HSK 4Lesson 8
Daily life is full of small polite exchanges. You will learn how to answer an older neighbor's greeting, make up for being late, ask a new neighbor for help, and celebrate a friend's result with a toast.
You will learn the polite language of everyday life: greeting neighbors, apologizing and asking forgiveness, asking a favor and thanking, congratulating and toasting, and starting a reply with the short sounds that show surprise, understanding or agreement.
Part 1 · 15 new words
Contains 3 words
to greet; to say hello
polite; courteous
politeness; manners
Contains 5 words
sorry; apologetic
to apologize
Contains 5 words
to thank
to wish
Contains 2 words
as you like; whatever
mm; yes; I see
Part 2 · 10 phrases
见到邻居，我总是先打招呼。
When I see a neighbor, I always say hello first.
谢谢你送我这么贵的礼物，我真不好意思。
Thank you for giving me such an expensive gift; I feel embarrassed.
他认真地向我道歉，我很快就原谅了他。
He apologized to me sincerely, and I forgave him quickly.
抱歉，我今天有事，不能去你的晚会了。
Sorry, I'm busy today and can't come to your party.
打扰你学习了，我马上就走。
Sorry to disturb your studying; I'll leave right away.
办这件事太麻烦了，要跑三个地方。
This is such a hassle; you have to go to three places.
Part 3 · 4 conversations
An old woman who lives near the school greets Anne every day with questions Anne does not know how to answer; Teacher Wang explains that they are only greetings.
安妮Anne
王老师，学校旁边住着一位老奶奶，每次见到我都跟我打招呼，可是我不知道怎么回答。
Teacher Wang, an old lady lives near the school. She greets me every time she sees me, but I don't know how to answer.
王老师Teacher Wang
她一般怎么说？
What does she usually say?
Part 4 · 1 point
叹词 啊 / 嗯
At the start of a reply, 啊à shows you suddenly understand, 啊á shows surprise or asks again, and 嗯èn means yes or I see; a long 嗯èn shows you are thinking.
Show you suddenly understand
Start with 啊à, falling, then say what you now see.
to forgive
to disturb
to trouble; troublesome
to congratulate
to drink a toast; cheers
good night
你太客气了，该感谢的是我。
You're too polite; I'm the one who should be thanking you.
你要出国了，祝贺你！祝你生活快乐。
You're going abroad? Congratulations! Wishing you a happy life there.
生日晚会上，大家一起说：“干杯！”
At the birthday party, everyone said "Cheers!" together.
太晚了，我先睡了，大家晚安。
It's late, so I'm going to bed first. Good night, everyone.
安妮Anne
她总是问“吃了吗”或者“去哪儿啊”。我要告诉她我去哪儿吗？
She always asks “Have you eaten?” or “Where are you going?” Do I have to tell her where I'm going?
王老师Teacher Wang
不用。这只是打招呼，你说“吃了，您呢？”或者“出去一下”就可以了。
No. It's just a greeting. You can say “Yes, and you?” or “Just going out.”
安妮Anne
啊，我明白了！昨天我跟她说了半天我要去哪儿，她一定觉得我很奇怪。
Oh, now I see! Yesterday I told her at length where I was going. She must think I'm strange.
王老师Teacher Wang
不会的，她会觉得你很有礼貌。对老人说“您”，就更客气了。
Not at all, she'll think you're very polite. If you say “nín” to older people, it's even more courteous.
安妮Anne
嗯，那明天见到她，我先跟她打招呼。
Mm, then when I see her tomorrow, I'll greet her first.
Bai Jiayue arrives half an hour late to meet Wang Yixue for a movie, and it's not the first time; she apologizes and makes it up to her.
白家月Bai Jiayue
一雪，真不好意思，我来晚了半个小时。
Yixue, I'm really sorry, I'm half an hour late.
王一雪Wang Yixue
电影都开始十分钟了，给你打电话你也不接。
The movie started ten minutes ago, and you didn't answer when I called.
白家月Bai Jiayue
非常抱歉！我出门的时候忘了带手机，又回家去拿，所以没接到你的电话。
I'm terribly sorry! I forgot my phone when I left, went back home to get it, and so I missed your call.
王一雪Wang Yixue
上次你也来晚了，也说是忘了东西。
Last time you were late too, and you also said you had forgotten something.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我知道是我不对，我向你道歉。请你原谅我这一次吧。
I know it's my fault, and I apologize to you. Please forgive me this once.
王一雪Wang Yixue
嗯……好吧，原谅你了。可是看完电影，你要请我喝茶。
Mm... all right, you're forgiven. But after the movie, you're buying me tea.
白家月Bai Jiayue
没问题，你想喝什么都行！
No problem, you can have whatever you like!
Liu Ming and Li Wen have just moved to a new apartment. Carrying a big box, Liu Ming asks a stranger to open the building door and finds out he lives next door.
