Learn Mandarin - "Where is the bathroom?"

[ProvocativeCharlie]

What were the first two words you said before xi shou jian zai na li. It sounds something like "bafooyen chinweh" ?

[samantttha]

@ProvocativeCharlie means waiter

[KaylaRooker]

I heard Mandarin is the hardest language to learn. I'm going into my first year of learning it next year and will be visiting China as an exchange student. Wondering if you have any study tips to learning the language?

[MercedesSantiaga]

@KaylaRooker i learned in two or three months and can pretty much say that i am about 60% fluent in speaking. It is very much like English to me, moreso than spanish -- and french which uses feminine and masculine forms of words. I do have trouble understanding what is spoken to me because native speakers speak very quickly and I don't have time to translate in my brain before they have finished the sentence. once i learn to listen, for my ears i will be better.

[femmesusan1]

The music in the backround interferes a lot, & please speak slower. The phonetics and tones are lost when I can't here you clearly. Thanks Benny, I'm trying to learn basic Mandarin:)

[xxxxSOSEXYxxxx]

He just said where is the washroom...not where is the bathroom. To say where is the bathroom you say....ce4 suo3 zai4 nar3?

[forsakentoyou]

Hello! Your videos are very useful!

I have a question. I thought that every question had a "ma" at the end of a sentence. Why this is not the case?

[3salamanders]

Ha! First phrase I learn in any language when I'm traveling! :)

[Memphissound901]

为什么你不能说 厕所 吗？

[askbenny]

@Memphissound901 说厕所也可以。

[AuntSpode8899]

Benny, you are cute, and that is half the battle won (as far as the female half of your audience is concerned. But relax, you are too young for me!) A joke: My oldest niece was starting school at three in an English speaking school in Hong Kong. We taught her "may I go to the toilet." My brother, being naughty, taught her, "may I go to 'au neil' " "Au neil" is urinate in Cantonese. My niece, though 3, was so clever. She laugh hysterically while saying, "may I go to au neil? Ha Ha Ha Ha "

[thagodfather007]

@AuntSpode8899 wtf bitch

[askbenny]

@AuntSpode8899 SO CUTE your niece!

[Kevinyoul0o5serr]

FOB

[enantiomer2000]

could you also ask "廁所在那兒?". Which is more common? Is it a dialect thing?

[askbenny]

@enantiomer2000 Both are OK. 厕所，洗手间和卫生间，just different ways to say the same thing.

[FlySkyyy]

xie xie!!

wo jiao skyler and this makes me kai xin!

[askbenny]

@FlySkyyy My pleasure!

[willida11]

Thanks! I really need this one!

[askbenny]

@willida11 Glad this helps you

[BSgeoff]

good stuff benny.

[askbenny]

xie xie ni !

[parangtanga09]

ok!

[makjep]

xie xie benny

[askbenny]

bu yong xie!

[beginmaster]

Benny Wo ke yi wen ni yi ge wen ti ma?

How do i say: Right and left? in Chinese.

[askbenny]

dang1 ran2 ke3 yi3!

Left = zuo3(左）

Right = you4(右))

[iMaxxxxx]

你好 Benny! Thanks a lot!

[askbenny]

It's my pleasure! Have any question just let know.

[jissaikun]

so can i say "ce suo zai na li?"

or

"yu shi zai na li?"

[askbenny]

Hi, ce suo = toilet,

yu shi = bathroom (only for private house or apartment)

[hamaz]

Ni hao Benny! Ni ke yi bang wo ma?

In the video, I heard you say "Qing wen...xi shou jian zai na li?" Does "Qing wen" mean please?

Xie xie!

[askbenny]

Hi hamaz,

It's my pleasure to help you.

qing wen = please ask

It's a polite way to start a question sentence

[nknibbe]

Does anyone ever say "ma tong" for toilet?

[askbenny]

yep. we say that sometimes.

[annarboriter]

why repeat the same situation with the same dialogue?

[haisuphelga]

xie xie benny!

hen hao :)

[askbenny]

Bu ke qi!

[hapaJESSICA]

i love your videos, benny! i have been watching them for more useful phrases since i arrived in china. they are very helpful!

[askbenny]

Thank you!Glad to hear that.

[posty83]

I love Mandarin. Now if only I could remember these words....

[TableTenniskid88]

just keep repeating them.

[shirkl02]

you are cool :D

[SweetSmash]

uhhh i thought it was cesuo zai nar... now i'm confused lol

[sharkster1969]

you are right SS - you are asking for the toilet. that's fine. What benny is teaching is bathroom - or "wash hands room" - same thing really.

S.

[sharkster1969]

That's right SS! You are asking for the toilet. What Benny is saying is Bathroom - or "wash hands room" same thing really just different name for the toilet. S.

[askbenny]

You can say both of them. This two are the same meaning.

[mnrl]

nice!!! xie xie!!

btw, i got a new vid!

[musician8591]

what about cesuo? I've heard bathroom called that. Is there any special use for either word?

[YGDEd]

yeah me too.

[askbenny]

Hi Musician, actually, "cè suǒ" means toilet. bathroom in Chinese is "yù shì" or "wèi shéng jiān

[sharkster1969]

"wèi shéng jiān" kind-of translates to Hygiene room right? So just think of how many ways there are to say toilet in english, including the unpleasant ones! mǎ tǒng is yet another in mandarin.. don't bother using it though it's not so pleasant.

[quanyin04]

Well that will certainly come in handy when we return to China! Thanks, Benny! Always love the enthusiasm!

[askbenny]

Bu ke qi! Hope it helps!

[NorthwesternerGuy]

Awesome classes for Westerners with Latin characters and diacritics marking tones! To learn Mandarin that way is easier for Westerners I think.

I noticed that you also refer to you language using two names indiscriminately: Mandarin and Chinese. Spanish is also called both Castilian and Spanish :P

[askbenny]

Hi Northwesternerguy, thanks for your encouragement, our style is fun, practical and simple.

It is very interesting that Spanish can also be called in 2 ways

[DolchiO07]

Wow, first view and comment, haven't experienced that in a while.

Anyway, I have a question. I've heard somewhere that the phrase "where is the bathroom?" is translated as;

"xi shou jian zen me zou"

What's the difference? Please clarify.

[Satanickus]

"... zen me zou" means "how to get to ..." (lit. how walk), whereas "zai na li" means "where is (the place)".

[DolchiO07]

OK, thanks for explaining.

[YGDEd]

can u say ce suo zai na li?

[Satanickus]

I actually learned to say that instead of "xi shou zai na li". I guess both are understood. So use them both from time to time for variation ^^

[askbenny]

Hi Satanickus, you're right, they could be both understood. Just choose the easier one for you.

[askbenny]

Of course! "Ce suo" is the same meaning as "xi shou jian". The difference is the way of speaking.

[askbenny]

Thank you! Well done!

[askbenny]

It means how to get to the bathroom.