Chinese For Dummies (58 page)

Of course, you can always guess your approximate size just by indicating you want to see something in one of the following categories:

xiǎo
小
(shyaow) (
small
)

zhōng
中
(joong) (
medium
)

dà
大
(dah) (
large
)

Talkin' the Talk

Kathryn approaches a salesperson at a department store in Beijing. She's unsure of what size to ask for because the measurement systems are different in China than they are in the United States.

Kathryn:

Xiǎojiě!

shyaow-jyeh!

Miss!

Fúwùyuán:

Nǐ hǎo. Xiǎng mǎi shénme?

nee how. shyahng my shummuh?

Hello. What would you like to buy?

Kathryn:

Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yíjiàn jiákè.

waw shyahng my ee-jyan jyah-kuh.

I'm looking for a jacket.

Fúwùyuán:

Hǎo ba. Nǐ chuān jǐ hào?

how bah. nee chwahn jee how?

Very well. What size are you?

Kathryn:

Wǒ bùzhīdào. Měiguó de hàomǎ hé Zhōngguó de hàomǎ hěn bùyíyàng.

waw boo-jir-daow. may-gwaw duh how-ma huh joong-gwaw duh how-ma hun boo-ee-yahng.

I don't know. American sizes are quite different from Chinese sizes.

Fúwùyuán:

Wǒ gūjì nǐ chuān xiǎohào.

waw goo-jee nee chwahn shyaow-how.

I would estimate you wear a size small.

Kathryn:

Hǎo ba. Nà, máfán nǐ gěi wǒ kànkàn xiǎohào de jiákè. Xièxiè.

how bah. nah, mah-fahn nee gay waw kahn-kahn shyaow-how duh jyah-kuh. shyeh-shyeh.

That sounds about right. Would you mind showing me the small-size jackets, then? Thank you.

Comparing quality: Good, better, best

When you want to let loose with a superlative in order to say something is absolutely the best — or, for that matter, the worst —always keep this one little word in mind:
zuì
最
(dzway), which means
the most
(it's the equivalent of the suffix
-est
).

Zuì
is a word just waiting for something to follow it; otherwise it doesn't have much meaning. Here are some superlatives you may need to use from time to time:

zuì hǎo
最好
(dzway how) (
best
)

zuì lèi
最累
(dzway lay) (
the most tired
)

zuì màn
最慢
(dzway mahn) (
the slowest
)

zuì máng
最忙
(dzway mahng) (
the busiest
)

zuì qíguài
最奇怪
(dzway chee-gwye) (
the strangest
)

zuì yǒumíng
最有名
(dzway yo-meeng) (
the most famous
)

zuì yǒuqián
最有钱
(
最有錢
) (dzway yo-chyan) (
the richest
)