YJ: It's time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio on CRI. Wo shi Yajie.
Cam: And wo shi Cam. Yajie, one of the hardest things for a foreigner to do in China is get a haircut… especially if he or she doesn't speak Chinese!
YJ: Well, consider this a valuable lesson.
Cam: I can't wait.
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Key words of the day
Barber shop 理发店 I would like a haircut. 我想剪头发。 How would you like it cut? 你想怎么剪?Just a trim. 修一下就可以了 Not too much off, 别剪太短了。All in today's Chinese studio.
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C: Yajie, first of all, I want to know the Chinese for barber shop.
Y: okay, it's li3 fa4 dian4. 理发店
C: 理发店 li3 fa4 dian4.
Y: 理发li3 fa4 means to have a haircut,
C: li3 fa4.
Y: 店 dian4 means shop,
C: dian4.
Y: 理发店 li3 fa4 dian4
C: li3 fa4 dian4 barber shop. Okay… I walk into a 理发店 li3 fa4 dian4 off the streets of Beijing, what do I say?
YJ: You would tell them you need a haircut. In Chinese, it's 我想剪头发。
Cam: wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa.
YJ: 我想 wo3 xiang3. I'd like something.
CM: wo3 xiang3.
YJ: 剪 jian3 means to cut,
C: jian3.
Y: 头发 tou2fa means hair,
C: tou3 fa.
Y: 我想剪头发。 wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa.
C: wo3 xiang3 jian3 tou2 fa. I'd like a haircut.
Conversation 1:
A: 你知道哪儿有理发店吗?
B: 街对面就有一个。
A: 我想剪头发。
B: 走吧,我陪你一起去。
Y: Then the stylist may ask you, how would you like it cut?
C: Right. What do they usually say?
Y: they'll ask you “你想怎么剪?”
C: ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3?
Y: 你 ni3 means you,
C: ni3,
Y: 想 xiang3 means want or need,
C: xiang3.
Y: 怎么 zen3me, how,
C: zen3me,
Y: 剪 jian3 means to cut,
C: jian3.
Y: 你想怎么剪? ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3?
C: ni3 xiang3 zen3me jian3? How would you like it cut?
Conversation 2:
A:我想剪头发。
B:你想怎么剪?
A:稍微修一下就可以了。
B:好的 。
Cam: So let's tell them just a trim.
Y: In Chinese it's 修一下就可以了
C: xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le.
Y: 修一下 xiu1 yi2xia4 trim a little bit,
C: xiu1 yi2xia4
Y: 就可以了 jiu4 ke2yi3 le. Just be okay,
C: jiu4 ke2yi3 le.
Y: 修一下就可以了 xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le.
C: xiu1 yi2xia4 jiu4 ke2yi3 le. Just a trim will be fine.
Conversation3:
A: 你想怎么剪?
B: 修一下就可以了。别剪太短了
A: 好的。
C: Yajie, sometimes I'm afraid that they'll cut my hair too short. How can I tell them not too much off?
Y: You can say 别剪太短了
C: bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le.
Y: 别 bie2 means not,
C: bie2,
Y: 剪 jian3 means cut,
C: jian3,
Y: 太 tai4 means too much,
C: tai4.
Y: 短 duan3 means short,
C: duan3.
Y: 别剪太短了 bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le.
C: bie2 jian3 tai4 duan3 le. Not too much off.
Conversatio4:
A: 别剪太短了
B: 行,保准您满意。
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Key words Reminder
Barber shop 理发店I would like a haircut. 我想剪头发。 How would you like it cut? 你想怎么剪?Just a trim. 修一下就可以了Not too much off, 别剪太短了。All in today's Chinese studio.
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Cam: This will be useful Yajie… I end up paying 100 kuai for a haircut in Beijing, only because they speak English!
YJ: Now you'll be able to speak Chinese, and pay much, much less.
Cam: Time for our question of the day. How do you say 'Just a trim' in Chinese?
YJ: Mingtian jian!
