Computers 电脑（1）

B: Ok, let's just check I remember from being in the library last week. A computer is a 电脑 diannao, dui ba?

Y: Dui, right on. Of course there are different types.

B: What do we call a desktop computer?

Y: usually we call it:台式机

B: tai2 shi4 ji1.

Y:台 tai2 means desk,

B: tai2,

Y:式 shi4 means the type,

B: shi4,

Y:机 ji1 means computer,

B: ji1,

Y:台式机 tai2 shi4 ji1.

B: tai2 shi4 ji1. desktop, And a laptop?

Y: you can say:笔记本电脑 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.

B: bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3. does 笔记本 bi3 ji4 ben3 mean lap?

Y: no… it means notebook. Probably it’s because laptop is portable like a notebook…

B: could be…bi3 ji4 ben3, notebook,

Y: and 电脑 dian4 nao3 means computer,

B: dian4 nao4,

Y:笔记本电脑 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.

B: bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3. laptop.

Conversation 1

A:你的是台式机还是笔记本电脑?

B:是一台笔记本电脑。

B: You know Y, I really need a laptop. When I walk into the shangdian, the shop, how do I say that?

Y: Try this,我想买台笔记本电脑

B: wo2 xiang2 mai3 tai2 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.

Y:我想 wo2 xiang3 means I'd like to do sth,

B: wo2 xiang3,

Y:买 mai3 means to buy,

B: mai3,

Y:台 tai2 is the measure word for computer. Here it's short for 一台 yi4 tai2, which means one,

B: tai2,

Y:笔记本电脑 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.laptop,

B: bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.

Y: Let's practice the whole sentence:我想买台笔记本电脑 wo2 xiang2 mai3 tai2 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3.

B: wo2 xiang2 mai3 tai2 bi3 ji4 ben3 dian4 nao3. I need a laptop

Conversation 2

A:你好,需要帮忙吗?

B:你好。我想买台笔记本电脑。

B: And the other thing I'm interested to know is, how big is the screen?

Y: With your eyesight B, that's a good question. The screen is 显示屏。

B: xian3 shi4 ping2.

Y:显示 xian3 shi4 means display or reveal,

B: xian3 shi4

Y:屏 ping2 means screen,

B: ping2,

Y:显示屏 xian3 shi4 ping2.

B: xian3 shi4 ping2. the screen.

Y: And the question: how big is the screen, in Chinese it's 显示屏有多大?

B: xian3 shi4 ping2 you3 duo2 da4?

Y:有 you3, literally means have,

B: you3,

Y:多大 duo2 da4 means how big,

B: duo2 da4.

Y:显示屏有多大? xian3 shi4 ping2 you3 duo2 da4?

B: xian3 shi4 ping2 you3 duo2 da4? How big is the screen?

Conversation 3

A:显示屏有多大?

B:17英寸