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CourseLevel 1Lesson 19
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Contents
01Vocabulary02Key phrases03Dialogues04Grammar

Level 1 - Lesson 19

我坐飞机去西安

Wǒ zuò fēijī qù Xī’ān

I Fly to Xi'an

The lesson uses airports, taxis, trains, planes, and hotels to practice travel methods and ongoing actions.

Travel ticket suitcase and Xi'an cue in a blue watercolor scene

Lesson goal

You will learn to say how someone travels and describe what someone is currently seeing or hearing.

Say how someone travels and describe what someone is currently seeing or hearing.

  • Ask how someone goes somewhere.
  • Say someone goes by car, taxi, train, or plane.
  • Describe a seeing or hearing action happening right now.
Contents
01Vocabulary02Key phrases03Dialogues04Grammar
01

Vocabulary

New words

01

Transportation

Contains 5 words

车

chē·noun

car; vehicle

火车

huǒchē·noun

train

飞机

fēijī·noun

airplane

出租车

chūzūchē·noun

taxi

开车

kāichē·verb

to drive a car

02

Ways to Travel

Contains 3 words

开

kāi·verb
03

Seeing and Hearing

Contains 6 words

见

jiàn·verb
04

Airports and Places

Contains 5 words

机场

jīchǎng·noun
02

Key phrases

你怎么去大兴机场?

Nǐ zěnme qù Dàxīng Jīchǎng

How are you going to Daxing Airport?

我坐火车去

Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù

I go by train.

我坐飞机去西安

Wǒ zuò fēijī qù Xī'ān

I fly to Xi'an.

出租车在哪儿?

Chūzūchē zài nǎr

Where is the taxi?

出租车在那边

Chūzūchē zài nàbiān

The taxi is over there.

03

Dialogues

01

Going to the Airport

Situation: A traveler asks how someone is going to the airport and where they will fly.

A

美美

Meimei

你怎么去大兴机场?

Nǐ zěnme qù Dàxīng Jīchǎng?

How are you going to Daxing Airport?

04

Grammar

01

Say Happening Now with 正在 (zhèngzài)

Ongoing activity with 正在

Use 正在 (zhèngzài) before 看 (kàn) or 听 (tīng) to say the looking or listening activity is happening right now.

Patterns

Action happening now

Shows someone is in the middle of an action.

who
我

to drive; to open

怎么

zěnme·pronoun/question word

how

坐

zuò·verb

to sit; to take (transport)

see; meet

正在

zhèngzài·adverb

in the middle of; currently

看

kàn·verb

look; watch; read

听

tīng·verb

listen

看见

kànjiàn·verb

see (successfully)

听见

tīngjiàn·verb

hear (successfully)

airport

大兴机场

Dàxīng Jīchǎng·noun

Daxing Airport

接

jiē·verb

pick up; meet

西安

Xī’ān·noun

Xi'an

西安饭店

Xī’ān Fàndiàn·noun

Xi'an Hotel

你怎么去学校?

Nǐ zěnme qù xuéxiào

How do you go to school?

我坐车去

Wǒ zuò chē qù

I go by car.

我坐出租车去机场

Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù jīchǎng

I take a taxi to the airport.

他开车来

Tā kāichē lái

He drives here.

坐出租车

Zuò chūzūchē

Take a taxi.

我坐火车去西安

Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù Xī'ān

I go to Xi'an by train.

我坐出租车去

Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù

I go by taxi.

我正在听。

Wǒ zhèngzài tīng.

I am listening now.

我听见王老师。

Wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī.

I hear Teacher Wang.

西安饭店在哪儿?

Xī’ān Fàndiàn zài nǎr?

Where is Xi'an Hotel?

B

方方

Fangfang

我坐出租车去机场。

Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù jīchǎng.

I am taking a taxi to the airport.

A

美美

Meimei

你坐飞机吗?

Nǐ zuò fēijī ma?

Are you taking a plane?

B

方方

Fangfang

坐,我坐飞机去西安。

Zuò, wǒ zuò fēijī qù Xī’ān.

Yes, I am flying to Xi’an.

02

Looking for Teacher Wang at the Airport

Situation: At the airport, one classmate checks whether another classmate has seen Teacher Wang.

A

美美

Meimei

你在机场吗?

Nǐ zài jīchǎng ma?

Are you at the airport?

B

方方

Fangfang

在,我接王老师。

Zài, wǒ jiē Wáng lǎoshī.

Yes, I am here to pick up Teacher Wang.

A

美美

Meimei

你看见王老师了吗?

Nǐ kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le ma?

Have you seen Teacher Wang?

B

方方

Fangfang

还没有,我正在看那边的人。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zhèngzài kàn nàbiān de rén.

Not yet. I am looking at the people over there.

03

Traveling to Xi'an

Situation: Two classmates compare how they and Teacher Wang will travel to the same destination.

A

美美

Meimei

你怎么去西安?

