Police Officer: You Should Learn Some Mandarin

A video about a Chinese police officer’s broken English went viral on the Internet in China recently. In the video, a German student returned to Shanghai but got stopped by the security guards at the apartment gate. But the student doesn’t speak Chinese and the security doesn’t speak English. They couldn’t understand each other. So the security ended up calling the police for help. Two police officers showed up and communicated with the student in very broken English and body language. After settling the problem, the police officer told the student that she should learn some Chinese.

Chinese people think that the police officer trying so hard to speak English to communicate with the foreign girl is very funny and cute. And that’s why this video got a lot of attention these days. Hope you enjoy the video! 

This video is from 上海播报

Subtitle:

Guard: 她tā刚ɡānɡ刚ɡānɡ下xià飞fēi机jī，她tā让rànɡ我wǒ看kàn英yīnɡ语yǔ，我wǒ看kàn不bù懂dǒnɡ的de。She just got off the plane and she showed me English and I couldn’t understand.

Policemen: What’s the matter? 什shén么me事shì?

Girl: I want to go in, but he doesn’t let me in. 我wǒ想xiǎnɡ要yào进jìn去qù，但dàn他tā不bù让rànɡ我wǒ进jìn去qù。

Guard:像xiànɡ她tā（这zhè样yànɡ的de情qínɡ况kuànɡ）进jìn来lái,她tā需xū要yào隔ɡé离lí的de。She should be put in quarantine according to her situation      

Policemen: 对duì的de。Yes!

Guard: 应yīnɡ该ɡāi需xū要yào隔ɡé离lí吧bɑ？She should be put in quarantine,right?

Policemen：对duì的de,应yīnɡ该ɡāi居jū家jiā隔ɡé离lí14天tiān。Yes, she should be quarantined at home for 14 days

Guard：居jū家jiā隔ɡé离lí怎zěn么me说shuō?怎zěn么me说shuō？How to say quarantine in English?

Policemen: Don’t leave house. 不bú要yào出chū门mén

Policemen：你nǐ是shì德dé国ɡuó人rén吗mɑ？Are you from Germany?

Girl: Yes, I am German.对duì,我wǒ是shì德dé国ɡuó人rén。

Policemen：What’s your Job?  你nǐ从cónɡ事shì什shén么me工ɡōnɡ作zuò？

Girl: I am a student. 我wǒ是shì一yí个ɡè学xué生shēnɡ。

Policemen：Which university? 哪nǎ所suǒ大dà学xué?

Girl: Here, I want to go to East China university?这zhè里lǐ,我wǒ想xiǎnɡ去qù华huá东dōnɡ政zhènɡ法fǎ大dà学xué。

Policemen：East China university?华huá东dōnɡ大dà学xué吗mɑ？

Girl: China university of political science and law. 华huá东dōnɡ政zhènɡ法fǎ大dà学xué

Policemen：You can’t speak a little Chinese?你nǐ一yì点diǎn儿ér中zhōnɡ文wén也yě不bú会huì说shuō吗mɑ？

Girl: No, i am sorry. 很hěn抱bào歉qiàn,我wǒ不bú会huì。

Policemen：You should study. 你nǐ应yīnɡ该ɡāi学xué一yì点diǎn儿ér。

Girl: Yes, that’s why I am here.对duì,这zhè就jiù是shì我wǒ来lái这zhè里lǐ的de原yuán因yīn。

Policemen:

最zuì好hǎo问wèn一yí下xià，她tā是shì从cónɡ哪nǎ里lǐ过ɡuò来lái? 有yǒu没méi有yǒu中zhōnɡ转zhuǎn,途tú经jīnɡ的de点diǎn有yǒu没méi有yǒu？I think it's better to ask from where she enter China. Did she transfer anywhere? What places she has been to before getting here.

Policemen：这zhè个ɡe怎zěn么me说shuō?我wǒ想xiǎnɡ想xiǎnɡ...这zhè个ɡe难nán度dù有yǒu点diǎn儿ér高ɡāo。 How to say this? Let me think? Well, this one is quite difficult to translate.

Policemen：词cí典diǎn。Oh！dictionary

Girl: what’s the problem? 有yǒu什shén么me问wèn题tí吗mɑ？

Policemen：wait a minute.请qǐnɡ等děnɡ一yí下xià

Policemen：Do you fly here? 你nǐ是shì坐zuò飞fēi机jī来lái的de吗mɑ？

Girl: Yes, that’s the problem. 是shì的de!

