VOCABULARY USAGE

1.

怎么 zěnme

q.pron. ▸ how come; why

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā zěnme kū le?
  她怎么哭了？
  She how-come cry -le?
  How-come she cried?
• Nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ ne?
  你怎么知道我的电话号码呢？
  You how-come know I -de- phone number -ne?
  How-come you know my phone number?

2.

男孩 nánhái

n. ▸ boy

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nà ge nánhái zhǎng de hěn shuài.
  那个男孩长得很帅。
  That “ge” boy grow -de- very handsome.
  That “ge” (of) boy looks very handsome.
• Zhè ge nánhái hěn xǐhuan yùndòng, měi tiān dōu qù dǎ lánqiú.
  这个男孩很喜欢运动，每天都去打篮球。
  This “ge” boy very like sports, every day all go to play basketball.
  This “ge” (of) boy quite like sports, (he) every day all goes to play basketball.

3.

女孩 nǚhái

n. ▸ girl

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nà ge nǚhái shì wǒ de péngyou.
  那个女孩是我的朋友。
  That “ge” girl is I -de- friend.
  That “ge” (of) girl is my friend.
• Nǐ rènshi nà ge nǚhái ma?
  你认识那个女孩吗？
  You know that “ge” girl -ma?
  (Do) you know that “ge” (of) girl?

4.

要 yào

mv. ▸ should; need

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ míngtiān zǎoshang yào zǎo qǐ.
  我明天早上要早起。
  I tomorrow morning need to early rise.
  I tomorrow morning need to get-up early.
• Shēngbìng le yào duō xiūxi.
  生病了要多休息。
  Get-sick -le should much rest.
  (If you) get sick (you) should rest more.

5.

可以 kěyǐ

can (be allowed to)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme dōu kěyǐ.
  你想吃什么都可以。
  You want to eat “whatever” all can.
  You want to eat “anything” (- you) all can.
• Qǐngwèn wǒmen kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ pāizhào ma?
  请问我们可以在这里拍照吗？
  Please-ask we can “zai” here take photo -ma?
  Please(-allow-me-to)ask(,) can we take photo(s) here?

6.

绿色 lǜsè

n. ▸ the color of green

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zhè tiáo qúnzi shì lǜsè de.
  这条裙子是绿色的。
  This “tiao” dress/skirt is green-color -de.
  This “tiao” (of) dress/skirt is (something that is of the) green-color.
• Lǜsè shūcài duì shēntǐ hǎo.
  绿色蔬菜对身体好。
  Green-color vegetables “towards” body good.
  Green-color vegetables (are) good to (our) bodies.

7.

说话 shuōhuà

v. ▸ to talk; to speak

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā jīntiān xīnqíng bù hǎo, bù xiǎng shuōhuà.
  他今天心情不好，不想说话。
  He today mood not good, not want to talk.
  He today (-) mood (is) not good, (and he does) not want to talk.
• Tā shuōhuà yǒu diǎnr kuài, wǒ yǒu diǎnr tīng bu dǒng.
  他说话有点儿快，我有点儿听不懂。
  He speak “reach” “a little bit” fast, I “reach” “a little bit” listen-not-understand.
  He speaks “kind of” fast, I “kind of” am-unable-to-understand.

8.

机场 jīchǎng

n. ▸ airport

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ jīntiān yào qù jīchǎng jiē péngyou.
  我今天要去机场接朋友。
  I today need to go to airport to pick-up friend.
  I today need to go to (the) airport to pick-up (my) friend.
• Cóng zhèr dào jīchǎng yuǎn ma?
  从这儿到机场远吗？
  From here arrive airport far -ma?
  (Is it) far from here arriving (the) airport?

9.

一点 / 一点儿 yìdiǎn / yìdiǎnr

a little bit

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā zhōngwǔ zhǐ chī le yì diǎn shuǐguǒ shālā.
  他中午只吃了一点水果沙拉。
  He noon only eat -le one “dian” fruit salad.
  He (at) noon only ate “a little bit” (of) fruit salad.
• Wǒ hē kāfēi de shíhou xǐhuan jiā yì diǎn táng.
  我喝咖啡的时候喜欢加一点糖。
  I drink coffee -de- time like add one “dian” sugar.
  (At the) time (when) I drink coffee (I) like adding “a little bit” (of) sugar.

10.

风 fēng

n. ▸ wind

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Jīntiān fēng hěn dà, hěn lěng.
  今天风很大，很冷。
  Today wind very big, very cold.
  Today (the) wind (is) very big, (and is) very cold.
• Chūntiān de fēng hěn wēnróu.
  春天的风很温柔。
  Spring -de- wind very gentle(-and-)soft.
  (The) breeze (of) Spring (is) very gentle(-and-)soft.

11.