Nǐ zěnme qù Xī'ān?

How will you go to Xi'an?

B

方方

Fangfang

我开车去。

Wǒ kāichē qù.

I will drive there.

A

美美

Meimei

王老师呢?

Wáng lǎoshī ne?

What about Teacher Wang?

B

方方

Fangfang

她坐火车去。

Tā zuò huǒchē qù.

She will take the train.

04

Hearing Where to Meet

Situation: One classmate reports Teacher Wang's stated location, then confirms the pickup destination.

A

美美

Meimei

你听见王老师说什么了吗?

Nǐ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī shuō shénme le ma?

Did you hear what Teacher Wang said?

B

方方

Fangfang

听见了,她说在西安饭店。

Tīngjiàn le, tā shuō zài Xī'ān Fàndiàn.

Yes. She said she is at Xi'an Hotel.

A

美美

Meimei

你去接她吗?

Nǐ qù jiē tā ma?

Will you go pick her up?

B

方方

Fangfang

去,我去西安饭店接她。

Qù, wǒ qù Xī'ān Fàndiàn jiē tā.

Yes, I will go to Xi'an Hotel to pick her up.

Name the person doing the action.
ongoing marker
正在
Shows the action is happening now.
ongoing action
看
Say the action in progress.

我正在看 (wǒ zhèngzài kàn) means I am looking right now; it does not yet say whether I successfully see the person.

Separate activity from result

Use the simple activity verb with 正在 (zhèngzài), then use the result verb when seeing or hearing succeeds.

listening in progress
正在听
正在 (zhèngzài) combines with 听 (tīng), the activity.
hearing succeeded
听见了
听见 (tīngjiàn) reports the result, so it appears with the completed-event pattern instead.

我正在听 (wǒ zhèngzài tīng) is the ongoing activity; 我听见王老师了 (wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le) reports the achieved result.

Forms
Looking now

正在 (zhèngzài) comes before the action.

我正在看飞机。

Wǒ zhèngzài kàn fēijī.

I am looking at the plane.

Listening now

Use 正在 (zhèngzài) with the activity verb 听 (tīng) while listening is in progress.

我正在听。

Wǒ zhèngzài tīng.

I am listening now.

Successful hearing result

听见 (tīngjiàn) says the listening succeeded; use the completed-result pattern, not 正在 (zhèngzài) + 听见 (tīngjiàn).

我听见王老师了。

Wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le.

I heard Teacher Wang.

Examples

还没有,我正在看。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zhèngzài kàn.

Not yet. I am looking now.

我正在听。

Wǒ zhèngzài tīng.

I am listening now.

我听见王老师了。

Wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le.

I heard Teacher Wang.

In the dialogues

Dialogue 02: Looking for Teacher Wang at the Airport, Turn 4

Looking now

还没有,我正在看。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zhèngzài kàn.

Not yet. I am looking now.

Why it matters

正在 (zhèngzài) shows the looking is still in progress.

Focus

正在ongoing marker看ongoing action
Full explanation

Put 正在 (zhèngzài) before an activity that is happening now: 我正在看 (wǒ zhèngzài kàn) means ‘I am looking,’ and 我正在听 (wǒ zhèngzài tīng) means ‘I am listening.’

Keep the activity and its result separate. 看 (kàn) and 听 (tīng) name what the person is doing; 看见 (kànjiàn) and 听见 (tīngjiàn) say that the person successfully sees or hears something. In this lesson, use 正在看 (zhèngzài kàn) or 正在听 (zhèngzài tīng) for the ongoing attempt, then use 看见了 (kànjiàn le) or 听见了 (tīngjiàn le) when the result happens. Do not build the Level 1 model with 正在看见 (zhèngzài kànjiàn) or 正在听见 (zhèngzài tīngjiàn).

02

Ask Whether Something Happened—and Answer

Negating and questioning past actions

Ask whether an event happened with verb + 了 (le) + 吗 (ma). Answer with verb + 了 (le) if it happened, or 没有 (méiyǒu) + verb if it did not.

Patterns

Ask whether the event happened

Checks whether an action or result has happened by now.

subject
你
Name the person whose action you are asking about.
event being checked
看见王老师
Say the event whose completion matters.
completed-event question
了吗
Combines 了 (le) with 吗 (ma) to ask whether it happened.

你看见王老师了吗? (Nǐ kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le ma?) asks whether Teacher Wang has been seen yet.

Give a positive or negative answer

Confirm the event with 了 (le), or negate it with 没有 (méiyǒu).

event happened
听见了
Repeat the verb and add 了 (le).
event has not happened yet
还没有
Use 没有 (méiyǒu), not 不 (bù), and omit 了 (le).

还没有 (hái méiyǒu) can stand alone when the missing verb is clear from the question.

Forms
Ask about a completed result

了吗 (le ma) asks whether the seeing result has happened by now.

你看见王老师了吗?

Nǐ kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le ma?

