Intermediate - Discussing the Ayi

Right-Wingnut

John: Intermediate ChinesePod listeners, I'm John.

Dilu: 大家好，我是 Dilu。

John: And today we have a listen related to ...

Dilu: 阿姨。阿姨。

John: Not aunts but housekeepers.

Dilu: 对的。在中国很多的大城市呢，很多人现在家里面都会有阿姨。好像你以前的话，老外会多一点。

John: But now its not just foreigners that have the housekeeper in China.

Dilu: 对。现在越来越多［的］人，家里面会有一个阿姨。

Right-Wingnut

1:24

John: So I guess this is a married couple talking.

Dilu: 对。是一个夫妻，然后阿姨应该不在家。或者可能在做事情在其他的地方。

Right-Wingnut

1:34

John: OK. So in the first line of the dialog, the guy says what?

Dilu: 家里有零食吗？家里有零食吗？

John: 零食, two 2nd tones.

Dilu: 对，两个第二声。

John: So literally, by character, that's 'zero food'.

Dilu: Right, zero food. 不算 food。Doesn't count.

John: Because its snacks.

Dilu: 没错。零食。零食。

John: And then the wife says something that I feel is kind of weird. She says， instead of 你怎么了，she says 怎么了你。

Right-Wingnut

2:04

Dilu: 对。怎么了你。我们平时很自然得就会这么说。其实跟＇你怎么了＇是一样的意思。

John: Both are natural, right?

Dilu: 对。

John: So you might hear both. Good to know. Then they start talking about a piece of clothing.

Dilu: 对，这个老婆她好像［有／又］拿起一件衣服。她说：你看看这件衣服，也没洗干净。

John: 这件衣服。We have a measure word here.

Right-Wingnut

Dilu: 是的。件，第四声。一件衣服。这件衣服。

John: So she's probably picking something up, and she says besides the food that the 阿姨 makes not being so good, also this piece of clothing ...

Dilu: 这件衣服也没洗干净。没洗干净。

John: In this case 干净, 'clean', is the resultative complement.

Dilu: 对。

John: So she did wash it, but she didn't get it clean. So if you wash it but you don't get it clean then you say ...

Dilu: 没洗干净。没洗干净。

Right-Wingnut

0:29

John: But sometimes you'll have a few problems with the 阿姨, so that's what today's lesson is about.

Dilu: 对。那我们先来听一下对话。看一看这个阿姨有一些什么样的问题。

0:40 - Dialog