HSK 4Lesson 35
Daily life at home is full of small things. You will pack a washbag for a trip, clear out a bag of old things, tidy a room that is full of stuff, and help get a big family meal ready.
You will learn the names of small things at home, how to pack, throw out and tidy up, and how to borrow nouns as measure words: a carton of milk, a roomful of people, a tableful of food, hands covered in oil.
Part 1 · 12 new words
Contains 4 words
towel
toothpaste
tissue; paper napkin
brand
Contains 4 words
bag
bucket; bin
Contains 4 words
to tidy up; to pack
to sort out; to put in order
Part 2 · 8 phrases
明天去上海住两天，我得带上毛巾和牙膏。
I'm going to Shanghai for two days, so I need to pack a towel and toothpaste.
这个牌子的纸巾便宜，我一次买了三包。
This brand of tissues is cheap, so I bought three packs at once.
出门以前，我花了半小时收拾行李。
I spent half an hour packing my luggage before leaving.
书和本子放得到处都是，周末我要好好整理一下。
My books and notebooks are lying all over the place; this weekend I'm going to sort them out properly.
这个袋子里的东西不要了，帮我扔到外边的桶里吧。
Take what's in this bag out; I don't want it. Throw it in the bin outside for me.
大衣别放在床上，挂在门后边吧。
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Li Wen checks whether Liu Ming has finished packing for a trip, and they argue about which small things he really needs.
李文Li Wen
明天早上的飞机，你的行李收拾好了吗？
The flight is tomorrow morning. Have you finished packing?
刘明Liu Ming
差不多了，还要放毛巾和牙膏。
Nearly; I still have to put in a towel and toothpaste.
李文Li Wen
Part 4 · 1 point
借用名量词 脸 / 手 / 盒 / 屋子 / 桌子
A container or a place can work as a measure word: 两盒牛奶liǎng hé niúnǎi two cartons of milk, 一桌子菜yì zhuōzi cài a tableful of dishes, 一屋子人yì wūzi rén a roomful of people.
Count by the container
A container noun counts what is in it, with any number.
box
slice; piece (measure word)
to throw away
to hang
Don't leave your coat on the bed; hang it behind the door.
这种药一次吃一片，一天吃三次。
Take one tablet at a time, three times a day.
这个小盒子是朋友送的，里面放着我的手表。
This little box was a gift from a friend; my watch is in it.
旅馆里都有，不用带。
The hotel has those; no need to bring them.
刘明Liu Ming
我习惯用这个牌子的牙膏，别的牌子我不爱用。
I'm used to this brand of toothpaste; I don't like using other brands.
李文Li Wen
那就带上吧。纸巾也带一包，路上用得上。
Then take it. Bring a pack of tissues too; they'll come in handy on the way.
刘明Liu Ming
好，我把这些都放在一个小袋子里。
Okay, I'll put all of these in a small bag.
Bai Jiayue asks Wang Yixue to throw out a bag of old things, but Wang Yixue thinks some of it should be kept.
白家月Bai Jiayue
一雪，帮我把这个袋子拿出去扔了吧。
Yixue, take this bag out and throw it away for me, please.
王一雪Wang Yixue
袋子里是什么？
What's in the bag?
白家月Bai Jiayue
都是旧书和旧盒子，没用了。
Old books and old boxes. They're no use to me now.
王一雪Wang Yixue
书还很新，别扔，送给你弟弟吧。
The books are still nearly new. Don't throw them away; give them to your little brother.
白家月Bai Jiayue
你说得对。那你把书拿出来，盒子扔了吧。
You're right. Then take the books out and throw the boxes away.
王一雪Wang Yixue
好。盒子扔在哪个桶里？
Okay. Which bin do the boxes go in?
白家月Bai Jiayue
门口那个蓝的大桶，是放纸的。
The big blue one by the door; it's for paper.
Anne comes to help Liu Xiaoxue tidy the room she moved into two days ago, and they split the work.
