Level 1 - Lesson 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.
Contains 4 words
play
sing
do; make
cook
Contains 5 words
Contains 5 words
Contains 4 words
喂，你好。
Wéi, nǐ hǎo.
Hello.
第一个号码不对。
Dì yī ge hàomǎ bú duì.
The first number is wrong.
这个号码是她给你的吗？
Zhège hàomǎ shì tā gěi nǐ de ma?
Did she give you this number?
我给你这个号码吧。
Wǒ gěi nǐ zhège hàomǎ ba.
I'll give you this number.
我给王老师打电话。
Wǒ gěi Wáng lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà.
I'll call Teacher Wang.
Situation: 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.
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.
make a phone call
telephone
mobile phone
computer
hello (on phone)
girlfriend
boyfriend
to know (a person); to recognize
to know (a fact or information)
to look for
again; once more
ordinal prefix
give
number
我给你我的手机。
Wǒ gěi nǐ wǒ de shǒujī.
I'll give you my phone.
她正在做饭。
Tā zhèngzài zuò fàn.
She is cooking.
你晚上再给她打电话吧。
Nǐ wǎnshang zài gěi tā dǎ diànhuà ba.
Call her again this evening.
你认识他吗？
Nǐ rènshi tā ma?
Do you know him?
你知道他的电话号码吗？
Nǐ zhīdao tā de diànhuà hàomǎ ma?
Do you know his phone number?
我在玩电脑。
Wǒ zài wán diànnǎo.
I am playing on the computer.
她在唱歌。
Tā zài chàng gē.
She is singing.
美美
Meimei
我还有一个号码。
I have another number.
方方
Fangfang
这个号码是王老师给你的吗？
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.
Situation: 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.
Situation: 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.
Situation: 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.’
The person being called comes between 给 (gěi) and 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà).
我给王老师打电话。
I call Teacher Wang.
想 (xiǎng) can come before the complete 给 (gěi) + person + action phrase.
我想给她打电话。
I want to call her.
我给王老师打电话。
I'll call Teacher Wang.
你晚上再给她打电话吧。
Call her again this evening.
Dialogue 02: Borrowing a Phone, Turn 3
Name the person being called
我给王老师打电话。
I'll call Teacher Wang.
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.
The giving is already understood; the question checks the giver.
这个号码是王老师给你的吗？
Did Teacher Wang give you this number?
The answer keeps the giver in focus and leaves out the already clear number.
是她给我的。
She was the one who gave it to me.
这个号码是王老师给你的吗？
Did Teacher Wang give you this number?
她是我的女朋友。
She is my girlfriend.
Dialogue 01: Getting the Correct Number, Turn 3
Check the source of the number
这个号码是王老师给你的吗？
Did Teacher Wang give you this number?
Dialogue 01: Getting the Correct Number, Turn 4
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 (de) closes it. In the answer 是她给我的 (shì tā gěi wǒ de), the number is not repeated because it is already clear. This 的 (de) is part of the 是...的 (shì...de) frame; it does not mean ‘her one.’
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.’
第 (dì) marks order; 个 (ge) remains before 号码 (hàomǎ).
第一个号码
the first number
第一个号码不对。
The first number is wrong.
Dialogue 01: Getting the Correct Number, Turn 1
Identify which number failed
喂，美美，第一个号码不对。
Hello, Meimei. 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.
你 (nǐ) is the receiver; 我的手机 (wǒ de shǒujī) is the object.
我给你我的手机。
I'll give you my phone.
The same receiver-before-object order works with information.
我给你他的号码。
I'll give you his number.
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.
Dialogue 02: Borrowing a Phone, Turn 4
Hand over the phone
好，我给你我的手机。
Okay, I'll give you my phone.
Dialogue 04: Identifying the Person, Turn 4
Provide the requested 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).
Confirm the giver
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.
Yes, I'll give you his number.
