Work, contracts & learning Chinese again

你打算在中国呆多长时间？

Nǐ dǎsuàn zài zhōngguó dāi duō cháng shíjiān?

How long do you plan to stay in China?

一个外贸公司想邀请我去工作。

Yí ge wàimào gōngsī xiǎng yāoqǐng wǒ qù gōngzuò.

A foreign trade company wanted to invite me to work.

去美国工作的合同签了没有？

Qù měiguó gōngzuò de hétong qiān le méiyǒu?

Have you signed a contract to work in the United States?

她准备花三年时间把这本书翻译出来。

Tā zhǔnbèi huā sān nián shíjiān bǎ zhè běn shū fānyì chūlái.

She plans to spend three years translating the book.

我觉得搞中外文化交流工作很有意思。

Wǒ juéde gǎo zhōngwài wénhuà jiāoliú gōngzuò hěn yǒuyìsi.

I think it is very interesting to engage in cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

她的公司刚成立不久，很多业务还没有开展起来。

Tā de gōngsī gāng chénglì bùjiǔ, hěn duō yèwù hái méiyǒu kāizhǎn qǐlái.

Her company has just been established, and many businesses have not yet been launched.

回国后我还要继续学下去，要是不坚持学下去的话，学过的也会忘记的。

Huíguó hòu wǒ hái yào jìxù xué xiàqù, yàoshi bù jiānchí xué xiàqù dehuà, xuéguò de yě huì wàngjì de.

I will continue to learn after returning to China. If I don’t persist in learning, I will forget what I have learned.

我想抽空回家去看看爸爸妈妈，我已经好几年没回过家了。

Wǒ xiǎng chōukòng huí jiā qù kànkan bàba māma, wǒ yǐjīng hǎo jǐ nián méi huí guò jiā le.

I want to take the time to go home and see my parents. I haven't been back home for several years.

在家的时候就想出来，但是一离开家就想家。

Zàijiā de shíhòu jiù xiǎng chūlái, dànshì yì líkāi jiā jiù xiǎng jiā.

I think about it when I'm at home, but as soon as I leave home I miss home.

她说明年还要在这个大学学下去。

Tā shuō míngnián hái yào zài zhè ge dàxué xué xiàqù.

She said she would continue studying at this university next year.

她的手机号码是多少，我想不起来了。

Tā de shǒujī hàomǎ shì duōshǎo, wǒ xiǎng bù qǐlái le.

What her cell phone number is, I can't remember.

你听出来了没有？这是谁唱的歌？

Nǐ tīng chūlái le méiyǒu? Zhè shì shuí chàng de gē?

Did you hear it? Who sang this song?

我想起来了，我看过她演的电影。

Wǒ xiǎng qǐlái le, wǒ kàn guò tā yǎn de diànyǐng.

I remembered that I had seen her movie.

她难过得说不出来。

Tā nánguò de shuō bù chūlái.

She was too sad to speak.

你喝出来了吗？这是什么咖啡？

Nǐ hē chūlái le ma? Zhè shì shénme kāfēi?

Did you drink it? What kind of coffee is this?

这儿的风景真美，快把它拍下来。

Zhèr de fēngjǐng zhēnměi, kuài bǎ tā pāi xiàlái.

The scenery here is so beautiful, take a photo of it.

一看到她那样子，大家就都笑了起来。

Yí kàn dào tā nà yàngzi, dàjiā jiù dōu xiào le qǐlái.

As soon as they saw her like that, everyone laughed.

你能看得出来她是哪国人吗？

Nǐ néng kàn de chūlái tā shì nǎ guó rén ma?

Can you tell which country she is from?

我也想不出来好办法。

Wǒ yě xiǎng bù chūlái hǎo bànfǎ.

I can't think of a good way either.

在一次会上，一个多年不见的同学走过来，跟我握手，但是我认不出来她是谁。

Zài yí cì huì shàng, yí ge duōnián bú jiàn de tóngxué zǒu guò lái, gēn wǒ wòshǒu, dànshì wǒ rén bù chūlái tā shì shuí.

At a meeting, a classmate I hadn’t seen for many years came over and shook my hand, but I couldn’t recognize who she was.

朋友请你吃饭，一个菜很好吃，朋友问你，是什么菜，你吃得出来吗？你吃不出来，你怎么回答？

Péngyǒu qǐng nǐ chīfàn, yí ge cài hěn hǎochī, péngyǒu wèn nǐ, shì shénme cài, nǐ chī de chūlái ma? Nǐ chī bù chūlái, nǐ zěnme huídá?

