Online Mandarin Course: Can you speak Chinese?

 说 <shuō> to SAY, to SPEAK

你说什么？[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401nishuoshenme.mp3″ title=””]

<Nǐ shuō shénme?>

You to say what?

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

Translate: I SAY (that) THEIR DISHES ARE DELICIOUS.

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我说他们的菜很好吃。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401woshuotamendecaihenhaochi.mp3″ title=””]

<Wǒ shuō tāmen de cài hěn hǎochī.>  [/expand]

他说汉语吗？[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401tashuohanyuma.mp3″ title=””]

<Tā shuō hànyǔ ma?>

DOES HE SPEAK CHINESE?

他不说汉语。。。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401tabushuohanyu.mp3″ title=””]

<Tā bù shuō hànyǔ. . .>

HE DOES NOT SPEAK CHINESE…

 只 <zhǐ> ONLY

 we place it IN FRONT OF THE VERB

。。。他只说英语。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401tazhishuoyingyu.mp3″ title=””]

<. . . tā zhǐ shuō yīngyǔ.>

…HE ONLY SPEAKS ENGLISH.

Translate: I BOUGHT JUST A RED TEA.

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我只买了红茶。

<Wǒ zhǐ mǎile hóngchá.>  [/expand]

 会 <huì> to BE ABLE TO   

 中文 <zhōngwén> CHINESE LANGUAGE

你会说中文吗？[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401nihuishuozhongwenma.mp3″ title=””]

<Nǐ huì shuō hànyǔ ma?>

CAN YOU SPEAK CHINESE?

Translate: CAN YOU COOK (to DO+FOOD)?

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你会做饭吗？

<Nǐ huì zuòfàn ma?>  [/expand]

 一点 <yīdiǎn> A BIT (used with something)

我会说一点中文。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401wohuishuoyidianzhongwen.mp3″ title=””]

<Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎn zhōngwén.>

I CAN SPEAK LITTLE CHINESE.

 一点点 <yīdiǎndian> A BIT (used alone)

我只会说一点点。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401wozhihuishuoyidiandian.mp3″ title=””]

<Wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yī diǎndiǎn.>

I only to be able to speak a little.

 说话 <shuōhuà> to SPEAK (话 is an object here)

Translate: HE IS SPEAKING NOW.

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他现在说话。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401taxianzaishuohua.mp3″ title=””]

<Tā xiànzài shuōhuà.> [/expand]

Translate: HE LIKES TO SPEAK.

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他喜欢说话。[mp3j flow=”y” track=”http://chineseffect.com/audio/0401/0401taxihuanshuohua.mp3″ title=””]

<Tā xǐhuān shuōhuà.>  [/expand]

There is a special visual for the word A BIT…