Elementary Chinese II 1670898413

Elementary Chinese II
Elementary Chinese II
WENYING ZHOU
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
Elementary Chinese II by Wenying Zhou is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Image Credits viii
Introduction 1
Part I. Lesson 8: New Semester
1. Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 5

2. Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 12
Part II. Lesson 9: Transportation
3. Lesson 9 Dialogue 1: 怎么走 23

4. Lesson 9 Dialogue 2 借车 29
Part III. Lesson 10: Shopping
5. Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商店买衣服 39

6. Lesson 10 Dialogue 2: 上网买东西 47
Part IV. Lesson 11: Weather and Climate
7. Lesson 11 Dialogue 1: 周末去露营 57

8. Lesson 11 Dialogue 2: 一封电邮 65
Part V. Lesson 12: Eating on Campus and Outside
9. Lesson 12 Dialogue 1: 在饭馆点餐 75

10. Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大学食堂吃饭 82
Part VI. Lesson 13: Locations and Directions
11. Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家在哪儿？ 91

12. Lesson 13 Dialogue 2: 欢迎来北京 98
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the funding from
the Open Educational Resources (OER) Award Program at Michigan
State University (MSU) Libraries. I had the great pleasure of working
with Regina Gong, the OER & Student Success Librarian at the
MSU Libraries. It would not have been possible for me to complete
this project without her valuable advice, continuous support, and
guidance. I am also grateful to her team who extended a great
amount of effort creating the textbook cover and checking the
format of the content. Special thanks should also go to my students,
because their interests in learning Chinese have inspired and
motivated me to create this resource to meet their learning needs.
Finally, I would thank my colleagues and my family who support my
work.
Acknowledgements | vii
Image Credits
Cover Image
Cover design provided by MSU Libraries Publishing Services

student intern Srividhya Pallay.
“Chinese New Year London” by Paolo Camera is licensed under CC
BY 2.0
(https://wordpress.org/openverse/image/
55efc2f8-193d-42b0-a39f-
c7ccaac7d42c/?referrer=creativecommons.org)
viii | Image Credits

This Open Educational Resource textbook on Elementary Chinese II
is a continuation of my previous OER textbook, Elementary Chinese
I. It is designed for those who have learned Chinese for one
semester and would like to continue to learn in the second
semester. By using this book, students will continue to develop their
basic conversational Chinese skills, expand their vocabulary words,
and acquire relevant knowledge about Chinese culture and customs.
Simplified Chinese is used throughout the book.
This book has six chapters, each focusing on one main topic.
In each chapter, there are two dialogues/narrations addressing a
sub-topic from different perspectives. For example, in Chapter 8,
Dialogue 1 is a conversation between parents and their daughter as
they discuss school life from the parents’ perspectives; Dialogue 2
is a narrative letter which talks about school life from the student’s
perspective. By learning both texts, learners will be able to describe
their school life to different audiences in different formats. In
addition, they will learn related culture knowledge such as writing
a letter in Chinese. Chapter 9 involves going shopping, where
students will learn how to buy things in stores and online. Chapter
10 discusses basic transportation means, such as traveling by bus
and subway. Chapter 11 talks about weather and climates in China.
By learning this chapter, students will be able to report weather
conditions and describe climate changes in Chinese. Chapter 12 is
about ordering food in Chinese, where students will learn some
basic expressions that they can use in Chinese restaurants. Chapter
13 involves asking and giving directions in Chinese.
Introduction | 1
PART I
LESSON 8: NEW SEMESTER
Learning Objectives:
After learning this lesson, you will be able to use Chinese to:
• describe a sequence of actions in your daily life using

conjunctions like “when”, “while”, “after”, “before”, etc.
• talk about your major.
• express what you can or cannot do.
• write a letter in Chinese.
Lesson 8: New Semester | 3

1. Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床
以后
Dialogue:
（早上六点半，李文美给家人买了早饭
以后就回了家。）
李文美：老公，女儿起床了吗？已经七
点半了。
张国明：起来了。
李文美：她今天早上怎么起得这么晚？
张国明：她上个周末上网买了一个新电
脑。昨天电脑到了，她用它做作业做到
很晚才睡。
李文美：她现在在做什么？
张国明：她正在刷牙、洗脸。
李文美：女儿，快来吃早饭。时间不早
了。
（他们一边吃早饭，一边聊天。可是女
儿在用电脑。）
李文美：女儿，吃饭的时候，别看电
脑。好好吃饭。
女儿：知道了。
李文美：女儿，你今天带不带午饭？妈
妈给你准备一点儿。
女儿：不带。中午我想到学校食堂去跟
同学们一起吃午饭。
Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 | 5
张国明：女儿，你的英文最近学得怎么
样？
女儿：还行。我能跟外国人说一点儿英
文，可是我的发音不太好。
张国明：没事儿。今天下午回家以前，
我带你去见一位英文老师，请他教你怎
么发音。
One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/chs102/?p=22#audio-22-1

here: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/chs102/?p=22#oembed-1
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this

version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/chs102/?p=22#h5p-13
6 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后

Vocabulary:
中文拼音(pinyin) 英文
家人 jiā rén n., family members
n., husband, often used by wives to call

老公 lǎo gōng
their husbands in oral Chinese
买 mǎi v., to buy
起床 qǐ chuáng v., to get out of bed
起来 qǐ lái v., to get up
已经 yǐ jīng adv., already

上网 shàng wǎng v., to go online
刷牙 shuā yá v., to brush teeth
洗脸 xǐ liǎn v., to wash face
正在 zhèng zài adv., in the process of doing something
到 dào v., to arrive
用 yòng v., to use
作业 zuò yè n., homework, assignment

发音 fā yīn n., pronunciation
一边…，一边 yī biān…yī
adv., at the same time
… biān…
电脑 diàn nǎo n., computer
带 dài v., to bring, to take

食堂 shí táng n., dining hall
最近 zuì jìn n., recently
adv., used to tone down the adjective after

还 hái
it, as in 还行, meaning “pretty good”
能 néng v., can
…的时候 de shí hòu conj., when


Grammar Notes:
1. 就 in the sentence “李文美给家人买了早饭以后就回了家”

This is an adverb, used before the verb phrase 回家 to indicate
“quickness or immediacy” of the actions. One more example:
吃了饭以后就去买电脑。(Right after eating, let’s go to buy a
computer.) In this sentence, 就 is used before the verb phrase
去买电脑 to indicate the action 去买电脑 will occur immediately
after 吃饭.
2. The verb 用 in the sentence 他用它做作业做到很晚
In the sentence above, 用它 literally means “use it” or “with it”,
indicating an instrument or tool, which is placed before the
verb phrase 做功课. The structure is “Subject + 用 sth. + Verb
phrase”. Note that in this structure, 用 sth. is placed BEFORE
verbs. For example:
我们用电脑打字。(We type with computers.)
他用一支笔写字。(He writes with a pen.)
3. The adverb 正在 in the sentence 他正在刷牙、洗脸
It is an adverb, used before the verb phrases 刷牙、洗脸 to

express that the two actions are ongoing or in progress. You
may consider it as “the present continuous tense” in English. 正
在 is often shortened to 在 or 正 in everyday Chinese. For
example:
爸爸正在开会。=爸爸在开会。=爸爸正开会。(Dad is having a
meeting.)
4. The particle 了 in the sentence 时间不早了
We already learned 了 used to indicate “completion of an
action”, as in the sentence 昨天我做了作业 (Yesterday I did my
homework.)
In this dialogue, 了 has two other usages.
One is used together with 已经 to indicate “already” in Chinese,
as in the sentence 已经七点半了. The structure is “Subject + 已
经 + event + 了“. For example,
我已经做了作业。(I already did my homework.)
今年我已经22岁了。(I am already 22 years old this year.)
The other usage is to express “change of status”, as in the
sentence “时间不早了” (“Time is not early”, indicating that the
time has changed from early to not early). The structure is
“Subject + adj./verb + 了“. Below are some more examples:
我累了。(I am tired.) The 了 in this sentence indicates that my
status changed from “not being tired” to “being tired”.
你有女朋友了？(Do you have a girlfriend now?) So 了 here
means the change of status from “not having a girlfriend” to
“having a girlfriend”.
5. 一边…，一边… in the sentence 他们一边吃早饭一边聊天
This pattern is used to describe simultaneous actions,
equivalent to “doing thing 1 while doing thing 2” in English. The
structure is “Subject + 一边 + Verb 1 (，)
， + 一边 + Verb 2“. For
example:
妈妈一边吃饭一边看书。(While mom is eating, she is reading.)
我常常一边做作业，一边听音乐。(I often listen to the music
while doing my homework.)
Note: In conversational Chinese, people sometimes shorten 一
边 to 边. Therefore, you may hear Chinese people say 我们边吃

边说 (Let’s talk while eating)。
6. …的时候 in the sentence 吃饭的时候，别看电脑
This phrase is used after a time or event phrase or clause to
express events that happened at or during a particular time,
equivalent to “when” in English. It is attached to the time word
or event phrase that indicates the time. As in the sentence 吃饭
的时候，别看电脑, “吃饭” is the event phrase that indicates the
time. “的时候” is used after it. The structure is “time word/
event phrase 的时候
的时候，main
， clause...”. For example:
七点钟的时候，我在看书。(When it was 7, I was reading.)
我看书的时候，妈妈正在做饭。(When I was reading, my mom
was cooking.)
7. 还行
Here 还 is used to tone down 行, indicating that the speaker is
being modest. The structure is “Subject + 还 + 行.”
行 For example,
if you ask me “你考试考得怎么样 (How did you do in the exam)”,
I can respond with 还行 (pretty good but not great). In this
structure, the adjective 行 can also be replaced with 好，不错，
可以.
8. 能 in the sentence 我能跟外国人说一点儿英文
This verb can be translated into “can” in English, indicating
“capability”. The structure is “Subject + 能 + verb phrase.” For
example:
我能喝两瓶酒。(I can drink two bottles of wine.)
我的电脑能上网。(My computer can go online.)
9. 以前
This word means “before”. Similar to English, it can be used as
either a preposition or a conjunction. However, unlike in
English, it is placed after the time phrase or the verb phrase.
For example,
九点以前，我起床了。(preposition, meaning “before”. “Before
9:00, I got up.”)
你去上课以前，来一下我的办公室。(conjunction, meaning
“before”. “Before you go to take classes, please come to my
office.”)

