1

basic
mandarin
LEVEL
LESSON 5

Lesson 5 Vocabulary
q to go

sh to try

d to take (transportation)

niruminbeef noodle

shng ch up / to get on

zhng a kind

xi ch down / to get off

zhng measure word for at

objects (e.g. paper, tickets, etc.)

jiotng gngj vehicles /

transportation

fngbin convenient

jiyn MRT

bide another one

/ gngjioch / bsh
bus

qngk it is my treat

chpio ticket

zhnbi to prepare

fjn nearby / recently

bi don't

yun far

dnxn to worry

ynggi should

-yu kng-be free/be available

Supplementary vocabulary
jiotng transportation
n lng to press/to ring a bell
zu to walk / to go
jiotch bicycle
jch motorcycle / scooter
huch train
dti subway
sich trafc jam
Tibi chzhn Taipei Main Station
Xmndng Ximen Ding
shupioch ticket ofce
yuti platform
/ - dinft / shuft escalator
lut stairs
zhn station / stop
zhnpi bus stop
l road
ji street
xngrn pedestrian
mn slow
kui fast
zu to sit / to take (transportation)
kich to drive a car

Lesson 5 grammar
... ... ...
... ch le ... hi ...
Not only but also

W de bindng chle jru hi yu ci.

My lunch box not only has chicken, but also has vegetables.

Q zh ge dfng hn fngbin, chle ky d gngch, hi ky d huch.
It's very convenient to go to this place, you can take not only bus but also train.

Lgun lmin, chle yu fngjin, hi yu yuyngch.

There are not only rooms but also swimming pool in the hotel.
VV: 1
( )
Tmen xuxio hn pioling, w xing q kn (y) kn.
Their school is beautiful. I'd like to take a look.
A: ?
B: ( )
A: Wmen jntin wnshng q nail ch fn?
B: W xing (y) xing.
A: Where shall we go for dinner tonight?
B: Let me see.
?
Qng bngbng w, ho b ho?
Could you help me please?

Lesson 5 grammar
V2

Xuxio hn jnZul sh fnzhng ji do le.

The school is close by. It takes only ten minutes' walk to get there.

N g dfng b yunHn kui ji do le.

That place is not far. You'll get there in no time.

T dngyxi ji li.
He will be here in a (short) while.
/ ... ( ) ...
Rgu / yosh ... (dehu), ...
If ... , then
( )
Rgu n yukng (de hu), wmen yq chfn, ho ma?
If you have free time, let's get something to eat, Ok?
,
Rgu n yo, w ky bng n dng lgun.
If you want, Ii can book the hotel for you.
, ,
Rgu n jude ti li de hu, n b yo q, migunx.
If you feel too tired, you don't need to go , no worries.

Lesson 5 grammar
AB
Cng A do B
From A to B

Cng zhl do Tibi Chzhn, znme zu?

How do I get to Taipei Main Station from here?
, ?
Cng lgun do jchng, ki ch yo duji?
How long does it take to drive to the airport from the hotel from hotel to airpot?

Cng Shnghi do Bijng ky zu gngch ma?

Can we take bus from Shanghai to Beijing?

Lesson 5 dialogue

fn din d tng
in the restaurant lobby
Calwin Estella!
Estella!
Estella!
Estella
Calwin! Wcn n xing yo ch shnme?
Calwin! What do you want to eat for lunch?

Du ky.
Anything's ne for me.
Estella
N xing shshi nirumin ma?
Would you like to try beef noodles?

Ho, znme q?
Ok, how do we get there?
Estella
Cng zhl wmen ky d gngch, y ky d jiyn.
From here we can take a bus or the MRT.

N xhun n y zhng jiotng gngj?

Which kind of transport do you prefer?

W gng do Tiwn, du ky shshi.
Since I just got to Taiwan, I'm alright with trying both.
Estella
N wmen d gngch ba, dgi rsh fnzhng.
Then we'll take the bus, it takes about 20 minutes.

Ho, ji d gngch.
Alright, then let's take the bus.

Lesson 5 dialogue

d gng ch
taking a bus

Wmen yo d j ho gngch?
Which bus are we going to take?
Estella 270 263
270 h 263 du ky, y r sn s w li q b, b zhn ji do le.
270 and 263 are both ne. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 stops and we're there.
270
, 270 li le, wmen shng ch ba!
Ah, 270's coming, let's get on!

Estella
N ho, ling zhng pio.
Hi, I'd like two tickets, please.

Chpio dusho qin?
How much is the ticket?
Estella
Shw yun, mi gun xi, w qngk.
15 dollars. Don't worry. It's my treat.

Zhn xixie n. Tibi de gngch zhnde hn fngbin.
Thank you very much. The buses in Taipei are very convenient.
Estella:
Sh a.
Yes.

Kui do le, wmen zhn bi xich ba!

We're arriving, let's get off the bus!

1.
Verb reduplication suggests "reduced quantity". It also suggests that the action
is easy to accomplish. When what is expressed is a request/command, verb
reduplication downplays the speaker's tone of voice, and the hearer nds the
request/command easier to take.
Not every verb can be reduplicated. It is mainly action verbs that can go through
verb repetition. So far, the verbs that can be reduplicated include kn, ch,
h , xing , zu, d, zho, mi , jio, bng .
Verb reduplication is mostly used in speech as requests or suggestions. Most
reduplication verbs are monosyllabic. When the verb takes an object, only the
verb gets reduplicated, not the object. For example, shng wng go online'
turns to shngshngwngg ; zu fn cook' turns to zuzu fn.

2.
FunctionWhen ji refer to time or place, the event is sooner than expected.
Structures ji often co-occurs with the sentence-nal le, see above. The
sentences mean the same with or without .