First, I can't hear you
Here are some more helpful structures that I am practicing:
首先⋯⋯然后⋯⋯（接着⋯⋯）
shǒu xiān⋯⋯rán hòu⋯⋯（jiē zhe⋯⋯）
First … then … (then (a different then to sound less repetitive)…)
Notes
首先。 shou xian
然后: [ rán hòu ] (then)…
接着: [ jiē zhe ] (then – continuing…)
This one came about while I was talking to my teacher on Skype. The audio cut out for me so I said “我不听你”. I was trying to say “I can't hear you”, but what that translates into is “I refuse to listen to your advice” or “I wont listen to you” (more or less).
One correct way to say “I can't hear you” is:
我听不见你的声音
wǒ tīng bú jìan nǐ de shēng yīn.
direct: I listen not see your voice.
trans: I am listening but I can't hear you.
Another one might be (I need to double check):
我听不到
wǒ tīng bú dào
direct: I listen not to
I think: I have not heard.
Notes…
我不听你。
我听不见你的声音。
见: [ jiàn, xiàn ] (1. to see, 2. to meet, 3. to appear, 4. to interview)
声音: [ shēng yīn ] (1. sound, 2. voice)
声: [ shēng ] (1. noise, 2. sound, 3. voice, 4. tone)
音: [ yīn ] (1. news, 2. noise, 3. sound)
我听不到。
我听不懂。
我不听
你的话.
(huà)
Some conditional structures. The first one is the because structure. I've learned this before, but I forgot it. This will hopefully be a reminder.
因为…所以…
yīnwéi… suǒyǐ…
because… so…
This structure is a little odd from an English standpoint (which means it should be easy to remember) because The cause / outcome is reversed. For example:
(forgive me if the sentence is bad, I tried this on my own)
因为我去了超市所以我买了牛奶。
yīnwéi wǒ qù le chāoshì suǒyǐ wǒ mǎi le niúnǎi
direct: because I went super market so I bought milk.
trans: I bought milk because I went to the super market.
How do you say… This one is one of the most important phrases I think, and I can't believe I never asked how to say it before. One of the first things I learned in spanish was “Cómo se dice … en español”. In Chinese it's:
…怎么说？
…zěnme shuō?
direct: … how say?
trans: how do you say … ?
example: “elephant”怎么说？
If / then. This is another one I kind of knew at one point but forgot. This one is a bit more complicated in Chinese because the then part is different based on the tense. I don't fully understand it yet.
如果… 就(将)…
rúguǒ… jiù (jiàng)…
if… then (then future)…
examples (warning probably bad sentences (and might be wrong!) but I think the concept is correct)
如果你不是我的爸爸就我不是你的孩子。
(if you are not my dad, then I am not your son)
如果你不吃将你死。
(if you don't eat, then you will die)
Notes:
如果: [ rú guǒ ] (if)
就: [ jiù ] (then) (I have a hang up with this word: gee-yo)
将: [ jiàng, qiāng, jiāng ] (will, shall, “future tense”)
This last bit is a somewhat of a tongue twister for me to practice. Feel free to try yourself.
如果你努力学习，你就能学好。
rúguǒ nǐ nǔlì xúexí, nǐ jiù néng xúehǎo
if you study hard, you then can learn.
Notes
努力: [ nǔ lì ] (1. strive, 2. great effort, 3. try hard)