Unit 2 - Berlitz Publishing - Home

Berlitz, Intermediate Mandarin Chinese Unit 2, Audioscript 

Page 20 

Unit Two, Lesson One 

Dì-èr d!nyuán, Dì-y" kè 

Wéi (Hello!) 

In this lesson, you will learn how to make phone calls and leave a message for 

someone. 

Are you ready? Zh#nbèi h$o le ma? 

Then let’s begin! Nà w%men k!ish& ba! 

Word Bank 

wéi; liúhuà; huídiàn; d$ cuò le; wèi; n$ wèi; diànhuà; sh%uj"; hàom$ 

Page 21 

In Chinese, when you call someone else, the first word you’ll hear is almost always, 

wéi. This word is equivalent to the English “Hello”. 

When you hear this, you can reciprocate by saying “wéi”. Then proceed to tell the 

person what you want to say. 

For example, if you are looking for Mr. Chen, you might then say: 

Q&ngwèn Chén xi!nsheng zài bú zài? 

(Is Mr. Chen there? Or, “May I speak to Mr. Chen, please?”) 

Or, Q&ngwèn nín shì Chén xi!nsheng ma? 

(Excuse me, am I speaking to Mr. Chen?) 

Take note of some polite forms of language that are often used in phone conversations. 

The first is q&ngwèn which means “May I ask”. 

The second is nín which is the polite form of n&, or “you”. 

The third is n$ wèi which literally means “which person”, and is used on the phone as 

a polite form of shéi, or “who”. 

When we receive a phone call, and we want to ask the caller who he or she is, we say: 

Q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? (Excuse me, whom am I speaking to, please?) 

Or, if we want to ask who the caller is looking for, we say: 

Q&ngwèn nín zh$o n$ wèi? (Excuse me, who would you like to speak to?) 

If you are the person that the caller is looking for, you say: 

W% jiù shì. (I am he/she. Or, “Speaking.”) 

© 2009 Berlitz Publishing/APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG, Singapore Branch, Singapore 

by arrangement with LiveABC Interactive Corporation. 

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If you need to put the caller on hold, you could say: 

Q&ng d'ng yíxià. (Please wait for a moment.) 

D'ng yíxià. literally means “wait for a while”. 

If you need to transfer the call to another extension, you could say: 

W% b!ng nín zhu$nji(. (I’ll make the transfer for you.) 

Page 21 

Exercise One, Liànxí Y" 

Listen to the four phone calls, and identify the speakers. 

Telephone call 1: 

WOMAN, R: Wéi, q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? (Hello. Who is this?) 

MAN, C: N& h$o, w% shì F!ng Shèngsh), w% zh$o Zh!ng xi$oji'. 

(Hi, my name is Shengshu Fang. I’m looking for Miss Zhang.) 

WOMAN, R: W% jiù shì. (I am she.) 


WOMAN, C: Wéi, q&ngwèn nín shì Liú jiàoshòu ma? (Hi, is this Professor Liu?) 

(O)MAN, R: W% shì, q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? (Yes. Who is this, please?) 

WOMAN, C: Liú jiàoshòu nín h$o, w% shì n& de xuésh(ng, X# Xi$om'i. 


(Hi, Professor Liu. I’m your student, Xiaomei Xu.) 

WOMAN, C: Wéi, q&ngwèn Li# xi!nsheng zài bú zài? 

(Hi, may I speak to Mr. Liu, please?) 

MAN, R: Q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? (Excuse me, who is this?) 

WOMAN, C: W% shì Bái Méi. (My name is Mei Bai.) 

MAN, R: H$o, q&ng n& d'ng yíxià. (Okay, wait a moment, please.) 


WOMAN, R: Wéi, q&ngwèn nín zh$o n$ wèi? (Hi, whom would you like to speak to?) 

MAN, C: N& h$o, w% zh$o Z(ng l$osh". (Hi, I’d like to speak to Ms Zeng, the 

teacher.) 

WOMAN, R: W% jiù shì, q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? 

(Speaking. Whom am I talking to, please?) 

MAN, C: Z(ng l$osh", w% shì Wú xiàozh$ng. (Ms Zeng, I am Mr Wu, the 

principal.) 



