On the Great Wall, Dachuan picks up a pair of glasses that a girl has dropped on the ground. The girl thanks him and asks where he studies.
Dialogue One
tài gǎn xiè le nǐ zài nǎr dú shū
太 感 谢 了！你 在 哪儿 读 书？
Thank you very much! Where do you study?
bú kè qi wǒ zài yǔ yán dà xué duì wài
不 客 气。我 在 语 言 大 学 对 外
hàn yǔ xué yuàn xué xí
汉 语 学 院 学 习。
My pleasure. I study at the International College of Chinese Studies, at a language university.
Dialogue Two
wǒ de bà ba zài yǔ yán dà xué gōng zuò
我 的 爸 爸 在 语 言 大 学 工 作。
tā shì yí wèi hàn yǔ lǎo shī
他 是 一 位 汉 语 老 师。
My father teaches in a language university. He is a Chinese teacher.
tā xìng shén me
他 姓 什 么？
What's his surname?
tā xìng zhāng
他 姓 张。
His surname is Zhang.
zhè me qiǎo wǒ de lǎo shī yě xìng zhāng
这 么 巧！ 我 的 老 师 也 姓 张。
What a coincidence! My teacher's surname is also Zhang.
Explanation of difficult points
1. 了
The "了" (le) in "太感谢了" (tài gǎn xiè le) is used to express an interjection or exclamation. The "了" in "太感谢了" is used to express an interjection or exclamation.
2. quantifier
1）If a noun needs to be modified numerically, then it is necessary to put a measure word directly before the noun. Different nouns have different measure words. For example, "一位" (yí wèi) is the polite measure word to use in relation to people. The most generic measure word is "个" (gè). Examples of other common measure words are:
辆 (liàng) for cars and bikes: 一辆车 (yí liàng chē)，两辆自行车 (liǎng liàng zì xíng chē) [two bicycles]
双 (shuāng) for pairs of things: 一双鞋子 (yì shuāng xié zi) [a pair of shoes]
只 (zhī) for most animals or one of a pair: 三只狗 (sān zhī gǒu)，一只手 (yì zhī shǒu) [a hand]
件 (jiàn) for clothes, luggage,and packages: 一件衣服 (yí jiàn yī fu) [one piece of clothing]
本 (běn) for books and notebooks: 一本书 (yì běn shū) [one book]
张 (zhāng) for thin things like paper and photographs: 三张照片 (sān zhāng zhào piàn) [three photographs]
台 (tái) for machines, equipment, and stages: 一台电脑 (yì tái diàn nǎo) [one computer]
块 (kuài) for pieces of things: 一块肉 (yí kuài ròu) [one piece of meat]
2）When the number used before the measure word is two, then "两" (liǎng) must be used. For example, "2 个"can be read as "两个" (liǎng gè). When the number used before the measure word is twenty, then "二" (èr) must be used. For example, "20 天" (èr shí tiān) can be read as "二十天" (èr shí tiān). When two is the first digit of a number which is more than a hundred, either "两" or "二" can be used. If two is not the first digit, then "二" must be used. For example: "226 个"can be read as "两百二十六个" (liǎng bǎi èr shí liù gè) or "二百二十六个" (èr bǎi èr shí liù gè).
3. 的
"
的" (de) indicates possession. For example,
我的 (wǒ de) indicates mine,
你的 (nǐ de) indicates yours,
他的 (tā de) indicates his,
它的 (tā de) indcates its.
4. 这么……
"这么……" (zhè me) means "so/very/extremely." When followed by an adjective or an adverb, it becomes an adverbial phrase. For example: "这么慢!" (zhè me màn) means "(You're) so slow!"
