HSK 4Lesson 21
Train travel is all about timing. You will buy a ticket at the counter, race to the ticket gate with a missing ID, wait for a train that is suddenly delayed, and get advice from a teacher about holiday travel.
You will learn to buy a high-speed train ticket, hurry to catch a train, deal with a sudden delay, and say whether there is still time, that something has already happened, or that something changed suddenly.
Part 1 · 17 new words
Contains 6 words
high-speed train
ticket seller
traveler; passenger
to travel; to make a trip
measure word for trips and train services
seat
Contains 3 words
to do in advance; ahead of time
on time; punctual
Contains 6 words
to rush for; to hurry to catch
to catch; to make it in time for
Contains 2 words
already
suddenly
Part 2 · 9 phrases
检票以前，请旅客们在门口排队。
Before ticket checking starts, passengers, please line up at the gate.
明天要早起，我今天晚上就提前把包准备好。
I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll get my bag ready ahead of time tonight.
老师上课很准时，一分钟也不会晚。
Our teacher is very punctual for class and is never even a minute late.
我跑得很快，才赶上最后一班公交车。
I ran fast and just managed to catch the last bus.
要下雨了，我们赶紧回家吧。
It's going to rain; let's hurry home.
天忽然下起了大雨，我们都没带伞。
It suddenly started pouring, and none of us had brought an umbrella.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Liu Ming goes to the station counter to buy a high-speed train ticket to Shanghai for the next morning.
刘明Liu Ming
你好，我要一张明天上午去上海的动车票。
Hello, I'd like a high-speed train ticket to Shanghai for tomorrow morning.
售票员Ticket seller
明天上午只有九点二十那趟还有票。一等座卖完了，只有二等座。
Tomorrow morning only the nine-twenty train still has tickets. First class is sold out; there's only second class.
Part 4 · 2 points
来得及/来不及
来得及láidejí means there is still time to do something; 来不及láibují means there is not enough time.
Say there is still time
Put 还来得及hái láidejí after the plan.
late
hurry; quickly
hurry; quickly
there is not enough time
there is still time
现在去还来得及，晚了就来不及了。
If we go now there's still time; if we wait it'll be too late.
这趟动车几点开？去上海要多长时间？
What time does this train leave? How long does it take to get to Shanghai?
我问售票员，去上海的车几点开。
I asked the ticket seller what time the bus to Shanghai leaves.
刘明Liu Ming
二等座也行。几点到上海？
Second class is fine. What time does it get to Shanghai?
售票员Ticket seller
下午一点。这趟车很准时，一般不会晚点。
One in the afternoon. This train is very punctual; it's hardly ever late.
刘明Liu Ming
好，就要这趟。我要提前多长时间到车站？
Good, I'll take that one. How early do I need to get to the station?
售票员Ticket seller
开车前五分钟就不能检票了，你最好提前半个小时到。
The ticket gate closes five minutes before departure, so you'd better arrive half an hour early.
Li Wen and Liu Ming reach the station with twenty minutes to spare, then Li Wen cannot find his ID card.
李文Li Wen
还有二十分钟就开车了，来得及吗？
The train leaves in twenty minutes. Do we still have time?
刘明Liu Ming
来得及，我们赶快走，从这儿到检票口只要五分钟。
Yes, if we hurry. It's only five minutes from here to the ticket gate.
李文Li Wen
等一下，我的身份证呢？如果回家去拿，就来不及了！
Wait, where is my ID card? If I have to go home for it, we won't make it!
刘明Liu Ming
别着急，你再看看包里。
Don't panic. Look in your bag again.
李文Li Wen
在这儿！太好了。
Here it is! Thank goodness.
刘明Liu Ming
你听：“旅客们请注意，去上海的动车已开始检票。”
Listen: "Attention, passengers: the high-speed train to Shanghai is now boarding."
