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2007

You will find this transcript helpful if: 1. You are a visual learner. 2. Learning to read Chinese is just as important to you as learning to speak it. 3. You dont want to rely on pinyin. 4. You prefer a syllable-for-syllable transcript of what youre hearing. This transcript includes the English narrator (12pt Times New Roman) and all of the spoken Chinese in simplified text (18pt Sim-Sun). I used 18 point for the Chinese text because as a beginner I often had difficulty distinguishing different characters apart. If youre smart and print out the pages double-sided, youll notice that the page numbers and lesson numbers are printed on the bottom outside corners and times for the lessons are in 3-minute intervals on the outside margin next to the corresponding line of dialogue. Enjoy!

LESSON TWENTY This is unit twenty of Pimsleurs Mandarin Chinese One. Mr. Jones is arriving at Mr. and Mrs. Chens house.

A: B: Jones A: B: Jones A: B: Jones A:

Do you remember how to ask, who meaning, Who is it?

Tell the person to Please come in.

And now say, Please give me water.

Ask the woman if she would like to drink something.

Say, I have beer.

Say, and tea.

Do you remember how to say, Its more expensive?

Now say, Its too expensive.

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And how would you say, quickly?

3:00

Tell the woman that she is speaking too quickly.

Ask her where her husband is.

Ask, Where is Mr. Chen?

She says, My husband?

Try to say, I dont know where he is.

Ask the man where his wife is located.

Is she with you?

Literally, She with you is located along? Ask again, Is she with you?

This is how you would ask if two people are together in the same location. And do you remember how to ask, Would you like to drink something with me?

Ask again, Is she with you?

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Try to say, Shes with your husband.

Ask, Where is he?

6:00

Hes over there.

Say, Hes with your wife.

Referring to the woman and her husband ask, Where do you live?

Try to say, We live in America.

Heres how to ask, Do you have any children?

Children is pronounced with falling-rising and rising tones. Say again, children.

Ask someone if he has children.

And now answer, Yes, we have children.

Do you remember how to ask, How many Renminbi do you have?

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How many children do you have?
9:00

What part of that means, How many?

The tones are falling-rising and falling. Ask again, How many?

is a measure word. In Mandarin it is used when referring to the size of a group of people. Now ask the woman and her husband how many children they have.

Now try to say, We have three children.

Say again, three children.

Two sons.

Sons is pronounced with rising and falling-rising tones. Say, sons.

Ask him how many children they have.

Say, We have two sons.

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One daughter.

How do you say, daughter in Mandarin?

12:00

Did you hear the falling-rising and rising tones in those two words? Say again, one daughter.

And now say, one son.

Say, We have one daughter.

Do you remember how to say, Shes with my wife?

Say, My wife and I.

How would you say, My wife and I would like to drink something?

Say, Please give me water.

Now say, My wife and I have three children.

Say, We have two sons, one daughter.

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15:00

Someones knocking at the door. Do you remember how to ask, Who is it?

Now say, Please come in.

How would you ask her how many children she has?

She says, I dont have any sons.

You dont need the measure word when you say that you dont have any sons. Tell me again that you have no sons.

Now say, But we have four daughters.

Ask, How many children?

Say, We have four children.

Say, a lot of children, or Thats a lot of children.

Now say, We have five children.

Say, three sons.

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Do you remember how to say, two daughters?

Now say, We have one daughter.

18:00

One son.

You want to say, My son is very grown up. First, heres the word big in Mandarin.

This word is pronounced with a falling tone. Say again, big.

Heres how to say, My son is very grown up.

With the ending, the word big refers only to maturity, not to the persons size. Its like saying, My son has gotten very big. Say this again.

Try to ask, Is your son very grown up?

Answer, Yes, he is very grown up. Use for yes.

Ask if the daughter is very grown up.

She is not very big.

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21:00

Remember, you dont need the with the negative. Say, She is not very big.

Try to say, The son is not very big.

Ask, Where is he?

Say, Hes in America.

How do you say together in Mandarin?

Now say, Hes with my wife together.

Ask how many children he has.

Now say, We have four children.

They are very grown up.

They is pronounced with a combination of high-level and mid-rising tones. Say, they.

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Say, They are here.

Say, Theyre not in America.

How would you say, They are with me?

24:00

Ask him how many children he and his wife have.

Say, My wife and I have three children.

Now say, We have three children.

Say, We have two sons.

Say, They are very grown up.

Say, We have one daughter.

How would you say, The daughter is not very big?

Now, a conversation with Mrs. Chen. Answer her when she speaks to you.

--
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27:00

--
You are to assume the following role: Youre a gentleman of middle age. You have a wife and three children, two sons and one daughter, and theyre all grown up. Theyre with you in Beijing. In Beijing. Try to answer her questions.

-- -- -- -- -- ? -- --
This is the end of unit twenty.

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