HSK 1Lesson 20
You have the wrong number, need to borrow a phone, or need to call someone back. These short conversations show how to solve each problem and keep the people and information clear.
You will learn to find and check a phone number, say who you want to call, and pass a phone or number to someone.
Talk about activities, phone or computer use, knowing or finding people, and simple service follow-up requests.
Part 1 · 18 new words
Contains 4 words
play
sing
do; make
cook
Contains 5 words
make a phone call
telephone
Contains 5 words
girlfriend
boyfriend
Contains 4 words
again; once more
ordinal prefix
Part 2 · 12 phrases
喂，你好。
Hello.
第一个号码不对。
The first number is wrong.
这个号码是她给你的吗？
Did she give you this number?
我给你这个号码吧。
I'll give you this number.
我给王老师打电话。
I'll call Teacher Wang.
我给你我的手机。
I'll give you my phone.
她正在做饭。
She is cooking.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Fangfang calls Meimei because the first phone number she tried for Teacher Wang is wrong.
方方Fangfang
喂，美美，第一个号码不对。
Hello, Meimei. The first number is wrong.
美美Meimei
我还有一个号码。
I have another number.
方方Fangfang
Part 4 · 4 points
Recipient marker 给 before actions
Put 给gěi before a person and then say the action: 给gěi + person + action.
Direct an action to someone
Names the person who receives the following action.
mobile phone
computer
hello (on phone)
to know (a person); to recognize
to know (a fact or information)
to look for
give
number
Call her again this evening.
你认识他吗？
Do you know him?
你知道他的电话号码吗？
Do you know his phone number?
我在玩电脑。
I am playing on the computer.
她在唱歌。
She is singing.
Did Teacher Wang give you this number?
美美Meimei
对，是她给我的。我给你这个号码吧。
Yes, she gave it to me. I'll give you this number.
At home, Fangfang asks Meimei for the mobile phone because she needs to call Teacher Wang.
方方Fangfang
美美，你的手机呢？我想打电话。
Meimei, where is your phone? I want to make a call.
美美Meimei
在我这儿。你要给谁打电话？
I have it here. Who do you want to call?
方方Fangfang
我给王老师打电话。
I'll call Teacher Wang.
美美Meimei
好，我给你我的手机。
Okay, I'll give you my phone.
Fangfang calls Meimei's home for Meimei's older brother, but he is busy cooking.
方方Fangfang
喂，美美，你哥哥在吗？
Hello, Meimei. Is your older brother there?
美美Meimei
在，他正在做饭，现在很忙。
He is here, but he is cooking and is busy right now.
方方Fangfang
他什么时候有时间？
When is he free?
美美Meimei
你晚上再给他打电话吧。
Call him again this evening.
At school, two classmates identify a visible man and establish his relationship to Teacher Wang.
方方Fangfang
你认识那个人吗？
Do you know that person?
美美Meimei
认识。你找他吗？
Yes. Are you looking for him?
方方Fangfang
对。他是王老师的男朋友吗？
Yes. Is he Teacher Wang's boyfriend?
美美Meimei
对，他是王老师的男朋友。
Yes, he is Teacher Wang's boyfriend.
我给王老师打电话wǒ gěi Wáng lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà means ‘I call Teacher Wang.’
In sentences
Call Teacher Wang
我给王老师打电话。
I call Teacher Wang.
The person being called comes between 给gěi and 打电话dǎ diànhuà.
Call her
我想给她打电话。
I want to call her.
想xiǎng can come before the complete 给gěi + person + action phrase.
你晚上再给她打电话吧。
Call her again this evening.
Use 给gěi before a person when the following action is directed to that person. In 我给王老师打电话wǒ gěi Wáng lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà, 王老师Wáng lǎoshī receives the call and 打电话dǎ diànhuà is the action. Keep this order: subject + 给gěi + person + action.
Look after the person to identify the structure. If another action follows, as in 给王老师打电话gěi Wáng lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà, 给gěi marks who receives that action. If a thing follows, as in 给你号码gěi nǐ hàomǎ, 给gěi is the verb ‘give.’
Emphasising details with 是…的
When an action is already known, put 是shì before the detail you are checking and 的de after the action.
Check one detail of a known action
Keeps the action in the background and puts attention on who did it.
Add 吗ma after 的de to make a yes-or-no question.
In sentences
Ask who gave the number
这个号码是王老师给你的吗？
Did Teacher Wang give you this number?
The giving is already understood; the question checks the giver.
Confirm who gave it
是她给我的。
She was the one who gave it to me.
The answer keeps the giver in focus and leaves out the already clear number.
她是我的女朋友。
She is my girlfriend.
Use 是...的shì...de when both speakers already know that something happened and you want to identify one detail about it. In the dialogue, this phone number already exists and Meimei already has it. 这个号码是王老师给你的吗？Zhège hàomǎ shì Wáng lǎoshī gěi nǐ de ma? does not ask whether a number was given; it asks whether 王老师Wáng lǎoshī was the person who gave it.
Build the question as subject + 是shì + focused detail + known action + 的de + 吗ma. Here, 这个号码zhège hàomǎ is the known subject, 王老师Wáng lǎoshī is the detail being checked, and 给你gěi nǐ is the known action. 是shì opens the focus and 的
Ordinal 第
Put 第dì before a number to turn it into an order word: 第dì + number + measure word + noun.
Name an item by its order
Changes a number into first, second, and similar order words.
第一个号码dì yī ge hàomǎ means ‘the first number.’
In sentences
The first number
第一个号码
the first number
第dì marks order; 个ge remains before 号码hàomǎ.
第一个号码不对。
The first number is wrong.
Use 第dì when you mean first, second, or another position in an order. Put 第dì directly before the number. Keep the normal measure word before the noun: 第一个号码dì yī ge hàomǎ, ‘the first number.’ Without 第dì, 一个号码yí ge hàomǎ means ‘one number,’ not ‘the first number.’
Double-object 给
Use subject + 给gěi + receiver + object to say who gets what.
Name who gets what
Uses 给gěi as the giving verb with a receiver and an object.
The receiver always comes before the object in this pattern.
In sentences
Give you my phone
我给你我的手机。
I'll give you my phone.
你nǐ is the receiver; 我的手机wǒ de shǒujī is the object.
Give you his number
我给你他的号码。
I'll give you his number.
The same receiver-before-object order works with information.
好，我给你我的手机。
Okay, I'll give you my phone.
知道，我给你他的号码。
Yes, I'll give you his number.
When 给gěi is the main verb ‘give,’ put the receiver first and the object second: subject + 给gěi + receiver + object. In 我给你我的手机wǒ gěi nǐ wǒ de shǒujī, 你nǐ is the receiver and 我的手机wǒ de shǒujī is the object. In 我给你他的号码wǒ gěi nǐ tā de hàomǎ, the same order tells us who gets the number.
Do not reverse the receiver and object. Also compare this pattern with 给gěi before an action: 我给你号码wǒ gěi nǐ hàomǎ means ‘I give you a number,’ because a thing follows 你nǐ; 我给你打电话wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà means ‘I call you,’ because an action follows 你nǐ.
Dialogue 4 · Identifying the Person · Turn 4
Provide the requested number
知道，我给你他的号码。
Yes, I'll give you his number.
给give verb你receiver他的号码object given
Why it matters · 你nǐ is the receiver, and 他的号码tā de hàomǎ is the requested object.
