HSK 4Lesson 37
Forming a habit takes time. You will hear a friend explain his morning walk, a classmate describe her study routine, a student restart after an illness, and a teacher look at a daily plan.
You will learn to talk about a daily routine and about forming a habit, and to say how often something happens: usually, as a rule, occasionally, always, never, anew and once more.
Part 1 · 13 new words
Contains 4 words
daily; everyday
usually; ordinary
days; life
early morning
Contains 3 words
to form (a habit)
to take a walk
Contains 4 words
always; keep (doing)
usually; as a rule
Contains 2 words
again; anew
once more; again
Part 2 · 8 phrases
他早晨起来先喝水，这个习惯是在国外养成的。
He starts the morning with a glass of water; he picked up that habit abroad.
你老是忘带手机，是不是该提醒一下自己？
You always forget your phone; shouldn't you remind yourself?
晚上我往往在家自习，偶尔去朋友那儿玩儿。
In the evening I'm usually studying at home, and once in a while I go see friends.
他从来不喝咖啡，说喝了晚上就睡不着。
He never drinks coffee; he says he can't sleep after it.
作业写错了，老师让我重新写一遍。
My homework was wrong, so the teacher had me write it again.
第一次没成功，下个月他再次试了一下。
He didn't succeed the first time, so next month he's trying again.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Li Wen keeps oversleeping and asks his roommate Liu Ming how he manages a walk every morning.
李文Li Wen
刘明，你每天早晨都去散步吗？
Liu Ming, do you go for a walk every morning?
刘明Liu Ming
对，我平常六点起床，在公园里散步半个小时。
Yes, I usually get up at six and walk in the park for half an hour.
李文Li Wen
Part 4 · 1 point
频率副词 重新 / 往往 / 偶尔 / 再次 / 老
Put 往往wǎngwǎng, 偶尔ǒu'ěr, 老是lǎoshì, 重新chóngxīn or 再次zàicì after the subject and before the verb to say how often something happens or that it happens again.
Say what usually happens
State the condition, then put 往往wǎngwǎng before the verb.
to study on one's own
occasionally
ever; (with 不/没) never
吃完晚饭，我们一起在校园里散步，边走边聊。
After dinner we walk around campus together, chatting as we go.
我的日常生活很简单：上课、自习、睡觉。
My daily life is simple: class, self-study, sleep.
你真行！我也想早点儿起床，可是老是起不来，每次都睡到七点多。
Good for you! I want to get up earlier too, but I just can't; I always sleep until after seven.
刘明Liu Ming
我刚开始也是这样。晚上早点儿睡，坚持一个月，就能养成习惯了。
I was the same at first. Go to bed earlier, keep it up for a month, and it becomes a habit.
李文Li Wen
那如果中间有一天没起来呢？
And what if I don't get up one day in between?
刘明Liu Ming
偶尔睡晚一点儿没关系，第二天再去就行。
Sleeping late now and then is fine; just go again the next day.
李文Li Wen
那明天早晨我跟你一起去，你六点叫我，好吗？
Then tomorrow morning I'll come with you. Will you wake me at six?
刘明Liu Ming
行，六点我去敲你的门。
Sure, I'll knock on your door at six.
Bai Jiayue cannot concentrate in her room and asks her classmate Wang Yixue about her study routine after class.
白家月Bai Jiayue
平常下课以后你都做什么？
What do you usually do after class?
王一雪Wang Yixue
下课以后我往往先去图书馆自习两个小时，再去吃晚饭。
After class I usually study in the library for two hours first, then go and have dinner.
白家月Bai Jiayue
两个小时？我在房间里学习，老是想看手机，半个小时都坐不住。
Two hours? When I study in my room I keep wanting to check my phone; I can't sit still for even half an hour.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我以前也一样。现在一进图书馆，我就把手机放进包里。
I used to be the same. Now, as soon as I enter the library, I put my phone in my bag.
白家月Bai Jiayue
一次也不看吗？
You don't look at it even once?
王一雪Wang Yixue
休息的时候偶尔看一下，自习的时候从来不看。
I glance at it now and then during breaks, but never while I'm studying.
白家月Bai Jiayue
那明天下课以后我跟你一起去，试试你的办法。
Then tomorrow after class I'll go with you and try your method.
Liu Xiaoxue has been ill for a week. Her friend Anne asks how she will get back to her running routine.
安妮Anne
小雪，你的病好了吗？好几天没看见你跑步了。
Xiaoxue, are you better? I haven't seen you running for days.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
好了。病了一个星期，什么都没做，我得重新开始。
Yes. I was ill for a week and did nothing, so I have to start again.
