Level 3 - Lesson 19
This lesson focuses on practical event coordination. You will use 先 (xiān) and 再 (zài) to order steps, and 派 (pài) to say who is sent to complete a task.
Contains 7 words
suddenly; sudden
to complete; to finish
to be late; delayed
evening party; evening event
first; before doing something else
to forget
to record; to note down
Contains 4 words
to add
Contains 5 words
to collect; to receive
晚会晚点了
Wǎnhuì wǎndiǎn le
the evening party is delayed
突然忘记时间
Tūrán wàngjì shíjiān
suddenly forget the time
先检查时间，再去
Xiān jiǎnchá shíjiān, zài qù
check the time first, then go
先完成工作
Xiān wánchéng gōngzuò
finish the work first
加一点时间
Jiā yìdiǎn shíjiān
add a little time
Situation: Two students receive a school notice with the party's new start time and arrange a later meeting.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
我刚收到学校的信，晚会突然晚点了。
I just received a letter from the school. The evening party has suddenly been delayed.
先 (xiān)...再 (zài) for sequencing
Use 先 (xiān) before the first action and 再 (zài) before the next action.
Put two steps in order
Use 先 (xiān) for the first action and 再 (zài) for the next action.
to persist; to insist on continuing
to check; inspection
simple; easy
to receive successfully
to receive; to be affected by
to receive; to be subjected to
to send; to assign
坚持检查
Jiānchí jiǎnchá
keep checking
记一下
Jì yíxià
note it down
很简单
Hěn jiǎndān
very simple
收票
Shōu piào
collect tickets
收到信
Shōudào xìn
receive a letter
受晚点影响
Shòu wǎndiǎn yǐngxiǎng
be affected by the delay
受到老师帮助
Shòudào lǎoshī bāngzhù
receive help from the teacher
没收到东西
Méi shōudào dōngxi
did not receive the item
派同事去收东西
Pài tóngshì qù shōu dōngxi
send a colleague to collect the items
王一雪
Wang Yixue
信上说几点开始？
What time does the letter say it starts?
白家月
Bai Jiayue
八点开始。我们先吃饭，再去吧。
It starts at eight. Let's eat first and then go.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
好，七点半见面。
Okay. Let's meet at seven thirty.
Situation: Two students find that the party notice is missing its new start time and agree on the order for correcting and checking it.
刘明
Liu Ming
晚会的通知完成了吗？
Is the evening party notice finished?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
还没有，我忘记加新的时间了。
Not yet. I forgot to add the new time.
刘明
Liu Ming
那先加时间，再检查一遍。
Then add the time first and check it once afterward.
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
好，我现在加，检查以后就能完成。
Okay. I will add it now; after I check it, the notice can be finished.
Situation: Two students check how bad weather changes the outdoor performance but not the indoor competition.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
天气不好，晚会怎么样？
The weather is bad. What will happen with the evening event?
安妮
Annie
外面的表演会晚点开始。
The outdoor performance will start late.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
里面的比赛也会受到影响吗？
Will the indoor competition be affected too?
安妮
Annie
不受影响，还是七点开始。
It is not affected. It still starts at seven.
Situation: The event tickets have not arrived, so two students confirm who the teacher sent to pick them up at school, when, and how they will be handed over.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
票还没收到，老师派谁去学校拿？
The tickets still have not arrived. Who did the teacher send to pick them up at school?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
派我去，我六点到学校。
The teacher sent me. I will arrive at school at six.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
拿到以后做什么？
What will you do after you get them?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
先检查票，再给老师。
I will check the tickets first and then give them to the teacher.
In 先吃饭，再去 (xiān chīfàn, zài qù), eating happens before going.
先 (xiān) marks eating as the first step; 再 (zài) marks going as the next step.
先吃饭，再去。
Eat first, then go.
The pattern puts correcting the notice before checking it.
先加时间，再检查一遍。
Add the time first, then check it once.
先吃饭，再去。
Eat first, then go.
先加时间，再检查一遍。
Add the time first, then check it once.
先检查票，再给老师。
Check the tickets first, then give them to the teacher.
Dialogue 01: Making a New Plan for the Party, Turn 3
Eat before going
八点开始。我们先吃饭，再去吧。
It starts at eight. Let's eat first and then go.
Dialogue 02: Adding the Missing Time, Turn 3
Correct before checking
那先加时间，再检查一遍。
Then add the time first and check it once afterward.
Dialogue 04: Picking Up and Handing Over the Tickets, Turn 4
Check before bringing
先检查票，再给老师。
Check the tickets first and then give them to the teacher.
The pattern 先...再 (xiān... zài...) helps you give a practical order for tasks. In 我们先吃饭，再去吧 (wǒmen xiān chīfàn, zài qù ba), eating is the first step and going to the event is the next step.
Pivotal sentences with 让, 叫, 请, and 派
Use 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào), 请 (qǐng), or 派 (pài) before a person, then state the action that person performs. The person is linked to both verbs.
Connect one person to two actions
Name the person after 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào), 请 (qǐng), or 派 (pài), then say what that same person does.
In 老师派同事去收票 (lǎoshī pài tóngshì qù shōu piào), 同事 (tóngshì) is assigned by the teacher and is also the person who goes to collect tickets.
我们 (wǒmen) receives 让 (ràng) and performs 检查 (jiǎnchá).
老师让我们先检查时间。
The teacher has us check the time first.
我 (wǒ) is told and is also the person who goes to collect tickets.
老师叫我去收票。
The teacher told me to collect the tickets.
同事 (tóngshì) is politely asked and performs 帮忙 (bāngmáng).
我请同事帮忙。
老师让我们先检查时间。
The teacher has us check the time first.
老师叫我去收票。
The teacher told me to collect the tickets.
我请同事帮忙。
I ask a colleague to help.
老师派同事去收票。
The teacher sends a colleague to collect the tickets.
Dialogue 04: Picking Up and Handing Over the Tickets, Turn 1
Ask for the pivot person
票还没收到，老师派谁去学校拿？
The tickets still have not arrived. Who did the teacher send to pick them up at school?
Dialogue 04: Picking Up and Handing Over the Tickets, Turn 2
Identify the assigned person
派我去，我六点到学校。
The teacher sent me. I will arrive at school at six.
Pivotal sentences contain two actions joined by one person: subject + 让/叫/请/派 + person + action. That person is the object of the first verb—the person being allowed, told, asked, invited, or assigned—and also the understood subject of the following action. In 老师派谁去学校拿 (lǎoshī pài shéi qù xuéxiào ná), 谁 (shéi) is the person the teacher assigns and the person who will pick up the tickets. Choose the first verb by purpose: 让 (ràng) means let or have, 叫 (jiào) means tell or call on, 请 (qǐng) makes a polite request or invitation, and 派 (pài) formally assigns or sends someone. 去 (qù) may appear before a task involving movement, but it is not required by the pivotal structure.
I ask a colleague to help.
同事 (tóngshì) receives the assignment and carries out the task.
老师派同事去收票。
The teacher sends a colleague to collect the tickets.