Culture Notes:
Chinese people typically have their breakfast between 7-9 AM. Some
people make their own breakfast, some buy it from street vendors to
take home, and some order delivery. Most people will buy food from
breakfast vendors on the street and eat on the spot. However, many
of them don’t have time to sit down, so they will just finish their food
on their way to catch the bus, subway, or taxi. This is especially true
for the people who live in the cities.
As China is a very big country, breakfast dishes differ significantly
from place to place. The difference between northern and southern
China is even greater. To name a few: deep-fried dough sticks 油条
(yóu tiáo), steamed buns 馒头 (mán tóu), steamed buns with meat or
vegetables 包子 (bāo zi), tofu pudding 豆腐脑 (dòu fǔ nǎo), congee 粥
(zhōu), egg crepe 鸡蛋饼 (jī dàn bǐng), dumplings 饺子 (jiǎo zi), wheat
noodles 面条 (miàn tiáo), rice noodles 米粉 (mǐ fěn), bread 面包 (miàn
bāo), eggs 鸡蛋 (jī dàn), soybean milk 豆浆 (dòu jiāng). These are
all popular breakfast dishes in both northern and southern China.
However, different regions, or even different cities have their own
featured breakfast dishes. For example, in Tianjin, a mega-city close
to Beijing, people prefer to eat Chinese savory crepes 煎饼果子 (jiān
bǐng guǒ zi), while in Wuhan, a mega-city in the center of China,
people like to eat hot-dry-noodles 热干面 (rè gān miàn) together
with rice wine 米酒 (mǐ jiǔ). To learn more about what Chinese
people eat for breakfast, please watch this interesting video.
It is also interesting to note that eating breakfast is very different
in Guangdong Province where local people normally enjoy a long
breakfast time, called 早茶 (zǎochá, literally ‘morning tea’). They
enjoy leisurely eating dimsum (点心 diǎnxīn, literally, ‘touch heart’)
for breakfast in restaurants and chat for a long time, especially on
weekends. If you are interested in learning about what dimsum is,
please watch this video.

2. Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋
友的一封信
Narration:
亲爱的天明：
你好!
上个月收到了你的信，现在才给你回
信，真不好意思！
先回答你的问题。这学期开始的时候，
我每天都很忙、很累，因为作业特别
多。现在我已经习惯了这样的生活。
今天我写信是想告诉你：今年六月我就
要毕业了。你知道，我的专业是中文和
中国研究，所以我会说中文，我觉得我
的中文说得挺好的。毕业以后我想到中
国去学习、做研究。要是去中国的话，
我想先到上海去玩几天，听说那儿有很
多好玩的地方。除了去上海以外，我还
想去北京看看，因为北京是个漂亮的城
市。你什么时候毕业？有什么打算？
今天只写这么多。希望你有空的时候能
给我回一封信，也希望能很快再见到
你。
此致
敬礼！
12 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一

封信
大同
2021年3月7日


Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 | 13

Vocabulary:
14 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信

中文拼音英文
亲爱的 qīn ài de adj., dear, darling
收到 shōu dào v., to receive

封 fēng measure word for letters
信 xìn n., letter
adj., sorry, embarrassed; excuse

不好意思 bù hǎo yì sī
me; shy
学期 xué qī n., semester
每天 měi tiān time word, every day
习惯 xí guàn v., to get used to; n., habit

这样 zhè yàng adj., so, such
生活 shēng huó n., life
就 jiù adv., then, indicating a result
累 lèi adj., tired
特别 tè bié adv., extremely

毕业 bì yè v./n., to graduate; graduation
专业 zhuān yè n., major
v./n., to research, to study;
研究 yán jiū
research, study
会 huì v., can, be able to
听说 tīng shuō v., hear others say
上海 shàng hǎi n., Shanghai
挺 tǐng adv., rather, quite
先 xiān adv., first

地方 dì fāng n., place
打算 dǎ suàn n., plan; v., to plan
chú le … yǐ wài,
除了…以外，还… conj., besides/in addition…
hái…
城市 chéng shì n., city
希望 xī wàng v., to hope, to wish
此致敬礼 cǐ zhì jìng lǐ With best regards


Grammar Notes:
1. 开始(的时候)… in the sentence “这学期开始的时候，我天天都很

忙、很累，因为作业特别多。”
This word is used to describe past events the same way as “in
the beginning…” in English. For instance:
开始(的时候)他不高兴，后来他听了一点儿音乐，就高兴了。(In
the beginning he was unhappy. Afterwards he listened to the
music and became happy.)
开始(的时候)我不懂，现在懂了很多。(In the beginning I didn’t
understand. Now I understand more.)
2. subject (就)要
就要 verb 了 structure in the sentence “今年六月我就
要毕业了”
This structure is used to express that an event is about to
happen soon. In this structure, 就 is optional, used as an
adverb, indicating “quickness of the action”. The sentence
above can be re-written as 今年六月我要毕业了, where 要
indicates “will, be going to”. More examples:
我要上课了。(I am about to take the class.)

电影(就)要开始了。(The movie is about to begin.)
3. The adverb 就 in the sentence “我很用功，就不觉得累了“
This adverb has several meanings. We have already learned the
meaning of “quickness/earliness of action”, as in the sentence
今年六月我就要毕业了.
In the dialogue, the second part of the sentence “我很用功，就
不觉得累了” contains 就 followed by a verb phrase, indicating
the result “not feel tired”, similar to “then” in English. The
structure is “situation/reason, 就 + Verb Phrase“. More
examples,
要是你睡得早，你就起得早。(If you sleeps early, you will get up
early.)
他昨天复习了功课，就考得很好。(Yesterday he reviewed his
lessons, so he did well in the exam.)
4. The verb 会 in the sentence 我会说中文
The verb 会 is often followed by another verb, used to indicate
a learned ability/skill. In the sentence 我会说中文, “说中文” is a
skill you have to develop through learning. The structure is
“Subject + 会 + Verb phrase“. More examples:
我会打网球。(I can play tennis.)
他会写汉字。(He can write Chinese characters.)
5. 除了…(以外)，subject 还/也 … in the sentence 除了去上海以
外，我还想去北京看看
This expression is used in the structure “除了 ⋯ (+ 以外) ，
Subject + 也 / 还 ⋯”, used to indicate “in addition to…” The
sentence above means “In addition to going to Shanghai, I also
would like to go to Beijing for a visit.” More examples:
除了看书以外，我还喜欢看电视。(In addition to reading, I also
like to watch TV.)
除了中文，他也会说日文。(Apart from Chinese, he can also
speak Japanese.)
As we can see from the sentences above, they contain only one
subject, therefore, 也 and 还 are interchangeable. If the
sentences contain two subjects, only 也 can be used. For
example:

除了李老师会说中文以外，周老师也会说中文。(In addition to
Teacher Li, Teacher Zhou can also speak Chinese.)
除了王朋喜欢李友以外，高文中也喜欢李友。(In addition to
Wang Peng, Gao Wenzhong also likes Li You.)
6. Reduplication of verbs in the sentence 除了去上海以外，我还想
去北京看看
Chinese people tend to reduplicate single-character verbs to
indicate “a little bit” or “briefly”. The pattern is “subject + verb
+ verb“. Note in this pattern, the second verb’s tone changes to
a neutral one. For example:
我们去问问他吧。(Let’s go to ask him.)
In occasional cases, people also reduplicate two-syllable verbs
or adjectives. For example:
我们来练习练习中文发音吧。(let’s practice our Chinese
pronunciation.)
今天我想高兴高兴。(Today I want to be happy.)
7. 能 indicates the possibility of something happening, as in the
sentence 我希望能很快再见到你
In addition to the meaning of “can”, 能 has other meanings. In
the sentence 我希望能很快再见到你, the word 能 means “the
possibility of 再见到你 will happen if external conditions allow.
Here are several more examples:
你明天能早点儿来学校吗？(is it possible for you to come to
school a little bit early tomorrow?)
今天晚上我不能去你家帮你准备考试了。(It is not possible for me
to go to your house to help you prepare for the exam tonight.)
Culture Notes:
In Chinese culture, politeness is never too much except for between

acquaintances or family members. When writing a letter, it’s very
important for you to know how to show your politeness.
A Chinese letter normally contains 4 sections: start with

addressing the recipient followed by greetings, then state the
purpose of the letter (i.e., letter body), and then end with respectful
expressions, the writer’s name, and the date. Below is a brief
introduction about how each section should be composed.
1. Addressing the recipient:
The first line of a letter should be addressing the recipient. When
writing to people who are older, clients, or whose social status
is higher than yourself, use the most respectful title 尊敬的 (zūn
jìng de, literally “respectable”) followed by the person’s surname
and title. For example, if you write to your manager, you can start
with “尊敬的李经理” where 李 is the surname and 经理 is the title,
meaning “manager”. To address the people who teach you, guide
you, and also care about you such as your tutors or teachers, you
can go for 敬爱的 (jìng ài de, literally “respectable and beloved”).
For instance, when writing to your teacher, you can start with 敬爱
的张老师.
If you’re writing to someone whom you know very well and are
really friendly with, such as friends or coworkers, you can use the
more semi-formal expression 亲爱的 (qīn ài de, “dear”), followed by
the person’s first name or kinship term. For example, if you write to
your father, you can say 亲爱的爸爸. If you write to your good friend
大同, you can start with 亲爱的大同. To be more casual and informal,
you can omit 亲爱的. Just start with addressing the person by his/
her first name or kinship term.
Note that “亲爱的” was originally used exclusively to address your
loved ones such as your boyfriend or girlfriend, or your spouse,
etc. For example, suppose 美美 is your girlfriend, you can address
her just by saying 亲爱的. However, in recent years the “loving”
implication has been diluted and can be used to address anyone
you are friendly with. It is now used very frequently even between
strangers and colleagues, much like the English equivalents
“sweetie” or “my dear”. Like the English equivalents, it can also be
used in a derogatory manner based on tone and facial expressions.
2. Greetings
After addressing the recipient, you should start to greet him/her

on the second line. Greetings should be indented two spaces, or two
Chinese characters.
For senior recipients, send regards to their health. For example,
最近你们身体怎么样 (how is your health recently). For middle-aged
people, you can ask about their career or family. For instance, 你
的工作和身体都好吗? 家人怎么样？When greeting a younger person
or child, you can ask about his/her social circle or studies. For
example, 最近你的学习/功课/考试怎么样？
3. Body
Start the body two spaces or two Chinese characters indented. In
this part, you can talk about the purpose of your letter. You can also
describe whatever you want to say to the recipient.
4. Ending
When closing a Chinese letter, 此致敬礼 (cǐ zhì jìng lǐ, meaning
“With best regards…”.) is one of the most commonly used and the
most respectful expression, where 此致 means “I have finished
writing” and 敬礼 means “salute, I give you my respect”. Note they
should be written on two separate lines, with 此致 two spaces or
characters indented and 敬礼 not indented, as shown below:
—-此致
敬礼！
Besides 此致敬礼, there are many other ways to end a letter,
including but not limited to:
(祝)一切顺利 zhù yīqiè shùnlì – Wish everything goes smoothly
(祝)一切好 zhù yīqiè hǎo – Wish everything is good
回头再聊 huítóu zài liáo – Talk to you next time
保重 bǎozhòng – Take care
代我向你们全家问好 dài wǒ xiàng nǐmen quánjiā wènhǎo– Send my
regards to your family
Even just 谢谢 or 再见 is acceptable.
At the end of the letter, don’t forget to include your name and the
date.
You can hear this Chinese song that is actually a letter written to
parents, where the above format is used.

PART II
LESSON 9:
TRANSPORTATION
• describe how to go from one place to another by taking a bus.

