Lesson Twenty-six

Is there any underground railway in Beijing

 

Listen

Basic expressions

 

Asking for travel information is an important skill when travelling in China, especially in a big city. Today’s dialogue could give you some ideas of asking in Chinese how to go from place A to place B.

Let learn some new words first. There are some new words in the dialogue which need to be explained.

 

1.	tīngshuō	听    说
	it is said	hear say

　

We have learned tīng听to listen and shuō说to speak. The meaning of the combination is was told

  

   wŏ tīngshuō nĭ   míng nián  qù  Zhōngguó

a. 我 听说     你  明    年    去  中国。

    I  was told  you next year  go China

I heard that you were going to China next year.

  

    nĭ   tīng shuō    guo  xià   xīngqi  wŏmen bú shàng kè    ma

b. 你  听   说      过   下    星期   我们   不  上     课   吗？

    you were told GUO next week   we      not have class MA

Have you heard that we will have no classes next week?

  

   wŏ méi you tīngshuō guo

c. 我  没  有    听说    过。

    I   not         was told GUO

No, I haven’t.

 

2.	…shìma	…是吗
	is it right?	…yes MA

 

This expression is often placed at the end of a statement to form a question. It is used to ask listeners to confirm statement which is preceded shìma 是吗, as in

 

   zhōngwen nán   xué    shìma

a. 中文      难      学， 是 吗？

   Chinese difficult study yes MA

Chinese is difficult to study, is it right?

 

    tā shuō    hànyŭ shuō      de   hĕn huài   shìma

b. 她 说      汉语    说       得   很  快，是  吗？

   she speak Chinese speak DE very fast   yes MA

She speaks Chinese very fast, is it right?

  

3.	dǎting	打       听
	to find out, to ask for	hit      listen

 

   láojià,       wŏ dătīng  yíxià     cèsuŏ  zài  năr

a. 劳驾，   我  打听   一下，厕所   在  哪儿？

   excuse me I   find out YIXIA toilet is in where

Excuse me. May I ask you where the toilet?

 

   qĭng    nĭ    dătīng   yíxià      zhèli yŏu  méi yŏu  yóu   jú

b. 请     你   打听    一下，这里 有   没  有   邮    局？  

   please you find out YIXIA here have not have post office

Could you please find out if there is a post office nearby?

 

4.	jiāotōng	交          通
	traffic	together connect

 

5.	qíngkuàng	情 况
	condition,/ situation/, state of affair	situation

 

     nàli    de  qíngkuàng hĕn  hăo

a.  那里  的 情况        很   好。

     there DE situation    very good

The situation there is very good.

 

    tā  xuéxí  qíngkuàng  zĕnmeyàng

b. 他 学习  情  况       怎么样？

    his study situation     how about

How is his study?  

 

6.	shŏudū	首     都
	capital of a country	head city

 

7.	shìnèi	市    内
	inner city	city inside

 

    bĕijīng shìnèi      yŏu huŏchēzhàn   ma

a. 北京   市内       有  火车   站      吗 ？

    Beijing inner city has train    station MA

Is there any railway station in Beijing?

 

    lúndūn shìnèi      yŏu dìtiĕ ma

b. 伦敦   市内      有  地铁 吗？

   London inner city has tube MA

Is there any subway in London?

 

8.	gōnggòng qìchē	公共   汽车
	bus	public vehicle

gōnggòng 公共 public is placed before a noun, as in gōnggòng  cèsuŏ 公共  厕所  Public toilet.

 

9.	sìtōngbādá	四   通                 八     达
	to extends in all directions (traffic)	four connection eight reach

 

10.	wài	外
	foreign, outside	outside

 

wàidì 外地 part of the country other than one is; wài guó 外 国 foreign country; wàiguórén 外国人 foreigner; wài yŭ 外语 foreign language.

wài 外 outside can also be placed after a monosyllabic noun, as in

guówài 国外outside of a country, abroad

 

   guówài             yĕ    yŏu hĕn duō    zhōngguórén

a. 国  外             也    有  很   多      中   国  人。

   country outside also has very many Chinese people

There are also many Chinese abroad.

 

    lóuwài           yŏu hĕn   duō   huār       

b. 楼外             有   很    多    花儿。

   building outside has very many flowers

There are many flowers outside the building.

 

11.	zuò	坐
	to take (transport)	sit

 

a. zuò huǒchē  坐火车 lit. to sit on train: to go by train

b. zuò fēijī  坐飞机 to go by air

c. zuò dìtiĕ 坐地铁to go by tube

d. zuò chūzūchē 坐出租车 to go by taxi

 

12.	zài…de shíhou	在…的时候
	at time…,  when…	in…DE time

 

   zài zhōngguó de shíhou  wŏ bù shuō yīngyŭ

a. 在  中国     的 时候 ，我 不  说  英语。

    in   China    DE time    I not speak English

I don’t speak English when I am in China.

