HSK 3Lesson 9
Annie has to speak in front of her class for the first time. You will hear her admit she is afraid, get warm milk and good advice from Xiaoxue, face Yixue’s red pen, and then see what she says in class.
You will learn to talk about fear and worry, say how well you understand something, and keep going when you make a mistake.
Part 1 · 14 new words
Contains 5 words
to be afraid; to be scared
to be afraid; to fear
to feel relieved; to feel reassured
strange; odd
to be concerned about; to care about
Contains 4 words
clear; obvious
clear; distinct
Contains 3 words
conscientious; earnest
to make an effort; to try hard; to strive; hard-working; conscientious
Contains 2 words
(adds emphasis); can; to suit
but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed
Part 2
Part 3 · 9 phrases
我不怕考试，可是害怕在大家前面说话。
I’m not afraid of exams, but I’m afraid of speaking in front of everyone.
你放心，我到了家就给你打电话。
Don’t worry. I’ll call you when I get home.
奇怪的是，他说他不认识我，可是知道我的名字。
The strange thing is he said he doesn’t know me, but he knew my name.
老师说得很清楚，我也明白了。
The teacher explained it clearly, and I understand now.
他是怎么想的，我一点儿也不了解。
I have no idea what he’s thinking.
他学习很认真，是班里最努力的学生。
He studies carefully and is the hardest-working student in the class.
Part 4 · 4 conversations
On Tuesday evening in the dorm common room, Annie practices her three-minute talk for tomorrow's class about last Saturday’s visit to Yixue’s home, with Xiaoxue.
安妮Annie
小雪，你听我说好吗？明天我要在课上说三分钟，我害怕啊。
Xiaoxue, will you listen to me? Tomorrow I have to speak for three minutes in class, and I’m scared.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
怕什么啊？你的汉语已经很好了。
What’s there to be afraid of? Your Chinese is already good.
Part 5 · 2 points
不是……吗？
不是búshì… 吗ma? asks a question you already think you know the answer to.
Isn’t it…?
Remind or challenge someone with 不是búshì and 吗ma.
to understand; to realize
to understand; to know; to comprehend
to persevere with; to persist in
以前，你说：“周末一块儿走。”
Before, you said, “Let’s go together this weekend.”
后来，你不来，也不告诉我
After that, you did not come, and you did not tell me.
我还是让门一直开着
I still kept the door open.
我说这是爱——爱谁？
I said this was love—but love for whom?
爱你，还是爱以前的我们？
Love for you, or love for who we used to be?
门一直开着，你一直没有回来
The door stayed open; you still have not come back.
我说你以后会回来，你什么都没有说
I said you would come back later; you said nothing.
以前说要一块儿走，现在，还等的人是我
We used to say we would go together; now I am still the one waiting.
门一直开着——你不来，我为什么不走？
The door stayed open—you do not come; why do I not leave?
我说你忙，然后说你累
I said you were busy, then said you were tired.
还说你可能还没想好
I also said maybe you had not made up your mind yet.
你什么都没有说——
You said nothing—
怎么都是我说的？
How come all the talking was mine?
你三个月没有说话了
You have not spoken for three months.
我怎么还能听见“以后”？
How can I still hear “later”?
不来，还是还没来？
Are you not coming, or have you just not come yet?
多一个“还”，多等了一年
One more “yet”; one more year spent waiting.
今天等，明天等
I wait today; I wait tomorrow.
每个周末跟上个周末一样
Every weekend is the same as the last weekend.
你没有给我一分钟
You did not give me one minute.
我给了你多少个周末？
How many weekends did I give you?
门一直开着，你一直没有回来
The door stayed open; you still have not come back.
我说你以后会回来，你什么都没有说
I said you would come back later; you said nothing.
以前说要一块儿走，现在，还等的人是我
We used to say we would go together; now I am still the one waiting.
门一直开着——你不来，我为什么不走？
The door stayed open—you do not come; why do I not leave?
门是我开的
I opened the door.
一直开着，也是我要的
Keeping it open was also what I wanted.
我说，门开着，因为我等你回来
I said the door was open because I was waiting for you to come back.
其实，不愿意出去的是我
Actually, I was the one unwilling to go out.
不是你让我等
It was not you who made me wait.
你也没有说“等”
You did not say “wait,” either.
我给你的时间越来越多
The time I gave you kept growing.
给现在的自己，越来越少
What I gave my present self kept shrinking.
如果你真的回来的话
If you truly came back,
我们就会跟以前一样吗？
would we then be the same as before?
我一直等，直到今天终于明白：
I kept waiting until today, when I finally understood:
门开着，你也可能不回来
The door can stay open, and you still might not return.
我一直等，也可能不是爱
I kept waiting; that also might not be love.