• describe how to travel by subway.
• borrow things from others.
• express gratitude for others’ help.
Lesson 9: Transportation | 21
3. Lesson 9 Dialogue 1: 怎么
走
Dialogue:
（Jenny想到北海公园去玩儿，可是她不
知道怎么走。）
Jenny：大爷，请问到北海公园去怎么
走？
大爷：你先坐一路公共汽车，坐四站；
再换二十三路车，坐两站。你一下车就
到了。
Jenny：那一路公共汽车站在哪儿？
大爷：就在那儿，看见那个站牌了吗？
那儿就是。
Jenny：车票多少钱？
大爷：三块钱。
Jenny：谢谢您，大爷！
大爷：别客气。
(从北海公园出来以后，她想去北京大学
找同学。）
Jenny：叔叔，请问，去北京大学怎么
走？
叔叔：打车或者坐地铁都可以。你想打
车还是坐地铁？
Jenny：打车得多久？
叔叔：打车10分钟，很快，也很方便，
但是有点儿贵。
Jenny：那我还是坐地铁吧。您能告诉我
怎么走吗？
Lesson 9 Dialogue 1: 怎么走 | 23
叔叔：没问题。你先坐地铁10号线，坐
一站，然后换4号线，坐两站，到北大站
下车。最后你走5分钟就到了。
Jenny：叔叔，太谢谢您了！
叔叔：不用谢。



24 | Lesson 9 Dialogue 1: 怎么走

：
Vocabulary：
中文拼音英文
公园 gōng yuán n., park
北海公园 běi hǎi gōng yuán n., Beihai Park
车 chē n., vehicle, car

公共汽车 gōng gòng qì chē n., bus
车站 chē zhàn n., bus stop
站牌 zhàn pái n., bus stop board
v., to get off the
下车 xià chē
vehicle
路 lù n., route
一…就… yī … jiù …、 conj., as soon as…
票 piào n., ticket
大爷 dà yé n., elder uncle

从 cóng preposition, from
出来 chū lái v., come out
叔叔 shū shu n., uncle
或者 huò zhě conj., or
打车 dǎ chē v., to take a taxi
地铁 dì tiě n., subway

然后 rán hòu conj., then, and then
线 xiàn n., line

最后 zuì hòu adv., last, at last


Grammar Notes:
1. Modes of transportation:
车chē, vehicle
汽车 qì chē, literally “steamed vehicle”, often used
interchangeably with 车
公共汽车 gōng gòng qì chē, literally “public vehicle”, meaning
“bus”
出租汽车 chū zū qì chē, literally “rent-out vehicle”, meaning
“taxi”
的士 dī shì, taxi, originated from the Cantonese dialect
大巴 dà bā, mega bus
地铁 dì tiě, subway
高铁 gāo tiě, high-speed train
飞机 fēi jī, airplane
火车 huǒ chē, literally “fire-driven vehicle”
2. The question word 怎么走 in the sentence 请问到北海公园怎么
走
This phrase 怎么走 means “how to get there”, used to ask for
directions. The structure is “Destination + 怎么走？
怎么走？“ For
example:
图书馆怎么走？(How to get to the library?)
我想去老师的办公室，请问怎么走？(I would like to go to the
teacher’s office. Could you tell me how to get there?)
3. The expression一… 就… in the sentence 你一下车就到了
This expression means “as soon as…”, used to describe two

different actions, one happens immediately after the other.
The structure is “一
一 + action 1 + 就 + action 2″. In the sentence
你一下车就到了, action 1 is 下车 and action 2 is 到了. The
sentence means “As soon as you get off, you will arrive.” Note
that the subjects of the two actions may be the same or
different. For example:
我一下课就回家。(As soon as I finished my class, I went home.)
In this example, there are two actions 下课 and 回家, 回家
happens right after 下课.
我一回家，他就走了。(As soon as I got home, he left.) In this
sentence, the two actions 回家 and 走了 have two different
subjects, and they occur one after another.
4. The word 或者 in the sentence “打车或者坐地铁都可以”
This word 或者 means “or”, used to connect words or phrases
when offering or considering choices. In the sentence above,
two options are offered: 打车 and 坐地铁. The sentence means
“Either taking a taxi or riding on subway is okay.” Here are
more examples:
打车或者坐车都可以。(Either taking a taxi or riding on a bus is
okay.)
我去上海或者北京。(I will go to either Shanghai or Beijing.)
Note: 或者 is used in an “or” statement; while 还是 is used in an
“or” question. Compare:
你打车还是坐车？(Will you take a taxi or ride a bus?)
我打车或者坐车都行。(Taking a taxi or riding a bus works for
me.)
5. The expression 还是…吧 in the sentence “那我还是坐地铁吧”
This expression means “had better, it’s better to choose…”,
used to make a choice when considering two or more options.
The sentence 那我还是坐地铁吧 means “In that case I had
better take a subway.” The structure is “Subject + 还是 + Verb
phrase + 吧”. For example:
打车太贵了，我还是坐车吧。(Taking a taxi is too expensive. I
had better ride a bus.)
明天我没空，我还是周末去公园吧。(Tomorrow I won’t have

time. I had better go to the park on weekends.)
Culture Notes:
How should you appropriately address Chinese strangers on the

street when you want to talk to them? Using “先生” / “小姐 (女士)”
usually sounds too formal, and it is hard to break the ice. What
should you do? Here are some tips:
1. Addressing the people who are older than you:
When talking to people who are obviously as old as your
grandparents, you can address them as “大爷”
大爷 (dà yé, a kinship name
for elderly men) or “老爷爷”
老爷爷 ( lǎo yéye, old grandpa) for a man, and
“大妈”
大妈 (dà mā, a kinship term for elderly women) or “老奶奶”
老奶奶 (lǎo
nǎinai, old grandma) for a woman. You can also use a neutral term
such as “老人家”
老人家 ( lǎo rén jiā) to address either an elderly male or
female.
When talking with people who are of your parents’ age, you can
use “叔叔”
叔叔 (shū shu, uncle) or “大叔”
大叔 (dà shū, big uncle) for a man
or “阿姨”(
阿姨 ā yí, aunt) for a woman. You can also use “大哥”
大哥 (dà gē, big
brother)/ “哥”
哥 (gē) or “大姐”
大姐 (dà jiě, big sister)/ “姐”
姐 ( jiě) for people
who are not much older than you.
2. Addressing younger people:
When talking to people who are younger than you, you can use “小
小
伙子 (xiǎo huǒzi, young fellow) for a young man and “小姑娘”
伙子” 小姑娘 (xiǎo
gūniang, little girl) or “小妹妹”
小妹妹 (xiǎo mèimei, little sister) for a
young girl. If you are in the same generation, you can also call
帅哥 (shuài gē, handsome bro) or “美女”
them “帅哥” 美女 (měi nǚ, pretty girl/
woman). The recent trend is to refer to people with “小姐姐”
小姐姐 (xiǎo
jiějie, little older sister) and “小哥哥”
小哥哥 (xiǎo gēge, little older
brother).

4. Lesson 9 Dialogue 2 借车
Dialogue:
张文天: 李京，后天下午你用不用车？
李京: 不用。怎么了？
张文天: 后天我得去机场接人，可是我自
己没买车。可不可以借你的车用一下?
李京: 你要去接谁?
张文天: 我爸和我妹。他们从北京坐飞机
去上海玩了几天，后天会来我这儿。新
年快要到了，他们想来看看我。
李京: 你会不会开车？
张文天: 当然会。上大学以前，我常开我
爸的车。
李京：那好。给你车钥匙。
张文天：谢谢！
李京：跟我客气什么！
（接了爸爸和妹妹以后，张文天回来
了。）
李京：路上怎么样？
张文天：还行，不过高速公路上的车太
多了，每一个人都开得很快。我特别紧
张。
李京：你以后开得多了就好了。
张文天：对了，我给你的车加了油。今
天用了你的车，我觉得挺不好意思的。
李京：这有什么不好意思的？跟我客气
什么？对了，你爸爸和妹妹什么时候
走？
张文天：一个星期以后。
李京：要不要我开车送他们去机场？
Lesson 9 Dialogue 2 借车 | 29
张文天：我不好意思让你去，还是我自
己去吧。到时候我可以再用一下你的车
吗？
李京：没问题。一个星期以后你找我拿
钥匙，到时候给我打手机或者发短信。
张文天：太麻烦你了！
李京: 没事儿！



30 | Lesson 9 Dialogue 2 借车
Vocabulary:
中文拼音英文
借 jiè v., to borrow/lend
后天 hòu tiān time word, the day after tomorrow
飞机 fēi jī n., airplane

机场 jī cháng n., airport
新年 xīn nián n., New Year
开车 kāi chē v., to drive a vehicle
钥匙 yào shi n., key
上 shàng prep., on
conj., but, interchangeable with 可是 and 但是,
不过 bú guò
but 不过 is more used in informal conversations
高速公 gāo sù gōng
n., highway
路 lù
紧张 jǐn zhāng adj., nervous
phrase, used to change a topic in a dialogue

对了 duì le when something suddenly comes to the speaker’s
mind
加 jiā v., to add

加油 jiā yóu v., to add oil/gas, to refill gas
让 ràng v., to let
送 sòng v., to send, to see sb. off
到时候 dào shí hòu phrase, meaning “when the time comes”
拿 ná v., to fetch, to get
发 fā v., to send
短信 duǎn xìn n., message
麻烦 má fán n./adj., trouble, troublesome

Grammar notes:
1. 会 in the sentence 后天会来我这儿

We have learned that the verb 会 can be used to express
“learned skills”, as in the example 我会说中文. In the sentence
后天他们会来我这儿, the word 会 is used to express the
possibility of someone will do something or something will
happen. The structure is “subject + (不)会 + verb phrase”. For
example:
明天我的男朋友会来学校看我。(Tomorrow my boyfriend will
come to school to visit me.)
下课以后，我会给你打电话。(After class, I will call you.)
别问我，我不会告诉你。(Don’t ask me. I won’t tell you.)
2. 要…了 in the sentence 新年快要到了
We have learned that the particle 了 indicates the change of
status, which can also be paired with 要 or 快要 or 就要 or 就快
要 to indicate a change of situation in the future. The structure
is “Subject + (就/快)要
就快要 + verb phrase + 了“. Here are more
examples:
新年快要到了。(New Year is coming soon.)
快要考试了，我们得准备一下。(We’ll have an exam soon. We
will have to prepare for it.)
3. The word 上 in the sentence 路上怎么样
This preposition 上 is often used after nouns, indicating “on
the surface of…, above…” The structure is “noun + 上“. For
example, the English “on the road” and “on the highway” are
translated into “路上”, “高速公路上” in Chinese.
4. The structure “每
每 + measure word + noun + 都 …” in the
sentence ”每一个人都开得很快“
This pattern is used to express “every” when describing a
quantitative amount. In the sentence above, 每一个人 is “every
person”. 都 is used together with 每 to stress the tone, similar
like “every… all…”. Below are more examples about this
structure:
我喜欢每一节中文课。(I like every Chinese class.)
他们每天都工作。(They work every day.) Note: time words such
as 天、年、周 do not need measure words.
5. 对了
This phrase has two meanings. One means “correct”. For
example, 你对了，他错了。(You are right. He is wrong.) The
other meaning is often used when something suddenly comes
to the speaker’s mind and the conversation topic is changed.
For example:
A: 我们去看电影吧。(Let’s go to watch a movie.)
B: 对了，我得给爸爸打一个电话，告诉他我不回家吃饭了。(It
suddenly came to my mind that I have to give my dad a call to
tell him that I won’t go back home to eat.)
6. The expression 到时候 in the sentence ”一个星期以后你找我拿钥
匙，到时候给我打电话或者发短信“
The expression 到时候 means “when the time comes”, pointing
to a specific time in the future. When using it, we need to start
with a statement that sets things up, then the things that will
happen in the future is placed after 到时候. The structure is
“statement，
，到时候 + things that will happen.” In the
sentence above, “一个星期以后你找我拿钥匙” is the statement
that sets up the situation, 到时候 is used to indicate “in one
week when the time comes”, and the thing that will happen is
你给我打电话或者发短信. Below are more examples:
我们十点去看电影，到时候我去接你。(We will go to watch a
movie at 10:00. I will go to pick you up then.)
你先自己学一下，如果你还不会，到时候我再教你吧。(Study on
your own first. If you still don’t know how, I will teach you
then.)
7. 麻烦
This is a very useful word, meaning “trouble”, “to trouble”, and
“troublesome”. It can be used both as a verb, an adjective, and
as a noun. When used as a verb, it has the similar meaning as
请, which Chinese people use to show politeness when asking
for help. For example:
麻烦你给我一张纸。(Please give me a piece of paper.)
谢谢，这个事儿麻烦你了！ (Thanks for your help!)
When used as a noun, it is often used with verbs like 找、遇到
(to encounter)、添(to add)，带去/来(to take/bring). For
example:
麻烦没有来找你, 你自己就不要去找麻烦。(Never trouble trouble
until trouble troubles you.)
昨天我遇到了一点儿麻烦。(Yesterday I was in trouble.)
不好意思，给您带来了麻烦。(Sorry to have brought you
trouble.)
When used as an adjective, it means “troublesome”. For
example:
我的妹妹太麻烦了。(My little sister is troublesome.)
学中文很麻烦，你得预习、复习、考试，事儿太多了。(To learn
Chinese is troublesome. You have to preview, review and take
exams. Too many things to do.)
Culture notes:
Chinese people seldom say “thank you” to close friends, relatives,

