Intermediate Spoken Chinese

American Julie Marino, who majored in Chinese and economics at the University of Florida, recently began working at a bank in Hong Kong. One Saturday, she takes a high-speed hydrofoil ferry to Macao, where Vai Pan Lei, a Macanese friend of her father’s, meets her at the pier and shows her around town.

Basic Conversation 23-4

	(at the Macao Ferry Terminal)
1. LEI	Qĭngwèn, shi Mă Xiáojie, Mă Zhūlì Xiáojie ma?
	Excuse me, are you Miss Ma, Miss Ma Zhuli?
2. MARINO	Duì. Nĭ shi Lĭ Xiānsheng ba?
	Yes. And you must be Mr. Lei?
3. LEI	Shìde. Wŏ shi nĭ fùqinde péngyou Lĭ Wĕibīn. Huānyíng, huānyíng! Dìyīcì lái Àomén ma?
	Yes. I’m Vai Pan Lei, your father’s friend. Welcome! Is this your first time in Macao?
4. MARINO	Shì a. Jiŭ wén Àomén lìshĭ yōujiŭ, Pú’ào mĕishí gèng shi xīyĭn rén. Wŏ zhēn shi dĕng dōu dĕngbujíle, lăo zăo jiù xiăng lái cānguān, pĭncháng. Nĭ néng xiān bă Àomén dàzhìde jièshao jièshao ma? Bùguăn shi dìlĭ, lìshĭ háishi wénhuà, wŏ shémme dōu xiăng zhīdao.
	Yes. I’ve long heard that Macao has a long history, and what’s more that Portuguese-Macanese delicacies are most attractive. I really can hardly wait; I’ve long wanted to come visit and sample them. Could you first give me a general introduction to Macao? Whether it’s geography, history, or culture, I want to know about everything.
5. LEI	Nà yŏu shémme wèntí? Wŏmen yìbiān cānguān, yìbiān shuō. Zŏu ba!
	No problem with that! We’ll talk about it while we tour. Let’s go!
	(walking around the streets of downtown Macao with Marino)
	Àomén wèiyú Zhūjiāng kŏu, shi yóu Àomén bàndăo, Dàngzăi hé Lùhuán liăngge lídăo suŏzŭchéngde. Lí Xiānggăng chàbuduō liùshiwŭgōnglĭ yuăn, rénkŏu wŭshíduōwàn, rénkŏu mìdù gāojū shìjiè dìyī.
	Macao is located at the mouth of the Pearl River. It’s made up of the Macao Peninsula and the two offshore islands of Taipa and Coloane. It’s about 65 kilometers from Hong Kong, with a population of over 500,000 and a population density that is the highest in the world.
	Shíliù shìjìde shíhou, Pútáoyá rén dìyīcì láidào Àomén, shíjiŭ shìjì hòubànqī, Àomén zhèng-shì chéngwéi Pútáoyáde zhímíndì. Zhè shi Ōuzhōu dìguózhŭyìzhĕ zài Yàzhōude dìyíge zhímíndì, yĕ shi zuìhòu yíge. Yī-jiŭ-jiŭ-jiŭ-nián shí’èr yuè èrshí rì, Àomén jì Xiānggăng zhīhòu huíguī Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó, hé Xiānggăng yíyàng chéngwéi Zhōngguode lìngyíge tèbié xíngzhèngqū.
	In the 16th century the Portuguese first came to Macao, and in the latter half of the 19th century Macao formally became a Portuguese colony. This was the first colony of the European colonialists in Asia, and it was also the last one. On Dec. 20, 1999, Macao followed Hong Kong in reverting to the PRC, and like Hong Kong became another Special Administrative Region of China.
	Zài “Yìguó Liăngzhì”-de zhèngcè xià, chúle wàijiāo hé guófáng zhīwài, Àomén yíqiè dōu kéyi wéichí xiànzhuàng, wŭshínián bú biàn. Zŏu, wŏmen qù pángbiān xiăo xiàngli chángchang Àomén yŏumíngde dàntă!
	Under the policy of “One Country, Two Systems,” except for foreign relations and national defense, everything in Macao can maintain the status quo, not changing for fifty years. Come on, let’s go in the little side alley and try Macao’s famous egg tarts!
	(after eating an egg tart at the egg tart restaurant)
6. MARINO	Àomén hái yŏu năxiē míngcài zhíde pĭncháng? Tāmen dōu yŏu xiē shémme tèsè? Wŏmen kéyi diăn yìxiē ma?
	What other famous dishes does Macao have that are worth sampling? What characteristics do they have? Can we order some?
7. LEI	Dāngrán kéyi!
	Of course we can!
	(eating dinner with Marino in a Macanese restaurant)
	Àomén cài shi róuhéle Zhōngguo cài hé wèidao bĭjiào xiánde Pútáoyá cài, zài jiāshang Fēizhōu, Yìndù hé Dōngnányà láide gālí, yēzhī, ròuguì zhèxiē xiāngliào, suŏdúchuàngchūláide. Yŏumíngde cài bāokuò Fēizhōu Jī hé Là Dà Xiā. Àomén cài sè, xiāng, wèi jùquán, chīle jiào rén huí-wèi-wú-qióng.
	Macanese food was uniquely created by mixing together Chinese food and Portuguese food, which has a saltier flavor, and then adding spices such as curry, coconut juice, and cinnamon, which come from Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Famous dishes include African Chicken and Large Chili Shrimp. Macanese food is a perfect combination of color, flavor, and taste. When you eat it, it makes you savor the aftertaste for a long time.
	(looking at a casino across the street after dinner)
8. MARINO	Tīngshuō Àomén dŭbóyè shi héfăde?
	I’ve heard that gambling is legal in Macao?
9. LEI	Méi cuò. Àoménde lǚyóuyè hĕn fādá, ér zhèngfŭde jīngjì láiyuán chàbuduō băifēnzhīwŭshí shi cóng dŭbóyè láide. Àoménde dŭchăng shi quán shìjiè zhuànqián zuì duōde.
	That’s right. Tourism in Macao is very developed, and about 50% of the government’s sources of income come from gambling. Macao’s casinos are the most profitable in the world.
	Búguò yŏu niánlíng xiànzhì, wàiguo rén yào măn shíbāsuì, Àomén rén yào èrshiyīsuì cái néng rùchăng. Yŏuqùde shi, Àomén yĕ shi shìjièshang jūmín píngjūn shòumìng zuì chángde dìqū zhīyī.
	But there are age limits; foreigners must be 18 and residents of Macao have to be 21 to be admitted. The funny thing is, Macao is also one of the areas whose residents have the longest average life expectancies in the world.
10. MARINO	Yŏu yìsi! Shì bu shi héfăde dŭbó ràng tāmen hĕn qīngsōng, hĕn kuàilè? Ha ha!
	That’s interesting! I wonder if it’s the legal gambling that makes them relaxed and happy? Ha ha!

