Mr Smith loses his wallet and visits the police station
警察： 您好，请问有什么需要帮助的吗？ Jǐngchá: Nín hǎo, qǐng wèn yǒu shénme xūyào bāngzhù de ma?
史密斯： 我的钱包丢了！ Shǐmìsī: Wǒ de qiánbāo diūle!
警察： 请问您在那里丢的钱包？Qǐng wèn nín zài nǎlǐ diū de qiánbāo?
史密斯： 我也不太清楚。Wǒ yě bú tài qīngchu.
警察： 您最后一次用钱包是什么时候？ Jǐngchá: Nín zuìhòu yí cì yòng qiánbāo shì shénme shíhou?
史密斯： 我打车去市中心，付钱的时候钱包还在呢。 Shǐmìsī: Wǒ dǎchē qù shìzhōngxīn, fùqián de shīhou qiánbāo hái zài ne.
警察： 那您是什么时候发现钱包不见了？ Jǐngchá: Nà nín shì shénme shíhou fāxiàn qiánbāo bú jiànle?
史密斯： 在商场买东西的时候。 Shǐmìsī: Zài shāngchǎng mǎi dōngxi de shíhou.
警察： 会不会是丢在出租车上了？ Jǐngchá: Huì bu huì shì diū zài chūzūchē shàng le?
史密斯： 可能吧，可是我不记得车牌号。 Shǐmìsī: Kěnéng ba, kěshì wǒ bú jìde chēpáihào.
警察： 您下车的时候有没有索要发票？ Jǐngchá: Nín xià chē de shíhou yǒu méi yǒu suǒyào fāpiào?
史密斯： 有。 Shǐmìsī: Yǒu.
警察： 您可以看一下，发票上面应该有车牌号码和出租车公司的联系电话。 Jǐngchá: Nín kěyǐ kàn yíxià, fāpiào shàngmiàn yīnggāi yǒu chēpái hàomǎ hé chūzūchē gōngsī de liánxì diànhuà.
史密斯： 啊！对！好主意！ Shǐmìsī: À! Duì! Wǒ kànkan.
史密斯开始找发票。 Shǐmìsī kāishǐ zhǎo fāpiào.
史密斯： 我把发票放在钱包里了！ Shǐmìsī: Wǒ bǎ fāpiào fàngzài qiánbāo lǐ le!
警察： 那么，麻烦您出示护照并留下您的联系方式。如果有消息我们会及时联系您的。 Jǐngchá: Nàme, máfan nín chūshì hùzhào bìng liúxià nín de liánxì fāngshì. Rúguǒ yǒu xiāoxi wǒmen huì jíshí liánxì nín de.
史密斯： 好的，真是太谢谢了！ Shǐmìsī: Hǎo de, zhēn shì tài xièxiele!
史密斯开始找身份证。 Shǐmìsī kāishǐ zhǎo shēnfènzhèng.
史密斯： 哎呀！我的护照也在钱包里… Shǐmìsī: Āiyā! Wǒ de hùzhào yě zài qiánbāo lǐ…
请问 qǐng wèn ‘excuse me, may I ask’ Note how useful this expression is just before asking someone a question.
需要 xūyào ‘need’
帮助 bāngzhù ‘help’
丢 diū ‘lose’
钱包 qiánbāo ‘wallet’
请问您在哪里丢的钱包？ Qǐng wèn nín zài nǎlǐ diū de qiánbāo? This sentence is an example of the 是的 shì de construction (although 是 is omitted, it could go after 您 nín). This is used in past sentences when the focus is not on the verb. Here it is on 'where'. Interestingly, one cannot put 的 de at the end of 警察： 会不会是丢在出租车上了？ Jǐngchá: Huì bu huì shì diū zài chūzūchē shàng le? later in the conversation.
如果 rúguǒ ‘if’
啊 a is used at the end of sentences like this one when one is stating something that should be obvious.
最后一次 zuìhòu yí cì ‘the last time’
打车 dǎchē 'take a taxi' is 打的 dǎdī in spoken Chinese.
市中心 shìzhōngxīn city centre (市 shì city + 中心 zhōngxīn centre)
付钱 fùqián ‘pay’
还 … 呢 hái … ne ‘still’ See Final ne.
那您是什么时候发现钱包不见了？ Nà nín shì shénme shíhou fāxiàn qiánbāo bú jiàn le? Note that 的 de can go after 了 le in spoken Chinese. Note 不见了 bú jiànle meaning 'disappear'. One cannot say 见了 jiànle meaning 'to turn up'; in that case one could say something like 钱包被找到了 qiánbāo bèi zhǎodàole 'the wallet was found'.
发现 fāxiàn 'discover, find out'
商场 shāngchǎng ‘shopping centre / mall’
在出租车上 zài chūzūchē shàng ‘in (lit. ‘on’) the taxi’
可能吧 kěnéng ba. 可能 Kěnéng is ‘possibly’; 吧 ba makes it less likely.
记得 jìde ‘remember’
车牌号 chēpáihào 'license plate'
索要 Suǒyào is a formal version of 要 yào; here 'get'.
发票 fāpiào ‘receipt’
看一下 kàn yíxià ‘have a look’ 一下 yíxià often corresponds to English ‘have a’ before a verb.
联系电话 liánxì diànhuà ‘phone number for' (literally 'contact phone')
放在 fàngzài 'put'; often used, as here with 把 bǎ.
麻烦您出示 ... Máfan nín chūshì ... 'May I trouble you to show ...'
身份证 shēnfènzhèng ‘ID card'
留下 liúxià 'to leave (a note etc.)'
联系 方式 liánxì fāngshì 'way of contacting'
如果有消息我们会及时联系您的。 Rúguǒ yǒu xiāoxi wǒmen huì jíshí liánxì nín de. 的 De adds little meaning here, but makes the sentence sound more colloquial.
消息 xiāoxi 'news'
及时 jíshí ‘promptly, without delay, on time’
是太谢谢 shì tài xièxie. Shì is an emphatic before 谢谢 xièxie which is an adjective here.
哎呀 āiyā 'oh dear'
Policeman: Hello, How can I help?
Mr Smith: I’ve lost my wallet!
Policeman: May I ask you where did you lose your wallet?
Mr Smith: If I knew where I had lost it, I would not need to come here.
Policeman: When is the last time when you used your wallet?
Mr Smith: I took a taxi to the city centre. It was still there when I paid the money.
Policeman: When did you find out that your wallet was lost?
Mr Smith: When I was shopping in the shopping centre.
Policeman: Could it have been lost in the taxi?
Mr Smith: Maybe. But I can’t remember the license plate number.
Policeman: Did you ask for a receipt when you left the taxi?
Mr Smith: Yes, I did.
Policeman: You can have a look at it. The license plate number and contact number of the taxi company should be on the receipt.
Mr Smith: Ah, yes, I'll have a look.
(Mr Smith is looking for the receipt)
Mr Smith: I put the receipt in my wallet!
Policeman: Then, please show your ID card and leave your contact details. We will contact you promptly if anything turns up.
Mr Smith: OK. Thanks very much!
(Mr Smith is looking for his ID card)
Mr Smith: Oh, no! My ID card is in my wallet, too…