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🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese · Fluency Level 1

PART 1 · LESSON 6 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Red Envelope

Ask Missus Lin and Missus Wang how much to put in the wedding envelope: hear it depends how close you are, say you're the best man, be told eight hundred and eighty, ask why not eight hundred, hear that eight sounds like getting rich and four like death, and offer six hundred and sixty.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Missus Lin's front room in Longjing village on an April evening, a red envelope on the table and two women who have given a hundred of them.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
我 包 多少？wǒ bāo duōshaoHow much do I put in?
随 份子？suí fènzithe cash gift, word for word follow one's share
随 份子？ 看 关系。suí fènzi, kàn guānxiA cash gift? It depends how close you are.
不 用 太 多。bú yòng tài duōNo need for too much.
我 当 伴郎。wǒ dāng bànlángI'm the best man.
包 八百 八。bāo bābǎi bāput in eight hundred and eighty
那 包 八百 八。nà bāo bābǎi bāThen put in eight hundred and eighty.
红包 要 新 的 钱。hóngbāo yào xīn de qiánA red envelope needs new bills.
我 去 银行 换。wǒ qù yínháng huànI'll go to the bank and change it.
为什么 不 是 八百？wèishénme bú shì bābǎiWhy not eight hundred?

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