HSK 3Lesson 27
It is Sunday evening, a week before Li Wen and Liu Ming move to the new flat. Annie comes for noodles and finds a timetable on the fridge. Liu Ming is always late and Li Wen gets up early, so each thinks the other is the problem.
You will learn to talk about daily habits and timing: what you usually do, what just happened, how long ago something was, and from when a new habit starts.
Part 1 · 14 new words
Contains 3 words
usually; in normal times
to take a shower; to bathe
to brush
Contains 5 words
a moment; a little while
just (a moment ago)
Contains 6 words
sometimes
quarter of an hour
Part 2 · 10 phrases
他平时不爱说话，今天怎么这么高兴？
He doesn't usually talk much, so why is he so happy today?
晚上洗了澡，刷了牙，他就睡觉了。
He took a shower, brushed his teeth in the evening, and then went to bed.
刚才谁给我打电话了？我刚到家，没听见。
Who called me a moment ago? I had only just got home and didn't hear it.
刚刚到家，就接到老师的电话。
I had barely got home when I got a call from my teacher.
我一直在等你的电话，怎么现在才打？
I've been waiting for your call all along, so why are you only calling now?
你先坐一会儿，我打完这个电话就来。
Sit down for a bit first, and I'll come as soon as I finish this call.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Dinner time on Sunday evening. Li Wen is cooking noodles and Annie has just arrived. Liu Ming comes back tired from looking for his lost phone.
刘明Liu Ming
我回来了……
I'm back...
李文Li Wen
你怎么才回来？面条儿都快冷了。
Why are you only getting back now? The noodles are almost cold.
Part 4 · 3 points
才1、马上、先、一会儿、刚、刚刚、一直
Use 刚Gāng and 刚才Gāngcái for just now, 一会儿Yíhuìr for a short time, and 一直Yìzhí for something that never stopped.
Just now and all along
刚Gāng marks something recent; 一直Yìzhí marks something that never stopped.
just now; only just
a moment ago
all along; continuously
the day before yesterday
the day after tomorrow
the year before last
the year after next
他总是迟到，可是有时候也会早到。
He's always late, but sometimes he does arrive early.
我们下午四点一刻下课，你来门口等我。
Class ends at a quarter past four, so wait for me at the door.
前天他刚到北京，后天就要去西安了。
He had only just got to Beijing the day before yesterday, and the day after tomorrow he leaves for Xi'an.
前年我十八岁，后年我就二十二了。
The year before last I was eighteen, and the year after next I'll be twenty-two.
刘明Liu Ming
我去找手机了，刚刚才找到，在书店里。
I went to look for my phone. I only just found it, in the bookstore.
安妮Annie
书店里？你一直在找吗？
The bookstore? Have you been looking this whole time?
李文Li Wen
他从早上到现在一直在找，家里、学校、书店，都找了。
He's been looking from morning until now: at home, at school, at the bookstore. All of them.
刘明Liu Ming
让我坐一会儿……
Let me sit down for a bit...
安妮Annie
先吃吧，我们都等了半天了，很饿了。
Let's eat first. We've been waiting ages and we're hungry.
Still Sunday evening in Li Wen and Liu Ming's old flat, a week before the move. Over the noodles Annie sees a timetable on the fridge door about who uses the bathroom when.
安妮Annie
冰箱上写的是什么？是你们每天的时间吗？
What's written on the fridge? Is it your daily schedule?
李文Li Wen
对。下个星期我们就住新房子了，得说好每天谁先用卫生间。
Yes. Next week we'll be in the new flat, so we have to agree on who uses the bathroom first each day.
安妮Annie
你们平时几点起床？
What time do you usually get up?
李文Li Wen
我平时六点一刻就起床，刷牙，去跑步，回来再洗澡。
I usually get up at a quarter past six, brush my teeth, go for a run, and shower when I get back.
刘明Liu Ming
我七点才起床。八点上课，七点半才出门。
I don't get up until seven. Class is at eight and I leave at seven-thirty.
李文Li Wen
他总是最后一个用卫生间，洗澡一洗就是半个小时！
He's always the last one in the bathroom, and once he starts showering it's half an hour!
