Top
The Time

Dialogue 1

Wèn shíjiān – Asking the time.

zăoshang

morning

wèn

to ask

xiànzài

now

jĭ

how many?

diăn

o’clock

fēn

minute (in time)

cāntīng

restaurant/dining-room

kāimén

to be open/to open (lit “open door”)

yĭjing

already

kè

quarter

zăofàn

breakfast (lit “early food/meal)

cóng… dào…

from…. to….

bàn

half

hái

still/also

fēnzhōng

minute (counting minutes)

kuài

soon/quickly/to be quick/to be fast

huíjiàn

see you later (lit “return meet”)

 

 

 

 

Notes to Dialogue 1

Polite way of asking for information Qīng wèn...

In Chapter 1 we had the word qĭng (please) used to invite someone politely to do something.  The same word is used in qĭng wèn, which literally means ‘please ask’.  This is a polite phrase which is used for asking for information or help. It can be broadly translated as ‘May I ask....?’ or ‘Could you tell me....... please?’  For example:

    Qĭng wèn, nĭ jiào shénme?

    May I ask what your name is?

 

    Qĭng wèn, nĭ shì Sīfāng ma?

    Could you tell me please if you are Sifang?

     

Telling the time

To tell the time the key words are diăn (o’clock), fēn (minute), bàn (half), kè (quarter) and chà (lacking/minus).  The hour comes first, then the minute.  For example:

    7:10     qī diăn shí fēn

    8:05     bā diăn wŭ fēn  or  bā diăn líng wŭ

    9:15     jíu diăn yī kè  or  jíu diăn shí wŭ fēn

    10:30   shí diăn sānshí fēn  or   shí diăn bàn

    2:45     liáng diăn sìshíwŭ fēn  or  liáng diăn sān kè  or  sān diăn chà yī kè  or  sān diăn chà shí wŭ.

Note that (a) the minute word fēn can be omitted once the minute is over ten; (b) if you want to omit the word fēn when the minute is under ten, insert líng (zero) – see 8:05 above;  (c) do not use the word fēn when kè or bàn is used; (d) use liăng for two nor èr; (e) to say 2:45 use any of the four expressions above.  Because their are no terms equivalent to the English a.m. or p.m. in Chinese, it is either the context or the adding  of words such as zăoshang bā diăn (lit: morning eight o’clock), xiàwŭ liáng diăn (lit: afternoon two o’clock) or wănshang bā diăn (lit: evening eight o’clock) which enables people to make such distinctions.

 

Jí diăn le?

The question word jí (how many) is used to ask number-related questions and the person who asks expects a small number.  The literal translation of jí diănle is very awkward.  It is something like ‘How many o’clock already?’ (as le indicates that something has already happened).  Simply remember that jí diăn le is the equivalent of the English ‘What time is it?’  In answering the question you can say the time with or without le.  For example:

    Q:  Qĭng wèn, jí diăn le?

          What time is it please?

    A:  Sān diăn sānshí wŭ. 

          It’s 3:35.

Note there is no need to use shì with time.

Similar to other question words, jí occurs in the place in a sentence where the information required in the reply would appear.  For example:

    Q:  Cāntīng jí diăn kāimén?

          Restaurant what hour open?

    A:  Cāntīng qī diăn kāimén.

          Restaurant seven o’clock open.

Note that (a) the time always occurs before the verb and (b) no preposition like ‘at’ is used.

 

Use of yĭjing... le

If you use yĭjing (already) before some verbs or verb-adjectives you must use le at the end of the same phrase or sentence.  However, the word le can be used without yĭjing to indicate that an event has already happened.  For example:

    Tā yĭjing wŭshí suì le

    He already 50 years.

 

    Jane yĭjing qù Zhōngguó le.

    Jane already go to China.

 

    Jane qù Zhōngguó le.

    Jane went to China/Jane has gone to China.

 

Difference between fēn and fēnzhōng

The word fēn is only used when telling the time whereas fēnzhōng is used as a unit of time when referring to a length of time.  For example:

    Xiànzài shì liáng diăn shí fēn.

    It’s ten past two.

 

    Wó yŏu sānshí fēnzhōng chī wŭfàn.

    I have 30 minutes eat lunch.

 

Use of kāimén

The verb kāimén (lit: ‘open door’), meaning ‘to be open’ or ‘to open’ is used to refer to the opening time of various shops and organisations.  You cannot use this verb to say ‘open the coffee jar’ for example. The verb kāimén cannot take an object.  For example:

    Cāntīng qī diăn kāimén.

    The restaurant opens at seven.

 

    Xià ge xīngqī cāntīng bù kāimén

    Next week the restaurant is not open.

 

Position of kuài

When kuài (quickly/soon) is used as an adverb, it is placed before verbs in those sentences that ask for help or that give orders.  For example:

    Nĭ kuài huílai ba.

    Please come back soon.

 

    Kuài yìdiăn chī.

    Quickly a little eat.

    Eat a bit quickly.

 

 

Dialogue 2

Qù yóuyŏng – Going swimming.

fàndiàn

hotel

yōuyŏng chí

swimming pool

duìbùqĭ

I’m sorry/Excuse me

méi guānxi

It doesn’t matter/It’s allright/It’s OK

nĭménde

your/yours (plural)

dà de

the large one/the big one

xiăo de

the small one

kéyi

may/could/can

gàosu

to tell

shíjiān

time

dāngrán

of course

kāi

to be open/to open

xiàwŭ

afternoon

wănshang

evening

yóuyŏng

to swim

è

to be hungry/hungry

zánmen

we/us (colloquial)

xiān

first of all

chī

to eat

wŭfàn

lunch (lit “noon meal”)

name

in that case

Hăo bù hăo

Is it allright?/Is it OK?

