Transcript, vocabulary, and notes

Text 课文 (Kèwén)

After you have watched the video, check your understanding by reading the transcript and the English translation.

New Words 生词 (Shēngcí)

Language Notes

L28. 好久不见

好久不见 means “long time, no see.” It’s an expression used to greet an acquaintance or friend after a long separation. It cannot be used with strangers.

L29. Time expressions involving year, day, month, and week

Time frame	Pinyin	Simplified	English
Day	qiántiān	前天	the day before yesterday
	zuótiān	昨天	yesterday
	jīntiān	今天	today
	míngtiān	明天	tomorrow
	hòutiān	后天	the day after tomorrow
Week	shàng shàng gè xīngqī	上上个星期	the week before last
	shàng gè xīngqī	上个星期	last week
	zhègè xīngqī	这个星期	this week
	xià gè xīngqī	下个星期	next week
	xià xià gè xīngqī	下下个星期	the week after next
Month	shàng shàng gè yuè	上上个月	the month before last
	shàng gè yuè	上个月	last month
	zhègè yuè	这个月	this month
	xià gè grave; yuè	下个月	next month
	xià xià gè yuè	下下个月	the month after next
Year	qiánnián	前年	the year before last
	qùnián	去年	last year
	jīnnián	今年	this year
	míngnián	明年	next year
	hòunián	后年	the year after next

L30. Measure word 门

门 as a noun means “door.” It is also used as a measure word for school courses. 五门课 means “five courses.”

L31. 跟

跟 is a preposition. It means “with.” 跟 ＋ an object is often placed before the verb as an adverbial adjunct.

For example:

Mǎlì gēn Wáng Qiáng xué Zhōngwén.
玛丽跟王强学中文。
Mary learns Chinese with Wang Qiang.

Grammar Notes

G46. The particle 了

Rule: 了 is a tense-marking particle placed after a verb or at the end of a sentence to emphasize the completion of an action or that the state expressed has been achieved. It is not used in negations in the completion of an action usage. In Chinese, time words are often used to indicate the present, past, and future tenses, such as 上个月, 今天, 明年.

1. Question: Verb + (Object) + 了 ＋ 吗？/ Verb + (Object) + 了 ＋没有？

For example:

• Nǐ yùxí Zhōngwén le ma?
• 你预习中文了吗？
• Did you preview Chinese?

• Nǐ chī wǔfàn le, méiyǒu?
• 你吃午饭了， 没有？
• Did you have lunch?

2．Positive statement: V + 了 ＋ （object) / Sentence ending with 了

For example:

• Wǒ yùxíle Zhōngwén.
• 我预习了中文。
• I previewed Chinese.

• Wǒ chī wǔfàn le.
• 我吃午饭了。
• I had lunch.

Note: It is preferred to place 了 after the verb when 了 is followed by a quantified object.

For example:

• Wǒ mǎile sān jiàn chènshān.
• 我买了三件衬衫。
• I bought three shirts.

3. Negative statement: 没有 + Verb

For example:

• Wǒ méiyǒu yùxí Zhōngwén.
• 我没有预习中文。
• I didn’t preview Chinese.

• Wǒ méi chī wǔfàn.
• 我没吃午饭。
• I didn’t eat lunch.

G47. The preposition 给

Rule: 给 can be a verb or a preposition. The preposition 给 indicates the receiver or beneficiary of an action. In Chinese, prepositions are generally combined with nouns or pronouns to form prepositional phrases, which appear before verbs as adverbials.

For example:

• Gěi wǒ kàn yí xià.
• 给我看一下。
• Let me have a look.

• Wǒ gěi tā dǎle yī gè diànhuà.
• 我给他打了一个电话。
• I gave him a call.

G48. Adverb 就, 才

Rule: The adverb 就 is used before a verb to indicate the earliness, briefness, or promptness of an action in the speaker’s judgment. 才 is the opposite. It indicates the tardiness or lateness of an action in the speaker’s judgment.

For example:

• Wáng Qiáng qī diǎn jiù lai le.
• 王强七点就来了。
• Wang Qiang came as early as seven.

• Màikè bā diǎn bàn cái lai.
• 麦克八点半才来。
• Mike didn’t come until 8:30.

G49. (N) 每 (Num) MW (N) 都 V

Rule: 每 means “every.” In a sentence that contains the term 每, usually 都 has to be inserted in front of the verb. Put measure word or number-measure word after 每. If using 都, then the 每 phrase must go before 都.

For example:

• Wǒ měi tiān dōu hē kāfēi.
• 我每天都喝咖啡。
• I drink coffee every day.

• Zhèr měi gèrén wǒ dōu rènshi.
• 这儿每个人我都认识。
• I know everyone here.

G50. The sentence with verb constructions in series

Rule: The predicate of this type of sentence consists of two or more verbs or verb phrases. This type of sentence has the following function: 1) Indicate the purpose of an action; 2) Indicate how to do something or how something is done.

For example:

• Wǒ měi tiān dōu huí jiā chīfàn.
• 我每天都回家吃饭。
• I go home to have dinner every day.

• Wǒ kāichē qù Běijīng.
• 我开车去北京。
• I drive to Beijing.

G51. Degree of complement sentences

Rule: A degree of complement sentence is used to assess or tell how an action is performed (such as how soon, how well, how fast, etc.). The particle de 得 is used after a verb or an adjective.

Pattern 1: Subject + V + 得 + adv. adj.

For example:

• Nǐ xiě de zěnmeyàng?
• 你写得怎么样？
• How well do you write?

• Wǒ xiě de hěn hǎo.
• 我写得很好。
• I write well.

Pattern 2: Subject + V + O + V + 得 + adv. adj.

For example:

• Tā dǎ lánqiú dǎ de zěnmeyàng?
• 他打篮球打得怎么样?
• How well does he play basketball?

• Tā dǎ lánqiú dǎ de hěn hǎo.
• 他打篮球打得很好。
• He plays basketball very well.

Sentence Patterns

These sentences highlight and repeat some of the grammatical concepts introduced in this lesson.

Cultural Notes

Beijing University, which is more commonly known as Peking University, was founded in 1898. By 1917, it was China’s largest university. Peking University has 31 colleges and 14 departments with 101 undergraduate programs, 224 postgraduate programs, and 202 doctoral programs. Peking University is well-known and respected in the fields of teaching, research, and basic and applied sciences.

Ranked as the number one university in Asia and 14th in the world, Peking University is also home to many international students per year. According to the university, they had over 4000 international students in 2004 from 80 countries. For more information about Peking University, visit their website.