Allen: Welcome to Chinese Studio on China Radio International. I’m Allen.
Y: And I’m YJ. It’s great to be able to share this weekend with you all.
A: Now let’s look back upon what we’ve learned this past week. First, Sentences in the Week.
Sentences in the Week
你有什么爱好？What’s your hobby? You can answer with either 喜欢 or 爱. 得 means have to. 我得减肥, I have to lose weight. 应该 means should. 你应该去睡觉。You should go to sleep.
A: Hey, Yajie, 你有什么爱好 (ni you shen me ai hao)? What’s your hobby? 爱好(ai hao), hobby.
Y: 我爱唱歌。I love singing. 唱歌, singing.
A: Wo ai chang ge, word for word, I- love-singing. So I guess I can use “wo ai” to describe all the hobbies I love.
Y: Correct. And we can also use the verb “to like”, 喜欢, as in, 我喜欢唱歌 (wo xi huan chang ge). Allen, do you remember how to say you don’t love or don’t like something?
A: Just put 不 (bu) before either爱 (ai) or 喜欢 (xi huan). Bu ai, or bu xi huan.
Conversation 1
A: Hey Yajie, we learned many ways to 运动, to exercise, this week, such as: 网球 (wang qiu), tennis; and 游泳 (you yong), swimming.
Y: Right. Because I have to lose weight, 我得减肥。得 means have to. 我得减肥. I have to lose weight.
A: So you have to diet and exercise. 你得节食 (dei jie shi)，还得运动 (hai dei yun dong)。
Y: Yes, I’ve booked a Yoga lesson. Yoga, 瑜珈. 我得练瑜珈。I have to practice Yoga.
A: So, when you have to do something, a helpful construction is: Subject + 得 (dei) + what the subject has to do.
Conversation 2:
Y: We also learned 应该, which means should. 应该can be shorten to just 该.
A: Yes, I remember. To say someone should do something, you use the construction: subject + 应该/ 该 + what the subject should do.
Conversation 3:
A: 你怎么了 (ni zen me le)？What’s wrong with you?
Y: 我有点儿头疼 (wo you dian tou teng)。I have a bit of a headache.
A: 你应该去看病 (ni ying gai qu kan bing)。You should go to see a doctor.
Y: 不用, No need. Here, 不 changes its tone. Usually 不 is in the fourth tone. But it changes to the second tone when followed by another fourth tone character. Remember, 用 is in the fourth falling tone.
A: So the phrase reads bu (second tone) yong, no need. But in不应该 (bu ying gai) and 不该 (bu gai), which mean should not, the bu remains in the fourth falling tone because the following character are not in the fourth tone.
Y: Hey, Allen, test time. What’s the meaning of 午饭?
A: Lunch.
Y: 上网,
A: To go or be online.
Y: 打扫,
A: To clean.
Y: 房间,
A: A room.
Y: 游泳，
A: To swim.
Y: Very good. And here is a test for our listeners: How do you say, “I like going online?” Send your answer to Chinese@crifm.com.
A: Yeah, you’re great hobby of 学汉语 (xue han yu), learning Chinese, could pay off with a CRI gift. Well, it’s now time to say zai jian. This is Allen, bye for now.
Y: And this is YJ. See you next week!
(Source:english.cri.cn)
