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Continued Tone Change Series #3 - Being Too Sick for Work

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IN THIS LESSON
ID: 4280 Elementary
In our previous newbie tone change series, we have introduced the tone change rules for 不, 一, two third tones, and three third tones. Just like many other aspects in the Chinese language, tone changes are more nuanced than the rules you see in textbooks. That's why for the elementary tone change series, we decided that we would reinforce the rules with the help of dialogues that you hear in everyday conversations. Practice and familiarize yourselves with the sounds, and you'll be a tone master in no time! In this episode, we're going to learn and practice the tone change rules for 不 [bù] through a phone conversation between a concerned colleague, and someone who is too sick to move or eat. Let's check it our right now!
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Detailed Vocabulary
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SIMPLIFIED PINYIN ENGLISH  
V.不下 bùxià verb complement denoting something will not fit
V.不动 bùdòng verb complement denoting one has no physical ability to do something
V.不V. ...or not
不用 bùyòng need not
怎么没接电话?
zěnme méi jiē diànhuà ?
How come you didn’t pick up the phone?
我生病了,吃不下也走不动。
wǒ shēngbìng le ,chī bù xià yě zǒu bù dòng 。
I was sick. Couldn’t eat and couldn’t even move.
你还好吗?要不要去看医生?
nǐ hái hǎo ma ?yào bù yào qù kàn yīshēng ?
Are you okay? Do you want to go see a doctor?
我明天去。今天不能去上班,怎么办?
wǒ míngtiān qù 。jīntiān bùnéng qù shàngbān ,zěnmebàn ?
I’ll go tomorrow. I can’t go to work today. What should I do?
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