S: Wǒ shì Stuart. We're looking for my camera. 我们在找我的照相机 wǒmen zàizhǎo wǒde zhàoxiàngjī.

M: Where's his camera? 他的照相机在哪儿? tā de zhàoxiàngjī zài nǎr?

S: I'll look. 我找一找 wǒ zhǎo yì zhǎo. M: I'll help you look. 我帮你找 wǒ bāng nǐ zhǎo.

S：It's not on the table, and not under the table. 它不在桌子上， 也不在桌子下面 tā bú zài zhuōzi shàng, yě bú zài zhuōzi xiàmian.

M: Hey! Found it. 嘿！找到了 zhǎodào le.

S: 找到了吗zhǎodào le ma? M: It's in your bag.

S: Thank goodness! I'll go buy a glass of beer. 我去买杯啤酒 wǒ qù mǎibēi píjiǔ. Tiān a! Where's my wallet? 我的钱包在哪儿? wǒde qiánbāo zài nǎr?

M: Oh dear! Now he can't find his wallet! 我的天啊！现在他又找不到他的钱包了。Xiànzài tāyòu zhǎobúdào tāde qiánbāole.

S: I can't buy a beer until I find my wallet. So let's go over the new stuff. I said, ‘I'll look' meaning, of course, ‘look for', not ‘look at': 我找一找.

M: wǒ zhǎo yi zhǎo. Literally, ‘look for – one – look for.' We've seen this verb – yi – verb thing before. Remember 我想一想 ‘I'll think about it' wǒ xiǎng yi xiǎng.

S: Or, ‘I'll take a look' 我看一看 wǒ kàn yí kàn. ‘I'll taste it.' Wǒ cháng yí cháng.

M: And one more thing. All these verb – yī – verb patterns can omit the ‘yī' in colloquial Chinese. For example, 我尝一尝can be shortened to 我尝尝 wǒ cháng cháng. Also, the meaning of many Chinese verbs changes according to context, just like in English. Listen.

S: I miss you 我想你 wǒ xiǎng nǐ.

M: I want to go 我想走。Wǒ xiǎng zǒu.

S: I think, or, I reckon, he's right 我想他对了 wǒ xiǎng tā duìle.

M: I reckon 我想 wǒ xiǎng

S: I'll think about it, 我想一想 wǒ xiǎng yi xiǎng.

M: And, using kàn. Wǒ kàn, can mean I understand, I reckon. 我看 wǒ kàn. Much the same as 我想 wǒ xiǎng, and 我认为 wǒ rènwéi.

S: Now, 我看一看 means ‘I'll take a look'. Wǒ kàn yí kàn. Or simply, wǒ kànkan. wǒ kànkan.

M: And I said, 我找到了, meaning, ‘I've found it.' Zhǎo dàole.

S: And one more new word, ‘money bag' 钱包 qiánbāo, meaning ‘purse' or ‘wallet'. Qián bāo.

M: And we'll finish with the dialogue again.

S: 我的照相机在哪儿 wǒ de zhàoxiàngjī zài nǎr?

M: 我帮你找 wǒ bāng nǐ zhǎo. S：它不在桌子上， 也不在桌子下面 tā bú zài zhuōzi shàng, yě bú zài
zhuōzi xiàmian.

M: 嘿！找到了 zhǎodào le.

S: 我去买杯啤酒 wǒ qù mǎibēi píjiǔ. Tiān a! 我的钱包在哪儿? wǒde qiánbāo zài nǎr?

M: 我的天啊！现在他又找不到他的钱包了。Xiànzài tāyòu zhǎobúdào tāde qiánbāole.

S: Stop the lesson and let me zhǎo yì zhǎo.

M: Ok. Míngtiān jiàn!