Xiaoyu's mother is to have an operation. She asks for two days and puts her work in order before she goes.
Xiaoyu
张经理，我想请两天假。我妈妈下星期要做手术，我得回老家。
Zhāng jīnglǐ, wǒ xiǎng qǐng liǎng tiān jiǎ. Wǒ māma xià xīngqī yào zuò shǒushù, wǒ de huí lǎo jiā.
Mr Zhang, I would like to take two days off. My mother is having an operation next week and I have to go back home.
The manager
严重吗？需要多长时间？
Yánzhòng ma ? Xūyào duō cháng shíjiān ?
Is it serious? How long will it take?
Xiaoyu
医生说不严重，不过家里没别人。
Yīshēng shuō bù yánzhòng, bùguò jiālǐ méi biéren.
The doctor says it is not, but there is nobody else at home.
The manager
那你去吧。哪两天？
Nà nǐ qù ba. Nǎ liǎng tiān ?
Then off you go. Which two days?
Xiaoyu
星期四和星期五，星期一上午我一定回来。
Xīngqīsì hé xīngqīwǔ, xīngqīyī shàngwǔ wǒ yīdìng huílai.
Thursday and Friday. I will definitely be back on Monday morning.
The manager
手上的工作怎么办？
Shǒu shàng de gōngzuò zěnme bàn ?
What about the work you have in hand?
Xiaoyu
我今天加班做完，剩下的交给小刘。
Wǒ jīntiān jiābān zuò wán, shèngxià de jiāo gěi Xiǎo Liú.
I will stay late today and finish it, and hand the rest to Xiao Liu.
The manager
好。记得写一张请假条。
Hǎo. Jìde xiě yī Zhāng qǐngjià tiáo.
Good. Remember to write a leave note.
Xiaoyu
我马上写。谢谢您。
Wǒ mǎshàng xiě. Xièxie nín.
I will do it right away. Thank you.
请假 is not one word but a verb followed by its object: 请, to ask for, and 假, leave. What specifies the request therefore slips in BETWEEN the two: 请两天假, 请一个星期假. The language has many others built the same way: 见面 becomes 见一次面, 睡觉 becomes 睡了八个小时觉, 帮忙 becomes 帮我的忙. You cannot spot them by eye; they are learned one at a time.
交给 is built with the person and then the thing: 交给小刘, to hand over to Xiao Liu. 给 attached to a verb always names the recipient: 送给, to give to; 还给, to return to; 卖给, to sell to. The order is fixed, the person first, and English does the reverse.
条 here means a slip, a short note left in writing: 请假条 for leave, 留条 for a note left on the table. Many Chinese firms still ask for this piece of paper on top of the verbal agreement, and the form is fixed: name, dates, reason in one line, signature.
