Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: Hi everyone and welcome back to HSK Master Class Podcast. I'm Vicki and today we have our lovely co host, Emily. How are you?
[00:00:34] Speaker A: Today we're going to see something special. Super helpful.
So we're gonna focus on the word li.
So this word is useful when talking about distance and travel time in Chinese.
[00:00:48] Speaker B: Yes.
Li is a very small word, but we used to describe how far something is from another place. We'll explain it exactly how to use it to talk about both distance and how much time it takes to get somewhere.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: So later in this episode, we're going to talk about how distance plays an important role in Chinese culture.
And then we're going to talk about some something very interesting in the culture topic. We're going to talk about the ways that we use when we call someone or su Shu.
So you might hear this a lot in, in the road, on the street, but this is something that you have to also be very careful with.
[00:01:42] Speaker B: Yes. So stay tuned. And before starting our episode, if you're learning Chinese and you want to improve your skill to the next level, you're going to love this episode. And if you like to learn with us, you can try a free 101 class through our platform.
We have courses starting from €39 with live classes and recorded lessons and a free full access to our online campus. So you can learn at your own pace. Visit our website hanyochineschool.com and choose your path.
So just visit us. And let's start with today episode. So we're gonna do a dialogue. The setting is Vicky, Me and Emily are sitting in a cafe chatting about our work.
And we're gonna talk about the distance between the work with our home. So let's start.
Wow.
Yes.
Okay. Okay. No one knows. I'll keep this.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: Well.
[00:03:55] Speaker B: Okay, let's start with the grammar. Let's see the word Lee we have here. We'll show you how to talk about distance, how long it takes to travel, how to combine the two of them in one sentence.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: Okay, so first the structure is a, li, B. And then.
Or so that you put A and B is like two places. And then put it with very close or very far.
So we say, we can look at here, here the examples. First one is my home is very close to the school or my house is very far from the office.
So it tells you we don't really use.
It's a little bit strange, right? Like you don't say, you say, you don't say it's a little bit strange in Chinese.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: Yes.
So as Emily said we use instead of the adjective.
This is the most common way to use Li to talk about distance. As Emily said in the previous examples, you can ask how far is A from B by using Li in the same structure.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: Very good. So next let's look at how to use Yao to show how long it takes to travel between two places.
So when you want to explain how long it takes to travel, you can use transportation, which means.
Okay, let's see here.
The structure is transportation first and then then the timing.
So for example, we have by car.
By car it needs about 20 minutes.
Or it takes 30 minutes by subway.
[00:06:24] Speaker B: Exactly. You can use this structure to talk about how long it takes to get somewhere by using the mode of transportation followed by and the time. As Emily say in the example.
Like in the example means by subway and indicates the time needed to travel, right?
[00:06:49] Speaker A: Yes. So this is perfect for talking about traveling time and how long something takes.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: For the third part.
Now let's see how we combine these two parts in one sentence. You can use Li to express, press the distance and then add to explain how long it takes. Let's see the example.
My home is very close to school. It only takes five minutes to walk. Here Lee shows the distance like very close and Yao tell us the time it takes to walk.
So we have another example.
My home is far from the office. It takes half an hour by car.
In this example, we have explained the distance and with how long it takes to travel.
[00:07:59] Speaker A: So you can see here the structure works together to form to complete sentence that describes both distance and travel time.
It's a simple yet very effective way to talk about locations in Chinese.
[00:08:15] Speaker B: Yes. So to sum up, Li is used to express distance between places and is used to indicate how long it takes to travel.
You can combine both to talk about distance and time in one sentence.
So now it's your turn. How would you say this in Chinese?
China is very far from Spain. It takes 15 hours by plane.
[00:08:46] Speaker A: So write your answers in the comments below and we'll check it out for you. We can't wait to see your sentence.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: Yes.
So now let's review the dialogue we we previous previously talked about.
How far is your home from the office?
[00:09:18] Speaker A: My place is far from the office.
It takes half an hour to Dr.
[00:09:25] Speaker B: Wow, that sounds tough. Your daily commute must be exhausting.
[00:09:43] Speaker A: Yeah, but I'm used to it. How far is your home from the office?
[00:09:57] Speaker B: My home is very close to the office. It only takes 10 minutes to walk.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: That's great. It must be very convenient to Walk to work every day.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: Yes, it is.
[00:10:19] Speaker A: But I also feel like me saying half an hour by car is a lot.
Oh. Like I, I bet people that living in the state would be like, no, this is not fun.
[00:10:31] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, sure, sure it's not. But. Well, here in the conversation we, we already see how we use Lee in a daily con.
[00:10:48] Speaker A: Yeah. And also we combine. It's a far, it's closed, it's kind of adjective inside.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:10:57] Speaker A: So.
