded by surnames or full names. For instance,

    张        老师      

    zhāng   lǎoshī                                               

    Zhang teacher       

   Mr. Zhang, the teacher

    刘    老师          

    liú    lǎoshī                                      

    Liu teacher           

    Miss Liu, the teacher

    王     强       老师           

    wángqiáng    lǎoshī                    

    Wang Qiang teacher      

    Mr. Wang Qiang, the teacher

      a.王老师         有 空儿。         

         wáng lǎoshī   yǒu kòngér.

        Wang teacher has free time       

        Mr Wang is free.

      b. 我  没有    空儿。                

          wǒ méiyǒu kòngér.

          I   not have free time.                

          I am not free (I am busy).

 We have learned the question word几 jǐ as in how many. 几 jǐ can also imply a few, several. For instance, 几 年 jǐnián several years/ a few years; 几十人jǐshírén  several ten  people/a few dozens of people; 几万元 jǐwànyuán several 10 thousand  dollars. 问题 wèntí means question.              

One of the meanings for行 is OK or permissible. A choice type of question V不not V or V没not V as in

行  不   行 ？                      

xíng bù xíng                           

OK not OK                           

Is it OK?

你   是   不  是  老师 ?        

nǐ    shì   bú  shì   lǎoshī?

you are  not are  teacher         

Are you a teacher?

他 去  不   去  北京？       

tā  qù   bú   qù  běijīng ？

he  go  not  go  Beijing          

Is he going to Beijing?

她   有    没 有  哥哥？      

tā   yǒu   méiyǒu gēge ？

she has   not has older brother    

Does she have an elder brother?

A time word such as 现在 now is placed before the main verb of a sentence, as in

他 现在 去北京。

tā xiànzài qù běijīng                

he now    go Beijing  

He is going to Beijing now.

or

现在  他 去 北京。

xiànzài tā qù běijīng 。

now    he go Beijing

As demonstrated above, the time word现在 xiànzài now can either be placed before a verb or at the beginning of a sentence.

as in  我 需要   三  万    元.  wǒ xūyào sānwàn yuán.

          I   need   300,000 dollars.

We have learned 时候shíhou  which also means time.  However, 时间 shíjiān time is very often used for duration, as in 你需要多少时间？  nǐ xūyào duōshǎo shíjiān？ you need how much time how long do you need? 时候shíhou time is often used for ‘time when’ as in

你    什么    时候  来     我   家？ 

nǐ     shénme shíhou lái     wǒ  jiā？

 you what     time    come my home          

when are you coming to my home?

It is used as a sentence particle for making suggestions. 吧is placed at the end of a statement and is pronounced in the neutral tone.

Conversation

a.    老师，   您  有    空儿     吗？      

       lǎo shī ，nín yǒu   kòngér   ma ？             

   teacher   you have free time MA          

   Teacher (Sir), are you free?

b.   你    有     什么     事？     

       nǐ    yǒu    shénme shì ？                                

   you have   what matter           

   What can I do for you?

a.  我   有   几  个   问题。     我   想    问  问    您，行 吗？

     wǒ  yǒu jǐ     gè   wèn tí .       wǒ xiǎng wènwèn nín,  xíng ma ？

 I    have few GE questions    I    want  ask ask   you OK MA

 I’ve got some questions which I would like to ask you. Is that OK?

b.   什么    时候   问？ 

      shénme shíhou wèn ？                  

      what t    ime    ask    

     When would you like to ask (me)?

a.   现在   问，   行   不   行？   

      xiànzài wèn ，xíngbùxíng ？          

      now ask        OK not OK         

      If I ask you now is that OK?

b.   你  需要  多 少    时间？

       nǐ  xūyào duōshǎo shíjiān ？        

       you need    how much time   

      How long would it take?

a.   半   个  小时  吧。            

      bàn gè   xiǎoshí ba .

               half GE  hour    BA                 

               About half an hour.

b.   好， 请      你  问   吧。      

      hǎo, qǐng     nǐ   wèn ba .

               OK, please you ask BA         

              OK, go ahead.

Notes on expressions

You have learned 问 wèn ask. 问 in the above dialogue is duplicated to soften the tone of voice and to show that the action of the verb 问 is short and quick. The duplicated问is pronounced in the neutral tone.

The words and expressions in the following dialogue may well help you to achieve this.

Practice

1. Listen to and say the dialogue as much as possible. Listening to the tapes is very important. Even if you just leave the tape on in the background it can be beneficial to you.

2. Ask someone in Chinese to do something.

Tape version

Part one: new words

Part two: expressions

Part three: conversation