刘明Liu Ming
半个小时才洗得干净啊！
It takes half an hour to get clean!
At dinner Li Wen and Liu Ming blame each other: Liu Ming is always last in the bathroom, and Li Wen gets up so early that he wakes Liu Ming. Annie steps in with a plan.
李文Li Wen
刘明，你总是最后一个洗澡，我早上想刷牙都进不去。
Liu Ming, you're always the last one in the shower, and I can't even get in to brush my teeth in the morning.
刘明Liu Ming
你也一样啊！你每天早上六点一刻就起床，我也睡不着了。
You're no better! You get up at six-fifteen every morning, and then I can't sleep either.
安妮Annie
你们两个都有问题：一个总是太早，一个总是太晚。
You both have a problem: one is always too early, one is always too late.
李文Li Wen
刘明有时候也很早，可是一个星期只有一次。
Liu Ming is sometimes early too, but only once a week.
刘明Liu Ming
那次我要考试！
That was because of an exam!
安妮Annie
这样吧，从明天起，刘明晚上洗澡，早上先让李文用卫生间。
Here's what we'll do: from tomorrow, Liu Ming showers in the evening, and Li Wen uses the bathroom first in the morning.
刘明Liu Ming
行！从明天起，我二十分钟就出来！
Fine! From tomorrow I'll be out in twenty minutes!
Over the rest of the noodles, the three talk about the move and about Li Wen's years in Beijing. Annie reminds Liu Ming of the promise he has just made.
安妮Annie
面条儿真好吃！你们的东西收好了吗？
These noodles are great! Have you finished packing?
刘明Liu Ming
书是前天收好的，衣服后天再收。车下个星期六才来。
The books were packed the day before yesterday, and the clothes I'll pack the day after tomorrow. The truck only comes next Saturday.
李文Li Wen
前年我来北京的时候，只带了一个包。
The year before last, when I came to Beijing, I only brought one bag.
安妮Annie
现在东西多多了！你来北京两年了吧？
You have so much more stuff now! You've been in Beijing two years, right?
李文Li Wen
对，两年了。后年我就要离开学校了，真快。
Yes, two years. The year after next I'll be leaving school. Time flies.
安妮Annie
对了，刘明，明天晚上你要二十分钟就出来，别忘了！
Oh, Liu Ming, tomorrow evening you have to be out in twenty minutes. Don't forget!
刘明Liu Ming
二十分钟？我刚才说了什么？
Twenty minutes? What did I just say?
When Liu Ming comes home, Li Wen says 他一直在找Tā yìzhí zài zhǎo: from morning until now he never stopped looking.
In sentences
Time word
刚才你去哪儿了？
Where did you go a moment ago?
刚才Gāngcái is a time word and can lead the sentence; 刚Gāng cannot.
我刚到门口，就看见他从里边走出来了。
I had only just reached the door when I saw him come out.
A：你一直在找什么？ B：我的手机，找了一下午了。
A: What have you been looking for all along? B: My phone. I've been looking all afternoon.
你累了就休息一会儿，不用着急。
If you're tired, rest for a while. There's no need to hurry.
刘明七点才起床，八点上课，每天都很急。
Liu Ming doesn't get up until seven and class is at eight, so he's in a hurry every day.
刚Gāng and 刚刚Gānggang go before a verb and mean that the action happened a short time ago: 我刚到Wǒ gāng dào, 他刚刚到家Tā gānggang dào jiā. 刚才Gāngcái is a time word and can start a sentence or sit after the subject: 刚才你去哪儿了？Gāngcái nǐ qù nǎr le?. 一会儿Yíhuìr comes after the verb and means a short time: 坐一会儿Zuò yíhuìr. 一直Yìzhí goes before the verb and says that something went on without stopping: 他一直在找卡Tā yìzhí zài zhǎo kǎ. 才Cái goes before the verb and says that something came later than expected: 我七点才吃早饭Wǒ qī diǎn cái chī zǎofàn. The key constraint is where each word sits: 刚Gāng only before the verb, 刚才Gāngcái as a time word that can lead the sentence, and 一会儿Yíhuìr after the verb. Compare 我刚到Wǒ gāng dào (I have only just arrived; 刚Gāng sits before the verb) with 我刚才到Wǒ gāngcái dào (I arrived a moment ago; 刚才Gāngcái is a time word and can start the sentence).
