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一、GREETINGS 打招呼及问候 

Scene One (between casual acquaintances) 情景1（熟人间）

树根: 你好（nǐ hǎo）！Hello ！

桂花: 你好（nǐ hǎo）！Hello！

树根: 近来怎么样（jìnlái zěnme yàng）？How’s it going?

桂花： 我挺好的。好久不见了, 你还好吧（wǒ tǐng hǎo de. hǎojiǔ bújiàn le, nǐ hái hǎo ba）？I’m fine. I haven’t seen you for a long time. How’s everything? 

树根: 马马虎虎（mǎmǎ-hūhū） Just so-so.

Substitution Drills  替换练习

你好（Nǐ hǎo）!Hello！

早上（zǎoshàng）morning

晚上（wǎnshàng）evening

近来怎么样？马马虎虎（jìnlái zěnme yàng? mǎmǎ-hūhū）。How have you been? Just so-so.

还行（hái xíng）。I’m alright.

还凑合（hái còuhe）。Not bad.

挺好的（tǐng hǎo de）。Fine

不太好（bú tài hǎo）。Not so good.

Scene Two (between old friends) 情景 2（老朋友间）

树根： 真巧啊，怎么是你（zhēn qiǎo a, zěnme shì nǐ）？What a coincidence meeting you here.

桂花： 咱们有两年没见了吧（zánmen yǒu liǎng nián méi jiàn le ba）? It’s been about two years since we last met, right?  (咱们：usually used in speaking; intimate expression for “we”.)

树根： 是啊，你还是老样子（shì a, nǐ háishì lǎo yàngzi）。Yes, you are still the same, you haven’t changed at all  (老样子：the same looking as before.)

桂花： 最近忙什么呢（zuìjìn máng shénme ne）? What have you been doing recently?

树根： 瞎忙呗，没啥正经事（xiā máng bei, méi shá zhèngjǐng shì）。I’m keeping busy, but nothing serious.

桂花： 你老婆还好吗（nǐ lǎopo hái hǎo ma）？How’s your wife doing? (老婆：colloquial, another expression of “wife”.)

树根： 托你的福，她还行（tuō nǐ de fú，tā hái xíng）。Thank you, she’s doing well. (托…福：Similar to saying “thank God”, but instead of God, you’re thanking the other person, as their good fortune results in your own good fortune.)

Substitution Drills  替换练习

你还是老样子（nǐ háishì lǎo yàngzi）。You are still the same, haven’t changed at all.

那么年轻（nàme niánqīng） as young as ever

那么漂亮（nàme piàoliang）as beautiful as ever (to woman)

那么迷人（nàme mírén）as attractive as ever (to woman)

那么英俊（nàme yīngjùn）as handsome as ever (to man)

你老婆还好吗（Nǐ lǎopo hái hǎo ma）？How’s your wife doing?

丈夫（zhàngfu) husband

父母（fùmǔ）parents

爷爷（yéye）grandfather

奶奶（nǎinai ）grandmother

孩子（háizi）children

女儿（nǚ’er）daughter

儿子（érzi）son

孙子（sūnzi）grandson

孙女（sūnnü）granddaughter

Scene Three (between neighbors) 情景 3 （邻里间）

A

大牛： 你出去啊（nǐ chūqù a）?  Are you going out?

茉莉： 出去溜达溜达（chūqù liūda-liūda）。I am going out for a walk (溜达：more like a stroll).

大牛： 吃了吗（chīle ma）？Have you eaten yet? (吃了吗: “Have you eaten yet?” is a question, but also a common way people greet each other in Beijing).

茉莉： 嗯，刚吃完（ǹg, gāng chī wán）。En, I just ate.

Substitution Drills  替换练习

你出去啊？出去溜达溜达（nǐ chūqù a? chūqù liūda-liūda）。Are you going out? I am going out for a walk.

走走（zǒuzou）to take a walk

转转（zhuànzhuan）to walk around

看看（kànkan）to look around

买点东西（mǎi diǎn dōngxi）to do some shopping

B

桂花： 你出去了（nǐ chūqù le）?  Did you go out?

玉梅： 我去买菜了（wǒ qù mǎicài le）。 I went grocery shopping.

桂花： 家里要来客人（jiā lǐ yào lái kèrén）？Are you expecting guests?

玉梅： 是啊，我家老头子单位的同事要来吃饭。（shì a, wǒ jiā lǎotóuzi dānwèi de tóngshì yào lái chīfàn）Yes, my husband’s colleagues are coming over for dinner. (老头子: old man; intimate expression of “husband” used by middle aged and older women.)

Substitution Drills  替换练习

你出去了？我去买菜了（nǐ chūqù le?  wǒ qù mǎicài le）。Did you go out? I went grocery shopping.

上班（shàngbān）to work

学校（xuéxiào） to school

办事（bànshì） to take care of some business

打篮球（dǎ lánqi）to play basketball

看电影（kàn diànyǐng） to see a movie

我家老头子单位的同事要来吃饭（wǒ jiā lǎotóuzi dānwèi de tóngshì yào lái chīfàn）My husband’s colleagues are coming over for dinner.

我儿子的女朋友（wǒ érzi de nǚpéngyou）my son’s girlfriend

我女儿的亲家（wǒ nǚ’er de qìnjia）my daughter’s parents-in-law

我的几个朋友（wǒ de jǐ gè péngyou）my friends

我们家的亲戚（wǒmén jiā de qīnqi）my relatives

Oral Exercises 口腔体操

A 他乡遇故知（tāxiāng yù gùzhī)（refers to one of the most joyful moments in life, literally, encountering an old acquaintance in a foreign land

B

“老乡见老乡，两眼泪汪汪。” (lǎoxiāng jiàn lǎoxiāng, liǎng yǎn lèiwāngwāng) (literally, fellow villager meets a fellow villager abroad, both of their eyes well up with tears because of the excitement)