Mandarin Archive

I started to listen to podcast programs for Mandarin Chinese several month ago. I was trying to find on iTunes store amd listened to a few of them.  And right now I still listen to Mandarin Chinese Lesson with Serge Melnyk and World Learner Chinese.

World Learner Chinese

They have three styles of lessons.  But I only listen to Vocabulary note book, which two people just keep mumbling for like 10 to 20 words with tone.  You know, Mandarin is the most well-known Tonal Lanauge.  Me as a Japanese, I have a lot of fundamental knowledge of Chinese Characters by naturally.  It’s easier for me to read and write than most of Americans, but Tone is still very difficult.  I told my friend about how World Learner Chinese do the session a few days ago.  It goes like this:

• (Chinese Native Girl’s voice) 怎麼樣
• (English Native Man’s voice) What’s up?
• (Girl’s voice) zěn
• (Man’s voice) Third tone
• (Girl’s voice) me
• (Man’s voice) Neutral tone
• (Girl’s voice) yàng
• (Man’s voice) Fourth tone

For each session, they do around 10 to 20 words and do it for three rounds, around 20 minutes.  My friend asked me would it be a bit sleepy?  I said no.  I need to listen carefully.

Mandarin Chinese Lesson with Serge Melnyk

I really like this.  At very beginning, the teacher Melnyk 老師 has kind of characteristic way of speech, and that was a little bit disturbing me.  But I like the way he does and the way he prepares.  I even started the premium subscription ($60/half years) in order to get Lesson transcript.  But I would say this is very helpful.  For each lesson transcript, he has both Traditional (繁体字) and Simplified (简体字).  And the most importantly, Melnyk 老師 is still doing it.

So, from now on, I tried to write a lesson review, every time I listed to the lesson.

Lessonn 31: How does it taste/smell?

vocabulary

英文	漢字	拼音
[noun] taste / smell	味道	we4i da4o
[measurement word] dish	道	da4o
[adj] sweet	甜	tia2n
[adj] salty	咸	xia2n
[adj] sour	酸	sua1n
[adj] spicy	辣	la4
[adj] bitter	苦	ku3
[adj] good smell	香	xia1ng
[adj] bad smell	臭	cho4u
[verb] to try	嚐（一）嚐	cha2ng (yi4) cha2ng
[adj] good taste	好吃	hao3 chi1
[colloq] … is bad	不怎麼樣	bu2 ze3n me ya4ng
[adj] disgusting	惡心	e3 xi1n
[verb] to smell	聞一聞	we4n yi1 we4n
[colloq] … extremely	…極了	ji2 le
[noun] flavor	風味	fe1ng we4i
[noun] chinese food	中餐	zho1ng ca1n
[noun] western food	西餐	xi1 ca1n
[noun] special	特別	te4 bie2
[noun] favorite	最愛	zu4i z4i

Note

• I just realize that to use measurement word is just another way of expressing gender! Oh well, by looking at Wikipedia::Measure Word, it just says no. But it’s still in the same numeral classifiers. I guess that’s what I wanna say.
• In this lesson transcript: 糖是甜的。鹽是咸的。and 酢很酸。I’m not quite sure here… the former two are saying “A candy is sweet, Salt is salty” with “(Noun)是(Adj)的” structure. The later is, I guess quite commonly used, “(Noun)很(Adj)”. Is is just a colloquial difference? Or is there anything else I don’t know yet?
• 嚐嚐 (cha2ng) and 常常 (cha2ng) is actually the same exact pronunciation…
• 請問(qi1ng we4n) “excuse me” and 親吻(qi1n we3n) “kiss” sound very similar but mean very different.
• 極了(ji2 le) and 死了(si3 le) can be remembered as a pair.

I was reading a book called “7 frameworks for fundamental business mind” (original title: 勝間和代のビジネス頭を創る７つのフレームワーク力) by Kazuyo Katsuma.  I will write a review of the book itself soon.  It is very interesting and I have to admit that I am very influenced.  So I will try to take a note on this blog about what I learn each day.  You know, I am learning Mandarin Chinese now.  I should have started to take this so thatit could be helpful to other real beginners but anyway.  Nothing is too late.

Vocubrary

英文	漢字	拼音
shirt	襯衫	che4n sha1n
sweater	毛衣	ma2o yi1
jacket	夾克	jia2 ke4
overcoat	大衣	da4 yi1
pajamas	睡衣	shui4 yi1
sweat shirt	運動衣	yu4n do4ng yi1
sneaker	運動鞋	yu4n do4ng xie2
men’s suits	西裝	xi1 zhua1ng
women’s suits	套裝	ta4o zhua1ng
dress	洋裝	ya2ng zhua1ng
pants	褲子	ku4 zi
skirt	裙子	qu2n zi
jeans	牛仔褲	niu2 za3i ku4
swiming suits (most likely female’s)	泳衣	yo3ng yi1
swiming pants	泳褲	yo3ng ku4
hat	帽子	ma4o zi
tie	領帶	li3ng da4i
glasses	眼鏡	ya3n ji4ng
socks	襪子	wa4 zi
shoes	鞋子	xie2 zi
high heel	高跟鞋	ga1o ge1n xie2
shoes	皮鞋	pi2 xie2
sandals	涼鞋	lia2ng xie2
boots	靴子	xue1 zi
jewelry	珠寶	zhu1 ba3o
ear ring	耳環	e3r hua2n
cosmetics	化妝品	hua4 zhua1ng pi3n
to wear (for mostly clothings)	穿	chua1n
to wear (for mostly accessories)	戴	da4i
(measurement for tops and dresses)	件	jia4n
(measurement for pants, skirts / bottoms)	條	tia2o
(measurement for shoes)	雙	shua1ng
(measurement for suits)	套	ta4o
(measurement for earings)	對	dui4
foreigner	外國人 老外 洋人	wa4i guo2 re3n la3o wa2i ya2ng re3n
to swim	游泳	yo2u yo3ng
pant (for suits)	西裝褲	xi1 zhua1ng ku4
kahki pant	卡其褲	ka3 qi2 ku4
woman	女性	nu3 xi4ng
to try on	試穿	shi4 chua1ng
to fit	合適	he2 shi4
although	雖然	sui1 ra2n
if	要是	ya4o shi4
if	如果	ru4 guo3

Grammar

雖然他很好，可是我們不合適。

Although he is nice, but we were not a good match.

要是你很忙，我明天在來

If you are busy, i’ll come again tomorrow.