HSK 3Lesson 26
Li Wen and Liu Ming have rented a new, empty flat, and Annie comes to help clean it on a weekday evening. A neighbor offers a cheap sofa, the landlord forgot the washing machine, and Liu Ming forgets something else.
You will learn to get a new flat ready: clean it, talk about the sofa, fridge and washing machine, and say that someone or something has just arrived.
Part 1 · 8 new words
Contains 4 words
sofa
air conditioner
fridge
washing machine
Contains 4 words
to clean; to sweep
to sweep
Part 2 · 8 phrases
客人要来了，你快去把卫生间打扫一下。
The guests are about to come, so go and tidy up the bathroom quickly.
我每天早上扫地，扫完再去上课。
Every morning I sweep the floor, and then I go to class.
这条裤子还没干，你明天再穿吧。
These trousers aren't dry yet, so wear them tomorrow.
我常坐在沙发上，一边看书，一边喝茶。
I often sit on the sofa, reading and drinking tea.
屋子里太热了，你把空调开一下吧。
It's too hot in here, so turn on the air conditioner.
牛奶和水果都在冰箱里，你自己拿吧。
The milk and the fruit are both in the fridge. Help yourself.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
A weekday evening in the new flat, which is empty. Li Wen sweeps the floor and Liu Ming washes the bathroom. Annie has come to help and looks at the rooms.
安妮Annie
这个新房子比六层的好多了！我来帮你们打扫。
This new flat is so much better than the sixth-floor one! I'll help you clean.
李文Li Wen
谢谢！我先扫地，你们去洗卫生间吧。
Thanks! I'll sweep the floor first, and you two go wash the bathroom.
Part 4 · 2 points
处所词+动词+趋向补语/结果补语+了+数量短语+人/物
Put the place first, then a verb with a direction, then 了Le and a number and the new person or thing.
Say who or what has arrived
The place comes first, and the new person or thing comes last.
dry
to close; to turn off
我家的洗衣机太旧了，洗一次要两个小时。
Our washing machine is so old that one load takes two hours.
出门的时候，别忘了关灯和关门。
When you go out, don't forget to turn off the light and close the door.
刘明Liu Ming
我洗完了。地上还有水，你们先别过来，等它干了再过来。
I'm done. There's still water on the floor, so don't come over until it's dry.
安妮Annie
屋子里什么都没有，真大啊！
There's nothing in the room. It's so big!
李文Li Wen
我们一间一间地打扫，今天晚上先打扫大的这间。
We'll clean one room at a time, and tonight we'll do the big one first.
刘明Liu Ming
你们看，地干了！
Look, the floor's dry!
Still in the new flat. A neighbor stops by and offers an old sofa for fifty yuan. It is at her place downstairs, so the friends go down to try it and come back to say yes.
安妮Annie
你们看，门口走过来了一位老人。
Look, an old man has come up to the door.
邻居Neighbor
你们是新来的吧？我家有个旧沙发，五十块，你们要吗？
You're new here, aren't you? I have an old sofa at home for fifty yuan. Do you want it?
刘明Liu Ming
沙发？我们还没有沙发呢！在哪儿？
A sofa? We don't have one yet! Where is it?
邻居Neighbor
就在楼下我家，你们去坐坐看。
It's downstairs at my place. Go and try it.
刘明Liu Ming
我坐了，真舒服！就是有点儿旧。
I sat on it. It's so comfortable! It's just a bit old.
李文Li Wen
旧一点儿没关系，便宜。五十块，我们要了！
A bit old is fine, and it's cheap. Fifty yuan, we'll take it!
安妮Annie
有了沙发，冷了开空调，坐在这儿多舒服！
With a sofa and the air conditioner on when it's cold, how cozy it will be here!
The landlord comes to look at the flat. He is pleased with how clean it is, but Li Wen reminds him that the washing machine he promised is missing.
李文Li Wen
你们看，楼下开来了一辆车，是我们等的那位先生来了。
Look, a car has pulled up downstairs. It's the man we've been waiting for.
先生Landlord
你们好！这房子打扫得真干净。
Hello! You've cleaned this place so well.
李文Li Wen
先生，您说冰箱和洗衣机都有，可是我们只看到冰箱。
Sir, you said there was a fridge and a washing machine, but we only see the fridge.
先生Landlord
洗衣机？我忘了，它还在我家里！
The washing machine? I forgot, it's still at my place!
刘明Liu Ming
那怎么办？
So what do we do?
先生Landlord
你们有很多衣服要洗吧？下个星期我给你们送来，这个星期先在学校洗吧。
You must have a lot of clothes to wash. I'll bring it next week. Wash your clothes at school this week.
李文Li Wen
下个星期一定要送来啊，我们真的有很多衣服！
Please be sure to bring it next week. We really do have a lot of clothes!
