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Intermediate - Fighting over the Bill

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Lesson Information
Hosts: Jenny,  John
ID: 0664
Difficulty: Intermediate
Published: October 10, 2007
Topics: food, money, culture
Functions: persuading, expressing_purpose, buying
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Due to the bill-snatching prowess of the Chinese, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to tactical check-paying maneuvers, post-dinner. Listen to this podcast and learn how mobilize for the battle of the tab, in Mandarin. Of course, that being said, we all know we’re glad they’re paying--but you've got to at least put up the appearance of a good fight.

Comments (88) RSS

Avatar Team
jennyzhu says
josht77, Yes, it is standard for the birthday person to pay in China. Only after being exposed to Western culture did we realise what a raw deal we've been getting. But then, the Chinese rationale is what comes around goes around. All the meals one pays for will eventually even out in this lifetime.
October 11, 2007 from the Web.
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jbradfor says
Great topic! Ah, the effort I've spent trying to pay the bill with my in-laws. Usually to no avail, but the effort was appreciated. One time I did it perfectly: I grabbed the bill from the server before anyone else could, had my credit card out, ran to the counter to pay, and physically blocked them from reaching the counter. VICTORY IS MINE! The people at the table next to us were quite amused by a round-eye playing the Chinese bill-paying game. [But the irony isn't lost on me: I spent all this effort just so I could end up spending more money. What victory is that? This is one competition I'd rather lose...]
October 11, 2007 from the Web.
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riceeater says
I look on the times when those I'm with "let me" treat as them giving me face. Recently an old friend with "connections," if you know what I mean, who always insists on treating EVERYONE he sits down with, let me pay for a couple of rounds of beer at a bar we like. I was very pleased. It seemed to me a sign of our deep friendship. Among friends, paying the bill is an honor.
October 12, 2007 from the Web.
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rjlee818 says
When fighting for the bill, and you really don't want to pay, but want to appear like you want to pay, use the hand that is opposite to where you wallet is in you pants pocket and pretend that you are trying to reach across you body to the wallet, while using to your other hand to make a gesture to stop the other guy from taking out his wallet. In this way, you have a hard time reaching your wallet and your friends wallet will out before yours!
October 12, 2007 from the Web.
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pulosm says
rjlee818--that is a BRILLIANT tip. I practiced it a couple of times right now so it's refined when I need to use it.
October 12, 2007 from the Web.
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rjlee818 says
pulosm, Keep practicing because it's an art. You have to appear "agitated" and "disoriented" in the heat of battling for the bill so that the fake gesture to reach your wallet appears genuine.
October 12, 2007 from the Web.
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pulosm says
HA HA HA! I love it.
October 12, 2007 from the Web.
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wildyaks says
A skill women need as much as men. For one, when you go out with a bunch of girls, we also do the fighting, don't we? And being a (foreign) women among a mixed group of people, it's not a forgone conclusion that one of the men pays, not in my experience anyways
October 13, 2007 from the Web.
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wildyaks says
Just worked through the dialogue. I have a question. Somebody can enlighten me? There is this sentence: 你都买了好几次。 What's the "dou" (all) doing here? Would there be a difference in meaning without it? I probably would have said: 你以前买了好几次。 would that be wrong?
October 13, 2007 from the Web.
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Kyle says
In this particular context it conveys the same meaning as 已经 would, and is equivalent to English's 'present perfect'. You can roughly translate the sentence as "You have already paid a bunch of times." The 都 is the "have already" part. More examples: 你怎么这么笨! 我都告诉你怎么做好这件事好几次. 你别跟我撒娇. 都告诉你我心情不好.
October 14, 2007 from the Web.
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wildyaks says
Thanks, that makes sense.
October 14, 2007 from the Web.
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bento says
I have a question about where to put "的 de" in the sentence. When John explained why one says "别听他的 biè tīng tā de" instead of "别听他 biè tīng tā" Jenny added "别听他说的 biè tīng tā shuō de", where the 的 comes after the 说. Later John gave an example "别听他的话 biè tīng tā de huà", where de comes before the 话. i don't get how to correctly place the 的 in the sentence.
October 14, 2007 from the Web.
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wildyaks says
the 的 comes before the noun - although that is sometimes omitted, as in the sentence above. 别听他说的（话). 别听他的（话）。 It goes with the noun (话) that may or may not be stated. Here the context gives you the noun, so no need to say it.
October 14, 2007 from the Web.
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dave says
I really enjoyed this lesson. Very practical.
October 15, 2007 from the Web.
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MikeInLondon says
What is the origin of the term "AA" which I understand to be what Chinese people use to describe "going dutch." How do you this phrase in context (not that I plan on using it!)? Is this an abbreviation, or is there a character associated with this, or is it just "AA?"
October 17, 2007 from the Web.
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lavandez says
At the end of the fix there is a problem it just cuts off without the last translation.
October 17, 2007 from the Web.
Avatar Team
trevelyan says
Not sure what the origin is, but it's just "AA" Mike.
October 17, 2007 from the Web.
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maxiewawa says
That's strange, I've heard "AA" too. The other one I've heard is "PK". When someone defeats someone else, the loser has been PK'ed.
October 17, 2007 from the Web.
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Kyle says
"PKed" when fighting for the bill? Really? PKed is a term used in the PVP (player vs. player) game world (e.g. World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, Shadowbane, etc). When one player is killed by another they've been "PKed", or "player killed".
October 18, 2007 from the Web.
Avatar Team
clay says
Mike in London, there are no characters for "AA", but if you want to express this in Chinese characters (and orally for that matter), then ge4fu3ge4de 各付各的 is the way to go.
October 18, 2007 from the Web.
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gregmcgrath says