loved ones or among family members. For example, if a Chinese
child does the laundry for the family, her parents normally would
not say “thank you” to her, However, that does not mean that
Chinese parents are not polite to their children. There is a culture
reason: a child does nice things for the family because she is a family
member. The parents and the child are all one family. Saying “thank
you” will actually create formality and distance that shouldn’t exist
among them, which will violate their intimate relationship.
If you say “thank you” to your Chinese friends or co-workers, they
might feel offended. Some of them might respond directly to you:
“You are way too polite. Real friends do not need to say ‘thank you’.”
However, Chinese people say “thank you” to strangers or people
who are not very close or familiar. What are the ways that they say
“thank you”? Here are some common ways:
• Use the word 谢 as in the following examples：谢谢(你) (Thank

you.)！多谢 (Many thanks)！太谢谢你了 (I am very grateful)！万
分感谢 (Thousands of thanks)！真不知道怎么谢谢你 (I don’t
know how to thank you)！
• Use the word 麻烦 as in the following examples：(太)麻烦你
了！给你添(tiān, to add)麻烦了！
How to respond to “thank you”? Here are some ways Chinese people
say “you are welcome”:
• Use the word 客气 (polite) in negative sentences or with words

like 什么、怎么、太…了. For example: 不客气。不用客气。别客
气。客气什么！你怎么这么客气！你太客气了！
• Use the word 谢 (thank; to thank) in negative sentences or with
什么. For instance: 不谢。不用谢。别谢了。谢什么！说什么谢不
谢的！
• Use the word 见外 (literally, to act as a stranger) in negative
sentences: 不要见外。别见外！你太见外了！
• Other expressions that contains 小 or 没 to express “a piece of
cake” or “no problem”: 小事。小意思。没事儿。没问题。
PART III
LESSON 10: SHOPPING
• describe the color, size, length, fitness, and price of clothes.

• use Chinese currencies to pay.
• use varies of payment, including cash, credit cards, and digital
payment.
• shop at physical stores and online.
Lesson 10: Shopping | 37

5. Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商
店买衣服
Dialogue:
(Jenny 是李贵的大学同学。今天是周
末，她想去买衣服。她请李贵和她一起
去。他们进了一家商店。)
售货员：欢迎光临！请问你们要买点儿
什么？
Jenny：我想买一件衣服和一条裤子。
售货员：您穿多大的？
Jenny：中号的。
售货员：中号的衣服和裤子都在这儿。
要我帮你找吗？
Jenny：不用，谢谢！请问试衣间在哪
儿？
售货员：在那儿。
Jenny：好的。谢谢！… 李贵，你觉得我
穿这件红色的衣服怎么样？
李贵：我觉得这件衣服的大小很合适，
颜色也好看。
Jenny：那这条白色的裤子呢？
李贵：长短合适，可是颜色不好看。
Jenny：售货员，请问这条裤子有黑色的
吗？
售货员：有。这条怎么样？
Jenny：我试一下。（试了以后）颜色不
错，长短也合适。衣服和裤子一共多少
钱？
售货员：一百五十六块九毛九。
Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商店买衣
服 | 39
Jenny：太贵了，可不可以便宜点儿？
售货员：要是您买点儿别的，就可以便
宜点儿。
Jenny：那我再买一双鞋子吧。这双多少
钱？
售货员：三十九块五。衣服、裤子和鞋
子一共是一百七十块钱。我给您便宜了
二十六块四毛九。
Jenny：好，谢谢你！这是两百块钱。
售货员：找您三十块钱。您慢走!



40 | Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商店买衣服

Vocabulary:
Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商店买衣服 | 41

拼音
中文英文
(pinyin)
衣服 yī fu n., clothes
商店 shāng diàn n., shop, store
shòu huò
售货员 n., salesman or saleswoman
yuán
huān yíng
欢迎光临 verb phrase, welcome for your coming
guāng lín
measure word for clothing, gifts, or matters/
件 jiàn
problems
measure word for long, narrow, or skinny
条 tiáo
objects – fish, roads, pants, rivers, and so on
裤子 kù zi n., pants
不用 bù yòng v., not need
穿 chuān v., to wear
中号 zhōng hào n., medium size

试 shì v., to try, to try on
试衣间 shì yī jiān n., fitting-room
红色 hóng sè n., red color
大小 dà xiǎo n., size
合适 hé shì adj., suitable, appropriate
颜色 yán sè n., color

长 cháng adj., long
短 duǎn adj., short
cháng
长短 n., length
duǎn
黑色 hēi sè n., black color
一共 yī gòng adv., altogether
百 bǎi number, meaning “hundred”

块 kuài measure word for Chinese monetary unit
毛 máo measure word for 1/10 of a 块(kuai)
便宜 pián yí adj., cheap

拼音
中文英文
(pinyin)
measure word for things that go in pair,

双 shuāng
equivalent as “pair” in English
鞋子 xié zǐ n., shoe
找 zhǎo v., to give change
走 zǒu v., to walk
phrase, literally “walk slowly”. People use it to

anybody who leaves your place (e.g., home,
慢走 màn zǒu
company, etc.), meaning “goodbye and take
care”, “have a nice day”.


Grammar Notes:
1. In this dialogue, several color names are used. Let’s learn some
basic color (颜色) names
Red – 红 hóng
Blue – 蓝 lán
Yellow – 黄 huáng

Green – 绿 lǜ
Purple – 紫 zǐ
White – 白 bái
Orange – 橙 chéng
Pink 粉红 fěn hóng
Grey – 灰 huī
Black – 黑 hēi
People also add 色 after the color names. For example, red = 红;
red color = 红色.
2. The question word 多大 in the sentence “您穿多大的”
The question word 多大 is used to ask about the size of
something. In the sentence 您穿多大的, after 多大的 there
should be two nouns: 衣服 and 裤子. They are omitted to avoid
repetition because Jenny already mentioned that she wanted
to buy 衣服 and 裤子 in the previous statement. Below are more
examples about the usage of 多大:
那件衣服多大？(What size is this coat?)
这条裤子多大？(What’s the size of this pair of pants?)
Note: 多大 has two meanings: “how old” and “what size”. If the
subject is a person, 多大 normally means “how old”. If the
subject is an object, it means “what size”. For example:
你的儿子多大？(How old is your son?)
这双鞋子多大？(What is the size of the shoes?)
New question words can be formed by adding adjectives after
多, often used to ask about the degree or extent of something,
including 多久、多少、多高、多长, etc. The structure is
“Subject + 多 + adjective …?” For example:
那个男孩多高？(How tall is the boy?)
他们多久没见？(How long haven’t they seen each other?)
3. measure words 件、条、双
件 is a measure word for clothes, including 衣服 (clothes)，大衣
(overcoat)，衬衫 (shirt)，毛衣 (sweater), etc.
条 is a measure word most commonly used for elongated
objects. For example, 一条裤子，一条路(road)，一条腿(leg)，一
条河(river)， etc.

双 is usually used with objects that naturally come in pairs, like
hands, limbs, or things that are used or worn in pairs. If one
part is missing, this whole object would be incomplete, cannot
work well, or even become useless. For example, 一双鞋子，一
双眼睛(eyes)，一双筷子(chopsticks), etc.
4. measure words 块、毛、分(fēn)
These are three measure word units for Chinese currency in
spoken Chinese.
In Mandarin, 块(kuài) is the basic unit of currency, which can
be replaced by 元 (yuán). For instance, 1 RMB can be said as
either 一块(钱) or 一元(钱). The only difference is 块 is more
often used in oral Chinese while 元 is more often used in
formal situations. If a Chinese person tells you 这件衣服五十,
you should know that the unit he omitted is 块 or 元.
毛 is one tenths of 一块, which can be said as 角 (jiǎo). For
example, 0.10 RMB is 一毛 or 一角 in Chinese. Similarly, 毛 is
more often used in spoken Chinese while 角 is used more in
formal and written Chinese.
分 is the smallest unit of currency in China. 0.05 RMB is said as
一分(钱). Nowadays, you won’t probably see or hear 分 used in
China because of inflation.
The relationship among the three units of currency is: 1 块/元
=10毛/角; 1 毛/角=10分.
5. The verb 找 in the sentence “找您三十块钱”
找 in this dialogue means “to give change”. The sentence above
means “I give you ￥30 as change”. The structure is “Person A +
找 + Person B + money amount”. For example:
售货员找我一块钱。(The salesman gave me ￥1 as change.)
Cultural Notes:
China has numerous places to shop that can satisfy all shoppers’
desires, ranging from luxury shopping malls to roadside stalls. Large

Chinese cities have huge department stores where you’ll find many
international brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Armani. Those
cities also feature special business streets, where local products can
be found. Below are two things that you may find different from
shopping in Western countries.
Stores showing hospitality:
There are many ways for Chinese stores to try expressing their
hospitality and welcome: (1) when shopping in China, you will
probably see 1-2 people standing at the entrance, bowing and saying
“欢迎光临” politely to every customer entering the store. (2) You
might frequently hear the salesperson asking you what you would
like to buy (请问您要买点儿什么) and whether you would like them
to help you (要不要我帮您…). (3) When you leave the store, you will
hear the salesperson, as well as the people standing at the entrance,
say “您慢走” or “欢迎下次光临“.
Bargaining culture in China:
When shopping in malls, department stores, and restaurants, you
cannot bargain. However, when shopping in self-employed booths,
farmers’ markets, night markets, and flea markets in China, people
tend to bargain because the things on sale in these markets don’t
have price tags. Here is how you can do it: First you ask the seller
the price of the thing you want to buy. He/she then tells you how
much he/she wants to sell it for. You then tell him/her how much
you want to buy it for (you can start at a reasonably low price). You
and the seller continue to talk about the price by slowly working
your way up until you both agree on an acceptable price. 便宜点
儿 (A little cheaper, please) is the most frequently used expression
when bargaining with sellers. Watch this video to learn how people
bargain at a farmer’s market.