Hăo ba

all right/fine

xíng ma?

Is it OK?

xíng

to be OK/can do/will do

 

 

Notes to Dialogue 2

Use of yŏu

Yŏu means ‘to have’.  In English we say ‘There is a library at the University.’  In Chinese there are no ‘there is/are’ constructs so we must say ‘The University has a library.’  For example:

    Zhè ge fàndiàn yŏu sān ge cāntīng.

    This hotel have three restaurants.

 

    Wŏménde gōngsī yŏu liù ge Zhōngguórén

    Our company has six Chinese people.

 

Use of duìbùqĭ

When the phrase duìbùqĭ is used to apologise it means  ‘I’m sorry’; and when used to attract someone’s attention (usually a stranger’s) it means ‘Excuse me’.  If some says duìbùqĭ as an apology, one of the appropriate responses is Méi guānxi (It doesn’t matter).  For example:

    A:  Duìbùqĭ. Wŏ méi yŏu kāfēi.

          I’m sorry. I haven’t got coffee.

    B:  Méi guānxi.  Chá yě xíng.

          It doen’s matter.  Tea will do.  (Tea also OK)

 

    A:  Duìbùqĭ.  Qĭng wèn, jí diăn le?

          Excuse me, what is the time, please?

 

Use of kéyi

Another way to make your requests for information or permission to do something more polite is to use kéyi (could/can/may) before the verb.  For example:

    Nĭ kéyi gàosu wŏ nĭ jiào shénme ma?

    Could you tell me what your name is?

 

    Wŏ kéyi qù Zhōngguó ma?

    May I go to China?

     

Verbs used as adjectives

Some verbs (mostly verbs of two syllables) without changing their forms, can be used in front of nouns as adjectives to modify nouns.  For example:

    kāimén            to be open          kāimén shíjiān       opening hours

    yóuyōng         to swim               yóuyōng chí           swimming pool

    jièshào            to introduce         jièshào xìn              letter of introduction

     

Use of fàn

The word fàn means ‘food’ or ‘meal’.  One of the common greetings among neighbours is Nĭ chī fàn le ma? (Have you eaten?).  If you have had your meal you say Chī le (lit: eat already); and if you have not had your meal you say Méi chī (lit: not eat).  The word fàn is used to form the following expressions:

    zăofàn (breakfast) from zăoshàng (morning) and fàn

    wănfàn (dinner/supper) from wănshàng (evening) and fàn

    zhōngfàn or wŭfàn (lunch) from zhōngwŭ (noon) and fàn

 

Yes/no question hăo bù hăo?

The question hăo bù hăo? (lit: good, not good?) is identical in meaning to hăo ma? (is it all right?).  All questions ending with ma can be rephrased according to the pattern below:

(Subject) + verb or verb-adjective +bù + repeat verb

For example:

    Nĭ shì Zhōngguórén ma?  becomes Nĭ shì bù shì Zhōngguórén?

    (Nĭ) è ma? becomes (nĭ) è bù è? (hungry?)

The reply for the first question is still shì de or bù shì.  The reply for the second is è or bù è.

Note that (a) the subject can sometimes be omitted; and (b) the verb must be the same before and after bù.  If there are two verbs in one question such as:

    Ní xiăng hē kāfēi ma? 

    Would you like to drink coffee?

 then it can be rephrased as:

    Ní xiăng bù xiăng hē kāfēi?

If the verb requires méi as its negation word instead of bù, méi is used.  For example:

    Nĭ yŏu kāfēi ma?

becomes 

    Nĭ yŏu méi yŏu kāfēi? 

    Do you have coffee?

     

Affirmative sentences

One way of making a suggestion and then seeking agreement or asking permission is to add one of the following phrases to a statement:

    xíng ma? or xíng bù xíng?

    hăo ma?  or  hăo bù hăo?

    zěnme yàng? (how about)

The first can be used to ask permission as well as making a suggestion while the other two are for suggestions only.  For example:

    Wŏ wănshang liù diăn bàn lái, xíng ma?

    I’m coming at 6:30pm, OK?

 

    Wŏmen shí’èr diăn chī wŭfàn, hăo ma?

    We’ll have lunch at 12:00, shall we?

 

    Bā diăn, zěnme yàng?

    How about eight o’clock?

 

Omission of the second syllable in two-syllable verbs

Verbs such as yóuyŏng (to swim), kāimén (to be open) are two-syllable verbs.  The second syllable i.e. yŏng and mén , is often omitted (a) in a reply to the question where the verb in its full form has already been mentioned; and (b) when the phrase cóng... dào... (from... to...) is used.  For example:

    Q:  Ní yóuyŏng le ma?    

          Did you swim?

    A:  Yóu le.  Wŏ cóng liáng diăn yóu dào sì diăn.

          Yes I did.  I swam from two o’clock to four o’clock.

 

    Q:  Cāntīng kāimén ma?

          Is the restaurant open?

    A:  Kāi.  Cóng liù diăn kāi dào jiú diăn bàn.

          Yes.  It opens from 6 o’clock to 9:30.

Note that the one syllable verb always appears before dào with the exception of shì which always appears before cóng.  For example:

    Wănfàn shì cóng liù diăn dào shí diăn.

    Dinner is from 6 o’clock to 10 o’clock.

 

    Yóuyŏng chī cóng liáng diăn kāi dào wú diăn bàn.

    The swimming pool opens from two to half past five.

 

Tone of nĭménde

The word mén carries the second tone in isolation.  When it is added to nĭ to form nĭmen, it becomes neutral.  When the toneless de is added to form nĭménde (yours) the second tone is restored to mén. This rule also applies to wŏménde and tāménde as well.

 

Select a topic: