HSK 3Lesson 2
Annie has never met Bai Jiayue and has to find her at the school gate. You will hear Yixue and Xiaoxue describe Jiayue, then watch Annie make a funny mistake before the real Jiayue turns up.
You will learn to describe how a person looks, ask how someone looks, and say that two things are the same or alike.
Part 1 · 17 new words
Contains 7 words
(a person's) height
thin; to lose weight
fat; plump
low; short (in length)
young
adorable; cute
intelligent; clever
Contains 7 words
short; brief
hair (on the head)
Contains 3 words
to resemble; to be like
the same; alike
Part 2
Part 3 · 8 phrases
他十八岁，个子都比爸爸高了。
He’s eighteen, and he’s already taller than his dad.
我吃得多，但是不胖，朋友们都说我太瘦。
I eat a lot but I don’t gain weight; my friends all say I’m too thin.
我的个子矮，坐在后面看不见老师。
I’m short, so I can’t see the teacher from the back.
这家饭馆看起来很小，但是菜好吃，也便宜。
This restaurant looks small, but the food is tasty and cheap too.
他长得像爸爸，说话像妈妈。
He looks like his dad and talks like his mom.
那位老师四十岁了，但是看起来很年轻。
That teacher is forty, but looks very young.
Part 4 · 4 conversations
Annie is in the dorm lobby and phones Yixue to ask what her friend Bai Jiayue, whom she has never met, looks like. She has to meet her at the school gate at nine.
安妮Annie
一雪，你九点有课，所以我去学校门口等白家月，但是我不认得她。她长得怎么样？
Yixue, you have class at nine, so I’m going to wait for Bai Jiayue at the school gate, but I wouldn’t know her. What does she look like?
王一雪Wang Yixue
她看起来很瘦，但是在我们几个人里，她吃得最多。
She looks thin, but out of all of us she eats the most.
Part 5 · 3 points
看起来、看上去
Use 看起来kànqǐlai + adjective to give your impression from what you see.
Give your impression
看起来kànqǐlai + adjective says how something seems from its looks.
In the lobby Yixue says
face
mouth; beak
ear; handle (on a cup)
leg
foot; leg (of an animal or an object)
to start (doing); to get up
小时候，眼睛只看前面，
When I was little, my eyes looked only ahead.
门外的路，比家里面好看。
The road outside looked better than the home within.
现在，一个年轻女生，
Now, a young woman
坐上飞机，去外国留学。
Boards a plane to study abroad.
别人开口就问结婚，
People open their mouths and ask about marriage,
说女人的路，是这一条。
Saying this is the road a woman should take.
我的路，不只这一条，
My road is not limited to this one.
到了外国，我叫留学生。
When I reach another country, they call me an international student.
机票只写我要去哪里，
The plane ticket only says where I am going;
没有写回来时我怎么看。
It does not say how I will see when I return.
飞机往外飞，问题往里走，
The plane flies outward; the questions walk inward.
去外国看看，也回来看看自己。
Go abroad and look around—then come back and look at yourself.
咱们往前走，别只看前面，
Let’s move forward, but not look only ahead.
外面有路，里面也有路。
There are roads outside, and there are roads inside too.
邻居的门很近，他的过去很远，
My neighbor’s door is close; his past is far away.
我只认得名字，不知道他的昨天。
I recognize only his name and know nothing about his yesterday.
跟老人聊一个晚上，没有坐飞机也走远，
I talk with an old man all evening; without boarding a plane, I still travel far.
聊天儿不坐飞机，也能看见很多年。
Conversation boards no plane, yet it can reveal many years.
叔叔没有留学，也走了很多年，
Uncle never studied abroad, but he has travelled for many years.
叔叔没有留学，也走了很多年，
Uncle never studied abroad, but he has travelled for many years.
姐妹走两条路，还是一家人。
Two sisters walk two roads and remain one family.
热情不是多说，是愿意听完，
Warmth is not talking more; it is being willing to listen to the end.
照顾有时不是药，是给别人时间。
Sometimes care is not medicine—it is giving someone your time.
飞机往外飞，问题往里走，
The plane flies outward; the questions walk inward.
去外国看看，也回来看看自己。
Go abroad and look around—then come back and look at yourself.
咱们往前走，别只看前面，
Let’s move forward, but not look only ahead.
外面有路，里面也有路。
There are roads outside, and there are roads inside too.
回来时，路还在那里，
When I return, the road will still be there.
这次，眼睛也往里看。
This time, my eyes will look inward too.
我们两个人的书包一样，我经常拿错。
Our two schoolbags are the same, so I often pick up the wrong one.
那只小狗很聪明，也很可爱，我们都想要。
That puppy is clever and cute, and we all want it.
安妮Annie
真的吗？那她不胖吧？
Really? So she isn’t fat, right?
