Lesson8: Going Around

When you are going around in the city, you may want to ask somebody on the street for help. REMEMBER to always start with excuse me = 不好意思 (bu hao yi si | ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄠˇ 一ˋ ㄙ) and ends with thank you = 謝謝 (xie xie | ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄒㄧㄝˋ) (refer to Lesson7: Thank You, Sorry, and Excuse Me)

Here are some phrases that you can use about asking:

how to go? = 怎麼去? (zenme qu? | ㄗㄣˇ ㄇㄜ ㄑㄩˋ?)

how to go to ___? = 怎麼去 ___? (zenme qu ___? | ㄗㄣˇ ㄇㄜ ㄑㄩˋ ___?)

where is ___ = ___ 在哪裡? (___ zai na li? | ___ ㄗㄞˋ ㄋㄚˇ ㄌㄧˇ?)

(refer to Lesson5: 5W1H and Which)

what time is it now? = 現在幾點? (xianzai ji dian? | ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄐㄧˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ?)

(refer to Lesson6: Time)

can u speak [English] ? = 你會說[英文]嗎? (ni hui shuo [yingwen] ma? | ㄋㄧˇ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄨㄛ [一ㄥ ㄨㄣˊ] ㄇㄚ?)

LANGUAGE

Chinese = 中文 (zhong wen | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨㄣˊ)

French = 法文 (fa wen | ㄈㄚˋ ㄨㄣˊ)

German = 德文 (de wen | ㄉㄜˊ ㄨㄣˊ)

Spanish = 西班牙文 ( xi ban ya wen | ㄒㄧ ㄅㄢ 一ㄚˊ ㄨㄣˊ)

Korean = 韓文 (han wen | ㄏㄢˊ ㄨㄣˊ)

Japanese = 日文 (ri wen | ㄖˋ ㄨㄣˊ)

Indonesian = 印尼文 (yin ni wen | 一ㄣˋ ㄋㄧˊ ㄨㄣˊ)

Note. From the above vocabulary, you can find the final word 文 (wen | ㄨㄣˊ) which means language. To say one's language just simply:

[name of country] + 文 (wen | ㄨㄣˊ)

During your asking, you may sometimes find that you don't understand or you don't know.

I don't understand = 我不懂 (wo bu dong | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˇ)

*懂 (dong | ㄉㄨㄥˇ) = to understand

more specific:

I don't understand [listening] = 我聽不懂 (wo ting bu dong | ㄨㄛˇ ㄊㄧㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˇ)

*聽 (ting | ㄊㄧㄥ) = to listen

I don't understand [reading] = 我看不懂 (wo kan bu dong | ㄨㄛˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˇ)

*看 (kan | ㄎㄢˋ) = to see. Here, means to read.

I don't know = 我不知道 (wo bu zhidao | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ)

*知道 (zhi dao | ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ) = to know

Note.

I = 我 (wo | ㄨㄛˇ)

don't/ doesn't = 不 (bu | ㄅㄨˋ)

Viewers' Q&A:

我不明白 (wo bu ming bai | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞˊ) = I don't understand.

*This phrase can be used either in listening situation or reading situation. So I can say that this phrase is used for the general meaning of I don't understand.

I don't understand:

1. 我不懂 (wo bu dong | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˇ)

2. 我不明白 (wo bu ming bai | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞˊ)

Both of them mean I don't understand. The difference is on WHERE these phrases are used. As I am living in Taiwan, I find out that Taiwanese tend to use the first one which is 我不懂 (wo bu dong | ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˇ)