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Lesson Introduction
Despite our professional image (ahem) we confess to laughing like schoolgirls anytime someone attempts to act out this phrase. So, listen in to this podcast and get the education in the things you really need to know in Mandarin Chinese. If we didn’t teach you, who would?
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Bazza 吴白锐June 20, 2006
Just to be clear, are floors described the same way in Chinese? In English, the ground floor is the base level and the 1st floor is the one above, with 2nd floor effectively being the 3rd level, is this the same in Chinese, and if so how to do you say ground floor? That never really made a lot of sense to me, it should really be the 1st ceiling or the 2nd floor. ;)
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ChinesePod.comJune 20, 2006
ARGH! -John
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ChinesePod.comJune 20, 2006
Lantian, If you're talking about the toilet bowl itself, it's 马桶 (mǎtǒng). (You'd never use this to say "I'm going to the....") If you're talking about the "toilet" as a place, it's 厕所 (cèsuǒ). If you're being polite, it's 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān). Those are the main ones. Now, if you're talking about the act of GOING to use the restroom, there are more expressions, such as 方便一下 and others. The pinyin "ce" is not quite the same as "to-ah." It's similar to the second syllable of the English word "pizza" if you separate it in this way: pi-zza. (The "-zza" sounds very similar to "ce"... it's a 'ə' sound, not an 'ah' sound.) -John
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AuntySueJune 20, 2006
Thank you for explaining how to say I want to spend a penny. I like hearing the real-life pace of the conversation, too. BTW, around here ten years ago if someone had asked to use the bathroom they would have been handed a bath towell, and that still happens occasionally, unless they pronounce it "bethroom" which is a dead giveaway. In many Aussie houses "the bathroom" has a bath and/or shower in it, and "the toilet" has just a toilet in it, unless the toilet's in "the laundry". When I was a kid the toilet was always way way down the back yard. In my house, for example, the bathroom and toilet are at diagonally opposite corners of the house, but nobody has asked for the wrong room yet. (To confirm navigational success there is a manners-neutral and completely unambiguous sign on the dunny door, "Human Waste Interface") I've seen three types of place called rest room. On larger country railway stations they had a big open room with seats to rest in while waiting for the train, with signs saying either waiting room or rest room. Sometimes you see a sign Mothers Rest Room which contains only a table for changing nappies (is that a cue for another podcast? The ins and outs of babies in public places). In recent years, and in most snooty places, they use the term rest room for the toilet signs, but staff still say the toilet because all other terms are ambiguous, they're service oriented, and when ya gotta go ya gotta go. That's why it's really important to get the words and understand how they are used socially (as you've done), to be able to translate to and from Chinese and our various Englishes, for a need that cannot wait for the dictionary.
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Bazza 吴白锐June 20, 2006
I think 'ce' should be pronounced like 'to-ah' Try listening to it on here: http://www.newconceptmandarin.com/support/Intro_Pinyin.asp
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CraigJune 20, 2006
When I went to the states and asked for the toilet, they thought it was rather rude and said the restroom is over there.
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Bazza 吴白锐June 20, 2006
How you say 'Follow me, I'll show you.' ? That might come in handy if someone asks you and you forget how to direct them.
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Ken CarrollJune 20, 2006
Another ultra practical lesson. I can't think of a more pressing reason to learn the language. We hope that these ternms may bring you some, er, relief.
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ChinesePod.comJune 20, 2006
Bazza, Chinese floors are normally numbered like American floors; there is no "ground floor" (or rather, the "ground floor" is the "first floor"). -John
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Bazza 吴白锐June 20, 2006
Ok thanks. I thought that might be class, so it's just us Brits that do the strange way hehe. There's all sorts of cultural differences surrounding this lesson.
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jenny zhuJune 19, 2006
I originally used 厕所/ce4suo3 in this dialogue, but was widely refuted because the rest thought it was coarse. It is less refined than 洗手间/restroom/washroom. There is no exactly match to 'ladies' in Chinese .女厕所 would simply be self-defeating. Self-respecting ladies just say 洗手间,whereas guys often use the term 厕所as a show of machoness. ps. 洗手间 doesn't have the gender prefix. For some mysterious reasons as always is with Chinese, it would just sound unnatural.
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Aric the ProducerJune 20, 2006
Bazza, Might use a few of those for the next Saturday list, ha ha.
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Bazza 吴白锐June 20, 2006
Us Brits, just say what we mean. I'm just going to the toilet... I'm just nipping to the loo... I'm off to bog.. I need a wee... I'm off for a dump... LOL We might say Bathroom if we wanted to be very polite.
