This part is probably the most challenging part I’ve gone through so far. It’s full of colloquial expressions that are difficult to understand and explain. I suggest you spend a few days on digesting this post. Please leave a comment if you have further questions, so we could discuss!
Mandarin transcript (in pinyin and characters) for Peppa Pig S01E09 “Daddy Loses his Glasses” Part 6:
- pèiqí hé qiáozhì jiùshì zhǎobúdào bàba de yǎnjìng
- nǎr dōu méiyǒu, wǒmen quándōu zhǎo guò le
- dànshì nǎlǐ dōu zhǎobúdào bàba de yǎnjìng
- ò, zāole, wǒmen xiànzài gāi zěnmebàn
- kànlai wǒ yǐhòu zhǐnéng shìyìng méi yǎnjìng de shēnghuó le
- rúguǒ wǒ zǒu dé màn yìdiǎn, wǒ búhuì zhuàng dào dōngxi de
- nǐmen kuài kàn, yǎnjìng jiù zài zhèlǐ
- wǒ shuō zhū bàba, yuánlái nǐ yìzhí dōu zuòzài yǎnjìng de shàngmiàn
- míhu de bàba
- zěnme huì pǎo dào nàr qù de
- wǒ yě xiǎng zhīdào wèishénme
- 佩奇和乔治就是找不到爸爸的眼镜
- 哪儿都没有，我们全都找过了
- 但是哪里都找不到爸爸的眼镜
- 哦，糟了，我们现在该怎么办
- 看来我以后只能适应没眼镜的生活了
- 如果我走得慢一点，我不会撞到东西的
- 你们快看，眼镜就在这里
- 我说猪爸爸，原来你一直都坐在眼镜的上面
- 迷糊的爸爸
- 怎么会跑到那儿去的
- 我也想知道为什么
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Show Notes for Learn Chinese with Peppa Pig Season 01 Episode 09 Part 6
pèiqí hé qiáozhì jiùshì zhǎobúdào bàba de yǎnjìng
佩奇 和 乔治 就是 找不到 爸爸 的 眼镜
Peppa and George just can’t find dad’s glasses!
- 佩奇 = pèiqí, Peppa Pig
- 乔治 = qiáozhì, George Pig
- 和 = hé, and, together with
- 就是 = jiùshì, just or no matter what. This word has lots of different meanings. You’ll see another usage in S01E51 which I’ll be working on next. In this case, 就是 is used to express that no matter how hard they looked, and no matter where they looked, Peppa and George still can’t find the glasses. This is a common usage of this word. For example,
- 我就是不明白两和二的区别！ = wǒ jiùshì bù míngbái, I just can’t understand the difference between 两 and 二!
- 我就是不吃 = wǒ jiùshì bù chī, I won’t eat it no matter how hard you press me.
- 我就是不想去 = wǒ jiùshì bùxiǎng qù, I just don’t want to go.
- 找不到 = zhǎobúdào, can’t find.
- 爸爸的 = bàba de, dad’s
- 眼镜 = yǎnjìng, glasses.
nǎr dōu méiyǒu, wǒmen quándōu zhǎo guò le
哪儿 都 没有，我们 全都 找过了
It’s not anywhere, we’ve looked everywhere
- 哪儿 = nǎr, an abstract noun for a place commonly used in questions such as 你找了哪儿了 = Nǐ zhǎole nǎr le “where have you looked?”. Also read about how to use er-coloring in my focused article.
- 都 = dōu, all
- 哪儿都 = nǎr dōu, anywhere. Say you’re meeting up with friends and they ask you where you want to eat, you can answer 哪儿都行 = nǎr dōu xíng, anywhere is good.
- 没有 = méiyǒu, don’t have
- 我们 = wǒmen, we
- 找过了 = , earlier in Part 4 and Part 5, we learned that 找了 + location means looked for something at that location. So what does the additional 过 add? I think it puts an emphasis on it’s been done and the action is finished, similar to have done in English. Compare the following two expressions:
- 我去了超市了 I went to the supermarket.
- 我去过超市了 I have been to the supermarket already.
- Their meanings are similar. It’s optional to add 过.
