Episode 16: Do you have any siblings?

This is the last episode of Season 1. See you in Season 2!

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A note about learning Chinese characters

Teaching Chinese characters is outside the scope of this podcast, but if you are learning Chinese characters through another course or method, you can use the transcript below to follow along.

Learning characters can be a fulfilling project, and can help you to remember and differentiate similar-sounding words. And, of course, it opens up more avenues for practicing your Mandarin, such as reading (books, children's books, comic books) and corresponding with Chinese speakers via email and other messaging apps. I highly encourage you to give it a try!

However, if the thought of memorizing all those characters now gives you a headache, rest assured: you can start speaking Mandarin without being able to read or write. Millions of preliterate children speak Mandarin fluently, and so can you. If and when you are ready to start learning the characters, speaking some Mandarin already will make it that much easier. 

The bottom line is this: Don't let anything stop you or discourage you. The best method is the method you actually use, and any method you choose is better than no method at all. Find a way to move forward. You can always make adjustments later. And most important of all, enjoy!  

Daily Practice Session

Dialogue text (Chinese characters)

Ah-Ming (M)：小李，我問你喔，你有兄弟姊妹嗎？

Xiao Li (L)：我有一個姊姊

M：她做什麼工作？

L：她是醫生。你呢？你有兄弟姊妹嗎？

M：有，我有一個弟弟，還有一個妹妹

L：那，他們做什麼工作？

M：他們沒有在工作，他們還在唸書

L：還在唸書？他們幾歲？

M：我的弟弟29歲，我的妹妹27. 

L：他們那麼大，還在唸書？

M：對啊，這樣不好嗎？

L：沒有不好啊... 

M：唸書很重要啊

L：對啊，對啊，很重要啊

M：對啊

L：對啊

M：幹嘛

L：沒事

M：你很無聊

Dialogue text (w/ pinyin and translation)

• Ah-Ming (M)：小李，我問你喔，你有兄弟姊妹嗎？

  • Xiǎo lǐ, wǒ wèn nǐ ō, nǐ yǒu xiōngdì zǐmèi ma?

  • Xiao Li, I ask you oh, do you have any siblings? 

• Xiao Li (L)：我有一個姊姊

  • Wǒ yǒu yīgè jiě jie

  • I have an older sister. 

• M：她做什麼工作？

  • Tā zuò shénme gōngzuò?

  • She does what work? 

• L：她是醫生。你呢？你有兄弟姊妹嗎？

  • Tā shì yīshēng. Nǐ ne? Nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?

  • She's a doctor. And you? Do you have any siblings?

• M：有，我有一個弟弟，還有一個妹妹

  • Yǒu, wǒ yǒu yīgè dìdì, hái yǒu yīgè mèimei

  • I have, I have a younger brother, I also have a younger sister. 

• L：那，他們做什麼工作？

  • Nà, tāmen zuò shénme gōngzuò?

  • Then, they do what work? 

• M：他們沒有在工作，他們還在唸書

  • Tāmen méiyǒu zài gōngzuò, tāmen hái zài niànshū

  • They aren't working, they're still studying. 

• L：還在唸書？他們幾歲？

  • Hái zài niànshū? Tāmen jǐ suì?

  • Still studying? How old are they? 

• M：我的弟弟29歲，我的妹妹27. 

  • Wǒ de dìdì èrshíjiǔ suì, wǒ de mèimei èrshíqī. 

  • My younger brother is 29 years old, my younger sister is 27. 

• L：他們那麼大，還在唸書？

  • Tāmen nàme dà, hái zài niànshū?

  • They're that big, still studying? 

• M：對啊，這樣不好嗎？

  • Duì a, zhèyàng bù hǎo ma?

  • Yeah, is this way bad? 

• L：沒有不好啊... 

  • Méiyǒu bù hǎo a... 

  • Nothing bad ah...

• M：唸書很重要啊

  • Niànshū hěn zhòngyào a

  • Studying is really important ah.

• L：對啊，對啊，很重要啊

  • Duì a, duì a, hěn zhòngyào a

  • Yeah, yeah, really important ah. 

• M：對啊

  • Duì a

  • Yeah!

• L：對啊

  • Duì a

  • Yeah.  

• M：幹嘛

  • Gàn ma

  • What?! 

• L：沒事

  • Méishì

  • Never mind. 

• M：你很無聊

  • Nǐ hěn wúliáo

  • You're really boring.

Thank you for listening!