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Sometimes, we answer a phone call, and the person that the caller is looking for is not 

available. In this case, the most straightforward response is to say: 

Bù h$oyìsi, t! bú zài. (Sorry, he’s not here.) 

This literally means that the person is not in, or not around. But it is also understood to 

mean that the person is not available. 

Here are a few of the common reasons why someone cannot come to the phone. 

T! zài k!ihuì. means he/she is in a meeting 

T! zài x&z$o. means he/she is in the shower 

T! zài shuìjiào. means he/she is in bed 

T! ch)qù le. means he/she has gone out. 

The caller may say: H$o de, xièxie. (Ok, thanks.) And hang up. 

Or they may say: W% d'ng yíxià zài d$lái. (meaning: I’ll call again later.) 

Or, Q&ng t! g'i w% huídiàn. (meaning: Please tell him/her to give me a call.) 

If the caller has dialed the wrong number, you say: 

N& d$ cuò le. (You’ve called the wrong number.) 

Or, Zhèl& méiy%u zhèige rén. (There is no such person here.) 

Page 22 

Exercise Three, Liànxí S!n 

Listen to the three dialogues, and decide if the caller has the right number. 

Phone call A 

RECEIVER: Wéi. 

(Hi.) 

CALLER: Wéi, n& h$o, w% zh$o Liáng j"ngl&. 

(Hello, I’m looking for Manager Liang.) 

RECEIVER: Bù h$oyìsi, Liáng j"ngl& zài k!ihuì. 

(I’m sorry; he’s in a meeting.) 

CALLER: H$o, w% d'ng yíxià zài d$. Zàijiàn. 

(Okay, I’ll call later. Bye.) 

RECEIVER: H$o de, zàijiàn . 

(Okay, bye.) 



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Phone call B 

RECEIVER: Wéi, q&ngwèn n& zh$o n$ wèi? 

(Hello, who are you looking for?) 

CALLER: W% zh$o Luó M'im'i. (I’m looking for Meimei Luo.) 

RECEIVER: Zhèl& méiy%u zhège rén. (There’s no such person here.) 

CALLER: N& de diànhuà shì w# q" s!n b! èr ji# sì w# ma? 

(Is your number 5738-2945?) 

RECEIVER: Bú shì, n& d$ cuò le. W% de diàn huà shì w# q" s!n b! èr ji# w# sì. 

(No, you’ve got the wrong number. My number is 5738-2954.) 

CALLER: O, duìbuqi. (Oh, I’m sorry.) 

Phone call C 

RECEIVER: Wéi, nín h$o. (Hello!) 

CALLER: N& h$o, w% zh$o Lín y"sh(ng. (Hi, I’m looking for Dr. Lin.) 

RECEIVER: Bù h$oyìsi, Lín y"sh(ng ch)qù le. (I’m sorry; Dr. Lin is out.) 

CALLER: W% shì Ji$n y"sh(ng, w% y%u jíshì zh$o t!. 

(I’m Dr. Jian; I have an emergency.) 

RECEIVER: H$o de. Lín y"sh(ng de sh%uj" hàom$ shì líng ji# ji# s!n sì liù w# w# 

b! q". 

(Okay. Dr. Lin’s cell phone number is 099-346-5587.) 

CALLER: Xièxie n&. (Thank you.) 

RECEIVER: Bú kèqi, zàijiàn. (You’re welcome. Goodbye.) 

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Leaving messages 

The person at the receiving end may invite you to leave a message by saying: 

N& yào liúhuà ma? (Do you want to leave a message?) 

If you’d like to leave a message, you could say: 

W% k'y& liúhuà ma? (Can I leave a message?) 

The receiver will usually reply: 

Q&ngshu*. (Please, go ahead.) 

Or, Méiwèntí, q&ngshu*. (No problem, please say (it).) 

Shu* means “to say”, so q&ngshu* means, “please say what you want”. 



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Page 23 

Exercise Four, Liànxí Sì 

Listen to the dialogues, and fill in the blanks in the book. 

Dialogue 1 

WOMAN: Wéi, q&ngwèn L& tàitai zài bú zài? 

(Hello, is Mrs. Li here?) 

MAN: Bù h$oyìsi, t! bú zài. Nín shì n$ wèi? 

(Sorry; she’s not. Who is this?) 