A friend invites you to dinner and a dish is delicious. Your friend asks you what dish it is. Can you taste it? If you can’t eat it, how do you answer?

老师让你听写，但是你觉得老师念得太快，有两个句子没有写下来。

Lǎoshī ràng nǐ tīngxiě, dànshì nǐ juéde lǎoshī niàn de tài kuài, yǒu liǎng ge jùzi méiyǒu xiě xiàlái.

The teacher asked you to dictate, but you felt that the teacher read too quickly and left two sentences unwritten.

去洗照片，你希望一个小时后能洗出来，你怎么问？

Qù xǐ zhàopiàn, nǐ xīwàng yí ge xiǎoshí hòu néng xǐ chūlái, nǐ zěnme wèn?

When you go to develop a photo, you expect it to be developed in an hour. How do you ask?

听到一首歌，朋友问你听得出来这是谁唱的歌吗？你认不出来是谁唱的，你怎么回答？

Tīng dào yì shǒu gē, péngyǒu wèn nǐ tīng de chūlái zhè shì shuí chàng de gē ma? Nǐ rén bù chūlái shì shuí chàng de, nǐ zěnme huídá?

When you hear a song, your friend asks you if you can tell who sang it? How do you answer if you don’t recognize who is singing it?

她照的照片很好看。

Tā zhào de zhàopiàn hěn hǎo kàn.

The photos she took are beautiful.

我查不出来这个词。

Wǒ chá bù chūlái zhè ge cí.

I can't find the word.

因为家里没有钱，没办法让她继续学习下去。

Yīnwèi jiālǐ méiyǒu qián, méi bànfǎ ràng tā jìxù xuéxí xiàqù.

Because her family had no money, there was no way for her to continue studying.

我想不出来她叫什么名字。

Wǒ xiǎng bù chūlái tā jiào shénme míngzì.

I can't figure out what her name is.

我想出来一个办法。

Wǒ xiǎng chūlái yí ge bànfǎ.

I figured out a way.

我不想把这件事告诉她，但是她已经知道这件事了。

Wǒ bùxiǎng bǎ zhè jiàn shì gàosu tā, dànshì tā yǐjīng zhīdào zhè jiàn shì le.

I didn't want to tell her about it, but she already knew about it.

你听得出来我是谁吗？

Nǐ tīng de chūlái wǒ shì shuí ma?

Can you hear who I am?

我是你三年前的学生，老师还参加过我的婚礼呢。

Wǒ shì nǐ sān nián qián de xuéshēng, lǎoshī hái cānjiā guò wǒ de hūnlǐ ne.

I was your student three years ago, and the teacher even attended my wedding.

我想起来了，你是我的学生。你现在在哪儿？

Wǒ xiǎng qǐlái le, nǐ shì wǒ de xuéshēng. Nǐ xiànzài zài nǎr?

I remembered, you are my student. where are you now?

我就在越南。

Wǒ jiù zài yuènán.

I'm in Vietnam.

你是怎么知道这个手机号的？

Nǐ shì zěnme zhīdào zhè ge shǒujī hào de?

How did you know this phone number?

是我的一个朋友告诉我的。

Shì wǒ de yí ge péngyǒu gàosu wǒ de.

A friend of mine told me.

你是来旅行的吗？

Nǐ shì lái lǚxíng de ma?

Are you here to travel?

不是，我是应越南广播电台的邀请来越南工作的。

Bú shì, wǒ shì yìng yuènán guǎngbō diàntái de yāoqǐng lái yuènán gōngzuò de.

No, I came to Vietnam to work at the invitation of Vietnam Radio.

你打算呆多长时间？

Nǐ dǎsuàn dāi duō cháng shíjiān?

How long do you plan to stay?

我跟那个公司签了两年的合同。

Wǒ gēn nà ge gōngsī qiān le liǎng nián de hétong.

I signed a two-year contract with that company.

她在北京的一家中外合资公司工作。

Tā zài běijīng de yì jiā zhōngwài hézī gōngsī gōngzuò.

She works in a Sino-foreign joint venture in Beijing.

不知道星期天下午你有没有空？

Bù zhīdào xīngqī tiān xiàwǔ nǐ yǒu méiyǒu kòng?

I wonder if you are free on Sunday afternoon?

这个星期天我有空。

Zhè ge xīngqī tiān wǒ yǒu kòng.

I'm free this Sunday.

那我让她开车去接你。

Nà wǒ ràng tā kāichē qù jiē nǐ.

