HSK 3Lesson 36
On a Saturday afternoon Annie and Yixue visit the café where Liu Ming works. You will hear him tell how he got the job, how he broke three cups, and how the manager decided to trust him with the shop's door card.
You will learn to ask how someone has been lately, tell a story in order with words like later and not long after, and give an impression or a general rule.
Part 1 · 7 new words
Contains 7 words
afterwards; later
not long (after); before too long
long (of time)
half a day; a long time
a long time; quite a while
recently; lately
usually; ordinary; in general
Part 2 · 9 phrases
他以前住在西安，后来搬到北京，在这儿工作。
He used to live in Xi'an, and later moved to Beijing to work here.
我们认识不久，他就请我去他家吃饭。
Not long after we met, he invited me to his home for a meal.
我在地铁站等了很久，朋友还没来。
I waited at the subway station for a long time and my friend still hadn't come.
好久没有吃妈妈做的饺子了，真想她。
I haven't had Mom's dumplings for ages, and I really miss her.
我等了半天，公交车才来。
I waited ages, and only then did the bus come.
他最近很忙，每天十点才回家。
He's been very busy lately and only gets home at ten every day.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
On Saturday afternoon Annie and Yixue come into the café where Liu Ming works. They haven't seen him for a long time, and he looks tired.
王一雪Wang Yixue
刘明！我们好久没来你们店了，你最近怎么样？
Liu Ming! We haven't been to your café for ages. How have you been lately?
刘明Liu Ming
还好，就是有点儿累。
Fine, just a bit tired.
Part 4 · 2 points
看来、在……看来
看来kànlái gives a conclusion from what you see, and 在……看来zài … kànlái introduces someone's opinion.
Draw a conclusion
看来kànlái + clause says you judge from what you can see.
Yixue listens to Liu Ming wait in the rain and concludes
他没接电话，看来是在开会。
He isn't answering his phone, so he must be in a meeting.
在我看来，他的汉语比我的好多了。
In my view, his Chinese is much better than mine.
一般来说，晚上九点以后，店里的人就少了。
Generally speaking, after nine in the evening there are fewer people in the shop.
安妮Annie
你看起来很累，是不是最近工作太忙了？
You look worn out. Has work been too busy lately?
刘明Liu Ming
是啊，每天要站很久，晚上回家就睡。
Yes, I stand a lot every day and just go to sleep when I get home.
王一雪Wang Yixue
你是怎么找到这个工作的？我一直没问过你。
How did you get this job? I never asked you.
刘明Liu Ming
这个说起来很长，你们先点饮料吧。
That's a long story. Order your drinks first.
安妮Annie
我们要两杯茶，你慢慢说。
We'll have two teas, and you can take your time.
Liu Ming sits down with the two girls and begins his story: the day he came to the café to ask for a job.
刘明Liu Ming
去年七月，我来这儿找工作，那天下着大雨。
Last July I came here to look for a job, and it was pouring.
安妮Annie
然后呢？
And then?
刘明Liu Ming
经理说让我等一下，我在门口等了半天，冷得手都疼了。
The manager told me to wait, and I stood at the door for ages. I was so cold my hands hurt.
王一雪Wang Yixue
半天？真的吗？你为什么不回去？
Ages? Really? Why didn't you go home?
刘明Liu Ming
因为我太想要这个工作了。后来经理给我打了电话，说我可以来了。
Because I wanted this job so much. Later the manager phoned me and said I could come.
王一雪Wang Yixue
看来经理觉得你很认真。
It seems the manager thought you were serious.
刘明Liu Ming
可能是吧。
Maybe.
Liu Ming goes on with his story: his first days at work went badly, but he stayed late to learn.
刘明Liu Ming
可是我上班不久，洗杯子的时候就打坏了三个。
But not long after I started, I broke three cups while washing them.
安妮Annie
三个？经理没生气吗？
Three? Wasn't the manager angry?
刘明Liu Ming
没有，他说谁刚上班都会这样。
No, he said everyone is like that when they start.
王一雪Wang Yixue
然后呢？你是怎么做好工作的？
And then? How did you learn to do the job well?
刘明Liu Ming
每天下班以后，我还在店里学做咖啡，学很久。
Every day after work I stayed in the shop learning to make coffee for a long time.
王一雪Wang Yixue
一般来说，新来的人不会学这么久吧？
Generally speaking, new staff don't practice this long, do they?
刘明Liu Ming
对，可能经理就是因为这个才喜欢我。
Right, maybe that's why the manager likes me.
The manager comes to the till. He gives Liu Ming the door card to the café. Liu Ming worries that he will lose them and also asks for a week off.
王经理Manager Wang
刘明，这是店门的卡。从下个月开始，早上你来开门。
Liu Ming, here is the shop's door card. From next month, you open up in the morning.
刘明Liu Ming
卡？经理，我……我总是丢东西。
The card? Manager, I... I'm always losing things.
王经理Manager Wang
我知道，所以你更要小心。把卡放进这个红色的包里，包要一直带着。
I know, so you need to be even more careful. Put the card in this red bag and keep the bag with you at all times.
刘明Liu Ming
还有，经理，下个星期我想休假，回家过年。
Also, Manager, next week I'd like some time off to go home for the New Year.
王经理Manager Wang
可以。你回来以后再开门。
All right. You can open up once you're back.
王一雪Wang Yixue
红色的包，很容易看见。看来这下他不会丢了。
A red bag is easy to see. It looks like he won't lose it now.
安妮Annie
刘明，你笑了？
Liu Ming, are you smiling?
In sentences
Guess
看来今天要下雪。
It looks like it will snow today.
看来kànlái + clause.
Opinion
在我看来，这个办法很好。
In my view, this is a good way.
在zài + person + 看来kànlái.
看来明天要下雪，我们早点儿回家吧。
It looks like it will snow tomorrow, so let's go home early.
A：他怎么还没来？ B：看来他忘了，我给他打个电话。
A: Why hasn't he come yet? B: It seems he forgot. I'll phone him.
在我看来，学汉语最难的是写汉字。
In my view, the hardest part of learning Chinese is writing characters.
在王经理看来，刘明是一个很认真的人。
In Manager Wang's eyes, Liu Ming is a very serious person.
看来刘明不会再丢这个红色的包了。
It looks as if Liu Ming won't lose this red bag again.
看来kànlái means "it seems" or "it looks as if" and shows that you are drawing a conclusion from what you have seen or heard. It stands at the beginning of the sentence or just after the subject: 看来他不来了kànlái tā bù lái le. The frame 在……看来zài … kànlái means "in someone's view": put the person in the middle, as in 在我看来zài wǒ kànlái, then give the opinion. The key constraint is that 在zài cannot be dropped from the frame. Compare 看来kànlái, which is a guess based on evidence, with 我觉得wǒ juéde, which is a plain personal feeling. Common mistake: dropping 在zài from the frame, as in ✗ 我看来，汉语很难wǒ kànlái, Hànyǔ hěn nán; say ✓ 在我看来，汉语很难zài wǒ kànlái, Hànyǔ hěn nán.
一般来说
一般来说yìbān láishuō opens a general rule: usually, in most cases.
State a general rule
一般来说yìbān láishuō opens a sentence that describes what normally happens.
Yixue uses it to say that new staff do not normally stay so long to learn.
In sentences
Rule
一般来说，周末的饭馆人比较多。
Generally speaking, restaurants are busier at weekends.
The rule comes after the comma.
Rule and exception
一般来说，他九点到，但是今天十点才到。
Usually he arrives at nine, but today he came at ten.
但是dànshì adds the exception.
一般来说，周末的饭馆人比较多，最好先打电话。
Generally speaking, restaurants are busier at weekends, so it's best to phone first.
A：你们几点上班？ B：一般来说，我们九点开始，五点下班。
A: What time do you start work? B: Usually we start at nine and finish at five.
一般来说，小孩子睡得早，起得也早。
Generally speaking, small children go to bed early and get up early.
一般来说，新来的人上班第一个星期很累。
As a rule new staff are very tired in their first week.
一般来说，北京一月很冷，但是今年不太冷。
Normally Beijing is very cold in January, but this year it isn't.
一般来说yìbān láishuō means "generally speaking" and introduces a statement that is true in most cases, not a single event. It comes at the start of a sentence, followed by a comma, and the rest says what usually happens: 一般来说，周末的饭馆人比较多yìbān láishuō, zhōumò de fànguǎn rén bǐjiào duō. The rule may have exceptions, and you can add one with 但是dànshì: 一般来说，他九点到，但是今天十点才到yìbān láishuō, tā jiǔ diǎn dào, dànshì jīntiān shí diǎn cái dào. The key constraint is that the sentence must describe a habit or a rule, not one particular time. Compare 一般来说yìbān láishuō, "usually, as a rule", with 今天jīntiān, which names one day. Common mistake: using it with a single past event, as in ✗ 一般来说，昨天他迟到了yìbān láishuō, zuótiān tā chídào le; say ✓ 昨天他迟到了zuótiān tā chídào le or ✓ 一般来说，他不迟到yìbān láishuō, tā bù chídào.
