Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 155 – “东西, 不是东西” in Chinese

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 155– “东西, 不是东西” in Chinese

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about “吃醋, 吃豆腐” in Chinese. Today, we will talk about “东西, 不是东西” in Chinese.

dōng xī

   东   西 (east, west / thing)

bù shì dōng xī

 不  是    东   西 (not a thing)

nǐ yào de dōng xī wǒ gěi nǐ dài guò lái le.

你  要  的     东   西 我   给 你  带    过  来了。

(I bring what you want.)

nà gè dōng xī shì shén me?

那  个    东   西  是    什    么？(What is that thing?)

nǐ zhēn bù shì dōng xī.

你    真   不  是    东    西。

(You are really bad. If one people A say this sentence to other people B, this means that this A people is  really mad at people B or A really hates B. Or A thinks that B is very annoying. )

So, when you use this “东西” to make sentence, please be sure that  you use it the right way.

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)

Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 154 – “吃醋, 吃豆腐” in Chinese

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 154– “吃醋, 吃豆腐” in Chinese

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about “早点” and  银行和很行”in Chinese. Today, we will talk about “吃醋”  in Chinese.

chī cù

 吃  醋 (eat, vinegar)

In China, some time you will hear something like this:

nǐ chī cù le ba?

你 吃   醋了 吧？

(Did you have some vinegar?)

(Are you jealous?)

zuó tiān kàn dào nǐ hé nǐ de qián nǚ yǒu zài yī qǐ, wǒ yǒu diǎn 

  昨   天    看   到  你  和 你 的   前   女   友   在 一 起,  我   有   点    

chī cù le.

 吃 醋了。

(When I saw you were with your ex-girlfriend yesterday, I was a little bit jealous.)

měi cì chī jiǎo zǐ shí, wǒ dū ài chī diǎn er cù.

  每 次  吃   饺  子  时,  我  都 爱  吃   点  儿  醋。

(Every time when I eat dumplings, I will always want to have some vinegar.)

nǐ xǐ huān chī cù ma?

你喜    欢    吃  醋  吗？

(Do you like to eat vinegar? This sentence will be asked when people talk about food.)

So, now I will give you a sentence, please tell me what it mean.

nǚ rén ài chī cù, nán rén ài chī dòu fu.

 女 人  爱  吃  醋，男   人  爱  吃   豆  腐。

(Women love to eat vinegar, men love to eat tofu.)

(Women are very easily jealous, men love to take advantage of woman  physically or verbally.)

chī dòu fu

  吃  豆  腐

(Literally, means to take advantage of woman  physically or verbally through actions bearing sexual conotations.)

nǐ xǐ huān chī dòu fu ma?

你喜    欢    吃   豆   腐  吗？

(Do you like tofu? Yes, when people ask you about food, this means tofu.)

Ok, let’s see what this sentence mean.

bù hǎo yì si, wǒ bù shì gù yì yào chī nǐ dòu fǔ.

 不  好  意思,  我  不  是  故 意  要    吃 你  豆  腐。

(Execuse me, I did not mean to eat your tofu.)

(Execuse me, I did not mean to take advantage of you.)

So, you can see that “吃醋, 吃豆腐” have two different meanings when they are in different context.

Now, you know how to use them to make some Chinese sentences correctly. 

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)

Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 153 – “早点” and“银行和很行”in Chinese

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 153– “早点” and“银行和很行”in Chinese

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about bus stops in Beijing of China. Today, we will talk about two words that people will be confused easily when they just learn them---“早点” and  银行和很行”.

Actually, there two little stories about the two words.

Please see the first word: 早点

zǎo diǎn

 早    点 (early, a little/breakfast)

Here is story one:

1.   When a foreigner visited China, he saw a lot of “早点” signs in front of some buildings in the morning. He knew that早    is early, 点 is a little bit. So he thought that people just wanted to remind him to get up earlier in the morning. So, the next morning, he got up earlier than before, but he still saw a lot of of “早点” signs in front of some buildings. He thought that Chinese people were really early bird. But even he got up earlier and earlier, he still saw the signs. So he asked a Chinese people about the sign, and he was told that the sign “早点” means “breakfast”, you can only find it in front of some restaurants.

So, let’s see some examples about “早点”

A: wǒ qù mǎi zǎo diǎn, nǐ xiǎng chī xiē shén me?

     我   去   买   早    点,  你    想      吃   些    什    么？

     (I will go to get some breakfast, what do you want to

      have?)

B: miàn bāo mài wán le, nǐ yīng gāi zǎo diǎn lái.

       面     包    卖    完  了, 你   应    该   早    点   来。

     (The bread is sold out. You should come early.)

2.   很行和银行  (polyphone or polyphonic word)

xíng

  行 (very good)

háng

  行 (row, line, trade, business firm)

hěn xíng hé yín háng

  很    行   和  银    行  (very good and bank)

zhōng guó yín  háng

中      国   银     行 (Bank of China)

         zhōng guó rén mín yín háng

             中      国   人    民   银    行 (The people’s bank of China)

         zhōng guó nóng yè yín háng

             中      国     农   业  银    行 (Agricultural Bank of China)

        zhōng guó gōng shāng yín háng

            中      国     工        商     银     行

        (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China)

        zhōng guó jiàn shè yín háng

            中      国   建    设   银     行 (China Construction Bank)

         zhōng guó jiāo tōng yín háng

             中      国   交    通     银    行

         (China Bank of Communications)

So, again, Pinyin and tone are the two basic and also the most important components of Chinese mandarin pronunciation.

  

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)