Sentences in the week

Would you do me a favor? 能帮我个忙吗? Sure当然可以。Can you fix the computer for me?能帮我修一下电脑吗？Thanks a million, 非常感谢。You've been a great help.你真是帮了大忙了。

 

Cam: Yajie, in many cases, whether at the chao shi, bank, restaurant, or whatever, we need to ask for help.

Yajie: Right. You can say 能帮我个忙吗?

Cam: neng2 bang1 wo3 ge4 mang2 ma?

YJ: 能neng2 means would you?

Cam: neng2.

YJ: 帮我 bang1 wo3 means to help me,

Cam: bang1 wo3,

YJ: 个 ge4 is short for 一个 yi2ge4, which means one,

Cam: ge4.

YJ: 帮忙 bang1 mang2, help.

Cam: bang1 mang2.

YJ: 能帮我个忙吗？neng2 bang1 wo3 ge4 mang2 ma?

Cam: neng2 bang1 wo3 ge4 mang2 ma? Would you do me a favor?

Conversation 1:

A: 能帮我个忙吗?

B: 当然可以。怎么了?

A: 你能替我寄封信吗?

B: 好的,没问题。

A: 谢谢。

B: 不客气。

Cam: And if I ask somebody to do me a favor, what will their response be?

Yajie: Most friendly people will say 当然可以, which means Sure.

Cam: dang1 ran2 ke2 yi3.

YJ: 当然 dang1 ran2 means of course,

Cam: dang1 ran2.

YJ: 可以 ke2 yi3 imply that I can help,

Cam: ke2 yi3

YJ: 当然可以 dang1 ran2 ke2 yi3.

Cam: dang1 ran2 ke2 yi3. of course I can.

Conversation 2:

A: 能帮我个忙吗?

B: 当然可以了,怎么了?

A: 能帮我去楼下取个快件吗?

B: 没问题。

Cam: Yajie, my computer isn't working, so I need someone to help me with that. How do I say that in Chinese?

YJ: you can say “能帮我修一下电脑吗?”

Cam: neng2 bang1 wo3 xiu1 yi2xia4 dian4 nao3 ma?

YJ: 能帮我 neng2 bang1 wo3, would you help me,

Cam: neng2 bang1 wo3,

YJ: 修一下 xiu1 yi2xia4, to fix,

Cam: xiu1 yi2xia4

YJ: 电脑 dian4 nao3, computer,

Cam: dian4 nao3

YJ: 修电脑 xiu1 dian4 nao3, to fix the computer,

Cam: xiu1 dian4 nao3

YJ: 能帮我修一下电脑吗？neng2 bang1 wo3 xiu1 yi2xia4 dian4 nao3 ma?

Cam: neng2 bang1 wo3 xiu1 yi2xia4 dian4 nao3 ma? Can you fix the computer for me?

Conversation 3:

A: 能帮我修一下电脑吗?

B: 没问题。

A: 非常感谢,

B: 不客气。

YJ: And if somebody helps you, you will want to thank them.

Cam: I can say fei1 chang2 gan3 xie4, which means thanks a million.

YJ: 非常 fei1 chang2 means very much,

Cam: fei1 chang2

YJ: 感谢 gan3 xie4. thanks

Cam: gan3 xie4.

YJ: 非常感谢 fei1 chang2 gan3 xie4.

Cam: fei1 chang2 gan3 xie4. Thanks a million.

YJ: But you may want to say more than that, such as “You've been a great help.”

Cam: What's the Chinese for that?

YJ: it's 你真是帮了大忙了。

Cam: ni3 zhen1shi4 bang1 le da4 mang2 le.

YJ: 你 ni3 means you,

Cam: ni3,

YJ: 真是 zhen1 shi4, really,

Cam: zhen1 shi4,

YJ: 帮大忙 bang 1 da4 mang2, means a great help.

Cam: bang1 da4 mang2.

YJ: 你真是帮大忙了 ni3 zhen1shi4 bang1 le da4 mang2 le.

Cam: ni3 zhen1shi4 bang1 le da4 mang2 le. You've been a great help

Conversation 4

A: 非常感谢!你真是帮了大忙了。

B: 别客气,要帮忙就给我打电话。

A: 好的。