Yajie: It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio on China Radio International. Wo shi Yajie.
Chris: And wo shi Chris. We are talking about sports this week Yajie, a topic that I love a lot.
Yajie: That’s good to know, Chris. Today, we are going to continue with more of that in Chinese.
Chris: Let’s start with Key Words of the Day.
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Key Words of the Day
baseball 棒球(bang4qiu2) American football 橄榄球 (gan3lan3qiu2), Which sports match do you like to watch? 你喜欢看什么体育比赛?(Ni3 xi3huan kan4 shen2me ti3yu4 bi3sai4?) I am a baseball fan. 我是棒球迷。(wo3 shi4 bang4qiu2 mi3.) Can you play rugby? 你打橄榄球吗?(Ni3 hui4 da3 gan3lan3 qiu2 ma?) All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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Yajie: As you just heard, baseball is 棒球(bang4qiu2).
Chris: 棒球(bang4qiu2), and another number one spectator sport in North America is American football, so what’s the Chinese for that?
Yajie: it’s 橄榄球 (gan3lan3qiu2)
Chris: 橄榄球 (gan3lan3qiu2).
Yajie: 橄榄 means olive in Chinese. Thus it gets the name because the shape looks similar to an olive.
Chris: 橄榄球 (gan3lan3qiu2). Now Yajie, sometimes I want to ask my Chinese friends what kind of sports match they like to watch. But I don’t know how to say that in Chinese.
Yajie: It’s你喜欢看什么体育比赛?(Ni3 xi3huan kan4 shen2me ti3yu4 bi3sai4?))
Chris: 你喜欢看什么体育比赛?(Ni3 xi3huan kan4 shen2me ti3yu4 bi3sai4?))
Yajie: 你 (ni3), means you.
Chris: 你 (ni3)
Yajie: 喜欢 (xi3huan), like to.
Chris: 喜欢 (xi3huan)
Yajie: 看(kan4), to watch.
Chris: 看(kan4)
Yajie: 什么 (shen2me), what.
Chris: 什么 (shen2me)
Yajie: 体育 (ti3yu4), sports.
Chris: 体育 (ti3yu4)
Yajie: 比赛 (bi3sai4), match.
Chris: 比赛 (bi3sai4)
Yajie: 你喜欢看什么体育比赛?(Ni3 xi3huan kan4 shen2me ti3yu4 bi3sai4?))
Chris: 你喜欢看什么体育比赛?(Ni3 xi3huan kan4 shen2me ti3yu4 bi3sai4?) Which sports do you like to watch?
Conversation 1:
Chris: Yajie, I like watching baseball, and I’m a baseball fan. What’s the Chinese for that?
Yajie: In Chinese I’m a baseball fan is我是棒球迷。(wo3 shi4 bang4qiu2 mi3.)
Chris: 我是棒球迷。(wo3 shi4 bang4qiu2 mi3.)
Yajie: Right. 我是(wo3 shi4), I am.
Chris: 我是(wo3 shi4)
Yajie: 棒球(bang4qiu2), baseball. We mentioned it just now.
Chris: 棒球(bang4qiu2)
Yajie: 迷 (mi3), means a person who loves something very much, a fan.
Chris: I see, 迷(mi3)
Yajie: 棒球迷(bang4qiu2 mi3), baseball fan.
Chris: 棒球迷(bang4qiu2 mi3)
Yajie: 我是棒球迷。(wo3 shi4 bang4qiu2 mi3.)
Chris: 我是棒球迷。(wo3 shi4 bang4qiu2 mi3.) I am a baseball fan.
Conversation 2:
Chris: Can you play American football?
Yajie: Not really… but some of the younger kids that I know they do play American football.
Chris: Cool! And could you please tell me how to ask that in Chinese?
Yajie: Sure. You can say “你会打橄榄球吗?(Ni3 hui4 da3 gan3lan3 qiu2 ma?)”
Chris: 你会打橄榄球吗?(Ni3 hui4 da3 gan3lan3 qiu2 ma?)
Yajie: 你 (ni3), you.
Chris: 你 (ni3)
Yajie: 会,be able to.
Chris: 会. (hui4)
Yajie: 打(da3), d-a, the third tone, here means to play.
Chris: 打(da3)
Yajie: 橄榄球 (gan3lan3 qiu2), American football.
Chris: 橄榄球 (gan3lan3 qiu2)
Yajie: 吗 (ma) is a question mark.
Chris: 吗 (ma)
Yajie: 你会打橄榄球吗?(Ni3 hui4 da3 gan3lan3 qiu2 ma?)
Chris: 你会打橄榄球吗?(Ni3 hui4 da3 gan3lan3 qiu2 ma?) Can you play American football?
Conversation 3:
Yajie: Ok, before we go, we have question of the day for our listeners.
Cam: and it’s… how do you say “I’m a baseball fan” in Chinese?
Yajie: Zai jian.
Cam: Zai jian!
