HSK 2Lesson 13
This lesson moves between students preparing a New Year gift, a classroom writing correction, and Annie giving Bai Jiayue a new notebook.
Talk about New Year gifts, classroom writing, online shopping, and small differences in price or amount.
The learner will be able to understand and use comparative sentences to explain specific differences between things, as well as slight differences. They will master the use of double-object sentences to express meanings such as giving.
Part 1 · 13 new words
Contains 3 words
New Year
flower
to hope; hope
Contains 6 words
to teach
on top of; on
Contains 4 words
possible; possibly
to go online; to use the internet
Part 2 · 12 phrases
新年就要到了。
New Year is almost here.
王老师教我们中文。
Teacher Wang teaches us Chinese.
我们给她准备个新年礼物吧。
Let's prepare a New Year gift for her.
王老师喜欢花，就送给她花吧。
Teacher Wang likes flowers, so let's give her flowers.
希望花店还有漂亮的花。
I hope the flower shop still has beautiful flowers.
今天的词比昨天多了十个。
Today has ten more words than yesterday.
你们在本子上面写。
Write on your notebooks.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
In the classroom, Bai Jiayue and Chen Tian talk about Teacher Wang and a New Year gift.
白家月Bai Jiayue
时间过得真快啊！新年就要到了。
Time is passing so fast! New Year is almost here.
陈天Chen Tian
这一年王老师教我们中文，她教得很好。
This year Teacher Wang taught us Chinese, and she teaches very well.
Part 4 · 3 points
Comparative Sentences (7)
Put a number-and-measure phrase after the comparison result to say exactly how much A differs from B.
Measure the exact gap
First state which direction A differs from B, then give the precise amount.
restroom; washroom
inside
stroke; pen
class
that way; like that
to tell
它里面是“日”，不是“口”。
Inside it is '日', not '口'.
“日”比“口”多一笔。
'日' has one more stroke than '口'.
比我们一起买的那个本子贵一点儿。
It is a little more expensive than the notebook we bought together.
我是上网买的。
I bought it online.
她告诉我是在网上买的。
She told me it was bought online.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我们给她准备个新年礼物吧，送花怎么样？
Let's prepare a New Year gift for her. How about giving flowers?
陈天Chen Tian
那我们去花店看看，现在买花的人多，希望花店还有漂亮的花。
Then let's go look at the flower shop. There are many people buying flowers now, so I hope the flower shop still has beautiful flowers.
In class, Bai Jiayue shows Teacher Wang a specific mistake in 间 (jiān) and learns how 日 (rì) distinguishes it from 问 (wèn).
白家月Bai Jiayue
王老师，“洗手间”的“间”我写错了。
Teacher Wang, I wrote the jiān in xǐshǒujiān incorrectly.
王老师Teacher Wang
你里面写的是什么？
What did you write inside it?
白家月Bai Jiayue
我里面写的是“口”。
I wrote kǒu inside it.
王老师Teacher Wang
里面是“日”；“日”比“口”多一笔。
The inside is rì. Rì has one more stroke than kǒu.
In the classroom, Annie shows Bai Jiayue a notebook, explains that she bought two online, and gives one as a New Year gift.
安妮Annie
家月，你觉得这个本子怎么样？
Jiayue, what do you think of this notebook?
白家月Bai Jiayue
很漂亮，你在哪儿买的？
It's very pretty. Where did you buy it?
安妮Annie
我上网买了两个，想送你一个做新年礼物。
I bought two online and want to give you one as a New Year gift.
白家月Bai Jiayue
真的吗？谢谢，我很喜欢这个礼物。
Really? Thank you. I really like this gift.
After the flowers are bought, Bai Jiayue and Chen Tian decide when to give them to Teacher Wang and divide the remaining tasks.
白家月Bai Jiayue
花已经买好了。什么时候送王老师花？
The flowers have been bought. When should we give Teacher Wang the flowers?
陈天Chen Tian
明天上课的时候送吧。
Let's give them to her during class tomorrow.
