Chinese For Dummies (100 page)

táifēng
台风
(
颱風
) (tye-fung) (
typhoon
)

yǔjì
雨季
(yew-jee) (
rainy season
)

Planning to travel
cóng Xiōngyálì
从
(
從
)
匈牙利
(tsoong shyoong-yah-lee) (
from Hungary
)
dào Xiānggǎng
到香港
(daow shyahng-gahng) (
to Hong Kong
) anytime soon? How about
cóng Rìběn
从日本
(
從日本
)
(tsoong ir-bun)
(
from Japan
)
dào Mòxīgē
到墨西哥
(daow maw-she-guh) (
to Mexico
) instead? Wherever you travel, you always go
cóng
(tsoong) (
from
)
one place
dào
(daow)
(
to
) another. Here are some good phrases to know when you tell people about your upcoming travel plans, using the
cóng . . . dào
pattern:

Cóng Nánfēi dào Zāyīěr duō cháng shíjiān?
从南非到扎伊尔多长时间
? (
從南非到扎伊爾多長時間
?) (tsoong nahn-fay daow zah-ee-are dwaw chahng shir-jyan?) (
How long does it take to get from South Africa to Zaire?
)

Nǐmen shénme shíhòu cóng Zhōngguó dào zhèr lái?
你们什么时侯从中国到这儿来
? (
你們甚麼時候從中國到這兒來
?)
(nee-mun shummuh shir-ho tsoong joong-gwaw daow jar lye?) (
When are you all coming here from China?
)

Tā míngtiān cóng Yǐsèliè dào Ruìdiǎn qù.
她明天从以色列到瑞典去
. (
她明天從以色列到瑞典去
.)
(tah meeng-tyan tsoong ee-suh-lyeh daow rway-dyan chyew.) (
She's going from Israel to Sweden tomorrow.
)

Wǒ cóng Niǔyuē dào Jiāzhōu qù.
我从纽约到加州去
. (
我從紐約到加州去
.)
(waw tsoong nyo-yweh daow jyah-joe chyew.) (
I'm going from New York to California.
)

Talkin' the Talk

Páng Lǎoshī
(pahng laow-shir) (
Professor Pang
) asks his American student, Wendy, where she plans to go during the upcoming winter vacation. She has already been in Tianjin studying Chinese for four months. (Track 18)

Páng Lǎoshī:

Wendy, nǐ hán jià de shíhòu xiǎng qù nǎr?

Wendy, nee hahn jyah duh shir-ho shyahng chyew nar?

Wendy, where do you plan on going during the winter vacation?

Wendy:

Yīnwèi wǒ yǐjīng zài Tiānjīn sì ge yuè le, suǒyǐ wǒ xiǎng zhōngyú qù Fēizhōu kànkàn.

een-way waw ee-jeeng dzye tyan-jeen suh guh yweh luh, swaw-yee waw shyahng joong-yew chyew fay-joe kahn-kahn.

Because I've already been in Tianjin for four months, I'd like to finally go to Africa to have a look.

Páng Lǎoshī:

Fēizhōu! Nèmme yuán. Wèishénme yào qù nàr?

fay-joe! nummuh ywan. way-shummuh yaow chyew nar?

Africa! So far away. Why do you want to go there?

Wendy:

Yīnwèi dōngtiān de shíhòu Tiānjīn tài lěng. Ěrqiě zài Fēizhōu kěyǐ cānjiā yóuliè!

een-way doong-tyan duh shir-ho tyan-jeen tye lung. are-chyeh dzye fay-joe kuh-yee tsahn-jyah yo-lyeh!

Because winters in Tianjin are too cold. What's more, in Africa I can take part in a safari!

Páng Lǎoshī:

Cóng Yàzhōu dào Fēizhōu zuò fēijī jǐge xiǎoshí?

tsoong yah-joe daow fay-joe dzwaw fay-jee jee-guh shyaow-shir?

How many hours is it from Asia to Africa by plane?

Wendy:

Cóng Tiānjīn dào Tǎnsāngníyà yào chàbùduō shísān ge xiǎoshí.

tsoong tyan-jeen daow tahn-sahng-nee-yah yaow chah-boo-dwaw shir-sahn guh shyaow-shir.

From Tianjin to Tanzania, it takes about 13 hours.

Páng Lǎoshī:

Qǐng dài huí lái hěn duō xiàngpiàn gěi wǒ kànkàn.

cheeng dye hway lye hun dwaw shyahng-pyan gay waw kahn-kahn.

Please bring back lots of pictures to show me.

Wendy:

Yídìng huì.

ee-deeng hway.

I certainly will.

Passports and Visas: Don't Leave Home without 'Em

Surprise! Actually, the fact that you need a valid
hùzhào
护照
(
護照
) (hoo-jaow) (
passport
) and a
qiānzhèng
签证
(
簽證
) (chyan-juhng) (
visa
) if you want to enter mainland China or Taiwan should come as no surprise. And if you plan on visiting a couple of different countries in the region for any length of time, you may need a couple of different
qiānzhèng
to go with each destination. Check to see what regulations apply before you board your
fēijī
飞机
(
飛機
) (fay-jee) (
airplane
), or you may have the shortest vacation experience of your life.

In the course of securing a visa or two, you'll probably have to locate, navigate, deal with, or ask for the following:

B xíng gānyán yìmiǎo
B
型肝炎疫苗
(pronunciation) (
Hepatitis B shot
)

dāncí rùjìng qiānzhèng
单次入境签证
(
單次入境簽證
) (dahn-tsuh roo-jeeng chyan-juhng) (
single-entry visa
)

dàshǐguǎn
大使馆
(
大使館
) (dah-shir-gwan) (
embassy
)

duōcí rùjìng qiānzhèng
多次入境签证
(
多次入境簽證
) (dwaw-tsuh roo-jeeng chyan-juhng) (
multiple-entry visa
)