非常 fēicháng

adv. ▸ “unusually”; very

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan chī Zhōngcān.
  我非常喜欢吃中餐。
  I “unusually” like eat Chinese-food.
  I like eating Chinese-food very-much.
• Wǒ zuìjìn fēicháng lèi, yīnwèi gōngzuò fēicháng máng.
  我最近非常累，因为工作非常忙。
  I recent-times “unusually” tired, because work “unusually” busy.
  I (in) recent-times (am) very tired, because work (is) very busy.

12.

脸 liǎn

n. ▸ face

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ liǎn shang zhǎng dòudou le.
  我脸上长痘痘了。
  My face-surface grow pimple -le.
  My face-surface (has) grown (a) pimple.
• Wǒ měi tiān zǎoshang qǐchuáng yǐhòu yòng lěng shuǐ xǐ liǎn.
  我每天早上起床以后用冷水洗脸。
  I every day morning rise-bed time-after use cold water wash face.
  I every day morning (in the) time (that is) after getting-up(-from-)bed use cold water to wash (my) face.

13.

有 yǒu

v. ▸ to exist

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ de fángjiān li yǒu yì tái diànnǎo.
  我的房间里有一台电脑。
  I -de- room-inside “exist” one “tai” computer.
  My room-inside “exists” one “tai” (of) computer.
• Jiàoshì li zhǐ yǒu yí ge xuéshēng.
  教室里只有一个学生。
  Classroom-inside only “exist” one “ge” student.
  (The) classroom-inside only “exists” one “ge” (of) student.

14.

雪 xuě

n. ▸ snow

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Xià xuě le, dànshì xià de bú dà.
  下雪了，但是下得不大。
  Go-down snow -le, but go-down -de- not big.
  (It) went-down snow (already), but (it) went-down not heavy.
• Jīnnián de xuě bǐ qùnián duō.
  今年的雪比去年多。
  This-year -de- snow “bi” last-year much.
  This-year’s snow “comparing with” last-year (is) more.

15.

在 zài

prep. ▸ in; on; at, etc.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.
  我住在北京。
  I live “zai” Beijing.
  I live in Beijing.
• Dìdi zài shāfā shang shuìzháo le.
  弟弟在沙发上睡着了。
  Little-brother “zai” couch-surface sleep-“zhao” -le.
  (The) little-brother fell-asleep on (the) couch-surface.

16.

早 zǎo

adj. ▸ early

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ shuì de hěn zǎo.
  昨天晚上我睡得很早。
  Yesterday night I sleep -de- very early.
  Yesterday night I slept very early.
• Duìbuqǐ, wǒ yīnggāi zǎo diǎn gàosu nǐ.
  对不起，我应该早点告诉你。
  Sorry, I should early “dian” tell you.
  Sorry, I should (have) told you earlier.

17.

晚 wǎn

adj. ▸ late

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ lái wǎn le.
  不好意思，我来晚了。
  Sorry, I come late -le.
  Sorry, I came late.
• Shǔjià de shíhou tā měi tiān zǎoshang qǐchuáng qǐ de hěn wǎn.
  暑假的时候他每天早上起床起得很晚。
  Summer-vacation -de- time he every day morning rise-bed rise -de- very late.
  (At the) time (of) summer-vacation he every day morning get-up(-from-)bed very late.

18.

蛋糕 dàngāo

n. ▸ cake

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ gěi péngyou zuò le yí kuài shēngrì dàngāo.
  我给朋友做了一块生日蛋糕。
  I for friend make -le one “kuai” birthday cake.
  I made one “kuai” (of) birthday cake for (my) friend.
• Wǒ xǐhuan yìbiān hē kāfēi yìbiān chī dàngāo.
  我喜欢一边喝咖啡一边吃蛋糕。
  I like yibian- drink coffee -yibian- eat cake.
  I like drinking coffee while eating cake.

19.

叔叔 shūshu

n. ▸ uncle

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ hái bù xíguàn biérén jiào wǒ “shūshu”.
  我还不习惯别人叫我“叔叔”。
  I still not used-to other people call me “uncle”.
  I still am not used-to other-people calling me “uncle”.
• Wáng Shūshu shì wǒ bàba de tóngshì.
  王叔叔是我爸爸的同事。
  Wang Uncle is my dad -de- coworker.
  Uncle Wang is my dad’s coworker.

20.

阿姨 āyí

n. ▸ aunt

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ de ’āyí zài yínháng gōngzuò, měi tiān dōu hěn máng.
  我的阿姨在银行工作，每天都很忙。
  I -de- aunt “zai” bank work, every day all very busy.
  My aunt works in (a) bank, (and she) every day all (is) very busy.
• Zhāng Āyí shì wǒ māma de hǎo péngyou.
  张阿姨是我妈妈的好朋友。
  Zhang Aunt is my mom -de- good friend.
  Aunt Zhang is my mom’s good friend.