6. Lesson 10 Dialogue 2: 上网
买东西
Dialogue:
(李贵的妈妈想换一个手机，就请李贵帮
她。)
妈妈：我的手机最近有点慢，虽然还能
用，可是我想换一个。你能帮我一下
吗？
李贵：好啊！你想到商店去买还是上网
买？
妈妈：有什么不一样的吗？
李贵：商店的价钱跟网店的一样，但是
我觉得上网买更方便。
妈妈：那网上的东西跟商店的一样多
吗？
李贵：当然。
(李贵上网，点开了一个网站。)
妈妈：这是手机店吗？
李贵：对，是一家有名的二手手机网
店。你想花多少钱？
妈妈：两百块钱。
李贵：这个怎么样？
妈妈：颜色不错，可是样子不好看。换
一个。
李贵：这个绿色的怎么样？
妈妈：很酷啊。就是它吧。那我怎么付
钱？
李贵：你可以用信用卡刷卡，也可以用
微信扫码。
Lesson 10 Dialogue 2: 上网买东西 | 47
妈妈：微信扫码吧。
李贵：好，我已经帮你付了。妈，如果
你想卖这个旧手机，也可以在这个网店
卖。
妈妈：真的吗？怎么卖？
李贵：你先给你的手机拍一张照片，再
上传到这个网站，就行了。
妈妈：太好了。我想自己试一下。



48 | Lesson 10 Dialogue 2: 上网买东西

Vocabulary:

中文拼音 (pinyin) 英文
东西 dōng xī n., object, thing, stuff
手机 shǒu jī n., cell phone

虽然 suī rán conj., although, though
换 huàn v., to change
网店 wǎng diàn n., online store

价钱 jià qián n., price
一样 yī yàng adj., the same
更 gèng adv., even, more
当然 dāng rán adv., of course
点开 diǎn kāi v., to click on and open

网站 wǎng zhàn n., website
有名 yǒu míng adj., well-known, famous
二手 èr shǒu adj., second-hand
花 huā v., to spend
绿色 lǜ sè n., green color

样子 yàng zi n., appearance, look
付 fù v., to pay
刷卡 shuā kǎ v., to swipe the card
扫码 sǎo mǎ v., to scan the QR code

信用卡 xìn yòng kǎ n., credit card
微信 wēi xìn n., WeChat (an app)
卖 mài v., to sell

旧 jiù adj., old
真的 zhēn de adj., real, true

拍 pāi v., to film, to shoot
上传 shàng chuán v., to upload
pron., self, often used after names

自己 zì jǐ
or pronouns


Grammar Notes:
1. 虽然…，可是/但是… in the sentence “虽然还能用，但是我想换一

个“
虽然…，可是/但是… is pretty much like “although” in English;
however, unlike in English, a “but” word is needed in Chinese.
For example:
虽然他没有钱，但是他想买那件很贵的衣服。(Although he does
not have money, he wants to buy that expensive coat.)
虽然我准备得很好，可是昨天考得不好。(Although I prepared
well, I didn’t do well in the exam.)
2. The adverb 更 in the sentence 我觉得上网买更便宜。
The adverb 更 is often used before adjectives to indicate “even
more”, as in the sentence above where 更 is used before 便宜 to
mean “even cheaper”. The structure is “Subject + 更 +
adjective“. For example:
这条裤子很长，那条更长。(This pair of pants is long; that one is
even longer.)
我的衣服便宜，他的更便宜。(My coat is cheap; his is even

cheaper.)
Sometimes 更 can be followed by certain emotional verbs
including 喜欢、爱、想、要, etc. For instance:
我喜欢在图书馆看书，但是我更喜欢在家看书。(I like to read in
the library; however, I like to read at home even more.)
3. The structure “A跟/和B(不)一样” in the sentence “商店的价钱跟
网店的一样”
This structure is used to express that two things (A and B) are
the same (一样) or not the same (不一样). In the sentence
above, two things (商店的价钱 and 网店的价钱) are the same.
More examples:
我和你一样。(I am the same as you.)
这双鞋的大小跟那双的一样。(The size of this pair of shoes is the
same as the size of that pair.)
We can also add adjectives after 一样 to indicate the specific
feature that the two things are the same or not the same. For
example:
我和你一样高。(I am as tall as you.)
这双鞋跟那双鞋一样大。(This pair of shoes is as big as that one.)
4. 先…，再… in the sentence 您先给您的手机拍一张照片，再上传到
这个网店
In this structure, 先 and 再 are used to sequence two events,
much like “first…, then…” in English. The structure is “Subject +
先 + do thing 1，
，再 + do thing 2“. For example:
你得先洗手，再吃饭。(You must wash your hands first, then
eat.)
我要先做作业，再睡觉。(I want to do my homework first, then
go to sleep.)
Culture Notes:
WeChat 微信
微信:
WeChat 微信, literally “micro-message”, is a Chinese multi-purpose

instant messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed
by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world’s largest
standalone mobile app in 2018, with over 1 billion monthly active
users. WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice
messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video
conferencing, video games, sharing of photographs and videos and
location sharing. (cited from Wikipedia) Here is a street interview
video about WeChat usage in China.
Payment in China:
Starting from 2008, China switched its payment from cash to mobile
phones due to the influence of Alipay, a payment system owned by
the e-commerce giant Alibaba. Since then, unlike other countries in
the world, credit cards have been seldomly used by Chinese people.
In 2013, with the development of WeChat’s WeChat Payment, an
additional feature within the app, mobile payments became even
more popular. As a result, nowadays most Chinese people use
WeChat Pay or Alipay as their main means of payment. This change
is closely related to the increase in the use of smartphones in China
as well as its rapid growth of e-commerce.
Mobile payment can be used everywhere in China. How do people
pay? Just scan the QR codes. It works in two ways: (1) the simple
way is the customer shows the QR code displayed on his/her
smartphone, and the seller scans it and selects the amount that
the customer needs to pay; (2) the customer scans the seller’s QR
code, which is visibly printed at the checkout. Then the customer
chooses the amount to pay. WeChat and Alipay are also used for
online shopping and transactions between friends.

PART IV
LESSON 11: WEATHER AND
CLIMATE
• check weather forecasts online.

• report weather changes.
• compare weather conditions on different days.
• talk about seasons and climates.
• invite others for an outing.
Lesson 11: Weather and Climate | 55

7. Lesson 11 Dialogue 1: 周末
去露营
Dialogue:
（张平给王红打电话。）
张平：喂，王红，明天和后天是周末，
我想约你出去玩儿，你有空吗？
王红：好啊。去哪儿？玩儿什么？
张平：我们去露营，怎么样？
王红：太好了。不过不知道明后天的天
气会怎么样？
张平：你现在方便用电脑或者手机上网
吗？你查一下天气预报，好吗？
王红：好啊。你等一下。…网上的天气
预报说明天上午是晴天，最高气温摄氏
23度，很暖和。中午晴转多云。下午多
云转阴。
张平：晚上呢？
王红：晚上会下雨，有点儿冷，最低气
温摄氏9°。
张平：那后天的天气怎么样？
王红：后天的白天比明天的暖和一点
儿，可是后天晚上的天气比明天晚上的
还糟糕。
张平：怎么糟糕？
王红：后天晚上要下大雨。张平，下大
Lesson 11 Dialogue 1: 周末去露营 | 57
雨怎么露营？我们怎么办？
张平：我们明天去露营，后天下午就回
来，你觉得怎么样？
王红：好。要不要带雨伞？
张平：不用带。你准备吃的，我去准备
帐篷。



58 | Lesson 11 Dialogue 1: 周末去露营

Vocabulary:

中文拼音英文
v., to date, to invite, to
约 yuē
schedule a time
出去 chū qù v., to go out
露营 lù yíng v., to go camping

天气 tiān qì n., weather
v., to look up, to
查 chá
examine
v./n., to forecast;
预报 yù bào
forecast
晴天 qíng tiān n., sunny day
气温 qì wēn n., temperature
摄氏 shè shì n., Celsius

度 dù n., degree
低 dī adj., low
暖和 nuǎn huó adj., warm
转 zhuǎn v., to turn
多云 duō yún adj., cloudy

adj., cloudy (without
阴 yīn
the sun)
会 huì v., will
下雨 xià yǔ v., to rain

冷 lěng adj., cold
prep./v., than, to
比 bǐ
compare
白天 bái tiān n., daytime
糟糕 zāo gāo adj., awful, terrible

v., to deal with, to
办 bàn
handle
question word, what
怎么办 zěn me bàn
to do
雨伞 yǔ sǎn n., umbrella
帐篷 zhàng péng n., tent


Grammar Notes:
1. The verb 会 in the sentence “明后天的天气会怎么样”

The verb 会 has multiple meanings. We learned that it can be
used to mean a learned skill, as in the sentence 我会说一点儿英
文. In this dialogue, in the sentence “明后天的天气会怎么样”, the
word 会 indicates something will happen or somebody will do
something. The structure is “Subject + 会 + Verb phrase“. Here
are two more examples:
明天会下雨吗？(Will it rain tomorrow?)
你的朋友下午会来吗？(Will your friend come this afternoon?)
2. The verb 转 in the sentence “中午晴转多云”.
This verb is pronounced as “zhuǎn”, which refers to “to
change”. When it is followed by weather terms, it indicates
changing the weather conditions. In the sentence above, 晴转
多云 means “sunny day changes to cloudy”. Similarly, 多云转雨
means “cloudy day changes to rainy”.
3. The word 比 in the sentence “后天比明天暖和一点儿“
When comparing two things in Chinese, 比 is normally used. It

is similar to the word “than” in English; however, it is used
differently in sentence structures. The basic structure is “Noun
1 + 比 + Noun 2 + adj.” The sentence above compares the two
nouns 后天 and 明天, which means “The day after tomorrow
will be a little warmer than tomorrow.” Here are two more
examples:
这个男孩比那个女孩大。(This boy is older than that girl.)
今天比昨天冷。(Today is colder than yesterday.)
4. Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + 更/还 + adjectives
This is the expanded comparative structure. Such adverbs as
更 or 还 are added before the adjectives to indicate “even
more”. For instance:
昨天很冷，今天比昨天更/还冷。(Yesterday was cold. Today is
even colder than yesterday.)
Note: The words 很、不 and 一样 cannot be added before the
adjectives in the comparative structure. It is NOT correct to
say 今天比昨天很冷，今天比昨天不冷，or 今天比昨天一样冷。
The correct way to say them is 今天比昨天冷，昨天比今天热，
and 今天跟昨天一样冷。
5. Noun 1 + 比 + Noun 2 + adjective + 一点儿/得多/多了/很多
This is another expanded comparative structure. 一点儿 is
added AFTER the adjectives to indicate “a little bit” and 得多、
多了、很多 are used to indicate “much more” and they are
interchangeable in terms of meaning. Two examples:
今天比昨天冷一点儿。(Today is a little bit colder than
yesterday.)
今天比昨天冷多了/得多/很多。(Today is much colder than
yesterday.)
Culture Notes:
China is a huge country, and has a great variety of climates. In fact,

China has the largest climate differences for a single country in the

whole world! When it comes to talking about its weather conditions,
it really depends on which place you want to discuss.
Northern China is characterized with a four-season climate.
Winters are cold and dry, with temperatures well below freezing
and winds coming in from Siberia. January is the coldest with an
average temperature of 25ºF (-4ºC) in Beijing and -36ºF (-38ºC) in
Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province.
The summer months are hot and humid because winds coming in
from the south carry in a lot of rainfalls. Temperatures average
around 88ºF (31ºC) in Beijing and 68ºF (20ºC) in Harbin. Springs and
autumns, on the other hand, are warm and pleasant.
Southern China also experiences four seasons. In the winter, the
weather in the northern regions of southern China (like Shanghai,
Wuhan, etc.) can get cold, with temperatures occasionally dropping
below freezing. In the southern part (like Hong Kong and Shenzhen),
the average temperatures hover around 66ºF (19ºC). The summer
months are very hot and humid in the south, with winds carrying in
steamy hot weather. The weather can alternate between heavy rain
and scorching sun. In the most southern areas, there is a typhoon
season from July to September each year, which may bring in heavy
rainfalls and strong winds.
Western China is covered by mountains and plateaus. Due to
its high elevation and mountainous terrain, the winters can be
extremely cold, featured with several months’ heavy snowfalls. The
summers, on the other hand, can be very hot, with temperatures as
high as 91ºF (33ºC), except in highlands and high mountains. Spring
and autumn are the most favorable seasons with the weather being
cool, mild, and pleasant and the days are clear.

