Cam: So yesterday I learned how to phone your house. Sometimes I want to take you for dinner Yajie, and I need to know how to ask your mom for you!
YJ: And now you know. Today we are going to learn some more basic phrases when making phone calls.
Cam: Let’s check Key Words of the Day.
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Key Words of the Day
Who’s calling, please? 请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?) This is Xiao li. 我是小李. (wo3 shi4 xiao li.) Hold on a second, please. 请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3.) All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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Cam: Yajie, somebody just called me, but he doesn’t speak any English, so how do I know who is calling?
Yajie: well, you can ask him请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?) Who’s calling, please?
Cam: 请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?)
YJ: 您 (nin2), you.
Cam: 您 (nin2).
YJ: 哪位(nei3 wei4?) means who, which one.
Cam: 哪位(nei3 wei4?)
Cam: I see. So who is calling is…?
YJ: 请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?)
Cam: 请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?) Who’s calling, please?
YJ: Now please listen carefully to the conversation.
Conversation 1:
Cam: Yajie, if somebody asks me “who is calling”请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?) , how should I answ er it?
YJ: It’s pretty easy. You just need to say “我是 Cam (wo3 shi4)”
Cam: wo shi, I am… .
YJ: Remember you say it at the beginning of every show.
Cam: Right. Like a self-introduction, just need to put the name after wo shi. Got it. Wo shi Cam. And ni shi Yajie.
YJ: Or you can say your name simply, but this sounds a little bit too direct and not so polite.
Cam: Ok. I see.
Conversation 2:
CAM: Yajie, one of your friends just called, but you were busy talking to somebody else. I wanted to tell them to “hold on a second, please”, but I didn’t know how to say that. So I just hung up!
YJ: Oh, Cam! That is so rude!
Cam: I know… so teach me how to say hold on a second.
YJ: well you can say “请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3.)”
Cam: 请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3.)
Cam: Ok. I know 请 (qing3) means please, which is used very often in our daily Chinese.
YJ: Right. 请 (qing3), please. And 稍等(shao1 deng3) means hold on a sec.
Cam: 稍等(shao1 deng3)
YJ: 等 (deng3), d-e-n-g, the third tone, means to wait.
Cam: 等(deng3)
YJ: 请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3.)
Cam: 请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3) please hold on a sec.
Conversation 3:
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Key Words Reminder
Who’s calling, please? 请问您哪位?(qing3 wen4, nin2 nei3 wei4?) This is Xiao li. 我是 xiaoli. (wo3 shi4 xiao li.) Hold on a second, please. 请稍等。(qing3 shao1 deng3.)
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YJ: That wraps up today’s show. Now it’s time for the Question of the Day. How do you say “Hold on a second, please” in Chinese?
Cam: Ming tian jian!
YJ: Ming tian jian.
