inMountains Mandarin Course, 山水中文课。大家好，hello everybody, 这是第2课。This is Lesson 2.
How are you? Have you been traveling lately? Do you have any plan to travel to China? Well, let's learn some phrases this week. Welcome to inMountains Mandarin Course. Let's learn how to say this sentence in Chinese (2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?) . This is Lesson 2, today is 05-11-21, Tuesday, my name is Julian Luo, recording this lesson in China Changsha.
Step One: Grammar
The first question. Is there ----------
a title (sir/madam/Mr./Dr./Professor...), or phrases like [please/if I may...]?
---------- in the sentence [2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?]? They need to be said first in Chinese. * Note that only when your page is fully loaded, then click the link below, otherwise it won't act. Thank you.
in the sentence [2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?]? (clause?)
Clause is a [short] sentence, which plays a role in the main sentence. For example, [I met a man who was my friend many years ago.], in this sentence [who was my friend many years ago] is the objective modifier, modifying the object [man].
Are there any words indicating a ----------
Time, conditions, purposes, reasons, locations... (why?)
---------- in [2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?]?(such as: this afternoon/next week/over here/because/if/when...) They also need to be said first.
Time/locations/purposes/reasons/conditions are also normally said first, before the subject. So take a look.
Every sentence has a predicate, which of the following is the correct expression?(what?)
Predicates are typically verbs, sometimes adjectives. In this sentence [I love you.], love is the predicate, another sentence [What time did you leave?], leave is the predicate. [The child is so cute.], cute is the predicate, so is an adverbial modifier, in Chinese, we call it Zhuangyu.
Is there any words that should transform into a compliment in [2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?]? (what?)
Sometimes we want to emphasize something in a sentencee, and we locate them in an unusual position to achieve. Compliments are a type of adverbial modifier, which stays at the end of a sentence, instead of between the subject and predicates.
Please close your eyes, see if you can memorize it.
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Close your eyes, see if you can remember the characters, and the pinyin. If you find the sounds still difficult to pronounce, please let us know using the comment box on our site.
In 99% cases, special question words need to be relocated in between the subject and the verbs.
Dsai 在 is a very frequenly used word, its sound is like part of this word [bir_ds]. Try to say ds_bir. Can you get that?
Many mandarin learners forget to relocate the special question word [where], keep that on mind. Where is an adverbial modifier, it is similar with a location like [in my office].
Weishengjian 卫生间 is a nice way of saying bathroom, while Cesuo 厕所 is more common expression.
一般现在时
Note that the question Word ( where nali 哪里 narli ) is object in this sentence.
When you travel in China, especially when you are far from your hotel or a nice shopping area, the bathroom can be a big challenge because most of the toilets are designed for Chinese tourists. Most of them are just holes on the floor and western senior tourists would not be able to use it. So remember these important words today.
Q: What role does the word [is] play in the sentence?(find out)
_ [is] is used as a verb, a predicate in Chinese. --
Q: Do we say [Excuse me, where is the bathroom?] or [Where is the bathroom, excuse me?] Which is correct?(find out)
_ The first is correct. [Excuse me] is said first. --
You know wo Zai nali ma? (translate)
: Do you know where I am? --
Ahead has a Weishengjian ma? (translate)
: Is there a bathroom ahead? --
Sentence: Can you tell me where the bathroom is?(translate)
你可以告诉我卫生间在哪里吗？
ni keyi Gaosu wo Weishengjian Zai nali ma? nee keryee Gaosoo wo Weishung_jee-an Dsai narli ma? --
3048_Exercises
Q: What role does the word [is] play in the sentence?(find out)
_ [is] is used as a verb, a predicate in Chinese. --
Q: Do we say [Excuse me, where is the bathroom?] or [Where is the bathroom, excuse me?] Which is correct?(find out)
_ The first is correct. [Excuse me] is said first. --
You know wo Zai nali ma? (translate)
: Do you know where I am? --
Ahead has a Weishengjian ma? (translate)
: Is there a bathroom ahead? --
Sentence: Can you tell me where the bathroom is?(translate)
你可以告诉我卫生间在哪里吗？
ni keyi Gaosu wo Weishengjian Zai nali ma? nee keryee Gaosoo wo Weishung_jee-an Dsai narli ma? --
Lesson 3048: 1. I don’t know why.
我不知道为什么
pinyin: wo Bu zhiDao Wei shenme. war Boo dsirDow Way shunmuh. --
【Click here】 to take another look at the sentence and words we learned today.
Learning Advices 汉语学习建议
Find a penpal who is an English learner from China to exchange language. There are millions of them whose English is good enough to teach you, for free. If you do find one, remember that you may need to push both of you a little, many of the students/kids in China are not mature enough. They may just find a penpal amuzing. If you have not yet found one, just leave your message below this page, and they will find you.