[00:10:57] Speaker B: Well, Emily, if our audience are enjoying the episode, what we can say.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: Okay, so if you like our classes so we can make it even more progress.
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[00:12:42] Speaker B: And we'll start your path with us learning Chinese or of course our languages.
So let's move on to our cultural segment. We're gonna talk about something very interesting about Chinese culture. How Chinese people address each other using speech specific titles. These titles are aren't just about showing respect.
They also reveal the relation between people and they can even reflect age, gender and social status.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: So in Chinese, in China, using the correct title when addressing someone is very, very, very important.
So the right title can show respect and help you to navigate social statues smoothly.
But it can be confusing for those who are new to Chinese culture because different title can mean can be different from what you might use in Western cultures.
So let's take a look.
[00:13:52] Speaker B: Yes, let's start with the basics in Chinese. You have probably heard of XIAN SHEN For Mr.
And for Miss, these are the most common titles you'll come across in very formal situations.
[00:14:11] Speaker A: So yeah, Xianxeng is Mr. Xiao Jie is Miss.
Also remember the structure is normally the your surname first and then Xianxeng. For example Wang Xian Sheng or Lin Xiao.
Like this, if you are really close to someone but you also want to seem polite, you could put their name first and then like you don't really need to, just need the surname. For example, Vicky. So.
Right.
[00:14:47] Speaker B: Yeah, right, you're right.
Well, let's see. Another title here, Shushu is used to address older men who are not related to you. And it. It's commonly used for friend's father or an older man in the community. It's a very respectful and friendly way to address someone who is older but not necessary a relative.
[00:15:16] Speaker A: Yeah, you could for sure you could use it to say your relatives like uncle. But mostly we would use to someone who is your.
Your father's friend or your friend's dad. You could also use no.
So it's important to know that su doesn't just mean uncle by blood.
It can also be a respectful term for an elder man.
So in some cases it can also refer to someone who is slightly older than you, but you're not yet close enough to call them by their first name.
So yeah, better to put.
Or in some case when I don't remember this person's name, I would just call him shush.
True.
[00:16:10] Speaker B: That's a. That's a very good trick actually. So you can all use this trick.
So let's move on to our next word, which is I.
It's used to refer the older women who aren't your relatives. This could be like a friend's mother or an older woman.
You're familiar.
But it's the same way that you used for Shushu to older men, right?
[00:16:44] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's also a really respectful way to call someone.
But here's the key to remember, don't use it with just anyone. While it's common to refer to an older woman in the community as I eat, it can sound a little too familiar or even disrespectful in the wrong context. This for this one. We will see it more and later we'll explain it why.
[00:17:14] Speaker B: Yes.
Well, in business setting or formal situations, it's better to avoid calling women's ie it feels like too informal.
It's much safer to use for Mrs. Or ladies in this kind of formal settings.
[00:17:35] Speaker A: Yeah, this is really true.
So now we have another one for the young, a little Bit younger generation.
I think everyone knows this word for big brother or big sister.
But these titles, you can use it for a sibling or someone who is older than you but isn't a family member.
And also you can.
You can like be. I think like when I use it to someone, it gets us like a little bit closer. Like we are like a family, right?
[00:18:17] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. So if the person you are talking is not very old, you can use.
It doesn't mean that it's your brother, but it sounds really close and like friendly. And same for.
You can use it for people that are older than you, but not too much.
You can say which is a. As I say, a very friendly and respectful way of calling them.
Right?
[00:18:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: And let's see. Another like funny.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: I like this one. I like this one.
[00:19:01] Speaker B: Yeah, we move to the funny part, which is.
Well, the name that are like very common. No like very modern terms gain popularity, especially in social media.
[00:19:20] Speaker A: So. Whoa.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: Emily, can you tell us about these terms?
[00:19:27] Speaker A: Very happy to do so.
Please go ahead.
I think this for this is this kind of term like came from Douyin Tick tock.
So basically when you see the. Okay, so this is something that you would use first especially for the idols. The idols that.
That you like.
Well, I have to say like in my age, the idols normally are younger than us, right?
So you can't really call them or because they are normally like 18, 19, 20, something like that.
So therefore we have a new term. It's called.
It makes like someone you want to be. Like respect. But then you use it a little for like minor.
It's a really. It's a really interesting word. For me, when I first hear. Heard it, I'll be like, okay, it's like for.
It's for younger, younger people. It's for who is younger than you. But then you also idolize them.
[00:20:41] Speaker B: Yes, that's so true. I heard a lot about you know this term.
[00:20:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:20:52] Speaker B: Wow, we got a Joseon fan here, Emily.