Build Up

1. Lei
Qĭngwèn, shi Mă Xiáojie, Mă Zhūlì Xiáojie ma?	Excuse me, are you Miss Ma, Miss Ma Zhuli?
2. Marino
Duì. Nĭ shi Lĭ Xiānsheng ba?	Yes. And you must be Mr. Lei?
3. Lei
Shìde. Wŏ shi nĭ fùqinde péngyou Lĭ Wĕibīn.	Yes. I’m Vai Pan Lei, your father’s friend.
Huānyíng, huānyíng! Dìyīcì lái Àomén ma?	Welcome! Is this your first time in Macao?
4. Marino
jiŭwén	have heard of for a long time [IE]
yōujiŭ	be very old, be age-old [SV]
lìshĭ yōujiŭ	have a long history
Jiŭwén Àomén lìshĭ yōujiŭ	have long heard Macao has a long history
Pú’ào	Portuguese-Macanese [AT]
Pú’ào mĕishí	Portuguese-Macanese delicacies
xīyĭn	attract [V]
xīyĭn rén	attract people
Pú’ào mĕishí gèng shi xīyĭn rén	furthermore Portuguese-Macanese delicacies attract people
lăo zăo	very early, for a long time now [PH]
lăo zăo jiù xiăng lái cānguān	have been wanting to come visit for a long time now
pĭncháng	taste, sample [V]
dàzhì	generally, roughly, for the most part [A]
dàzhìde jièshao	introduce in a general sort of way
bă Àomén dàzhìde jièshao jièshao	introduce Macao in a general way
bùguăn...	no matter..., regardless... [PT]
dìlĭ	geography [N]
bùguăn shi dìlĭ, lìshĭ háishi wénhuà	no matter whether it’s geography, history, or culture
wŏ shémme dōu xiăng zhīdao	I want to know everything
Shì a. Jiŭwén Àomén lìshĭ yōujiŭ, Pú’ào mĕishí gèng shi xīyĭn rén. Wŏ zhēn shi dĕng dōu dĕngbujíle, lăo zăo jiù xiăng lái cānguān, pĭncháng. Nĭ néng xiān bă Àomén dàzhìde jièshao jièshao ma? Bùguăn shi dìlĭ, lìshĭ háishi wénhuà, wŏ shémme dōu xiăng zhīdao.	Yes. I’ve long heard that Macao has a long history, and what’s more that Portuguese Macanese delicacies are most attractive. I really can hardly wait; I’ve long wanted to come visit and sample them. Could you first give me a general introduction to Macao? Whether it’s geography, history, or culture, I want to know about everything.
5. Lei
wŏmen yìbiān cānguān yìbiān shuō	we’ll talk while we tour
Nà yŏu shémme wèntí? Wŏmen yìbiān cānguān, yìbiān shuō. Zŏu ba!	No problem with that! We’ll talk about it while we tour. Let’s go!

wèiyú	be located at, be situated at [V+PV]
Zhūjiāng	Pearl River [PW]
kŏu	mouth; opening [N]
Zhūjiāng kŏu	mouth of the Pearl River
Àomén wèiyú Zhūjiāng kŏu	Macao is located at the mouth of the Pearl River
Dàngzăi	Taipa (name of island in Macao) [PW]
Lùhuán	Coloane (name of island in Macao) [PW]
lídăo	offshore island [N]
mìdù	density [N]
rénkŏu mìdù	population density [PH]
gāojū	be high (in rank), occupy (a high position) [V]
rénkŏu mìdù gāojū shìjiè dìyī	population density is the highest in the world
Pútáoyá	Portugal [PW]
hòubànqī	latter half [TW]
shíjiŭ shìjì hòubànqī	latter half of the 19th century
zhèngshì	formally, officially [A]
zhèngshì chéngwéi Pútáoyáde zhímíndì	formally became a Portuguese colony
