VOCABULARY USAGE

1.

怎么样 zěnmeyàng

q.pron. ▸ how about; how is

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài zěnmeyàng?
  这家餐厅的菜怎么样？
  How-is this “jia” restaurant -de- dish?
  How are this “jia” (of) restaurant’s dishes?
• Nǐ jīntiān guò de zěnmeyàng?
  你今天过得怎么样？
  You today go-pass -de- how?
  How was your day today?

2.

以前 yǐqián

n. ▸ time before now; time before another previously mentioned time

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ yǐqián méi tīngshuō guo zhè ge dìfang.
  我以前没听说过这个地方。
  I time-before not hear-of -guo this “ge” place.
  Before, I had not heard of this “ge” (of) place.
• Shuìjiào yǐqián wǒ xǐhuan kàn yí huìr shū.
  睡觉以前我喜欢看一会儿书。
  Sleep time-before I like read “a short while” book.
  Before going to sleep, I like reading (for) a short while.

3.

以后 yǐhòu

n. ▸ time after now; time after another previously mentioned time

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Xiàbān yǐhòu nǐ yǒu ’ānpái ma?
  下班以后你有安排吗？
  Get-off-work time-after you have plan -ma?
  Do you have plans after work?
• Nǐ xǐhuan Bālí ma? Yǐhòu wǒmen kěyǐ yìqǐ qù.
  你喜欢巴黎吗？以后我们可以一起去。
  You like Paris -ma? Time-after we can together go.
  Do you like Paris? In the future, we can go together.

4.

抱歉 bàoqiàn

adj. ▸ feeling sorry

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Bàoqiàn, wǒ méi tīng qīngchu.
  抱歉，我没听清楚。
  Sorry, I not hear-clear.
  Sorry, I didn’t hear clearly.
• Bàoqiàn, wǒ méi dài qiánbāo.
  抱歉，我没带钱包。
  Sorry, I not bring wallet.
  Sorry, I didn’t bring my wallet.

5.

对吗 duì ma

right(?); yes(?); correct(?)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Jīntiān xīngqī yī, duì ma?
  今天星期一，对吗？
  Today Monday, correct -ma?
  Today is Monday, right?
• Tā shì nǐ péngyou, duì ma?
  他是你朋友，对吗？
  He is you friend, correct -ma?
  He is your friend, right?

6.

哼 hēng

interj. ▸ humph (expressing dissatisfaction, contempt, or indignation)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Hēng, wǒ bù xiāngxìn nǐ.
  哼，我不相信你。
  Humph, I not trust you.
  Humph, I don’t trust you.
• Hēng, wǒ bù xiǎng gēn nǐ shuōhuà.
  哼，我不想跟你说话。
  Humph, I not want to with you talk.
  Humph, I don’t want to talk to you.

7.

岁 suì

n. ▸ year (of age)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā nǚ’ér jīntiān mǎn yí suì.
  她女儿今天满一岁。
  She daughter today reach one year-old.
  Her daughter turns one today.
• Wǒ bàba jīnnián sì shí suì le.
  我爸爸今年四十岁了。
  I dad this-year 40 years-old -le.
  My dad is 40 this year.

8.

票 piào

n. ▸ ticket

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ mǎi le míngtiān wǎnshang qī diǎn de diànyǐngpiào.
  我买了明天晚上七点的电影票。
  I buy -le tomorrow evening 7 o’clock -de- movie ticket.
  I bought the movie ticket for tomorrow at 7 p.m.
• Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhāng yīnyuèhuì de ménpiào, nǐ qù bu qù?
  我有两张音乐会的门票，你去不去？
  I have two “zhang” concert -de- gate-ticket, you go-not-go?
  I have two tickets to the concert. Are you going or not?

9.

不要 búyào

adv. ▸ (do) not

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Bú yào shuì de tài wǎn, zǎo diǎn xiūxi ba!
  不要睡得太晚，早点休息吧！
  (Do-)not sleep -de- too late, early “dian” rest -ba!
  Don’t stay up too late. Get some rest a bit earlier.
• Bú yào dānxīn, wǒ huì bāng nǐ de.
  不要担心，我会帮你的。
  (Do-)not worry, I will help you -de.
  Don’t worry, I’ll help you.

10.

放 fàng

v. ▸ to place (sth.)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Niúnǎi wǒ fàng zài bīngxiāng li le.
  牛奶我放在冰箱里了。
  Milk (-) I put in refrigerator-inside -le.
  I put the milk in the fridge already.
• Wǒ de xíngli fàng zài nà ge fángjiān li.
  我的行李放在那个房间里。
  I -de- luggage put “zai” that “ge” room-inside.
  My luggage is in that room.

