Note: The spoken Chinese Mandarin language has 4 spoken tones. We have attempted to re-create those below where after each syllable we tell you (1), (2), (3), or (4) as they correspond to each of the 4 tones. We encourage you to complement your Xianzai.com Emergency Chinese newsletter with a good offline study program.

NEW WORDS:

1) Package: bao(1) guo(3)

2) Mail: you(2) ji(4)

3) Stamp: you(2) piao(4)

4) Registered: gua(4) hao(4)

5) Stand in line: pai(2) dui(4)

LESSON:

• Please mail this package for me.
  qing(3) bang(1) wo(3) ji(4) zhe(4) ge(4) bao(1) guo(3).

• Can I send this registered mail?
  wo(3) ke(3) yi(3) ji(4) gua(4) hao(4) ma?

• Please stand in that line.
  qing(3) pai(2) dui(4).

• You need to buy 5 yuan worth of stamps.
  ni(3) yao(4) mai(3) wu(3) kuai(4) qian(2) de(1) you(3) piao(4).

Dialogue

• You: I would like to send this package to England.
  ni(3): wo(3) yao(4) ba(3) zhe(4) ge(4) bao(1) guo(3) ji(4) dao(4) ying(2) ge(2) lan(2).

• Post office clerk: You'll need to stand in that line.
  you(3) ju(2) zhi(1) yuan(2): nin(2) dei(3) pai(2) dui(4).

• You: And then what?
  ni(3): ran(2) hou(4) ne?

• Clerk: Then buy a 5 yuan stamp.
  zhi(2) yuan(2): ran(2) hou(4) mai(3) yi(1) zhang(1) wu(3) kuai(4) qian(2) de(1) you(2) piao(4).

• You: Can I send this registered mail?
  ni(3): wo(2) ke(2) yi(3) yong(4) gua(4) hao(4) lai(2) ji(4) ma?

• Clerk: Of course.
  zhi(2) yuan(2): dang(1) ran(2) ke(3) yi(3).

The Taxi Connection: (As we use most of our minimal Chinese with Taxi drivers, each lesson will show how to use some of the new words in the Taxi environment.)

Example:

• You: Take me to the post office.
  ni(3): ba(3) wo(3) dai(4) dao(4) you(2) ju(2).

• Driver: No problem.
  si(1) ji(1): mei(2) wen(4) ti(2).

• You: Do you like stamps?
  ni(3): ni(3) xi(3) huan(2) you(2) piao(4) ma?

• Driver: Of course, many Chinese people like stamps. How about you?
  si(1) ji(1): dang(1) ran(2), hen(3) duo(1) zhong(1) guo(2) ren(2) xi(3) huan(2) you(2) piao(4).

• You: I also like stamps.
  ni(3): wo(3) ye(3) xi(3) huan(1) you(2) piao(4).

Hint: Don't expect people to stand in lines at Chinese post offices. You can guide by example if you have all day, or you can make use of your longer foreign arms and push to the front like everyone else.