刘明Liu Ming
打扰一下，能不能麻烦你帮我开一下门？我手里的东西太多了。
Excuse me, could I trouble you to open the door for me? I have too many things in my hands.
邻居Neighbor
没问题。这么大的箱子，我帮你一起拿到楼上吧。你住几楼？
No problem. Such a big box! Let me help you carry it up. Which floor do you live on?
刘明Liu Ming
五楼。太麻烦你了，真不好意思。
The fifth. That's too much trouble for you; I'm really sorry.
邻居Neighbor
别客气，我也住五楼，就在五零一。
Don't mention it. I live on the fifth floor too, in 501.
刘明Liu Ming
啊？你就住我旁边？我们是五零二的，刚搬来，还没跟邻居打招呼呢。
What? You live right next door? We're in 502. We've just moved in and haven't said hello to the neighbors yet.
邻居Neighbor
我姓张。以后有什么事，就来找我。
My surname is Zhang. If you need anything, just come to me.
刘明Liu Ming
真感谢你！我叫刘明，过几天请你来我们家喝茶。
Thank you so much! I'm Liu Ming. In a few days we'll have you over for tea.
Liu Xiaoxue congratulates Anne on coming first in an exam; Anne treats her to dinner, and they toast each other before saying good night.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
安妮，祝贺你！听说你这次考试得了第一名。
Anne, congratulations! I hear you came first in the exam this time.
安妮Anne
谢谢！为了感谢你一直帮我练习说汉语，今天晚上我请客。你想吃什么？
Thanks! To thank you for always helping me practice speaking Chinese, I'm treating you tonight. What would you like to eat?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
随便，你决定吧。
Whatever you like, you decide.
安妮Anne
那我们去学校旁边那家饺子店吧，那儿的饺子很好吃。
Then let's go to the dumpling restaurant next to the school; their dumplings are very good.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
菜来了。来，干杯！祝你以后每次考试都是第一名！
The food's here. Come on, cheers! Here's to you coming first in every exam from now on!
安妮Anne
干杯！也祝你身体健康，每天都开心！
Cheers! And here's to your good health and a happy time every day!
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
不早了，明天早上还有课，我们回去吧。
It's getting late and we have class tomorrow morning. Let's go back.
安妮Anne
好。到了跟我说一声。晚安！
Okay. Let me know when you get back. Good night!
In 啊，我明白了à, wǒ míngbai le, Anne finally understands that the neighbor's questions were only a greeting.
Show surprise and check
Start with 啊á, rising, then repeat or ask about the surprising news.
When Liu Ming says 啊á and then asks 你就住我旁边nǐ jiù zhù wǒ pángbiān, he is surprised that the stranger lives next door.
Agree, or think before agreeing
Start with 嗯èn, then give your reply.
In 嗯……好吧èn…… hǎo ba, the long 嗯èn shows Wang Yixue forgives her friend, but not at once.
In sentences
Sudden understanding
啊，我明白了，是我听错了。
Oh, I see, I heard it wrong.
Falling 啊à marks the moment you understand.
Surprise
啊？明天就考试？
What? The exam is tomorrow?
Rising 啊á shows surprise and asks to confirm.
Agreeing
嗯，就这么办吧。
Okay, let's do it that way.
嗯èn means yes, okay.
Thinking
嗯……周六我可能没时间，周日行吗？
Hmm... I might not have time on Saturday. Is Sunday OK?
A long 嗯…… (èn……) gives you time to think before a careful answer.
A：这个周末我们去爬山吧？ B：嗯……天气好的话，可以去。
A: Shall we go hiking this weekend? B: Hmm... if the weather is good, we can.
嗯，白家月说下次一定不会再来晚了，我们再相信她一次吧。
Mm, Bai Jiayue says she definitely won't be late next time, so let's trust her once more.
啊a and 嗯èn can be interjections: short sounds that stand on their own at the start of what you say, followed by a comma, a question mark or an exclamation mark. Their meaning comes from the tone. 啊à, with a falling tone, shows that you suddenly understand or accept something: 啊，我明白了à, wǒ míngbai le, oh, now I see. 啊á, with a rising tone and written with a question mark, shows surprise or asks the other person to confirm, often before you repeat the news: 你就住我旁边nǐ jiù zhù wǒ pángbiān, you live right next door? 嗯èn, short and falling, means yes, okay or I see: 嗯，我明白了èn, wǒ míngbai le. Stretched out as 嗯…… (èn……), it gives you time to think or shows you agree a little unwillingly: 嗯……好吧èn…… hǎo ba. Said with a rising tone, 嗯én asks what? These sounds belong to speech and casual messages, not to formal writing. A bare 嗯èn can sound short to a teacher or an older person, so add words after it, as in 嗯，好的èn, hǎo de. Do not mix up the interjection 啊a at the start with the light 啊a at the end of a sentence that you already know, as in 去哪儿啊qù nǎr a.
