Lesson 37

 


 

       

 

Class Timetable

 

xian4zai4 ji3dian3 le5

现在几点了 ?

What time is it?

 

Jiu3dian3 ban4

九点半

It is half past nine.

 

Shi2jian1 bu4zao3 le5, wo3 dei3 zou3le5.

时间不早了,我得走了。

It's late, I have to go.

 

Bu4 zhao2ji2, hai2 zao3 ne5

不着急,还早呢。

Don't go, it is still early

 

... is a common structure. Instead of the suspense dots, you add a verb or an adjective. This structure is used to point out a fact, but in a slightly emphatic tone. For example:

 

Wo3men5 dei3 hui2jia1 le5, ming2tian1 ba1dian3 hai2yao4 gong1zuo4 ne5.

我们得 回家了,明天八点要工作

We have to go home, we have to work tomorrow at eight.

 

Ming2tian1 hai2 dei3 shang4ke4 ne5.

明天得上课

There are classes tomorrow.

 

ta1cai2 san1sui4, bu4neng2 shang4xue2.

他才三岁,不能上学。

He is only three years old, he can't go to school.

 

The modal verb "dei3" expresses a rational or real need, and it is colloquial. Its negative form is 不用 , for example:

 

Zao3shang4 ba1dian3 wo3 dei3 shang4ke4

早上八点我上课。

At eight o'clock in the morning I have to go to class.

 

hen3wan3 le5, wo3men5 dei3 shui4jiao4 le5

很晚了,我们睡觉了。

It is very late, we have to go to sleep.

 

jie3jie5 dei3 gen1 wo3 yi1qi3 qu4, di4di5 bu4yong4 qu4

姐姐跟我一起去,弟弟不用

The older sister has to go with me, the younger brother does not have to go.

 

Mei2guan1xi5, wo3 mei3tian1 wan3shang4 shi2er4dian3 cai2 shui4jiao4.

没关系,我每天晚上十二点才睡觉。

It doesn't matter. I go to bed every night at twelve o'clock.

 

In Chinese, the words that indicate time are placed infront of the predicate and they specify when the action of the verb happens. For example:

 

ta1 ming2tian1 lai2.

他明天来。

He will come tomorrow.

 

ta1 xing1qi1er4 shang4ke4

他星期二上课。

He has class on Tuesday.

 

Ta1 ba1yue4wu3hao4 can1jia1 sheng1ri4wan3hui4

他八月五号参加生日晚会。

He will particpate in the birthday party on the 5th August.

 

The adverb "cai2" underlines how late the action is. It is placed after the subject and before the verb. For example:

 

ta1 ba1shi2sui4 cai2 kai1shi3 xue2xi2 han4yu3.

他八十岁开始学习汉语。

He started studying chinese when he was 80 years old.

 

Ba1dian3 kai1shi3 gong1zuo4, qi1dian3ban4 ta1 cai2 qi3chuang2

八点开始工作,七点半他起床。

He starts work at eight and he gets up at half past seven.

 

Ta1 wan3shang4 san1dian3 cai2 shui4jiao4

他晚上三点睡觉。

He goes to sleep at three o'clock.

 

Zhe4me5wan3, ni3 zao3shang4 ji3dian3 qi3chuang2

这么晚,你早上几点起床 ?

So late? What time do you get up?

 

Qi3dian3 ban4

七点半。

Half past seven

 

Wo3men5 mei3tian1 zao3shang4 ba1dian3 jiu4 shang4ke4 le5, ni3 qi1dian3ban4 cai2 qi3chuang2.

我们每天早上八点就上课了,你七点半起床

We have class at eight every morning and you get up at half past seven.

 

The adverb "jiu4" is used to point out how early something is carried out. It is put after the subject and before the verb. For example:

 

ta1 wu3sui4 jiu4 kai1shi3 xue2xi2 han4yu3.

他五岁开始学习汉语。

He started studying Chinese when he was five years old.

 

ta1 wu3dian3 jiu4 qi3chuang2

他五点起床。

He gets up at five in the morning.

 

ta1 wan3shang4 shi2dian3 jiu4 shui4jiao4

他晚上十点睡觉。

He goest to bed at ten.

 

Wo3 dong4zuo4 kuai4, ban4ge4 xiao3shi2 zu2gou4 le5.

我动作快,半个小时够了。

I am quick, half an hour is enough.

 

Ni3 you3 shi2jian1 chi1 zao3dian3 ma5

你有时间吃早点吗 ?

Do you have time to have lunch?

 

Wo3 shang4 wan2 di4yi1jie2ke5, ke4jian1xiu1xi5 de5 shi2hou4 cai2 chi1 zao3dian3.

我上完第一节课,课间休息的时候才吃早点。

When the first class ends, during the break, I have breakfast.

 

Vocabulary

English

Chinese (phonetic)

Chinese (written)

     

Time

Shi2jian1

时间

Early

Zao3

Late

Wan3

To go

Zou3

To be in a hurry

Zhao2ji2

着急

Still

Hai2

To have to

Dei3

To have class

Shang4ke4

上课

There's nothing wrong

Mei2guan1xi4

没关系

Not...until

Cai2

To sleep

Shui4jiao4

睡觉

So

Zhe4me5

这么

To get up

Qi3chuang2

起床

 

Chinese Character of the day

shang4ke4 (to have class)