dìguózhŭyìzhĕ	imperialist [N]
rì	day of the month (formal style) [M]
shí’èr yuè èrshí rì	December 20
jì...zhīhòu	follow... [PT]
jì Xiānggăng zhīhòu	follow after Hong Kong
lìng	another [SP]
lìngyíge tèbié xíngzhèngqū	another Special Administrative Region
zài...zhèngcè xià	under the policy of... [PT]
zài “Yìguó Liăngzhì”de zhèngcè xià	under the policy of “One Country, Two Systems”
wéichí	maintain [V]
xiànzhuàng	present conditions, status quo [N]
wéichí xiànzhuàng	maintain the status quo
wŏmen qù pángbiān xiăo xiàngli	let’s go in the little alley off to the side
dàntă	egg tart [N]
chángchang Àomén yŏumíngde dàntă	taste Macao’s famous egg tarts
Àomén wèiyú Zhūjiāng kŏu, shi yóu Àomén bàndăo, Dàngzăi hé Lùhuán liăngge lídăo suŏ-zŭchéngde. Lí Xiānggăng chàbuduō liùshiwŭ-gōnglĭ yuăn, rénkŏu wŭshíduōwàn, rénkŏu mìdù gāojū shìjiè dìyī. Shíliù shìjìde shíhou, Pútáoyá rén dìyīcì láidào Àomén, shíjiŭ shìjì hòubànqī, Àomén zhèngshì chéngwéi Pútáoyáde zhímíndì. Zhè shi Ōuzhōu dìguózhŭyìzhĕ zài Yàzhōude dìyíge zhímíndì, yĕ shi zuìhòu yíge. Yī-jiŭ-jiŭ-jiŭ-nián shí’èr yuè èrshí rì, Àomén jì Xiānggăng zhīhòu huíguī Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó, hé Xiānggăng yíyàng chéngwéi Zhōngguode lìng yíge tèbié xíngzhèngqū. Zài “Yìguó Liăngzhì” de zhèngcè xià, chúle wàijiāo hé guófáng zhī-wài, Àomén yíqiè dōu kéyi wéichí xiànzhuàng, wŭshínián bú biàn. Zŏu, wŏmen qù pángbiān xiăo xiàngli chángchang Àomén yŏumíngde dàntă!	Macao is located at the mouth of the Pearl River. It’s made up of the Macao Peninsula and the two offshore islands of Taipa and Coloane. It’s about 65 kilometers from Hong Kong, with a population of over 500,000 and a population density that is the highest in the world. In the 16th century the Portuguese first came to Macao, and in the latter half of the 19th century Macao formally became a Portuguese colony. This was the first colony of the European colonialists in Asia, and it was also the last one. On Dec. 20, 1999, Macao followed Hong Kong in reverting to the PRC, and like Hong Kong became another Special Administrative Region of China. Under the policy of “One Country, Two Systems,” except for foreign relations and national defense, everything in Macao can maintain the status quo, not changing for fifty years. Come on, let’s go in the little side alley and try Macao’s famous egg tarts!
6. Marino
míngcài	famous dish, famous food [N]
zhíde	be worth, deserve [AV]
năxiē míngcài zhíde pĭncháng	which famous dishes are worth sampling
Àomén hái yŏu năxiē míngcài zhíde pĭncháng? Tāmen dōu yŏu xiē shémme tèsè? Wŏmen kéyi diăn yìxiē ma?	What other famous dishes does Macao have that are worth sampling? What characteristics do
	they have? Can we order some?
7. Lei
Dāngrán kéyi!	Of course we can!

