Cam: It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio on CRI. Wo shi Cam.
Yajie: And wo shi Yajie. Cam, it’s our working out week, and I’m sure this is good for you. Let’s start with key words of the day.
****************
Key Words of the Day
treadmill 跑步机。(pao3bu4ji1) I want to use the treadmill. 我想用跑步机。(wo3 xiang3 yong4 pao3bu4ji1.) I weigh 90 kilograms 我九十公斤重。(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1 zhong4.) I want to get bigger muscles. 我想练肌肉。(wo3 xiang3 lian4 ji1rou4.) All in today’s Chinese Studio.
****************
Cam: Yajie, I often go to the gym and use the treadmill for exercise, by often I mean once a month and I’ve been wondering what’s the Chinese for treadmill.
Yajie: It’s 跑步机(pao3bu4ji1)treadmill.
Cam: 跑步机。(pao3bu4ji1)
Yajie: 跑步(pao3bu4)means to run. The third tone, and the fourth tone.
Cam: 跑步(pao3bu4)
Yajie: 机 (ji1) is short for 机器(ji1qi4), machine.
Cam: 机 (ji1)
Yajie: Since it’s a machine for you to run on, thus in Chinese we it’s 跑步机。(pao3bu4ji1)
Cam: 跑步机(pao3bu4ji1),treadmill. Then how do you say “I want to use the treadmill.” in Chinese?
Yajie: It’s我想用跑步机。(wo3 xiang3 yong4 pao3bu4ji1.)
Cam: 我想用跑步机。(wo3 xiang3 yong4 pao3bu4ji1.)
Yajie: 我(wo3) means I.
Cam: 我(wo3)
Yajie: 想 (xiang3) means want to.
Cam: 想 (xiang3) , xiang, the third tone, right?
Yajie: 用 (yong4), to use.
Cam: 用 (yong4)
Yajie: 我想用跑步机。(wo3 xiang3 yong4 pao3bu4ji1.)
Cam:我想用跑步机。(wo3 xiang3 yong4 pao3bu4ji1.) I want to use the treadmill.
Conversation1:
Yajie: Cam, last time we learned the sentence “How much do you weigh?” although you are not here then, but do you still remember how to say that in Chinese?
Cam: Yes, I do review from time to time. It’s你体重多少?(ni3 ti3zhong4 duo1shao?)
Yajie: 你体重多少?(ni3 ti3zhong4 duo1shao?) How much do you weigh?
Cam: But the problem is I don’t know how to answer it.
Yajie: Oh, that’s what I’m going to tell you. Let’s assume that you weigh 90 kilograms, you can say我九十公斤重。(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1 zhong4.)
Cam: 我九十公斤重。(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1 zhong4.)
Yajie: 我(wo3) means I.
Cam: 我(wo3)
Yajie: 九十(jiu3shi2), ninety.
Cam: 九十(jiu3shi2)
Yajie: 公斤(gong1jin1), kilogram.
Cam: 公斤(gong1jin1),
Yajie: 重 (zhong4), weight.
Cam: 重 (zhong4),
Yajie: I weigh 90 kilograms 我九十公斤重。(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1 zhong4.)
Cam: 我九十公斤重。(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1 zhong4.)
Yajie: It’s also ok to say我九十公斤(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1),without重(zhong4)
Cam: Ok, that's a litlle easier. 我九十公斤(wo3 jiu3shi2 gong1jin1) I weigh 90 kilograms.
Conversation2:
Cam: Yajie, I’m wondering how to tell my coach that I want to get bigger muscles so that he could teach me an effective way of getting it.
Yajie: No problem. You can tell him我想练肌肉。(wo3 xiang3 lian4 ji1rou4.)
Cam: 我想练肌肉。(wo3 xiang3 lian4 ji1rou4.)
Yajie: 我想 (wo3 xiang3), I want to.
Cam: 我想 (wo3 xiang3)
Yajie: 练 (lian4), lian, the fourth tone, to exercise.
Cam: 练 (lian4)
Yajie: 肌肉(ji1rou4), muscle.
Cam: 肌肉(ji1rou4),
Yajie: 我想练肌肉。(wo3 xiang3 lian4 ji1rou4.)
Cam: 我想练肌肉。(wo3 xiang3 lian4 ji1rou4.) I want to get bigger muscles.
Conversation3:
Yajie: So right now Cam, you know the word for treadmill is 跑步机 right?
Cam: Right. We’ve given away part of our question of the day. We want to know how do you say: “I need to use the treadmill” in Chinese?