(Source: topasiatour.com about “China climate & weather)

8. Lesson 11 Dialogue 2: 一封
电邮
Narration:
发件人：春明
收件人：秋雨
主题：春假快到了
秋雨：
很高兴收到你的电子邮件！好久不见，
你现在怎么样？
今天是二月五号，我们这儿现在是冬
天。天气冷极了，常常下雪。冬天冷是
冷，可是我觉得很好玩儿，因为可以堆
雪人。不过，比堆雪人更好玩的是滑
冰。前天我跟同学们一起到公园去滑冰
了，昨天我们又去了。明天我还想跟他
们去。如果你冬天来我这儿，我会带你
去这儿的山上滑雪，因为我觉得滑雪比
滑冰更有意思。
下个月就是春天了。我最喜欢春天，天
气不但暖和，而且很舒服。我们这儿的
夏天非常热，不过挺短的。秋天一到，
天气就凉快了。
下个月十五号我们就要放春假了。我想
约你一起去上海玩儿，你有时间吗？
现在我得去上课了。有空给我回信。
Lesson 11 Dialogue 2: 一封电邮 | 65
祝好！
春明


66 | Lesson 11 Dialogue 2: 一封电邮

Vocabulary:

中文拼音英文
发 fā v., to send, to deliver
件 jiàn n., item; document

主题 zhǔ tí n., subject, topic
电子 diàn zǐ adj., electronic
邮件 yóu jiàn n., mail

电子邮件 diàn zǐ yóu jiàn n., email
冬天 dōng tiān n., winter
堆 duī v., to pile, to stack up
雪人 xuě rén n., snowman
下雪 xià xuě v., to snow

又 yòu adv., again
滑冰 huá bīng v., to skate
山 shān n., mountain
滑雪 huá xuě v., to skii
春天 chūn tiān n., spring

舒服 shū fu adj., comfortable
最 zuì adv., the most
意思 yì sī n., meaning
有意思 yǒu yì sī adj., interesting

conj., not only…, but
不但…，而且… bù dàn … ér qiě …
also…
夏天 xià tiān n., summer
非常 fēi cháng adv., very

热 rè adj., hot
极了 jí le adv., extremely
秋天 qiū tiān n., autumn

凉快 liáng kuài adj., cool
放假 fàng jià v., to have a holiday
春假 chūn jià n., spring break

中文拼音英文
v., to wish; to
祝 zhù
congratulate


Grammar Notes:
1. The expression 极了 in the sentence “天气冷极了”

The expression 极了 means “extremely”, often used after
adjectives to indicate a degree. The structure is “Subject + adj.
+ 极了
极了“. For example:
夏天热极了。(Summer is extremely hot.)
秋天凉快极了。(Autumn is extremely cool.)
2. adj.是adj.，可是…
The first part “adj.是adj.” implies that the speaker accepts the
validity of a certain point of view, and the second part
introduced by 可是/但是/不过 offers an alternative perspective
or emphasizes a different aspect of the matter. Let’s take a look
at this example:
滑冰难是难，可是很有意思。(Although skating is hard, it is

interesting.) In this sentence, the speaker confirms that skating
is hard, but he thinks it is interesting.
工作忙是忙，可是我不觉得累。(Although the work is busy, I
don’t feel tired.)
3. The adverb 又 in the sentence “昨天我们又去了”
The adverb 又 is used before verbs to express “again” in the
past, i.e., an action that happened in the past occurred again
for the second time. In the sentence above, the action 去
happened again yesterday. Here is one more example:
昨天我听了录音，今天我又听了录音。In this sentence, the
action 听录音 happened yesterday. Today it happened again, so
又 is used to indicate “again”.
4. 不但…，而且… in the sentence “天气不但暖和，而且很舒服”
This pattern means “not only…, but also…” If there is only one
subject, the structure is “Subject + 不但…，而且
不但，而且…”. For
example:
这个菜不但好看，而且好吃。(This dish is not only attractive,
but also yummy.)
If there are two different subjects, the structure is “不但
不但 +
Subject 1 …，
，而且 + Subject 2…“. For example:
不但男人找工作难，(而且)女人(找工作)也不容易。(Not only it is
hard for men to find jobs, but also it is hard for women.) In this
pattern, 而且 can be omitted, and 也 is used instead.
5. 了 indicating “change of status”
In the sentence 下个月是春天了, the particle 了 indicates the
change of status from winter to spring. Another example:
我累了。This sentence implies that my status changes from not
being tired to being tired.
Culture Notes:
Ice and snow sports began to attract more and more attention in
China after 2002. As 2022 Winter Olympics was successfully held

in Beijing, China has been witnessing a boom in winter sports and
activities, especially skiing and snowboarding. As of 2021, China has
over 770 ski resorts, many of which are newly built or renovated
with updated, modern facilities. Most of them are located in
northern China, such as Heilongjiang Province, Jilin Province,
Liaoning Province, and Beijing City. Some can also be found in the
northwestern and central areas. Apart from skiing and
snowboarding, you can also find places to enjoy other winter sports
and activities in China, including sledding, ice hockey, etc. You can
also find hot springs and theme parks in/around the ski resorts
to enrich your recreational experience. To know more about the
recommended skiing places in China, please visit this website.
In addition to skiing, ice skating has always been a popular activity
for people of all ages in China, especially in the northern regions
during the winter months when people can either skate indoors or
outdoors. According to the data from the International Ice Hockey
Federation in 2021, China has 537 indoor and 285 outdoor rinks for a
total of 822. Beijing alone has a large number of year-round indoor
ice rinks. In the winter months (January and February), you can also
go ice skating in the outdoor ice rinks. As the temperature drops,
lakes in Beijing start to freeze and turn into natural outdoor ice
rinks. They are usually open for visitors from late December to early
February, depending on the weather and ice conditions on the lakes.

PART V
LESSON 12: EATING ON
CAMPUS AND OUTSIDE
• read Chinese menus.

• order beverages and food at a restaurant.
• pay the bill.
• talk about how well you did on exams.
• order food in a university dining hall.
Lesson 12: Eating on Campus and

Outside | 73
9. Lesson 12 Dialogue 1: 在饭
馆点餐
Dialogue:
服务员：欢迎光临！请问你们一共几
位？
小王：三位。
服务员：好，这边请。这是你们的位
子。请坐！三位喝点儿什么？
小王：我好渴，想喝一大杯奶茶，你们
呢？
小张：我要一杯热水。
小谢：给我一杯冰红茶吧。
服务员：好，一杯奶茶，一杯热水，一
瓶冰红茶。请稍等。这是我们店的菜
单。
（两分钟以后）
小王：服务员，点菜！
服务员：好的，你们想吃点儿什么？
小王：我们要一碗青菜汤；还要一盘糖
醋鱼，多放醋，少放糖。
小谢：我吃素，来二十个素饺子。我再
点一盘豆腐，一点儿肉都别放。
小王：再来三碗白米饭。
服务员：好。一碗青菜汤，一盘糖醋
鱼，二十个素饺子，一盘豆腐和三碗白
米饭。你们还要别的吗？
小王：不要了，这些够了。我们饿了，
麻烦你快一点儿上菜。
小张：对了，我们还要三双筷子。
Lesson 12 Dialogue 1: 在饭馆点餐 | 75
服务员：好。稍等。
（吃完以后）
小王：服务员，买单！
服务员：一共是三百五十块钱。
小王：这些菜我们没吃完，可以打包
吗？
服务员：当然可以。
（五分钟以后）
服务员：我给你们打好包了。请问你们
谁付钱？
小王：我来吧。
小张：别！今天是你的生日，怎么能让
你付钱呢？！今天我请客。



76 | Lesson 12 Dialogue 1: 在饭馆点餐

Vocabulary:

中文拼音英文
服务员 fú wù yuán n., waiter/waitress
这边 zhè biān n., this way

位子 wèi zǐ n., seat
奶茶 nǎi chá n., milk tea
phrase, wait for a second, just a

稍等 shāo děng
moment
菜单 cài dān n., menu
点菜 diǎn cāi v., to order (dishes)
碗 wǎn n./M.W., bowl

盘 pán n./M.W., plate
糖 táng n., sugar
醋 cù n., vinegar
鱼 yú n., fish
饺子 jiǎo zǐ n., dumpling

豆腐 dòu fǔ n., tofu
汤 tāng n., soup
放 fàng v., to put
肉 ròu n., meat
米饭 mǐ fàn n., cooked rice
素 sù adj./n., vegetarian
青菜 qīng cài n., vegetable

这些 zhè xiē pron., these
够 gòu adj., enough

上菜 shàng cài v., to serve dishes
筷子 kuài zǐ n., chopsticks
完 wán adj., finished

买单 mǎi dān v., to pay the bill
v., to pack the food, to get a to-go
打包 dǎ bāo
box


