Talking about bank accounts
At work, Mr Wang is asking Lilly for her account number, so that he can arrange Lilly's salary to be paid into her account.
Click on either pinyin or characters to listen to individual words. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue.
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Mr Wang:
莉莉，你在中国有银行账户吗？
Lilly:
还没有，但我打算尽快开一个。
Mr Wang:
你打算在哪家银行开？
Lilly:
我考虑过中国银行。我知道中国银行在中国各个地方都有分行。我旅游的时候会很方便。
Mr Wang:
哦，我们公司用的是工商银行。如果你在同一家银行拥有账户，工资的支付就会方便很多。
Lilly:
好的。我不了解工商银行，但我会照你的意思办。
Mr Wang:
工商银行和中国银行一样，也是中国四大银行之一。它有几亿名用户，服务网点遍布全国。
Lilly:
好极了。那我怎样才能开个人账户呢？
Mr Wang:
我们公司的附近就有一家工商银行的分行。你带着你的护照和工作签证去，填写一张表格，然后告诉他们你的工资什么时候会支付进账号，就可以了。
Lilly:
开帐户需要多长时间？
Mr Wang:
一会儿就行。我跟你说一下，你的工资从下个月开始会在每个月的十五号打入你的账户，我会给你开一份工作证明，上面会有必要的信息。你申请的时候把这份证明给银行就没问题了。
Lilly:
好，那就谢谢您啦。
Mr Wang:
不客气，有什么问题尽管找我。
Mr Wang:
Lilly, do you have a bank account in China?
Lilly:
Not yet, but I intend to open one as soon as possible.
Mr Wang:
Which bank were you thinking of?
Lilly:
I had thought of the Bank of China (BOC), I understand it has branches all over China. This would be very useful when I am travelling.
Mr Wang:
Oh, our company uses the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). For the transfer of your salary, it would be more convenient if you had an account at the same bank.
Lilly:
OK. I don't know about ICBC but I'll follow your recommendation.
Mr Wang:
Well the ICBC is one of China's 'Big Four' banks, like the BOC. It has millions of users and its service points are available throughout (lit. spread over) the entire country.
Lilly:
Great. How do I open an individual account then?
Mr Wang:
There is a branch of ICBC just next to our office. Go there with your passport and work visa, fill in a form, and tell them when your salary will be paid into the account, and that's about it.
Lilly:
How long does it take to open an account?
Mr Wang:
It only takes a short while. For your information, your salary will go into your account on the 15th of every month, starting from next month. I will give you a certificate of employment with all the necessary details. When you apply, you can simply give it to the bank.
Lilly:
OK, thanks a lot for this.
Mr Wang:
You're welcome. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any problems.
These are notes about potentially difficult key expressions. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the dialogue. Hover the mouse over the words highlighted in blue for the corresponding word or phrase in the example to appear.
1. 尽快
我打算尽快开一个。I intend to open one as soon as possible.
尽 means 'as…as possible' here and 快 means 'soon', 'quick'.
Using the same pattern, 尽早 means 'as early as possible'. (早 'early').
2. 开账户
开 to open is used with 账户account to say 'to open an account'. You can also say 申请账户 – to apply for an account, or 办账户 – to process an account.
3. 过
我考虑过中国银行。I had thought of BOC.
过 is a grammar particle. It is put after verbs to show that the action has been completed, and gives emphasis to the experience.
4. 各
中国银行在中国各个地方都有分行。 BOC has branches all over China. (lit.BOC | at China each place | all has branches.)
各 means 'each'. Note that there is a measure word after it and before the noun.
各个地方: each place. 个 is the measure word for 'place'.
各位老师: each teacher. 位 is the measure word for 'teacher'.
各家公司: each company. 家 is the measure word for 'company'.
Note that 都 all in the example is paired with 各 to qualify the verb and to emphasise inclusiveness.
5. 分行
分 is used here as a prefix for 'branch'. 分行 is a bank's branch. 分行 is a school's site (lit. branch), 分公司 is a company's branch/office.
6. 会
我旅游的时候会很方便。This would be very useful when I am travelling.
工资的支付就会方便很多。It would be more convenient for salary transfer.
我会照你的意思办。I'll follow your recommendation.
In these sentences, 会 does not mean 'can'. It is used to express a definite prediction.
7. 了解
我不了解工商银行。I don't know about ICBC.
了解 means 'to know about'. Note that 了 is pronounced as 'liǎo' here. 了 is pronounced as 'le' when it's used as a particle indicating the past tense.
8. 办
我会照你的意思办。 I'll follow your recommendation. (lit. I will handle it according to your will.)
办 means 'to handle'. It is a synonym of 做 'to do'.
我该怎么办？= 我该怎么做？ What should I do?
9. 和……一样
工商银行和中国银行一样…… ICBC is the same as BOC...
和……一样 means 'to be the same as'. 'A 和 B 一样' means 'A is the same as B '.
10. 之一
……也是中国四大银行之一。…is also one of China's 'Big Four' banks.
之 is the ancient Chinese word for 的. 之一 means 'one of '. It is put after the noun.
11. 遍布
服务网点遍布全国。Its service points are spread over the entire country.
遍布 means 'to spread over', e.g.
遍布全国 to spread over the entire country.
遍布全村 to spread over the entire village.
遍布全世界 to spread over the entire world.
12. 着
你带着你的护照和工作签证去。Go there with your passport and work visa.
着 here indicates an accompanying action 带着 bringing, having…with you. It comes before the main verb 去to go to. 他带着孩子去上班。He goes to work with his child.
13. 就可以了
就可以了 means 'that will be fine', 'that's about it'. You can replace 可以 can with other words, e.g.
就没问题了 That will be no problem.
就行了 That will be done.
就好了 That will be all right.
14. 打入
你的工资从下个月开始会在每个月的十五号打入你的账户。Your salary will go into your account on the 15th of every month, starting from next month.
入 means 'to enter', 'entry'. It is a synonym to 进. 打 is used here to mean 'to put money'. 打入 means 'to put money into'. You can also say 打进, which means the same.
15. 开证明
我会给你开一份工作证明。I will give you a certificate of employment.
证明 means 'proof', 'certificate'. The verb 开 (lit. open) is used to say 'to produce a certificate 开证明'.
16. 把
你申请的时候把这份信息给银行就没问题了。When you apply, you can simply give this information to the bank.
把 is used when the location or the status of the object (这份信息 this information) is changed by the subject. The pattern of the 把 structure is: subject + 把 + object + verb + result.
Expressing the result is imperative.
17. 尽管
有什么问题尽管找我。Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any problems.
尽管 means 'feel free to'. 尽管找我 means 'feel free to ask for me'. Using the same pattern:
尽管问 feel free to ask.
尽管说 feel free to speak.
Note that 什么 in this sentence is not a question word. It is used as 'any'.
Lilly's bank account
Drag the correct words to complete the following paragraph. Check your answers.
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Mr Wang's instructions
Mr Wang gives Lilly instructions on how to open a bank account. Listen to the audios and drag the English translations to match them. You can click on 帮助 to access the transcripts of the audios. Check your answers.
1. 公司的附近就有一家分行。
2. 带着护照和工作签证去。
3. 填写一张表格。
4. 告诉银行人员工资的支付日期。
5. 账户一会儿就会办好。
6. 工资会在每个月的十五号打入账户。
7. 工作证明上会有必要的信息。
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There is a branch just next to the office.
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Go there with your passport and work visa.
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Fill in a form.
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Tell the bank staff the date that you get paid.
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It takes a short while to open an account.
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The salary goes into the account on the 15th of every month.
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The certificate of employment has the necessary details.
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