李文Li Wen
是我们这趟！赶紧走吧，再不走就迟了。
That's our train! Hurry up, if we don't go now we'll be late.
刘明Liu Ming
放心，检票口就在前面，一定能赶上。
Relax, the gate is right there. We'll definitely make it.
Bai Jiayue and Wang Yixue are waiting on the platform for a train to Shanghai, where they have to change to another train.
白家月Bai Jiayue
都九点了，动车怎么还没来？动车一般都很准时啊。
It's already nine. Why hasn't the train come? High-speed trains are usually on time.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我看看手机……刚才还说准时到，现在忽然说要晚点四十分钟。
Let me check my phone... A moment ago it said on time, and now it suddenly says it'll be forty minutes late.
白家月Bai Jiayue
四十分钟？我们在上海只有半个小时换乘，那就来不及了！
Forty minutes? We only have half an hour to change in Shanghai. We won't make it!
王一雪Wang Yixue
别急，从上海去北京的车不少，十二点还有一趟。
Don't worry, there are plenty of trains from Shanghai to Beijing. There's another one at twelve.
白家月Bai Jiayue
可是我们已经买好票了，能换吗？
But we've already bought our tickets. Can we change them?
王一雪Wang Yixue
动车晚点，可以免费换。到了上海我们就去问，赶十二点那趟还来得及。
When a train is late you can change for free. We'll ask as soon as we get to Shanghai; there's still time to catch the twelve o'clock.
Just before the Spring Festival holiday, Teacher Wang asks Liu Ming whether he has his ticket home and gives him some advice.
王老师Teacher Wang
马上就要放假了，春节出行的旅客特别多，你回家的票买了吗？
The holidays are almost here, and a huge number of people travel at Spring Festival. Have you bought your ticket home?
刘明Liu Ming
已经买好了，是二十八号下午的动车。
It's already bought: a high-speed train on the afternoon of the 28th.
王老师Teacher Wang
那就好。去年我买得太晚，售票员说动车票都卖完了，我只好坐了十个小时的大巴。
Good. Last year I bought mine too late. The ticket seller said the high-speed tickets were all sold out, so I had to take a ten-hour coach.
刘明Liu Ming
十个小时！那一定很累。
Ten hours! That must have been exhausting.
王老师Teacher Wang
是啊。还有，那几天车站人特别多，检票的时候要等很久，你最好提前一个小时到。
Yes. And the station is packed those days, with long waits at the ticket gate, so you'd better get there an hour early.
刘明Liu Ming
好，我会提前出门，一定赶上这趟车。
Okay, I'll leave early and make sure I catch that train.
In 赶十二点那趟还来得及gǎn shí'èr diǎn nà tàng hái láidejí, there is still time to catch the twelve o'clock train.
Say it is too late
Put 就来不及了jiù láibují le after the plan, or 来不及láibují before a verb.
In 如果回家去拿，就来不及了rúguǒ huí jiā qù ná, jiù láibují le, going home for the card would mean missing the train.
In sentences
Still time
飞机十点起飞，现在才七点，坐地铁去还来得及。
The plane takes off at ten and it's only seven now, so there's still time to go by subway.
The plan comes first, then 还来得及hái láidejí.
Too late
电影八点开始，现在已经七点五十了，打车去也来不及了。
The movie starts at eight and it's already seven-fifty; even by taxi we won't make it.
来不及了láibují le after the plan says it's too late.
No time to do it
动车马上就要开了，他来不及买水，就跑上了车。
The train was about to leave, so he had no time to buy water and ran on board.
来不及láibují + verb: no time for that action.
Didn't have time
早上起晚了，我没来得及吃早饭。
I got up late this morning and didn't have time for breakfast.
For the past, use 没来得及méi láidejí + verb.
A：我们打车去，来得及吗？ B：来得及，还有一个小时呢。
A: If we take a taxi, is there enough time? B: Yes, there's still an hour.