- 全 = quándōu, all, in this sentence it implies everywhere. You could expand the sentence to be 我们所有的地方都找过了 = wǒmen suǒyǒu dì dìfāng dōu zhǎoguòle, we’ve looked at all the places. 全 is much shorter.
- You could replace 全都 with 都. However, compared to 都, 全都 emphasizes on the completeness (of the search).
dànshì nǎlǐ dōu zhǎobúdào bàba de yǎnjìng
但是 哪里 都 找不到 爸爸 的 眼镜
But can’t find dad’s glasses anywhere
- 但是 = dànshì, but, however
- The last three sentences are a prime example of why Peppa Pig is a great resource for learning a language. By now you’ve learned every single character and expression in this sentence, and it has almost the identical meaning than the last two sentences, but said in a slightly way. This is a great way to learn how the words can be put together in different orders and combination.
ò, zāole, wǒmen xiànzài gāi zěnmebàn
哦，糟了，我们 现在 该 怎么办
Oh no, what should we do now?
- 糟了 = zāole, a colloquial expression for this is terrible, not a swearing word but it is essentially oh shoot!
- 现在 = xiànzài, now
- 该 = gāi, should, short for 应该 = yīnggāi, and sounds less formal.
- 怎么办 = zěnmebàn, what to do? Another useful phrase! 谁知道该怎么办？= shéi zhīdào gāi zěnme bàn, Who knows what to do?
kànlai wǒ yǐhòu zhǐnéng shìyìng méi yǎnjìng de shēnghuó le
看来 我 以后 只能 适应 没 眼镜 的 生活 了
It seems that I would have to adapt to a life without glasses from now on.
- 看来 = kànlai, it seems that, it looks like
- 我 = wǒ, I
- 以后 = yǐhòu, from now on, ever after
- 只能…了 = zhǐnéng, 只能 literally means only able to, but the full expression means have no choice but, would have to. This is a useful structure to express that you have to compromise for something less: For example,
- 我喜欢吃面，但是没面，我只能吃米饭了 = Wǒ xǐhuān chī miàn, dànshì méi miàn, wǒ zhǐ néng chī mǐfànle, I like noodles, but (I) don’t have noodles, so I could only eat rice.
- Note that to be safe you should include the 了 at the end to express you’re making a compromise. 只能 alone also you’re only able to (the literal meaning). For example,
- 我一次只能做十个仰卧起坐 = wǒ yīcì zhǐ néng zuò shí gè yǎngwò qǐ zuò, I can only do ten sit-ups in one sitting. This is not a compromise, but rather that I lack the ability to do any more sit-ups in one go.
- 适应 = shìyìng, to adapt to
- 没 = méi, don’t have, you can also use 没有 here
- 没眼镜的生活 = méi yǎnjìng de shēnghuó, a life without glasses.
rúguǒ wǒ zǒu dé màn yìdiǎn, wǒ búhuì zhuàng dào dōngxi de
如果 我 走 得 慢 一点，我 不会 撞 到 东西 的
If I walk slowly, I won’t bump into anything.
- 如果 = rúguǒ, if
- 走 = zǒu, walk
- 慢 = màn, slow
- 走得慢 = zǒu dé màn, walk slowly. 得 turns an adjective into an adverb
- 一点 = yìdiǎn, a little bit. 慢一点 or 快 (Kuài, quick) 一点 are very commonly used set expressions.
- 不会…的 = , won’t. 不会 on its own literally means can’t do it, not able to. 不会…的 is a useful phrase for you won’t do something. 我不会告诉别人的 = wǒ bù huì gàosù biérén de, I won’t tell anybody else.
- 撞 = zhuàng, to bump (into). In S01E09 Part 4, we came across 碰 = pèng, which I also translated into bump into. They are similar but 撞 is harsher than 碰. If you have a car crash it’s 撞车 = zhuàngchē.
- 撞到 = zhuàng dào, the 到 here emphasize the contact. 撞 is the action of bumping, 撞到 means you’ve bumped into something.
- 东西 = dōngxi, things.
nǐmen kuài kàn, yǎnjìng jiù zài zhèlǐ
你们 快 看，眼镜 就 在 这里
You guys look quick, the glasses are right here!
- 你们 = nǐmen, you
- 快 = kuài, quick
- 看 = kàn, look
- 快 + verb is a common way to urge somebody to do something immediately and quickly. For example,
- 你快吃 = nǐ kuài chī, you should start eating now or you gotta eat fast.
