Lesson Thirteen (B)

How do I get there

Conversation

Let’s learn the following dialogue.

a.     喂，李先    生 ！    你  去 做   什么？

       wèi,  Lĭ xiānsheng!      nĭ   qù zuò shénme?

       hello Li  Mr                you  go do what     

       Hello, Mr. Li!  What are you doing/where are you off to?

b.    我 去 寄   东西。

wŏ qù  jì    dōngxi.

 I   go post things                                       

I am going to post something.

a.    这里  没  有  邮局 。

zhèli  méi yŏu yóujú.

here   not have post office                         

There is no Post Office here.

b.   我知道。   那里有。

Iwŏ zhīdao .  nàli yŏu.

 know        There have                               

I know.  There is one over there.

a.    你 知道  怎么  走  吗？

nĭ zhīdao zĕnme zŏu ma ?

you know how  go MA                            

Do you know how to go there?

b.    

知道。 从  这里   坐   地铁, 走  两   站     就   到。

zhīdao.  cóng zhèli   zuò  dìtiĕ,  zŏu liăng zhàn  jiù   dào.

know.   from here   take   tube,   go  2     stops then arrive

      Yes, I know. Take the tube, and get off after two stops. Then you’ll be there.

a.   你 能   帮 助   我  寄   一 封       信     吗？

nĭ néng bāngzhù  wŏ  jì    yì fēng      xìn     ma ?

You can help    me post a FENG letter MA       

Can you help me post a letter?

b.  如果  是 给     你      女       朋友    的，我 就    帮助。

     rŭguŏ shi gĕi     nĭ       nǚ       péngyou de ,  wŏ jiù  bāngzhù.

     if         is to (give) your female friend   DE,  I   then help

    If the letter is posted to your girl friend, then I will.

a.  谢谢你，   就  是 给 她 的。

     xièxienĭ,      jiù   shi gĕi tā  de

     Thank you, just is   to  her DE                     

    Thanks. Yes, it is to her.

Notes on expressions

By listening to the above sentences we have noticed that the Chinese word order often reflects the sequence of actions. 

a.  我  去。

    wŏ qù .

    I   go.  [This consists of one action.]

b.  我  去  买  东西.

    wŏ  qù măi dōngxi.

     I    go buy  things.

    I am going to buy things. [This consists of two actions.].

c.  我 坐 地铁 去 看    朋友.

    wŏ zuò dìtiĕ qù  kàn péngyou.

     I   take tube go see  friend.

    I am going (out) by subway to see my friends. [This consists of three actions.] 

d.  我  去 买  饭 吃.

    wŏ qù măi fàn chī.

    I go buy    meal eat.

    I am going (out) to buy some food to eat. [This consists of three actions.]        

     rŭguŏ…jiù….

    如果…  就…: If …then …

This is a conditional sentence construction which consists of two clauses. The rŭguŏ 如果if clause is the condition clause and the jiù就then clause is the outcome of the condition clause, as in

a. 如果  你 去  北京，  我 就  去  北京 。

    rŭguŏ nĭ qù   Bĕijīng, wŏ jiù qù  Bĕijīng.

     if      you go Beijing,   I  then go Beijing      

    If you go to Beijing, then I will go too.

b.  如果  他 学习   汉语， 我  就  不 学习 汉语。

     rŭguŏ tā xuéxí  Hànyŭ,  wŏ jiù  bù xuéxí Hànyŭ.

     if        he  learn Chinese, I   then not learn Chinese  

     If he studies Chinese, then I won’t.

c  如果  你 买   字典，     我  就 不  买   字典。

    rŭguŏ nĭ măi  zìdiăn ,     wŏ jiù bù  măi  zìdiăn

    if       you buy dictionary, I    then not buy dictionary      

    If you buy a dictionary, I wouldn’t buy a dictionary.

d.  如果  我  有  时间，  就   去 看  您。

     rŭguŏ wŏ yŏu shíjiān , jiù  qù kàn nín.

     if         I     have time,    then go see you                          

    If I am free, I will see you.

Cóng 从 (start) from is used as a co-verb.

a.  从     这里  到 那里。

    cóng  zhèli  dào nàli.

    from   here  to there  

b. 从   北京     到     英国。

    cóng Bĕijīng  dào  Yīngguó.

    from Beijing  to     U.K

c.  从   今天    到   明天。

     cóng jīntiān dào míngtiān

     from today to tomorrow

d. 从   一月   到 十月 。

    cóng yīyuè dào shíyuè.

    from Jan.    to Oct

e. 从    星期一   到  星期五。

    cóng xīngqiyī  dào xīngqiwŭ

    from Monday  to    Friday

Practice

1. Answer the following questions based on the above dialogue.

a.  Lĭ xiānsheng qù shénme dìfang?

    李 先生  去  什么    地方？

     Li   Mr  go what    place?

b. zhèli yŏu   mei yŏu yóujú ?

    这里有  没  有    邮局？

    Here have not have post office?

c. Lĭ xiānsheng zuò dìtiĕ qù yóujú          ma ?

李  先生   坐  地铁 去  邮局         吗？

    Li  Mr            take tube go post office  MA?

d. Lĭ xiānsheng bāngzhù jì shénme?

李  先 生   帮   助   寄  什么？

    Li  Mr            help        post what?

e. Lĭ xiānsheng yŏu  nǚ péngyou ma ?

李  先生     有    女  朋   友   吗？

                     Li   Mr       has female friend MA?

2. Read the dialogue out loud as many times as possible and pay attention to the tones of the words:  zuò do, qù go, dōngxi things, yóujú post office, zhèlĭ here, zĕnme how, cóng (start) from, zuò sit, zhàn stop, néng can, nǚ female.

3. Tell your own story to your classmates in Chinese.

Tape version

Part one: new words

Part two: expressions

Part three: conversation