HSK 4Lesson 9
Social life is full of invitations, answers and small misunderstandings. You will turn a dinner invitation into a yes, look for a plan a strict parent will allow, clear up an unanswered call, and collect ideas for a class trip.
You will learn to invite people, accept or decline politely, make suggestions and ask for opinions, clear up a misunderstanding, and say in everyday speech what someone did to your things.
Part 1 · 17 new words
Contains 6 words
to invite; invitation
to refuse; to decline
to accept
to agree; to promise
to allow; to permit
to think over; to consider
Contains 6 words
to suggest; suggestion
to talk over; to discuss
Contains 5 words
to joke
to misunderstand; misunderstanding
Part 2 · 9 phrases
谢谢你邀请我，可是那天我有事，只能拒绝了。
Thank you for inviting me, but I'm busy that day, so I have to decline.
我接受你的建议，明天就去看医生。
I'll take your advice and see a doctor tomorrow.
老师答应我们，考完试就去公园玩。
The teacher promised us that after the exam we'll go to the park.
学校不允许在教室里吃东西。
The school doesn't allow eating in the classroom.
这么大的事，你得跟家人商量，也要考虑清楚。
A matter this big, you need to talk it over with your family and think it through.
你想法多，帮我想个主意吧，送什么礼物好？
You always have ideas; help me think of one: what should I get as a gift?
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Liu Xiaoxue invites Anne to dinner at her family's home on Saturday; Anne almost declines because of an exam, until Xiaoxue suggests a way to do both.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
安妮，这个星期六晚上来我家吃饭吧！我妈妈一直想邀请你。
Anne, come to my place for dinner this Saturday evening! My mom has been wanting to invite you for a long time.
安妮Anne
谢谢你们的邀请！可是星期一我有考试，星期六晚上可能得复习。
Thank you for the invitation! But I have an exam on Monday, so I may have to review on Saturday evening.
Part 4 · 3 points
让/叫你X你就X
Repeat the same verb phrase: 让ràng or 叫jiào + 你nǐ + X, 你就nǐ jiù + X means when I tell you to do X, just do X.
Just do as you're told
Say the order in the first half, then repeat it after 你就nǐ jiù.
idea; plan
opinion; complaint
idea; thought
to remind
to explain
on purpose; deliberately
each other; mutually
他开玩笑说的话，被她误会了。
What he said as a joke was taken the wrong way by her.
手机每天早上提醒我吃药。
My phone reminds me to take my medicine every morning.
他不是故意迟到的，是路上车太多了。
He wasn't late on purpose; there was too much traffic.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
就吃个饭，不会很久的。我妈妈做的菜特别好吃。
It's just one meal; it won't take long. My mom's cooking is really good.
安妮Anne
我真不想拒绝你。让我考虑一下，明天告诉你，好吗？
I really don't want to say no. Let me think it over and tell you tomorrow, okay?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
这样吧，你星期六白天复习，晚上来吃饭，吃完我送你回学校。
How about this: you review during the day on Saturday, come for dinner in the evening, and after dinner I'll take you back to school.
安妮Anne
这个主意不错！好，我接受你们的邀请。还有别人去吗？
That's a good idea! All right, I accept your invitation. Is anyone else coming?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
王老师也去，她昨天就答应了。
Teacher Wang is coming too. She said yes yesterday.
安妮Anne
那我带点儿水果去谢谢阿姨。
Then I'll bring some fruit to thank your mom.
Wang Yixue has bought tickets for an evening movie, but Bai Jiayue is spending the weekend at her parents' home and her mother won't allow her out at night, so Yixue suggests another time.
王一雪Wang Yixue
明天晚上的电影票我买好了，你去吗？
I've bought tickets for tomorrow evening's movie. Are you coming?
白家月Bai Jiayue
我想去，可是这个周末我在家，我妈妈不允许我晚上出门。
I want to, but I'm at home this weekend, and my mom doesn't allow me to go out at night.
王一雪Wang Yixue
你跟她商量商量，说我们俩一起去，看完就回来。
Talk it over with her. Tell her the two of us are going together and you'll come straight back after the movie.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我说过了，她还是拒绝了。她总是说：“让你早点儿回家你就早点儿回家，别问为什么。”
I already did, and she still said no. She always says: “When I tell you to come home early, you come home early. Don't ask why.”
王一雪Wang Yixue
那我有个建议：我去换两张下午的票，你妈妈应该会答应吧？
Then I have a suggestion: I'll go and change them for two afternoon tickets. Your mom should agree to that, right?
白家月Bai Jiayue
下午她一般都允许。好，我现在就给她打电话问问。
She usually lets me go out in the afternoon. Okay, I'll call her and ask right now.