Annie, Li Wen and Liu Ming are leaving the new flat after the cleaning. Li Wen turns off the light and Liu Ming closes the door, but he has forgotten something again.
安妮Annie
今天打扫得真累，可是新房子真干净。
Today's cleaning really wore me out, but the new flat is so clean.
李文Li Wen
洗衣机还要等一个星期，可是沙发和空调都有了，已经不错了。
The washing machine has to wait another week, but we have the sofa and the air conditioner already, which isn't bad.
刘明Liu Ming
那我把衣服带回学校，一件一件地洗好，再带回来。
Then I'll take my clothes to school, wash them one piece at a time, and bring them back.
李文Li Wen
好了，我们走吧。我来关灯。
Okay, let's go. I'll turn off the light.
刘明Liu Ming
我来关门！……啊，我的卡！
I'll close the door! ...Oh no, my card!
安妮Annie
卡在里面吗？
Is the card inside?
李文Li Wen
别怕，我的卡在这儿。你啊，什么时候才能不忘？
Don't worry, mine's right here. You... when will you ever stop forgetting?
When Annie sees the old man, she says 门口走过来了一位老人Ménkǒu zǒu guòlai le yí wèi lǎorén. The old man is new to them, so he comes at the end.
In sentences
Contrast
老人走过来了。
The old man has come over.
Here we already know the old man, so he comes first as the subject.
楼下跑过来了两个孩子，一边跑一边笑。
Two kids ran up from downstairs, laughing as they ran.
A：你看，外边怎么了？ B：楼下跑来了一只小狗，孩子们都在看。
A: Look, what's going on outside? B: A little dog has run up downstairs, and the kids are all looking at it.
屋子里飞进来了一只鸟，大家都笑了。
A bird flew into the room, and everyone laughed.
上个星期我们学校来了三位法国老师。
Last week three French teachers came to our school.
This pattern says that a new person or thing has appeared at a place: place + verb + direction or result + 了Le + number + measure word + noun, as in 门口走过来了一位老人Ménkǒu zǒu guòlai le yí wèi lǎorén. The place comes first and is not marked with 在Zài. The verb is one of movement or appearing, such as 来Lái, 走Zǒu, 跑Pǎo, 飞Fēi, with a direction like 过来Guòlai, 进来Jìnlái, 出来Chūlái. The person or thing that arrives comes last and must be new information, introduced with a number and a measure word, not with 这Zhè or 他Tā. The key constraint is that the final noun is new to the listener. If the person is already known, make them the subject: 老人走过来了Lǎorén zǒu guòlai le. A common mistake is to end with a name or a pronoun: ✗ 门口来了他。Ménkǒu lái le tā. ✓ 门口来了一位老人。Ménkǒu lái le yí wèi lǎorén.
数词+量词+数词+量词
Repeat a number and measure word, as in 一间一间Yì jiān yì jiān, and add 地De before the verb to do things one at a time.
Do it one by one
Repeat the number and measure word, then add 地De and the verb.
In the empty flat Li Wen says 我们一间一间地打扫Wǒmen yì jiān yì jiān de dǎsǎo: they will clean one room, then the next.
In sentences
Contrast
孩子们一起进来了。
The children came in together.
一起Yìqǐ means all at the same time; 一个一个地Yí ge yí ge de means one after another.
他们一间一间地打扫房子，打扫到晚上才完。
They cleaned the flat room by room and only finished in the evening.
A：我们一起进去吧？ B：不行，医生说一个一个地进。
A: Shall we go in together? B: No, the doctor said to go in one at a time.
妈妈把衣服一件一件地洗好，再拿出去。
Mom washed the clothes one piece at a time and then took them outside.
孩子们一个一个地上车，没有人说话。
The kids got on the bus one by one, and nobody said a word.
Repeating a number and measure word, like 一间一间Yì jiān yì jiān, 一件一件Yí jiàn yí jiàn or 一个一个Yí ge yí ge, says that you do something one at a time, in order. The pattern is number + measure + number + measure + 地De + verb: 他们一间一间地打扫房子Tāmen yì jiān yì jiān de dǎsǎo fángzi. The number is usually 一Yī, and the measure word must match the thing you are counting: 间Jiān for rooms, 件Jiàn for clothes, 个Ge for people or things in general. It shows care or a careful order, or that something happens slowly. The key constraint is that the verb comes after the repeated phrase, and 地De usually joins them. Compare 一个一个地进来Yí ge yí ge de jìnlái
Then I'll take my clothes to school, wash them one piece at a time, and bring them back.
Why it matters · Liu Ming says 一件一件地带回学校洗Yí jiàn yí jiàn de dài huí xuéxiào xǐ: his clothes go back one piece at a time.
