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) Cigarettes: xiang(1)
yan(1)
(2) Lighter: da(3) huo(3) ji(1)
(3) Marlboro: wan(4) bao(3) lu(4)
(3) Mild Seven: rou(2) he(2) qi(1) xing (1)
(5) How much: duo(1) shao(3) qian(2)
LESSON
- Do you sell cigarettes?
ni(3) mai(4) xiang(1) yan(1) ma?
- Can I have a lighter please?
neng(2) gei(3) wo(3) yi(4) zhi(1) da(3)
huo(3) ji(1) ma?
- Do you have Marlboro cigarettes?
ni(3) mai(4) wan(4) bao(3) lu(4) pai(2)
xiang(1) yan(1) ma?
- What other brands do you have?
ni(3) hai(2) you(3) shen(2) mo qi(2) ta(1)
de pai(2) zi(4)?
* Tip: Cigarettes and China go together
like dim sum and tea or baseball and hotdogs.
China is the world's largest cigarette market
in the world with around 400 million smokers
and an annual output of almost 1.7 trillion
(yes trillion!) cigarettes. China produces more
cigarettes than all of Europe and North American
combined.
Although most of the world's major brands
are readily available, why not be a little
adventurous and try some of the Chinese brands.
The Zhongnanhai brand seems to be the most
popular among the younger smokers these days
while Double Happiness are definitely the
gift for the groom who smokes (the double
happiness symbol is associated with newlyweds).
Expect to pay around five yuan (wu kuai)
for decent locally made cigarettes and about
double for a foreign brand.
But then again, it's always best to keep
your lungs healthy.
