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)
Apartment: gong(1) yu(4)
(2) Rent / Lease: zu(1)/ zu(1) jie(4)
(3) Contract: he(2) tong
(4) Bond: bao(3) zheng(4) jin(1)
(5) Bedrooms: wo(4) shi(3)
LESSON
- I
would like to look for a new apartment.
wo(3) xiang(3) zhao(3) yi(2) jian(1) xin(1)
de gong(1) yu(4).
- How
much is the rent per month?
mei(3) ge(4) yue(4) de zu(1) jin(1) shi(4)
duo(1) shao(3) ?
-
How many months bond should I pay?
wo(3) ying(1) gai(1) jiao(1) ji(3) ge(4)
yue(4) de bao(3) zheng(4) jin(1)?
-
Is the apartment one or two bedrooms?
gong(1) yu(4) li(3) you(3) yi(2) ge(4)
wo(4) shi(3) hai(2) shi(4) liang(3) ge(4)?
* Tip: If you are coming to China for
a short stay, hotels or serviced apartments
remain the best option. China's larger cities
boast all of the world's major hotel chains
and offer accommodation ranging from three
to six stars.
For those looking to stay longer (and who
wouldn't given the excitement of the 2008
Olympics and China's upcoming entry to the
WTO), renting an apartment may be the best
option. As with any other major world city,
Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou
have apartments available to suit any budget
and taste.
Some
cities enforce the policy that only allows
foreigners to live in 'approved' (read 'expensive')
apartments, but from time to time, authorities
have been known to turn a blind eye.
Rents
and apartment quality in China's major cities
are comparable to New York, London, Sydney
or Toronto and most owners will ask for three
months rent as a bond and one month rent in
advance.