李文找不到身份证，回家拿已经来不及了。
Li Wen can't find his ID card, and it's too late to go home for it.
来得及láidejí and 来不及láibují say whether the time left is enough. They work in two positions. After the plan, they judge it: 现在走还来得及xiànzài zǒu hái láidejí, there is still time if we go now; 回家去拿就来不及了huí jiā qù ná jiù láibují le, going home for it would be too late. Before a verb, they say what there is or is not time for: 来不及吃早饭láibují chī zǎofàn, no time for breakfast. They can also stand alone as a question or an answer: 来得及吗？láidejí ma? 来得及。láidejí. 还hái often comes before 来得及láidejí to mean still, and 了le often follows 来不及láibují to mark a new situation. The negative is 来不及láibují; do not say 不来得及bù láidejí. To say you did not manage to do something in the past, use 没来得及méi láidejí: 我没来得及吃早饭wǒ méi láidejí chī zǎofàn.
时间副词 按时 / 赶紧 / 赶快 / 已 / 忽然 / 将 / 将要 / 从 / 本来
赶紧gǎnjǐn and 赶快gǎnkuài mean hurry and do it now; 已经yǐjīng and formal 已yǐ mean already; 忽然hūrán means suddenly.
Tell someone to hurry
Use 赶紧gǎnjǐn or 赶快gǎnkuài before the verb.
In 赶紧走吧gǎnjǐn zǒu ba, the speaker wants to leave right now.
Say already
Use 已经yǐjīng before the verb, with 了le.
In 我们已经买好票了wǒmen yǐjīng mǎihǎo piào le, the tickets are bought. In announcements, 已yǐ replaces 已经yǐjīng.
Say suddenly
Put 忽然hūrán before the verb phrase.
In 现在忽然说要晚点xiànzài hūrán shuō yào wǎndiǎn, the news is a surprise.
In sentences
Hurry
电影快开始了，我们赶快走吧。
The movie is about to start. Let's hurry.
赶快gǎnkuài + verb + 吧ba urges action.
Quickly did
听说动车要晚点，他赶紧给家里打了个电话。
When he heard the train would be late, he quickly phoned home.
赶紧gǎnjǐn can also tell what someone quickly did.
Already
我们已经等了半个小时了，他怎么还不来？
We've been waiting for half an hour already. Why isn't he here yet?
Two 了le with a length of time.
Formal already
通知：明天去上海的动车票已卖完。
Notice: tomorrow's high-speed train tickets to Shanghai are sold out.
已yǐ is notice and announcement style.
Suddenly
他正在看书，忽然站起来跑了出去。
All of these are adverbs, so they go before the verb. 赶紧gǎnjǐn and 赶快gǎnkuài urge quick action, often with 吧ba: 赶紧走吧gǎnjǐn zǒu ba, hurry up. They can also tell what someone quickly did: 他赶紧给我打电话tā gǎnjǐn gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. 已经yǐjīng says something has already happened and usually has 了le: 我们已经买好票了wǒmen yǐjīng mǎihǎo piào le. With a length of time, 了le can appear twice: 已经等了半个小时了yǐjīng děng le bàn ge xiǎoshí le, we have been waiting for half an hour. 已yǐ means the same but is formal, heard in announcements and seen in notices:
He was reading when he suddenly stood up and ran out.
忽然hūrán before the verb marks an unexpected change.
A：你怎么跑得这么急？ B：车忽然来了，我得赶紧上去！
A: Why are you running so fast? B: The bus came all of a sudden, so I must get on quickly!
王一雪看了看时间，赶紧叫白家月上车，因为车已经要开了。
Wang Yixue looked at the time and quickly told Bai Jiayue to get on, because the train was already about to leave.
你听：“旅客们请注意，去上海的动车已开始检票。”
Listen: "Attention, passengers: the high-speed train to Shanghai is now boarding."
Why it matters · The announcement uses formal 已yǐ.
