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Lesson 188 Happy New Year! 第一百八十八课 新年快乐!(2)

China PlusPublished: 2019-01-03 15:02:04
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Cam: It's time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day. Welcome to Chinese Studio, wo shi Cam.

YJ: And wo shi Yajie. We are learning all about New Years this week… so Cam, how will you celebrate it?

Cam: Well, back at home I used to head down to the inner harbour and watch the fireworks. How do I say that in Chinese?

Yajie: Listen up!

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Key Words of the Day

countdown 倒数,Fireworks 烟花,Auld Lang Syne 友谊地久天长, New Year's Day 元旦 Happy New Year!新年快乐 All in today's Chinese Studio.

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Cam: When you are at a party on New Year's Eve, you will countdown to the New Year. Countdown in Chinese is what, Yajie?

YJ: it's 倒数 dao4 shu3.

Cam: dao4 shu3.

YJ:倒 dao4 means backwards,

Cam: dao4

YJ:数 shu3 means to count,

Cam: shu3

YJ:倒数 dao4 shu3.

Cam: dao4 shu3, countdown. Then after the countdown we will watch some fireworks. How do you say fireworks in Chinese, Yajie?

YJ: You can say 烟花 yan1 hua1.

Cam: yan1 hua1.

YJ:烟 yan1 means the smoke.

Cam: yan1.

YJ:花 hua1 means flower, since fireworks usually shape like flowers,

Cam: right, hua1

YJ:烟花 yan1 hua1.

Cam: yan1 hua1, fireworks.

YJ: then watch the fireworks would be "看烟花 kan4 yan1 hua1"

Cam: kan4 yan1 hua1. kan4 means to watch, right?

YJ: yes, kan4 yan1 hua1

Cam: kan4 yan1 hua1, watch fireworks.

Conversation 1:

A:准备好,快要倒数了。

B:好的好的。

A:新年的时候会放烟花吗?

B:会放烟花。

Cam: You know Yajie, to mark the New Year, sometimes people sing Auld Lang Syne… I know it's very popular in China.

YJ: You bet. We have the Chinese name for the song. We call it "友谊地久天长"

Cam: what does it mean?

YJ: It means "everlasting friendship". You3yi4友谊 means friendship,

Cam: you3yi4, right, like the Friendship Hotel where foreigners used to live.

YJ:地久天长 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2, means as long and enduring as heaven and earth,

Cam: it is everlasting. di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2,

YJ:地 di4 means earth,

Cam: di4,

YJ:天 tian1 means heaven,

Cam: tian1

YJ:久 jiu3 and 长 chang2 both means everlasting,

Cam: jiu3, chang2.

YJ:地久天长 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2,

Cam: di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2, as long and enduring as heaven and earth,

YJ: so the Chinese name for Auld Lang Syne is 友谊地久天长 you3 yi4 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2.

Cam: you3 yi4 di4 jiu3 tian1 chang2,everlasting friendship.

Conversation 2:

(1)A:你知道《友谊地久天长》这首歌吗?

B:知道啊。新年的时候经常会唱。

Cam: And finally, after all the festivities, we reach New Year's Day,

YJ: Get ready to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new!

Cam: Alrighty, Yajie, the first new Chinese word I want to learn is how to say "New Year's Day"

YJ: it's yuan2 dan4.元旦。

Cam: yuan2 dan4.

YJ:元 yuan2 means the first,

Cam: yuan2

YJ:旦 dan4 means the day,

Cam: dan4,

YJ:元旦 yuan2 dan4.

Cam: yuan2 dan4. New Year's day. Then how do you say Happy New Year?

YJ: it's "新年快乐 xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4"

Cam: xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4

YJ:新 xin1 means new ,

Cam: xin1

YJ:年 nian2 means year,

Cam: nian2,

YJ:快乐 kuai4 le4 means happy,

Cam: kuai4 le4,

YJ:新年快乐 xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4

Cam: xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4, Happy New Year!

Conversation 3:

A:今天是元旦,祝你新年快乐!

B:也祝你新年快乐!

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Key Words Reminder

countdown 倒数,Fireworks 烟花,Auld Lang Syne 友谊地久天长, New Year's Day 元旦 Happy New Year!新年快乐 All in today's Chinese Studio.

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Cam: We've run out of time already!

YJ: Let's get to our question of the day. How do you say "countdown" in Chinese?

Cam: See ya tomorrow!

Yajie: Ming tian jian.

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