安妮Anne
你搬进来才两天，怎么一屋子都是东西？
You only moved in two days ago. How come the whole room is full of stuff?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
别说了，我一个人收拾不完，今天你得帮帮我。
Don't remind me. I can't get it all tidied on my own; you have to help me today.
安妮Anne
没问题。先从哪儿开始？
No problem. Where do we start?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你帮我把衣服挂起来，我来整理书。
You hang up the clothes for me, and I'll sort out the books.
安妮Anne
毛巾也跟衣服挂在一起吗？
Do the towels go with the clothes too?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
不，毛巾挂在厕所门后面。
No, the towels hang behind the bathroom door.
安妮Anne
好。收拾完了，你得请我吃饭。
Okay. When we're done, you owe me a meal.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
当然，晚上你想吃什么都行。
Of course. Tonight you can have whatever you like.
Bai Jiayue drops in at Liu Xiaoxue's home as the family gets a big birthday meal ready for her grandfather, and helps out.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
你来得正好！你看，我和妈妈做了一桌子菜。
You came at just the right time! Look, Mom and I made a tableful of dishes.
白家月Bai Jiayue
啊，谁来吃这么多？
Oh, who's going to eat this much?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
今天我爷爷过生日，等一下要来一屋子亲戚。
It's my grandpa's birthday today; in a little while a whole roomful of relatives is coming.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我能帮什么忙？
What can I do to help?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
我一手的油，你帮我拿几片面包放到盘子里，再从冰箱里拿两盒牛奶出来。
My hands are covered in oil. Could you put a few slices of bread on a plate and take two cartons of milk out of the fridge?
白家月Bai Jiayue
好。可是桌子上已经放不下了，牛奶放在哪儿？
Sure. But there's no room left on the table. Where should the milk go?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
放在旁边的小桌子上吧，等一下孩子们来了再喝。
Put it on the little table next to it. The children can have it when they arrive.
两盒牛奶liǎng hé niúnǎi means two cartons of milk.
Say a place is full of something
一yī + place or body part + thing means the whole place is full or covered.
一桌子菜yì zhuōzi cài means the table is covered with dishes, so there is a lot of food.
In sentences
Container
妈妈一次买了十盒牛奶，冰箱里都放不下了。
Mom bought ten cartons of milk at once, and they won't all fit in the fridge.
盒hé counts what the carton holds, with any number and no 个ge.
Table
朋友们一来，一桌子菜半个小时就吃完了。
Once our friends arrived, a whole tableful of food was gone in half an hour.
一桌子yì zhuōzi stresses how much food there was.
Room
这次聚会来了一屋子人，很多人只能站着。
A whole roomful of people came to the party, and many had to stand.
一屋子yì wūzi means the room is full; 一个屋子人yí ge wūzi rén is wrong.
Face
他跑回来的时候一脸汗。
He came running back with his face covered in sweat.
With body parts it means covered all over.
A：你们家今天吃什么？ B：我妈妈做了一桌子菜，来了一屋子客人。
A: What are you eating at your home today? B: My mum made a tableful of dishes and a roomful of guests came.
Chinese often borrows an ordinary noun as a measure word, with no 个ge in between. There are two common kinds. First, containers: 盒hé, 桶tǒng and 袋dài count what they hold, with any number: 两盒牛奶liǎng hé niúnǎi, 一桶水yì tǒng shuǐ. Second, places and body parts such as 屋子wūzi, 桌子zhuōzi, 脸liǎn and 手shǒu: with these the number is almost always 一yī, and the phrase means the whole place is full or covered, so it stresses that there is a lot: 一桌子菜yì zhuōzi cài a table covered with dishes, 一屋子亲戚yì wūzi qīnqi a room full of relatives, 一脸汗yì liǎn hàn a face covered in sweat, 一手的油yì shǒu de yóu hands covered in oil. 的de may be added before the noun: 一桌子的菜yì zhuōzi de cài. A common error is to add 个ge: say 一屋子人yì wūzi rén, not 一个屋子人yí ge wūzi rén.
