Intermediate - Asking to Be Paid Back
Right-Wingnut
March 29, 2013 at 08:39 AM posted in Transcripts with TalLesson here.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:46 AM
John: So you just use 借. Its clear that you want the 100 RMB.
Dilu: 对。当然你也可以说：你能借给我一百块吗？
John: So both are correct and both are natural?
Dilu: 是的。
John: But I think the most natural way for Chinese people is to drop all the extra words and make it just barely clear given the context.
Dilu: 当然你要通过很多的联系，才可以书写这些东西。
John: So get out there and practise borrowing and lending money, and then you can improve your language skills.
Dilu: Wow，不要借大钱，要借一点小钱。
John: Alright, that's it for today. See you on ChinesePod.com.
Dilu: 再见。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:38 AM
Dilu: 是的。
John: Now what about 'borrow'.
Dilu: 你可以说：向谁借。
John: So 向 a person 借 means 'borrow from that person'.
Dilu: 是的。我向他借了一万块。
John: 'I borrowed 10000 from him'.
Dilu: 对。那这两个就会比较清楚。
John: OK, that's pretty clear. Now what if you just want to ask your friend 'Hey, can I borrow 100 RMB?' ? How would you say that one?
Dilu: 你能借我一百块吗？
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:31 AM
11:32
Dilu: 没错。两个都可以。
John: Now we're really hoping that there's some other less ambiguous ways to say these. Is there?
Dilu: 那当然是有的了。
John: So can you shed some light on that issue please.
Dilu: 比如说：借给这个词就是 lend。
John: 借给, 'lend to'. OK.
Dilu: 你可以说：借给我一万块。借给他一万块。
John: So that's not ambiguous.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:26 AM
11:21
John: Let's go over a few more expressions related to lending and borrowing money because these can be confusing.
Dilu: 好。
John: So we said at the beginning that 借钱 can be 'lend money', and it can be 'borrow money'.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:24 AM
Dilu: 当然这个不是一个 suggestion。这个人他只是有一些不耐烦了。
John: So his friend is getting a bit impatient with his 不好意思.
Dilu: 对对对。这个也不好意思，那个也不好意思。
John: You'll notice that there's a 了 here. This 了 is: if you want the money back, and you're trying to get it back, then you change your mind and decide to stop trying to get it back, that's a change of situation.
Dilu: 对。情况不一样了。所以要加一个＇了＇。那就别要了。
John: Got it. Let's listen to that dialog one more time.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:16 AM
Dilu: 对。就是你借给他的这个一万块。
John: The money that you already lent him, have him lend it back.
Dilu: 因为你这样说的话，他应该就知道了。
John: OK, very tricky. And then ...
Dilu: 如果你还是不好意思，那就别要了。那就别要了。
John: 别要了. This 要, is that the same as 找他要 ?
Dilu: 对。就是要钱的要。
John: So just don't ask for it, and if you never get it back then its your own problem.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:09 AM
John: Obviously if you need money, its some problem. So 有事, and then what?
Dilu: 急需用钱。
John: This 急, 2nd tone, is that 'anxious'?
Dilu: 对。就是很急。
John: 'Urgent'?
Dilu: 是的是的。
John: And then 需 - is that like 需要？
Dilu: 没错。就是需要。很急得需要用钱。
John: So you have an urgent need for this money.
Dilu: 而且你要问：能不能借我一万块？
John: 'Can you lend me 10000?'
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:03 AM
8:32
John: So then he'll definitely remember what he owes. How do you say 'remember'?
Dilu: 想起来了。
John: 想起来 is like 'recall'.
Dilu: 是的。可是他还是不好意思。
John: Still embarrassed. So what's the other idea?
Dilu: 那就说你有事，急需用钱。
John: This 有事 is some kind of problem.
Dilu: 对。中国人说＇有事＇，他不太会告诉你原因，他就会说是比较重要的事情。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 02:57 AM
8:03
John: You have a specific purpose for it.
Dilu: 缺钱这个词就感觉钱不多，这个意思。但是你好像没有说需要用［？钱 - or 之前?］。
John: If you need money, you might be really rich and you just want to start a new company, and you just need a little bit more ...
Dilu: 对。
John: ... funding, you can say 需要钱.
Dilu: [li?]，对。
John: Got it. So in this case - 缺钱 - he's just low on money at the moment. So if you say all that, then ...
Dilu: 他肯定就想起来了。他肯定就想起来了。
Dilu:
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 02:49 AM
Dilu: 对。
John: How is that different from 穷?
Dilu: 缺钱指的就是现在的一个情况。
John: So its right now. For the time being you're lacking money. You're not necessarily always poor.
Dilu: 对。那穷的话指的就是：没有什么钱，就一直都是这样。
John: So 穷 is more long term poor. OK. Now what about 需要钱 - need money - compared to 缺钱 ?
Dilu: 需要钱的话，你知道这个钱要用在哪里。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 02:26 AM
7:04
Dilu: 但是我们这个借钱的人，他不太好意思。
John: So he's embarrassed, directly asked for the money back. So what's the indirect way to ask for it?
Dilu: 那你跟他说最近很穷。
John: 穷, 2nd tone, that means 'poor'.
Dilu: 是的。第二声。很缺钱。
John: 缺钱 - 1st tone, 2nd tone - that means 'to lack money'.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 02:20 AM
6:31
Dilu: 这个＇又＇指是在这里加强语气。常常是用在否定句里面的。
John: So its emphasising that you're 'not' a rich guy. Kind of like in English we can say 'you're not a rich guy' and then we can also say 'you're no rich guy'. Its a slight emphasis. Could we have one other example of this 又.