róuhé	mix together [V]
róuhéle Zhōngguo cài hé Pútáoyá cài	has mixed together Chinese food and Portuguese food
wèidao bĭjiào xián	the flavor is relatively salty
wèidao bĭjiào xiánde Pútáoyá cài	Portuguese food, which has a relatively salty flavor
Fēizhōu	Africa [PW]
Dōngnányà	Southeast Asia [PW]
Fēizhōu, Yìndù hé Dōngnányà láide	came from Africa, India, and S.E. Asia
gālí	curry [N]
yēzhī	coconut juice [N]
ròuguì	cinnamon [N]
zài jiāshang gālí, yēzhī, ròuguì	then again add curry, coconut juice, and cinnamon
xiāngliào	spice [N]
dúchuàng	create as something unique
suŏdúchuàngchūláide	something that was uniquely created
jiào	make, cause [V]
huí-wèi-wú-qióng	“savor the aftertaste a long time” [EX]
jiào rén huí-wèi-wú-qióng	make people savor the aftertaste for a long time
Àomén cài shi róuhéle Zhōngguo cài hé wèidao bĭjiào xiánde Pútáoyá cài, zài jiāshang Fēizhōu, Yìndù hé Dōngnányà láide gālí, yēzhī, ròuguì zhèxiē xiāngliào, suŏdúchuàngchūláide. Yŏu míngde cài bāokuò Fēizhōu Jī hé Là Dà Xiā. Àomén cài sè, xiāng, wèi jùquán, chīle jiào rén huí-wèi-wú-qióng.	Macanese food was uniquely created by mixing together Chinese food and Portuguese food, which has a saltier flavor, and then adding spices such as curry, coconut juice, and cinnamon, which come from Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Famous dishes include African Chicken and Large Chili Shrimp. Macanese food is a perfect combination of color, flavor, and taste. When you eat it, it makes you savor the aftertaste for a long time.
8. Marino
dŭbó	gamble [V]
dŭbóyè	the gambling industry [N]
héfă	be legal [SV]
Tīngshuō Àomén dŭbóyè shi héfăde?	I’ve heard that gambling is legal in Macao?
9. Lei
lǚyóu	tour [V]
lǚyóuyè	the tourism industry [N]
lǚyóuyè hĕn fādá	tourism is very developed
ér	and, moreover [CJ]
zhèngfŭ	government [N]
láiyuán	source, origin [N]
zhèngfŭde jīngjì láiyuán	the government’s source of income
dŭchăng	casino [PW]
quán shìjiè zhuànqián zuì duō	earn the most money in the whole world
niánlíng	age [N]
xiànzhì	limit, restriction [N]
niánlíng xiànzhì	age limit [PH]
wàiguo rén yào măn shíbāsuì	foreigners must be 18 years old
rùchăng	enter; be admitted [VO]
yŏuqù	be interesting, funny, amusing [SV]
yŏuqùde shi...	the interesting thing is that...
jūmín	resident, inhabitant [N]
píngjūn	average, mean [AT]
shòumìng	life span, life [N]
píngjūn shòumìng	average life expectancy [PH]
Méi cuò. Àoménde lǚyóuyè hĕn fādá, ér zhèngfŭde jīngjì láiyuán chàbuduō băifēnzhī-wŭshí shi cóng dŭbóyè láide. Àoménde dŭchăng shi quán shìjiè zhuànqián zuì duōde. Búguò yŏu niánlíng xiànzhì, wàiguo rén yào măn shíbāsuì, Àomén rén yào èrshiyīsuì cái néng rùchăng. Yŏuqùde shi, Àomén yĕ shi shìjièshang jūmín píngjūn shòumìng zuì chángde dìqū zhīyī.	That’s right. Tourism in Macao is very developed, and about 50% of the government’s sources of income come from gambling. Macao’s casinos are the most profitable in the world. But there are age limits; foreigners must be 18 and residents of Macao have to be 21 to be admitted. The funny thing is, Macao is also one of the areas whose residents have the longest average life expectancies in the world.
10. Marino
qīngsōng	be relaxed, easy [SV]
ràng tāmen hĕn qīngsōng, hĕn kuàilè	makes them relaxed and happy
ha ha	(sound of laughter) [I]
Yŏu yìsi! Shì bu shi héfăde dŭbó ràng tāmen hĕn qīngsōng, hĕn kuàilè? Ha ha!	That’s interesting! I wonder if it’s the legal gambling that makes them relaxed and happy? Ha ha!

