HSK 3Lesson 20
It is a Friday afternoon in mid-November. Yixue's father has been in the hospital since Tuesday, and Annie and Jiayue come to see him. You will hear what happened, how Annie's Chinese has changed, who has been taking care of everything, and one very funny slip.
You will learn to visit someone in the hospital, say how they are being looked after, talk about change, and ask someone to keep going.
Part 1 · 9 new words
Contains 4 words
to be in the hospital; to be hospitalized
to leave the hospital; to be discharged
to take care of; to look after
to pay attention to; to follow closely
Contains 5 words
in one's heart; inside
to change; to become different
Part 2 · 9 phrases
爸爸住院三天了，下星期一才能出院。
Dad has been in the hospital three days and can only leave next Monday.
奶奶身体不好，我星期六回家照顾她。
Grandma isn't in good health, so I go home on Saturdays to take care of her.
这个老师很关注每一个学生，大家都喜欢她。
This teacher pays attention to every student, and everybody likes her.
他笑着说没事，可是心里很难过。
He smiled and said it was nothing, but he felt very sad inside.
你变了，以前很爱说话，现在不太说话了。
You've changed. You used to talk a lot, and now you hardly talk.
北京这几年变化很大，旧房子都变成了新楼。
Beijing has changed a lot in these years, and old houses have all turned into new buildings.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Friday afternoon in the hospital ward. Annie and Yixue's father talk, and Yixue says she is fine.
安妮Annie
王叔叔，您好点儿了吗？我来看您，家月还在路上。
Uncle Wang, are you feeling better? I came to see you, and Jiayue is on her way.
王爸爸Yixue's dad
好多了，谢谢！你看，房间里住了三个病人，医生一天来三次。
Much better, thanks! Look, three patients are staying in this room, and the doctor comes by three times a day.
Part 4 · 1 point
表示动作行为的持续，动词+下去/下来
After a verb, 下去xiàqù says the action keeps going from now on, and 下来xiàlai says it has lasted up to now.
Keep going
下去xiàqù after a verb: carry on into the future.
Yixue's dad tells Annie 说下去shuō xiàqu
change (noun); to change
to become; to turn into
to happen; to occur
昨天路口发生了什么事？那么多人都在看。
What happened at the crossroads yesterday? So many people were looking.
汉语很难，但是我要学下去。
Chinese is hard, but I'm going to keep studying it.
教室里坐了二十个学生，王老师还没来。
Twenty students are sitting in the classroom, and Teacher Wang hasn't come yet.
安妮Annie
星期二晚上发生了什么事？
What happened on Tuesday night?
王爸爸Yixue's dad
我在家看足球，一下子就不舒服了，晚上就住院了。
I was at home watching soccer when I suddenly felt sick, and I was in the hospital that night.
王一雪Wang Yixue
爸爸，别说了，医生说您要多休息。安妮，你别看我，我没事。
Dad, stop talking. The doctor says you must rest. Annie, don't look at me like that, I'm fine.
安妮Annie
一雪，你说没事，可是我知道你心里很担心。
Yixue, you say you're fine, but I know you're very worried inside.
王一雪Wang Yixue
……对。我怕得一晚上没睡。
...Yes. I was so scared I didn't sleep all night.
Jiayue arrives late with fruit. Yixue's dad teases Annie about how her Chinese has changed.
白家月Bai Jiayue
对不起，我来晚了！路上买水果，买了很长时间。
Sorry I'm late! I was buying fruit on the way, and it took ages.
王爸爸Yixue's dad
你每次都是最后一个到。安妮，你的汉语变化真大！
You're the last to arrive every time. Annie, your Chinese has changed so much!
安妮Annie
是吗？我自己不知道。
Has it? I don't know myself.
王爸爸Yixue's dad
九月你第一次见我，一点儿也不说话。
In September you met me for the first time and didn't talk at all.
安妮Annie
那时候我不会说啊。
I couldn't speak then!
王爸爸Yixue's dad
现在你变成爱说话的女孩儿了！说下去，我爱听。
Now you've turned into a girl who loves to talk! Keep going, I like listening.
白家月Bai Jiayue
叔叔，您也变了，您现在也爱说话了。
Uncle, you've changed too. You love to talk now.
In the corridor outside the ward, Yixue's mom and Annie talk, and the doctor brings news.
王妈妈Yixue's mom
安妮，谢谢你们来。这几天一雪照顾她爸爸，晚上也不回家。
Annie, thank you for coming. These days Yixue has been looking after her dad and doesn't even go home at night.
安妮Annie
阿姨，我这几天也很关注一雪，她什么都不说。
Auntie, I've been keeping an eye on Yixue these days too. She doesn't say anything.
王妈妈Yixue's mom
她从小就这样，什么事都自己想。
She's been like that since she was little. She thinks everything over by herself.
医生Doctor
女士，您先生星期天可以出院了。
Madam, your husband can leave the hospital on Sunday.
王妈妈Yixue's mom
真的吗？太好了！
Really? That's wonderful!
安妮Annie
一雪知道吗？
Does Yixue know?
王妈妈Yixue's mom
还不知道。我去问医生一些事，你去告诉她吧。
Not yet. I'll go ask the doctor a few things, so you go and tell her.
Back in the ward, Annie brings the news and tries to say something kind.
安妮Annie
一雪，医生说，叔叔星期天可以回家了！
Yixue, the doctor says your dad can go home on Sunday!
王一雪Wang Yixue
真的？太好了！
Really? That's great!
王爸爸Yixue's dad
一雪，你别哭，爸爸好了。
Yixue, don't cry, Dad is better.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我没哭！我只是心里太高兴了。
I'm not crying! I'm just so happy inside.
安妮Annie
王叔叔，住院快乐！
Uncle Wang, Happy hospital stay!
王一雪Wang Yixue
什么？是出院！
What? It's leaving the hospital!
王爸爸Yixue's dad
住院快乐？我可不想再住下去了！
A happy stay in the hospital? I don't want to stay any longer!
In sentences
With 下来
我每天都读书，两年了，坚持下来了。
I read every day, and two years on, I've kept it up.
下来xiàlai looks back at how long the action has lasted.
请你说下去，我在听。
Please go on, I'm listening.
A：你想学下去吗？ B：想，我要学到明年。
A: Do you want to keep studying? B: Yes, I want to study until next year.
这个星期很忙，但是我们要坚持下去。
This week is busy, but we have to keep it up.
这个工作很累，但是她坚持下来了。
The work is tiring, but she has stuck with it.
王爸爸说：我还想听，说下去！
Yixue's dad said: I still want to listen, keep talking!
V + 下去xiàqù says that an action goes on from now into the future: 说下去shuō xiàqu "keep talking", 学下去xué xiàqu "keep studying", 坚持下去jiānchí xiàqù "keep it up". V + 下来xiàlai looks back: the action has lasted until now, or it ends in a state, as in 坚持下来jiānchí xiàlai "have kept it up" and 写下来xiě xiàlai "write it down". The object comes before the verb or is left out. The key constraint is that 下去xiàqù does not take an object after the verb. A common mistake is to put the object after: ✗ 请你说下去汉语qǐng nǐ shuō xiàqu Hànyǔ, ✓ 请你说下去qǐng nǐ shuō xiàqu. Contrast 下去xiàqù with 下来xiàlai: 汉语我要学下去hànyǔ wǒ yào xué xiàqu looks ahead, but 这个工作我坚持下来了zhège gōngzuò wǒ jiānchí xiàlai le looks back.
