LISTEN TO THE TEXT

Hi friends, have you ever been to China? Do you plan to come to China?   With the opening of China, more and more tourists come to China. More and more friends would like to learn Chinese for their visit to China. So today, I would like to introduce some new words and sentences that you may need to use during your visit to China. Ok?

NEW SENTENCES:

No. 118: -- 你好。
                 -- 很高兴见到你。

                 -- Ni hao.
                 -- Hen gaoxing jiandao ni.

                 -- Hello ( How are you? How do you do? )
                 -- Glad to meet you. ( Nice to meet you.)

Note: When you see a person for the first time, it is best to say,” Ni hao.", it can mean "Hello", “how are you” or “how do you do.” If you can, you can also say “Hen gaoxing jiandao ni” then, you have took your first great step in meeting your friend in China.

No. 119: -- 喂？
                 -- 你好, (   请问 ) 王先生在吗？

                 -- Wei?
                 -- Ni hao,（Qǐng wèn）Wang xiansheng zai ma?
                 -- Hello? Is Mr. Wang there?   

Note: When your Chinese friends answer your telephone call, the first word you hear is usually " Wei?" or " Ni hao."   “Wei” also means hello.   
              
No.120: -- 谢谢。谢谢你。

               -- Xiexie. Xiexie ni.
  
               -- Thanks. Thank you.

Note: In China, “Thanks and thank you” are used everywhere, in Chinese they are "Xie xie" and "Xie xie ni."


No. 121: -- 请。请进。

                 -- Qing. Qing jin.

                 -- Please. Please come in.
Note: "Qing" is a very useful word in Chinese. It can help you to express yourself in a polite way. When you are welcomed by your friends, they usually stand by their gates and say "Please.” Or “come in, please."   In Chinese they are "Qing.” And “Qing jin." If you welcome your friends to your place, you can also say "Qing.” and “Qing jin."


NEW WORDS:

Please click on any Chinese character that you need help with to see its Chinese pinyin, pronunciation and meaning and then read it after me.


Chinese Language Custom 05: Polite Words & Good Manners:

As in other languages, the use of polite words often goes hand in hand with mannerly habits. The words that we have learned "Ni hao", "Qing", " Xiexie " are all polite words. When you use them, if you also know some Chinese customs, then you can be more polite. For example, when you go out with your friends it is best to let your elder friends and the ones with higher titles go ahead. When you go through a gate, it is best to let them go first, and then you are being very polite.

When you give your business card to your Chinese associates or friends while on a business trip, then it is best to hand it to them using both hands while you say “Ni hao, Hen gaoxing jiandao ni” (Hello, glad/nice to meet you). That way you will come across as being more polite.

So, the points are:


1) To use polite words, such as Ni hao, Qing, Xiexie and so on...

2) To act in a polite way such as: respecting older people and the ones with higher titles; to hand things over using two hands, for example a cup of tea, a business card and so on...

Ok, that is all for today and hope it is a little help to you in your Chinese learning and your travel in China.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn , or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are also welcome to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. :-)   

--Shirley
Written and Recorded On Sat, April 8, 2006