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:

Bargaining

1) Cheaper: pian(2) yi(4) yi(1) dian(3)

2) Too expensive: tai(4) gui(4)

3) Bargain: tao(3) jia(4) huai(2) jia(4)

4) No way: Mei(2) Men(3)

5) What if I buy two? ru(3) guo(3) wo(3) mai(3) liang(3) ge(4) ne?

LESSON:

• Give me a cheaper price.
  gei(3) wo(3) yi(1) ge(4) bian(2) yi(4) dian(3) de(1) jia(4).

• 250 yuan? No way.
  er(4) bai(3) wu(3) shi(1) kuai(4)? mei(2) men(2).

• Let's bargain.
  rang(4) wo(3) men(2) tao(3) jia(4) huan(2) jie(4) ba.

• What if I buy two of those?
  ru(2) guo(3) wo(3) mai(3) liang(3) ge(4) ne?

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: How much for a trip to the Great Wall?
  ni(3): qu(4) chang(2) cheng(2) duo(1) shao(3) qian(2)?

• Driver: 500 yuan.
  si(1) ji(1): wu(3) bai(3) kuai(4).

• You: No way. Let's bargain. How about 300?
  ni(3): mei(2) men(2), wo(3) men(3) lai(2) tao(3) jia(3) huan(2) jia(4) ba. san(1) bai(3) zen(3) me yang(4).

• Driver: Ok, 400.
  si(1) ji(1): hao(3) ba(1), si(4) bai(3).

• You: Ok.
  ni(3): hao(1) ba.

*Hint: You should be able to get a driver to give you a round trip ride to the Great Wall for 350-450 RMB from anywhere in Beijing.