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Skype: Dialogue:
F: 今天的菜很辣。不过，我很喜欢。
Jin1tian1 de cai4 hen3 la4. bu2guo4,wo3 hen3 xi3huan
C：我知道你也喜欢吃辣，所以就带你来这儿了。
Wo3 zhi1dao ni3 ye3 xi3huan chi1 la4, suo3yi3 jiu4 dai4 ni3 lai2 zhe4er le.
F：真过瘾啊！服务员，买单！
Zhen1 guo4yin3 a! fu2wu4yuan2, mai3dan1!
C：等等，说好了，今天我做东！
Deng3deng,shuo1 hao3 le, jin1tian1 wo3 zuo4dong1!
Translation:
F: These dishes are very spicy, but, I like it.
C: I knew you love spicy food; this is why I brought you here.
F: It was terrific. Waitress, bring me the bill.
C: wait, I have told you, let me be the host today!
In this dialogue, “做东” refers "to be the host", have you got the meaning?
Why "zuo4dong1" means "be the host"?
1、中国大户人家都是方方正正、坐北朝南（典型：四合院）
In ancient china, the houses are square, and face to the south (courtyard house for example.)
2、正中是堂屋即living room.
In the centre is living room.
living room里面会有坐北朝南的两张椅子,主人会请客人坐在西边的椅子上,然后自己坐在东边的椅子上,所以“坐东”就是坐在主人的椅子上，就是"be host".
In the living room, there are two chairs face to the south, the host invite guest
to sit in the chair which is in the west side, and the host sit in the east side
chair, so "sit in the east side" means sit in the host's chair, that also means "be
host"
.
eg. “今天我做东”jin1tian1 wo3 zuo4dong1!
Let me be the host today!
3. 同样，在中文中“东”常常有“主人”的意思，如“房东”-房子的主人。
Meanwhile, in Chinese language, “东 dong1” have the meaning of “host”, for example, “
房东 fang2dong1” means landlord.
Ok, let's practice.
今天你做东，下次我做东。
Jin1tian1 ni3 zuo4dong1, xia4ci wo3 zuo4dong1.
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