1. MACAO. Macao, also spelled Macau, is known as Àomén in Mandarin. It’s one of China’s two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong being the other. Macao is situated about 50 miles west of Hong Kong on the western side of the Pearl River delta bordering Guangdong Province to the North and the South China Sea to the south. Consisting of the Macao Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane, Macao was both the first and the last European colony in Asia, having been under Portuguese control from 1557 until 1999, when it reverted to China. The residents of Macao, called Macanese, number well over 500,000 and live on only a little over 11 square miles of land area, with the result that Macao is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Tourism, gambling, and garment manufacturing are the three most important sectors of Macao’s economy. Even though Cantonese is the native language of almost all Macanese, knowledge of Mandarin has increased greatly among the local population in the last two decades and is considerably higher than in Hong Kong, in part due to the large number of mainland tourists, especially gamblers. Additional information about Macao is contained in the Basic Conversation for this lesson.

4A. FORMAL-STYLE SPOKEN CHINESE. All languages have different styles or “registers,” that is, different varieties of language used for particular purposes in particular settings, that may range from very informal to very formal, depending on the occasion and the participants. The register used will, among other things, influence the choice of vocabulary and grammar. In Chinese, in part because of the legacy and influence of Classical Chinese, the differences between colloquial and formal registers are even larger than in many other languages. Several expressions in this Basic Conversation are in relatively formal style. In utterance 4, jiŭwén “have heard of (something) for a long time” is a set expression from Classical Chinese that is used in spoken Mandarin only in fairly formal contexts. In more colloquial spoken style, this would be said as zăo jiù tīngshuōguo. In utterance 5, there are several more examples of formal-style spoken Chinese:

