Lesson 87 Bank (2) 第八十七课 银行（2）

YJ:  Welcome to Chinese Studio.  Wo shi Yajie.  
Cam:  Dajia hao, Wo shi Cam.  I’m enjoying these banking lessons Yajie… and I really appreciate knowing how to make transactions when I’m speaking to a bank teller. 
Yajie:  Well, we aren’t finished yet!

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Key Words of the Day 
Can I transfer this into American funds? 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) Can I apply for a credit card?  我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?) Can I open an account? 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?)/Can I close an account. 我能销户吗?(wo3 neng2 xiao1 hu4 ma?) All in today’s Chinese Studio.
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Cam:  How do you say “Can I transfer this into American funds?”
YJ: It’s 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) 
Cam: 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) 
YJ: 我(wo3) means I.
Cam: Ritght, 我(wo3)
YJ: 能 (neng2), can or could. 
Cam: 能 (neng2)
YJ: 换(huan4),means change into or transfer into. 
Cam: 换(huan4).
Cam: Ok. And 美元 (mei3yuan3) is American dollar, right? 
YJ: Exactly! 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) can I transfer it into American dollars? 
Cam: 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?)

Conversation 1:

Cam: Yajie, I also need a credit card.  I know it's awful, but I should get one. So how do I apply for one?
YJ: You can say it like this “我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?)”
Cam: 我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?)
YJ: 申请 (shen1qing3) means “apply for”
Cam: 申请 (shen1qing3)
YJ: 信用卡 (xin4yong4ka3), credit card.
Cam: 信用卡 (xin4yong4ka3)
YJ: xin yong means credit.
Cam: xin yong.
YJ: ka means card, Cam, it's similar pronunciation, right?
Cam: yes, ka. 
YJ: xin yong ka, credit card.
Cam: xin yong ka. 
YJ: 我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?) Can I apply for a credit card? 
Cam: 我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?) Can I apply for a credit card? Yajie, from these two sentences you taught me just now, may we draw a conclusion that “Can I …? ” is equal to “我能….吗?” (wo3 neng2…ma?) in Chinese, right? 
YJ: Yes. Right.

Conversation 2:

YJ: Now one more example about this “Can I …? ”“我能….吗?”. For example, 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?) Can I open an account? 
Cam: 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?)
YJ: 开(kai1), k-a-i, the first tone, to open. 
Cam: 开(kai1) 
YJ: 户(hu4),is the short Chinese name for bank account. 
Cam: hu4. 
YJ: 吗 (ma), question mark.
Cam: 吗(ma)
YJ: 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?)
Cam: 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?)  Can I open an account? 
YJ:  And if you want to close a bank account, you can say “我能销户吗?” (wo3 neng2 xiao1 hu4 ma?)
Cam: “我能销户吗?” (wo3 neng2 xiao1 hu4 ma?)
YJ: xiao is short for 注销(zhu4xiao1), which means to cancel or close. 
Cam: 销(xiao1). So I just need to change kai which means open, into xiao, which means close, and the other parts remain the same.
YJ: Right.

Conversation 3:

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Key Words Reminder 
Can I transfer this into American funds? 我能换美元吗? (wo3 neng2 huan4 mei3 yuan3 ma?) Can I apply for a credit card?  我能申请信用卡吗?(wo3 neng2 shen1qing3 xin4yong4ka3 ma?) Can I open an account? 我能开户吗?(wo3 neng2 kai1 hu4 ma?)/Can I close an account. 我能销户吗?(wo3 neng2 xiao1 hu4 ma?)
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Cam:  Okay Yajie, so once I start making money, I’ll know what to say to the bank teller!
YJ: You've already earned a lot of money. Very good.  Now it’s time for our question of the day.  How do you say, “Can I open a bank account” in Chinese?
Cam:  See ya tomorrow! 
YJ: Zai jian.