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.
Buying
Clothing:
mai(3) yi(1) fu(2)
NEW
WORDS
Shirt: chen(4)
shan(1)
Tie: ling(3) dai(4)
Pants: ku(4) zi
Big: da(4)
Small: xiao(3)
Cheaper: pian(2) yi(4) yi(1) dian(3)
LESSON
- Do
you have a shirt in my size?
ni(3) men(2) you(3) wo(3) zhe(4) yang(4)
chi(3) cun(4) de chen(4) shan(1) ma?
- How
much are these pants?
zhe(4) tiao(2) ku(4) zi duo(2) shao(3) qian(2)?
- I
like this tie.
wo(3) xi(3) huan(2) zhe(4) tiao(2) ling(3)
dai(4).
- The
pants are too big.
zhe(4) ku(4) zi(3) tai(4) da(4) le.
- Do
you have something cheaper?
ni(3) men(2) you(3) pian(2) yi(4) yi(1)
dian(3) de ma?
* Tip: China accounts for almost 30 percent
of all clothing and textiles produced in the
world! It's not surprising therefore that there
is usually at least one large clothing market
in every city in China.
While you can get some real
bargains, be careful of fakes and poor workmanship.
If you do find something you like, make sure
you negotiate hard with the seller. Discounts
of 50 - 80 percent are not uncommon. Don't
be shy or embarrassed to ask for large sizes
and don't be surprised when you have to buy
an XXL size instead of your usual medium.
Don't forget to check out
some of the traditional silk clothing for
both men and women. As well as being beautifully
decorated using gorgeous fabrics, they are
very comfortable to wear.
