Career Magazine

173: How to Talk About Different Kind of Gifts in Mandarin Chinese

By Learnmandarinnow

Gift giving is an essential part of most cultures—for birthdays, wedding anniversaries or new year celebrations. Of course, some occasions seem more important than others so it’s vital to get the gift right! Learn how to talk about giving and receiving gifts and make sure you can join in with the fun!

In this Podcast, you will learn:

(i) To present someone who is close to you a gift

(ii) How to accept a gift and give thanks

Dialogue:

It’s the wedding anniversary of a couple:

(在家)

(zài jiā)

(at home)

A:老公,这是我给你准备的周年礼物。你打开看看吧!

Lǎo gōng, zhè shì wǒ gěi nǐ zhǔn bèi de zhōu nián lǐ wù. Nǐ dǎ kāi kàn kan ba!

Hubby, this is the anniversary gift that I prepared for you. Would you like to open it and see?

B:哈哈,这可是我梦寐以求的手表!谢谢你,老婆!

Hā ha, zhè kě shì wǒ mèng mèi yǐ qiú de shǒu biǎo! Xiè xie nǐ, lǎo pó!

Wow…, this is the watch I dreamed of! Thank you so much, my wife!

A:嘿嘿不用谢。

Hēi hei bù yòng xiè.

Hmm.., you are welcome.

B:喏,这是我给你买的玫瑰花!

Nuò, zhè shì wǒ gěi nǐ mǎi de méi guī huā!

Here, these are the roses I bought for you!

A:哦,谢谢。好……好漂亮(有些不乐意)

Ò, xiè xie. Hǎo……hǎo piào liàng (yǒu xiē bù lè yì)

Okay, thanks. They are pretty (not happy with the flowers).

(有小狗叫的声音)

(yǒu xiǎo gǒu jiào de shēng yīn)

(sound of a puppy)

A:咦,那是什么声音?(打开盒子)天啊,是一只小狗!好可爱!

Yí, nà shì shén me shēng yīn? (dǎ kāi hé zi) tiān a, shì yī zhī xiǎo gǒu! Hǎo kě ài!

What is that sound? (opens the box) Gosh, it is a puppy! So cute!

B:哈哈,给你一个超大的惊喜吧?

Hā ha, gěi nǐ yī gè chāo dà de jīng xǐ ba?

Ha ha, did I give you a super big surprise?

A:嗯,真的没想到!谢谢老公!

Ēn, zhēn de méi xiǎng dào! Xiè xie lǎo gōng!

I really didn’t expect that! Thanks, hubby!

Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:

老公:husband

周年礼物:anniversary gift

梦寐以求:a Chinese idiom which means somebody wants something so bad that he/she even dreams about it; it describes a thing/goal that is long wished for

手表:watch

老婆:wife

玫瑰花:rose

不乐意:not happy

声音:sound

只:the measuring word for a dog

小狗:puppy

可爱:cute

超大的:super big

惊喜:surprise

没想到:didn’t expect

Mandarin Chinese learning resources we recommend:

round-italki-logo-3d-01
Using Italki, a unique system of learning Mandarin Chinese where you interact with real teachers, is widely recognised as an effective way to learn a new language! You’ll make more progress and learn how native Chinese speakers really speak. Plus, Italki is more affordable than offline tutors, offline schools and software, and is convenient to use at your own pace and place!

Keats Chinese School
Keats Chinese School, which was founded in 2004, is one of the top Mandarin Chinese language schools in China, offering both one-on-one immersion Mandarin courses and small group Chinese classes. Located in Kunming, Keats develops personalised exercises and materials for students to meet their learning goals and requirements and can arrange a student visa for its 16 week course.


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