HSK 4Lesson 12
Feelings show in small moments: waiting for exam results, leaving a moving movie, not being picked for a match, or winning a prize. You will name feelings and say what caused them.
You will learn to describe feelings, from nervous and excited to disappointed and proud, and to say that something makes someone feel a certain way or feel extremely so.
Part 1 · 17 new words
Contains 7 words
mood
feeling; emotion
feeling; to feel
to be moved; to move (someone)
touching
feeling; to experience
nervous; tense
Contains 4 words
excited; moved
excited
Contains 3 words
disappointed
sad; hurt
Contains 3 words
to make; to cause
to die; extremely
Part 2 · 9 phrases
比赛前一天晚上，我兴奋得怎么也睡不着。
The night before the game, I was so excited I couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
老师来医院看我，这使我很感动，差点儿哭了。
My teacher came to see me in the hospital. It moved me so much I almost cried.
我和哥哥感情很好，每个周末都一起玩儿。
My older brother and I are close, and we hang out every weekend.
下雨天我的心情总是不太好，什么都不想做。
On rainy days my mood is always a bit low and I don't feel like doing anything.
我刚到北京的时候，感觉什么都很新鲜。
When I first got to Beijing, everything felt fresh and new.
外边冷得厉害，你多穿一件衣服吧。
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Wang Yixue and Bai Jiayue wait nervously for their exam results to come out, then see them together.
王一雪Wang Yixue
成绩下午就出来了，我紧张死了。
The results come out this afternoon. I'm so nervous I could die.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我也是，又紧张又激动，一点儿也坐不住。
Me too. I'm nervous and worked up at the same time; I can't sit still.
Part 4 · 2 points
兼语句 表致使 使/让
Use cause + 使shǐ or 让ràng + person + feeling or action to say what something made someone feel or do.
Say what caused a feeling
Use cause + 使shǐ or 让ràng + person + result.
happy; pleasant
proud; pleased with oneself
to envy
terrible; severe; (praise) impressive
It's bitterly cold outside; put on one more layer.
忙了一天，我累死了，只想马上睡觉。
After a busy day I'm dead tired and just want to go to sleep right now.
他说好要来，又没来，我对他很失望。
He said he'd come and then didn't. I'm really disappointed in him.
他拿了第一名，得意地对大家笑了。
He came in first and smiled at everyone, looking pleased with himself.
昨天晚上我一直睡不着，那种感觉真不舒服。
I couldn't sleep at all last night. That feeling was really unpleasant.
白家月Bai Jiayue
别想了，我们去吃点儿东西，让心情好一点儿。
Stop thinking about it. Let's go and eat something to cheer ourselves up.
王一雪Wang Yixue
好。你看，成绩出来了！我得了九十分！
Okay. Look, the results are out! I got ninety!
白家月Bai Jiayue
我也过了！我太兴奋了，今天晚上又要睡不着了。
I passed too! I'm so excited I won't be able to sleep again tonight.
Leaving the cinema, Anne and Liu Xiaoxue talk about how a movie about a family moved them, and Anne decides to call her grandmother.
安妮Anne
这个电影太感人了，我看哭了。
That movie was so touching. It made me cry.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
是啊，最后一段我也很感动。
Yes, I was moved by the last part too.
安妮Anne
你看完有什么感受？
How did you feel after watching it?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
我觉得，家人的感情比什么都重要。
I feel the love between family members matters more than anything.
安妮Anne
是啊，这个电影使我想起了我的奶奶。我有一年没见她了。
Yes. The movie made me think of my grandma. I haven't seen her for a year.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
那你今天晚上就给她打个电话吧，她一定很高兴。
Then call her tonight. She'll be really happy.
Liu Ming was not picked to play in the school basketball contest, and Li Wen comforts him and offers to practice with him.
李文Li Wen
你怎么了？看起来很伤心。
What's wrong? You look really down.
刘明Liu Ming
学校选人参加篮球比赛，没选上我。我每天都练，现在心里难过得厉害。
The school picked players for the basketball contest, and I wasn't one of them. I practiced every day, and now I feel terrible.
李文Li Wen
这次没选上，下次还有机会。别对自己太失望。
You missed out this time, but there'll be another chance. Don't be too disappointed in yourself.
刘明Liu Ming
可是我的好朋友都选上了，我真羡慕他们。
But my good friends all got picked. I really envy them.
李文Li Wen
你的球打得不比他们差，只是选人那天太紧张了。
You don't play any worse than they do. You just got too nervous on the day they picked players.
刘明Liu Ming
你说得对。听你这么说，我心情好多了。
You're right. Hearing you say that, I feel much better.
李文Li Wen
那明天下午我和你一起去练球吧。
Then let's go and practice together tomorrow afternoon.
Bai Jiayue's painting has won first prize; Teacher Wang shares her joy and gently warns her not to get too pleased with herself.
王老师Teacher Wang
白家月，你今天看起来很愉快，有什么好事吗？
Bai Jiayue, you look very cheerful today. Has something good happened?