Liu Ming spent last night at his uncle's home with his little brother, who is visiting Beijing. Li Wen called him five times and thinks Liu Ming ignored him on purpose; Liu Ming explains that his little brother had his phone.
李文Li Wen
昨天晚上我给你打了五次电话，你一次也没接。你是故意的吧？
I called you five times last night and you didn't answer once. You did it on purpose, didn't you?
刘明Liu Ming
你误会了，我不是故意的。听我解释：我的手机让弟弟拿去玩了一个晚上。
You've got it wrong; I didn't do it on purpose. Let me explain: my little brother took my phone and played with it all evening.
李文Li Wen
你不是在开玩笑吧？那你后来为什么也不给我回电话？
You're not joking, are you? Then why didn't you call me back later?
刘明Liu Ming
手机的电都叫他用完了，我今天早上才看到你的电话。
He used up all the battery, so I only saw your calls this morning.
李文Li Wen
那好吧，这次我相信你。
All right then, this time I believe you.
刘明Liu Ming
你找我有什么急事吗？
Was there something urgent?
李文Li Wen
也没什么，只是想提醒你，明天要交作业了。
Nothing much. I just wanted to remind you that the homework is due tomorrow.
刘明Liu Ming
啊，我一个字都还没写！我现在就去写。
Oh, I haven't written a single word yet! I'll go and do it right now.
Teacher Wang asks Wang Yixue, one of the class leaders, for ideas about next month's class trip, and they agree to hear everyone's opinions first.
王老师Teacher Wang
一雪，下个月班里要出去玩一天，你是班长，有什么想法？
Yixue, next month the class is going on a day trip. You're the class leader; what do you think?
王一雪Wang Yixue
我有个主意：去海边。很多同学都说想去看海。
I have an idea: the seaside. Lots of classmates say they want to go and see the sea.
王老师Teacher Wang
主意不错，可是有的同学不会游泳，我有点儿担心。
It's a good idea, but some classmates can't swim, and I'm a little worried.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我建议不会游泳的同学不下水，大家互相提醒。
I suggest that those who can't swim stay out of the water, and everyone reminds each other.
王老师Teacher Wang
好。你先问问大家的意见，如果有人不同意，我们再商量。
Good. First ask everyone's opinion; if anyone disagrees, we'll talk it over again.
王一雪Wang Yixue
那这个星期五下课以后，我让大家先别走，一起说说。
Then this Friday after class, I'll ask everyone not to leave yet, so we can all talk about it.
The mother in dialogue 2 uses it to end the discussion: no reasons, just do it.
In sentences
Go when told
叫你去你就去，别问那么多。
When you're told to go, just go. Don't ask so many questions.
叫jiào and 让ràng work the same way here.
Rest when told
医生让你休息你就休息，别看手机了。
The doctor told you to rest, so rest. Stop looking at your phone.
The person giving the order can be named.
Firm order from a parent
妈妈让你早点儿睡你就早点儿睡，别再玩手机了。
When Mom tells you to go to bed early, you go to bed early. No more playing on your phone.
The repeated 早点儿睡zǎo diǎnr shuì after 你就nǐ jiù leaves no room for argument.
A：我能不能不交作业？ B：老师让交你就交，没有什么能不能。
A: Can I skip handing in the homework? B: When the teacher says hand it in, you hand it in; there is no can or can't.
李文对刘明说：叫你睡你就睡，现在都十二点了！
Li Wen said to Liu Ming, "When you're told to sleep, you sleep. It's already twelve o'clock!"
This spoken pattern repeats one verb phrase in two halves: 让你早点儿回家你就早点儿回家ràng nǐ zǎo diǎnr huí jiā nǐ jiù zǎo diǎnr huí jiā, when I tell you to come home early, you come home early. The first half, 让ràng or 叫jiào + person + X, means someone tells you to do X; the second half, 你就nǐ jiù + X, insists that you simply do it, with no questions or arguing. It is typical of parents, teachers or close friends, and it sounds firm, even impatient, so it is often followed by 别问为什么bié wèn wèishénme or 别说了bié shuō le. The two X parts must be the same words; 就jiù cannot be left out, because it carries the meaning just do it. The person can change: 叫他去他就去jiào tā qù tā jiù qù, he goes when he's told to. Here 让ràng and 叫jiào mean to tell someone to do something; they are not the 让ràng and 叫jiào that report what someone did to your things, taught later in this lesson. Compare 老师让你去lǎoshī ràng nǐ qù, which only reports an instruction, with 老师让你去你就去lǎoshī ràng nǐ qù nǐ jiù qù, which tells the listener to obey without arguing; the second sentence is an order, not a report.