WOMAN: W% shì t! de péngyou, Wáng Qi!nqian. Q&ngwèn t! qù n$l& le? 

(I’m her friend, Qianqian Wang. May I ask where she is?) 

MAN: T! qù guàngji( le. (She’s out shopping.) 

WOMAN: W% k'y& liúhuà ma? (May I leave a message?) 

MAN: H$o, q&ng shu*. (Yes, please.) 

WOMAN: Q&ng t! huídiàn. W% de diànhuà hàom$ shì èr èr q" líng ji# liù b! s!n . 

Xièxie. 

(Please tell her to call me back. My number is 2770-9683. Thanks.) 

MAN: Búkèqi, zàijiàn. (You’re welcome. Bye.) 

WOMAN: Zàijiàn. (Bye.) 

Dialogue 2 

WOMAN: Wéi, ABC G*ngs" nín h$o. 

(Hello, this is ABC Company.) 

MAN: Q&ngwèn Zhèng xi!nsheng zài ma? 

(May I speak to Mr. Cheng, please?) 

WOMAN: Bù h$oyìsi, Zhèng xi!nsheng zài k!ihuì. Q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? 

(I’m sorry; Mr. Cheng is in a meeting. Who is this, please?) 

MAN: W% shì DEF G*ngs" de Chén Zhìchéng. 

(I’m Zhicheng Chen from DEF Company.) 

WOMAN: Nín yào liúhuà ma? 

(Would you like to leave a message?) 

MAN: H$o, q&ng n& gàosù Zhèng l$ob$n, w%men de w$nc!n q" di$n bàn k!ish&. 

(Yes. Please tell Mr. Cheng that our dinner is at 7:30.) 

WOMAN: Méiwèntí . (No problem.) 

MAN: Xièxie, zàijiàn. (Thank you. Bye.) 

WOMAN: Búkèqi, zàijiàn. (You’re welcome. Bye.) 



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Dialogue 3 

WOMAN: Wéi, q&ngwèn Qi) y"sh(ng zài ma? 

(Hello, is Dr. Chiu here, please?) 

MAN: Bù h$oyìsi, t! qù ch" w#fàn le. (Sorry; he’s out for lunch.) 

WOMAN: Q&ngwèn t! shénme shíhou huílái? (May I ask when he’ll be back?) 

MAN: W% bù zh"dào. Q&ngwèn n& shì n$ wèi? 

(I don’t know. Who is this, please?) 

WOMAN: W% shì t! tàitai. (I’m his wife.) 

MAN: Qi) tàitai n& h$o, n& yào liúhuà ma? 

(Hi, Mrs. Chiu. Would you like to leave a message?) 

WOMAN: En, q&ng t! xiàb!n d$ diànhuà g'i w%. 

(Yes; please tell him to call me after work.) 

MAN: H$o, w% huì gàosù t!. (Okay, I’ll tell him.) 

WOMAN: Xièxie, zàijiàn. (Thanks, bye.) 

MAN: Qi) tàitai, zàijiàn. (Bye, Mrs. Chiu.) 

Dialogue 4 

WOMAN: Wéi, Shàngh$i Yínháng nín h$o. (Hello; Shanghai Bank.) 

MAN: Nín h$o, w% zh$o Xiè j"ngl&. 

(Hi, I’m looking for Mr Xie, the manager.) 

WOMAN: Xiè j"ngl& bú zài, q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? 

(Mr Xie is not here right now. May I ask your name, please?) 

MAN: W% shì B'ij"ng Yínháng de Liú j"ngl&. 

(I’m Mr Liu, the manager from Beijing Bank.) 

WOMAN: Liú j"ngl& nín h$o. Xiè j"ngl& j"nti!n qù B'ij"ng Dàxué y$nji$ng le. 

Q&ngwèn nín yào liúhuà ma? 

(Hello, Mr Liu. Mr Xie is giving a lecture at Beijing University today. 

Would you like to leave a message?) 

MAN: H$o de, q&ng n& gàosù Xiè j"ngl&, X"ngq"s!n z$oshàng shí di$n dào 

B'ij"ng Yínháng k!ihuì. 

(Yes, please. Please ask Mr Xie to come to Beijing Bank for a meeting at 

ten o’clock on Wednesday.) 

