I am slowly compliling a list of the most common things that people will use in language exchanges and/or teaching/learning. I am mostly interested in the things that need to be able to talk about the process. It would be wonderful if people could check my grammar, pinyin etc. I aslo think it would be great if people could suggest other useful vocabulary and sentences. I will be back to updat this list periodically. Thanks.
Language Exchange Sentences
Please speak more slowly. (Qing3 shuo1 man4 yi4dianr.)
How do you say “How do you say “good “ in Chinese”? (Yong4 Zhong1wen2 zen3me* shuo1 “hao”?)
One more time. (Qing3 zai4 shuo1 yi2 bian4.)
Please write it down. (Qing3 xie3 xia4 lai2.)
Please read along. (Bian1 ting1 bian1 du2.)
Can you speak Chinese? (Ni3 hui4 shuo1 Zhong1wen2 ma*?)
I can speak Chinese a little bit. (Wo3 hui4 shuo1 yi4dian3 Zhong1wen2.)
Can you speak English? (Ni3 hui4 shuo1 Ying1wen2 ma*?)
Yes, I can speak English a little bit. (Wo3 hui4 shuo1 yi4dian3 Ying1wen2.)
Look it up in the dictionary. (Zai4 ci2dian2 cha2 zhei4ge* ci2.)
Please correct my pronunciation. (Qing3 jiu1zheng4 wo3 de* fa1yin1.)
Please correct my grammar. (Qing3 jiu1zheng4 wo3 de* wen2fa3.)
How do you say ____ in English? (Yong4 Ying1wen2 zen3me* shuo1 ____?)
Do you know what I mean? (Ni3 zhi1dao4 wo3 de yi4si* ma*?)
I know what you mean. (Wo3 zhi1dao4 ni3 de* yi4si*.)
I don’t know what you mean. (Wo3 bu4 zhi1dao4 ni3 de* yi4si*.)
Look it up in the dictionary. (Zai4 ci2dian2 cha2 zhei4ge* ci2.)
Your English/ Chinese has improved (Ni3de* Ying1wen2/ zhong1wen2 jin4bu4 le*.)
Don’t interrupt your student when he is talking. (Dang1 ni3 de* xue2sheng* zhang4zai4 shuo1 hua4 de* shi2hou* bu2yao4 da2duan4 ta1.)
Please don’t interrupt me. (Qing3 bu2yao4 da2duan4 wo3.)
I feel used (Wo3 jue2de* bei3 li4yong4 de*)
You use me. (Ni3 li4yong4 wo3.)
Write down all new words and sentences. (Xie3 xia4 lai2 suo3you3 de xin1 dan1ci2 he2 ju4 zi1.)
Gently correct your students pronunciation mistakes. (You3hao3 de jiu1zheng4 xue2sheng1 de cuo4wu4 fa1yin1.)
Skype
Do you want to video chat? (Ni3 yao4 shi4pin2 tong1hua4 ma*?)
Cut off (lost the connection) (Qie1duan4/ diao4xian4)
Keyboard (jian4pan2)
Lens (Jing4tou2)
Message (xun4xi2/ xin4xi2)
Send message (fa1 gei3 wo3 xun4xi2)
Video message (shi4pin2xin4xi2)
Voice message (yu3yin1 xun4xi2)
Leave a message on skype. (Zai4 skype liu2xia4 xun4xi2/ xin4xi2.) (Zai4 skypeliu2yan2.)
Did you see my message? (Ni3 you3 kan4 dao4 wo3 de xun4xi2 ma?)
I got your message. (Wo3 shou1dao ni3 de* xin4xi2.)
Microphone (mai4ke4feng1)
Off line (xia4xian4)
Online (shang4xian4)
How is the sound quality? (Yin1zhi4 zen3me*yang4)
How is the picture quality (Shi4 pin2 zhi4 liang4 zen3 me yang4?)
The sound quality is bad (Yin1zhi4 bu4 hao3 or yin1zhi4 cha4.)
The picture quality is bad. (Shi4pin2 zhi4liang4 bu4 hao3.)
Screen (yi2mu4)
Share screen (gong4xiang3 yi2mu4)
@David - I don't believe stupid. I would believe lazy, since you didn't even try to write the last post in Chinese. How do you expect to improve?
Anyway, there is a rather advanced way to learn characters:
https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/en/files/2013/11/RH-S1-sample.pdf
It would be nice if someone actually recorded a bunch of lessons and made transcripts. I think there would be many surprises on both sides. Anyway, David, I recommend you move along to characters now. You don't want to wait too long.
It is actually easy to type tone marks. If using a mac computer you must have the keyboard set to US extended then to type the tones:
• hold the option key down then a for first tone ¯
• hold option key down then e for second tone´
• hold option key down then v for third toneˇ
• hold option key down and the ~ key for fouth tone`
To add the tone on top of the letter you just type the letter after you type the tone combo.
For example for e to have 3rd tone ě:
• hold option key down and v key then type e.
come on ,uncle! I hope i can help u !
Haha! Let's put it this way then. I am 56 and too stupid. Trust me I have tried before. If you have somthing to say wuth regard to the topic that would be great, but unless you have some truly revolutionary approach to learning characters to suggest then I would REALLY rather discuss the topic. Thanks.
