HSK 1Lesson 7
This lesson follows a student who prepares in a company Chinese class and then uses that Chinese with Doctor Hu. The student reads and writes Chinese first, then answers Doctor Hu's question about speaking Chinese.
You will learn to prepare in company Chinese class, then use simple Chinese when speaking with Doctor Hu.
Prepare in company Chinese class, then use simple Chinese when speaking with Doctor Hu.
Part 1 · 18 new words
Contains 4 words
to read
to read; to study
book
class; lesson
Contains 4 words
to write
Chinese character
Contains 6 words
work; to work
company
Contains 4 words
can; know how to
to speak; to say
Part 2 · 9 phrases
你有中文课吗？
Do you have Chinese class?
公司有中文课。
The company has Chinese class.
我读书，写汉字。
I study and write Chinese characters.
我们读中文。
We read Chinese.
胡医生，你好。
Hello, Doctor Hu.
很好。你会说中文吗？
Very good. Can you speak Chinese?
你会说中文吗？
Can you speak Chinese?
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Two classmates establish that one has Chinese class and what she can write.
美美Meimei
你有中文课吗？
Do you have Chinese class?
方方Fangfang
有，我有中文课。
Yes, I have Chinese class.
美美Meimei
你会写汉字吗？
Part 4 · 2 points
Modal verbs
Use 会huì before an action to say someone has learned how to do it.
Person plus 会 (huì) plus action
Says what someone has learned how to do.
character; written word
Chinese language; written Chinese
matter; thing to do
doctor
hospital
Doctor Hu
to speak; to talk
a little bit
I can speak a little Chinese.
我们说中文。
Let's speak Chinese.
Can you write Chinese characters?
方方Fangfang
会，我会写一点儿汉字。
Yes, I can write a few Chinese characters.
Two classmates check reading ability and decide to read a Chinese book together.
美美Meimei
你会读汉字吗？
Can you read Chinese characters?
方方Fangfang
会，我会读一点儿。
Yes, I can read a little.
美美Meimei
我们读中文书，好吗？
Shall we read a Chinese book?
方方Fangfang
好，我们读书。
Okay, let's read.
A student confirms both a doctor's identity and the specific hospital affiliation needed.
美美Meimei
你是胡医生吗？
Are you Doctor Hu?
胡医生Doctor Hu
是，我是胡医生。
Yes, I am Doctor Hu.
美美Meimei
你是北京医院的医生吗？
Are you a doctor at Beijing Hospital?
胡医生Doctor Hu
是，我是北京医院的医生。
Yes, I am a doctor at Beijing Hospital.
Two classmates check whether one is free, then decide to talk in Chinese.
美美Meimei
你有事吗？
Do you have something to do?
方方Fangfang
没事。
No, I am free.
美美Meimei
我们说一点儿中文，好吗？
Shall we speak a little Chinese?
方方Fangfang
好，我们说中文。
Okay, let's speak Chinese.
我会说一点儿中文wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén and 我会写汉字wǒ huì xiě Hànzì place two different learned actions after 会huì.
In sentences
Ask about speaking ability
你会说中文吗？
Can you speak Chinese?
Use 会huì before the speaking action, then add 吗ma for the question.
Answer with limited ability
我会说一点儿中文。
I can speak a little Chinese.
一点儿yìdiǎnr makes the ability modest: a little Chinese.
A different learned action
我会写汉字。
I can write Chinese characters.
会huì shows that writing Chinese characters is a learned ability.
Plain action contrast
我写汉字。
I write Chinese characters.
Without 会huì, the sentence reports the action but does not state learned ability.
会huì is useful for learned abilities. In this lesson, it appears before speaking actions, as in 我会说一点儿中文Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén, and it can also precede another learned action, as in 我会写汉字wǒ huì xiě Hànzì.
Use 会huì when the ability comes from learning or practice. Compare 我写汉字wǒ xiě Hànzì, which simply says that I write Chinese characters, with 我会写汉字wǒ huì xiě Hànzì, which says I have learned how to write them. The action comes after 会huì, and 一点儿yìdiǎnr can make the ability smaller or more modest.
Coordinating related actions with one subject
When the same person does two related actions, say the person once and place both action phrases after it.
Say the person once
Combine two related actions performed by the same person.
Both actions belong to 我wǒ, so the subject is understood before 写汉字xiě Hànzì.
In sentences
Combined answer: one subject
我读书，写汉字。
I study and write Chinese characters.
The speaker does both study actions, so the second action follows directly.
Contrast: two separate statements
我读书。我写汉字。
I read. I write Chinese characters.
Repeating 我wǒ makes two separate statements. Combine them when they form one answer about the same activity.
我们读中文，写汉字。
We read Chinese and write Chinese characters.
The two actions in 我读书，写汉字wǒ dú shū, xiě Hànzì share the subject 我wǒ. Chinese does not need to repeat 我wǒ before 写汉字xiě Hànzì because the listener already knows who performs the second action.
This lesson coordinates two study actions; it does not claim that the first action causes, enables, or gives the purpose of the second. Compare two separate statements, 我读书。我写汉字。Wǒ dú shū. Wǒ xiě Hànzì., with the combined version, 我读书，写汉字。Wǒ dú shū, xiě Hànzì.. Use the combined form when the actions belong together in the same answer.
有。我读书，写汉字。
Yes. I study and write Chinese characters.
读书first action写汉字second action
Why it matters · The second sentence repeats the same two related study actions.
