VOCABULARY USAGE

1.

干什么 gàn shénme

to do what (to ask about reason or purpose)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ xiànzài zài gàn shénme ne?
  你现在在干什么呢？
  You now “zai” do what -ne?
  What are you doing now?
• Nǐ píngshí zài jiā xǐhuan gàn shénme?
  你平时在家喜欢干什么？
  You usual-times “zai” home like doing what?
  What (do) you like doing at home (at) usual-times?

2.

男人 nánrén

n. ▸ man

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ xǐhuan shénmeyàng de nánrén?
  你喜欢什么样的男人？
  You like what “kind” -de- men?
  What kind of men (do) you like?
• Tā shì yí ge hěn yǒu zérèngǎn de nánrén.
  他是一个很有责任感的男人。
  He is one “ge” very have responsibility-sense -de- man.
  He is one “ge” of man (that) quite has (the-)sense(-of-)responsibility.

3.

女人 nǚrén

n. ▸ woman

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā shì yí ge fēicháng dúlì de nǚrén.
  她是一个非常独立的女人。
  She is one “ge” very independent -de- woman.
  She is one “ge” (of) very independent woman.
• Zhè ge nǚrén de fàxíng hěn piàoliang.
  这个女人的发型很漂亮。
  This “ge” woman -de- hairstyle very pretty.
  This “ge” (of) woman’s hairstyle (is) very pretty.

4.

久等了 jiǔ děng le

(you have) long waited; sorry to have kept you waiting

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Duìbuqǐ, jiǔ děng le.
  对不起，久等了。
  Sorry, long wait -le.
  Sorry, (you’ve) long waited.
• Gāngcái lù shang dǔchē, ràng nǐ jiǔ děng le.
  刚才路上堵车，让你久等了。
  Just-now road-surface have-traffic-jam, make you long wait -le.
  Just-now (the) road had(-a-)traffic-jam, (I) made you long waited.

5.

啊 a

p. ▸ used at the end of a question to soften the tone

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme ’a?
  你喜欢吃什么啊？
  You like eat what -a?
  What (do) you like eating?
• Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén ’a?
  你是哪国人啊？
  You are which country person -a?
  Which country(’s) person are you?

6.

时候 shíhou

n. ▸ time period; time point

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Shēngbìng de shíhou, yào duō xiūxi.
  生病的时候，要多休息。
  Get-sick -de- time, should much rest.
  (At the) time (of) getting-sick, (one) should rest more.
• Wǒ shuìjiào de shíhou xǐhuan dài yǎnzhào.
  我睡觉的时候喜欢戴眼罩。
  I sleep -de- time like wearing eye-mask.
  I like wearing eye-mask (at the) time (of) sleeping.

7.

经理 jīnglǐ

n. ▸ manager

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Jīnglǐ, wǒ jīntiān kěyǐ qǐngjià ma?
  经理，我今天可以请假吗？
  Manager, I today can ask-leave -ma?
  Manager, can I ask(-for-a)leave today?
• Zhōu Jīnglǐ shì Běijīng Dàxué bìyè de.
  周经理是北京大学毕业的。
  Zhou Manager is Beijing University graduate -de.
  Manager Zhou is (someone that) graduated (from) Beijing University.

8.

了 le

p. ▸ modal particle marking “completion of action”

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Xià yǔ le, nǐ yǒu sǎn ma?
  下雨了，你有伞吗？
  Go-down-rain -le, you have umbrella -ma?
  (It has) gone-down-rain, (do) you have (an) umbrella?
• Tā jīnnián èr shí suì le.
  他今年二十岁了。
  He this-year 20 years-old -le.
  He (is) 20 years-old this-year.

9.

站 zhàn

v. ▸ to stand

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā zhàn zài wǒ pángbiān.
  他站在我旁边。
  He stand “zai” I side.
  He stands by my side.
• Wǒ zhàn zài ménkǒu páiduì.
  我站在门口排队。
  I stand “zai” gateway line-up-(the)-queue.
  I stand by (the) gateway to be-in-line.

10.

难过 nánguò

adj. ▸ sad

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ péngyou shīliàn le, tā hěn nánguò.
  我朋友失恋了，她很难过。
  My friend is-lovelorn -le, she very sad.
  My friend is-lovelorn, she (is) very sad.
• Tīng le zhè ge xiāoxi, wǒ fēicháng nánguò.
  听了这个消息，我非常难过。
  Hear -le this “ge” news, I “unusually” sad.
  After (I) heard this “ge” (of) news, I (was) very sad.

