Lesson Thirteen (A)

How do I get there

Last time we learned the question wŏ zĕnme zhīdao 我怎么知道? I how know: how do I know?  zĕnme 怎么how is a question word which is placed before a verb.

In order to ask someone how to get somewhere we will have to learn the Chinese word for “go”. Let’s try to say the following:

qĭng    gàosu wŏ,    yòng   hànyă   zĕnme  shuō  GO ?

      告诉  我,       汉语    怎么         GO

 please tell   me     use   Chinese how     say GO

  

yòng  Hànyŭ   shuō  GO  shì zŏu.

     汉语          GO   走。

use  Chinese say      GO is walk /go

 

Basic expressions

 

1.

yòng

 

use / with / in

use

 

 

2.

Hànyŭ

  

 

Chinese language

Han language

 

Yòng Hànyŭ用汉语means to use Chinese. In the above sentence this phrase is used as a co-verb clause. The sequence of actions is that one has to use Chinese before speaking, therefore ‘using Chinese’ is placed before ‘speaking’. Let’s learn the following.

 

yòng   Hànyŭ    zĕnme  shuō  LISTEN?

      汉语     怎么         LISTEN?

use    Chinese   how     say    LISTEN

 

yòng   Hànyŭ shuō  LISTEN  shì tīng.

      汉语   说     LISTEN   听。

use Chinese    say   LISTEN  is listen

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  zĕnme  shuō  TO POST?

       汉语  怎么         TO POST?

use     Chinese how   say     to   POST

  

yòng  Hànyŭ  shuō   POST  shì jì.

     汉语          POST  寄。

use   Chinese say     POST  is post

3.

 

post

post

 

   yòng   Hànyŭ  zĕnme   shuō  POST OFFICE  ?

         汉语    怎么          POST OFFICE ?

   use    Chinese how      say    POST OFFICE

  

    yòng   Hànyŭ shuō,  POST OFFICE  shì  yóujú.

           汉语        POST OFFICE   邮局。

     use   Chinese say    POST OFFICE  is  Post Office

4.

yóujú

    

 

post office

post office

 

yòng Hànyŭ  zĕnme  shuō  THERE ?

    汉语   怎么        THERE?

use Chinese  how    say   THERE

 

yòng   Hànyŭ shuō  THERE  shì  nàli.

      汉语        THERE    那里。

use     Chinese say  THERE   is   there

5.

nàli

那里

 

there

there

 

yòng   Hànyŭ   zĕnme   shuō  FROM?

      汉语    怎么         FROM?

use    Chinese how       say   FROM

 

yòng   Hànyŭ    shuō FROM  shì  cóng

      汉语          FROM       从。

use    Chinese say   FROM   is     from

6.

cóng

 

from

from

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  zĕnme   shuō   HERE?

      汉语   怎么         HERE?

use    Chinese how    say  HERE?

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  shuō,    HERE shì zhèli

      汉语         HERE 这里。

use   Chinese say   HERE  is here

7.

zhèli

这里

 

here

here

 

yòng  Hànyŭ    zĕnme   shuō  TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)?

    汉语       怎么        TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)?

use   Chinese    how    say  TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  shuō  TO TAKE  shì zuò.

      汉语         TO TAKE   是坐。

use    Chinese say    TO TAKE    is sit

8.

zuò

 

sit,

sit

 

yòng  Hànyŭ  zĕnme   shuō   TUBE, UNDERGROUND ?

    汉语     怎么         TUBE, UNDERGROUND?

 use  Chinese how    say   TUBE, UNDERGROUND

 

yòng  Hànyŭ  shuō  TUBE  shì  dìtiĕ

      汉语      TUBE    地铁。

 use Chinese say TUBE  is    tube

9.

dìtiĕ

       

 

Underground / tube

ground iron

dìtiĕ地铁 is short for dìxià tiĕlù地下铁路 ground under iron road.

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  zĕnme   shuō STATION, STOP ?

      汉语   怎么        STATION, STOP?

 use    Chinese how   say  STATION, STOP

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  shuō   STATION, STOP shì zhàn.

      汉语        STATION, STOP 是站。

use Chinese say    STATION,  STOP  is stop

10.

zhàn

 

station, stop

station/stop

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  zĕnme  shuō ARRIVE?

      汉语   怎么         ARRIVE?

 use    Chinese how    say  ARRIVE

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  shuō   ARRIVE shì  dào.

      汉语          ARRIVE    到。

 use Chinese   say     ARRIVE is arrive

11.

dào

 

arrive

arrive

 

yòng  Hànyŭ  zĕnme     shuō CAN ?

    汉语     怎么       CAN?

 use  Chinese how    say  CAN

 

yòng    Hànyŭ shuō   CAN shì néng.

      汉语         CAN 是能。

 use  Chinese say     CAN is can

12.

néng

 

can, to be able

can

 

yòng  Hànyŭ  zĕnme shuō HELP?

     汉语     怎么      HELP?

 use    Chinese how   say   HELP

 

yòng   Hànyŭ   shuō  HELP  shì bāngzhù.

      汉语          HELP 是帮助。

 use    Chinese say    HELP is help

13.

bāngzhù

   

 

help

help assist

 

yòng   Hànyŭ   zĕnme    shuō FEMALE?

      汉语     怎么      FEMALE?

 use    Chinese how    say  FEMALE

 

yòng   Hànyŭ  shuō FEMALE  shì nǚ.

     汉语         FEMALE 是女。

use   Chinese say   FEMALE  is female

14.

 

female

female

 

yòng  Hànyŭ   zĕnme   shuō  FRIEND?

     汉语     怎么       FRIEND?

use   Chinese how   say   FRIEND

 

yòng   Hànyŭ shuō   FRIEND shì péngyou.

      汉语         FRIEND  是朋友。

use    Chinese say   FRIEND   is friend

15.

péngyou

朋友

 

friend

friend

 

Please read the above examples again.