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 ?
请 告诉 我, 用 汉语 怎么 说 GO?
please tell me use Chinese how say GO
yòng Hànyŭ shuō GO shì zŏu.
用 汉语 说 GO 是 走。
use Chinese say GO is walk /go
Basic expressions
1. |
yòng |
用 |
|
use / with / in |
use |
2. |
Hànyŭ |
汉 语 |
|
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?
用 汉语 怎么 说 LISTEN?
use Chinese how say LISTEN
yòng Hànyŭ shuō LISTEN shì tīng.
用 汉语 说 LISTEN 是 听。
use Chinese say LISTEN is listen
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō TO POST?
用 汉语 怎么 说 TO POST?
use Chinese how say to POST
yòng Hànyŭ shuō POST shì jì.
用 汉语 说 POST 是 寄。
use Chinese say POST is post
3. |
jì |
寄 |
|
post |
post |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō POST OFFICE ?
用 汉语 怎么 说 POST OFFICE ?
use Chinese how say POST OFFICE
yòng Hànyŭ shuō, POST OFFICE shì yóujú.
用 汉语 说 POST OFFICE 是 邮局。
use Chinese say POST OFFICE is Post Office
4. |
yóujú |
邮 局 |
|
post office |
post office |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō THERE ?
用 汉语 怎么 说 THERE?
use Chinese how say THERE
yòng Hànyŭ shuō THERE shì nàli.
用 汉语 说 THERE 是 那里。
use Chinese say THERE is there
5. |
nàli |
那里 |
|
there |
there |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō FROM?
用 汉语 怎么 说 FROM?
use Chinese how say FROM
yòng Hànyŭ shuō FROM shì cóng
用 汉语 说 FROM 是 从。
use Chinese say FROM is from
6. |
cóng |
从 |
|
from |
from |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō HERE?
用 汉语 怎么 说 HERE?
use Chinese how say HERE?
yòng Hànyŭ shuō, HERE shì zhèli。
用 汉语 说 HERE 是 这里。
use Chinese say HERE is here
7. |
zhèli |
这里 |
|
here |
here |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)?
用 汉语 怎么 说 TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)?
use Chinese how say TO TAKE (SOME SORT OF TRANSPORT)
yòng Hànyŭ shuō TO TAKE shì zuò.
用 汉语 说 TO TAKE 是坐。
use Chinese say TO TAKE is sit
8. |
zuò |
坐 |
|
sit, |
sit |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō TUBE, UNDERGROUND ?
用 汉语 怎么 说 TUBE, UNDERGROUND?
use Chinese how say TUBE, UNDERGROUND
yòng Hànyŭ shuō TUBE shì dìtiĕ。
用 汉语 说 TUBE 是 地铁。
use Chinese say TUBE is tube
9. |
dìtiĕ |
地 铁 |
|
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 ?
用 汉语 怎么 说 STATION, STOP?
use Chinese how say STATION, STOP
yòng Hànyŭ shuō STATION, STOP shì zhàn.
用 汉语 说 STATION, STOP 是站。
use Chinese say STATION, STOP is stop
10. |
zhàn |
站 |
|
station, stop |
station/stop |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō ARRIVE?
用 汉语 怎么 说 ARRIVE?
use Chinese how say ARRIVE
yòng Hànyŭ shuō ARRIVE shì dào.
用 汉语 说 ARRIVE 是 到。
use Chinese say ARRIVE is arrive
11. |
dào |
到 |
|
arrive |
arrive |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō CAN ?
用 汉语 怎么 说 CAN?
use Chinese how say CAN
yòng Hànyŭ shuō CAN shì néng.
用 汉语 说 CAN 是能。
use Chinese say CAN is can
12. |
néng |
能 |
|
can, to be able |
can |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō HELP?
用 汉语 怎么 说 HELP?
use Chinese how say HELP
yòng Hànyŭ shuō HELP shì bāngzhù.
用 汉语 说 HELP 是帮助。
use Chinese say HELP is help
13. |
bāngzhù |
帮 助 |
|
help |
help assist |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō FEMALE?
用 汉语 怎么 说 FEMALE?
use Chinese how say FEMALE
yòng Hànyŭ shuō FEMALE shì nǚ.
用 汉语 说 FEMALE 是女。
use Chinese say FEMALE is female
14. |
nǚ |
女 |
|
female |
female |
yòng Hànyŭ zĕnme shuō FRIEND?
用 汉语 怎么 说 FRIEND?
use Chinese how say FRIEND
yòng Hànyŭ shuō FRIEND shì péngyou.
用 汉语 说 FRIEND 是朋友。
use Chinese say FRIEND is friend
15. |
péngyou |
朋友 |
|
friend |
friend |
Please read the above examples again.