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🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese · Fluency Level 1

PART 1 · LESSON 1 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES Free

A Call from Chengdu

Take Grandma Deng's New Year call with Master Chen: trade the greeting, ask after her health, hear her hesitate with the little words people say while they think, hear that the teahouse can hardly keep going, guess it is the rent, and promise to come in May.

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Lesson 1 · A Call from Chengdu

Mandarin Chinese · 30 minutes

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0:0029:50
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THE STORY

The Chens' kitchen in Longjing village on New Year's Day, dumplings on the table, Master Chen's phone between them and Owen leaning in to listen.

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Words and phrases

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老陈， 新年 好！lǎo chén, xīnnián hǎoOld Chen, happy New Year!
身体 还 好 吧？shēntǐ hái hǎo bakeeping well, word for word body still good
新年 好！ 身体 还 好 吧？xīnnián hǎo, shēntǐ hái hǎo baHappy New Year! Keeping well?
您 别 急， 慢慢 说。nín bié jí, mànmàn shuōDon't rush, take your time. Politely.
那个， 就是，nàge, jiùshìum, it's just, the two filler words
还 行。 那个， 就是， 茶馆 的 事。hái xíng, nàge, jiùshì, cháguǎn de shìStill all right. Um, it's just, about the teahouse.
邓 奶奶， 怎么 了？dèng nǎinai, zěnme leGrandma Deng, what's the matter?
开 不 下 去 了。kāi bú xiàqù lecan't keep going, word for word open not down go
茶馆 快 开 不 下 去 了。cháguǎn kuài kāi bú xiàqù leThe teahouse can hardly keep going.
然后 就 没 人 来 了。ránhòu jiù méi rén lái leAnd then nobody came any more.
房租 的 事， 对 吧？fángzū de shì, duì baIt's the rent, right?
来 嘛！lái macome, won't you, with the coaxing word
对。 五月 你们 来 嘛！duì, wǔyuè nǐmen lái maRight. Come in May, won't you!
我们 五月 一定 来！wǒmen wǔyuè yídìng láiWe'll certainly come in May!