- 你快说 = nǐ kuài shuō, you have to talk now, you gotta talk fast
- 就 = jiù, right there! for emphasis. Without it, 眼镜在这里 could be a calm way of saying the glasses are there (however, you could emphasize on 这里 to create a similar effect as adding the 就). 就 is an interesting word.
- 在 = zài, in/at/on (a place)
- 这里 = zhèlǐ, here, I’d probably use 这儿 because这儿 is more
wǒ shuō zhū bàba, yuánlái nǐ yìzhí dōu zuòzài yǎnjìng de shàngmiàn
我说 猪 爸爸，原来 你 一直 都 坐在 眼镜的 上面
Come on Daddy Pig, it turns out you have been sitting on top of the glasses this whole time.
- 我说 + somebody else = wǒ shuō …, literally mean “I say”. It’s a common way to start a sentence to blame somebody a little bit, or to express confusion about someone’s actions. For example, mom to kid: 我说你怎么还不起床 = wǒ shuō nǐ zěnme hái bù qǐchuáng, how come you’re still not up from bed?!
- 猪爸爸 = zhū bàba, Daddy Pig
- 原来 = yuánlái, it turns out
- 一直都 = yìzhí dōu, have always been
- 坐 = zuò, sit
- 上面 = shàngmiàn, above
- 坐在…的上面 = zuòzài … de shàngmiàn, sitting on top of something
míhu de bàba
迷糊的 爸爸
Clueless dad
- 迷糊的 = míhu, clueless, confused
zěnme huì pǎo dào nàr qù de
怎么 会 跑到 那儿 去 的
How could it have got there?
- 怎么会…的 = zěnme huì = how could it be that… This is a commonly used expression (how many times have I said this in this post?) Another example of why the Chinese language could be really tricky. Let me make up a few examples:
- 怎么会坏了? = zěnme huì huài le, how could this have got broken? To express the disbelief that something could be broken
- 怎么会坏了的？ = zěnme huì huài le de, very very similar to 怎么会坏了 but with a slightly stronger emphasis on the how. I’d say 的 doesn’t make a huge difference here.
- 怎么坏了？ = zěnme huài le, how come this has been broken? The emphasis is on the state of being broken.
- All three expressions above are very similar, but with nuanced differences depending on the intonation and context. But I wouldn’t worry too much about the differences. Now, have a bonus expression:
- 怎么坏的？= zěnme huài de, how did it get broken? Notice that this actually has a whole different focus than the previous three questions.
- 跑 = pǎo, to run
- 到 = dào, get to
- 那儿 = nàr, there
- 跑到 = pǎo dào. 跑到 could literally mean running from one place to another. However, it’s obvious that glasses can’t run themselves. In this context 跑到 means “to get to” in a more abstract sense: something or somebody has moved and got to another place.
- 跑到那儿去 = pǎo dào nàr qù, got there, usually the emphasis is there.
- Oh gosh this is a super colloquial expression. It is only used for specific situations. I recommend you memorize the full expression, and observe situations where it comes up. Any Chinese speaker would understand this but I imagine it’d be tricky for anyone learning Chinese as a second language. You could skip this if this is too much.
- Perhaps it’s helpful to make up another similar scenario: Let’s say a friend of yours suddenly moved from Shanghai to a rural village, you could express your disbelief by saying 他怎么会跑到那儿去了？= tā zěnme huì pǎo nàr qùle?, how could he have gone there?
- You may wonder why there is a 去 at the end. So 去 puts an emphasis on the destination, and implies that the movement has already been completed. Say somebody is running a marathon (using the literal meaning of 跑), you could ask 他跑到哪儿了？ which would mean how much has he covered so far? But you can’t add the 去 at the end. 他跑到哪儿去了？ would mean where has he gone? (perhaps he’s missing.)
wǒ yě xiǎng zhīdào wèishénme
我 也 想 知道 为什么
I would like to know why, too.
- 也 = yě, also, too
- 想 = xiǎng, want
- 知道 = zhīdào, know
- 想知道 = xiǎng zhīdào, want to know
- 为什么 = wèishénme, why. Check out my detailed explanation of 为什么 in an article.