How to get your point across in Chinese
Many expat parents in Beijing have experienced difficulties communicating with their ayis, since ni hao and zenme yang aren’t sufficient to express concepts such as: “Don’t give the kids ice cream before dinner.” Let the Immersion Guides’ Mandarin Phrasebook come to your rescue! If you need help communicating with your ayi – from interviewing her about previous employment details, to giving instructions about your cleaning and cooking preferences – you’ll appreciate the following excerpt from the Childcare section (in the Kids and Family Life chapter).
“Childcare”
带孩子
daì haízi
This is very important …
这个很重要…
(zhègè hěn zhòng yào)
Tell me promptly about any issues or concerns you have.
如果你有任何想法或者问题, 马上告诉我.
(rúguǒ nǐ yǒu rènhé xiǎngfǎ huòzhě wèntí, mǎshàng gàosù wǒ)
If my child gets injured, let me know immediately.
如果我的孩子受伤了, 马上告诉我.
(rúguǒ wǒ de haízi shòushāng le, mǎshàng gàosù wǒ)
The children follow the rules we have set.
让孩子遵守我们定的规矩.
(ràng haízi zūnshǒu wǒmen dìng de guīju)
If my child is not obedient with you, please don’t feel frustrated.
如果孩子不听你的话, 别着急, 也不用心烦.
(rúguǒ haízi bù tīng nǐde huà, bíe zhāoji, yě búyòng xīnfán)
You should always be aware of where the children are and what they are doing.
要时刻注意孩子在哪儿, 在做些什么.
(yaò shíkè zhùyì haízi zaì nǎr, zaì zuò xīe shénme)
Please don’t let the children watch more than two hours of television a day.
每天别让孩子看电视超过两个小时.
(meǐtiān bíe ràng haízi kàn dìanshì chāoguò liǎnggè xiǎoshí)
Let me know, and I will reinforce to my child that you are the authority when I am not around.
跟我说, 我会让他明白, 我不在这儿的时候要听你的.
(gēn wǒ shuō, wǒ huì ràng tā míngbai wǒ búzaì zhèr de shìhòu yào tīng nǐde)
