Level 3 - Lesson 18
This lesson connects public events with practical conversation: reading about a program, deciding whether to join, answering after listening, arranging where to meet, welcoming a guest, and telling a short story.
Contains 7 words
newspaper
performance; to perform
competition; match
to participate; to join
to tell; to speak
program; show
story
Contains 4 words
time; occurrence of an action
Contains 5 words
meeting; conference
报纸上有节目
Bàozhǐ shàng yǒu jiémù
There is a program in the newspaper
看一遍报纸
Kàn yí biàn bàozhǐ
Read the newspaper once
参加比赛
Cānjiā bǐsài
Participate in a competition
看表演
Kàn biǎoyǎn
Watch a performance
再听一遍对话
Zài tīng yí biàn duìhuà
Listen to the dialogue one more time
Situation: Two students read a newspaper notice and decide whether to participate in an evening program.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
报纸上说今天晚上有节目。
The newspaper says there is a program tonight.
Separable verb-object words
Some actions, such as 见面 (jiànmiàn), 结婚 (jiéhūn), 帮忙 (bāngmáng), and 睡觉 (shuìjiào), contain a verb and an object. When you add aspect, frequency, duration, or a modifier, put that information between the verb and object.
Insert an aspect marker
Separate the verb from its object and place 了 (le) or 过 (guo) immediately after the verb.
dialogue; conversation
to answer; answer
to understand; to know how
to welcome
to meet; to see each other
to pick up; to meet and receive someone
street
回答问题
Huídá wèntí
Answer a question
参加会议
Cānjiā huìyì
Attend a meeting
懂得怎么回答
Dǒngde zěnme huídá
Know how to answer
在哪里见面
Zài nǎli jiànmiàn
Where to meet
欢迎你来
Huānyíng nǐ lái
You're welcome to come
接朋友
Jiē péngyou
Pick up a friend
街上见面
Jiē shàng jiànmiàn
Meet on the street
讲故事
Jiǎng gùshi
Tell a story
再讲一遍
Zài jiǎng yí biàn
Tell it one more time
王一雪
Wang Yixue
我看了一遍，有表演，也有比赛。
I read it once. There is a performance, and there is also a competition.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
我想参加比赛，再看一遍时间吧，我们几点见面？
I want to participate in the competition. Let's check the time again. What time should we meet?
王一雪
Wang Yixue
七点开始，我们六点半见面，见了面以后一起去。
It starts at seven. We will meet at six thirty and go together after we meet.
Situation: In a language class, Teacher Wang plays a dialogue about the competition, and Bai Jiayue asks to hear it again before answering.
王老师
Teacher Wang
听一遍对话：谁参加比赛？
Listen to the dialogue: who is participating in the competition?
白家月
Bai Jiayue
我没听懂，可以再听一遍吗？
I didn't understand it. Can I listen one more time?
王老师
Teacher Wang
可以，听完以后回答问题。
Yes. Answer the question after you finish listening.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
好，我再听一遍，然后回答。
Okay. I will listen one more time and then answer.
Situation: Before the program, a student invites a friend, sets the school meeting place, and confirms the friend's storytelling role.
刘明
Liu Ming
欢迎你来参加节目。
You're welcome to join the program.
朋友
Friend
谢谢，我们在哪里见面？
Thank you. Where will we meet?
刘明
Liu Ming
在学校见面，你来讲故事。
We will meet at school, and you will come tell a story.
朋友
Friend
好，我参加节目，也讲故事。
Okay, I will join the program and also tell a story.
Situation: Before the competition program, one student learns that Annie has rehearsed her story only once and offers to listen again and give feedback on her speaking speed.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
比赛以前的表演准备好了吗？
Is the performance before the competition ready?
安妮
Annie
还没有，这个故事我只讲了一遍。
Not yet. I have rehearsed this story only once.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
那你再讲一遍，我帮你听听讲得快不快。
Then rehearse it once more, and I'll listen for whether you speak too quickly.
安妮
Annie
好。讲完以后，你告诉我哪儿太快。
Okay. After I finish, tell me which parts are too fast.
见了面 (jiàn le miàn) opens 见面 (jiànmiàn) so 了 (le) can follow the verb.
Insert frequency or duration
Put how many times or how long between the verb and its built-in object.
见过两次面 (jiàn guo liǎng cì miàn) means ‘have met twice’; the frequency cannot follow intact 见面 (jiànmiàn).
Keep 见面 (jiànmiàn) together when nothing needs to be inserted.
我们在哪里见面？
Where will we meet?
了 (le) sits between 见 (jiàn) and 面 (miàn).
我们见了面以后一起去。
After we have met, we will go together.
过两次 (guo liǎng cì) is inserted before 面 (miàn).
我们见过两次面。
We have met twice.
The duration goes between 睡 (shuì) and 觉 (jiào).
我睡了八个小时的觉。
I slept for eight hours.
The receiver 我 (wǒ) and amount 一个 (yí ge) go between 帮 (bāng) and 忙 (máng).
他帮了我一个忙。
He did me a favor.
我们见了面以后一起去。
After we have met, we will go together.
他们结过婚。
They have been married before.
我们见过两次面。
We have met twice.
我睡了八个小时的觉。
I slept for eight hours.
他帮了我一个忙。
He did me a favor.
Dialogue 01: Deciding Whether to Join a Competition, Turn 4
Completion inside 见面
七点开始，我们六点半见面，见了面以后一起去。
It starts at seven. We will meet at six thirty and go together after we meet.
Dialogue 03: Meeting a Friend for the Program, Turn 2
Unsplit base form
谢谢，我们在哪里见面？
Thank you. Where will we meet?
A separable verb-object word has a verb first and its built-in object second: 见 + 面 (jiàn + miàn). Use the unsplit form when no inserted information is needed, as in 我们在哪里见面 (wǒmen zài nǎli jiànmiàn). To mark completion or experience, open the word and put 了 (le) or 过 (guo) after the verb: 见了面 (jiàn le miàn), 见过面 (jiàn guo miàn), 结过婚 (jié guo hūn). Frequency, duration, a receiver, or a classifier also goes inside: 见过两次面 (jiàn guo liǎng cì miàn), 睡了八个小时的觉 (shuì le bā ge xiǎoshí de jiào), 帮了我一个忙 (bāng le wǒ yí ge máng). Do not attach these details after the intact word: use 见过两次面 (jiàn guo liǎng cì miàn), not 见面过两次 (jiànmiàn guo liǎng cì).