Policemen：Where did you fly from? 你nǐ是shì从cónɡ哪nǎ里lǐ飞fēi过ɡuò来lái的de？
Girl: Kuala Lumpur 吉jí隆lónɡ坡pō

Policemen：Before Kuala Lumpur you go where? 在zài吉jí隆lónɡ坡pō之zhī前qián还hái去qù过ɡuò哪nǎ里lǐ?

Girl: Switzerland Zurich

Policemen：苏sū黎lí世shì

旁pánɡ白bái：在zài测cè量liánɡ体tǐ温wēn无wú异yì常chánɡ后hòu，周zhōu世shì奇qí和hé马mǎ晓xiǎo亮liànɡ陪péi一yì起qǐ女nǚ子zǐ上shànɡ了le楼lóu。

 After checking her temperature and made sure everything was normal, Zhou and Ma went upstairs with the lady）

Policemen：我wǒ们mén进jìn去qù看kàn看kān。We would like to go inside and check.

Policemen：来lái来lái，一yì起qǐ拎līn一yí下xià好hǎo吗mɑ？Come on, Let’s help to take the luggage.

Girl: Thank you very much. 谢xiè谢xiè你nǐ！

Policemen：So, you Chinese? 你nǐ是shì中zhōnɡ国ɡuó人rén吗mɑ？

Policemen：会huì说shuō中zhōnɡ文wén的de,是shì吧bɑ？You speak Chinese ,right?

Roommate：对duì。Yes!

Policemen：她tā是shì你nǐ室shì友yǒu是shì吧bɑ？She is your flatmate, right?

Roommate：对duì，新xīn室shì友yǒu。Yes, new flatmate.

Policemen：新xīn室shì友yǒu对duì吧bɑ？New flatmate, right?

Roommate：对duì的de！Yes!

Policemen：因yīn为wéi她tā刚ɡānɡ从cónɡ国ɡuó外wài飞fēi回huí来lái，那nà个ɡe隔ɡé离lí期qī是shì14天tiān,让rànɡ她tā不bú要yào出chū门mén，好hǎo吗mɑ? She should be in quarantine for 14 days because she just came back from abroad, please ask her to stay at home, okay?

Roommate：明mínɡ白bái的de Understood!

Policemen：God! My Chinglish 哎āi呀yā！中zhōnɡ式shì英yīnɡ语yǔ

There are some vocabularies and sentences related to the epidemic that you should learn how to speak in Chinese before you return. Because most of the Chinese people do not speak fluent English, and communication is even more important than usual during this special period. 

Click it, listen to the following expressions 1~7.

（1）Q：你nǐ住zhù这zhè里lǐ吗mɑ？Do you live here?   

A：对duì，我wǒ住zhù这zhè。Yes, I live here.

（2）Q：你nǐ是shì哪nǎ国ɡuó人rén？

Which country are you from? 

A：我wǒ是shì（德dé国ɡuó）人rén。I am German.

（3）Q：你nǐ的de工ɡōnɡ作zuò是shì什shén么me？

 What is your job?  

A: 我wǒ是shì（老lǎo师shī）。I am a teacher.

（4）Q：你nǐ会huì说shuō中zhōnɡ文wén吗mɑ？

Do you speak Chinese? 

A：不bù好hǎo意yì思si，我wǒ不bú会huì。

I am sorry, I can’t.

（5）Q:  你nǐ是shì坐zuò飞fēi机jī来lái的de吗mɑ？

Did you come back by plane?

 A：是shì的de。Yes.

（6）Q：你nǐ是shì从cónɡ哪nǎ里lǐ飞fēi的de？转zhuǎn机jī了le吗mɑ？Where did you fly back from? Is there a transit?

A：我wǒ先xiān从cónɡ法fǎ国ɡuó飞fēi俄é罗luó斯sī，然rán后hòu从cónɡ俄é罗luó斯sī转zhuǎn机jī飞fēi上shànɡ海hǎi。I flew from France to Russia, and then had a connect flight from Russia to Shanghai.

（7）Q: 隔ɡé离lí期qī是shì14天tiān，待dài在zài家jiā里lǐ，不bú要yào出chū门mén。Quarantine period is 14 days. Stay at home and do not go outside.

A: 好hǎo的de，谢xiè谢xiè你nǐ。Okay, Thank you.

As the policemen said “ You don’t speak any Chinese?” 

“You should learn”

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The above contents are provided by Hanlin Language.

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