S02, Episode 08: Come on in!

About this lesson

In the intro to this lesson, I mention my favorite Taiwanese dessert, 酒釀湯圓 (jiǔniàng tāngyuán). If you haven’t tried them before, imagine a sweet porridge that smells a bit like Japanese sake, and rice flour dumplings stuffed with black sesame paste. What’s your favorite cold-weather food? How would you talk about it in Mandarin?

In this episode we’ll hear a new dialogue. Xiao Li and A-Ming are on the hunt for a bottle of water, but they get stopped by a mysterious stranger! What happens next?

Lesson Outline:

• [00:21] Introduction to the dialogue

• [01:35] Dialogue (normal speed)

• [03:12] Slow version (and repeat)

• [07:40] Useful vocabulary and phrases from the dialogue

• [14:12] Dialogue again (normal speed) 

Daily Practice Session

Words and phrases with examples (Chinese characters only)

[scroll further down for pinyin and the translation]

1. 路口

   1. 這是什麼路口？

   2. 到路口左轉 

   3. 你去前面路口等我 

2. 分鐘 

   1. 等我五分鐘！

   2. 十分鐘就好！

   3. 可以給我五分鐘嗎？

3. 差不多 

   1. 差不多五分鐘 

   2. 我差不多要走了

   3. 差不多了 

4. 正要

   1. 我正要走 

   2. 我正要吃飯 

   3. 我們正要開始吃了 

5. 對面 

   1. 這裡不能走，你要去對面 

   2. 你看對面的樹 

   3. 我想坐在你對面 

6. 場 

   1. 停車場 

   2. 機場 

   3. 廣場 

   4. 市場 

7. 一杯 

   1. 一杯茶 

   2. 一杯綠茶 

   3. 兩杯咖啡 

   4. 七杯冰水 

8. 進來 

   1. 趕快進來！

   2. 我在忙，不要進來！

Words and phrases with examples (w/ pinyin and translation):

1. 路口 :: lùkǒu :: intersection

   1. 這是什麼路口？

      1. zhè shì shénme lùkǒu?

      2. What intersection is this?

   2. 到路口左轉

      1. Dào lùkǒu zuǒ zhuǎn

      2. At the intersection, turn left.

   3. 你去前面路口等我

      1. Nǐ qù qiánmiàn lùkǒu děng wǒ

      2. Go to the intersection up ahead and wait for me.

2. 分鐘 :: fēnzhōng :: minutes

   1. 等我五分鐘！

      1. děng wǒ wǔ fēnzhōng!

      2. Wait for me for five minutes!

   2. 十分鐘就好！

      1. Shí fēnzhōng jiù hǎo!

      2. It'll just be ten minutes!

   3. 可以給我五分鐘嗎？

      1. Kěyǐ gěi wǒ wǔ fēnzhōng ma?

      2. Could you give me five minutes?

3. 差不多 :: chàbùduō :: more or less

   1. 差不多五分鐘

      1. chàbùduō wǔ fēnzhōng

      2. Five minutes, more or less.

   2. 我差不多要走了

      1. Wǒ chàbùduō yào zǒule

      2. I'm about ready to leave.

   3. 差不多了

      1. chàbùduōle

      2. Just about finished / ready / that’s enough.

4. 正要 :: zhèng yào :: Just about to

   1. 我正要走

      1. wǒ zhèng yào zǒu

      2. I'm just about to leave.

   2. 我正要吃飯

      1. Wǒ zhèng yào chīfàn

      2. I'm just about to eat.

   3. 我們正要開始吃了

      1. Wǒmen zhèng yào kāishǐ chīle

      2. We're just about to start eating.

5. 對面 :: duìmiàn :: across, opposite

   1. 這裡不能走，你要去對面

      1. zhèlǐ bùnéng zǒu, nǐ yào qù duìmiàn

      2. You can't walk here, you have to go to the other side.

   2. 你看對面的樹

      1. Nǐ kàn duìmiàn de shù

      2. Look at the tree across (from here).

   3. 我想坐在你對面

      1. wǒ xiǎng zuò zài nǐ duìmiàn

      2. I want to sit across from you.

6. 場 :: chǎng :: field, used in words involving wide spaces.

   1. 停車場

      1. tíngchēchǎng

      2. parking lot

   2. 機場

      1. jīchǎng

      2. airport

   3. 廣場

      1. guǎngchǎng

      2. plaza, square

   4. 市場

      1. shìchǎng

      2. market

7. 一杯 :: yībēi :: A measure word for cups

   1. 一杯茶

      1. Yībēi chá

      2. A cup of tea.

   2. 一杯綠茶

      1. Yībēi lǜchá

      2. A cup of green tea.

   3. 兩杯咖啡

      1. Liǎng bēi kāfēi

      2. Two cups of coffee.

   4. 七杯冰水

      1. Qī bēi bīng shuǐ

      2. Seven cups of ice water.

8. 進來 :: jìnlái :: come in

   1. 趕快進來！

      1. Gǎnkuài jìnlái!

      2. Hurry up and come inside!

   2. 我在忙，不要進來！

      1. Wǒ zài máng, bùyào jìnlái!

      2. I'm busy, don't come in!

Thank you for listening!