HSK 3Lesson 14
It is the Friday before the holiday week and Xiaoxue is flying home. Annie and Yixue go with her to the airport. She nearly forgets her mother's gift, the flight is delayed three hours, and Annie remembers her own first day in Beijing.
You will learn to get ready for a trip, check a ticket, talk about a delayed flight, say before and after, and describe doing two things at once.
Part 1 · 13 new words
Contains 6 words
to set off; to start (on a journey)
to bring; to take along; to carry
to check tickets; ticket check
(of an aircraft) to take off
(of trains etc) late; delayed
to arrive late
Contains 4 words
to depart; to leave
place; site
Contains 3 words
at last; in the end
before; formerly
Part 2 · 10 phrases
明天要出发了，别忘了带护照和手机。
We set off tomorrow, so don’t forget to bring your passport and phone.
我们早点儿去检票，就不会迟到了。
If we go through the ticket check early, we won’t be late.
飞机晚点了，三点的飞机，五点才起飞。
The plane is delayed: the three o’clock flight only takes off at five.
孩子不想离开妈妈，哭了很长时间。
The child didn’t want to leave his mother and cried for a long time.
见面的地点在地铁站附近，很好找。
The meeting place is near the subway station and easy to find.
考试终于完了，晚上我要好好睡一觉。
The exam is finally over, and tonight I’m going to sleep properly.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
On Friday afternoon, before the holiday week, Yixue and Annie help Xiaoxue pack in her room. Her flight home is at three.
王一雪Wang Yixue
小雪，快点儿，要出发了！机票、手机、行李，你都带了吗？
Xiaoxue, hurry, we’re setting off! Ticket, phone, luggage, have you brought them all?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
都带了。啊，还有给我妈妈的礼物，我忘在桌子上了！
All here. Oh, and the gift for my mom, I left it on the desk!
Part 4 · 3 points
离开、完成、分开
离开líkāi is to leave a place or person, 分开fēnkāi to separate, and 完wán after a verb says it is finished.
Verb + 开 / 完
开kāi adds the meaning of away or apart, 完wán the meaning of finished.
nearby; neighboring; (in the) vicinity (of); neighborhood
at one's side; on hand
after; later
来北京以前，我一个汉字也不会写。
Before I came to Beijing I couldn’t write a single character.
到了机场以后，请给我打个电话。
After you reach the airport, please phone me.
我一个人在外地，身边没有一个朋友。
I am alone in another city, with not a single friend by my side.
妈妈笑着对我说：路上小心。
Mom said to me with a smile: be careful on the road.
安妮Annie
我拿着呢！我在你桌子上看见的。
I’m holding it! I saw it on your desk.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
太好了！谢谢你，安妮！
Wonderful! Thank you, Annie!
王一雪Wang Yixue
走着说吧，坐地铁要一个小时。
Let’s talk on the way; the subway takes an hour.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
好，走着说。安妮，你拿着礼物走，别丢了。
Okay, talk while walking. Annie, carry the gift and don’t lose it.
安妮Annie
放心！我拿着礼物，一雪拿着行李，你拿着手机就行。
Don’t worry! I’ll hold the gift, Yixue the luggage, and you just hold your phone.
The three of them step into the busy airport. Xiaoxue has not flown alone for a while and feels nervous.
王一雪Wang Yixue
机场到了，这里人好多，我们说好一个地点，走丢了就去那儿。
We’re at the airport and it’s full of people. Let’s fix a place to meet if we get separated.
安妮Annie
就在那家咖啡店附近吧，大家都看得见。
How about near that coffee shop, where everyone can see it?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你们别离开我，这里人太多，我怕找不到你们。
Don’t leave me; it’s so crowded that I’m afraid I won’t find you.
王一雪Wang Yixue
放心，我们不会离开你的。你看，那家店很好找。
Don’t worry, we won’t leave you. Look, that shop is easy to find.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
好。如果走丢了，我就去那家店等你们。
Okay. If we get separated, I’ll wait for you at that shop.
安妮Annie
那就一块儿走！
Then let’s walk together!
At the ticket check by the entrance Xiaoxue arrives almost too late. A staff member checks her ticket.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
您好，我的飞机三点起飞，现在还能检票吗？
Hello, my flight takes off at three. Can I still check in?
工作人员Staff member
快点儿，你几乎迟到了。机票给我看看。
Quickly, you almost missed it. Let me see your ticket.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
给您。对不起，路上人太多，我们来晚了。
Here you are. Sorry, there were so many people on the way that we came late.
工作人员Staff member
好了，你的票没有问题。不过你看那边，你的飞机晚点了。
All good, your ticket is fine. But look over there, your flight is delayed.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
什么？晚点多长时间？
What? How long is the delay?
工作人员Staff member
三个小时。
Three hours.
王一雪Wang Yixue
三个小时！小雪，我们跟你一块儿等。
Three hours! Xiaoxue, we’ll wait with you.
While Xiaoxue waits for her delayed flight, the three friends sit down to eat. Annie thinks back to her own first day.
王一雪Wang Yixue
还要等三个小时，我们去吃点儿东西吧。我给你买了面包。
There are three hours to wait, so let’s get something to eat. I bought you bread.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
谢谢！你什么时候买的？
Thanks! When did you buy it?
王一雪Wang Yixue
今天早上。你回家以后，就吃不到北京的面包了。
This morning. After you go home, you won’t be able to get Beijing bread.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
终于要回家了，可是离开你们，我有点儿难过。
I’m finally going home, but I’m a bit sad to leave you.
