ABC #14: Getting Around 🚇 Zěnme Qù?
Nǐ zěnme qù gōngsī?
Note from John
This week in All the Basics of Chinese (ABC), we’re learning how to talk about feelings and how you’re doing. In ABC #10, you used adjectives to describe the weather. Now we use those same patterns to describe yourself! Words like happy, tired, and stressed come up in almost every real conversation, so this is one you won’t want to skip.
Is there a feeling or emotion word you’ve been wondering how to say in Chinese? Ask us a question!
Pronunciation Power-up [fāyīn]
In the Lesson, you should have one big question about pronunciation. Here’s the answer!
Question: How do you say “zěnme qù”?
Remember that “z” in pinyin sounds more like “dz” to English speakers, and that “zěn“ is third tone, meaning it needs to be low. The following “me” is neutral tone, so it is light and not low.
The “q” sound in pinyin in the word “qù” is not the same as “ch” in English. We’ve been over this before, but it bears repeating. The sooner you can master this, the sooner your Chinese will start to sound more native-like.
[More detail on the Chinese Pronunciation Wiki… be sure to follow the links above!]
Dialogue Drop [duìhuà]
As usual, try it first with pinyin only! Try to follow along with just the audio and pinyin first. The English translation is further below.
A: Nǐ zěnme qù gōngsī?
B: Wǒ zuò dìtiě. Nǐ ne?
A: Wǒ zuò gōngjiāo.
B: Zuò gōngjiāo yào duōjiǔ?
A: Dàgài èrshí fēnzhōng.
OK, now for the English translation.
A: How do you get to work?
B: I take the subway. What about you?
A: I take the bus.
B: How long does the bus take?
A: About 20 minutes.
Vocab Bites [cíhuì]
zěnme - how; in what way
qù - to go (to)
gōngsī - company; office
zuò - to take (transport); to sit
dìtiě - subway; metro
gōngjiāo - public bus
duōjiǔ - how long (time)
dàgài - approximately; about
fēnzhōng - minute(s)
Grammar Grains [yǔfǎ]
Follow the links to more extensive explanations on AllSet Learning’s very own Chinese Grammar Wiki.
How to do something with “zenme”
怎么 (zěnme) means “how” in Chinese, and it’s not hard to use at all: just put it before a verb.
Structure
The question word 怎么 (zěnme) is used to ask how in Chinese. It is inserted in front of the verb that's being asked about:
A: Nǐ zěnme qù?
Note that the subject can often be omitted from general “how to” questions, and there doesn’t always have to be an object.
Culture Crumbs [wénhuà]
Why the Subway Is So Popular in China
Many visitors to China are surprised by how heavily people use the subway.
In this week’s dialogue, one speaker takes the subway to work. In large Chinese cities (Shanghai, Beijing, etc.), this is often one of the fastest and most reliable ways to travel.
Over the past few decades, China has built extensive metro networks in cities across the country. For many commuters, the subway is preferred because it avoids traffic congestion and operates on a predictable schedule.
That is why transportation vocabulary appears so often in everyday Chinese. Understanding these transportation habits can also help you better understand many real world conversations in modern China.
Thanks for reading ABC (All the Basics of Chinese)!
This post is public so feel free to share it.
Never Tried Lessons with AllSet Learning?
Well, we have a special deal just for you. It’s called the “New Friend 66” deal. You can try out our highly customized, real-time one-on-one lessons without a big commitment.
What You’ll Get:
3 live, one-on-one online lessons, 60 minutes each, targeted at your level
One carefully designed lesson from one of our 16 online courses for each lesson
Grammar points which match the material and suit the discussion
Vocabulary tracking based on what you actually cover with our teachers
Experienced, trained AllSet Learning teachers patiently guiding you and encouraging you to talk
Give it a try and get your Chinese on track!