安妮Anne
你打算明天就去跑步吗？
Are you going running tomorrow, then?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
不，医生说先别跑，如果再次发烧，就麻烦了。我先每天早晨散步半个小时。
No, the doctor said not to run yet; if I get a fever again, that would be a problem. For now I'll just walk for half an hour every morning.
安妮Anne
对，别着急，日子还长着呢。
Right, don't rush; there's plenty of time ahead.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
等身体好一点儿，我就重新安排跑步的时间。
When I'm a bit stronger, I'll work out a new running schedule.
Teacher Wang asks Bai Jiayue about her daily routine and finds a weak spot at the weekend.
王老师Teacher Wang
说说你的日常安排吧。
Tell me about your daily routine.
白家月Bai Jiayue
早晨读半个小时书，白天上课，下课以后去图书馆自习，晚上写日记。
In the morning I read for half an hour, during the day I have classes, after class I study in the library, and in the evening I write my diary.
王老师Teacher Wang
不错，你的日常生活安排得很好。周末呢？
Not bad, your daily life is well organized. And at weekends?
白家月Bai Jiayue
周末我往往睡到中午，一天很快就过去了。
At weekends I usually sleep until noon, and the day is gone in no time.
王老师Teacher Wang
偶尔晚起一次没关系，可是每个周末都睡到中午就不好了。好习惯要每天坚持，周末也一样。
Getting up late once in a while is fine, but sleeping until noon every weekend isn't good. A good habit has to be kept up every day, weekends included.
白家月Bai Jiayue
您说得对。这个周末我重新安排一下，八点以前起床。
You're right. This weekend I'll rearrange things and get up before eight.
In 周末我往往睡到中午zhōumò wǒ wǎngwǎng shuì dào zhōngwǔ, the weekend is the condition; without it 往往wǎngwǎng sounds incomplete.
Say start again
Put 重新chóngxīn before the verb when something is done again from the start.
In 我得重新开始wǒ děi chóngxīn kāishǐ, the speaker begins her routine from zero after an illness.
In sentences
Usually
考试前一个星期，图书馆里往往很难找到座位。
In the week before exams, it's usually hard to find a seat in the library.
往往wǎngwǎng states what usually happens under the condition 考试前一个星期kǎoshì qián yí ge xīngqī.
Occasionally vs always
偶尔忘带钥匙没关系，可是你怎么老是忘？这已经是第三次了。
Forgetting your keys now and then is fine, but why do you keep forgetting them? This is already the third time.
偶尔ǒu'ěr is now and then; 老是lǎoshì complains about something that keeps happening.
Start again
这篇作文写得不好，老师让我重新写。
This essay isn't good; the teacher wants me to write it again from the start.
重新chóngxīn means redoing it from the start, not just doing it once more.
Once more
下课前，王老师再次提醒大家：明天的考试八点开始。
Before the end of class, Teacher Wang reminded everyone once more: tomorrow's exam starts at eight.
再次zàicì is more formal than 再zài and suits reported speech.
A：你每天晚上都玩手机吗？ B：不是，偶尔玩一会儿，往往十点就睡了。
A: Do you play on your phone every evening? B: No, only now and then for a while, and I usually go to bed at ten.
李文本来想明天早晨去散步，可是老是起不来，只好重新决定后天再去。
Li Wen had meant to go for a walk tomorrow morning, but he keeps being unable to get up, so he had to decide again to go the day after.
All five adverbs go after the subject (or after a time phrase) and before the verb. 往往wǎngwǎng sums up what usually happens under a stated condition: 周末我往往睡到中午zhōumò wǒ wǎngwǎng shuì dào zhōngwǔ. Because it describes an observed pattern, it is not used for plans, wishes or the future; for a future habit use 常常chángcháng: 我以后常常来wǒ yǐhòu chángcháng lái. 偶尔ǒu'ěr means now and then: 偶尔看一下ǒu'ěr kàn yíxià. 老是lǎoshì, or 老lǎo in speech, means always or keep doing and usually sounds like a complaint: 老是起不来lǎoshì qǐ bu lái. 重新chóngxīn means doing something again from the start or in a new way: 重新开始chóngxīn kāishǐ, 重新安排chóngxīn ānpái. 再次zàicì means once more; it is more formal than 再zài and is common in reported speech and notices: 如果再次发烧rúguǒ zàicì fāshāo. To say never, use 从来cónglái with 不bù or 没méi: 从来不看cónglái bú kàn.