可能因为我不想说：
Maybe it was because I did not want to say:
“我们完了。”
“We are over.”
我想要你回来？
Do I want you to come back?
还是想知道：我对你还重要吗？
Or do I want to know: do I still matter to you?
要你回来，是我们的事
Wanting you back is about us.
我还重要吗？是我自己的问题
Whether I still matter is my own question.
门一直开着，你一直没有回来
The door stayed open; you still have not come back.
我终于不说你以后会回来
I finally stopped saying you would come back later.
以前说要一块儿走，现在，还等的人是我
We used to say we would go together; now I am still the one waiting.
门一直开着——没有走的人，也是我
The door stayed open—the person who has not left is me too.
你没有说“还有以后”
You did not say, “There is still a future.”
我今天也不说
Today, I will not say it either.
今天只说今天：
Today I will speak only of today:
你没有回来
You did not come back.
我还没走
I have not left yet.
坚持每天读书，我现在看得懂中文书了。
Because I kept reading every day, I can now read Chinese books.
他很关心朋友，朋友生病的时候，他每天都去看。
He really cares about his friends: when one is sick, he visits every day.
我可喜欢这家饭馆了，可是离家太远。
I really like this restaurant, but it’s too far from home.
安妮Annie
我也不知道。奇怪，我在房间里说得很好，一站在别人前面，就说不出来了。
I don’t know either. It’s strange: I speak well in my room, but as soon as I stand in front of people I can’t get it out.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你不是在银行里自己跟工作人员说话了吗？那时候你怕了吗？
Didn’t you talk to the bank staff yourself? Were you afraid then?
安妮Annie
银行我不怕，可是在老师和同学前面说话，我真的怕。
The bank I’m not afraid of, but speaking in front of the teacher and classmates, I really am.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你说给我听吧。
Say it to me, then.
安妮Annie
大家好，我叫安妮，我要说……我忘了！怎么办？
Hello everyone, I’m Annie, and I want to say... I forgot! What do I do?
Later that night Xiaoxue comes back to the common room with something warm for Annie.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
来，热牛奶，喝了就能睡着。
Here, hot milk. Drink it and you’ll fall asleep.
安妮Annie
谢谢你这么关心我。你好像一点儿也不怕。
Thanks for caring about me so much. You don’t seem afraid at all.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
我也怕啊！每次考试，我都要给妈妈打电话呢。
I get scared too! Before every test I have to phone my mom.
安妮Annie
真的？我以为只有我怕呢。
Really? I thought I was the only one.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你放心吧，明天我坐在前面，你看着我说。
Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll sit in the front, and you look at me while you talk.
安妮Annie
你妈妈怎么说？
What does your mom say?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
她说，怕就怕吧，说慢一点儿就行。
She says, “Be afraid if you must, just speak a little slower.”
Yixue arrives with a red pen to check Annie's script and make a plan.
王一雪Wang Yixue
安妮，我拿了红色的笔来，你要说的东西给我看看吧。
Annie, I brought a red pen. Show me what you’re going to say.
安妮Annie
在这儿。我说的是上星期我坐地铁去你家的事呢。
Here. It’s about last week, when I took the subway to your home.
王一雪Wang Yixue
你明白怎么坐地铁吗？你对北京的地铁了解多少呢？
Do you understand how to ride the subway? How well do you know Beijing’s subway?
安妮Annie
虽然我每天都坐地铁，可是怎么换车，我还是不太清楚。
Although I take the subway every day, I’m still not clear how to change trains.
王一雪Wang Yixue
那你得懂得换车才能写。我来帮你看看。
Then you need to know how to change trains before you can write. Let me look.
安妮Annie
你用红色的笔写了这么多，我看得更着急了。
You’ve written so much in red that I get even more anxious looking at it.
王一雪Wang Yixue
虽然错得多，可是你写的东西很有意思！我们再看一次吧。
There are many mistakes, but what you wrote is interesting! Let’s go through it again.
On Wednesday morning in class, Annie stands in front of everyone. Xiaoxue sits in the front row.
王老师Teacher Wang
现在请安妮来说。大家认真听。
Now Annie will speak. Everyone, listen carefully.
安妮Annie
大家好。我想慢慢说，就像在画画课上，慢慢画。
Hello, everyone. I want to speak slowly, like painting slowly in painting class.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
对，慢慢说！
Right, take it slowly!
安妮Annie
上星期我去一雪家，她爸爸妈妈做了饺子。我……我爱他们！
Last week I went to Yixue’s home and her parents made dumplings. I... I love them!
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
安妮，你想说的是“我喜欢他们做的饺子”吧？
Annie, what you meant was “I like the dumplings they made,” right?