I loved how the example in this lesson was the guy saying he was going to the restroom. I used to work for Oakley sunglasses as the Asia Sales Manager and I used to try that trick in nearly every country in Asia. Sometimes it worked and sometimes they knew what I was up to. The Oakley distributors I would visit across Asia paid for nearly everything so it was my tradition to try and pay for at least one meal during my visit with the team (I figured I would rack up miles on my credit card and get reimbursed when I got home anyways); however, sometimes they insisted on paying for everything. The Asian people are so hospitable and I always felt that they truly wanted me to experience a great time and eat lots of good food while in their country! I think when they see me fluent in Chinese and knowing that I am sincerely interested in them and their culture/language, etc. they were even more desirous to make sure I was happy. I remain good friends with all of them to this day. I'm going to Hong Kong and China in December! Can't wait!
October 19, 2007 from the Web.
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shanghaisean says
Great lesson. After having hundreds of business meals in China, I was amused by the accuracy. I was hoping for a credit card 'sword fight' in there too One note: 'mai dan' is written with the character for 'bury'. 埋单 (lit. bury the bill)
October 22, 2007 from the Web.
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yingying83 says
lol, it's amusing to find you talking about "PK". It's a word of high-frequency use now in China. At first it is used in the widely popular show "Supergirls'. Some say it's the Chinese version of American Idol. Anyway, the word "PK" got so popular along with the show that nowadays it is even used in business world, for instance, when a news report says two companies are pitched against each other, it often uses "PK". BTW, I've seen both "埋单" and "买单". It's O.K. for you to use either of them. Perhaps the difference depends on the area you stay in for dinner ocassions.^_^
October 22, 2007 from the Web.
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goulnik says
at the very beginning of the dialog, we hear 吃得真饱。I seem to remember being told by a Chinese friend that 吃好了 was a more elegant way of saying I'm finished eating than 吃饱了。
October 25, 2007 from the Web.
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goulnik says
also, I just noticed a typo in the transcript : 不行，这次我买定了… No, I'm definitely buying the time => this time
October 25, 2007 from the Web.
Avatar Team
amber says
hi goulniky, You're right, 吃好了 (chī hǎole) is a little more elegant sounding! Thanks for letting us know about the typo. It's been fixed now!
October 25, 2007 from the Web.
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cashewdog says
A master at getting the bill: On several visits to Shanghai a Chinese friend and I were treated to many very nice meals by his dear family friend -- an elderly gentleman who happened to be extremely wealthy. One trick was to tip the maitre'd upon entering the restaurant; informing them that the bill should come to him. And a variant of that was to even pre-pay the bill (all or most of it) by simply handing cash (or credit card) to the head waiter. He would simply tell us "its been taken care of". It took us a while to figure out how he was doing this. He was very sly about it! But to be courteous to us, he would let us pay when we ate at normal restaurants :-) From a practical point of view, it took away any and all discussion of the bill when at an expensive restaurant. But allowed us to properly respect and thank him.
October 25, 2007 from the Web.
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goulnik says
couldn't find the expression A-A制 (A-A zhì) meaning 平分 (píngfēn), divide equally. Not in the vocab or the dictionary, though I seem to remember it being mentioned in a podcast
October 29, 2007 from the Web.
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renny says
2 years ago me & my Pengyou Miling went to a Chinese restaurant, & he paid i said ill pay twice but he insisted on Paying. this wouldve been good to use.
November 6, 2007 from the Web.
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rich says
In the Fix, one of the sentences is "I'll treat, you pay the bill, what do you say?" Is that like a trick question? Isn't treating paying the bill? Also, as I still have some of the picky Software QA engineer instinked in me from when I worked in California, I noticed that the FIX here doesn't have the regular little chime at the end to know it was over. Actually, while listening it to it on the phone, it ended abrumptly after Amber said a sentence in English about "being a good friend", but the translation never came. Thought I had received a message (Nokia N70 stops playing music and returns to the beginning of the song when you get a message...stupid thing). Realizing that WAS the end of the file I had, I thought maybe I didn't download the whole thing. So I checked here and while this one ends more or less after a Chinese sentence, no chime. I also couldn't find that sentence using "good friend" that was in my phone's copy! Weird! (and weird I write so much about this... ha ha... I wouldn't even write this much when using bug tracking software)
November 22, 2007 from the Web.
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rich says
I realized now that after I had downloaded the fix, the little bit on the end that was only English and no Chinese translation was cut off, and that is where the recording ends.
November 28, 2007 from the Web.
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longfei says
I would disagree with John about AMEX. It is accepted in all major hotels and upscale restaurants in the larger cities. However, I would agree that there are also many smaller, more economical places where it would be difficult to use. So, it depends to some extent if you are going on a business trip on a company expense account or are touring around on your own examining all of China's nooks and crannies (the latter being a whole lot more fun)!
December 3, 2007 from the Web.
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zaifuzhong says
What does Jenny say at the end of this lesson? I'm interpreting it as: 我是新中国的奴性，而且我很独立，所以我进是要付钱。 It's the "jin shi yao" part with which I'm having difficulty. (is it “进时要"?) Also, is there anyone else saying "结账"? A Beijing girl once taught me 结账, and told me that 买单 was originally borrowed from Cantonese, so I have been using 结账 ever since.
December 18, 2007 from the Web.
Avatar Team
connie says
zaifuzhong, Jenny说的是：“所以我坚持（jiānchí）要付钱。” ”结帐“和”买单“这两种说法都可以用。”买单“这个说法是从广东话来的，但是现在很多人都用。
December 19, 2007 from the Web.
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zaifuzhong says
Thanks Connie for the quick response. It makes a lot more sense now. (That's "结账", right? Not "结帐"? Or are they the same?)
December 19, 2007 from the Web.
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connie says
zaifuzhong, ”账“也可以写成”帐“。所以”结帐、“”帐单“、”帐户“等写法也是对的。
December 19, 2007 from the Web.
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jane says

