S: Wo shi Stuart. Women mashang kaishi.

M: Everybody, 听，说， 同时猜一猜. Listen, speak, at the same time, guess. Ting, shuo, tong shi cai yi cai. Hen hao.

S: In the restaurant. What are we saying? 我们在说什么, women zai shuo shenme. Guess, 你们猜一猜, nimen cai yi cai.

M: Stuart, 这是什么, zhe shi shenme?

S: 我不知道, wo bu zhidao.

M: 你猜一猜, ni cai yi cai.

S: Hao, wo cai yi cai. This is fried noodles. 这是炒面, zhe shi chaomian.

M: Mei cuo. Zhe shi chaomian. 那是什么菜, na shi shenme cai?

S: Wo bu zhidao. Let’s have a look. 我看一看, wo kan yi kan.

M: Try it. 尝一尝, chang yi chang.

S: I still don’t know. Wo hai shi bu zhidao.

M: Ask. 你问一问, ni wen yi wen.

S: 好,我问一问， wo wen yi wen. Xiaojie, na shi shenme cai?

WTRS: 我看一看. 那是麻婆豆腐. That’s mapo dofu. Na shi mapo dofu.

M: mapo dofu, spicy bean curd, mapo dofu.

S: mapo dofu, 是麻辣的，peppery and hot, mala de.

M: Dui, mapo dofu shi mala de. It’s a Sichuan dish. 麻婆豆腐是个川菜, mapo dofu shi ge Chuan cai.

S: I’ll eat a bit more. 我再多吃一点, wo zai duo chi yi dian. Mmm, hen hao chi.

M: Now for the new stuff. Repeat everything. Ask, wen yi wen. This is a very common structure in Chinese.

S: For example, I’ll take a look. 我看一看.

M: wo kan yi kan.

S: Let me think. 我想一想.

M: Wo xiang yi xiang.

S: Guess. 你猜一猜.

M: ni cai yi cai.

S: I’ll taste it. 我尝一尝.

M: wo chang yi chang. Mmmm, fei chang hao chi.

S: And we heard, mapo dofu.

M: mapo MAPO is just the name of this very famous Sichuan beancurd, or dofu, dish.

S: dou DOU means ‘bean’. fu FU fu can mean ‘rotten’, or ‘corrupt’. Oh dear! Never mind, dofu, beancurd, very good for you. Dofu. Mapo dofu.

M: And 炒面. Chao, stir-fried. Mian MIAN mian, means ‘flour’ or ‘noodles’. Fried noodles, chaomian, chaomian.

S: Hen hao chi!

S: Before we finish, here’s the dialogue again, Try to join in.

M: Stuart, zhe shi shenme?

S: Wo bu zhidao.

M: Ni cai yi cai.

S: Hao, wo cai yi cai. Zhe shi chaomian.

M: Mei cuo. Zhe shi chaomian. Na shi shenme cai?

S: Wo kan yi kan.

M: Ni chang yi chang.

S: Hao, wo chang yi chang. Wo hai shi bu zhidao.

M: Ni wen yi wen.

S: Hao, wo wen yi wen. Xiaojie, na shi shenme cai?

WTRS: Na shi mapo dofu.

M: Mapo dofu shi mala de. Mapo dofu shi ge Chuan cai.

S: Wo zai chi yi dian. Mmm, hen hao chi.

M: And now we leave the class. 我们下课, women xia ke.

S: For homework, say everything we’ve learnt today at least ten times.

M: Hao hao xuexi. Zai jian.