HSK 4Lesson 13
Big feelings and big hopes come up in everyday talk. You will chat about a sister's date, a ten-year friendship, a book drive for children, and a dream of becoming a Chinese teacher.
You will learn to talk about love, friendship and dreams, to give and ask for encouragement, and to link ideas with not A but B and both A and B.
Part 1 · 18 new words
Contains 4 words
romantic love
romantic
happy; happiness
date; appointment
Contains 3 words
feeling of friendship between people
lasting friendship (also between countries)
Contains 4 words
an ideal; a dream
dream; aspiration
Contains 7 words
love; compassion
confidence
Part 2 · 10 phrases
明天晚上我有个约会，不能和你们一起吃饭了。
I have a date tomorrow evening, so I can't have dinner with you guys.
他在雨里等了她一个小时，真浪漫！
He waited for her in the rain for an hour. How romantic!
同学和同学有友情，国家和国家也有友谊。
Classmates have friendship, and two countries can have friendship too.
小时候我的梦想是开飞机，现在我的理想是做老师。
As a kid my dream was to fly planes; now my goal is to be a teacher.
我做了个梦，梦里我在飞机上唱歌。
I had a dream last night where I was singing on an airplane.
你说话要自信一点儿，对自己有信心才行。
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Anne sees Liu Xiaoxue's sister dressed up to go out and asks about her date and her boyfriend.
安妮Anne
你姐姐今天穿得这么漂亮，是有约会吗？
Your sister's all dressed up today. Does she have a date?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
对，她和男朋友认识三年了，今天晚上要一起吃饭。
Yes. She and her boyfriend have known each other for three years, and they're having dinner together tonight.
Part 4 · 2 points
不是……，而是……
Use 不是bú shì + A，而是érshì + B to reject one idea and give the right one instead.
Correct an assumption
Use 不是bú shì + A，而是érshì + B.
friendly
dream
to dream
self-confident; self-confidence
to encourage; encouragement
to support
both… and (as a pair with 又 or 也)
while; whereas; and (written)
Speak more confidently; you need to believe in yourself.
爸爸妈妈一直鼓励我，也支持我自己做决定。
My parents have always encouraged me and supported me in making my own decisions.
这家饭馆既便宜又好吃，所以我们常来。
This restaurant is both cheap and tasty, so we come often.
这个电影讲的是两个大学生的爱情故事。
This movie is a love story about two college students.
别做梦了，不学习怎么能拿第一？
Dream on! How can you come in first without studying?
安妮Anne
真浪漫！他们要去哪儿？
How romantic! Where are they going?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
去他们第一次见面的那家小饭馆。我姐姐说，那里是他们爱情故事开始的地方。
To the little restaurant where they first met. My sister says that's where their love story began.
安妮Anne
一家小饭馆？那他平时常常送她贵东西吗？
A little restaurant? So does he usually give her expensive things?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
没有。他送的不是贵东西，而是自己做的小礼物。
No. He doesn't give her expensive things; he gives her little presents he makes himself.
安妮Anne
那你姐姐一定很幸福。
Then your sister must be very happy.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
是啊。她说，幸福不是每天有花，而是有人一直在身边。
Yes. She says happiness isn't having flowers every day, but having someone by your side all the time.
Bai Jiayue asks Wang Yixue how her friendship with Liu Xiaoxue has lasted ten years.
白家月Bai Jiayue
你和小雪做朋友多久了？
How long have you and Xiaoxue been friends?
王一雪Wang Yixue
从中学到现在，十年了。
Since secondary school. Ten years now.
白家月Bai Jiayue
十年！你们的友谊真让人羡慕。
Ten years! Your friendship is really something to envy.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我们既是同学，又是邻居，两家人也一直很友好。
We're both classmates and neighbors, and our two families have always been on good terms.
白家月Bai Jiayue
你们就没有不高兴的时候吗？
Haven't you two ever been upset with each other?
王一雪Wang Yixue
当然有。可是第二天总有一个人先说对不起。
Of course we have. But the next day one of us always says sorry first.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我明白了：友情不是不生气，而是生气以后还在一起。
I see: friendship isn't never getting angry, but still being together afterwards.
Liu Ming wants to collect old books for children in the mountains who have none; Teacher Wang supports him and tells him how to write the notice.
刘明Liu Ming
王老师，我想给山里没有书的孩子送些旧书，您支持吗？
Teacher Wang, I'd like to send some old books to children in the mountains who have none. Will you support it?
王老师Teacher Wang
我很支持。这是一件很有爱心的事。
I fully support it. It's a very caring thing to do.
刘明Liu Ming
可是我担心同学们不愿意参加。
But I'm worried my classmates won't want to take part.
王老师Teacher Wang
别担心，我会在班上鼓励大家。你先写一个通知吧。
Don't worry, I'll encourage everyone in class. You write a notice first.
刘明Liu Ming
通知要怎么写才好？
How should I write the notice?
王老师Teacher Wang
要写得既清楚又简单，让大家一看就知道怎么做。
Make it both clear and simple, so everyone knows what to do at a glance.
刘明Liu Ming
好，我今天晚上就写，明天给您看。
Okay, I'll write it tonight and show it to you tomorrow.
