To do something and habits in Chinese - Lesson 17

Contents of this lesson

1. Vocabulary

2. Grammar

3. Dialogues

4. Exercises

1. Vocabulary

Verbs

Others

2. Grammar

A. "To be doing (something)" with 在 ‹ zài ›

If in previous lessons we had learned to use the word 在 ‹ zài › to mean "to be located ", in this lesson we will see that the same word is used in Chinese to express an ongoing action.

• 我 在 取钱。 ‹ Wǒ zài qǔ qián. ›
  I am withdrawing money.
• 我 在 看 书。 ‹ Wǒ zài kàn shū. ›
  I am reading a book.

• 我 在 图书馆 看书呢。 ‹ Wǒ zài túshūguǎn kànshū. ›
  and not 我 在在 图书馆看书 / 我 在 图书馆 在 看书

B. "With someone"

• 我 跟 朋友 吃饭。 ‹ Wǒ gēn péngyǒu chīfàn. ›
  I eat with friends.
• 王丽 跟 大卫 聊天儿。 ‹ Wáng Lì gēn Dàwèi liáotiānr. ›
  Wang Li talks with David.
• 她 跟 大卫 见面。 ‹ Tā gēn Dàwèi jiànmiàn. ›
  She meets with David.
  

C. To give and to do something to someone

Before an object, 给 ‹ gěi › is used to mean that we give something to someone; before a verb, it indicates that we do something to someone.

• 我 给 他 一本书。 ‹ Wǒ gěi tā yī běn shū. ›
  I give him a book.
• 我 给 妈妈 打电话 。 ‹ Wǒ gěi māmā dǎ diànhuà. ›
  I give a phone call to my mom.

D. Questions in "why" with 为什么 ‹ wèishéme ›

为什么 ‹ wèishéme › is used in the same way that 怎么 ‹ zěnme › in a Chinese interrogative sentence:

• 你妈妈 为什么 打的 去 上班？ ‹ Nǐ māmā wèishéme dǎdi qù shàngbān? ›
  Why does your mother take a taxi to go to work?
• 你 为什么 给 我 打电话？ ‹ Nǐ wèishéme gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà? ›
  Why do you call me (phone)?

E. Use of 一般 ‹ yībān › "usually"

• 晚上 我 一般 做 作业 。 ‹ wǎnshang wǒ yībān zuò zuòyè. ›
  On evening I usually do my homework.
• 我 一般 跟 朋友 聊天儿。 ‹ Wǒ yībān gēn péngyǒu liáotiānr. ›
  Usually I talk with friends.

3. Dialogues

Dialogue N° 1

- 你明天想干什么？ ‹ Nǐ míngtiān xiǎng gàn shénme? ›
- 我们一起去看电影吧。 ‹ Wǒ xiǎng wǒmen yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng. ba. ›
- 行。我现在去买电影票。 ‹ Xíng. Wǒ xiànzài qù mǎi diànyǐng piào. ›
- 好。明天见！ ‹ Hǎo. Míngtiān jiàn! ›

Translation :

- What do you want to do tomorrow?
- I would like we go to watch a movie together.
- Alright. I will immediately buy the movie tickets.
- Good. See you tomorrow!

Dialogue N° 2

- 喂！ ‹ Wéi! ›
- 喂！是王丽吧？ ‹ Wéi! Shì Wáng Lì ba? ›
- 是我。 你在干什么？ ‹Shì wǒ. Nǐ zài gàn shénme? ›
- 在看电视。 ‹ Zài kàn diànshì. ›
- 你晚上喜欢看电视吗？ ‹ Nǐ wǎnshang xǐhuan kàn diànshì ma? ›
- 喜欢。你呢？ ‹ xǐhuan. Nǐ ne? ›
- 我不喜欢。晚上我一般做作业或者跟朋友聊天儿。 ‹ Wǒ bù xǐhuan. wǎnshang wǒ yībān zuò zuoyè huòzhě gēn péngyǒu liáotiānr. ›
- 王丽，你为什么给我打电话？ ‹ Wáng Lì nǐ wèishéme zěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà? ›
- 我明天中午跟一个朋友一起在食堂吃饭。你想不想来？ ‹ Wǒ míngtiān zhōngwǔ gēn yī gè péngyǒu yīqǐ zài shítáng chīfàn. Nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng lái? ›
- 想！咱们几点在哪儿见面？ ‹ Xiǎng! Zánmen jǐ diǎn zài nǎr jiànmiàn? ›
- 咱们十一点半在食堂门口见面吧。 ‹ Zánmen shíyī diǎn bàn zài shítáng ménkǒu jiànmiàn ba. ›
- 好。明天见！ ‹ Hǎo. Míngtiān jiàn! ›
- 明天见！ ‹ Míngtiān jiàn! ›

Translation :

- Hello!
- Hello! Is this Wang Li?
- Yes. What are you doing?
- I'm watching television.
- Do you like to watch TV every evening?
- Yes. And you?
- No. On evening I usually do my homework or I chat with friends.
- Wang Li, why are you calling me?
- Tomorrow noon I'll have lunch with a friend at the canteen; would you like to come?
- Yes! At what time and where will we meet?
- We'll meet at eleven-thirty in front of the canteen entrance door.
- OK. See you tomorrow!
-  See you !

Dialogue N° 3

- 喂，我是大卫。 你在干什么？ ‹ Wèi, wǒ shì Dàwèi. Nǐ zài gàn shénme? ›
- 我在看书。有什么事儿？ ‹ Wǒ zài kàn shū. Yǒu shénme shìr? ›
- 你下个周末有空儿吗？ ‹ Nǐ xià gè zhōumò yǒu kòngr ma? ›
- 有。为什么？ ‹ Yǒu. Wèishéme? ›
- 我想跟你一起去爬山。 ‹ Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù páshān. ›
- 真的吗？我喜欢爬山！我周末常给爸爸妈妈打电话，常去爬山！ ‹ Zhēnde ma? Wǒ xǐhuan páshān! Wǒ zhōumò cháng gěi bàba māmā dǎ diànhuà, cháng qù páshān! ›
- 太好了！ ‹ Tài hǎo le! ›

Translation :

- Hello,this is David. What are you doing?
- I am reading a book, what's up ?
- Do you have some spare time next weekend?
- Yes. Why?
- I would like to go with you hiking.
- Really? I like to hike in the mountains! On weekends, I often call my parents, I often go hiking!
- Great!

4. Exercises

A Answer the questions

Answer in Chinese the following questions according to the previous dialogues:

1. 王丽喜欢看电视吗？大卫呢？ ‹ Wáng Lì xǐhuan kàn diànshì ma? Dàwèi ne? ›
2. 王丽跟大卫明天在哪儿吃饭？ ‹ Wáng Lì gēn Dàwèi míngtiān zài nǎr chīfàn? ›
3. 大卫下个周末想做什么？ ‹ Dàwèi xià gè zhōumò xiǎng zuò shénme? ›
4. 王丽周末常给谁打电话？ ‹ Wáng Lì zhōumò cháng gěi shéi dǎ diànhuà? ›

B. Substitution exercise

Complete the following sentence according to the options given.

我们在____________ ____________。