ChinaPulse.com

Note: The spoken Chinese Mandarin language has 4 spoken tones. We have attempted to re-create those below where after each syllable we tell you (1), (2), (3), or (4) as they correspond to each of the 4 tones. We encourage you to complement your Xianzai.com Emergency Chinese newsletter with a good offline study program.

Cola wars: ke(3) le(4) zhan(4) zheng(1)

NEW WORDS:
(1) Coke: ke(3) kou(3) ke(3) le(4)
(2) Pepsi: bai(3) shi(4) ke(3) le(4)
(3) Cola: ke(3) le(4)
(4) Cold: leng(3)
(5) Ice: bing(1)

LESSON:

• Do you sell Coke?
  ni(3) mai(4) ke(3) kou(3) ke(3) le(4) ma?
  
• How much is a Pepsi?
  bai(3) shi(4) ke(3) le(4) duo(1) shao(3) qian(2)?
  
• Can I have some ice for my cola please?
  neng(2) gei(3) wo(3) de ke(3) le(4) jia(1) bing(1) ma?
  
• Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi?
  ni(3) xi(3) huan(1) ke(3) kou(3) ke(3) le(4) hai(2) shi(4) bai(3) shi(4) ke(3) le(4)?
  
• Is the cola cold in this restaurant?
  zhe(4) jia(1) can(1) guan(3) de ke(3) le(4) liang(2) ma?

* Tip: The Cola wars have come to China! With both companies spending increasing amount on advertising, the war is sure be to as protracted in China as everywhere else on earth.

Coke and Pepsi swept over the Chinese market in the first years of their entrance into China with the country beginning to open to the outside world in the late 1970s.

Currently Coke enjoys a two-to-one sales advantage over Pepsi, but the later is said to be winning in some regional centers where they have strong bottlers.