WOMAN: H$o, w% huì gàosù Xiè j"ngl&. (Okay, I’ll tell Mr Xie.) 

MAN: Xièxie n&, zàijiàn. (Thank you. Goodbye.) 

WOMAN: Liú j"ngl&, zàijiàn. (Goodbye, Mr Liu.) 



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Page 24 

Exercise Five, Liànxí W# 

Imagine that you are the receiver of this phone call. Listen to the recording and 

complete the dialogue using the hints provided. 

Caller: Wéi, n& h$o. (Hello.) 

You: 

(Say hello and ask who he is looking for.) 

N& h$o, q&ngwèn nín zh$o n$ wèi? 

(Hello. Who are you looking for, please?) 

Caller: W% zh$o Yuán j"ngl&. Q&ngwèn t! zài bú zài? 

You: 

(I’m looking for Manager Yuan. Is he here?) 

(Tell him that Yuan Jingli is in a meeting, and ask who the caller is.) 

Bù h$oyìsi, Yuán j"ngl& zài k!ihuì. Q&ngwèn nín shì n$ wèi? 

(I’m sorry; Manager Yuan is in a meeting. Who is this, please?) 

Caller: W% shì ABC G*ngs" de Liào Dàwéi. 

You: 

(I’m Dawei Liao from ABC Company.) 

(Ask Mr. Liao if he wants to leave a message.) 

Liào xi!nsheng, q&ngwèn nín yào liúhuà ma? 

(Would you like to leave a message, Mr. Liao?) 

Caller: H$o, xièxie. Q&ng Yuán j"ngl& huídiàn. W% de diànhuà shì liù ji# q" líng sì 

You: 

èr y" s!n. 

(Yes, please. Please tell Manager Yuan to call me back. My number is 

6970-4213.) 

(Say okay, no problem.) 

H$o de, méiwèntí. 

(Okay, no problem.) 

Caller: Xièxie, zàijiàn. 

Page 24 

Pronunciation 

(Thanks; goodbye.) 

Two-syllable words: 1 st tone + 4 th tone 

Listen to the recording to help you familiarize yourself with each tone. 

* Tip: Keep the 1 st tone sound high pitch and level, before a drop in the 4 th tone. 

j"qì; sh!shì; xi)jià; xi!ngxià; k!ihù; j"chì; j"ngjì; ch(kù; ch!zuò; sh*ujù; x"ngfèn; 

sh(ngqì 



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Page 26 

Unit Two, Lesson Two 

Dì-èr d!nyuán, Dì-èr kè 

N!l" k#y" m!i dào ch$ngzhík!? (Where can I buy a pre-paid card?) 

In this lesson, you will learn how to handle phone calls, make appointments, and talk 

about using cell phones. 



Word Bank 

d$ diànhuà; dàsh(ng yìdi$n; dàsh(ng; g(n; yu( shíji!n; huài le; ch*ngdiànqì; 

ch*ngzhík$; k!ihuì; wèntí 

Page 27 

D$ diànhuà means ‘to call’. 

The Chinese usually use the word g'i (‘to give’) with d$ diànhuà. 

For example, W% g'i David d$ diànhuà. (I’ll give David a call.) 

Give Exercise 1 in the book a try. Use g'i and d$ diànhuà to say the sentences in 

Chinese. Then check against the Answer Key to see if you’re right. 

Page 27 

If you can’t hear the other party clearly over the phone, you may have to ask them to 

speak up. 

dàsh(ng yìdi$n means ‘a little louder’. 

Remember: we learnt in Unit 1 that dà yìdi$n means ‘a little bigger’. 

Shu* means ‘speak’. So shu* dàsh(ng yìdi$n means ‘speak a little louder’. 

How do you ask someone else to speak a little louder? Or speak more slowly? 

Try Exercise 2 in the book, and check against the Answer Key to see if you’re right. 

Page 28 

Yu( shíji!n means ‘to make an appointment’. 

G(n n& yu( shíji!n means ‘to make an appointment with you’. 

So, W% xi$ng g(n n& yu( shíji!n. 

means ‘I would like to make an appointment with you.’ 



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Let’s give Exercise 3 a try so you’ll have a better idea of what to say. 

