S: Wǒ shì Stuart. ML, 今天我们学什么 jīntiān wǒmen xué shénme?

M. Well, I think it’s time we learnt to ride a bike.

S. Hǎo zhúyi. Wǒmen kāishǐ. ML, 今天你想去哪儿 jīntiān, nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr?

M. The Summer Palace. 颐和园. 我想去颐和园wǒ xiǎng qù Yíhéyuán.

S. How far? 颐和园离这儿多远 Yíhéyuán lí zhèr duō yuǎn?

M. 六公里liù gōnglǐ.

S. That’s not far六公里,那不远 liù gōnglǐ, nà bù yuǎn.

M. Do you have a bike? 你有自行车吗 nǐ yǒu zìxíngchē ma?

S. 我有自行车 wǒ yǒu zìxíngchē.

M. 我也有自行车wǒ yě yǒu zìxíngchē.

S. 我们骑车去, 好不好? wǒmen qí chē qù, hǎo bù hǎo?

M. qí chē qù, qí chē qù? Hǎo!

S. Now the new stuff. 今天,你想去哪儿. That’s easy: where do you want to go today? jīntiān, ní xiǎng qù nǎr?

M. The Summer Palace. 颐和园. 我想去颐和园. Now say, ‘they want to go to the Summer Palace. Duì le. 他们想去颐和园tāmen xiǎng qù Yíhéyuán.

S. 颐和园 from here, how far?离这儿多远?

M. lí zhèr duō yuǎn? 离LI lí, here means ‘distance from’ lí. 多 DUO duō, the same duo as in duōshǎoqián ‘how much money?’ 远 YUAN yuǎn, means ‘far’ or ‘distant’. Duō yuǎn, ‘how far?’ Lí zhèr duō yuǎn how far from here? Say it, lí zhèr duō yuǎn?

S. 六公里liù gōnglǐ.

M.六公里,那不远 liù gōnglǐ, nà bù yuǎn. What does bù yuǎn mean? Duì le, ‘not far’, bù yuǎn.

S. 你有自行车吗?

M. nǐ yǒu zìxíngchē ma? 自 ZI zì, means ‘self’, zì. 行 XING xíng, here means ‘move’ xíng车 CHE chē, ‘vehicle’, the same chē as in motor car, qíchē. So guess what a ‘self move vehicle’ zìxíngchē is. Méi cuò, a bicycle, zìxíngchē.

S. And, 骑自行车 QI qí, to ‘ride’. Qí zìxíngchē, to ‘ride a bike’ qí zìxíngchē. But we often shorten it to 骑车 qíchē.

M. 我也有 I also have 我也有自行车 wǒ yě yǒu zìxíngchē.

S. 好, 我们骑车去 we ride bike go, wǒmen qí chē qù.

M. qí chē qù, qí chē qù? Hǎo.

S: Catch all the dialogue? Fēicháng hǎo. Now we can xiàkè. Zàijiàn.