Level 3 - Lesson 9
Use this lesson when a plan is not settled yet: ask about the weekend, set a condition, compare what is the same or busier, and sequence what happens next.

Contains 5 words
if
if; in the case that
weekend
not yet
is it the case that; yes-or-no question frame
Contains 3 words
same; alike
Contains 2 words
then; after that
Contains 3 words
continuously; all along
如果有时间的话,我们就一块儿去学校学习。
Rúguǒ yǒu shíjiān de huà, wǒmen jiù yīkuàir qù xuéxiào xuéxí.
If we have time, we will go study at school together.
是不是还没想好?
Shì bu shì hái méi xiǎng hǎo?
Haven't you decided yet?
想好了,然后告诉你。
Xiǎng hǎo le, ránhòu gàosu nǐ.
I'll tell you after I've decided.
以前周末你也来学校学习。
Yǐqián zhōumò nǐ yě lái xuéxiào xuéxí.
Before, you also came to school to study on weekends.
以后周末还来吗?
Situation: One classmate invites another to study together this weekend; the invitee must ask the boss about work before confirming that evening.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
周末要不要一块儿去学校学习?
Do you want to go study at school together this weekend?
如果…(的话)…就
Use 如果 (rúguǒ) to open a condition, optionally put 的话 (de huà) at the end of that condition, and use 就 (jiù) before the result.
Connect a condition and result
Use 如果 (rúguǒ) for the condition, optional 的话 (de huà) at the condition's end, and 就 (jiù) for what happens if it is true.
after; later; in the future
before; previously
together
until
finally; at last
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.
Yǐhòu zhōumò hái lái ma?
Will you still come on weekends in the future?
跟现在一样。
Gēn xiànzài yíyàng.
It is the same as now.
他一直没来。
Tā yīzhí méi lái.
He hasn't shown up all this time.
我们一直等,直到晚上。
Wǒmen yīzhí děng, zhídào wǎnshang.
We kept waiting until evening.
他终于来了。
Tā zhōngyú lái le.
He finally came.
这个周末还更忙。
Zhège zhōumò hái gèng máng.
This weekend is even busier.
这个周末好好学习,以后再一块儿去学校。
Zhège zhōumò hǎohǎo xuéxí, yǐhòu zài yīkuàir qù xuéxiào.
Let's study hard this weekend and go to school together another time.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
我还没问老板。如果不用工作,我就跟你去。
I haven't asked my boss yet. If I don't have to work, I'll go with you.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
你什么时候能知道?
When will you know?
王一雪
Wang Yixue
晚上问老板,然后告诉你。
I'll ask my boss this evening and then tell you.
Situation: One classmate asks whether the school weekend study routine from before will continue after the schedule gets busier.
刘明
Liu Ming
以前周末你也来学校学习吗?
Before, did you also come to school to study on weekends?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
对,跟现在一样。
Yes, the same as now.
刘明
Liu Ming
以后更忙,周末还来吗?
You'll be busier later. Will you still come on weekends?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
来,周末还是来学校学习。
Yes. I'll still come to school to study on weekends.
Situation: Two friends talk about a delayed arrival, then decide what to do after the person finally comes.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
他三个小时没来,你们一直在等吗?
He didn't come for three hours. Were you waiting the whole time?
安妮
Annie
对,我们一直等,直到晚上他终于来了。
Yes, we kept waiting until evening, and he finally came.
白家月
Bai Jiayue
是不是还没吃饭?
Has he not eaten yet?
安妮
Annie
还没。我们现在一块儿去吃饭。
Not yet. We're going to eat together now.
Situation: A classmate cannot join this weekend's school study plan because of work, so the two classmates move it to the following weekend.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
这个周末还一块儿去学校学习吗?
Are we still going to study at school together this weekend?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
不去了,这个周末我要工作。
No. I have to work this weekend.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
以后呢?下个周末有时间吗?
What about later? Do you have time next weekend?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
有,我们下个周末再一块儿去吧。
Yes. Let's go together next weekend instead.
In 如果有时间的话,我们就一块儿去学校学习 (rúguǒ yǒu shíjiān de huà, wǒmen jiù yīkuàir qù xuéxiào xuéxí), 的话 (de huà) closes the condition; it can be omitted without changing the basic condition-result relationship.
如果 (rúguǒ) introduces the condition, and 就 (jiù) marks what we will do if it is true.
如果有时间,我们就一块儿去学校学习。
If we have time, we will go study at school together.
的话 (de huà) comes after the complete condition 下雨 (xiàyǔ); the result still begins with 就 (jiù).
如果下雨的话,我们就不去。
If it rains, we will not go.
如果有时间,我们就一块儿去学校学习。
If we have time, we will go study at school together.
如果下雨的话,我们就不去。
If it rains, we will not go.
Dialogue 01: Can You Study This Weekend?, Turn 2
Condition for the plan
还没想好。如果有时间,我就跟你一块儿去学校学习。
I haven't decided yet. If I have time, I'll go study at school with you.
如果…(的话)…就 (rúguǒ…(de huà)…jiù) links a condition with the result that follows if it is true. The optional 的话 (de huà) belongs after the complete condition clause—not after the result—and often makes the condition boundary more explicit in conversation. Both 如果有时间,我就去 (rúguǒ yǒu shíjiān, wǒ jiù qù) and 如果有时间的话,我就去 (rúguǒ yǒu shíjiān de huà, wǒ jiù qù) mean ‘If I have time, I will go.’ Use 就 (jiù) before the result in either version.
