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Business Chinese LV.2 — Day 4 — Running Into a Senior Colleague in the Hallway

Panpan
Running into a senior executive by chance in the hallway calls for careful etiquette — greeting them by title, keeping small talk brief and appropriate, and knowing when to end the exchange politely once they're clearly busy. This lesson focuses on exactly that situation.

Conversations

1 Greeting a senior colleague correctly by title

New Hire
王总，早上好！
Wáng zǒng, zǎoshang hǎo!
Director Wang, good morning!
Director Wang
早，你是市场部新来的吧？
Zǎo, nǐ shì shìchǎngbù xīn lái de ba?
Morning, you're the new hire in marketing, right?
New Hire
是的，王总，我叫王芳，上周才入职。
Shì de, Wáng zǒng, wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng, shàng zhōu cái rùzhí.
Yes, Director Wang, I'm Wang Fang, I just started last week.

2 Asking how the new hire is adjusting

Director Wang
怎么样，这几天适应得还好吗？
Zěnmeyàng, zhè jǐ tiān shìyìng de hái hǎo ma?
How's it going, are you adjusting well these past few days?
New Hire
还可以，同事们都很照顾我，谢谢您关心。
Hái kěyǐ, tóngshìmen dōu hěn zhàogù wǒ, xièxie nín guānxīn.
Pretty well, my colleagues have all taken good care of me, thank you for asking.
Director Wang
那就好，有什么不懂的多问问同事。
Nà jiù hǎo, yǒu shénme bù dǒng de duō wènwen tóngshì.
That's good, ask your colleagues whenever there's something you're unsure about.

3 Small talk about the new role

Director Wang
听说你之前在广告公司做过，是吗？
Tīngshuō nǐ zhīqián zài guǎnggào gōngsī zuòguo, shì ma?
I heard you worked at an advertising company before, is that right?
New Hire
对，做了三年，所以对推广这块不算太陌生。
Duì, zuò le sān nián, suǒyǐ duì tuīguǎng zhè kuài bú suàn tài mòshēng.
Yes, for three years, so I'm not too unfamiliar with promotion work.
Director Wang
不错，希望你能给我们团队带来一些新想法。
Búcuò, xīwàng nǐ néng gěi wǒmen tuánduì dàilái yìxiē xīn xiǎngfǎ.
Great, I hope you can bring some new ideas to our team.

4 Junior takes the chance to ask a quick work question

New Hire
对了，王总，我正好有个问题想请教您。
Duì le, Wáng zǒng, wǒ zhènghǎo yǒu ge wèntí xiǎng qǐngjiào nín.
By the way, Director Wang, I actually have a question I'd like to ask you.
Director Wang
你说吧，我看看能不能帮上忙。
Nǐ shuō ba, wǒ kànkan néng bu néng bāng shàng máng.
Go ahead, let's see if I can help.
New Hire
是关于下个季度的推广预算，我不太确定该找谁申请。
Shì guānyú xià ge jìdù de tuīguǎng yùsuàn, wǒ bú tài quèdìng gāi zhǎo shéi shēnqǐng.
It's about next quarter's promotion budget, I'm not sure who I should apply to.

5 Senior defers the detailed question to a better time

Director Wang
这个问题有点复杂，走廊里说不清楚。
Zhège wèntí yǒudiǎn fùzá, zǒuláng lǐ shuō bu qīngchu.
This question is a bit complicated, it's hard to explain clearly in the hallway.
New Hire
也是，不好意思，是我太着急了。
Yě shì, bùhǎoyìsi, shì wǒ tài zháojí le.
True, sorry, I was being too hasty.
Director Wang
没关系，你下午发个邮件给我，我们约个时间详细聊。
Méi guānxi, nǐ xiàwǔ fā ge yóujiàn gěi wǒ, wǒmen yuē ge shíjiān xiángxì liáo.
It's fine, send me an email this afternoon, and we'll set up a time to discuss it in detail.

6 Brief neutral small talk

Director Wang
对了，你中午一般在哪儿吃饭？
Duì le, nǐ zhōngwǔ yìbān zài nǎr chīfàn?
By the way, where do you usually eat lunch?
New Hire
一般在楼下食堂，方便又便宜。
Yìbān zài lóuxià shítáng, fāngbiàn yòu piányi.
Usually at the cafeteria downstairs, it's convenient and cheap.
Director Wang
是啊，我也常去，改天可以一起吃。
Shì a, wǒ yě cháng qù, gǎitiān kěyǐ yìqǐ chī.
Yeah, I often go there too, we can eat together sometime.

7 Recognizing the senior colleague is busy

Director Wang
不好意思，我等一下还有个会，得先走一步了。
Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ děng yíxià hái yǒu ge huì, děi xiān zǒu yí bù le.
Sorry, I have a meeting coming up, I need to head off now.
New Hire
没关系，不打扰您了，您先忙。
Méi guānxi, bù dǎrǎo nín le, nín xiān máng.
No problem, I won't hold you up, please go ahead.

8 Polite closing

Director Wang
好，那邮件的事记得发给我。
Hǎo, nà yóujiàn de shì jìde fā gěi wǒ.
Okay, remember to send me that email.
New Hire
一定，谢谢您，王总再见。
Yídìng, xièxie nín, Wáng zǒng zàijiàn.
I definitely will, thank you, goodbye Director Wang.
Director Wang
再见。
Zàijiàn.
Goodbye.

Today's Grammar

Key pattern: 不打扰您了 ("I won't take up more of your time") politely signals the end of a chance encounter, and ...说不清楚 ("hard to explain clearly...") defers a complex topic to a better time.

不打扰您了，您先忙。
Bù dǎrǎo nín le, nín xiān máng.
I won't take up your time, please go ahead.
这个问题有点复杂，走廊里说不清楚。
Zhège wèntí yǒudiǎn fùzá, zǒuláng lǐ shuō bu qīngchu.
This question is a bit complicated, it's hard to explain clearly in the hallway.
改天可以一起吃饭。
Gǎitiān kěyǐ yìqǐ chīfàn.
We can grab a meal together some other day.
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