11.

里面 lǐmiàn

n. ▸ inside; the inner or internal part

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Bīngxiāng zài chúfáng lǐmiàn.
  冰箱在厨房里面。
  Refrigerator “zai” kitchen inside.
  (The) refrigerator is in (the) kitchen.
• Wǒ hěn xǐhuan zài gōngyuán lǐmiàn sànbù, hěn shūfu.
  我很喜欢在公园里面散步，很舒服。
  I very like “zai” park inside walk, very comfortable.
  I like walking in (the) park-inside very-much, (it is) very comfortable.

12.

真 zhēn

adv. ▸ really

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ de Hànyǔ shuō de zhēn hǎo.
  你的汉语说得真好。
  You -de- Chinese speak -de- really good.
  Your Chinese (is) spoken really good.
• Nǐ de xīn fàxíng zhēn hǎokàn!
  你的新发型真好看！
  You -de- hairstyle really good-looking!
  Your new hairstyle (is) really good-looking!

13.

找到 zhǎodào

v. ▸ to find; to seek out

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ zhōngyú zhǎodào le yí fèn zìjǐ xǐhuan de gōngzuò.
  我终于找到了一份自己喜欢的工作。
  I finally find -le one “fen” self like -de- job.
  I finally (have) found one “fen” (of) job (that my)self like.
• Wǒ zhǎodào le yí ge tèbié hǎo de Zhōngwén lǎoshī.
  我找到了一个特别好的中文老师。
  I find -le one “ge” especially good -de- Chinese teacher.
  I found one “ge” (of) especially good Chinese teacher.

14.

坐 zuò

v. ▸ to sit

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Qǐng jìn, qǐng zuò ba!
  请进，请坐吧！
  Please enter, please sit -ba!
  Please come-in, please take(-a-)seat!
• Nǐ kěyǐ zuò zài zhèlǐ děng yí xià.
  你可以坐在这里等一下。
  You can sit “zai” here wait one “xia”.
  You can sit in here (and) wait (for) “a little bit”.

15.

新 xīn

adj. ▸ new

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zhè shì wǒ de xīn shǒujī.
  这是我的新手机。
  This is I -de- new cellphone.
  This is my new cellphone.
• Tā shì wǒmen de xīn lǎoshī.
  他是我们的新老师。
  He is we -de- new teacher.
  He is our new teacher.

16.

旧 jiù

adj. ▸ old

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zhè kuài shǒubiǎo hěn jiù le.
  这块手表很旧了。
  This “kuai” watch very old -le.
  This “kuai” (of) watch (is) very old (already).
• Tā hái zài yòng nà ge jiù shāfā.
  他还在用那个旧沙发。
  He still “zai” use that “ge” old sofa.
  He still is using that “ge” (of) old sofa.

17.

水果 shuǐguǒ

n. ▸ fruit

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ zuì xǐhuan chī nǎ zhǒng shuǐguǒ?
  你最喜欢吃哪种水果？
  You the-most like eat which kind fruit?
  Which kind (of) fruit (do) you like eating the-most?
• Zhè xiē shuǐguǒ hěn xīnxiān.
  这些水果很新鲜。
  These fruit very fresh.
  These fruits (are) very fresh.

18.

盘子 pánzi

n. ▸ plate

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Kěyǐ gěi wǒ yí ge pánzi ma?
  可以给我一个盘子吗？
  Can give me one “ge” plate -ma?
  Can (you) give me one “ge” (of) plate?
• Wǒ bǎ pánzi xǐ gānjìng le.
  我把盘子洗干净了。
  I “ba” plate wash-clean -le.
  I (-) “ba”{indicating the handling of} (the) plates (-) washed-clean.

19. 这些 zhèxiē

pron. ▸ these

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zhèxiē háizi dōu hěn cōngmíng.
  这些孩子都很聪明。
  These child all very smart.
  These children (are) all very smart.
• Zhèxiē dōu shì nǐ de dōngxi ma?
  这些都是你的东西吗？
  These all are you -de- thing -ma?
  Are these all your stuff?

20. 那些 nàxiē

pron. ▸ those

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nàxiē huā zhēn piàoliang!
  那些花真漂亮！
  Those flowers really pretty!
  Those flowers (are) really pretty!
• Wǒ xiǎng yào zhèxiē, bù xiǎng yào nàxiē.
  我想要这些，不想要那些。
  I want to have these, not want to have those.
  I want to have these, (but I do) not want to have those.