11.

价格 jiàgé

n. ▸ price

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ juéde zhè ge jiàgé héshì ma?
  你觉得这个价格合适吗？
  You think this “ge” price appropriate -ma?
  Do you think this price is reasonable?
• Wǒ juéde jiàgé yǒu diǎn gāo.
  我觉得价格有点高。
  I think price “kind of” high.
  I think the price is a bit high.

12.

黑色 hēisè

n. ▸ (the) color (of) black

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā chuān le yí jiàn hēisè de yīfu.
  他穿了一件黑色的衣服。
  He wear -le one “jian” black-color -de- clothes.
  He put on a black piece of clothing.
• Tā de tóufa shì hēisè de.
  她的头发是黑色的。
  She -de- hair is black-color -de.
  Her hair is black.

13.

穿 chuān

v. ▸ to wear (clothing)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Tā chuān zhe yí jiàn bái sè de chènshān.
  她穿着一件白色的衬衫。
  She wear -zhe one “jian” white-color -de- shirt.
  She is wearing a white shirt.
• Tā chuān de hěn shíshàng.
  他穿得很时尚。
  He wear -de- very fashionable.
  He dresses very fashionably.

14.

唱歌 chànggē

v. / v. phr. ▸ to sing (song)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ mèimei chànggē fēicháng hǎotīng.
  我妹妹唱歌非常好听。
  I little-sister sing-song “unusually” good-to-listen.
  My little sister sings really well.
• Tā xǐzǎo de shíhou xǐhuan chànggē.
  他洗澡的时候喜欢唱歌。
  He take-shower -de- time like sing-song.
  He likes singing when he takes a shower.

15.

饮料 yǐnliào

n. ▸ drink; beverage

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ yào mǎi yì píng yǐnliào.
  我要买一瓶饮料。
  I intend to buy one “bottle” drink.
  I want to buy a bottle of drink.
• Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen hái méi diǎn yǐnliào.
  对不起，我们还没点饮料。
  Sorry, we still not order drink.
  Sorry, we still haven’t ordered any drinks.

16.

开会 kāihuì

v. ▸ to have (a) meeting

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒmen míngtiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn kāihuì.
  我们明天下午三点开会。
  We tomorrow afternoon 3 o’clock have-meeting.
  We have a meeting tomorrow at 3 p.m.
• Bàoqiàn, wǒ zài kāihuì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
  抱歉，我在开会，不方便接电话。
  Sorry, I “zai” have-meeting, not convenient to receive phone-call.
  Sorry, I’m in a meeting and can’t take the call.

17.

好吃 hǎochī

adj. ▸ (of food) tasty

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.
  我妈妈做的菜很好吃。
  I mom make -de- dish very good-to-eat.
  The food my mom makes is really tasty.
• Tāmen dōu shuō zhè ge dàngāo hǎochī.
  他们都说这个蛋糕好吃。
  They all say this “ge” cake good-to-eat.
  They all say this cake is delicious.

18.

好看 hǎokàn

adj. ▸ good-looking; pretty; entertaining-to-watch

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Nǐ de qúnzi zhēn hǎokàn.
  你的裙子真好看。
  You -de- dress really good-looking.
  Your dress looks really nice.
• Zhè bù diànshìjù zhēn hǎokàn, wǒ kàn le liǎng biàn.
  这部电视剧真好看，我看了两遍。
  This “bu” TV-drama really good-to-watch, I watch -le two “bian”.
  This TV drama is so good. I watched it twice.

19.

下 xià

n. ▸ underneath; bottom

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ jiā lóu xià yǒu jǐ jiā hěn hǎochī de cāntīng.
  我家楼下有几家很好吃的餐厅。
  I home building-underneath “exist” several “jia” very tasty -de- restaurant.
  Downstairs from my place there are a few really good restaurants.
• Tā zuò zài shù xià kàn shū.
  他坐在树下看书。
  He sit “zai” tree-underneath read book.
  He sits under the tree and reads.

20.

下面 xiàmiàn

n. ▸ underneath; bottom

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

• Wǒ de shūbāo zài zhuōzi xiàmiàn.
  我的书包在桌子下面。
  I -de- book-bag “zai” table-underneath.
  My schoolbag is under the table.
• Shūjià xiàmiàn yǒu hěn duō huīchén.
  书架下面有很多灰尘。
  Bookshelf-underneath “exist” very much dust.
  There’s a lot of dust under the bookshelf.