Page 28 

Exercise Three, Liànxí S!n 

Listen to the recordings, and write down what they mean in English in the book. 

a. W% xi$ng g(n n& kàn diàny&ng. 

(I’d like to go to the movies with you.) 

b. Míngti!n, w% xi$ng g(n n& qù guàngji(. 

(I’d like to go shopping with you tomorrow.) 

c. W% xi$ng g(n nín yu( shíji!n k!ihuì. 

(I’d like to make an appointment with you for a meeting.) 

Page 28 

Exercise Four, Liànxí Sì 

Listen to the recording, and answer the questions in the book. 

Receiver: Wéi (Hello.) 

Caller: Wéi, q&ngwèn, Chén j"ngl& zài ma? 

(Hello, is Manager Chen there, please?) 

Receiver: W% jiùshì. Nín shì n$ wèi? 

(Speaking. Who is this?) 

Caller: Chén j"ngl&, nín h$o. W% shì ABC G*ngs" de Wáng Dàwèi. 

(Hello, Manager Chen. I’m Dawei Wang from ABC Company.) 

Receiver: Duìbùq&, n& k'y& shu* dàsh(ng yìdi$n ma? 

(Excuse me, could you speak up, please?) 

Caller: H$o de, w% shì ABC G*ngs" de Wáng Dàwèi. 

(Okay. I’m Dawei Wang from ABC Company.) 

Receiver: Wéi, Wáng xi!nsheng, n& h$o. 

(Oh! Hello, Mr. Wang.) 

Caller: Chén j"ngl&, w% xi$ng g(n nín yu( shíji!n k!ihuì. Q&ngwèn, míngti!n 

xiàw# nín y%u shíji!n ma? 

(Manager Chen, I’d like to make an appointment with you for a meeting. 

May I ask if you have time tomorrow afternoon?) 



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Page 28 

If you want to say that a device is giving you problems, or that it doesn’t seem to be 

working properly, you can use the phrase ‘y%u wèntí’, which literally means ‘there is 

a problem’. 

For example, if your cell phone doesn’t seem to be working, you could say: 

W% de sh%uj" y%u wèntí. (There’s a problem with my cell phone.) 

If you are certain that something is broken, use the phrase ‘huài le’ which means ‘(it) 

is broken’. 

Like, W% de sh%uj" huài le. (My cell phone is broken.) 

If you are looking to buy a replacement, you can ask for information by saying: 

N$l& k'y& m$i dào? which means ‘where can I buy’. 

For example, N$l& k'y& m$i dào ch*ngdiànqì? (Where can I buy a charger?) 

Or, N$l& k'y& m$i dào ch*ngzhík$? (Where can I buy a pre-paid phone card?) 

Page 29 

Exercise Five, Liànxí W# 

Max has just arrived in Beijing. He wants to get in touch with his friends, but 

something’s wrong with his cell phone. He turns to the receptionist at the hostel for 

help. Listen and complete the dialogue for Max. 

RECEPTIONIST: Z$o, w% k'y& b!ng ní shénme? 

(Good morning. How may I help you?) 

YOU: (Say hi and ask where you can buy a SIM card.) 

Nín h$o, q&ngwèn, n$l& k'y& m$i dào SIM k$? 

(Hi, where can I buy a SIM card, please?) 

RECEPTIONIST: N& k'y& zài sh)bàot!n m$i. (You can buy one at the newsstand.) 

YOU: (Ask if the newsstand is nearby.) 

Sh)bàot!n zài fùjìn ma? (Is the newsstand nearby?) 

RECEPTIONIST: Duì, jiù zài l+shè wàimian. (Yes, it’s just outside the hostel.) 

YOU: (Ask how much a SIM card is.) 

Yì zh!ng SIM k$ du*sh$o qián? (How much is a SIM card?) 

RECEPTIONIST: S!nshí kuài dào w#shí kuài. (30 to 50 dollars.) 

YOU: (Tell her that your charger is broken and ask her where to buy a 

new one.) 

W% de ch*ngdiànqì huài le. N$l& k'y& m$i dào ch*ngdiànqì? 

(My charger is broken. Where can I buy one?) 



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RECEPTIONIST: N& k'y& dào sh%uj"diàn m$i. 

