公司的左边和右边

Text

Note: The text is pasted here in case you want to copy/paste one of the words into a dictionary app, but the above video and zip file download are best inputting the content as they have audio and text-tracking.

我们公司有两百名左右员工。一半是男的，一半是女的。男厕所在左边，女厕所在右边。每天中午差不多十二点，你就能看见右边都是女人，而男人都在左边。

Top-Down Words

男的 nánde - male
厕所 cèsuǒ - toilet
差不多 chàbuduō - almost
就  jiù- (expressing condition “then”)
都 dōu - all, every
而 ér - while

How to Use This Lesson

Step One

Watch the video here on the course platform. Feel free to take as much time as you'd like to understand the content, but don't feel obligated to understand the text right now fully. You'll download the video and return to it later. 

Step Two

Download the zip file from the sidebar (desktop/laptop) or below this description (Mobile APP). That zip file contains the following:

• Text tracking video(s) MP4 file(s)
• Audio MP3 file(s)
• Image file of the text & top-down words for your reference

Dialogues contain one text-tracking video file at 80% speed followed by native speed. 

Opinions & Short Stories contain two text tracking video files, one female voice, and one male voice. Both start at 80% speed, followed by native speed.

Step Three

At a time of your choosing, use the video files to practice shadowing. If you need a reminder, this lesson explains how to shadow. These video files are ideal for shadowing, especially if you download them to your phone because you can walk around while doing it.

Click Here to Navigate to All Phase 4 Dialogues, Opinions & Stories

Member Comments from 2019-mid-2020

Do you also want to leave a comment? You can do so below！

Gregory Paturau

On the female voice, on the last sentence: ''而男人都在左边''. It looks like she is pronouncing the ''人'' as a forth tone instead of second tone isn't it? 可能我的听力不好哈哈。

Mandarin Blueprint

Good observation! What you're noticing is that sometimes, if making comparisons, native speakers may add a bit of tonal flair to their speech. "The women are on the right, but the MEN are on the left." This isn't the type of thing that's a rule, but more of a vocal flair.

---

Alex Sumray

Hi there,
Really struggling to understand this sentence: 每天中午差不多十二点.
Everyday at noon, more or less 12 o'clock.
Not sure I'm missing something here, but I don't see why the sentence couldn't just be:
每天中午... or 每天差不多十二点...

Mandarin Blueprint

Yeah it does seem a bit superfluous, doesn't it? Chinese people see 中午 as "around noon" in reality, between 11-1pm. It's more like "Lunchtime" to them, despite technically meaning "Noon".

MB Team

Here's the link to where Phil & Luke talked about this comment in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQd1Kfgmow&t=1301s