Many thanks for the lesson numbers above the flash cards.

There is no sound on this lesson's flash cards and also Pop Music and Pop Culture.  I am due to study these lessons at end of this week. Please rectify this as soon as possible as I want to do some work in advance.

June 9, 2008 from the Web.
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shenhe says

Useful lesson. Yesterday, I had a little quarrel over a taxi. Could I have said 我先来的，你凭什么跟我争？ If not, what would have been the correct retort?

July 31, 2008 from the Web.
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amber says

hi shenhe,

Yes, that would be correct to say!

July 31, 2008 from the Web.
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calicartel says

Words I checked, without guarantee:

  • 甚至 shen4 zhi4 even / so much so that 
  • 多于 duo1 yu2 more than / greater than
  • 空间 kong1 jian1 space
  • 对于 dui4 yu2 regarding / as far as sth is concerned
  • 吃亏 chi1 kui1 to suffer losses / to come to grief
  • 距离 ju4 li2 distance / to be apart
  • 干吗 gan4 ma2 to what end? / whatever for? / why on earth?
  • 独立 du2 li4 independent / independence / to stand alone
  • 真实 zhen1 shi2 true / real

 

December 18, 2008 from the Web.
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jweissgerber says

In the expansion:

保证把你吃撑。

What is the function/meaning of 把 ?

Thanks

June 12, 2009 from the Web.
Avatar Team
pearltowerpete says

Hi jweissgerber

Good question. This is a little difficult to explain briefly here. Please check out the Qing Wen on 把.

If you have more specific questions after that, please send me a personal message or leave a post on the discussion boards.

June 12, 2009 from the Web.
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changye says

Hi jweissgerber

The "Qing Wen" pete has shown is really worth visiting. In the case of  保证把你吃撑, the function of the 把 is similar to that of "make" in "make you feel full", for example. Actually things are a little more complicated, so please click the link!

June 12, 2009 from the Web.
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jweissgerber says

To Pete, Connie, Jenny and Changye:

很有用。谢谢你们的助力。

June 13, 2009 from the Web.
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jweissgerber says

So what is the difference between "treating" and "paying the bill" (in expansion)???

June 22, 2009 from the Web.
Avatar Team
helenshen_counselor says

Is it this one " I'll treat, you pay the bill--what do you say?" I think it's a Chinese saying, "我请客，你掏钱", it is, most of the time, in an amusing and humorous way, of course, we're never serious about that!

June 22, 2009 from the Web.
Avatar Team
pearltowerpete says

Hi jweissgerber,

In addition to shenyajin's funny explanation, let me add that in English, there is no difference between the two. If I treat you to dinner, I'll pay the bill. The Chinese sentence in the expansions is just a joke.

June 22, 2009 from the Web.
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jweissgerber says

In the dialogue: 你肯定又是去买单。

Why 又 and not 再 ?

Thanks.

July 9, 2009 from the Web.
Avatar Team
connie says

Hi jweissgerber

Here "又" indicates expected repetition. "再" doen't have this usage.

eg,

明天又是一个晴天。

Míngtiān yòu shì yī gè qíngtiān.

下个月他又要去北京了。

Xià ge yuè tā yòu yào qù Běijīng le.

July 10, 2009 from the Web.
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jweissgerber says

明 白 了！ 谢 谢 你, Connie.

July 10, 2009 from the Web.

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