At the Bank

Grammar

Alternative question with "还是".

For example:

您需要开外币账户还是人民币账户?

Nín xūyào kāi wàibì zhànghù háishì Rénmínbì zhànghù?

Do you want to open a foreign currency account or an RMB account?

Exercises: change the sentences into alternative questions.

For example:

马克学中文｡｡ 马克学日文｡｡

Mǎkè xué Zhōngwén. Mǎkè xué Rìwén.

Mark learns Chinese. Mark learns Japanese.

马克学中文还是日文?

Mǎkè xué Zhōngwén háishì Rìwén?

Does Mark learn Chinese or Japanese?

1. 陈老师去上海｡陈老师去广州｡｡

Chén Lǎoshī qù Shànghǎi. Chén Lǎoshī qù Guǎngzhōu.

Mr. Chen goes to Shanghai.  Mr. Chen goes to Guangzhou.

2. 珍妮的裙子是红色的｡｡ 珍妮的裙子是粉色的｡｡

Zhēnní de qúnzi shì hóngsè de. Zhēnní de qúnzi shì fěnsè de.

Jenny's skirt is red. Jenny's skirt is pink.

Buzzwords

1. 炒房

chăofáng

real estate speculation

政府已出台一系列政策来遏制炒房行为｡｡

Zhèngfǔ yǐ chūtái yí xìliè zhèngcè lái èzhì chăofáng xíngwéi.

The government has promulgated an array of policies to curb real estate speculation.

2. 宰人

zǎirén

to overcharge 

这家新餐馆很宰人｡｡

Zhèjiā xīn cānguǎn hěn zǎirén.

This new restaurant charges an arm and a leg for a meal.

3. 炒股

chǎogŭ

to speculate on the stock market

炒股是使资金快速增长的一个途径｡｡

Chǎogŭ shì shǐ zījīn kuàisù zēngzhǎng de yígè tújìng.

Speculating on the stock market is one way to rapidly increase one's capital.

4. 卡奴

kănú

credit card slave

卡奴的工资多半用来偿还银行欠款｡｡

Kănú de gōngzī duōbàn yònglái chánghuán yínháng qiànkuǎn.

Most of a credit card slave's salary goes into paying off the debt.

5. 裸婚

luǒhūn

no-frills marriage 

他们俩经济不宽裕,所以决定选择"裸婚" — 不办婚礼,不买房买车,也不买钻戒｡

Tāmenliǎ jīngjì bù kuānyù, suǒyǐ juédìng xuǎnzé "luǒhūn" — bùbàn hūnlǐ, bù mǎifáng mǎichē, yě bù mǎi zuànjiè.

Being short of money, they opted for a no-frills marriage — without a wedding ceremony, and without buying a home, a car or a diamond ring.