Conversation Strategy

Question 1

Zǎo shàng hǎo
早上好
Qǐngwèn, zěnme chēnghu nín?
请问，怎么称呼您？
(Qǐngwèn, nín guìxìng?
请问，您贵姓）
Wǒ hěngāoxìng rènshi nǐ。
我很高兴认识你。
Wǒ lái zìwǒ jièshào yīxià
我来自我介绍一下
Wo shi Mary Fisk Ridder.
我是 Mary Fisk Ridder.
Wǒ xiànzài xué zhōngwén wèile zài zhōngguó měiguó shànghǎi gònglǐngshìguǎn gōngzuò.
我现在学中文为了在中国美国上海 共领事馆工作。
Zài Shànghǎi wǒ huì zài xué yī nián Zhōngwén ránhòu gōngzuò liǎng nián.
在上海我会再学一年中文，然后工作两年。

Answer 1

Good morning.
May I ask, how should I address you?(or May I ask, what is your honorable surname?)
I am very happy to meet you.
I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Mary Fisk Ridder.
I am now learning Chinese in order to work at the Consulate General of the United States in Shanghai, China.
In Shanghai, I will study Chinese for another year and then work for two years.

Question 2

gōngzuò jīnglì
工作经历

Wo zài Guowuyuan gōngzuòle 23 nián le
在外国务院工作了二十三年了

Wǒ chúle huì shuō Yīngwén yǐwài, hái huì shuō Xībānyáwén
我除了会说英文以外，还会说西班牙文.

yǐqián wǒ zài guójì shíyóu gōngsī jiào OccidentalPetroleumgōngzuò bā nián。 wǒ gōngzuò guò fānyì。
以前我在国际石油公司 叫 Occidental Petroleum工作 八年。，我工作过翻译。

Nǐ shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn jiāo Zhōngwénde?
你是什么时候开始在外交学院教中文的？

Answer 2

Work experience

I have worked at the State Department for 23 years.

In addition to being able to speak English, I can also speak Spanish.

I used to work at an international oil company called Occidental Petroleum for eight years. I have worked as a translator.

When did you start teaching Chinese at the Foreign Affairs Institute?

Question 3

jiàoyù bèijǐng
教育背景

Wǒ zài Dézhōu shàng xiǎoxué、 zhōngxué hé gāozhōng. Ránhòu wǒ qù Xīn Ào’ěrliáng shàng dàxué.
我在德州上小学、中学和高中。然后我去新奥尔良上大学。

nǐ shì zài nǎli shàngle dàxué de？
你是在哪里上了大学的？

Nǐ de zhuàn yè shì shénme?
你的专业是什么?

wǒ de zhuānyè shì zhèngzhì xué。
我的专业是政治学。

Nǐ shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ jiāo Zhōngwén de?
你是什么时候开始教中文的？

Answer 3

Educational Background

I attended elementary school, middle school, and high school in Texas. Then I went to college in New Orleans.

Where did you go to college?

What was you major?

My major was Political Science.

When did you start to teach Chinese?

Question 4

jiātíng 家庭

wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén。 xiānsheng ，sāngè háizi hé wǒ。
我家有五口人。先生，三个孩子和我。

wǒ yǒu liǎnggè nǚér hé yígè érzi。 wǒ yě yǒu wǔ wàisūn。
我有两个女儿和一个儿子。我也有五外孙。

nǐ de jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén？
你的家有几口人？

Answer 4

Family

There are five people in my family: my husband, three children, and me.

I have two daughters and one son. I also have five grandchildren.

How many people are there in your family?

Question 5

住在 zhù zài/旅行 lǚxíng

Wǒ shì zài Bōlìwéiyà chūshēng, zài Dézhōu zhǎngdà de
我是在玻利维亚出生，在德州长大的

Wǒ zài hěn duō dìfang zhùguò
我在很多地方住过

Wǒ qī suì de shíhou bān dào Měiguó, zhù zài Dézhōu.
我七岁的时候搬到美国，住在德州。

Wǒ bān dào Měiguó yǐqián, zhù zài jǐ gè Nánměi guójiā.
我搬到美国以前，住在几个南美国家。

wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan qù lǚxíng。 wǒ qù guò wǔ shí duō gè guójiā。wǒ hé xiānsheng měinián zhì shǎo huì qù yígè xīn dìfāng。
我非常喜欢去旅行。我。我去过五十多个国家。我和先生每年至少会去一个新地方。

Answer 5

Where you have lived/traveled

I was born in Bolivia and grew up in Texas.

I have lived in many places.

I moved to the United States when I was seven and lived in Texas.

Before I moved to the United States, I lived in several South American countries.

I really enjoy traveling. I have been to more than fifty countries. My husband and I go to at least one new place every year.