(You can buy one in a cell phone stop.) 

YOU: (Ask where the cell phone shop is.) 

Sh%uj"diàn zài n$l&? 

(Where can I find a cell phone shop?) 

RECEPTIONIST: Cóng zhèl& w$ng nán z%u, shí f(nzh*ng jiù dào le. 

Page 30 

Pronunciation 

(Walk south from here for ten minutes.) 

Two-syllable words: 2 nd tone + 1 st tone 


* Tip: Remember to raise the pitch of the 2 nd tone sound all the way up to a 1 st tone 

pitch level. 

cháb(i; júhu!; érg(; lóut"; shízh*ng; chuángd!n; yúf); chúsh"; yángc*ng; liáoti!n; 

Báig*ng; rénsh(ng 

Page 32 

Unit Two, Lesson Three 

Dì-èr d!nyuán, Dì-s!n kè 

N" y%u w!ngyou ma? (Do you have any cyber friends?) 

In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about using the Internet. 



Word Bank 

w$ng; w$ngluò; w$ngb!; shàngw$ng; w$ngyou; g*ngyòng diànhuà; diàn; l+gu$n; 

diànchí 

Page 33 

The word w$ngluò refers to the Internet, or a network of computers. 

W$ng literally means ‘net’ in Chinese. That’s why most of the terms related to the use 

of the Internet include the character w$ng. 

W$ngb! refers to an Internet café. 



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Shàngw$ng means to surf the ‘net, and W$ngyou refers to cyber friends or Internet 

pen-pals. 

To look for an Internet café, you could say: 

N$l& y%u w$ngb!? (Where is there an Internet café?) 

If you are looking for a type of store or type of thing, you can use 

N$l& y%u… (Where is there…?) followed by the store or thing you want to find. 

For example, N$l& y%u g*ngyòng diànhuà? (Where is there a public phone?) 

Page 33 

Close-Up 

The word diàn means shop or store. To describe a type of store, just add the word diàn 

after the item that is sold in the shop. (The measure word for diàn is ji!n.) 

diànn$o diàn (computer store), 

yì ji!n diànn$o diàn (a computer store, or one computer store) 

sh)diàn (bookstore), 

s!n ji!n sh)diàn (three bookstores) 

Page 33 

Exercise One, Liànxí Y" 

Max is asking for directions. Look at the map, and help Max find his way to the four 

different places. 

For example, 

MAX: N$l& y%u sh%ubi$o diàn? (Where is there a watch store?) 

YOU: P#b'i Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n. (‘There’s one on Pubei Road.’) 

In spoken language, people often shorten their answers to save time. 

For example, the ‘complete’ answer here is: 

P#b'i Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n sh%ubi$o diàn. (There is a watch store on Pubei Road.). 

But you’ll often hear people say: P#b'i Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n. 

Or, simply, P#b'i Lù shàng. (On Pubei Road.) 

Are you ready? Max is going to start asking his questions! 

Page 34 

QUESTION 1. 

MAX: N$l& y%u y"yuàn? (Where is there a hospital?) 

YOU: P#b'i Lù shàng y%u yìji!n. (There’s one on Pubei Road.) 



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QUESTION 2. 

MAX: W% de sh%uj" huài le, n$l& y%u sh%uj" diàn? 

(My cell phone is broken. Where is there a cell phone shop?) 

YOU: P#b'i Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n. (There’s one on Punan Road.) 

QUESTION 3. 

MAX: Q&ngwèn, n$l& y%u zh'nsu%? 

(Excuse me, where is there a clinic?) 

YOU: P#d*ng Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n. (There’s one on Pudong Road.) 

QUESTION 4. 

MAX: W% de y$njìng huài le, q&ngwèn n$l& y%u y$njìng diàn? 

(My glasses are broken. Where is there a glasses store?) 

YOU: P#x" Lù shàng y%u yì ji!n. (There’s one on Puxi Road.) 

Page 34 

Close-up 

To find out how much you’ll need to pay in an Internet café, you can say: 

Shàngw$ng yí ge xi$oshí du*sh$o qián? (How much for an hour of Internet access?) 

Which literally means: How much to surf the ‘net for one hour? 

To ask someone for his/her email address, you can say: 

K'y& g'i w% n& de diànyóu ma? (Can you give me your email address?) 

