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Pimsleur Mandarin II - Vocabulary


fkj

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I have completed Pimsleur's Mandarin I, and have started on Mandarin II. Carl T. Limsico's "Chinese Companion I" does only cover Mandarin I, making further progress more difficult. There are transcripts of the intro-dialogs from each unit af Mandarin II and III (http://ezmandarin.com/) but there is no vocabulary. I will share my vocabulary notes on Mandarin II in this thread. I hope others will benefit, and most of all I hope for corrections and help when needed.

Unit 1

我还没有看什么东西。 - [wo3 hai2 mei2 you3 kan4 shen2 me5 dong1 xi5] - I havn't seen anything yet

还 - [hai2] - yet

什么东西 - [shen2 me5 dong1 xi5] - anything

全聚德 - [quan2 ju3 de3] - "Peking Duck" (famous restaurant i Beijing (http://www.quanjude.com.cn/), known for it's Peking Duck)

那是一家很好的饭店。 - [na4 shi4 yi2 jia1 hen3 hao3 de5 fan4 dian4] - That's a very good restaurant

家 - [jia1] - measure word for restaurant

这么说。词 - [zhe4 me5 shuo1 ci2] - This is said: "word"

这么 - [zhe4 me5] - this way, like this

词 - [ci2] - word

Unit 2

承德 - [cheng2 de2] - (famous mountain resort 100 miles north of Beijing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengde)

我有工作要做。 - [wo3 you3 gong1 zuo4 yao4 zuo4] - I have work to do

你在北京待了多久了? - [ni3 zai4 bei3 jing1dai1 le5 duo1 jiu3 le5] - how long have you been in Beijing? (了 [le5] is repeated)

我没有做什么 - [wo3 mei2 you3 zuo4 shen2 me5] - I didn't do anything

什么 - [shen2 me5] - anything (东西 is omited when answering a 什么-question)

我得失陪了。 - [wo3 dei3 shi1 pei2 le5] - I have to excuse myself

得 - [dei3] - have to

那是我的朋友。 - [na4 shi4 wo3 de5 peng2 you3] - That is my friend

那 - [na4] - that

那个人是谁? - [na4 ge4 ren2 shi4 shei2] - Who is that person?

那个人 - [na4 ge4 ren2] - That person

那个人叫什么名字? - [na4 ge4 ren2 jiao4 shen2 me5 ming2 zi5] - What is that persons name?

叫 - [jiao4] - is called

名字 - [ming2 zi5] - name (full name or first name)

她叫陈<??>。 - [ta1 jiao4 chen2 hui lan] - Her name is Hui Lan Chen (not sure about the first name and it's pinyin)

陈太太你认识吗? - [chen2 tai4 tai5 ni3 ren4 shi5 ma5] - Are you acquainted with Ms. Chen?

认识 - [ren4 shi5] - be acquainted with

他是陈太太。 - [ta1 shi4 chen2 tai4 tai5] - That's Ms. Chen (是 (not 叫 [jiao4]) is used when titles are involved)

Unit 3

有一个朋友要来。 - [you3 yi1 ge4 peng2 you3 yao4 lai2] - There is a friend who is going to come over

有 - [you3] - there is

来 - [lai2] - come (over)

贵姓 - [gui4 xing4] - honorable/noble surname (eg. what's your family name?)

姓 - [xing4] - surname

别客气 - [bie2 ke4 qi4] - don't stand on ceremony (don't be (so) polite)

客气 - [ke4 qi4] - polite (the same as in: 不客气 [bu2 ke4 qi4] don't mention it)

我姓陈 [wo3 xing4 chen2] - My last name is Chen. (never use: 贵 [gui4] honorable/noble, about your own name)

我姓陈叫大卫 - [wo3 xing4 chen2 jiao4 da4 wei4] - My name is David Chen

对巴 - [dui4 ba5] - correct? (eg. that is correct, isn't it?)

对 - [dui4] - correct

葡萄酒 - [pu2 tao2 jiu3] - wine

葡萄 - [pu2 tao2] - grape

酒 - [jiu3] - alcohol (the same as in: 啤酒 [pi2 jiu3] beer)

总是 - [zong3 shi4] - always

Unit 4

我从来不喝啤酒。 - [wo3 cong2 lai2 bu4 he1 pi2 jiu3] - I never drink beer

从来不 ... - [cong2 lai2 bu4 ...] - never ... (without the negative:不 , it does not meen: never)

我有时候喝一点儿啤酒。 - [wo3 you3 shi2 hou5 he1 yi1 dianr3 pi2 jiu3] - Sometimes I drink a little beer

有时候 - [you3 shi2 hou5] - sometimes (eg. there are times)

可是不是总是。 - [ke3 shi4 bu4 shi4 zong3 shi4] - but not always

好可是去哪儿呢 - [hao3 ke3 shi4 qu4 nar3 na5] - Okay, but where should we go? (eg. ... what about (呢) where should we go)

三味书屋 - [san1 wei4 shu1 wu1] - (a tea house in Beijing) (something like: "Three tastes reading room")

同事 - [tong2 shi4] - colleague

她不是一个人来。 - [ta1 bu4 shi4 yi1 ge4 ren2 lai2] - She is not comming over alone

三年 - [san1 nian2] - three years (notice: year does not use/have a measure word)

年 - [nian2] - year

她在这儿住了三年了。 - [ta1 zai4 zher4 zhu4 le5 san1 nian2 le5] - she has been living here for three years

你的同事是谁? - [ni3 de5 tong2 shi4 shi4 shei2] - Who is your colleague?