Li Wen asks Anne about her dream of becoming a Chinese teacher; Anne admits she lacks confidence, and Li Wen encourages her.
李文Li Wen
安妮，你的理想是什么？
Anne, what's your ambition?
安妮Anne
我想做汉语老师，这个梦想我从小就有。
I want to be a Chinese teacher. I've had this dream since I was little.
李文Li Wen
你对自己有信心吗？
Do you have confidence in yourself?
安妮Anne
有点儿，可是我不太自信。昨天晚上我还做梦了：梦里我站在教室里，一句话也说不出来。
A little, but I'm not very self-confident. Last night I even dreamed I was standing in a classroom and couldn't get a single word out.
李文Li Wen
那只是一个梦。你既有耐心，又喜欢孩子，一定能做个好老师。
That was just a dream. You're patient and you love children; you'll definitely make a good teacher.
安妮Anne
谢谢你的鼓励。我会每天努力一点儿，离梦想近一点儿。
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll work a little harder every day and get a little closer to my dream.
Anne guessed expensive gifts; 不是……而是…… (bú shì … érshì …) corrects her.
Define something by contrast
Say what something is not, then what it really is.
This use is common when people talk about values such as love, friendship or happiness.
In sentences
Correcting a reason
我学汉语不是为了考试，而是为了了解中国文化。
I'm learning Chinese not for exams but to understand Chinese culture.
B gives the real purpose after A is rejected; both halves use 为了wèile.
Correcting a guess
他送的不是贵东西，而是自己做的小礼物。
He doesn't give expensive things; he gives little presents he makes himself.
B is the real situation.
Defining
友情不是不生气，而是生气以后还在一起。
Friendship isn't never getting angry, but still being together afterwards.
Both parts are verb phrases.
A：你是不是不喜欢这个工作？ B：不是不喜欢，而是太累了。
A: Don't you like this job? B: It's not that I don't like it, it's that it's too tiring.
王老师说，学好汉语不是一天的事，而是每天学一点儿。
Teacher Wang says that learning Chinese well is not a matter of one day but of studying a bit every day.
不是bú shì names the idea you reject and 而是érshì names the one you accept: 他送的不是贵东西，而是自己做的小礼物tā sòng de bú shì guì dōngxi, érshì zìjǐ zuò de xiǎo lǐwù. A and B must be parallel: two nouns, two verb phrases or two clauses. The 而是érshì part comes second, after a comma, and carries the speaker's real point, so the pattern is often used to correct an assumption or to define something, as in 幸福不是……，而是…… (xìngfú bú shì …, érshì …). 而是érshì needs a 不是bú shì clause before it; do not replace it with 但是dànshì, which means but in the sense of however, not but rather. A common mistake is to use 而是érshì alone, or to put 不是bú shì after 而是érshì. Compare 他不是老师，而是学生Tā bú shì lǎoshī, érshì xuésheng with the wrong order ✗ 他而是学生，不是老师Tā érshì xuésheng, bú shì lǎoshī: the rejected idea A always comes first, the real point B second. Unlike 但是dànshì and 可是kěshì, which add a turning point, 而是érshì replaces A with B.
既……，又/也……
Use 既jì + A + 又yòu or 也yě + B to say that one subject is both A and B.
Say two qualities together
Use 既jì + A + 又yòu + B.
In 要写得既清楚又简单yào xiě de jì qīngchu yòu jiǎndān, the notice should have both qualities.
Say two roles or reasons
Join two verb phrases with 既jì and 又yòu.
Li Wen gives two reasons together to encourage Anne.
In sentences
Two adjectives
这家饭馆既便宜又好吃，所以每天人都很多。
This restaurant is both cheap and tasty, so it's busy every day.
Two adjectives are parallel.
Two roles
我们既是同学，又是邻居。
We're both classmates and neighbors.
A comma may separate longer parts.
Two needs
学汉语既要多听，也要多说。
To learn Chinese, you need to listen a lot and also speak a lot.
既要jì yào pairs with 也要yě yào.
A：你们为什么常去那家店？ B：它既近，又好吃。
A: Why do you often go to that shop? B: It's both close and tasty.
安妮说汉语老师既要有耐心，又要喜欢孩子。
Anne says a Chinese teacher needs to have patience and also to like children.
既jì opens a pair and 又yòu or 也yě closes it: 既清楚又简单jì qīngchu yòu jiǎndān, both clear and simple. A and B describe the same subject and should be the same kind of phrase: two adjectives, or two verb phrases such as 既是同学，又是邻居jì shì tóngxué, yòu shì línjū. Both words go right before what they join, after the subject. 又yòu is the usual partner, especially with adjectives; 也yě is common with verb phrases, as in 既要……也要…… (jì yào … yě yào …) for two things that are both needed. The pattern sounds a little more careful than 又……又…… (yòu … yòu …), which you already know. A common mistake is to put two opposite ideas in 既……又…… (jì … yòu …). Compare 既便宜又好吃jì piányi yòu hǎochī, two good points, with ✗ 既便宜又贵jì piányi yòu guì: both parts must be parallel and say something about the same subject. Do not say ✗
Make it both clear and simple, so everyone knows what to do at a glance.
Why it matters · 既……又…… (jì … yòu …) joins two qualities.