白家月Bai Jiayue
王老师，我的画得了第一名！大家都说我画得好。
Teacher Wang, my painting won first place! Everyone says I paint well.
王老师Teacher Wang
太好了！我真为你高兴。
Wonderful! I'm really happy for you.
白家月Bai Jiayue
说真的，我现在有点儿得意，走路都想笑。
To be honest, I'm a bit pleased with myself. I keep smiling as I walk.
王老师Teacher Wang
高兴是应该的，可是别太骄傲了，还要更努力。
It's right to be happy, but don't get too proud. You need to work even harder.
白家月Bai Jiayue
您说得对。这件事使我明白了，努力是有用的。
You're right. This has shown me that hard work pays off.
In 这个电影使我想起了我的奶奶zhège diànyǐng shǐ wǒ xiǎngqǐ le wǒ de nǎinai, the movie caused the thought; nobody gave an order.
In sentences
Formal 使
这件事使我明白了，努力是有用的。
This has shown me that hard work pays off.
使shǐ sounds a little formal; 了le goes after the result.
Feeling
他帮了我那么多，这件事使我很感动。
He helped me so much; that really moved me.
The result can be an adjective phrase.
Spoken 让
听说明天不上课，这让大家都很兴奋。
We heard there was no class tomorrow, and that got everyone excited.
In speech, 让ràng is more common.
Only 让 = let
妈妈不让我晚上一个人出去。
Mom won't let me go out alone at night.
Here 让ràng means to let; 使shǐ cannot replace it.
A：你怎么哭了？ B：这个电影使我想起了小时候的事。
A: Why are you crying? B: This film made me think of things from my childhood.
没被选上篮球比赛，这让刘明难过了好几天。
Not being picked for the basketball contest made Liu Ming sad for several days.
The pattern is cause + 使shǐ or 让ràng + person + result: 这个电影使我想起了我的奶奶zhège diànyǐng shǐ wǒ xiǎngqǐ le wǒ de nǎinai, the movie made me think of my grandma. The person in the middle is both the one affected and the one who then feels or does the result, which can be an adjective such as 很感动hěn gǎndòng or a verb phrase such as 明白了míngbai le. The cause is usually a thing or an event, not a person giving an order. 使shǐ sounds a little formal and is common in writing and careful speech; 让ràng is the everyday word, and it can also mean to let or to ask someone to do something, which 使shǐ cannot. Put 了le after the result, never right after 使shǐ: say 使我明白了shǐ wǒ míngbai le, not 使了我明白shǐ le wǒ míngbai. A common mistake is to put 了le right after 使shǐ: ✗ 使了我明白shǐ le wǒ míngbai ✓ 使我明白了shǐ wǒ míngbai le.
程度补语 死了/厉害
Put 死了sǐ le after an adjective for extremely, or 得厉害de lìhai for to a severe degree.
Say extremely
Use adjective + 死了sǐ le.
In 我紧张死了wǒ jǐnzhāng sǐ le, the nervousness is at its peak.
Say severely
Use adjective or verb + 得厉害de lìhai for a hard-to-bear degree.
In 心里难过得厉害xīnli nánguò de lìhai, the sadness is hard to bear.
In sentences
Extremely nervous
明天就要考试了，我紧张死了。
The exam is tomorrow. I'm so nervous I could die.
死了sǐ le follows the adjective.
Good feeling
听说我得了第一名，妈妈高兴死了！
When she heard I came first, Mom was over the moon!
死了sǐ le works with good feelings too.
Severe
没选上我，我心里难过得厉害。
They didn't pick me, and I feel terrible.
得厉害de lìhai suits unpleasant states.
Pain
我感冒了，头疼得厉害。
I've got a cold and a terrible headache.
It is common with pain, too.
A：明天比赛，你紧张吗？ B：紧张死了，我今天晚上肯定睡不着。
A: Are you nervous about tomorrow's match? B: Terribly; I'm sure I won't sleep tonight.
安妮一个人在中国，想家想得厉害，每个周末都给奶奶打电话。
After an adjective or a verb of feeling, 死了sǐ le means extremely: 紧张死了jǐnzhāng sǐ le, so nervous I could die. It is an exaggeration, not a real death, and it works for good feelings as well as bad ones: 高兴死了gāoxìng sǐ le. 得厉害de lìhai also shows a strong degree, but mostly for unpleasant states that are hard to bear: 难过得厉害nánguò de lìhai, 疼得厉害téng de lìhai. Do not put 很hěn in front: say 紧张死了jǐnzhāng sǐ le, not 很紧张死了hěn jǐnzhāng sǐ le. Both are informal, so leave them out of formal writing. A common mistake is to add 很hěn before 死了sǐ le: ✗
Anne is alone in China and is terribly homesick, so she phones her grandmother every weekend.
The school picked players for the basketball contest, and I wasn't one of them. I practiced every day, and now I feel terrible.
Why it matters · 难过得厉害nánguò de lìhai shows a severe, painful degree.