Step Four: Read
A few days ago, I watched a video clip on Youtube. ...(translate)
_ 前些天在YOUTUBE上看到一个视频，/cheean_shee-ay_tee-an, Dsai YOUTUBE Shung KanDao yeeGher Shirpin. qian(ago) xie(a few) tian(days) [a few days ago], Zai youtube Shang[on youtube] KanDao[saw] yiGe[a] Shipin[video]. It was about a patient in Hubei Province. ...(translate)
_ 是关于湖北一个病人的。/Shir goo-an_yew hoobay yeeGer Bingren de. Shi[was] guanyu[about] hubei[Hubei Province] yiGe Bingren[a patient] de. She looked like a woman. ...(translate)
_ 她看上去是一个女子，/tar KanShungTrue Shir yeeGer newds. ta[she] KanShangQu[looked] Shi[was] yiGe nvzi[a woman]. Probably because she was infected, ...(translate)
_ 大概是因为被感染了，/DarGai Shir yinway Bay ganran le. DaGai[probably] Shi[was] yinwei[because] Bei ganran le[infected], she was ordered to stay at home for self-quarantine. ...(translate)
_ 在家隔离。/Dsar jar gerli. Zai jia[at home] geliquarantine[]. For some unknown reason, ...(translate)
_ 不知道是什么原因，/Boo dsirDao Shir shenmuh yoo-an_yin. Bu[not] zhiDao[knowing] Shi[was] shenme[what] yuanyin[reason], she decided to escape from the window, ...(translate)
_ 她决定爬窗逃跑，/tar joo-ay_Ding par tsoo-ung taopao. ta[she] jueDing[decided] pa[climb] chuang[window] taopao[escape]. the woman had lost her mind, more or less, ...(translate)
_ 那个女子已经有些神经错乱，/NarGer newds yeejing yoshee-ay shenjing Tsoo--or_Loo-an. NaGe[that] nvzi[woman] yijing[already] youxie[sort of] shenjing CuoLuan[be off her head]. because people could see her butt, ...(translate)
_ 因为她屁股都露在外面。/yinway tar Peegoo dou LooDsai Why_mee-an. yinwei[because] ta[her] Pigu[ass] dou[~even] LuZai[exposed] WaiMian[outside]. she would not listen to others watching her in the ground, ...(translate)
_ 她不听楼下人的劝，/tar Booting louShee-ar ren de True-an. ta[she] Buting[does not listen to] louXiaren[downstairs] de Quan[advice], with her two hands holding the curtain, ...(translate)
_ 两只手抓着窗帘，/lee-ung dsir show dsoo-ar_Dsoo tsoo-ung_lee-an. liangzhi[two] shou[hands] zhuazhe[holding] Chuanglian[curtain], she wanted to climb down from the height of 3-4 floors. ...(translate)
_ 想从三四楼的高度爬下来。/shung tsong sanSir lou de gaoDoo par shee-ar_lai. xiang[wanted] cong[from] san[3]Si[4] lou[floor] de gaoDu[height] pa[climb] Xialai[down]. But suddently the curtain broke, ...(translate)
_ 可是窗帘忽然脱落，/kerShir tsooungleean hooran too-or_loo-or keShi[but] chuanglian[curtain] huran[suddently] tuoLuo[went off], the sick person hit the AC box on the wall downstairs, ...(translate)
_ 这个病人砸到了楼下墙上的空调上，/DserGher Bingren DsarDaole louShee-ar chungShung de kongteeaoShung. ZheGe Bingren[this sick person] zaDaole[hit] louXia[downstairs] qiangShang[on the wall] de kongtiao[AC] Shang[on the top], and fell to the ground of snow. ...(translate)
_ 又掉到了一楼的雪地上。/Yo Dee-auDaole Yeelou de shooayDeeShung. You[after that] DiaoDaole[fell onto] yilou[1st floor/ground floor] de xueDi[snow ground] Shang[on top]. There were a few men watching in the ground of yard, ...(translate)
_ 有好几个男人在一楼院子里看，/yo how jeeGher nanren Dsai Yeelou Yoo-andsli Kan. you[there was] haojiGe[quite a few] nanren[men] Zai Yilou[on the ground floor] Yuanzili[in the yard] Kan[watching], but nobody dare to check on her, ...(translate)
_ 但是没有人敢走上前去检查，/DanShir mayyo ren gan dsou Shungchee-an True Jee-antsar. DanShi[but] meiyou ren[nobody] gan[dare] zou[walk] Shangqian[up front] Qu[go] jiancha[check]. they all said she must be dead. ...(translate)
_ 都说肯定死了。/dou shoo-or kenDing sir le. dou[all] shuo[say] kenDing[must] si le[died]. Just like that, this sick person died in the snow, ...(translate)
_ 这个病人就这样莫名其妙地死在了雪地里。/DsGher Bingren Jeo DserYung Morming cheeMeeao sirDsai le shoo-ayDee li. ZheGe Bingren[this sick person] Jiu ZheYang[just like this] Moming qiMiao[out of no reason] si[die] Zai[in~] le xueDi[snow ground] li[~in]. Again, close your eyes, at least try to remember the pinyin.
Question: Do you translate [don't ] [not] differently? (Answer: No, there is no difference. Both = Boo.)
Question: In Chinese, can you say [I don't know.] without an object? (Answer: Yes.)
Question: Do you translate [I] [me] differently? (Answer: No difference.)
Question: Can we also put [Why] at the beginning of a question in Chinese? (Answer: Yes we can. For instance, [Why you didn't come for help?] (Chinglish))
Let's learn how to say this sentence in Chinese (2. Excuse me, where is the bathroom?) . This is Lesson 2, today is 05-11-21, Tuesday, my name is Julian Luo, recording this lesson in China Changsha.
Find a penpal who is an English learner from China to exchange language. There are millions of them whose English is good enough to teach you, for free. If you do find one, remember that you may need to push both of you a little, many of the students/kids in China are not mature enough. They may just find a penpal amuzing. If you have not yet found one, just leave your message below this page, and they will find you.
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