Cam:  Hello, Dajia hao. Welcome to Chinese Studio, wo shi Cam.
Yajie:  Dajia hao. Wo shi Yajie.
Cam: Yajie, during this week, we learned some useful expressions used in the bank. Now let’s have a review.
Yajie: Ok. First please listen to Sentences in the week.

Sentences in the week

How long is the wait? 需要等多长时间？(xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1). I would like to pay my phone bill.  我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4). I would like to withdraw some money. 我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2) Can I transfer this into American funds? 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?).  All in today’s Chinese Studio.

Yajie: When you walk into the bank and see crowds of people, you may ask somebody 请问，需要等多长时间？(qing3 wen4, xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1)
Cam: 请问，需要等多长时间？(qing3 wen4, xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1)
Yajie: 请问 (qing3 wen4) excuse me.
Cam: 请问 (qing3 wen4).
Yajie: 需要 (xu1yao4) need.
Cam: 需要 (xu1yao4)
Yajie: 等(deng3), d-e-n-g, the third tone. wait.
Cam: 等(deng3)
Yajie: 多长时间(duo1chang2 shi2jian1), how long.
Cam: 多长时间(duo1chang2 shi2jian1).
Yajie: 请问，需要等多长时间？(qing3 wen4, xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1)
Cam: 请问，需要等多长时间？(qing3 wen4, xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1), How long is the wait?  But do people often say this at Chinese banks?
Yajie:  No, not that usual.  Anyway, it’s still a useful expression when you are waiting in other cases.

Conversation1:

Cam:  Okay, I need to withdraw some money from the bank. How do I ask that?
YJ: You can say我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2)
Cam: 我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2)
YJ: 我(wo3), I.
Cam: 我(wo3)
YJ: 想, x-i-a-n-g, the third tone, want to.
Cam: 想 (xiang3)
YJ: 取 (qu3), q-u, also the third tone. Here it means withdraw.
Cam: 取 (qu3)
YJ: dian is short for yi dian, means some.
Cam: right. Dian.
YJ: 钱(qian2), money.
Cam: 钱(qian2)
YJ: 我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2) I want to withdraw some money.
Cam: 我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2). By the way, how do you say “I would like to pay my phone bill.”
Yajie: 我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4)
Cam: 我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4)
Yajie: 我(wo3), I. and 交(jiao1) means to pay.
Cam: 交(jiao1)
Yajie: 电话费 (dian4hua4fei4), phone bill.
Cam: 电话费 (dian4hua4fei4).
Yajie: 我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4) I would like to pay my phone bill.
Cam: 我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4).

Conversation2:

Cam:  How do you say “Can I transfer this into American funds?”
YJ: It’s 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?)
Cam: 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?)
YJ: 能 (neng2) means can or could.
Cam: 能 (neng2)
YJ: 换（huan4），means change into or transfer into.
Cam: 换（huan4）.
Cam: Ok.美元 (mei3yuan3), American dollar. Right?
YJ: Exactly! 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) Can I transfer it into American dollars?
Cam: 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?)

Conversation3:

Sentences in the week
How long is the wait? 需要等多长时间？(xu1yao4 deng3 duo1chang2 shi2jian1). I would like to pay my phone bill.  我交电话费。(wo3 jiao1 dian4hua4fei4). I would like to withdraw some money. 我想取点钱。(wo3 xiang3 qu3 dian3 qian2) Can I transfer this into American funds? 我能换美元吗？ (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?). 

YJ: With that we come to the end of this week’s Chinese Studio. Hope they are useful for you. Now comes question of the day: how do you say “Can I transfer this into American funds?”
Cam: Please send us an e-mail at Chinese@. If you have any comments or suggestions about the program, you can also send us e-mail at the same e-mail box.
YJ: Zhou1mo4 yu2kuai4. have a nice weekend.
Cam: Zhou1mo4 yu2kuai4.

(Written by Zhao Pingping)