Question 6

wǒ zài huáshèngdùn zhù le qi yue le.
我在华盛顿 住了7月了.

huáshèngdùn yǒu sì gè jìjié. wǒzuìxǐhuan de jìjié shì chūn tiān hé qiūtiān ，yīnwéi dōngtiān tài lěng, xià tiān yòu rè yòu cháoshī.
华盛顿 有四个季节. 我最喜欢的季节是春天和秋天，因为冬天太冷，夏天又热又潮湿。

wǒ bù xǐhuan hěn lěng de tiānqì。 zài wǒ de lǎo jiā zài bōlíwéiyà , dōngtiān bù lěng。 xiàtiān hěn rè, kěshì chūntiān, qiū tiān hé dōngtiān de tiānqì hěn shūfu.
我不喜欢很冷的天气。 在我的老家在玻璃维亚,冬天不冷。 夏天很热,可是春天,秋天和冬天的天气很舒服。

huáshèngdùn de dōngtiān gēnwǒ de lǎojiā de dōngtiān bùyíyàng ,kěshìhuáshèngdùn de xiàtiān gēnwǒ de lǎojiā de xiàtiān yíyàng。
华盛顿 的冬天跟我的老家的冬天不一样,可是华盛顿 的夏天跟我的老家的夏天一样。

星期——是———。
xīngqī ——shì———。
温度是——度到——度。
wēndù shì ——dùdào——dù

Answer 6

Compare Weather/Transportation

I have been living in Washington for seven months.

Washington has four seasons. My favorite seasons are spring and autumn, because winter is too cold, and summer is hot and humid.

I don’t like very cold weather. At my hometown in Bolivia, winter is not cold. Summer is very hot, but the weather in spring, autumn, and winter is very comfortable.

The winter in Washington is not the same as the winter in my hometown, but the summer in Washington is the same as the summer in my hometown.

◊ impression (i.e. effect, feeling retained from an experience)
A gen B yiyang/bu yiyang (the same, different)
A bi B + adj. + duo/de duo (A is more adj. than b)
mei you name (not as)

Question 11

总的来说 zǒng de lái shuō

我觉得 wǒ juéde …

在我看来 zài wǒ kànlái …

在你看来 zài nǐ kàn lái …

Answer 11

◊ generally speaking
◊ I think
◊ it seems to me that..; as I see it,…
◊ In your opinion

Question 12

Zhè yī kè de shēngcí bǐ Shàng yī kè de shēngcí duō duōle
这一课的生词比上一课的生词多多了

Answer 12

Comparison using bi

The new words in this lesson are much more than those in the previous lesson.

Question 12

你是在哪里住了的 nǐshì zàinǎli zhùle de
你是在哪里工作的 nǐshì zàinǎli gōngzuò de

有的地方 yǒu de dìfang
安全 ānquán
名胜古迹 míng shèng gǔjì
市中心 shìzhōngxīn
印象 yìnxiàng
每个 měi ge
所有的 suǒyǒu de
有的地方 yǒu de dìfang
安全 ānquán
密苏里 Mìsūlǐ

Answer 12

Where do you live?
Where do you work?

◊ Some places
◊ safe, secure ◊ safety, security ◊ {IT} secure (like an Internet connection)
◊ scenic spots and historical sites, places of historic interest and scenic beauty ◊ {tourism} sights
◊ the city centre ◊ the centre of town ◊ downtown
◊ impression
◊ each (one), every (one
◊ all
◊ some places
◊ safe
◊ Missouri

Question 13

Zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn gōngzuòletime durationle
在外交学院工作了time duration了

Zàiplace zhùletime durationle
在place 住了time duration了

Nǐ shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ zài Guówùyuàn gōngzuò de?
你是什么时候开始在国务院工作的？

Nǐ shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn jiāo Zhōngwénde?
你是什么时候开始在外交学院教中文的？

Nǐ zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn jiāo Zhōngwén jiāole duō cháng shíjiānle?
你在外交学院教中文交了多长时间了？

Zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn gōngzuòle time duration 了
在外交学院工作了time duration了

Zài place zhùle time duration了
在 place 住了time duration了

Question 14

Nǐ shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ zài Guówùyuàn gōngzuò de?
你是什么时候开始在国务院工作的？

Nǐ zài wàijiāo xuéyuàn jiāo Zhōngwén jiāole duō cháng shíjiānle?
你在外交学院教中文交了多长时间了？

Answer 14

When did you start working at the State Department?

How long have you been teaching Chinese at the Foreign Affairs Institute?

Question 15

Wǒ xiǎng jièshào yīxià wǒ zìjǐ
我想介绍一下我自己
Wo de mingzi shi Mary Fisk Ridder.

Wǒ chúle huì shuō Yīngwén yǐwài, hái huì shuō Xībānyáwén
我除了会说英文以外，还会说西班牙文

Wǒ shì zài Bōlìwéiyà chūshēng, zài Dézhōu zhǎngdà de
我是在玻利维亚出生，在德州长大的
Wǒ zài hěn duō dìfang zhùguò
我在很多地方住过

Wǒ qī suì de shíhou bān dào Měiguó, zhù zài Dézhōu.
我七岁的时候搬到美国，住在德州。
Wǒ bān dào Měiguó yǐqián, zhù zài jǐ gè Nánměi guójiā.
我搬到美国以前，住在几个南美国家。

Wǒ zài Dézhōu shàng xiǎoxué、 zhōngxué hé gāozhōng. Ránhòu wǒ qù Xīn Ào’ěrliáng shàng dàxué.
我在德州上小学、中学和高中。然后我去新奥尔良上大学。

Zài Shànghǎi wǒ huì zài xué yī nián Zhōngwén ránhòu gōngzuò liǎng nián
在上海我会再学一年中文，然后工作两年。