Having nearly completed this course in spoken Chinese, you’re now approaching the intermediate level. From now on, as you consolidate your proficiency in Chinese at the intermediate level and move on to the advanced level, it will become increasingly important for you to start gaining a “feel” for what is colloquial-style Chinese and what is formal-style Chinese and, to the best of your ability, to use the vocabulary and grammar associated with these different styles on the appropriate occasions. Your eventual goal should be to attain the communicative ability of a college-educated native speaker and always adjust your language appropriately to the occasion. For example, if you’re in a tea house or bar speaking with Chinese people of your age and position whom you know well, you would use colloquial style; and if you’re giving a talk, attending a business meeting, or attending a formal banquet, you would use formal style. Even though as non-natives you’ll be “forgiven” for many kinds of mistakes, be aware that sounding too formal in informal contexts can create distance; and sounding too informal in formal contexts can detract from the message you wish to communicate and cause people not to take you seriously. Of course, gaining a fluent command of both informal and formal styles in Chinese isn’t so easy and will take time; but be assured that this is doable, as no small number of non-natives have accomplished this successfully. As always, the first step is listening closely to, and observing carefully the behavior of native Chinese speakers in society. As you gain experience, you can gradually begin mimicking them and then build on what you’ve heard and observed from others for your own creative language use.

4B. As you learned in 16-4, lăo can mean “very,” so lăo zăo means “very early” or “for a long time now.” The phrase lăo zăo jiù xiăng lái cānguān means “(I’ve) been wanting to come visit for a long time now.”

4C. Be sure you understand the phrase Wŏ shémme dōu xiăng zhīdao “I want to know everything.” This is another example of the pattern QUESTION WORD + dōu + VERB to indicate indefinites such as “everything” or “anything” or “nothing” that you learned in 14-1: 2.

4D. BÙGUĂN... In this utterance, we take up the important pattern bùguăn... “no matter if...,” “no matter whether...,” “regardless...,” or “it doesn’t matter whether....” In this pattern, bùguăn... is usually followed by a dōu later in the sentence. The basic pattern is:

“It doesn’t matter who goes.” (lit. “No matter who goes, it’s all fine.”)

Bùguăn zhèijiàn shì chéng bu chéng, wŏ dōu hĕn gănjī nĭde bāngzhù!

“Regardless of whether or not I’m successful in this matter, I’m very grateful for your help!”

Huáng Tàitai bùguăn măi shémme dōngxi, dōu yào măi zuì hăo, zuì guìde.

“No matter what Mrs. Huang buys, she always wants to buy the best and most expensive.”

Tā hĕn yŏu yŭyán tiāncái, suóyi bùguăn xué shémme yŭyán, tā dōu xuéde yòu kuài, yòu hăo.

“She has real language talent, so no matter what language she learns, she learns it both fast and well.”

There are two near synonyms of bùguăn..., namely, búlùn... and wúlùn.... The meanings and usage of these are the same as for bùguăn..., except that búlùn... and wúlùn... are slightly more formal. Here is one example of each:

Búlùn duō lèi, Lăo Táng dōu yào bă dāngtiān gāi zuòde shì zuòwán cái xiūxi.

“No matter how tired he might be, Old Tang doesn’t rest until he has finished doing the things he was supposed to do that day.”

5A. In the second sentence of this utterance, note the sentence Wŏmen yìbiān cānguān, yìbiān shuō “We’ll talk about it while we tour.” Do you remember the pattern yìbiān(r) A yìbiān(r) B “(do B) while (doing A)”? If not, refer back to 18-2: 5, where it was first introduced.

5B. Did you notice the noun suffix -zhĕ at the end of the word dìguó-zhŭyìzhĕ “imperialist”? As we learned in 23-2: 6B, the suffix -zhĕ means “one who does something,” in this case, “one who engages in imperialism” (since dìguózhŭyì means “imperialism”).

5C. The specifier lìng- means “another,” so Zhōngguode lìngyíge tèbié xíngzhèngqū means “another special administrative region of China.” Note that lìng- can occur only before the number yī “a, an, one.” Here are some more examples with lìng:

6. In line 6, the auxiliary verb zhíde “be worth, deserve” is well worth learning. Some speakers pronounce this word with a Tone Two on the second syllable as zhídé. More examples:

7A. The long sentence in this utterance that begins with Àomén cài shi... is grammatically quite complex. When faced with a complex sentence like this, the first thing to do is to figure out the “skeleton” or basic structure of the sentence, temporarily setting aside the descriptive parts. What is the subject or topic? What is the verb or predicate? If there is an object, what is it? If there is a phrase ending in -de, focus on the noun that occurs after the -de and for the time being set aside the descriptive parts before the -de. The following breakdown of the sentence at hand will serve as an example:

(a) Àomén cài shi...dúchuàngchūláide. “Macanese food was uniquely created.”