王一雪Wang Yixue
一点儿也不胖，就是有点儿矮。
Not at all, she’s just a bit short.
安妮Annie
她跟我一样高吗？我的个子也不高。
Is she as tall as me? I’m not tall either.
王一雪Wang Yixue
她的身高不高，比你矮一点儿。人多的时候，你要往下看。
She isn’t tall, a bit shorter than you. When there are lots of people, look down.
安妮Annie
知道了，我写在本子上，再给你打电话。
Got it. I’ll write it in my notebook and call you back.
Annie keeps asking Yixue for more details on the phone. After the airport, she wants to be sure she will not walk past her friend again.
安妮Annie
还有呢？
What else?
王一雪Wang Yixue
她的头发很短，脸小小的，嘴很大，每次见到她，她都在吃东西。
Her hair is short, she has a small face and a big mouth, and every time I see her she’s eating.
安妮Annie
短头发，小脸，大嘴……等一下，我写在本子上。
Short hair, small face, big mouth... hold on, I’m writing this in my notebook.
王一雪Wang Yixue
你写这么多做什么？见了面就知道了。
Why are you writing so much? You’ll know when you see her.
安妮Annie
昨天在机场，我从你前面走过去都没认得你，这次不能再错了。
Yesterday at the airport I walked right past you without recognizing you. I can’t get it wrong again.
王一雪Wang Yixue
不会的，你一看就知道。
You won’t. You’ll know as soon as you see her.
Xiaoxue, Annie’s neighbor, passes the lobby on her way to play ball. She knows Bai Jiayue and tells Annie more.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
写什么呢？
What are you writing?
安妮Annie
我在写白家月的事。你认识她吗？
I’m writing about Bai Jiayue. Do you know her?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
认识啊，昨天一雪和她一起来过我们这儿。你看她的耳朵，上面有红色的小花。腿和脚也都小小的。
Sure, Yixue came by our place with her yesterday. Look at her ears: there’s a little red flower on them. Her legs and feet are small too.
安妮Annie
真的？那她走路很慢吧？
Really? Then she must walk slowly.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
腿短，脚也小，但是她跑步比我还快。
Short legs and small feet, but she runs faster than I do.
安妮Annie
真的？她的头发跟你的一样短吗？
Really? Is her hair as short as yours?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
一样！你找耳朵上有小花的女孩儿吧。
The same! Look for the girl with a little flower on her ear.
Annie has waved at a stranger at the school gate. Then the real Bai Jiayue arrives, twenty minutes late.
白家月Bai Jiayue
你是安妮吧？对不起，我来晚了！
You’re Annie, right? Sorry I’m late!
安妮Annie
白家月？你来了！我在这儿等了你二十分钟，还对一个女孩儿笑了半天，我还觉得是你呢。
Bai Jiayue? You’re here! I waited twenty minutes and even smiled at some girl for ages, thinking she was you.
白家月Bai Jiayue
是吗？她笑了吗？
Really? Did she smile back?
安妮Annie
笑了！她也很可爱，但是她耳朵上没有小花，我就知道不是你。
She did! She’s cute too, but she had no little flower on her ear, so I knew it wasn’t you.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我就是矮啊！你看，我的脸跟手机里的一样吧？
I’m just short! Look, my face is the same as on the phone, isn’t it?
安妮Annie
一样！你看起来像个中学生，真年轻！一雪还说你很聪明。
The same! You look like a high-school student, so young! Yixue also said you’re smart.
白家月Bai Jiayue
聪明不聪明我不知道，我只知道我想吃早饭了，咱们走吧！
Smart or not, I don’t know. I only know I want breakfast, so let’s go!
In sentences
Contrast
她看起来很瘦，但是吃得很多。
She looks thin, but she eats a lot.
The truth comes after 但是dànshì.
With 像
他看起来像中学生。
He looks like a high-school student.
Followed by 像xiàng and a noun.
奶奶看起来只有五十岁，但是她都七十了。
Grandma looks only fifty, but she’s already seventy.
A：这个菜看起来怎么样？ B：看起来不好看，但是很好吃。
A: How does this dish look? B: It doesn’t look nice, but it tastes great.
天阴了，看起来要下雨，你别出门了。
The sky is overcast and it looks like rain, so don’t go out.
白家月看起来很瘦，但是她是一雪的朋友里吃得最多的。
Bai Jiayue looks thin, but she eats the most of Yixue’s friends.
这个孩子看起来很小，但是都上中学了。
This kid looks small but is already in middle school.
