Published by: Chinese080808
Companion grammar guide found here.

汉字 Pinyin English
(Edward) (Google Translate) (Edward)
中午咱们都去宋华家吃火锅，他爸爸、妈妈要我们跟他们一起过新年。 Zhōngwǔ zánmen dōu qù Sòng Huá jiā chī huǒguō, tā bàba, māmā yào wǒmen gēn tāmen yīqǐguò xīnnián. At noon we will all go to Song Hua’s home to have hotpot, his father and mother want us to spend the new year together with them.
在北京过新年一定很有意思。小云，为什么北京很多饭馆都有火锅？是不是因为现在天气冷，所以北京人常吃火锅？ Zài Běijīng guò xīnnián yīdìng hěn yǒuyìsi. Xiǎo Yún, wèishéme Běijīng hěnduō fànguǎn dōu yǒu huǒguō? Shì bùshì yīnwèi xiànzài tiānqì lěng, suǒyǐ Běijīng rén cháng chī huǒguō? Spending the new year in Beijing is definitely very interesting. Xiao Yun, why to many small restaurats in Beijing all have hotpot? Is it because the weather is cold at the moment, therefore Beijing people often eat hotpot?
不是。北京人就爱吃火锅，主要是涮羊肉，天气热的时候也吃。北京的涮羊肉跟北京烤鸭一样有名。 Bùshì. Běijīng rén jiù ài chī huǒguō, zhǔyào shi shuài yángròu, tiānqì rè de shíhou yě chī. Běijīng de shuài yángròu gēn Běijīng kǎoyā yīyàng yǒumíng. No. Beijing people just love eating hotpot, mainly instant-boiled mutton, and also eat it when the weather is hot. Beijing instant-boiled mutton is just as famous as Beijing roast duck.
过新年的时候北京人都吃涮羊肉吗？ Guò xīnnián de shíhou Běijīng rén dōu chī shuài yángròu ma? Duing the new year do Beijing people always eat instant-boiled mutton?
不一定。 Bù yīdìng. Not necessarily.
你说说北京人怎么过新年。 Nǐ shuō shuō Běijīng rén zěnme guò xīnnián. You tell me, how do Beijing people spend the new year?
跟西方人一样，很多人去旅行。也可能开车去郊区玩儿，或者去锻炼身体。 Gēn xīfāng rén yīyàng, hěnduō rén qù lǚxíng. Yě kěnéng kāichē qù jiāoqū wánr, huòzhě qù duànliàn shēntǐ. Just like Western people, many people go travelling. Also might take a drive out to the suburbs, or go exercising.
晚上常常做些什么？ Wǎnshàng chángcháng zuò xiē shénme? What do they usually do in the evening?
晚上看京剧、听音乐会或者跟朋友聚会。我说林娜，快点儿吧！你化妆化了半个小时了。咱们得早点儿走。 Wǎnshàng kàn jīngjù, tīng yīnyuè huì huòzhě gēn péngyǒu jùhuì. Wǒ shuō Lín Nà, kuài diǎnr ba! Nǐ huàzhuāng huàle bàn gè xiǎoshíliǎo. Zánmen děi zǎodiǎnr zǒu. In the evening watch Peking opera, listen to concerts or get together with friends. I must say, Lin Na, you should hurry a little! You have been doing your makeup for half and hour. We must leave soon.
一会儿就好。今天晚上咱们还要去听音乐会，所以得正式一点儿。 Yīhuǐr jiù hǎo. Jīntiān wǎnshàng zánmen hái yào qù tīng yīnyuè huì, suǒyǐ děi zhèngshì yīdiǎnr. I’ll be done in a moment. This evening we are going to listen to a concert, so must be a little more formal.
你知道吗？今天晚上听中国民乐，它跟西方音乐很不一样。 Nǐ zhīdào ma? Jīntiān wǎnshàng tīng Zhōngguó mínyuè, tā gēn xīfāng yīnyuè hěn bù yīyàng. Do you know? This evening we will listen to Chinese folk music, it is very different to Western music.
我知道，中国民乐主要是用民族乐器演奏的中国音乐。刚来的时候我不太习惯听民乐，可是现在我很爱听。 Wǒ zhīdào, Zhōngguó mínyuè zhǔyào shi yòng mínzú yuèqì yǎnzòu de Zhōngguó yīnyuè. Gāng lái de shíhou wǒ bù tài xíguàn tīng mínyuè, kěshì xiànzài wǒ hěn ài tīng. I know, Chinese folk music mainly uses ethnic instruments to perform the Chinese music. When I just arrived I was not used to listening to ethnic music, but now I love listening to it.
你喜欢《春江花月夜》吗？ Nǐ xǐhuan “Chūn Jiāng Huā Yuèyè” ma? Do you like “River on a Spring Night”?