(b) Àomén cài shi róuhéle Zhōngguo cài hé...Pútáoyá cài...suŏdúchuàngchūláide.

“Macanese food was uniquely created by mixing together Chinese food and Portuguese food.”

(d)...zài jiāshang Fēizhōu, Yìndù hé Dōngnányà láide gālí, yēzhī, ròuguì zhèxiē xiāngliào...

“then add spices such as curry, coconut juice, and cinnamon, which come from Africa, India, and Southeast Asia”

(e) Àomén cài shi róuhéle Zhōngguo cài hé wèidao bĭjiào xiánde Pútáoyá cài, zài jiāshang Fēizhōu, Yìndù hé Dōngnányà láide gālí, yēzhī, ròuguì zhèxiē xiāngliào, suŏdúchuàngchūláide.

“Macanese food was uniquely created by mixing together Chinese food and Portuguese food, which has a saltier flavor, and then adding spices such as curry, coconut juice, and cinnamon, which come from Africa, India, and Southeast Asia.”

7B. THE CAUSATIVE VERB JIÀO. At the end of utterance 7, we come across the sentence Àomén cài...chīle jiào rén huí-wèi-wú-qióng “Macanese food...(when you’ve) eaten (it), (it) makes a person savor the aftertaste for a long time.” Jiào “tell (someone to do something),” “cause (someone to do something),” or “make (someone do something)” is a so-called causative verb. After the jiào, there is always a human object, which in turn serves as the subject of a following sentence that has been embedded within the main sentence. The basic pattern is:

8A. Examine the question Tīngshuō Àomén dŭbóyè shi héfăde? “I’ve heard that gambling is legal in Macao?” First, this is an intonation question, which is the reason there is no affirmative-negative verb construction or final ma. Second, note that Àomén dŭbóyè shi héfăde consists of a topic (Àomén) and a comment on that topic (dŭbóyè shi héfăde); and then that comment in turn consists of a secondary topic (dŭbóyè) and a comment on that topic (shi héfăde). A literal translation of the whole question might be: “I have heard that, if you’re talking about Macao, gambling is legal?”

8B. Héfă is a stative verb that means “be legal”; the literal translation of héfă is “be in accordance with the law.” The reason that the shi...-de pattern has been used in the embedded sentence Dŭbóyè shi héfăde “Gambling is legal” is to emphasize a situation or stress that “that’s how it is” (cf. 16-3: 3C). Here is another example sentence with héfă:

9. In sentence 9, the conjunction ér means “and” or “moreover.” The speaker has made one point (that tourism in Macao is very developed) and now uses ér to make clear that he is going to present an additional point (that 50% of the government’s revenues come from gambling). The conjunction ér is common in ordering the various linguistic components in formal Chinese discourse.

SUBJECT OF SENTENCE₁	JIÀO	OBJECT OF JIÀO AND SUBJECT OF SENTENCE₂	PREDICATE OF SENTENCE₂
Tā	jiào	wŏ	zài zhèr dĕng tā.
“She asked me to wait for her here.”

Nĭ jiào tā zăo yidianr huílai!	“Tell him not to come back too late!”
Nĭ jiào tā qù măi yìpíng jiàngyóu.	“Tell her to go and buy a bottle of soy sauce.”
Bié jiào wŏ zuò nèiyangde shìqing!	“Don’t make me do something like that!”
Yīshēng jiào tā xiūxi liăngge lĭbài.	“The doctor told him to rest for two weeks.”

wèiyú	“be located at”
gāojū	“be high (in rank)”
rì	“day of the month” (equivalent to spoken-style hào)
jì...zhīhòu	“follow...”
zài...zhèngcè xià	“under the policy of...”

BÙGUĂN...	CLAUSE₁	CLAUSE₂
Bùguăn	shi dìlĭ, lìshĭ háishi wénhuà,	wŏ shémme dōu xiăng zhīdao.
“No matter whether it’s geography, history, or culture, I want to know everything.”