Lesson Twelve

Do you understand (what was said)

 

Basic expressions

 

Lets learn more verbs so that we can form more sentences.

1.	shuō	说
	speak, say	speak

 

2.	tīng	听
	listen	listen

 

3.	huídá	回       答
	answer	return answer

 

4.	gàosu	告        诉
	tell	inform tell

 

5.	dŏng	懂
	understand	understand

It is the result of another action, as when one understands something by listening or by reading. So 听懂 means listen understand: understand by listening. In Chinese people’s minds the sequence is to listen first and then understand. The negation 不, which is placed between 听 and 懂in the dialogue, implies a negative potential: 听不懂listen not understand: can’t understand something by listening. The affirmative form is听得懂 listen able understand.

 

6.	zuò	做
	do	do

Let’s form some phrases.

1. You speak
2. He listens
3. They answer
4. Tom tells me
5. We understand now [change of state]
6. Who is asking

Let us learn the following new words.

7.	dă	打
	hit	hit

In the old days one had to press the receiver holder many times before one could speak to an operator at the switchboard. So the verb for making phone calls is still打 hit.

 

8.	diànhuà	电            话
	telephone	electricity talk

 

9.	gěi	给
	to	give

We learned给 to give as a verb in a previous lesson. 给 give is also used as a co-verb as in

给 戴菲妮   打    电话

to Daphne make phone call.

The sequence of the actions is as follows: the speaker first thinks of Daphne and then makes a phone call.

 

10.	zhăo	找
	look for	look for

 

11.	zěnme	怎么
	how [as a question word]	how

我  怎么  知道

I     how    know                    How do I know?

 

12.	hàomă	号        码
	number	number code

 

13.	cì	次
	[an action measure]	CI

It is used as a measure word for action, as in 说一次speak once; 打三次 hit three times.

 

Conversation

 

Now listen to the following conversation and try to extract the gist of the dialogue.

         a.  喂，  汤姆！请        你  给  戴菲妮  打    电话。

              wéi,   Tāngmŭ! qĭng     nĭ   gěi  Dàifèiní  dă     diànhuà

              hi       Tom     please  you to   Daphne  make phone call

             Hi, Tom, please you phone Daphne?

 

b.  对不起，我 听   不  懂.            彼得，你   再      说     一次。

             duìbuqĭ, wŏ tīng  bu dŏng.         Bĭdé    nĭ    zài      shuō  yí cì

             sorry       I   listen not understand Peter   you again   speak once

              Sorry, Peter, say it again.

            

a.   请      你   给  戴 菲 妮 打     电    话    她  找        你。

      qĭng    nĭ   gěi  Dàifèiní     dă    diàn huà.   tā   zhăo      nĭ

      please you to  Daphne    make phone call she look for you

             Please phone Daphne. She is looking for you.

 

     

b.  为   什么？

             wèishénme?

             for what

             Why?

            .

         a.  我   怎么  知道？你   问  她。

              wŏ zěnme zhīdào? nĭ   wèn tā

              I   how     know    you ask her

              How do I know? You ask her.

            

     b.  我  不 知道  她的  电话    号码。

            wŏ bù zhīdào  tā de  diànhuà hàomă

             I   not know   her     phone   number

              I don’t know her phone number.

 

            

         a.  她的 电话     号码    是 983—8686.

              tā de diànhuà  hàomă  shì jiŭbāsān-bāliù bāliù

              her    phone    number  is  983—8686

              Her number is 983-8686.

 

              

          b.  好，谢谢 ！

   hăo, xièxie

   Good, thanks

 

Answer the questions based on the above dialogue.

  

1. 彼得  叫   谁 ？

Bĭdé    jiào shéi

Peter   call who                                                  

Who did Peter call?

   

2. 彼得  说   什么？  

    Bĭdé shuō shénme

    Peter say what                                                  

    What did Peter say?

 

   

3. 彼得 让       汤姆    打      电话         吗？

   Bĭdé  ràng     Tāngmŭ dă      diànhuà     ma?

    Peter ask/let Tom      make phone call MA        

   Did Peter ask Tom to make a phone call?

 

   

4. 汤姆     懂           吗？

     Tāngmŭ dŏng       ma?

    Tom   understand MA                                    

    Did Tom understand?

 

   

5. 戴菲妮 的 电话     是多少？

   Dàifèiní   de diànhuà shì duōshao?

    Daphne DE  tel        is how many                       

   What is Daphne’s phone’s number?

        

Practice

 

1. Say the following into Chinese.

·         I speak and you listen.

·         He asks and you answer.

·         You understand but I don’t.

·         She tells me about it, I tell you, you tell your mother.

·         I do, you do, he does, and they do too.

·         He speaks once but you speak five times.

  

2. Tell a story in Chinese to your classmates.

 

Tape version

 

Part one: new words

1.	listen
2.	understand
3.	to
4.	Daphne
5.	make a phone call
6.	say, speak, talk
7.	[MW for actions]
8.	look for
9.	how
10.	number
11.	[particle]
12.	tell
13.	do

 

Part two: expressions

A	listen not understand	unable to understand what was said
B	listen gain understand	able to understand what was said
C	I how know	How should I know?
D	Peter call who	Who did Peter call?
E	Peter  say  what	What did Peter say?
F	Peter ask Tom make phone call MA	Did Peter ask Tom to make a phone call?
G	Tom understand MA	Did Tom understand?
H	Daphne DE telephone is how many	What’s Daphne’s phone number?

 

Part three: conversation

a.	hello, Tom! please you to Daphne make phone call	Hi, Tom! Could you please call Daphne?
b.	sorry, I listen not understand. Tom, you again say one CI	Sorry, Peter. Say it again.  I didn’t quite catch it.
a.	please you to Daphne make phone call. she look for you	Could you please call Daphne? She was looking for you.
b.	why	Why?
a.	I how know?  you ask  her	How should I know? You ask her.
b.	I not know she DE phone number	I don’t know her phone number.
a.	she DE phone number is 983 8686	Her number is 983 8686.
b.	OK, thanks	OK, thanks!