 

   zài  xuéxi  hànyŭ de shíhou   tā  bù shuō    yīngyŭ

b. 在 学习  汉语 的 时候， 他 不 说      英语。

    in study Chinese DE time     he not speak English

He does not speak English when he is learning Chinese.

 

13.	tiāntiān	天   天
	everyday, daily	day day

 

We have learned the word tiān 天 day and the words which consist of the character tiān 天 as in tiānqì 天气 weather, mĕitiān 每天 everyday, jīntiān 今天 today and míngtiān 明天tomorrow. In this lesson tiān天, as in tiāntiān天天is used as a measure word. A reduplicated measure word means every, as in

 

a. gè 个           gègè  个个

b. bĕn 本        bĕnbĕn 本本

c. fēng 封       fēngfēng 封封

d. xià 下         xiàxià 下下

e. cì 次            cìcì 次次

     

14.	shàngxiàbān	上 下      班
	going  to word and leaving work	up down shifts

This expression is short for shàngbānxiàbān 上班下班: shàngbān上班 go to work and xiàbān下班 leave work

 

15.	kuài	快
	fast	quick

 

   huŏchē kuài  fēijī     gèng  kuài

a. 火车    快，飞机  更    快。

     train fast      plan    even faster

Trains run fast, but planes fly even faster.

 

    tā shuō de kuài, wo shuō de màn .

b. 他 说   得 快，我  说    得 慢。

    he say DE fast    I    say   DE slow

He speaks fast, but I speak slowly.

 

16.	zhǔnshí	准           时
	on time, punctual	accurate time

 

   wŏmen tiāntiān  zhŭnshí shàng kè

a. 我们    天天     准时   上     课。

    we     everyday on time have lesson

We go to classes on time everyday.

 

    huŏchē  zhŭnshí dào.

b. 火车     准时    到。

    train     on time  arrive

The train arrives on time.

        

17.	ānquán	安     全
	safe, safety	safe complete

 

   huŏchē bĭ  fēijī   ānquán ma

a. 火车  比 飞机 安全   吗 ？

    train   BI plane safe    MA

Are trains safer than planes?

    ānquán  dìyī

b. 安全     第一。

    safety    first

Safety is first.

 

18.	yòu…yòu…	又…又 …
	both …and…	again…again…

 

Listen to the new words again.

 

Conversation

 

xuésheng:             nín hǎo   liú  lǎoshi

学生：                您  好,  刘   老师。

                           you good Liu teacher

Student:                Hello, Professor Liu.

      

liú lăoshi:              nǐ  hǎo    yǒu  shì        ma

刘    老师：       你 好。  有    事       吗？

                           you good  have matter  ma

Prof.  Liu :             Hello. Can I do anything for you?

 

xuésheng:             tīngshuō  nín    shì  cóng   běijīng   lái    de   shì    ma

学生：               听   说    您    是   从      北京    来   的。是    吗？

   be told    you    are  from  Beijing  come DE  is it right

Student:                 I heard that you are from Beijing. Is it right?

     

liú lăoshī:            shì

刘  老师 ：       是。

                         yes

Prof. Liu:           Right.

 

xuésheng:          wŏ xiǎng dǎting       yí   xià    běijīngde jiāotōng  qíngkuàng

学生：              我   想    打听      一    下   北京的   交通     情     况  。

   I   want  ask about  YIXIA   Beijing     traffic     situation

Student:                 I would like to ask you about travelling in Beijing.

 

liú lăoshī:           běijīng shì  zhōngguóde shǒudū   jiāotōng hěn fāngbiàn.

刘 老师：        北京  是   中国     的   首都 ,  交通      很   方便 。

                         Beijing is   China    DE  capital   traffic    very convenient

Prof.  Liu:              Beijing is the capital of China. It’s easy to travel around.

 

shìnèi  yǒu         hěn duō     gōnggòng qìchē    chūzūchē  jiāotōng   sìtōngbādá

市内   有            很  多       公共     汽车 、出租车， 交通     四通八达。

in city  there are very many    public     bus        taxi          traffic  extend in all directions

There are many buses, taxies in the city. There is no problem of getting around.

 

rúguŏ nǐ   xiăng dào wài       dì     qù     kěyǐ   zuò  huǒchē    fēijī

如果 你   想     到  外       地     去，可以  坐   火车 、 飞机。

if       you  want go   outside place go    can     take  trains    planes

If you want to leave Beijing for other places, there are also trains and planes which can take you everywhere.