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LantianJune 19, 2006
HEY WHERE'S THE JOHN ? - haha, sorry I couldn't resist. Good point about W.C., I guess the British made sure they could take care of 'business' wherever in the world they went. As a followup for this lesson, okay I'll be frank, there's no one else for me to ask, so I'll ask Cpod! Saying 'xi shou jian' in a typical restaurant is very appropriate and get's one to the right place. But I've found that in other more mom & pop places this word is too formal. I've gotten directed to a sink when what I really wanted to do was take a tinkle. I have then resorted to 厕所 ce4 suo3 which is more akin to 'toilet', but I have to say my pronunciation of 'ce' isn't always easily understood by Chinese. Are there alternatives to 'ce suo' that in no unclear terms means toilet? And as a guy, how shall I say this, I've also been directed to where I can take a tinkle, but what I really needed to do was sit on the crown. I'll give a primer below in English, with my guesses for Chinese equivalents, maybe someone brave enough can give the proper counterparts in Chinese. Especially if there are other Chinese euphamisms for 'xi shou jian'. 1. toilet, Where's the toilet? (not often used), 厕所在那儿？ 2. bathroom, Where's the bathroom? (Often used, more often used in someone's house.), is 'ce suo' used here? 3. restroom, Where's the restroom? (Most often used, especially in a restaurant), 洗手间在那里？ 4. washroom, Where's the washroom? (Understood, maybe not so common in N.America), 卫生间在那里？ (wei sheng jian) 5. little boys room, Where's the little boy's room? (Common, used by guys), ? 6. John, Where's the John? (Common, guy asking another guy), ? 7. Ladies room, I'm going to the Ladies room. (Common, used by women), ? *Any tips on how to properly pronounce 'ce' also appreciated. **For those Cpodees that want to ask but are to polite, to pee is 'niao4 niao4' 尿尿. Isn't the hanzi cool-as-heck, a room with water under it. You'll hear mother's saying this to babies all the time.
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Aric the ProducerJune 19, 2006
I was waiting on someone to pick up the "John" joke, nice one.
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Troy CarterJune 20, 2006
Hey Ken, this is a little of topic. Actually, it's way off topic. I was just wondering whatever happened to my Stereotypes idea? :) I'm still wondering about that. When I was in Shanghai last, I asked "请问， 厕所在那里“ Then everyone who worked there laughed at me :) Could I have mispronounced Ce Suo and said something really embarassing? or...maybe they were just laughing at my tones.
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Ken CarrollJune 20, 2006
Troy, Not sure what the misp[ronunciation of 'ce suo' might have been... The stereotypes idea is definitely a good one. Since I've been away for the last month or so I've had no input into the content. Perhaps in a week or two we can do somethign on this topic.
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kwongJune 20, 2006
when my younger brother went to study abroad in beijing, my mother asked him if he knew how to say "where's the restroom?" he responded back with "yeah, wo xiang dabian." i guess that would be the UK way of saying it, Bazza?
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LantianJune 20, 2006
Hi Troy, I think it's because you combined the polite (qing wen) with the straightforward (ce suo). What your sentence sounded like to me was "Pardon me, could you tell me where I might find the crapper?" I think you would have gotten straighforward nods and a pointing to the toilet if you had either said, "qing wen, xi shou jian zai na li" or "ce suo zai nar?" Thanks John and Bazza for the tips on 'ce', I like the pi-zza analogy, I can remember that one. "ma tong" where do you pick up this vocab John, is it HSK 18 or something? Do Chinese people have ANY polite euphamisms? Or do I have to go all British and 'take a wee', 'wo yao niao niao' and '方便一下' fang1 bian4 yi xia, drop a load? Well, I think I've taken this topic thread to the gutter.
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Andy (美國土子)June 21, 2006
公厕 (gong ce) for public bathroom. Very common. 浴室 (yu shi) for a bathroom (literally a for room with a bath). Probably more common to be used in a spa situation or a public bath. For a euphanism, one can use 小便 (xiao bian) and 大便 (da bian). With 小 and 大, one can figure out which is which =) You’d probably use this in the doctors office, telling a little kid, or.. when Friend A goes to the bathroom, you ask Friend B, is Friend A going 小便 or 大便 so you can judge how long you have to wait. 方便一下 (fan bian yi xia) means to “convenience (myself) a little”. 方便 means convenience. I take it you weren’t joking to say it means “drop a load”. Actually this is very polite… Funny storry, but while we were at a restaurant in Wuxi, my sister asked a waitress, 洗手反在那? (xi shou fang zai na) to which the waitress giggled and then pointed her in the correct direction. While traveling through China a couple months ago, I was simply amazed at all the different names used for restrooms in both Chinese and English. In the states it’s always restroom (public areas) and bathroom (private, houses.. etc). In Hong Kong, ** IF ** I remember correctly, the signs almost always say Toilet in English.. but in Chinese it typically is 洗手間. Traveling to England later this week… I must remember to say “washroom, toilet, or water closet”
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NicolasJune 21, 2006
What is the meaning of 看到的 in the following sentence ? : 我在二十四楼看到的。 thanks
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CoreyJune 21, 2006
I'll hazard a guess at "我在二十四楼看到的" I'm watching from the 24th floor.
