Languages / Mandarin / Level 3 · Unit 4

看场合说话 — Register Switching

Lesson 89 of 170 · Level 3 of 6All lessons
In this lesson

You are learning register switching: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (register switching: formal vs. casual in context), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.

The scene

Two restaurants in one evening: first Mr & Mrs Bund (fine dining), then Yunnan South Road night market (street food)

Two Dinners, Two Voices

今天晚上我先去了外滩的Mr & Mrs Bund吃饭。那里很高档,氛围很正式。我用了正式的中文:「请问您能帮我推荐一下吗?」「麻烦您帮我倒一杯水。」「非常感谢您的服务。」

吃完高档西餐以后,小李说:「走呗,我带你去云南南路吃夜宵嘛。」我们从外滩走到了云南南路的夜市。完全不一样的世界。

夜市很热闹,很接地气。老板大声喊:「吃什么呢?随便看嘛!」小李说:「来两碗馄饨呗,再加两串烤串啦。」我也跟着说:「老板,多放点辣嘛。」

小李笑了:「你刚才在高档餐厅说的是'请您'和'麻烦您',现在到了夜市就'嘛''呗''啦'了。」我说:「因为场合不一样嘛。」小李说:「对,看场合说话,这才自然嘛。」