方式副词 故意 / 互相 / 相互
Put 故意gùyì on purpose or 互相hùxiāng each other right before the verb; 不是故意的bú shì gùyì de means I didn't mean it.
On purpose
Put 故意gùyì before the verb, or use 是shì ... 的de to talk about intention.
我不是故意的wǒ bú shì gùyì de is the standard way to apologize for something you did not mean.
Each other
Put 互相hùxiāng before the verb after a plural subject.
大家互相提醒dàjiā hùxiāng tíxǐng: everyone reminds everyone else.
In sentences
On purpose, negative
昨天的事他还不高兴，故意不接我的电话。
He's still upset about yesterday, so he's not answering my calls on purpose.
不bù follows 故意gùyì.
Didn't mean it
对不起，你的杯子是我打坏的，可是我真不是故意的。
Sorry, I'm the one who broke your cup, but I really didn't mean to.
是shì ... 的de talks about intention.
Each other
我们是好朋友，常常互相帮助。
We're good friends and often help each other.
互相hùxiāng needs a plural subject.
A：你是故意把我的书放在这儿的吗？ B：不是，我只是忘了拿走。
A: Did you leave my book here on purpose? B: No, I just forgot to take it away.
刘明和李文住在一起，两个人常常互相提醒要交作业。
Liu Ming and Li Wen live together and often remind each other to hand in homework.
故意gùyì and 互相hùxiāng are manner adverbs: they say how an action is done and stand right before the verb (after the subject and after words like 都dōu or 要yào). 故意gùyì means on purpose, usually about something bad: 他故意不接电话tā gùyì bù jiē diànhuà, he didn't answer the phone on purpose. Note that 不bù comes after 故意gùyì here, because the not answering is what was done on purpose. To deny or ask about intention, use 是shì ... 的de: 我不是故意的wǒ bú shì gùyì de, I didn't mean it; 你是故意的吧？nǐ shì gùyì de ba?
被动句 叫 / 让
Put the affected thing first, then 让ràng or 叫jiào + the person who did it + the verb + an extra part such as 走zǒu, 完wán, 坏huài or 了le.
Say who took something
Use thing + 让ràng + doer + verb + other element.
In 我的手机让弟弟拿去玩了一个晚上wǒ de shǒujī ràng dìdi náqu wán le yí ge wǎnshang, Liu Ming explains why he did not answer.
Say something was used up or broken
Use thing + 叫jiào + doer + verb + result + 了le.
In 电都叫他用完了diàn dōu jiào tā yòngwán le, the result 完wán says the battery was used up.
When you don't know who did it
Use 人rén as the doer.
With 被bèi you could say 我的自行车被骑走了wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi qízǒu le, but after 让ràng or 叫jiào the doer must be there.
In sentences
With 让 and a result
我的蛋糕让弟弟吃完了。
My little brother ate all my cake.
完wán shows the cake is all gone.
With 叫
我的电脑叫弟弟用坏了。
My little brother broke my computer.
叫jiào works like 让ràng; 坏huài is the result.
Unknown doer
我的自行车让人骑走了。
Someone rode off on my bike.
人rén fills the doer's place.
Negative
放心，你的书没让他拿走。
Don't worry, he didn't take your book.
没méi goes before 让ràng, and 了le is dropped.
In everyday speech, Chinese often reports what someone did to your things with 让ràng or 叫jiào instead of 被bèi, which you already know. The order is: the affected thing + 让ràng or 叫jiào + the doer + verb + other element. The other element is required, because the verb cannot end the sentence on its own. It can be a result such as 走zǒu, 完wán or 坏huài, a direction such as 去qù, a length of time, or at least 了le. So 我的手机让弟弟拿去玩了一个晚上wǒ de shǒujī ràng dìdi náqu wán le yí ge wǎnshang and 电都叫他用完了
你误会了，我不是故意的。听我解释：我的手机让弟弟拿去玩了一个晚上。
You've got it wrong; I didn't do it on purpose. Let me explain: my little brother took my phone and played with it all evening.
Why it matters · 不是故意的bú shì gùyì de denies the intention.
A：桌子上的水果呢？ B：让弟弟吃完了，我再去买一点儿。
A: Where is the fruit that was on the table? B: My little brother ate it all; I'll go and buy some more.
安妮的书让李文借走了，她下午才拿回来。
Anne's book was borrowed by Li Wen, and she only got it back in the afternoon.
手机的电都叫他用完了，我今天早上才看到你的电话。
He used up all the battery, so I only saw your calls this morning.
Why it matters · 电都叫他用完了diàn dōu jiào tā yòngwán le uses 叫jiào with the result 完wán.