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ChinesePod.comJune 22, 2006
Nicolas and Corey, What is the meaning of 看到的 in the following sentence ? : 我在二十四楼看到的。 "（是）......的" is used to emphasize the place, time, etc. Here it's used to emphasize WHERE I saw something. Basically, 看到/看见means "saw". 看到/看见and看are pretty much the same as "saw" and "look". So you guys, how can we say "heard" and "listen", "found" and "look for"...? Karen
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Bazza 吴白锐June 23, 2006
Andy, in England, you're best just saying bathroom or toilet, we rarely say washroom, and water closet hasn't been used since the 18th century unless you're the Queen or someone very posh: "One must first make use of the water closet." ;)
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ChinesePod.comJune 25, 2006
Corey, 听见and听到 are the same for "heard". We use "听见""看见""遇见""撞见""碰见"（见means "saw" here. "听见" seems weird though.). Karen :)
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LTJune 23, 2006
ugh.... sorry,i didn't notice that my comment had been posted ,so i typed it again. well,this is an interesting website i think. i just introduced it to my friend. i wonder is there any website as good as it could teach me English? lol
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Bazza 吴白锐June 23, 2006
You could try www.englishpod.com LT. ;)
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TeacatJune 23, 2006
While on tour, a Chinese guide taught us the euphemism "sing a song". Perhaps this isn't widely understood enough to be useful.
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LTJune 23, 2006
wow i got to the www.englishpod.com it's really cool :D just what i need,thanks a lot "吴白锐",and i think your Chinese name sounds good. "sing a song"??!! i've never heard this kind of euphemism!! by the way,i'm a Chinese. lol
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CoreyJune 23, 2006
Karen, Thanks for your reply! That makes a lot of sense. For look for or find, I would use 找 and for found I would use 找到 For listen I would use 听 or听见 For Heard I would guess 听到
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CoreyJune 23, 2006
My wife said that besides the "singing a song" expression, there's one for going #2: "performing an opera". :)
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CoreyJune 25, 2006
听见 is an oddball. Idiomatic. I'm sure there are similar things in English, just can't think of any at the moment. Something similar would be when someone says: Do you see what I'm saying? In this case, "see" means "understand".
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JakOctober 30, 2006
Hi, MP3 question. How can I get the sample sentences (expension) in mp3 format? Thanks. From Belgium
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ChinesePodNovember 3, 2006
Jak, The sample sentence audio is currently only available online in the expansion section. -John
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This is a very important one if you are going to China. . .Im glad I found this one!! Good lesson though. :) ~ItalianaJune 9, 2007
davidzainiujin says
I'm having trouble downloading/playing the shortened dialogues on this page (i.e.the 0.15mb version, without the explanations from Jenny and Ken)- can you help?June 15, 2007
hyper says
Is nǎ li interchangable with nǎ r? Tamen zai na li? Tamen zai na r?June 28, 2007
daizi says
yes.June 28, 2007
hyper says
thanksJune 28, 2007
jieimusu says
hi, "bu4yong2 xie4" is down in the vocabulary and the dialogue sheets as "bu4yong4 xie4" is this a mistake or something to do with bu changing tones when followed by another 4th tone or however that works. thanksAugust 3, 2007
jaewon says
I can't listen to the mp3 files in this lesson. Kindly fix this.December 23, 2007
aphaia says
@Andy In Japan those two words mean just the same but today no one think them as euphemism (perhaps too much used to keep their original nuances). As for the words for toilet, I find it interesting a euphemism of Japanese which is said to have come from China doesn't seem to be used in China. The word is 雪隠 (there are several hypothesis on its ethimology)...January 23, 2008
marc__d says
This is great practice of the difficult (for me) 4-3 tone combo: 在哪里. I tend to drift into a low voice if I'm not paying attention. And then at the end of 在 I run out of bass register to give 哪 a proper 3rd tone. It ends up sounding like zai-na-ehhh(choke). But 在哪里 is such an essential combo so I practice it a lot on its own. That helps me keep my voice in more of tenor range, making my on-the-fly tone production much easier in general.May 23, 2008
portunhol says
June 11, 2008
This lesson has no audio for the dialogue or expansion tabs.
antony73 says
April 17, 2009
It used to be popular in the uk to have an outside toilet (户外的厕所/hùwài de cèsuo), and they can still be found, however, very, very rarely used these days - too cold in the winter!
chaos0 says
June 12, 2009
Exercises are a bit mixed up - in exercise 2 bu2yong4xie4 ranslates to You and part 2 and 3 of exercise 3 seem either switched in their answer or even more screwed up.