安妮Annie
对，我说错了！老师，我可以说完吗？
Yes, I got it wrong! Teacher, may I finish?
王老师Teacher Wang
当然可以。慢慢说，大家都在认真听。你很努力，一定能坚持说完。你今天说得可真不错！
Of course. Take it slowly, everyone is listening carefully. You work hard, and you’ll surely make it to the end. You’re doing really well today!
Xiaoxue says 你不是在银行里自己跟工作人员说话了吗nǐ búshì zài yínháng li zìjǐ gēn gōngzuò rényuán shuōhuà le ma to remind Annie of her courage.
In sentences
Remind
你不是说你不怕吗？
Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid?
Ends with 吗ma.
Surprise
你不是会开车吗？
Don’t you know how to drive?
The speaker expected yes.
你不是说今天要来吗？大家都在等你。
Didn’t you say you’d come today? Everyone is waiting for you.
A：你不是有手机吗？ B：有，但是它坏了。
A: Don’t you have a phone? B: I do, but it’s broken.
你不是已经吃过饭了吗？还要吃什么？
Haven’t you already eaten? What else do you want to eat?
他不是你的同学吗？你们怎么不认识？
Isn’t he your classmate? How come you don’t know each other?
安妮不是在画画课上学过慢慢画吗？说话也可以慢慢说。
Didn’t Annie learn to paint slowly in painting class? She can speak slowly too.
不是……吗？búshì… ma? is a question that expects the answer yes. It is used to remind someone, to be surprised or to push back: 你不是说你不怕吗？nǐ búshì shuō nǐ bú pà ma? means didn’t you say you weren’t afraid? Put 不是búshì before the verb or phrase and 吗ma at the end. The speaker thinks the thing is true or was said, and the question gently challenges the listener. The answer 对duì or 是啊shì a agrees with what the speaker thinks. Key constraint: 吗ma comes at the very end of the sentence. A common mistake is to put it inside: ✗ 你不是已经知道吗了nǐ búshì yǐjīng zhīdào ma le, ✓ 你不是已经知道了吗nǐ búshì yǐjīng zhīdào le ma. Compare 你是学生吗nǐ shì xuésheng ma, a neutral question with 你不是学生吗nǐ búshì xuésheng ma, I thought you were a student.
虽然……，可是……
虽然suīrán gives a fact, and 可是kěshì in the second half says what goes against it.
Although… but…
Two facts, the second one turns against the first.
Annie says 虽然我每天都坐地铁，可是怎么换车，我还是不太清楚suīrán wǒ měi tiān dōu zuò dìtiě, kěshì zěnme huàn chē, wǒ háishi bú tài qīngchu.
In sentences
With 可是
虽然天气冷，可是我们还去跑步。
Although it’s cold, we still go running.
可是kěshì turns the sentence around.
With 但是
虽然他很忙，但是每天都给我打电话。
Although he is busy, he phones me every day.
但是dànshì is firmer.
虽然天气很冷，可是我们还去跑步。
Although it’s cold, we still go running.
A：这个菜好吃吗？ B：虽然看起来不好看，可是很好吃。
A: Is this dish good? B: Although it doesn’t look nice, it tastes great.
虽然他才学了一年汉语，可是说得很清楚。
Although he has studied Chinese for only one year, he speaks very clearly.
我虽然很想去，可是明天有考试，所以去不了。
Although I really want to go, I have an exam tomorrow, so I can’t.
虽然安妮说错了，可是她坚持说完了。
Although Annie made a mistake, she kept going to the end.
虽然……，可是…… (suīrán…, kěshì…) means although … but …. The first half states something true, and the second half says something that seems the opposite: 虽然我每天坐地铁，可是还是不清楚怎么换车suīrán wǒ měi tiān zuò dìtiě, kěshì háishi bù qīngchu zěnme huàn chē. 虽然suīrán can come before or after the subject, and 可是kěshì can be replaced by 但是dànshì, which is a little firmer. Key constraint: the second half needs a contrast word, and 所以suǒyǐ is wrong, because it does not show a turn. A common mistake is to use 所以suǒyǐ: ✗ 虽然他很累，所以他还工作suīrán tā hěn lèi, suǒyǐ tā hái gōngzuò, ✓ 虽然他很累，可是他还工作suīrán tā hěn lèi, kěshì tā hái gōngzuò. Compare 虽然……可是…… (the facts are both true) with 因为……所以…… (one thing causes the other).
虽然错得多，可是你写的东西很有意思！我们再看一次吧。
There are many mistakes, but what you wrote is interesting! Let’s go through it again.
Why it matters · 虽然错得多，可是你的题很好suīrán cuò de duō, kěshì nǐ de tí hěn hǎo: the mistakes are real, but the topic is good.
