Everyday Chinese

How to greet each other in Putonghua? How to order a cup of coffee or some dumplings in a restaurant?
Here are some situational conversations and basic knowledge we have prepared for you.
They are practical and easy to learn. You can click the links to listen to the vocabulary or the conversations.
You are most welcome to tell us your comments and feedback about the online lessons.

About Time

Vocabulary
词汇
Cíhuì



what

号/日
hào / rì
date

六月
liùyuè
June

星期
xīngqī
day

星期四
xīngqīsì
Thursday

星期六
xīngqīliù
Saturday

下礼拜/下周
xiàlǐbài / xiàzhōu
next week

下礼拜一/下周一
xiàlǐbàiyī / xiàzhōuyī
next Monday

明天
míngtiān
tomorrow

有事
yǒu shì
busy; have things to do

资料
zīliào
information / data

点/点钟
dǎn / dǎnzhōng
o'clock / time

左右
zuǒyòu
about


jiè
to borrow

会话
huìhuà
conversation

问题
wèntí
question(s) / problem(s)

现在
xiànzài
now


bàn
half



also / too / either / as well

时候
shíhou
time (of day)

教室
jiàoshì
classroom


fēn
minute(s)

一起
yìqǐ
together

Notes: When "几" is used to ask about date or time, it means "what (date/ time)". It is also used to ask about numbers, meaning "how many", e.g. "几个人" (how many people), "几本书" (how many books), "几杯茶" (how many cups of tea), etc.


对话
Duìhuà
Dialogue
對話一

今天几号?
Jīntiān jǐ hào?
What is the date today?

六月十二
Liùyuè shí'èr.
12th June.

星期几?
Xīngqī jǐ?
What day is it?

星期五。
Xīngqīwǔ.
Friday.

你明天下午有事吗?
Nǐ míngtiān xiàwǔ yǒushìr mɑ?
Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?

明天星期六,我打算到图书馆查资料。
Míngtiān xīngqīliù, wó dǎsuɑn dào túshūguǎn chá zīliào.
Tomorrow is Saturday; I am going to the library to look something up.

几点钟去?
Jí diǎnzhōng qù?
What time are you going there?

三点左右。
Sān dián zuǒyòu.
About 3 o’clock.

能帮我借一本书吗?
Néng bāng wǒ jiè yì běn shū mɑ?
Can you help me to borrow a book?

什么书?
Shénme shū?
What book?

汉语会话301句。我下礼拜一有汉语课。
Hànyǔ Huìhuà Sān Líng Yī Jù. Wǒ xià lǐbàiyī yǒu Hànyǔ kè.
Conversational Chinese 301, I have Chinese lesson next Monday.

没问题。
Méi wèntí.
No problem.

谢谢你!
Xièxie nǐ!
Thank you!

對話二

现在几点?
What time is it?
Xiànzài jí diǎn?

现在七点半 。
Xiànzài qī diǎn bàn.
It's half past seven now.

你几点上课?
Nǐ jí diǎn shàng kè?
What time does your class begin?

九点。
Jiú diǎn.
It’s at 9 o'clock.

我的课也是九点。
Wǒ de kè yě shì jiú diǎn.
My class is also at 9.

你什么时候去教室?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù jiàoshì?
What time are you going to class?

八点四十五(分)吧。
Bā diǎn sìshíwǔ(fēn) bɑ.
8:45.

我们一起去吧。
Wǒmen yìqǐ qù bɑ.
Let’s go together.

好啊。
Hǎo ɑ.
Sure.


句型与替换
Jùxíng yǔ tìhuɑn
Sentence patterns and pr actice phrases

现在
Xiànzài
八点
bā diǎn

.

It's eight o'clock now.

四点三十(分)
sì diǎn sānshí(fēn)
half past four

现在四点三十(分)。
Xiànzài sì diǎn sānshí(fēn)
It's half past four now.

六点十五(分)
liù diǎn shíwǔ(fēn)
a quarter past six

现在六点十五(分) 。
Xiànzài liù diǎn shíwǔ(fēn).
It's a quarter past six now.

七点零五(分)
qī diǎn língwǔ(fēn)
five past seven

现在七点零五(分)。
Xiànzài qī diǎn língwǔ(fēn).
It's five past seven now.

十一点四十二(分)
shíyī diǎn sìshíèr(fēn)
eleven forty-two

现在十一点四十二(分)。
Xiànzài shíyī diǎn sìshíèr(fēn).
It's eleven forty-two now.

一点二十九(分)
yī diǎn èrshíjiǔ(fēn)
one twenty-nine

现在一点二十九(分)。
Xiànzài yī diǎn èrshíjiǔ(fēn).
It's one twenty-nine now.

你什么时候去
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù
教室
jiàoshì


What time are you going to class?

食堂
shítáng
canteen

你什么时候去食堂?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù shítáng?
What time are you going to canteen?

电脑室
diànnǎo shì
computer room

你什么时候去电脑室?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù diànnǎo shì?
What time are you going to computer room?

电脑室
diànnǎo shì
computer room

你什么时候去健身房?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù jiànshēnfáng?
What time are you going to fitness room?

游泳
yóuyǒng
swim

你什么时候去游泳?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù yóuyǒng?
What time are you going to swim?

银行
yínháng
bank

你什么时候去银行?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù yínháng?
What time are you going to bank?

超市
chāoshì
supermarket

你什么时候去超市?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù chāoshì?
What time are you going to supermarket?

日本
Rìběn
Japan

你什么时候去日本?
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù Rìběn?
What time are you going to Japan?



六号
liù hào
要去
yào qù
日本
Rìběn
开会。
kāihuì.

I am going to Japan for a meeting on the sixth (of the month).

明天
míngtiān
tomorrow

我明天要去上海讲学。
Wǒ míngtiān yào qù Shànghǎi jiǎngxué.
will go to Shanghai to give lecture(s) tomorrow.

上海
Shànghǎi
Shanghai

讲学。
jiǎngxué
to give lecture(s).

后天
hòutiān
the day after tomorrow

我后天要去台湾度假。
Wǒ hòutiān yào qù Táiwān dùjià.
I will go to Taiwan spend holiday(s) a day after.

台湾
Táiwān
Taiwan

度假。
dùjià
spend holiday(s).

星期六
xīngqīliù
Saturday

我星期六要去新加坡出差。
Wǒ xīngqīliù yào qù Xīnjiāpō chūchāi.
I will go to Singapore be on a business trip on Saturday.

新加坡
Xīnjiāpō
Singapore

出差。
chūchāi
be on a business trip.

下周一
xià zhōuyī
next Monday.

我下周一要去北京做调查。
Wǒ xià zhōuyī yào qù Běijīng zuò diàochá.
I will go to Beijing to do a survey next Monday.

北京
Běijīng
Beijing

做调查。
zuò diàochá
to do a survey.

Quiz

1. 现在几点?
What time is it according to the clocks? Say each time aloud in Putonghua and then click the button to listen to the answer.

6:30

7:15

10:20

3:50


2. 星期几?
When would you do the following activities? Say each day aloud in Putonghua and then click the button to listen to the answer.

星期二

星期天

星期六

星期一


3. 几月几号?
What are the dates of the following festivals? Say each festival date aloud in Putonghua and then click the button to listen to the answer.