If you are an adult living in the Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. area, are studying Mandarin Chinese, or are a native speaker interested in offering support, you are invited to attend this gathering.
What? Mandarin Chinese Meetup: Let’s Play Go Fish, a popular American card game. (Here are the rules.)
Why? To engage in an activity where we speak only Mandarin Chinese in order to foster speaking the language on a meaningful level. For our purposes, “meaningful” is defined as “the ability to speak, listen, write, think, feel, work, present, relate, collaborate, and connect in Mandarin Chinese.”
Why else？To win prizes! The winner of each round will receive a 紅包 hóng bāo red envelope with a gift card inside.
How? For an hour, we enter the Chinese-speaking world and live Mandarin Chinese!
Where? Lobby of 102 Hubbard Street, Blacksburg, Virginia
When? Friday, March 23, 2023, April 7, 2023, 5:15 – 6:15 PM EDT
Cost? None. Attending the meetup is free.
For whom? Adults who are learning Mandarin Chinese and native speakers of Mandarin Chinese. Learners who know a minimum of 200 words can help keep the conversation flowing. Please note: This event is for adults only. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate children.
How do I sign up? Walk-ins are welcome.
How can I track my progress? You are invited to take the HSKlevel before you attend each meetup. You can take the assessment at any time and track your progress over time.
Questions? Please contact Anne Giles.
Participants are asked to make this pledge:
“To optimize the learning of all, I agree to willingly use Mandarin Chinese only for the entirety of the meeting. I understand that interjecting English into the conversation may interfere with the learning of others. I understand that, if I use English once, I will be expected to correct myself immediately. If I persist, I will have broken my agreement.”
(For other examples of language speaking agreements, please see the language pledges from Middlebury College, Princeton, Georgetown and Auburn. Brandeis’s All Language Lunch requires a language pledge. Here is a 2010 presentation on language pledges.)
To prepare for the meetup on Friday, April 7, 2023:
1. Please read these rules in English on how to play Go Fish. A translation of that page in Simplified Characters by italki instructor Frank is provided below.
2. Learn or review the pronunciation of the numbers from 2 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese, plus these words for the names of cards:
尖 jiān ace
K pronounced “K”
圈 quān queen
勾 gōu jack
3. Learn or review the pronunciation of these Go Fish terms.
给我你的_____.
Gěi wǒ nǐ de_____.
Give me your (name of the card).
Example: 给我你的K。
Gěi wǒ nǐ de K.
Give me your kings.
去钓鱼!
Qù diàoyú!
Go fish!
炸弹 zhàdàn
four-of-a-kind; a book of cards
In English, four-of-a-kind is called a “book” of cards. In Chinese, four-of-a-kind is called a “bomb” or “boom,” for example, 4 kings, 4 aces, and so on. Therefore, when playing Go Fish (Qù diàoyú 去钓鱼), four-of-a-kind is termed “炸弹 zhàdàn.” When playing Dòu dìzhǔ 斗地主, four-of-a-kind is also termed “炸弹 zhàdàn.”*
用英语，“book”就是任何4张一样的牌。用中文，”炸弹”就是任何四张一样的牌，比如 4张王，4张A等等。所以，玩去钓鱼的时候，”炸弹”是四张一样的牌。玩斗地主的时候，四张一样的牌也叫“炸弹”。*
4. Imagine yourself playing Go Fish, anticipate words and sentences you might need, look them up, and start practicing!
A tip sheet with other card-related words and terms will be provided at the meeting.
Card decks will also be provided.
What is the format of the meeting?
1. At the start of the meeting, instructions will be given in English.
2. We engage in Mandarin Chinese-only conversation activities in large and small groups.
3. We return to English. To close the meeting, participants are asked to take turns sharing what they observed about their own process and the insights they gained.
*If you are interested in playing, or learning to play, Dòu dìzhǔ 斗地主, and live in the Blacksburg, Virginia area, please contact me. Here is a Wikipedia description of Dòu dìzhǔ, here are the rules, here is a video with three players explaining Dòu dìzhǔ in English , and here is a video with the game explained by a Mandarin Chinese teacher.
Questions? Please contact Anne Giles.
. . . . .
This gathering is part of a larger effort to create synergy and community among local Mandarin Chinese learners and speakers. In particular, this is an attempt to find or create daily, in-person opportunities for adults learning Mandarin Chinese in the Blacksburg, Virginia area to practice speaking, listening, and interacting on a meaningful level.
For more information and for background on the format of the meeting, please see this first post about our Mandarin Chinese Meetup.
. . . . .
Go Fish rules, translated by italki instructor Frank:
“去钓鱼” 是一个很有趣的扑克牌游戏，小孩也觉得有意思喜欢玩。
需要准备什么？
一副52 张的扑克牌。一些牌发出去以后，剩下的牌还要用。
副 measure word for poker card
怎么玩才可以赢？·
谁拿到的炸弹最多，谁就赢了。 炸弹就是四张一样的牌，比如4张 K、4张 A 等等。
怎么看牌的大小？
A是牌点最大的牌，然后是K、 Q、 J、10、 9、 8、 7、 6、 5、 4、 3、 2。
2 是 牌点最小的牌。
牌大小不用看牌的花色，只看牌号，比如两个 3、两个 10 等等。
怎么发牌？
让一个玩家给每个玩家发一张牌。 让大家看到牌号。
牌点最低的玩家是庄家。 庄家洗牌，庄家右边的玩家切牌。
然后，庄家顺时针给每个人一次发一张牌，牌面朝下，不能让其他人看到牌号。
庄家发牌的时候要从他左边的玩家开始。
如果两个或三个人玩，每个人拿七张牌。 如果四五个人玩，每个人拿五张牌。
庄家发完牌把剩下的牌面朝下放在桌子上。
怎么玩？
先从庄家左边的玩家开始，他就是钓鱼的人。他可以和任何一个人说，比如，“Tom, 把你的10给我”，一般是先叫那个人的名字，然后让他把牌交出来，从 A 到 2随便选一个牌号。 如果正在“钓鱼”的玩家想要10，那么他手里必须有一张牌是10。要不然，他不能问别人有没有10。
如果Tom有10，他必须交出他所有的10。
如果Tom没有10，他要说：“去钓鱼！。
和Tom要牌的玩家必须从桌子上剩下的牌里抽一张，然后放在他手里。
抽牌的时候，只能抽最上面的那一张牌。
如果钓鱼的人拿到了一张或者几张他想要的牌，他可以继续和Tom要牌，也可以和另一个人要牌。钓鱼的人可以继续要同一张牌或不同的牌。 只要钓鱼的人成功拿到牌，他就可以继续要。 钓鱼的人从别人手里拿牌的时候，牌号必须让大家看到。 如果钓鱼的人拿到四张一样的牌的最后一张， 他得让大家看到这四张牌的牌号，然后把这四张牌面朝上放在桌子上，然后再玩一次。
如果玩家去钓鱼的时候，一张牌都没有拿到，那就得从他左边的人开始下一轮。
13个炸弹（四张一样的牌）被赢完后，游戏就结束了。 谁的炸弹最多谁就赢了。
在玩这个游戏的时候，如果玩家手里没有牌了，他们可以在轮到他玩的时候从桌子上剩下的牌里抽牌。比如他抽到了5，然后再和别人要牌点是5的牌。
如果桌子上剩下的牌没有了，那他就出局了。
扑克的四种花色：
黑(hēi)桃(táo)♠ spade
红(hóng)桃(táo)♥heart
梅(méi)花(huā)♣club
方(fāng)块(kuài)♦diamond
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