表示动作结束到某个时间点的间隔时间
After a one-moment verb like 来Lái or 下班Xiàbān, add a length of time and 了Le to say how long it has been.
Say how long it has been
Put the length of time after the verb and its object, and end with 了Le.
Annie asks 你来北京两年了吧Nǐ lái Běijīng liǎng nián le ba, and Li Wen says 两年了Liǎng nián le: it is two years since he came.
In sentences
Contrast
我学汉语两年了。
I've been studying Chinese for two years.
学Xué is a long action, so this means "studying for two years".
我起床半个小时了，还没吃早饭。
I got up half an hour ago and haven't had breakfast yet.
A：他呢？ B：他下班一个小时了，应该在路上。
A: Where is he? B: He left work an hour ago, so he should be on the way.
李文来北京两年了，已经习惯这儿的天气了。
Li Wen has been in Beijing for two years and has got used to the weather here.
奶奶出门十分钟了，怎么还没到超市？
Grandma left ten minutes ago. Why hasn't she reached the supermarket yet?
With verbs that happen in one moment, such as 来Lái, 走Zǒu, 下班Xiàbān, 起床Qǐchuáng and 出门Chūmén, the length of time goes after the verb and means "how long since": 我下班一个小时了Wǒ xiàbān yí ge xiǎoshí le. When the verb has an object, the time goes after the whole verb and its object: 他来北京两年了Tā lái Běijīng liǎng nián le. The sentence ends with 了Le, because the time is still counting up to now. The key constraint is the verb: it must be a moment, not a long action, so 他来北京两年了Tā lái Běijīng liǎng nián le means two years since he came. A common mistake is to put the length of time before the verb: ✗ 我两年来北京了。Wǒ liǎng nián lái Běijīng le. ✓
从……起
Put 从Cóng + a time + 起Qǐ at the start to say what changes from that time on.
Say when it starts
从Cóng and 起Qǐ frame the time from which something is true.
Annie makes a rule with 从明天起，刘明晚上洗澡Cóng míngtiān qǐ, Liú Míng wǎnshang xǐzǎo: from tomorrow, Liu Ming showers in the evening.
In sentences
Contrast
从八点到十点，我们都在上课。
From eight to ten, we're in class.
从……到…… (Cóng... Dào...) gives a range with an end, but 从……起Cóng... Qǐ has none.
从下个星期起，他们要住进新房子了。
Starting next week, they will be living in the new flat.
从今年起，爷爷每天早上都去山上走走。
Starting this year, Grandpa goes for a walk up the hill every morning.
A：你什么时候开始学汉语的？ B：从去年起，我每天都学一小时。
A: When did you start studying Chinese? B: Starting last year, I've studied an hour every day.
学校说，从明天起，星期五下午不上课。
The school said that from tomorrow there will be no class on Friday afternoons.
从……起Cóng... Qǐ means "starting from": the time goes between 从Cóng and 起Qǐ, and the clause that follows says what is true from then on. The time can be a day, a month, a year or a clock time: 从明天起Cóng míngtiān qǐ, 从下个星期起Cóng xià ge xīngqī qǐ, 从前年起Cóng qiánnián qǐ. It is used for new rules, plans and habits: 从明天起，我二十分钟就出来Cóng míngtiān qǐ, wǒ èr shí fēnzhōng jiù chūlai. The main clause often has 每天Měi tiān, 都Dōu or 就Jiù. The key constraint is that 起Qǐ comes right after the time word, and the clause that says what changes follows it. Compare
Yes, two years. The year after next I'll be leaving school. Time flies.
Why it matters · Li Wen answers 两年了Liǎng nián le with the same pattern.
行！从明天起，我二十分钟就出来！
Fine! From tomorrow I'll be out in twenty minutes!
Why it matters · Liu Ming agrees with the same pattern: 从明天起，我二十分钟就出来Cóng míngtiān qǐ, wǒ èr shí fēnzhōng jiù chūlai.