Grammar Notes:
1. Adverbs (少/多) + verb phrase

To express to do something “more” or “less”, 多 and 少 are
often used before the verb phrases. In this case, they are used
as adverbs. For example:
多听录音，少听音乐。(Listen to more recordings. Listen to less
music.)
多做功课，少看电视。(Do more coursework. Watch less TV.)
服务员多给了我一盘菜。(The waiter gave me one more dish.)
售货员少找了我一块钱。(The salesman gave me one dollar less
as change.)
2. 一… + 都/也 + 不/没 + verb phrase
This structure is used to express “not even a single one”. It can
be used in the following ways:
(1) Subject + 一 + MW + Noun + 都/也 + 不/没 + verb phrase
我一分钱都没有。(I do not have one single penny.)
我一个饺子都不要。(I don’t want any dumplings.)
For the above sentences, we can also move the nouns to the

beginning of the sentences, as below:
钱我一分都没有。
饺子我一个都不要。
(2) Subject + 一点儿 + Noun + 都/也 + 不/没 + Verb phrase
This is a variation of the first structure. If the noun is
uncountable, 一点儿 is used to replace “一 + MW + Noun”. Here
are several examples:
我一点儿水都不想喝。(I don’t want to drink any water.)
我一点儿饭都没吃。(I didn’t eat any rice.)
(3) Subject + 一点儿 + 都/也 + 不 + Adjective
This is a variety of the second structure, in which there is no
noun; instead an adjective is used. Here are several examples:
我一点儿都不饿。(I am not hungry at all.)
我一点儿也不累。(I am not tired at all.)
3. 完/好 used as resultative complements
In Chinese, adjectives or verbs can be used after main verbs to
indicate the results of the main actions, and they are called
“resultative complements.” For example:
我做完了作业。(I finished doing my homework.) In this
sentence, 完 indicates the result of the verb 做, which is
“finished”.
他做好了饭。(He finished cooking the dinner and was ready for
the next step.) In this sentence, 好 indicates the result of the
verb 做, which is “ready”.
To negate the sentences above, 没(有) is used:
我没做完作业。(I didn’t finish doing my homework.)
他没有做好饭。(He didn’t have the dinner ready.)
Culture Notes:
Shouting out for a waiter/waitress

When eating in busy Chinese restaurants, it is common for
Chinese people to shout for a waiter or waitress when they are

ready to order food or pay the bill. This does not mean that they are
rude or impolite. It is just because there are so many people eating
and talking in busy restaurants that raising hands or quietly calling
out would not get the attention of a waiter/waitress. However,
shouting for waiters/waitresses is not necessary in every
restaurant in China. You don’t need to, and should not, shout out
in quiet restaurants. In those places, you can easily get a waiter/
waitress’ attention by just raising your hand.
Paying the bill
Who will pay the bill when eating outside with Chinese friends? In
Chinese culture, eating with friends is important in building a long-
term friendship, as Confucius said: ”Isn’t it a pleasure to have friends
coming from afar.” With this said, paying the bill communicates
generosity, sincerity, gratitude, and kindness, and it clearly says,
“I like you and I want to continue our relationship.” Therefore,
sometimes you may see people (especially middle-aged or senior
people) fight over who gets the honor of paying the bill in
restaurants. In colleges or work places, friends or co-workers are
often observed to pay the bills by turns, that is, this time person A
pays the bill and next time person B pays the bill. In the past decade,
influenced by the Western culture, nowadays young people tend to
“go Dutch” when eating out together. In Chinese, “AA” is used to
mean “go Dutch”. For example, 我们AA吧, meaning “Let’s go Dutch”.
How do you know whether you should pay or not pay the bill?
Normally if you are invited to an official dinner or the inviter clearly
made it clear to you that “It is on me,” the person who invites you
will pay the bill. If you are invited to eat outside and it is not made
very clear who will pay the bill, it is necessary that you always offer
to pay or at least make a move for your wallet a few times, even if
you know your offers will not be accepted. If you treat others, you
will take care of the bill.

10. Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大
学食堂吃饭
Dialogue:
（英语考试以后，谢思清和张元回到了
宿舍。）
谢思清：今天你考得怎么样？
张元：我考得不太好，写作文的时候，
写错了好几个字。你呢？
谢思清：我也没考好。考听力的时候，
我没听清楚一个词，还有一个对话没听
懂。
张元：没关系。以后考好就行了。
谢思清：对。我饿了，一起去食堂吃饭
吧。
张元：好啊。别忘了带饭卡。
（他们走进了食堂。谢思清买完了，刷
了卡以后，就找到了张元。两人边吃边
聊。）
谢思清：你买了什么？
张元：一盘酸辣土豆和一碗凉拌面。你
呢？
谢思清：我要了一份红烧牛肉和一个西
兰花。红烧牛肉是我的最爱，味道美极
了！
张元：我的酸辣土豆也不错！酸酸辣辣
的，特别好吃。要不要尝一口？
谢思清：不用，我点的菜已经够多了。
谢了！
82 | Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大学食堂

吃饭


Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大学食堂吃饭 | 83

Vocabulary:
中文拼音英文
宿舍 sù shè n., dorm
听力 tīng lì n., listening comprehension
清楚 qīng chǔ adj., clear

英语 yīng yǔ n., English language
作文 zuò wén n., essay
词 cí n., word
phrase, “It doesn’t matter. That’s all
没关系 méi guān xì
right.”
忘 wàng v., to forget
饭卡 fàn kǎ n., meal plan card
味道 wèi dào n., taste
份 fèn measure word, meaning “portion”

红烧 hóng shāo v., to stew with soy bean sauce
牛肉 niú ròu n., beef
西兰花 xī lán huā n. broccoli
土豆 tǔ dòu n., potato
酸辣 suān là adj., spicy and hot
凉拌 liáng bàn v., to cook with cold dressing

酸 suān adj., sour
辣 là adj., spicy, hot

最爱 zuì ài n./adj., favorite
面 miàn n., noodle
尝 cháng v., to taste

口 kǒu n., mouth; mouthful
84 | Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大学食堂吃饭


Grammar Notes:
Resultative Complements:
In English, people use different verbs to indicate “actions” and
“their results”. For example, “listen” is the action, while “hear” is the
result. However, in Chinese, people add verbs or adjectives after the
action verbs to indicate their results, thus forming “the resultative
complement”. For example, 看 (to look) is the action verb; however,
people add 见 or 到 to indicate the result of the action 看, which is
“看见/看到”, meaning “to see”.
There are many commonly used adjectives (好，对/错，清楚) and
verbs (完，到，懂，见，会) that are used after action verbs to
express “results” of the actions. They are used exactly the same way
as normal verbs. For example:
老师写错了一个汉字。(The teacher wrote a character wrongly.) In
this sentence, 错 is the result of the action 写. 写错 together is used
as a “verb + complement” phrase, followed by 一个汉字.
学生们听懂了我说的话。(The students understood what I said.) Here,
the adjective 懂 is the result of the verb 听. The “verb + complement”

phrase 听懂 is used together to express “understood as a result of
listening”.
To negate the resultative complements, 不 or 没(有) is used,
exactly the same as how we negate verbs. For instance:
老师没写错汉字。
学生们没听懂我说的话。
Note: As you can see the examples above, 没 is more often used
to negate the “verb + complement” phrases because we won’t have
the results until the actions are performed or completed. Remember
that 没 is used to negate “past actions”.
In this dialogue, the sentences below contain the “verb +
complement” patterns:
• 他们回到了宿舍。(到, literally “arrive”, is the result of 回

“return”)
• 我写错了好几个字。(错, wrong, is the result of 写 “write”)
• 我也没考好。(好, good, is the result of 考 “test”)
• 他们走进了食堂。(进, “enter”, is the result of 走 “walk”)
• 我没听清楚一个词。(清楚, clear, is the result of 听 “listen”)
• 我没听懂一个对话。(懂, understand, is the result of 听 “listen”)
• 谢思清找到了张元。(到, literally “arrive”, is the result of 找
“search”)
Culture Notes:
Chinese restaurants produce great cuisine; however, some of the

best food can be found in the dining halls of the over 2,000
universities and colleges in China. Each Chinese university has a few
giant dining halls, each with multiple floor levels featuring limitless
options of what to eat or drink for each meal.
Chinese university dining halls prepare meals representing a vast
variety of culinary traditions available across the country. For
example, Tsinghua University in Beijing has 13 dining halls on
86 | Lesson 12 Dialogue 2: 在大学食堂吃饭

campus, including pure Muslim dining halls. Dining hall No. 10 offers
regional cuisines from provinces like Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan
and Yunnan, including a dumpling bar, a street-food stand, a bread
station and various styles of stir-fry. Dining hall No. 7 is known
for preparing the best malatang, a dish for which ingredients are
weighed and then cooked fondue style in a smoky, spicy Sichuan-
inspired broth, as well as cold dishes such as black bean noodles
or salad concoctions called 凉菜 (liángcài). There are also dining
halls providing fast food such as pizza, sandwiches, burgers, fried
chicken, or macaroni and cheese for foreign students.
Eating on Chinese university campuses is very inexpensive. For
example, 煎饼 (jiānbǐng, Chinese savory crêpe) or the steamed buns
with filling called 包子 (bāo zi) cost as little as ￥2 (roughly 33 cents).
Specialties sell for ￥10-15 (roughly $1.60- $2.50). These include
meat or fish stews, or malatang.
Chinese campus food is also generally safe. The universities, and
the affiliated local government officials, take special care to ensure
the quality and cleanliness of food ingredients. The food there are
not packaged or frozen to ensure quality.
Some of the dining halls in Chinese universities also specialize in
one or several regional cuisines to serve the students who come
from varying ethnic backgrounds and have different culinary habits.
Take Minzu University in Beijing as an example. It has dining halls
that provide some of the best Muslim, Xinjiang, and Tibetan food in
the city.
Watch this video about what a Chinese university dining hall is
like, what food is available, and how an international student orders
food.

PART VI
LESSON 13: LOCATIONS
AND DIRECTIONS
• describe where something is located.

• compare the distance between places.
• ask for or give driving/walking directions.
Lesson 13: Locations and

Directions | 89
11. Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家
在哪儿？
Dialogue:
（杨小姐给李先生打电话。）
杨小姐：喂，小李，我现在在故宫，能
去你家玩儿吗？
李先生：欢迎欢迎。你以前没来过吗？
杨小姐：没有。你家在哪儿？
李先生：我家在北大和故宫的中间。
杨小姐：离北大和故宫有多远？离哪儿
更近点儿？
李先生：离北大很近，走五分钟就到
了，没有离故宫那么远。
杨小姐：那从故宫到你家怎么走？
李先生：从故宫出来，坐地铁一号线，
坐六站就到了。我在家等你。
（杨小姐下了地铁。）
杨小姐：喂，小李，从地铁站到你家怎
么走？
李先生：从地铁站出来，上中山路，往
东走，过两个红绿灯，在第二个红绿灯
往右拐，过一个路口就到了。
杨小姐：我已经过了那个路口，你家旁
边是什么？
李先生：我家的对面是一家书店，后面
Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家在哪
儿？ | 91
有一个活动中心，左右两边都是餐馆。
杨小姐：哦，我看到了！回见！



92 | Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家在哪儿？

Vocabulary:
中文拼音英文
中间 zhōng jiān n., middle
北大 běi dà n., a shorter way to say 北京大学
故宫 gù gōng n., Forbidden City

离 lí prep., away from
近 jìn adj., near, close
远 yuǎn adj., far
对面 duì miàn n., the opposite side
东 dōng n., east

书店 shū diàn n., bookstore
往 wǎng prep., towards
拐 guǎi v., to turn
旁边 páng biān n., beside, aside, next to
particle, used after verbs to indicate

过 guò a past experience
v., to pass
活动 huó dòng n./v., activity, event; to exercise

中心 zhōng xīn n., center
多远 duō yuǎn question word, how far
红绿灯 hóng lǜ dēng n., traffic light
右 yòu n., right

路口 lù kǒu n., intersection
餐馆 cān guǎn n., restaurant

左 zuǒ n., left
边 biān n., side
后面 hòu miàn n., back
哦 ò interjection, indicating “I see”
回见 huí jiàn verb phrase, another way to say 再见
Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家在哪儿？ | 93


Grammar Notes:
1. Direction and location words:

on/above (上 – shàng)
under/below (下 – xià)
in front (前 – qián)
behind (后 – hòu)
right (右 – yòu)
left (左 – zuǒ)
in (里 – lǐ)
out (外 – wài)
east (东 – dōng)
west (西 – xī)
north (北 – běi)
south (南 – nán)
The above location words can be used with either 面 (face,
surface) or 边 (side) to form the location nouns such as 上面/上
边，里面/里边, etc. There are two special location words: 中间
(middle) and 旁边 (beside).