时间很短/长 - [shi2 jian1 hen3 duan3/chang2] - That's a very short/long time

短 - [duan3] - short

长 - [chang2] - long

Unit 5

三点钟怎么样? - [san1 dian3 zhong1 zen3 me5 yang4] - How about 3 o'clock?

X 怎么样? - [zen3 me5 yang4] - how about X? (suggesting X)

我们可以走路去。 - [wo3 men5 ke3 yi3 zou3 lu4 qu4] - We can go on foot.

走路 - [zou3 lu4] - on foot

我想要一杯咖啡。 - [wo3 xiang3 yao4 yi1 bei1 ka1 fei1] - I would like to order a cup of coffee.

咖啡 - [ka1 fei1] - coffee (unit I.07: 咖啡 - "café" (eg. where you can drink coffee))

不长 - [bu4 chang2] - not long

我要见他 - [wo3 yao4 jian4 ta1] - I'm going to meet him.

见 - [jian4] - to meet

另外一个同事要来。 - [ling4 wai4 yi1 ge4 tong2 shi4 yao4 lai2] - another colleague is going to come over.

另外 - [ling4 wai4] - another

他们两个都是美国人。 - [ta1 men5 liang3 ge4 dou1 shi4 mei3 guo2 ren2] - They are both american.

两个都 - [liang3 ge4 dou1] - both (eg. all two) (another (non-pimsleur) example using 都 is: 他们都 - [ta1 men5 dou1] - all of them)

我从来不坐公共汽车去。 - [wo3 cong2 lai2 bu4 zuo4 gong1 gong4 qi4 che1 qu4] - I never take the bus.

公共汽车 - [gong1 gong4 qi4 che1] - bus

请再说一次。- [qing3 zai4 shuo1 yi1 ci4] - Please say it again. (unit I.25)

再...一次 - [zai4 ... yi1 ci4] - again, re-. (unit I.22)

常常 - [chang2 chang2] - often

我常常走路去那儿。 - [wo3 chang2 chang2 zou3 lu4 qu4 nar4] - I often go there on foot.

Unit 6

在那以前 - [zai4 na4 yi3 qian2] - before that

去商店以后 - [qu4 shang1 dian4 yi3 hou4] - after going to the store

以后 - [yi3 hou4] - after

很长的时间了 - [hen3 chang2 de5 shi2 jian1 le5] - for a very long time

王府井大街在哪儿? - [wang2 fu3 jing3 da4 jie1 zai4 nar3] - Where is Wang Fu Jing Avenue? (shopping street in Beijing)

大街 - [da4 jie1] - avenue (eg. "big street")

公共汽车站 - [gong1 gong4 qi4 che1 zhan4] - bus stop

站 - [zhan4] - station, to stop

我们总是得等。 - [wo3 men5 zong3 shi4 dei3 deng3] - We always have to wait.

等 - [deng3] - wait (unit I.21: 等一会儿 - [deng3 yi4 huir3] - wait a moment)

到几点钟? - [dao4 ji3 dian3 zhong1] - until what time?

到 - [dao4] - until

商店开到几点钟? - [shang1 dian4 kai1 dao4 ji3 dian3 zhong1] - The shops are open until what time? (notice: not: 开门 - [kai1 men2] - doors open)

台湾 - [tai2 wan1] - Taiwan*

台北 - [tai2 bei3] - Taipei* (capital of Taiwan)

*) I'm almost sure that Taiwan (and maybe also Taipei) has been mentioned in previous units, but I can't remember when!

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Since you're encouraging me :)

How about transcoding the pinyin for 一点儿 as yī diǎnr (yi1 dianr3). This shows the correct "n" ending, and serves as a clue (for me anyways) that one could pronounce it without the 儿.

Second, how about translating 好可是去哪儿呢 as "Ok, where to go, hmm?" or "Ok, and where to go?"

Personally I find the most literal but "correct" English develops a better feel for the language...

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diar3 was a typo.

The english translation in these wordlists is always a problem. Should it be close to the word order of mandarin (making it easy to see which mandarin og english words are the same) or should it just have the same meaning, or something in between? I mostly prefer something in between - a reasonably okay english sentence, but still possibly to see what words means what. Maybe it's because english is not my native language anyway (I'm danish).

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  • 2 weeks later...

You are right. The Companion for Pimsleurs Mandarin I, has it as 待 [dai1], and not 呆 [dai1]. I made the same mistake. It's a tricky one, because Cedict lists both with the meaning "stay" - but the Companion must be right! I'll change it in my list.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

You are right, like taking a plane: 坐飞机去

The dutch homepage (message #7) has it wrong too. I'ts a help, but it's not without error.

I usually check in a dictionary, but must have failed to do it in this case. I won't start to list errors found on the dutch homepage, but another resent example is: 长 (long) and 常常 (often), where the dutch homepage had 常 for "long". It's all chang2, but 常 is not correct.

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  • 2 weeks later...

>Have I made that mistake somewhere?

hm. didnt see one ... and a quick search (for "de") shows me also no mistake ...

to you and all: another aspect! ...

i am not really absolutely sure about that "得" thing ... is it the only possibility?

when i heard it the first time in Pimsleur (last week) i had the first impression that "说的" is ok because a possessive pronoun ("A: 这是我的车!", "B: 不是,是我的!") ... later i had remember that there are degree compliment rules ...

when i now search via google for "你说的对" i get +/- 460.000 hits ...

when i search for "你说得对" i get >500.000 hits ...

when i ask some chinese on QQ i get different answers. many says "你说的对" = ok ...

could it be that "说的" got more and more a typical 2-word-connection in china (sort of "correct everyday usage")?

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