以前/以后 for general past/future
Use 以前 (yǐqián) for before and 以后 (yǐhòu) for later or future time.
Talk about before
Use 以前 (yǐqián) before the situation that was true earlier.
In 以前周末你也来学校学习吗 (yǐqián zhōumò nǐ yě lái xuéxiào xuéxí ma), 以前 (yǐqián) asks about an earlier weekend routine.
Talk about later
Use 以后 (yǐhòu) before the situation that will be true later.
In 以后周末还来吗 (yǐhòu zhōumò hái lái ma), 以后 (yǐhòu) moves the question to a later weekend routine.
以前 (yǐqián) frames the question as something that was true before now.
以前周末你也来学校学习吗?
Before, did you also come to school to study on weekends?
以后 (yǐhòu) asks about what will be true later.
以后周末还来吗?
Will you still come on weekends in the future?
以后 (yǐhòu) can also introduce a later situation, not only a later action.
以后更忙。
It will be busier later.
以前周末你也来学校学习。
Before, you also came to school to study on weekends.
以后周末还来。
I will still come on weekends in the future.
Dialogue 02: Same as Before?, Turn 1
Earlier routine
以前周末你也来学校学习吗?
Before, did you also come to school to study on weekends?
Dialogue 02: Same as Before?, Turn 3
Later routine
以后更忙,周末还来吗?
You'll be busier later. Will you still come on weekends?
以前 (yǐqián) and 以后 (yǐhòu) let you compare a past routine with a later plan. They can stand near the start of the sentence to make the time frame clear before the action or description.
终于 for "finally"
Use 终于 (zhōngyú) when something happens after waiting, delay, or effort.
Mark the delayed result
Use 终于 (zhōngyú) before the action that finally happens after waiting or effort.
In 他终于来了 (tā zhōngyú lái le), 终于 (zhōngyú) marks the delayed result, while 了 (le) marks the completed arrival. In 我们终于可以休息 (wǒmen zhōngyú kěyǐ xiūxi), no 了 (le) is needed.
终于 (zhōngyú) fits because the arrival happened after waiting.
他终于来了。
He finally came.
Use 终于 (zhōngyú) when the decision took time or effort.
终于想好了。
Finally decided.
终于 (zhōngyú) marks the long-awaited situation. There is no 了 (le) because 可以休息 (kěyǐ xiūxi) is a current possibility, not a completed event.
我们终于可以休息。
We can finally rest.
他终于来了。
He finally came.
终于想好了。
Finally decided.
我们终于可以休息。
We can finally rest.
Dialogue 03: Finally Arrived, Turn 2
Arrival after waiting
对,我们一直等,直到晚上他终于来了。
Yes, we kept waiting until evening, and he finally came.
终于 (zhōngyú) is not just a neutral time word. Put it before the result or situation that becomes possible after time, effort, or waiting. In 他终于来了 (tā zhōngyú lái le), people were waiting and he finally arrived. The final 了 (le) marks the completed arrival in that sentence; it is not part of 终于 (zhōngyú). A result can use a different shape when the meaning requires it: 我们终于可以休息 (wǒmen zhōngyú kěyǐ xiūxi), ‘We can finally rest,’ has no 了 (le). Choose aspect or result marking for the predicate itself, not because 终于 (zhōngyú) requires it.
Duration of inaction with 没
Put a duration before 没 (méi) + action to measure the stretch during which the action did not happen.
Measure a stretch of non-action
The duration names how long the expected action was absent.
Do not read 三个小时 (sān ge xiǎoshí) as the duration of 来 (lái). It measures the waiting period in which 来 (lái) did not occur.
三个小时 (sān ge xiǎoshí) measures how long the arrival failed to happen.
他三个小时没来。
He did not come for three hours.
Final 了 (le) presents the three-day absence as the current accumulated situation.
他三天没来学校了。
He has not come to school for three days.
一直 (yīzhí) emphasizes continuity but does not state how long; it is not a substitute for the duration slot.
他一直没来。
他三个小时没来。
He did not come for three hours.
他三天没来学校了。
He has not come to school for three days.
他三天没学习了。
He has not studied for three days.
Dialogue 03: Finally Arrived, Turn 1
Measure the non-arrival
他三个小时没来,你们一直在等吗?
He didn't come for three hours. Were you waiting the whole time?
Use subject + duration + 没 (méi) + action when the duration measures absence of the action. In 他三个小时没来 (tā sān ge xiǎoshí méi lái), the three hours are not the duration of coming; they are the stretch in which he failed to arrive. If that no-action stretch continues up to the present, a final 了 (le) can mark the current accumulated situation: 他三天没来学校了 (tā sān tiān méi lái xuéxiào le), ‘He has not come to school for three days.’ 一直没 (yīzhí méi) can emphasize continuity and 还没 (hái méi) can mean ‘not yet,’ but neither expression gives a duration unless an actual time amount is stated. The assigned construction therefore requires the duration, 没 (méi), and the absent action.
He hasn't shown up all this time.
三天 (sān tiān) measures the stretch during which 学习 (xuéxí) did not happen; final 了 (le) presents that absence as continuing up to now.
他三天没学习了。
He has not studied for three days.