R: Hey welcome to Chinese Studio, wo Shi Raymond.
Y: And Wo Shi Yajie. We’ve got a great show for you today. Last we were fixing things so hopefully everything is working
R: Today we’re going back to the restaurants.
Y: Why?
R: Cause we’re hungry!
Y: Here are the key words of the day.

Key Words of the day
meat 荤菜 vegetables  素菜What is this? 这是什么？ Is this meat or vegetables? 这是素菜还是荤菜？All in today’s Chinese Studio

Y: Well now we’re at the restaurant.
R: Ya, looks like a restaurant besides all the puke on the ground.
Y: You know what they say, the more puke the better.
R: So maybe you can walk me through some of these new experiences. How do you say What is this? In Chinese?
Y: zhe4 shi4 shen1 me.
R: Zhe4 shi4 shen1 me.
Y: And this translates directly to this is what?

R: What tones is that?
Y: Zhe4 or this is the fourth tone.
R: Zhe4

Y: Shi4 means is. Shi4 is the fourth tone.
R: Shi4

Y: Together Zhe4 Shi4 means this is.
R: Zhe4 Shi4. both of them are fourth tones.

Y: How do you say This is in Chinese?
R: Zhe4 shi4.

Y: What is shen2 me. Shen2 is the second tone, and me is the neutral tone or the light tone,
R: Shen2 me

Y: So how do you say “what” in Chinese?
R: Shen2 me.

Y: How do you say This is?
R: Zhe4 shi4

Y: How do you say what?
R: shen2 me.

Y: Okay, let’s put it all together, What is this, or  this is what.
R: Zhe4 shi4 shen2 me. What is this?

Conversation 1
这是什么？

Y: Well I guess we’re having fun picking different foods.
R: Except I’m not sure what is what. They’re talking to me but I don’t understand.
Y: Well let me teach you how to say meat or vegetable. How do you say this is?
R: Zhe4 shi4

Y: This is how you say meat in this case,  Hun1 cai4
R: hun1 cai4
Y: hun1 is meat, the first tone,  
R:  hun1
Y: cai4 means dish, and it’s in the 4th tone,
R: cai4,

Y: How do you say meat?
R: hun1 cai4,

Y: This is how you say vegetable in this case.  Su4 cai4,  both of them are in  the fourth tone,
R: su4 cai4,

Y: How do you say vegetable?
R: su4 cai4, 

Y: How do you say meat?
R: hun1 cai4,

Y: and this is how you say OR, hai2 shi4.
R: hai2 shi4.

Y: hai2 the second tone, and shi4 is in the 4th tone,
R: hai2 shi4, 

Y: How do you say OR?
R:  hai2 shi4, 

R: How do you say vegetable?
Y: su4 cai4, 

R: How do you say meat?
Y: hun1 cai4, 

Y: So put it together, how do you say vegetables or meat?
R: su4 cai4 hai2 shi4 hun1 cai4,

Y: So how do you say this is?
R: Zhe shi

Y: So when you put it all together you can say is this vegetables or meat. Zhe4 shi4 su4 cai4 hai2 shi4 hun1 cai4,
R:  Zhe4 shi4 su4 cai4 hai2 shi4 hun1 cai4,

R: How do you say this is meat or vegetables?
Y: Zhe4 shi4 shu1 cai4 hai2 shi4 rou4

R: Time for the quiz of the day.
Y: How do you say “meat” in Chinese?
R: Send your answer to Chinese@crifm.com. And you could be a winner of one of our cool idiom books, or if you’re in China, you could win a paid tuition to the Bridge School.