Then I'll ask her to drive to pick you up.

你还住在原来的地方吗？

Nǐ hái zhù zài yuánlái de dìfang ma?

Do you still live in the same place?

不，我早就搬家了，搬到学校附近一个新建的住宅小区了。

Bù, wǒ zǎo jiù bānjiā le, bān dào xuéxiào fùjìn yí ge xīnjiàn de zhùzhái xiǎoqū le.

No, I moved a long time ago, to a newly built residential complex near the school.

你喝点儿什么？茶还是咖啡？

Nǐ hē diǎn er shénme? Chá háishì kāfēi?

What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?

茶和咖啡我都喝不了，一喝晚上就睡不着觉。

Chá hé kāfēi wǒ dōu hē bù liǎo, yì hē wǎnshang jiù shuì bù zháo jiào.

I can't drink tea or coffee, and I can't sleep at night if I drink them.

这是她的公司给我们租的房子，要是让我们自己花钱可租不起。

Zhè shì tā de gōngsī gěi wǒmen zū de fángzi, yàoshi ràng wǒmen zìjǐ huā qián kě zū bù qǐ.

This is a house rented to us by her company. We couldn't afford it if we had to spend our own money.

你们公司的业务是什么？

Nǐmen gōngsī de yèwù shì shénme?

What does your company do?

我们公司是搞中外文化交流的。

Wǒmen gōngsī shì gǎo zhōngwài wénhuà jiāoliú de.

Our company is engaged in cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

公司刚成立不久，业务也刚开始开展起来。

Gōngsī gāng chénglì bù jiǔ, yèwù yě gāng kāishǐ kāizhǎn qǐlái.

The company has just been established and its business has just started to develop.

我的工作需要用汉语，所以打算继续学下去。

Wǒ de gōngzuò xūyào yòng hànyǔ, suǒyǐ dǎsuàn jìxù xué xiàqù.

My work requires the use of Chinese, so I plan to continue learning.

我想利用在北京工作的机会把汉语学好。

Wǒ xiǎng lìyòng zài běijīng gōngzuò de jīhuì bǎ hànyǔ xué hǎo.

I want to take advantage of the opportunity of working in Beijing to learn Chinese well.

你们原来都学得不错，有一定的基础，坚持学下去的话，一定能学好。

Nǐmen yuánlái dōu xué de bú cuò, yǒu yí dìng de jīchǔ, jiānchí xué xiàqù de huà, yí dìng néng xué hǎo.

You have all learned well and have a certain foundation. If you persist in learning, you will definitely learn well.

时间过得真快！

Shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài!

Time flies so fast!

我离开中国都已经三年了。

Wǒ líkāi zhōngguó dōu yǐjīng sān nián le.

It has been three years since I left China.

刚回越南的时候，还常常听听录音，读读课文，后来因为工作很忙，也没坚持下来。

Gāng huí yuènán de shíhou, hái cháng cháng tīng tīng lùyīn, dúdu kèwén, hòulái yīnwèi gōngzuò hěn máng, yě méi jiānchí xiàlái.

When I first returned to Vietnam, I often listened to the recordings and read the texts. Later, I didn’t stick to it because I was very busy with work.

很长时间不说汉语，汉语差不多忘光了，要用的时候，好多词都想不起来。

Hěn cháng shíjiān bù shuō hànyǔ, hànyǔ chàbùduō wàng guāng le, yào yòng de shíhou, hǎo duō cí dōu xiǎng bù qǐlái.

I haven’t spoken Chinese for a long time, and I have almost forgotten all the Chinese words. When I need to use them, I can’t remember many words.

我想请老师业余时间教我们汉语，不知道你能抽出时间来吗？

Wǒ xiǎng qǐng lǎoshī yèyú shíjiān jiāo wǒmen hànyǔ, bù zhīdào nǐ néng chōuchū shíjiān lái ma?

I would like to ask the teacher to teach us Chinese in his spare time. I wonder if you can spare the time?

我的工作比较忙，抽不出时间来。

Wǒ de gōngzuò bǐjiào máng, chōu bù chū shíjiān lái.

I'm quite busy at work and can't spare time.

你们打算怎么学习汉语？

Nǐmen dǎsuàn zěnme xuéxí hànyǔ?

How do you plan to learn Chinese?

白天我没有时间，只有晚上才抽得出时间。

Báitiān wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān, zhǐyǒu wǎnshang cái chōu de chū shíjiān.

I don't have time during the day, and I can only find time at night.