My First Week in Beijing

我叫阿明，是摩洛哥人。九月我来北京学习汉语。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiào (fourth tone, falling) Ā (neutral tone) Míng, (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) Móluògē (second tone, rising) rén. (second tone, rising) Jiǔ (third tone, dipping) yuè (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) Běijīng (third tone, dipping) xuéxí (second tone, rising) Hànyǔ. (fourth tone, falling)

My name is Amine and I am Moroccan. In September I came to Beijing to study Chinese.

这是我第一次来中国。

Zhè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) cì (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) Zhōngguó. (first tone, high and level)

It was my first time in China.

星期一上午，我到了北京，天气很热。

Xīngqīyī (first tone, high and level) shàngwǔ, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) Běijīng, (third tone, dipping) tiānqì (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) rè. (fourth tone, falling)

I landed in Beijing on Monday morning, and it was hot.

我坐出租车去学校，坐了一个小时。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) chūzūchē (first tone, high and level) qù (fourth tone, falling) xuéxiào, (second tone, rising) zuò (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) xiǎoshí. (third tone, dipping)

I took a taxi to the university — an hour’s ride.

我的房间是三零五号，房间不大，但是我很喜欢。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) fángjiān (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) sān (first tone, high and level) líng (second tone, rising) wǔ (third tone, dipping) hào, (fourth tone, falling) fángjiān (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) dà, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) xǐhuan. (third tone, dipping)

My room is number 305. It is small, but I like it a lot.

星期二上午我们开始上课。老师姓王，说话很慢。

Xīngqī (first tone, high and level) èr (fourth tone, falling) shàngwǔ (fourth tone, falling) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) shàng (fourth tone, falling) kè. (fourth tone, falling) Lǎoshī (third tone, dipping) xìng (fourth tone, falling) Wáng, (second tone, rising) shuōhuà (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) màn. (fourth tone, falling)

Classes started on Tuesday morning. Our teacher’s surname is Wang and she speaks slowly.

老师说的话我能懂一些，不懂的时候我就问她。

Lǎoshī (third tone, dipping) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) huà (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) néng (second tone, rising) dǒng (third tone, dipping) yìxiē, (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) dǒng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) wèn (fourth tone, falling) tā. (first tone, high and level)

I can follow some of what she says, and when I cannot, I ask.

我的同学有的是英国人，有的是日本人，大家都很好。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) tóngxué (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) Yīngguó (first tone, high and level) rén, (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) Rìběn (fourth tone, falling) rén, (second tone, rising) dàjiā (fourth tone, falling) dōu (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)

Some of my classmates are English, some Japanese — they are all lovely.

中午我们一起去学校旁边的饭馆吃饭。

Zhōngwǔ (first tone, high and level) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) yìqǐ (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) xuéxiào (second tone, rising) pángbiān (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) fànguǎn (fourth tone, falling) chī (first tone, high and level) fàn. (fourth tone, falling)

At midday we go together to the restaurant beside the campus.

我要了羊肉和米饭，很好吃，也不贵。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yángròu (second tone, rising) hé (second tone, rising) mǐfàn, (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎochī, (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) guì. (fourth tone, falling)

I ordered mutton and rice: delicious, and not expensive either.

星期三下午，我想去商店买东西，但是我不知道怎么走。

Xīngqīsān (first tone, high and level) xiàwǔ, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) qù (fourth tone, falling) shāngdiàn (first tone, high and level) mǎi (third tone, dipping) dōngxi, (first tone, high and level) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) zhīdào (first tone, high and level) zěnme (third tone, dipping) zǒu. (third tone, dipping)

On Wednesday afternoon I wanted to go shopping, but I had no idea of the way.

一个中国人告诉我坐三路公共汽车，我很快就到了。

Yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) rén (second tone, rising) gàosu (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) sān (first tone, high and level) lù (fourth tone, falling) gōnggòng (first tone, high and level) qìchē, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) kuài (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)

A Chinese passer-by told me to take the number three bus, and I was there in no time.

星期四晚上我给妈妈打电话，我说：“北京很大，人也很多。”

Xīngqīsì (first tone, high and level) wǎnshang (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) gěi (third tone, dipping) māma (first tone, high and level) dǎ (third tone, dipping) diànhuà, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Běijīng (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) dà, (fourth tone, falling) rén (second tone, rising) yě (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō.” (first tone, high and level)

On Thursday evening I rang my mother and said, “Beijing is huge, and there are so many people.”

妈妈问我：“你累不累？想不想家？”

Māma (first tone, high and level) wèn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ: (third tone, dipping) “Nǐ (third tone, dipping) lèi (fourth tone, falling) bu (neutral tone) lèi? (fourth tone, falling) Xiǎng (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) jiā?” (first tone, high and level)

She asked, “Are you tired? Do you miss home?”

我说：“有一点儿累，但是我很高兴。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Yǒu (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎnr (fourth tone, falling) lèi, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) gāoxìng.” (first tone, high and level)

I said, “A little tired — but very happy.”

星期五下午没有课，我和新朋友一起去看电影。

Xīngqīwǔ (first tone, high and level) xiàwǔ (fourth tone, falling) méiyǒu (second tone, rising) kè, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) hé (second tone, rising) xīn (first tone, high and level) péngyou (second tone, rising) yìqǐ (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) kàn (fourth tone, falling) diànyǐng. (fourth tone, falling)

There were no classes on Friday afternoon, so I went to the cinema with my new friends.

星期六早上我睡到十点，因为这个星期太累了。

Xīngqīliù (first tone, high and level) zǎoshang (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuì (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling) shí (second tone, rising) diǎn, (third tone, dipping) yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) zhège (fourth tone, falling) xīngqī (first tone, high and level) tài (fourth tone, falling) lèi (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)

On Saturday I slept until ten, because it had been an exhausting week.

现在我认识了很多新朋友，我想，明年我的汉语会说得很好。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) rènshi (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) xīn (first tone, high and level) péngyou, (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng, (third tone, dipping) míngnián (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) Hànyǔ (fourth tone, falling) huì (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo. (third tone, dipping)

I have made a lot of new friends now, and I think that by next year my Chinese will be good.