The above words are often used with the preposition 在 (at, in,
on) to indicate something is located somewhere. The structure
is “Subject + 在 + place + (的 +) location word”. For example:
我的书在哪里？你的书在桌子上。(Where is my book? It is on the
table.)
书店在商店和饭店的中间。(The bookstore is in the middle of
the shop and the restaurant.)
2. 离.
This word means “away from”, and is often used to express
distance. The structure is “place 1 + 离 + place 2 + 远/近“. For
example:
中国离美国很远。(China is far away from the USA.)
北京大学离故宫很近。(Beijing University is close to the
Forbidden City.)
When asking questions about the distance, we use 多远. The
structure is “place 1 + 离 + place 2 + (有) + 多远？” For example:
图书馆离宿舍有多远？(How far is the library from the dorm?)
3. Comparison with 没有
When expressing something is “not as adjective as something
else”, we use the word 没有. The structure is “Noun 1 + 没有 +
Noun 2 + (那么) + Adj.”, in which the adverb 那么 (so) is optional,
indicating a degree. For example:
我的弟弟没有我高。(My little brother is not as tall as me.)
这件衣服没有那件(那么)漂亮。(This coat is not as pretty as that
one.)
我没有你(那么)有钱。(I am not as rich as you.)
4. The particle 过 in the sentence “她以前没去过”
This word is used right after verbs to talk about past
experiences, equivalent as the English “have/has done
something”. The structure is “Subject + Verb + 过 + Object“. For
example:
我去过中国。(I have been to China.)
他们吃过中国菜。(They have tasted Chinese food.)
As this structure talks about past experiences, 没 is used to
negate the sentences. For example:

我没去过中国。(I haven’t been to China.)
他们没吃过中国菜。(They haven’t tasted Chinese food.)
5. The verb 过 in the sentence “过两个红绿灯”
过 can be used as a verb, meaning “to pass”. For example:
他过了一个路口，又过了一个路口。(He passed one intersection
and then another.)
6. 多远
This question word, meaning “how far”, is used to ask about
“distance”. The structure is “Place 1 + 离 + Place 2 + (有 +）多
远？“ For example:
北京离上海(有)多远？(How far away is Beijing from Shanghai?)
中国离美国多远？(How far away is China from the USA?)
Culture Notes:
Unlike English, where people say directions as “North, south, east,

and west,” Chinese people always list directions in a clockwise
manner: “东(dōng, east), 南 (nán, south), 西 (xī, west), 北 (běi, north).”
There are several reasons why they say them this way: (1) the four
direction words are associated with the four seasons, specifically,
东(east) is associated with 春(spring); 南 south–夏 summer; 西west–
秋 fall; 北 north–冬 winter. The direction words follow the sequence
of the four seasons. (2) In the ancient times, people believed that
the sun moved around the earth, therefore, the traditional Chinese
order of the cardinal directions (东南西北) offers a still fuller
sequence. The sun rises in the east, moves to the south, descends in
the west and then returns to its point of origin.
Another interesting fact is that, in Chinese, “东 East” and “西 West”
always come first when describing intermediate directions, which is
opposite to the English expressions. So the English direction word
“southeast” is expressed in Chinese as “东南 (dōng nán)” or literally,
“east-south.” The reason is mainly related to the geographic fact
that almost all the rivers in China flow from east to west; therefore,

the two words 东 and 西 are used as the main direction words while
南 and 北 are used as attached to them.

12. Lesson 13 Dialogue 2: 欢迎
来北京
Dialogue:
（Jenny在北海公园玩，她想去吃午饭。
这时候，她看见一位大爷在旁边做运
动。）
Jenny：大爷，打扰一下，请问这附近有
餐馆吗？
大爷：有，公园里面就有。我们对面有
一家中餐馆，看见那个又高又大的楼房
了吗？那儿就是。公园的另一边还有一
个西餐厅。
Jenny：您能告诉我去西餐厅怎么走吗？
大爷：从这儿往前一直走，走到头，往
右一拐，过一个路口就到了。姑娘，你
的中文说得真好！你学中文学了多久？
Jenny：学了两年了。
大爷：你是在哪儿学的？
Jenny：美国。我是美国人。
大爷：你是来中国留学的吗？
Jenny：不是，这次学校放暑假，我来北
京玩儿，想看看长城和故宫。
大爷：欢迎你来北京！
98 | Lesson 13 Dialogue 2: 欢迎来北京

here: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/
chs102/?p=194#audio-194-1


Lesson 13 Dialogue 2: 欢迎来北京 | 99

Vocabulary:
中文拼音英文
zhè shí
这时候 time word, at this moment
hòu
yùn
运动 n./v., exercise; to exercise, to work out
dòng
一直 yī zhí adv., continuously
打扰 dǎ rǎo v., to disturb, to trouble

头 tóu n., end, tip, head
附近 fù jìn n./adj., nearby
zhōng
中餐 n., Chinese food
cān
西餐 xī cān n., Western food
餐厅 cān tīng n., canteen, restaurant

yòu …
又…又… conj., both…and…
yòu …
楼房 lóu fáng n., tall building
另 lìng adj., other, another
n., young woman, used normally by the people in
姑娘 gū niáng
the North to refer to unmarried young ladies
留学 liú xué v., to study abroad
measure word for times of repeating something,
次 cì
time as in “this time” or “next time”
暑假 shǔ jià n., summer vacation

cháng
长城 n. the Great Wall
chéng


here: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/
chs102/?p=194#audio-194-2

Grammar Notes:
1. Link multiple adjectives using 又…又…

This expression is often used to give two non-conflicting
qualities to something. Note that the two qualities must both
be bad or both be good. The structure is “Subject + 又 + Adj. 1 +
又 + Adj. 2″. For example,
爸爸又高又帅。(Dad is both tall and handsome.)
这件衣服又便宜又合适This coat is both cheap and suitable.)
我又饿又渴。(I am both hungry and thirsty.)
2. Express the duration of the completed action with 了
To express how long we did something, we use the structure
“Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + (的 +) Object”. In this
structure, 了 is put after the verb to indicate that the action is
completed. For example:
我在北京生活了十年。（I lived in Beijing for ten years.)
他学了两年的中文。（He studied Chinese for two years.)
学生们看了两个小时的书。（The students read for two hours.)
3. Express ongoing duration of the completed action with double
了

Based on the above structure, we add another 了 to the end of
the structure to indicate that the action is ongoing. The
structure is “Subject + Verb + 了 + Duration + (的 +) Object + 了“,
where the first 了 means “action concluded” and the second 了
means “ongoing”. Let’s compare the following sentences with
those above:
我在北京生活了十年了。（I have been living in Beijing for ten
years.)
他学了两年的中文了。(He has been studying Chinese for two
years.)
学生们看了两个小时的书了。(The students have been reading
for two hours.)
4. Emphatic structure 是…的
To ask or tell details about the past, we often use the (是)…的
structure. For example, if your friend told you a past
experience “他去了中国” and you are curious about more
specific information like “when, how, with whom…”, you may
ask for details using the structure: 他是什么时候去中国的？他是
怎么去中国的？他是跟谁一起去中国的？
We can use the structure in the affirmative forms: 他是昨天去
中国的。他是坐飞机去中国的。他是跟朋友一起去中国的。
Culture Notes:
The Forbidden City (Chinese name: 故宫, literally ‘the Former

Palace’) was constructed from 1406 to 1420, and was a Chinese
imperial palace and winter residence for the Ming and Qing
dynasties, between 1420 and 1912. Watch it from the sky. Here are
some basic facts about this palace:
• Considered a divine place, it was certainly forbidden to

ordinary people and that is why the Forbidden City is so
named.

• It is China’s best-preserved imperial palace, and it is the
largest and most complete complex of ancient wooden
structures in the world.
• To represent the supreme power of the emperor, given from
Heaven, and the place where he lived being the center of the
world, all the important gates and halls of the Forbidden City
were arranged symmetrically on the north-south central
axis of old Beijing.
• Forbidden City carpenters used interlocking mortise and
tenon joints to build its great palace buildings “harmoniously”,
without nails.
• It was the home of 24 emperors — 14 of the Ming dynasty and
10 of the Qing dynasty.
• It covers an area of about 72 hectares (180 acres or 0.28 sq mi)
with a total floor space of approximately 150,000 square
meters (1,600,000 square feet)
• It has 980 buildings in over 70 palace compounds, with over
8,728 rooms.
• Stone and bronze lions are popular as symbolic guardians, and
can be seen beside the gates of many Forbidden City palace
compounds. The lions are always in pairs, with the female lion
on the left and the male on the right.
• It is surrounded by a 10-meter-high wall, which is 3.4 km (2
miles) long.
• It has a 52-meter wide moat round it.
• The walls, pillars, doors, and windows were mostly painted in
red, which is a regarded as a symbol of good fortune and
happiness in Chinese culture.
• The roofs were painted in yellow, which was a symbol of
supreme power and only used by the imperial family.
• It hosts 14 million visitors per year, a maximum of 80,000
visitors per day.
• It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
(information source: chinahighlights.com)

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Elementary Chinese II

Image Credits viii

Part I. Lesson 8: New Semester

1. Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 5

Part II. Lesson 9: Transportation

3. Lesson 9 Dialogue 1: 怎么走 23

Part III. Lesson 10: Shopping

5. Lesson 10 Dialogue 1: 在商店买衣服 39

Part IV. Lesson 11: Weather and Climate

7. Lesson 11 Dialogue 1: 周末去露营 57

9. Lesson 12 Dialogue 1: 在饭馆点餐 75

Part VI. Lesson 13: Locations and Directions

11. Lesson 13 Dialogue 1: 你家在哪儿？ 91

Cover design provided by MSU Libraries Publishing Services

viii | Image Credits

• describe a sequence of actions in your daily life using

Lesson 8: New Semester | 3

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6 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后

家人 jiā rén n., family members

n., husband, often used by wives to call

已经 yǐ jīng adv., already

到 dào v., to arrive

用 yòng v., to use

作业 zuò yè n., homework, assignment

带 dài v., to bring, to take

adv., used to tone down the adjective after

Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 | 7

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1. 就 in the sentence “李文美给家人买了早饭以后就回了家”

8 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后

Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 | 9

10 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后

Lesson 8 Dialogue 1: 起床以后 | 11

12 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一

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Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 | 13

14 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信

收到 shōu dào v., to receive

adj., sorry, embarrassed; excuse

习惯 xí guàn v., to get used to; n., habit

特别 tè bié adv., extremely

先 xiān adv., first

此致敬礼 cǐ zhì jìng lǐ With best regards

Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 | 15

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1. 开始(的时候)… in the sentence “这学期开始的时候，我天天都很

16 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信

Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 | 17

In Chinese culture, politeness is never too much except for between

18 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信

Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信 | 19

20 | Lesson 8 Dialogue 2: 给朋友的一封信

• describe how to go from one place to another by taking a bus.

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