Page 34 

If you want to ask where you can buy a computer, you say 

N$l& k'y& m$i dào diànn$o? (Where can I buy a computer?) 

The reply might be: 

N& k'y& dào Zh*nggu!nc)n qù m$i. (You can go to Zhongguancun to buy it.) 

The sentence pattern is “dào place qù”, which means “to go to place”. 

If you want to go to a place to do something, just add the thing you want to do at the 

end of the sentence. 

For example, “Max is going to the cell phone shop,” is: Max dào sh%uj" diàn qù. 

If he’s there to buy a battery (m$i diànchí); 

you say: Max dào sh%uj" diàn qù m$i diànchí. 

(Max went to the cell phone shop to buy a battery.) 



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Let’s look at one more example: 

N& dào n$l& qù ch"fàn? (Where are you going for dinner?) 

W% dào M'iwèi Fàngu$n qù. (I’m going to Meiwei restaurant.) 

Page 35 

Exercise Two, Liànxí Èr 

It is a Saturday morning. Li Shun and his family are talking about what they are going 

to do later. Listen to the six dialogues and match each person to the correct picture. 

DIALOGUE 1. 

LI SHUN: M!ma, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? (Mom, where are you going later?) 

MOTHER: Míngti!n shì Zh!ng tàitai sh(ngrì, d'ng y"xià w% yào dào b$ihuò g*ngs" 

DIALOGUE 2. 

qù m$i l&wù g'i t!. 

(Tomorrow is Mrs. Zhang’s birthday. I’m going to the department store 

to buy her a present later.) 

LI SHUN: G(ge, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? 

(Bro, where are you going later?) 

O. BROTHER: D'ng yíxià w% yào dào diànn$o diàn qù m$i shèxiàngtóu. 

DIALOGUE 3. 

(I’m going to the computer store to buy a webcam later.) 

LI SHUN: Mèimei, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? 

(Sis, where are you going later?) 

Y. SISTER: W% de sh)zi huài le, d'ng yíxià w% yào dào ch!oshì qù m$i sh)zi. 

DIALOGUE 4. 

(My hairbrush is broken; I’m going to the supermarket to buy a 

hairbrush later.) 

LI SHUN: Dìdi, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? 

(Bro, where are you going later?) 

Y. BROTHER: W% de ch*ngzhík$ yòng wán le, d'ng y"xià w% yào dào sh)bàot!n qù 

m$i x"n de ch*ngzhík$. 

(My phone card has run out. I’m going to the newsstand to buy a new 

one later.) 



14


DIALOGUE 5. 

LI SHUN: Bàba, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? (Dad, where are you going later?) 

FATHER: L& l$ob$n zài d'ng w% de bàogào, d'ng yíxià w% yào dào g*ngs" qù 

DIALOGUE 6. 

chuánzh(n bàogào. 

(Boss Li is waiting for my report. I’m going in to the office to fax my 

report later.) 

LI SHUN: Ji'jie, d'ng yíxià n& yào dào n$l& qù? 

(Sis, where are you going later?) 

O SISTER: W% de jiàoshòu zài d'ng w% de bàogào, d'ng yíxià w% yào qù d$yìn 

Page 36 

Close-up 

diàn d$yìn bàogào. 

(My professor is waiting for my paper. Later, I’m going to the printers to 

print my paper.) 

The word ‘péngyou’ means friend. 

To describe friends who often hang out together to take part in the same activities, 

some words have been coined in recent years. 

W$ngyou refers to a cyber friend or Internet pen-pal. 

Ji#you refers to a drinking pal or a friend whom you often hit the bars or pubs with. 

Fànyou refers to a foodie pal or a friend you often dine with. 

Qiúyou can refer to a tennis pal or football pal, or a friend who loves the same ball 

game that you do. 

Page 36 

Pronunciation 

Two-syllable words: 2 nd tone + 2 nd tone 


* Tips: Remember to raise the pitch of each 2 nd tone sound properly. It might help to 

pause very briefly after the first syllable. 

shíxí; xísú; méimáo; húlí; cháhú; étóu; hóngchá; nóngmín; yángtái; níngméng; 

shoúshí; língshí 

Good job! Has your Chinese pronunciation improved? 



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