安妮Annie
三个星期以前，我第一次来这个机场，只认识来接我的一雪。
Three weeks ago I came to this airport for the first time, knowing only Yixue, who picked me up.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
现在呢？
And now?
安妮Annie
现在我身边有你们，我觉得这里就是我的家了。
Now I have you by my side, and I feel this is my home.
In the second scene Xiaoxue says 你们别离开我nǐmen bié líkāi wǒ: she asks them not to go away from her.
In sentences
离开: leave
她明天离开北京，回家过假期。
She leaves Beijing tomorrow to spend the holiday at home.
The place or person follows directly.
分开: separate
我们在地铁站分开，她回学校，我去机场。
We separated at the subway station: she went back to school and I went to the airport.
Two people or things parting.
完: finished
饭吃完了，我们走吧。
The meal is done, so let’s go.
After a verb.
这两个孩子每天都在一起，分不开。
These two kids are together every day and can’t be separated.
A：饭吃完了吗？ B：还没呢，再等五分钟。
A: Are you done eating? B: Not yet, give me five more minutes.
小雪不想离开朋友们，可是她要回家了。
Xiaoxue didn’t want to leave her friends, but she had to go home.
开kāi after a verb can say "away" or "apart": 离开líkāi is to leave a place or a person, and 分开fēnkāi is to separate. 完wán after a verb says that the action is finished: 吃完chī wán, 写完xiě wán. 离开líkāi takes its object directly: 离开北京líkāi Běijīng, 离开妈妈líkāi māma. For a person who cannot be separated from another use 分不开fēn bu kāi. The key constraint is to keep 离开líkāi (leave) apart from 离lí (away from): 我家离学校很远wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn yuǎn measures a distance. A common mistake is to use 离开líkāi for it: ✗ 我家离开学校很远wǒ jiā líkāi xuéxiào hěn yuǎn; say ✓ 我家离学校很远wǒ jiā lí xuéxiào hěn yuǎn. And ✗ 他离北京了tā lí Běijīng le; say ✓ 他离开北京了tā líkāi Běijīng le.
（在）……以前/以后/前/后
Put 以前yǐqián or 以后yǐhòu after a time or an event to say before it or after it.
Time or event + 以前 / 以后
以前yǐqián after a time or event means before it; 以后yǐhòu means after it.
In the last scene Annie says 三个星期以前sān ge xīngqī yǐqián: three weeks ago, when she arrived.
In sentences
以前: before, ago
来北京以前，我不会说汉语。
Before I came to Beijing I couldn’t speak Chinese.
After an event.
以后: after
吃完饭以后，我们走吧。
After we finish eating, let’s go.
After an event.
下课以后，我们一块儿去吃饭吧。
After class let’s go eat together.
三个星期以前，安妮第一次来到北京。
Three weeks ago, Annie came to Beijing for the first time.
A：你什么时候回家？ B：考试完了以后。
A: When are you going home? B: After the exams.
假期前，小雪要回家看妈妈。
Before the holiday, Xiaoxue will go home to see her mother.
三天后就是假期了，大家都很高兴。
The holiday starts in three days and everybody is happy.
以前yǐqián means before and 以后yǐhòu means after. They follow a time word or a whole event: 三个星期以前sān ge xīngqī yǐqián (three weeks ago), 吃饭以后chīfàn yǐhòu (after the meal), 来北京以前lái Běijīng yǐqián. By itself, 以前yǐqián means in the past and 以后yǐhòu means from now on. The shorter 前qián and 后hòu do the same job after a time word: 三天前sān tiān qián, 三天后sān tiān hòu. The key constraint is direction: 以前yǐqián looks back and
动词1+着+动词2
Put 着zhe after the first verb to say it goes on while the second verb happens: 走着说zǒu zhe shuō.
Verb 1 + 着 + verb 2
The first action continues while the second happens.
On the way to the airport Yixue says 走着说吧zǒu zhe shuō ba: let's talk while we walk.
In sentences
Holding
他拿着手机走路。
He walks holding his phone.
Verb 1 is a way of holding.
Manner
妈妈笑着说话。
Mom speaks smiling.
Verb 1 is how the action is done.
他拿着手机走路，要小心马路上的车。
He walks holding his phone, so he must watch for cars on the road.
孩子们站着吃冰激凌，笑得很开心。
The kids stand eating ice cream and laugh happily.
A：你们怎么站着等？ B：这里没有椅子，只能站着。
A: Why are you waiting standing? B: There are no chairs here, so we have to stand.
老人坐着喝茶，孩子们跑着玩儿。
The old man sits drinking tea while the kids run and play.
安妮拿着礼物走，一雪拿着行李跟在后边。
Annie walks holding the gift and Yixue follows with the luggage.
The pattern is verb 1 + 着zhe + verb 2. The first verb is a continuing state or manner, and the second verb is the main action: 拿着礼物走ná zhe lǐwù zǒu (walk holding the gift), 笑着说xiào zhe shuō (say with a smile), 站着等zhàn zhe děng (wait standing). Both verbs have the same subject. The first verb must be one that can last: 坐zuò, 站zhàn, 拿ná, 笑xiào, 走zǒu, 看kàn, not a one-moment action such as 到dào. The key constraint is that 着zhe is not combined with
三个星期以前，我第一次来这个机场，只认识来接我的一雪。
Three weeks ago I came to this airport for the first time, knowing only Yixue, who picked me up.
Why it matters · 三个星期以前sān ge xīngqī yǐqián: 以前yǐqián after a time means ago.
Let’s talk on the way; the subway takes an hour.
Why it matters · 走着说zǒu zhe shuō: walking goes on while they talk.
