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Chores 1

Cam: Hello everyone! Welcome to Chinese Studio on CRI. Wo shi Cam.

YJ: And wo shi Yajie. Cam… I have been to your apartment, and I know it’s very clean.
Cam: Well… I do my best. I certainly like living in a clean place. Having my home in a
mess is very stressful!
Yajie: Well, this week, we are going to learn more about jobs around the house.
Cam: Sounds good. Let’s check Key Words of the Day.

Key Words of the Day

kitchen. 厨房 （chu2fang2） microwave 微波炉(wei1bo1lu2) sweep the floor. 扫地(sao3 di4)
wash the dishes 洗碗(xi3 wan3) Today I swept the floor. 今天我扫地了。(jin1tian1 wo3 sao3
di4.) I’d like to help you wash the dishes. 我帮你洗碗。(wo3 bang1 ni3 xi3 wan3.) All in today’s
Chinese Studio.

YJ: our first word today is Kitchen, which in Chinese is 厨房 （chu2fang2）.

Cam: 厨房 （chu2fang2）
YJ: Right. all in the second tone. 厨房 （chu2fang2）
Cam: 厨房 （chu2fang2）, kitchen. Yajie, I’d like to know the Chinese for microwave, since I
need to buy a new one.
YJ: microwave in Chinese is 微波炉(wei1bo1lu2)
Cam: 微波炉(wei1bo1lu2)
YJ: 微波 (wei1bo1), all in the first tone, which means micro wave.
Cam: 微波 (wei1bo1)
YJ: and 炉 (lu2),the second tone, which means oven.
Cam: 炉 (lu2)
YJ: Together it’s 微波炉(wei1bo1lu2)
Cam: 微波炉(wei1bo1lu2), microwave.

Conversation1:
a. 我想买一个微波炉。
b. 好啊，微波炉是厨房必需品。

YJ: Cam, I think you need to do these chores to keep your kitchen clean, right?
Cam: yes, and I want to learn how to say them in Chinese.
YJ: Ok. First, let’s say you need to sweep the floor, which in Chinese is: 扫地(sao3 di4)
Cam: 扫地(sao3 di4)
YJ: 扫(sao3), sao ,the third tone, means to sweep,

  Coryright 2007 cchello.com 
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Cam: 扫(sao3)
YJ: 地(di4), d-i, the fourth tone, means floor,
Cam: 地(di4)
YJ: 扫地(sao3 di4), sweep the floor.
Cam: 扫地(sao3 di4)
YJ: then you need to wash all the dishes if you don’t have a dishwasher. 洗碗(xi3 wan3), to
wash the dishes.
Cam: 洗碗(xi3 wan3)
YJ: 洗 (xi3), to wash.
Cam: 洗 (xi3).
YJ: 碗(wan3), bowl.
Cam: 碗(wan3)
YJ: I know you also need to wash plates, forks, chopsticks and so on, but wan3 is the general
term for dishes.
Cam: I see. 碗(wan3).
YJ: 洗碗(xi3 wan3)
Cam: 洗碗(xi3 wan3), to wash the dishes.

Conversation2:
a. 一会儿我们出去逛街吧，
b. 不行啊，今天我要干家务。我得扫地，还得洗碗(xi3 wan3)

Cam: yajie, Could you please tell me how to put these phrases into practice? For instance,
how do you say “Today I swept the floor”? in Chinese?
YJ: in Chinese it’s 今天我扫地了。(jin1tian1 wo3 sao3 di4 le.)
Cam: 今天我扫地了。(jin1tian1 wo3 sao3 di4 le.)
YJ: 今天 (jin1tian1), today.
Cam: 今天 (jin1tian1)
YJ: 我 (wo3), I.
Cam: 我 (wo3)
YJ: 扫地(sao3 di4), to sweep the floor.
Cam: 扫地(sao3 di4)
YJ: 了(le), suggest the completion of an action.
Cam: 了(le).
YJ: 今天我扫地了。(jin1tian1 wo3 sao3 di4 le.)
Cam: 今天我扫地了。(jin1tian1 wo3 sao3 di4 le.) Today I swept the floor. Then how do I say
I’d like to help you wash the dishes?
YJ: 我帮你洗碗。(wo3 bang1 ni3 xi3 wan3.)
Cam: 我帮你洗碗。(wo3 bang1 ni3 xi3 wan3.)
YJ: 帮 (bang1), the first tone, to help.
Cam: 帮 (bang1)
YJ: 你 (ni3), you.

  Coryright 2007 cchello.com 
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Cam: 你 (ni3)
YJ: 洗碗(xi3 wan3), to wash the dishes.
Cam: 洗碗(xi3 wan3)
YJ: 我帮你洗碗。(wo3 bang1 ni3 xi3 wan3.)
Cam: 我帮你洗碗。(wo3 bang1 ni3 xi3 wan3.) I’d like to help you wash the dishes.

Conversation3:
（1）A：今天我扫地了。
B： 那我来洗碗吧。
（2）A：我帮你洗碗。
B： 好的。谢谢。

Cam: That will help me clean up my kitchen!

YJ: Surely it will. But don’t forget our question of the day before you roll up you sleeves. How
do you say “sweep the floor” in Chinese?

  Coryright 2007 cchello.com