Have you seen Teacher Wang?

Answer not yet

还没有 (hái méiyǒu) gives the negative answer; the following sentence explains what is happening now.

还没有,我正在看。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zhèngzài kàn.

Not yet. I am looking now.

Answer that it happened

The verb phrase names the result, and 了 (le) confirms that it happened.

Examples

你看见王老师了吗?

Nǐ kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le ma?

Have you seen Teacher Wang?

我没有看见王老师。

Wǒ méiyǒu kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī.

I have not seen Teacher Wang.

我听见王老师了。

Wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le.

I heard Teacher Wang.

In the dialogues

Dialogue 02: Looking for Teacher Wang at the Airport, Turn 3

Ask whether Teacher Wang has been seen

你看见王老师了吗?

Nǐ kànjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le ma?

Have you seen Teacher Wang?

Why it matters

The speaker uses 了吗 (le ma) to check whether the result has happened.

Focus

看见王老师event being checked了吗completed-event question

Dialogue 02: Looking for Teacher Wang at the Airport, Turn 4

Answer not yet

还没有,我正在看。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ zhèngzài kàn.

Not yet. I am looking now.

Full explanation

Use subject + verb + 了 (le) + 吗 (ma) to ask whether an event has happened by now. This is not a general past-tense ending: the question checks whether the event occurred or reached its result. In a positive answer, repeat the verb and add 了 (le). In a negative answer, put 没有 (méiyǒu) before the verb and leave out 了 (le). When the verb is already clear from the question, 还没有 (hái méiyǒu) is a complete short answer meaning ‘not yet.’

03

Say the Route and the Purpose in One Sentence

Serial route and pickup action

Put related travel actions in their real order under one subject: say how or where someone goes, then say the action they go there to do.

Patterns

Say method plus destination

Chains a transport action with going to a place.

transport action
坐飞机
Say how the person travels.
route verb
去
Introduces the destination.
destination
西安
Name where the person is going.

坐飞机去西安 (zuò fēijī qù Xī’ān) says the person flies to Xi'an.

Say where you go and why

Chains a route with the purpose action performed at the destination.

who
我
Name the person doing the pickup.
go to destination
去西安饭店
First say where the subject goes.
pickup action
接
Then say what the subject goes there to do.
person picked up
她
Forms
Taxi to airport

The transport action comes before 去 (qù) plus destination.

我坐出租车去机场。

Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù jīchǎng.

I take a taxi to the airport.

Go somewhere to pick someone up

The route comes first; 接她 (jiē tā) gives the purpose of going there.

我去西安饭店接她。

Wǒ qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn jiē tā.

I am going to Xi'an Hotel to pick her up.

Examples

我坐飞机去西安。

Wǒ zuò fēijī qù Xī’ān.

I take a plane to Xi'an.

我去机场接王老师。

Wǒ qù jīchǎng jiē Wáng lǎoshī.

I am going to the airport to pick up Teacher Wang.

我去西安饭店接她。

Wǒ qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn jiē tā.

I am going to Xi'an Hotel to pick her up.

In the dialogues

Dialogue 01: Going to the Airport, Turn 2

Taxi to airport

我坐出租车去机场。

Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù jīchǎng.

I am taking a taxi to the airport.

Why it matters

The travel method comes before 去 (qù) plus the destination.

Focus

坐出租车transport action去route verb机场destination

Dialogue 04: Hearing Where to Meet, Turn 4

Go to the hotel to pick her up

接,我去西安饭店接她。

Jiē, wǒ qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn jiē tā.

Full explanation

Chinese can place connected verb phrases one after another when the same person performs the whole sequence. To say the travel method, use 坐 (zuò) + transport + 去 (qù) + destination. To add the purpose, use 去 (qù) + place + action + object, as in 我去西安饭店接她 (wǒ qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn jiē tā): first I go to the hotel, and the purpose is to pick her up. These are connected route-and-purpose chains, not unrelated actions separated by a comma.

我听见王老师了。

Wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le.

I heard Teacher Wang.

Why it matters

还没有 (hái méiyǒu) means the event has not happened yet; the omitted verb is understood from the question.

Focus

还没有not-yet answer正在看current action

Dialogue 04: Hearing Where to Meet, Turn 2

Confirm that the result happened

听,我听见王老师了。

Tīng, wǒ tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le.

Yes, I heard Teacher Wang.

Why it matters

听见王老师了 (tīngjiàn Wáng lǎoshī le) confirms that the hearing result happened.

Focus

听见王老师completed result了event happened
Name the person being picked up.

我去西安饭店接她 (Wǒ qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn jiē tā) means I go to Xi'an Hotel in order to pick her up.

Yes, I am going to Xi'an Hotel to pick her up.

Why it matters

去西安饭店 (qù Xī’ān Fàndiàn) gives the route, and 接她 (jiē tā) gives the purpose.

Focus

去西安饭店route to destination接她purpose action