Sentences of the week

Ladies first, 女士优先 After you 您先请 Excuse me, I have a call to answer. 不好意思,我接个电话。Do you mind if I smoke? 你介意我抽烟吗? All in today's Chinese Studio.

 

B: Yajie, let's first review "Ladies first." In Chinese.

Y: okay, it's 女士优先 nv3 shi4 you1 xian1.

B: nv3 shi4 you1 xian1.

Y: 女士 nv3 shi4 means lady,

B: nv3 shi4

Y: 女 nv3 means female,

B: nv3,

Y: 士 shi4 means person,

B: shi4.

Y: 女士 nv3 shi4

B: nv3 shi4, lady,

Y: 优先 you1 xian1, means have priority or take precedence.

B: you1 xian1.

Y: 女士优先 nv3 shi4 you1 xian1.

B: nv3 shi4 you1 xian1. Ladies first.

Conversation 1:

A: 您先请。

B: 不,您先请。女士优先嘛。

A: 谢谢。

B: 不客气。

B: As you said Yajie, "After you" is good manners. What's it in Chinese again?

Y: its "您先请 nin2 xian1 qing3."

B: nin2 xian1 qing3

Y: 您 nin2 is the polite form of 你 ni3, which means you,

B: nin2,

Y: 先 xian1 here it means start off before the others,

B: xian1

Y: 请 qing3 means please,

B: qing3.

Y: 您先请 nin2 xian1 qing3

B: nin2 xian1 qing3 After you.

Conversation 2:

A: 您先请。

B: 谢谢。

B: Yajie, one useful sentence I learned this week is "Excuse me, I have a call to answer". Let's review it, hao ma?

Y: hao de. It's 不好意思,我接个电话 bu4 hao3 yi4 si, wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4.

B: bu4 hao3 yi4 si.wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4.

Y: 不好意思 bu4 hao3 yi4 si means excuse me.

B: bu4 hao3 yi4 si.

Y: 我 wo3 means I,

B: wo3.

Y: 接 jie1 means answer a phone call,

B: jie1.

Y: 个 ge4 is short for yi2 ge4, which means one,

B: ge4.

Y: 电话 dian4 hua4 means phone call,

B: dian4 hua4.

Y: 我接个电话 wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4

B: wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4 I have a call to answer.

Y: Now let's repeat the whole sentence…不好意思,我接个电话 bu4 hao3 yi4 si.wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4.

B: bu4 hao3 yi4 si.wo3 jie1 ge4 dian4 hua4. Excuse me, I have a phone call to answer.

Conversation 3:

A: 不好意思,我接个电话.

B: 没关系。

Y: Brendan, do you still remember how to say "Do you mind if I smoke"?

B: Let me see… "你介意我抽烟吗 ni3 jie4 yi4 wo3 chou1 yan1 ma?"

Y: very good! 你 ni3 means you,

B: ni3,

Y: 介意 jie4 yi4 means mind,

B: jie4 yi4,

Y: 我 wo3 means I,

B: wo3,

Y: 抽烟 chou1 yan1 means smoke,B: chou1 yan1,

Y: 吗 ma is often put at the end of a question.

B: ma.

Y: 你介意我抽烟吗 ni3 jie4 yi4 wo3 chou1 yan1 ma?

B: ni3 jie4 yi4 wo3 chou1 yan1 ma? Do you mind if I smoke.

Conversation 4:

A: 你介意我抽烟吗?

B: 不介意。

 

Sentences in the week

Ladies first, 女士优先 After you 您先请 Excuse me, I have a call to answer. 不好意思,我接个电话。Do you mind if I smoke? 你介意我抽烟吗? All in today's Chinese Studio .