[00:20:58] Speaker A: I wanted to put his photo on. But like. Okay, no, no, that's too much.
[00:21:03] Speaker B: Well, next time. Next time.
[00:21:08] Speaker A: So yeah, we use it for the someone who we idolized.
But now I noticed that more in like on the street, people will call other like people that you don't know someone like instead of which. Which seems too formal and which sometimes people would be like, hey, I'm not older than you, so it's better you just say if you don't know who. If this person is older or older than you or not.
So it's a It's a like a safe card to do for sure.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: So if you're in China and you don't know how to call people and you seem that if you want to talk to them and they seem young, just call them shauguko or.
[00:22:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I also have a question because I feel like if you say someone like kind of also means that you think they are handsome or pretty, right?
[00:22:13] Speaker B: That's true, that's true. Like depending how you say the word, it might seem like you are flirting with them. But be careful with that.
[00:22:25] Speaker A: Yeah, that's true. But also like if you like I heard someone on the street call me, I would feel like, oh, like she's being polite and she's also complimenting by this word. Like she, she's complimenting that I'm probably a good looking person. So that makes me feel good.
[00:22:46] Speaker B: Yeah. So well, try those names next time.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
Okay, so let's talk about the I part that we talked about. So why don't we call everyone I, except from what we said on the business occasion, that would be way too informal. Please don't use it.
Another thing is like we said the age, if you call people really like 30 something I, they might be probably not offended but very sad, you know.
[00:23:25] Speaker B: True, that's so true. Like in modern Chinese culture, I is still widely used by younger people to address, you know, older women. But and of course in professional social situation, you need to be careful because you might offend the other person. Like oh, but I'm not that old to be called auntie, right?
[00:23:54] Speaker A: Yeah, normally, for example, of course you could call someone who is 20 years or older than you, I. E. You know, for example, if you're 30, you call someone 50. I. That's okay.
But then like imagine if you're, if you're only 30 and some kid in like around 10 call you I.
Oh that, yeah, that's so sad. So basically we use I for the people who are, I don't know, more than 45, 50, like that would be a safe bet, right?
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Yeah. But you know, actually if you call someone like older, like 50, 60, and you call them, they will be happy. They definitely, they will be very happy.
[00:24:47] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Call them. J is way better. I remember once my dad was like, oh, come say hi to auntie. And I saw the woman like, she's not like, she's my dad's friend, but she doesn't look that old. So I'm like.
And then she was like really happy.
[00:25:07] Speaker B: She's like, yeah, right, yeah, See, so Titles are very important in China. You don't want to offend anyone.
[00:25:15] Speaker A: Exactly.
So let's move on. Let's move on to what we have next.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, well, we have the question we asked previously. The answer. So let's go back to the question we asked. How would you say in Chinese, china is very far from Spain. It takes 15 hours by plane.
[00:25:41] Speaker A: Okay. So the correct answer is.
[00:25:56] Speaker B: That'S a very express trip. Right.
[00:25:59] Speaker A: If it takes 15 minutes, I will be going to Spain every day. Sorry. I'm so sorry.
[00:26:05] Speaker B: Like, after hours streaming, you will go, right?
[00:26:08] Speaker A: Exactly. I will be sleeping in Spain every day.
[00:26:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, here the answer, as Emily mentioned, she said, but you also can write like, which means. It means to say seat. But it's the same meaning as take.
[00:26:29] Speaker A: Yeah, means take. And then see, like, both will be correct here. Very good. Thank you for mentioning.
[00:26:37] Speaker B: No worries. So great job. If you did it well. If not, no worries. Keep practicing. You'll get it soon.
[00:26:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:26:47] Speaker B: So now it's your turn to practice. Use li to make a sentence.
How would you say, my house is very close to the supermarket. It takes five minutes to work there in Chinese.
[00:27:07] Speaker A: Okay. So you could use, you can use whatever you're feeling to use. Drop the answer in the comments below and we can't wait to see your sentence. So go ahead, feel free to try them.
[00:27:21] Speaker B: Well, thank you for staying with us until the end. If you want to learn Chinese with real teachers and a clear method, just visit our website hanyu chineseeschool.com and book your free class.
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So let's sum up what we have learned today. We cover the word li to to talk about distance and how long it takes to travel between between two places. And we also explore a very interesting cultural thing which is the etiquette and how to address people in China. Right?
[00:28:55] Speaker A: Exactly. So in the next episode we will be learning how to use B, which is a very useful grammar point of making compression.
And also we'll look at how to use mayo. Like to say that, oh, this is not as active as something like that?
[00:29:16] Speaker B: Yes. So don't forget to give us a like subscribe.
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So. Well, we are finishing today. Episode. Thank you so much for staying and see you next time, Sai Jen.