Dilu: 你可以说：我又不是老板，不要问我要钱。
John: 'I'm not the boss, don't ask ME for money'. Got it.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 02:11 AM
Dilu: 是的。
John: OK. So 找他要 is just 找他要钱.
Dilu: 对。就是 say it directly。
John: Directly asking for it back. And another reason to do it directly is ...
Dilu: 你又不是大款。你又不是大款。
John: So you're not a 大款, what is that?
Dilu: 大款指的就是有钱人。
John: That's 4th tone and 3rd tone.
Dilu: 没错。大款。
John: So you're not a rich guy, but why do we have this 又 in here? 你又不是大款.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:58 AM
5:32
Dilu: 是的是的。为什么不主动还我。
John: The solution is obvious. It is ...
Dilu: 找他要啊。找他要啊。
John: 'Find him and want it'.
Dilu: 这个＇要＇是 ask for 的意思。
John: Ask for. So 'find him and ask for it'.
Dilu: 对。我们常常会说：要钱。要钱就是：问别人拿这个钱。
John: So 'ask for money' ...
Dilu: 没错。
John: ... is 要钱.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:52 AM
5:05
Dilu: 他应该不会忘记。
John: So if he hasn't forgotten it, then he should return it.
Dilu: 可他为什么不主动还我。不主动还我。
John: We have this word 主动, that's 3rd tone - 4th tone. It means something like 'proactive'.
Dilu: 是的。第三声和第四声。主动。
John: And that means 'of your own will'. Why do you have to pester him? He should do it on his own.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:47 AM
4:32
John: So its no small amount of money. And because its no small amount of money, ... what?
Dilu: 他应该不会忘记。他应该不会忘记。
John: So its 'he should will not forget'. Now this 不会, it doesn't necessarily mean 'will not', it means there's not much possibility that this will have happened.
Dilu: 没错。是指不太可能。
John: So sometimes this 会 becomes a 'would' in English, its hypothetical. So we might translate this as 'he probably wouldn't forget that'.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:42 AM
4:03
Dilu: 普通话。
John: Same 普通.
Dilu: 是的。一样的普通。
John: So this is a 普通朋友.
Dilu: 那如果他是一个普通朋友，一万块钱不是小钱。
John: So 'its not small money', 'its not small change'.
Dilu: 是指这个钱比较多。
John: So if we say 不是小钱, is that a set phrase, is it often for the negative?
Dilu: 对。常常会用在否定句里面。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:34 AM
John: Like a close buddy, a 'bro'.
Dilu: 没错。关系好的像 iron 一样。
John: 铁哥们儿. So the tones are ...
Dilu: ＇铁＇是第三声，＇哥＇是第一声，然后就是一个轻声。铁哥们儿。铁哥们儿。
John: And then what do we say, just like a regular friend, a normal friend?
Dilu: 普通朋友。普通朋友。
John: What are the tones on 普通?
Dilu: 第三声和第一声。普通。
John: That often means 'common', like the word for the common speech of mainland China is what?
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:28 AM
Dilu: 有可能。
John: So the situation is the guy lent 10000, its been quite a few months, he hasn't gotten it back. So then the other friend asks a key question.
Dilu: 对。他问：铁哥们儿还是普通朋友？
John: So is your friend an 'iron buddy' or a regular friend?
Dilu: 那在男人之间，比较好的朋友，比较 close 的朋友，他们都会说：铁哥们儿。铁哥们儿。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:24 AM
2:30
John: So 几个月 means 'several months'.
Dilu: 是的。
John: If we say 好几个月, how does that change it?
Dilu: 感觉上就是 more than several months。
John: So quite a few months probably.
Dilu: 对。比几个月再多一点点。
John: So if you hear this 好几个月了, 'its been quite a few months'.
Dilu: 是的。
John: How many would you guess that it has been, just off the top of your head?
Dilu: 好几个月应该是四五个月了。
John: Four or five months. Maybe even five or six months.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:18 AM
2:01
Dilu: 对。两个都有可能。
John: And then what's the key word that tells us that this person borrowed 10000 from the guy?
Dilu: 这个 key word 在后面。还没还。还没还。
John: 还 (huán), 2nd tone, that means 'to return'.
Dilu: 对。第二声。就是＇还钱＇。
John: 还钱 means to return money that was borrowed.
Dilu: 是的。而且呢，已经过了好几个月了。好几个月了还没还。
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:12 AM
John: In the first sentence we get the context for the rest of the dialog. Can we hear that again.
Dilu: 有个朋友借了我一万块，好几个月了还没还。
John: 借了我一万块. Is there enough context here to know whether that's 'lent me 10000' or 'borrowed from me 10000' ?
Dilu: 如果没有后面帮助的话，你是不知道的。
John: So without the rest of the sentence, we can't tell whether this is 'lent me 10000' or 'borrowed from me 10000'.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:06 AM
0:33
Dilu: 没错。没错。
John: We're going to go into this in more detail, but first the dialog.
Dilu: 好。先听一下对话。
0:38 - Dialog
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 01:05 AM
John: Hi Intermediate learners, this is ChinesePod, my name is John.
Dilu: 大家好，我是Dilu。
John: And today we have a very important lesson about getting your money back.
Dilu: 对。因为你借了钱给别人。
John: You lent money to someone. How do you say 'lend money'?
Dilu: 借钱。借钱。
John: 4th tone, 2nd tone.
Dilu: 没错。
John: But then how do you say 'borrow money'?
Dilu: 也是借钱。
John: So the same expression is for lending and borrowing, so obviously you're going to have to pay attention to the context.
Right-Wingnut
March 31, 2013 at 03:38 AM12:30-end