Cam: It’s time to perfect Chinese your way in only five minutes a day.  Welcome to the show everyone.
YJ:  Ni shi Cam, and wo shi Yajie.  Cam, ni gong zuo mang ma?
Cam: Whoa… what was that?
YJ: Listen up, I’ll explain to you…

Key Words of the Day

Are you busy at work? 你工作忙吗？ it’s okay，还行 very busy 很忙。I often work overtime. 我经常加班。 How long have you been working here? 你在这儿工作多久了？ All in today’s Chinese Studio

Cam: Okay Yajie, let’s review the question you asked me in the introduction.
YJ:  Sure.  I said ni gong zuo mang ma?
C: ni gong zuo mang ma?
Y: ni3 means you,
C: ni3,
Y: gong1 zuo4 means work,
C: gong1 zuo4,
Y: mang2 means busy,
C: mang2.
Y: ni gong zuo mang ma?
C: ni gong zuo mang ma? Are you busy at work?

Conversation 1:
(1)A: 你工作忙吗？
B: 还行。
(2)A: 你工作忙吗？
B: 最近挺忙的。

Y: Cam, are you busy at work? 你工作忙吗？
C: Well sometimes it’s okay, sometimes I’m very busy. How do I say these two situations in Chinese?
Y: you can say hai2 xing2. it means it’s okay.
C: hai2 xing2.
Y: hai2 means the situation is still passable,
C: hai2,
Y: xing2 means okay,
C: xing2,
Y: hai2 xing2.
C: hai2 xing2. it’s okay.
Y: very busy in Chinese is hen3 mang2.
C: hen3 mang2
Y: hen3 means very much,
C: hen3,
Y: mang2 means busy,
C: mang2,
Y: hen3 mang2
C: hen3 mang2 very busy,

Conversation2:
A: 你工作忙吗？
B: 有时候还行，有时候很忙。
A: 那么这周工作忙吗？
B: 这周还行。

Cam: Now, I am busy at work.  I often work overtime.  How do I say that?
YJ: 我经常加班。
C: wo jing chang jia ban.
Y: wo3 mean I,
C: wo3,
Y: jing1 chang2, often,
C: jing1 chang2.
Y: jia1 ban1 means work overtime,
C: jia1 ban1.
Y: wo jing chang jia ban.
C: wo jing chang jia ban. I often work overtime.

Conversation3:
A: 你工作忙吗？
B: 还行。你呢？你工作忙吗？
A: 我真羡慕你。我可忙了，经常加班。
B: 那你可要注意身体。
A: 谢谢关心，我会照顾好自己的。

YJ: So Cam, 你在这儿工作多久了？
C: what does that mean?
Y: it means How long have you been working here? How long in Chinese is duo1 jiu3,
C: duo1 jiu3
Y: zai zhe4er means at here,
C: zai4 zhe4er,
Y: gong zuo means work,
C: gong1 zuo4,
Y: ni zai zher gong zuo duo jiu le,
C: ni3 zai4 zhe4er gong1 zuo4 duo1 jiu3 le? How long have you been working here?

Conversation 4:
A: 你在这儿工作多久了？
B: 快两年了。

Cam: Very useful stuff Yajie.  Thanks for the lesson!
YJ: Time for our question of the day. How do you say “How long have you been working here” in Chinese?
Cam: Send your answer to Chinese@crifm.com and you might win a prize.
YJ: Mingtianjian!