白家月Bai Jiayue
好，我拿着花。你告诉班里的同学吧。
Okay, I will bring the flowers. Tell the classmates.
陈天Chen Tian
好，我现在就告诉他们。
Okay, I'll tell them now.
The exact amount comes last: say 多一笔duō yì bǐ, not 一笔多yì bǐ duō.
In sentences
Exact number difference
今天的词比昨天多了十个。
Today has ten more words than yesterday.
十个shí ge measures the exact difference after 多了duō le.
Exact stroke difference
日比口多一笔。
日 has one more stroke than 口.
一笔yì bǐ states the precise written difference.
Use A + 比bǐ + B + adjective or quantity word + number-and-measure phrase when the difference is exact. In 今天的词比昨天多了十个jīntiān de cí bǐ zuótiān duō le shí ge, 多了duō le gives the direction of the difference and 十个shí ge gives its exact size. In 日比口多一笔rì bǐ kǒu duō yì bǐ, 一笔yì bǐ is the exact written difference. Put the quantity after 多duō, 大dà, 早zǎo, or the other comparison result—not before it.
Double-Object Sentences (2)
With verbs such as 送sòng, 送给sòng gěi, and 告诉gàosu, put the receiver immediately after the verb and the thing or information after the receiver.
Receiver before content
The first object is the person who receives; the second is what that person receives.
Keep the two roles separate: in 送你一个sòng nǐ yí ge, 你nǐ is the receiver and 一个yí ge is the gift.
In sentences
Give someone a thing
安妮送给我一个新本子。
Annie gave me a new notebook.
我wǒ receives 一个新本子yí ge xīn běnzi.
Tell someone information
她告诉我是在网上买的。
She told me it was bought online.
我wǒ receives the information that follows.
送你一个。
I will give you one.
A double-object sentence has a recipient object and a content object. In 安妮送给我一个新本子Ānnī sòng gěi wǒ yí ge xīn běnzi, 我wǒ is the receiver and 一个新本子yí ge xīn běnzi is the gift. In 她告诉我是在网上买的tā gàosu wǒ shì zài wǎngshàng mǎi de, 我wǒ receives the information 是在网上买的shì zài wǎngshàng mǎi de. The order is fixed for this model: receiver first, content second. Not every verb accepts two objects, so use the pattern with learned transfer verbs such as 送sòng and 告诉gàosu, rather than attaching two objects to any action verb.
Comparative Sentences (8)
Put 一点儿yìdiǎnr or 一些yìxiē after the adjective in a 比bǐ sentence to say the difference is small.
A small, inexact difference
Compare one quality and show that the gap is only slight.
Place 一点儿yìdiǎnr after the adjective: 贵一点儿guì yìdiǎnr, not 一点儿贵yìdiǎnr guì in this comparison frame.
In sentences
A little more expensive
这个本子比那个本子贵一点儿。
This notebook is a little more expensive than that notebook.
一点儿yìdiǎnr marks a small price difference.
A little larger
那间教室比这间大一些。
That classroom is a little larger than this one.
一些yìxiē has the same small-difference function after 大dà.
Use A + 比bǐ + B + adjective + 一点儿/一些yìdiǎnr/yìxiē when A and B differ only a little. In 这个本子比那个本子贵一点儿zhège běnzi bǐ nàge běnzi guì yìdiǎnr, the adjective 贵guì names the price difference and 一点儿yìdiǎnr limits its size. This is different from Comparative Sentences (7): an exact phrase such as 十个shí ge measures a precise gap, while 一点儿/一些yìdiǎnr/yìxiē deliberately leaves the small gap inexact.
Dialogue 4 · Organizing the Class Gift · Turn 3
Retell the small difference
她告诉我是在网上买的，比我的本子贵一点儿。
She told me it was bought online and is a little more expensive than my notebook.
比我的本子comparison standard贵一点儿small difference
Why it matters · The same adjective + 一点儿yìdiǎnr ending transfers to a shorter comparison standard.
