Collins Gem

Copyright

HarperCollins Publishers

Westerhill Road

Bishopbriggs

Glasgow G64 2QT

Third Edition 2017

© HarperCollins Publishers 2007, 2010, 2017

Source ISBN: 9780008135904

Ebook Edition © March 2017 ISBN: 9780008230081

Version: 2017-01-27

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

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Editor

Holly Tarbet

Contributors

Julie Kleeman

Lin Luan

Ling Song Chase

For the Publisher

Gerry Breslin

Janice McNeillie

Using your phrasebook

Whether you’re on holiday or on business, your Collins Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary is designed to help you locate the exact phrase you need, when you need it. You’ll also gain the confidence to go beyond what is in the book, as you can adapt the phrases by using the dictionary section to substitute your own words.

The Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary includes:

• Over 60 topics arranged thematically, so that you can easily find an expression to suit the situation

• Pinyin pronunciation which accompanies each word and phrase, to make sure you are understood when speaking aloud

• Tips to safeguard against any cultural faux pas, providing the essential dos and don’ts of local customs or etiquette

• A basic grammar section which will help you to build on your phrases

• FACE TO FACE dialogue sections to give you a flavour of what to expect from a real conversation

• YOU MAY HEAR sections for common announcements and messages, so that you don’t miss important information when out and about

• A dictionary with over 1,000 words and their translations, to ensure you’ll never be stuck for something to say

• A short chapter of LIFELINE phrases for quick reference. These basic words and phrases will be essential to your time abroad

Before you jet off, it’s worth spending time looking through the topics to see what is covered and becoming familiar with pronunciation.

Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Using your phrasebook

Pronouncing Mandarin

Top ten tips

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

Key phrases

Celebrations

Making friends

Work

Weather

Getting around

Asking the way

Bus and coach

Metro

Train

Taxi

Boat and ferry

Air travel

Customs control

Driving

Road signs

Staying somewhere

Hotel (booking)

Hotel desk

Camping

Self-catering

Shopping

Shopping phrases

Shops

Supermarket

Food (fruit and veg)

Clothes

Clothes (articles)

Bookshop/music shop

Antique shop

Maps and guides

Post office

Technology

Leisure

Sightseeing and tourist office

Entertainment

Nightlife

Leisure/interests

Music

Theatre/opera

Sport

Walking

Communications

Telephone and mobile

Text messaging

E-mail

Internet

Practicalities

Money

Paying

Luggage

Repairs

Laundry

Complaints

Problems

Emergencies

Health

Pharmacy

Doctor

Dentist

Eating out

Eating places

At a tea house

In a restaurant

Dietary requirements

Spirits and liqueurs

Menu reader

Reference

Measurements and quantities

Numbers

Days and months

Time

Time phrases

Public holidays

Signs and notices

Pronouncing place names

Grammar

Dictionary

English – Mandarin

A – C

D – F

G – I

J – L

M – O

P – R

S – U

V – Z

LIFELINE words and phrases

About the Publisher

Pronouncing Mandarin

It is not easy for foreigners to pronounce Mandarin Chinese, so in this phrasebook we have used standard Latin phonetic sounds to keep it simple. Mandarin is not written using an alphabet, but by various strokes (such as , ). Written Chinese is based on these ‘characters’ rather than words. The standard Mandarin Chinese pronunciation system (called ‘pinyin’) is based on consonants and vowels which look just like English words. By converting a pinyin character (each representing the sound of the Chinese character) into the standard Latin phonetic sound, English/European language speakers will be able to pronounce pinyin easily.

The system of conversion is as follows:

Intonation

There are five tones used when pronouncing Mandarin; to make it easier for you to remember them, we have placed the diacritics on top of the vowel in each pinyin to indicate the flat tone (—), the rising tone (´), the musical long tone (˘), the strong tone (`), whilst no diacritic means a quiet tone.

In order to make it easier for you to understand these tones, the following examples are supplied. These will give you some idea of how to pronounce the four basic tones in Mandarin:

Top ten tips

1 Chinese people show great respect for the wisdom and experience of their elders. The senior people present will usually initiate the greetings, and you should greet the oldest, most senior person before any others.

2 Do not stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice. It reminds Chinese people of the incense sticks they burn when they bury their dead.

3 Avoid sharing a pear with loved ones. The word for pear-sharing sounds the same as the term for to separate (fēn-lí), and can hint at a break-up or a lifelong separation.

4 Business cards should be held in both hands when they are being offered or received. When receiving another person’s card, you should take the time to look at it attentively before putting it away.

5 Be aware of the Chinese fear of losing face. For example, do not call a restaurant manager a fú-wù;-yuán (waiter/waitress), or anything else below their true status.

6 It is rude to refuse any consumable item being offered to you (including cigarettes). If you do not accept a cigarette you have to come up with a good reason to avoid offending anyone!

7 Tipping is still not expected in most restaurants and hotels, however attitudes towards tipping are changing.

8 Most Chinese women continue using their maiden names even after marriage, but they may indicate their marital status by using 太太 (tài-tai) or 夫人 (fū-rén) with their husband’s name.

9 In a formal situation you should always exchange business cards and shake hands with the most important person first and then work down, to avoid anyone losing face.

10 Whistling and pointing with the index finger are taboo gestures in China.

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

It is very important to use the appropriate form of greeting in China. As with other cultures, the way that you greet somebody will depend on whether you know them or if they are a stranger. The most common greeting which can be used at any time, to anyone, is 你好(nǐ hǎo).

The form 您好(nín hǎo) is more formal and should be used when you want to show particular respect.

Key phrases

Celebrations