啊，《春江花月夜》美极了。我已经买了这个乐曲的光盘，今天还要再买一些，给我朋友寄去。咱们怎么去宋华家？坐出租车还是坐公共汽车？ A,“Chūn Jiāng Huā Yuèyè” měi jíle. Wǒ yǐjīng mǎile zhège yuèqǔ de guāngpán, jīntiān hái yào zài mǎi yīxiē, gěi wǒ péngyǒu jì qù. Zánmen zěnme qù Sòng Huá jiā? Zuò chūzū chē háishì zuò gōnggòng qìchē? Ah, “River on a Spring Night” is so beautiful. I have already bought a CD with this song, today I also bought a few copies to send to my friends. How are we going to get to Song Hua’s home? Take a taxi or take the bus?
今天路上的车一定很多。出租车比公共汽车快多了，坐出租车吧。 Jīntiān lùshàng de chē yīdìng hěnduō. Chūzū chē bǐ gōnggòng qìchē kuài duōle, zuò chūzū chē ba. There will definitely be a lot of traffic today. Taking a taxi will be much faster than taking the bus, so we should take a taxi.
咱们还没有买礼物呢。送花儿是西方人的习惯，我们参加聚会的时候也可以带吃的、喝的。中国人去朋友家的时候送什么？ Zánmen hái méiyǒu mǎi lǐwù ne. Sòng huār shì xīfāng rén de xíguàn, wǒmen cānjiā jùhuì de shíhou yě kěyǐ dài chī de, hē de. Zhōngguó rén qù péngyǒu jiā de shíhou sòng shénme? We also have not bought a gift. Giving flowers is the Western custom, to the party we can take some flowers and also something to eat and drink. When Chinese people go to a friends home what do they bring?
过去常送一些吃的、喝的或者用的，现在的年轻人跟西方人一样，也常送花儿。 Guòqù cháng sòng yīxiē chī de, hē de huòzhě yòng de, xiànzài de niánqīng rén gēn xīfāng rén yīyàng, yě cháng sòng huār. Previously they usually brought something to eat, drink or use. Young people these days are similar to Western people, and take flowers.
咱们买些花儿，再带些吃的吧。 Zánmen mǎi xiē huār, zài dài xiē chī de ba. We can buy some flowers, and also take something to eat.
好。别忘了把照相机带去。 Hǎo. Bié wàngle bǎ zhàoxiàngjī dài qù. Sounds good. Don’t forget to take your camera.
我的照相机呢？ Wǒ de zhàoxiàngjī ne? Whereabouts is my camera?
在电话旁边。 Zài diànhuà pángbiān. It’s besides the telephone.
大为和力波怎么不给咱们打个电话？ Dàwéi hé Lìbō zěnme bù gěi zánmen dǎ gè diànhuà? How come Dawei and Libo have not called us?
我不知道大为能不能去，因为他要跟女朋友一起去旅行。力波一定会去，他说要从这儿出发。 Wǒ bù zhīdào Dàwéi néng bùnéng qù, yīnwèi tā yào gēn nǚ péngyǒu yīqǐ qù lǚxíng. Lìbō yīdìng huì qù, tā shuō yào cóng zhèr chūfā. I don’t know if Dawei can come or not, because he wants to go travelling with his girlfriend. Libo is definitely coming, he said he will go from here.
再等一等他吧。 Zài děng yī děng tā ba. Let’s wait a little longer for him.
好。咱们把陆雨平也叫去，让他写一篇文章，介绍留学生在中国怎么过新年。 Hǎo. Zánmen bǎ Lù Yǔpíng yě jiào qù, ràng tā xiě yī piān wénzhāng, jièshào liúxuéshēng zài Zhōngguó zěnmeguò xīnnián. Ok. We should also call Lu Yuping, ask him to write an article introducing exchange students to new year is spent in China.
小云，林娜，新年好！恭喜恭喜！ Xiǎo Yún, Lín Nà, xīnnián hǎo! Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ! Xiao Yun, Lin Na, happy new year! Congratulations, congratulations!
恭喜你！大为呢？ Gōngxǐ nǐ! Dàwéi ne? Congratulations to you! Where’s Dawei?
大为昨天晚上就坐火车去南方了。 Dàwéi zuótiān wǎnshàng jiùzuò huǒchē qù nánfāngle. Yesterday evening Dawei took the train to go to the south.
你又来晚了。 Nǐ yòu lái wǎnle. You are late again.
真不好意思。二位小姐别着急，出租车已经来了。 Zhēn bù hǎoyìsi. Èr wèi xiǎojiě bié zhāojí, chūzū chē yǐjīng láile. Really sorry. You two ladies, don’t worry, the taxi has already come.
你把出租车叫来了，太好了。咱们快走。 Nǐ bǎ chūzū chē jiào láile, tài hǎole. Zánmen kuàizǒu. You called the taxi to come, great. Let’s go quickly.
你给宋华带什么礼物去？ Nǐ gěi Sòng Huá dài shénme lǐwù qù? Did you bring anything to give to Song Hua?
今年是马年，我又画了一匹马。你们看，画得怎么样？ Jīnnián shì mǎ nián, wǒ yòu huàle yī pǐ mǎ. Nǐmen kàn, huà de zěnme yàng? This year is the year of the Horse, so I have painted a horse. You two have look, how is it?