   

 

xuésheng:             běijīng yǒu         dìtiě                 ma

学生：               北京    有         地铁                吗？

                           Beijing there is   underground    ma

Student:                 Is there any underground railway in Beijing?

 

liú lăoshī:              yǒu   zài  běijīng de shíhòu    wǒtiāntiān   zuò dìtiě  shàngxiàbān

刘老师：            有。 在  北京  的  时候，我 天天     坐  地铁  上   下  班，

                            there is in Beijing de time  I   everyday take tube go to get off work

Prof. Liu:               Yes, when I was in Beijing, I commuted by tube everyday.

                 

                            yòu kuài    yòu zhǔnshí        yòu    ānquán

                            又   快，  又   准  时，    又   安全 。

                           both fast   and  punctual  and  safe

                             It’s both quick and safe.

 

Practice

 

1. Listen to the dialogue and answer the following questions based on the dialogue.

[1]   liú lăoshī shi cóng shénme dìfang lái de

  刘 老师 是 从    什么     地方 来 的？

[2]   xuéshēng yào  dătīng  shénme  qíngkuàng

  学生       要    打听    什么    情况   ？

[3]   bĕijīng  shi  nă  guó  de  shŏudū

  北京   是   哪  国   的   首都 ？

[4]   bĕijīng  de jiāotōng zĕnmeyàng

  北京   的  交通    怎么样  ？

[5]   bĕijīng  shìnèi  yŏu gōnggòng qìchē      chūzūchē  ma

  北京    市内   有   公共      汽车 、  出租车   吗 ？

[6]   zài  Bĕijīng kĕyi  zuò huŏchē        fēijī ma

  在   北京    可以  坐   火车  、飞机   吗 ？

                  [7] zài  bĕijīng de shíhou    liú lăoshī zuò  shénme  shàngbān

 在  北京  的  时候 ， 刘 老 师   坐    什么      上     班 ？

                  [8]  bĕijīng de dìtiĕ  zĕnmeyàng?

北京    的  地铁  怎么样 ？

 

2.  Explain the following in Chinese

 

A student of Chinese asked Mr. Liu who came from Beijing about travelling in Beijing inner city. Mr. Liu told him that travelling in Beijing is both cheap and convenient. There are many public buses, taxies and as well as underground. If one would like to go out of Beijing there are trains or planes.

Mr. Liu went to office by underground everyday, as the underground in Beijing is both fast and safe.

 

3. Read the dialogue, the new words and the examples out loud. Pay attention to the tones and pronunciation

 

4. Talk about travelling in London in Chinese.

 

 Tape version

 

Part one: new words

1.	student	xuéshēng
2.	be told, hear of	tīngshuō
3.	ask about, inquire about	dǎting
4.	traffic	jiāotōng
5.	situation, condition	qíngkuàng
6.	capital city	shǒudū
7.	city	shì
8.	within, in, inside	nèi
9.	extend in all directions	sìtōngbādá
10.	parts of the country other than where one is	wàidì
11.	train	huǒchē
12.	aeroplane	fēijī
13.	everyday	tiāntiān
14.	go to work	shàngbān
15.	get off work	xiàbān
16.	punctual, on time	zhǔnshí
17.	safe	ānquán

               

Part two: expressions

A	I would like  ask about YIXIA Beijing  traffic situation	I’d like to ask about the traffic conditions in Beijing.
B	in Beijing de time I  everyday take underground go to get off work	When I was in Beijing, I took the underground to work everyday.

 

Part three: conversation

a.	you good Liu  teacher	Hello, Teacher Liu.
b.	you good  have business MA	Hello. What can I do for you?
a.	be told  you are from  Beijing  come DE  are MA	I was told that you are from Beijing. Is that right?
b.	yes	That’s right.
a.	I would like ask about YIXIA Beijing traffic situation	I’d like to ask you about travelling in Beijing.
b.	Beijing  is  China’s  capital  traffic  very convenient  in city there are very lot public bus  taxi  traffic    extend in all directions  if  you would like  go other place go can  take train  plane	Beijing is a  capital city and it is very easy to travel around. There are many buses, taxies in the city. There is no problem of getting around. If you want to leave Beijing for other places, there are also trains and planes which can take you everywhere.
a.	Beijing  there is  underground MA	Is there any underground railway in Beijing?
b.	there is in Beijing DE time I everyday take underground go to get off work both fast  and  punctual and safe	Yes, when I was in Beijing, I commuted by tube everyday. It’s both quick and safe.