看起来kànqǐlai means "it looks like" or "to judge by the look". Put it after the subject and before an adjective or a short clause: 他看起来很累tā kànqǐlai hěn lèi. It gives your impression from what you see, so it often sits well with 但是dànshì to say that the truth is different: 她看起来很瘦，但是吃得很多tā kànqǐlai hěn shòu, dànshì chī de hěn duō. It is also used with 像xiàng: 看起来像中学生kànqǐlai xiàng zhōngxuéshēng. The key constraint is that 看起来kànqǐlai gives an impression from appearance, not a fact you already know. Common mistakes are to use it for a plain fact, or to put it at the end: ✗ 看起来今天是星期五kànqǐlai jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ, ✓ 今天是星期五jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ, but ✓ 看起来要下雨kànqǐlai yào xiàyǔ is fine; and ✗ 她很瘦看起来tā hěn shòu kànqǐlai, ✓ 她看起来很瘦tā kànqǐlai hěn shòu.
A跟B一样
Use 跟……一样gēn … yíyàng to say two things are the same; 不一样bù yíyàng says they differ.
Say they are the same
跟gēn … 一样yíyàng says A and B match.
白家月Bai Jiayue uses it to ask Annie to check her face against the phone picture.
In sentences
Same
我的手机跟你的一样。
My phone is the same as yours.
Frame 跟gēn … 一样yíyàng.
Different
他的名字跟我的不一样。
His name is not the same as mine.
不bù goes before 一样yíyàng.
我的手机跟你的一样，都是白色的。
My phone is the same as yours; they’re both white.
A：你的手机跟我的一样吗？ B：不一样，你的是白色的。
A: Is your phone the same as mine? B: No, yours is white.
这家店的东西跟那家不一样，这家更便宜。
The things in this shop are different from that one’s; this one is cheaper.
白家月的脸跟手机里的一样，只是人更矮。
Bai Jiayue’s face is the same as on the phone; she’s just shorter.
我的名字跟她的一样，所以老师经常叫错。
My name is the same as hers, so the teacher often calls the wrong one.
The frame 跟……一样gēn … yíyàng says that A and B are the same or alike. 跟gēn can be replaced by 和hé in speech and writing. The negative is 不一样bù yíyàng, and the question is 一样吗yíyàng ma: 你的手机跟我的一样吗nǐ de shǒujī gēn wǒ de yíyàng ma. When B repeats the noun of A, drop it and keep 的de: 我的手机跟你的一样wǒ de shǒujī gēn nǐ de yíyàng. Do not use 像xiàng for sameness: 像xiàng says that two things resemble each other, while 一样yíyàng says they match. Common mistakes are to put 一样yíyàng
A跟B一样+形容词
Put an adjective after 一样yíyàng: 跟……一样高gēn … yíyàng gāo says two things are equal in that quality.
Equal in a quality
跟gēn … 一样yíyàng + adjective says they are equal in that quality.
Annie asks 她跟我一样高吗tā gēn wǒ yíyàng gāo ma: the adjective sits straight after 一样yíyàng.
In sentences
Height
弟弟跟我一样高。
My brother is as tall as I am.
Adjective straight after 一样yíyàng.
Negative
弟弟没有我高。
My brother is not as tall as I am.
没有méiyǒu for "not as … as".
弟弟跟我一样高，我们穿一样大的衣服。
My brother is as tall as I am, and we wear the same size clothes.
A：你弟弟跟你一样高吗？ B：不一样，他比我高一点儿。
A: Is your brother as tall as you? B: No, he’s a bit taller than me.
这家的包子跟那家的一样好吃，但是更便宜。
The buns here are as tasty as those at that shop, but cheaper.
小雪说，白家月的头发跟她的一样短。
Xiaoxue says Bai Jiayue’s hair is as short as hers.
我的书包跟你的一样大，也是黑色的。
My schoolbag is as big as yours, and black too.
The frame 跟……一样gēn … yíyàng plus an adjective says A is equal to B in a quality: 我弟弟跟我一样高wǒ dìdi gēn wǒ yíyàng gāo. The adjective comes after 一样yíyàng and carries no 很hěn: the pattern already compares, so 很hěn would make it sound wrong. Choose a neutral adjective that measures something, such as 高gāo, 长cháng, 大dà, 快kuài, 短duǎn. The negative is 没有méiyǒu: 他没有我高tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo means he is not as tall as I am. For difference you say
一样！你找耳朵上有小花的女孩儿吧。
The same! Look for the girl with a little flower on her ear.
Why it matters · A one-word answer: 一样yíyàng answers a question such as 她的头发跟你的一样短吗tā de tóufa gēn nǐ de yíyàng duǎn ma.
真的？她的头发跟你的一样短吗？
Really? Is her hair as short as yours?
Why it matters · Xiaoxue is asked 她的头发跟你的一样短吗tā de tóufa gēn nǐ de yíyàng duǎn ma: the adjective 短duǎn follows 一样yíyàng.
