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Study in the app →Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 2 · Chapter 36
是不是这样 Is it like this?
Wei Dong and Huang An in a small meeting. Vocab: 是不是 / 这样 / 那样 / 真的吗 + 当 (二21 preposition). Introduces the 是不是 confirmation question (二78).
Dialogue
你的工作是不是很忙 — Is your job very busy?
- 卫东 黄安, 你这个项目, 是不是很忙? Huang An, this project of yours — is it busy?
- 黄安 是的, 这个月特别忙. 当我做这个项目的时候, 一直加班. Yes, particularly busy this month. When I'm doing this project, I'm always overtime.
- 卫东 是不是同事不够? 还是任务太多? Is it that you don't have enough colleagues? Or too many tasks?
- 黄安 都有. 现在以前不一样, 任务越来越多. Both. It's different from before — more and more tasks now.
- 卫东 以后会好一点的. 这个项目做完了就好. It'll get better later. Once this project's done, it's fine.
- 黄安 真的吗? 我也是这样想的. Really? That's what I think too.
Dialogue
你以前做过这个吗 — Have you done this before?
- 卫东 黄安, 你以前是不是做过新闻工作? Huang An, didn't you do news work before?
- 黄安 是的, 当时我在一个新闻公司工作. 三年. Yes, at that time I worked at a news company. Three years.
- 卫东 那个工作是不是这个工作那样忙? Was that job as busy as this one?
- 黄安 不一样. 那时候简单一点, 但是没有这个有意思. Different. Simpler then, but not as interesting as this.
- 卫东 现在是不是更喜欢现在的? Do you prefer this one now?
- 黄安 当然! 虽然忙, 但是真的有意思. Of course! Busy but really fun.
Dialogue
以后的安排 — Plans for later
- 卫东 以后, 你想做什么? What do you want to do in the future?
- 黄安 我以后想做经理. 一年以后, 也许两年. I want to be a manager. In a year, maybe two.
- 卫东 是不是想自己开公司? Do you want to open your own company?
- 黄安 这个嘛… 也许. 但是现在还想学. Well… maybe. But right now I still want to learn.
- 卫东 对. 当年我也是这样想的. Right. Back then I thought the same.
- 黄安 现在你的看法是不是不一样了? Has your view changed now?
Vocabulary
- 是不是
-
expression "Is it / isn't it?" — confirmation question (二78)
- 这样
-
pronoun like this (Bk1 revisit)
- 那样
-
pronoun like that
- 真的吗
-
expression "Really?"
- 当
-
preposition when (二21)
- 时候
-
noun time; moment (Level 1 revisit, formal)
- 当时
-
noun at that time
- 现在
-
noun now (Level 1 revisit, formal)
- 以前
-
noun before; in the past
- 以后
-
noun after; in the future
New characters
- 闻
-
hear; smell (in 新闻)
新闻 xīnwén — news - 虽
-
although (in 虽然)
虽然 suīrán — although
Hanzi — writing & recognition
shì be (Level 1 revisit; formal as 是不是 / 是…的 anchor) Writing
hòu time; moment (in 时候 / 当时) Writing
xiàn now; present (in 现在) Writing
dāng when; serve as (revisit ch5; in 当时 / 当然) Writing
zhēn really; true (Level 1 revisit) Recognition
nà that (Level 1 revisit) Recognition
zhè this (Level 1 revisit) Recognition
yǐ with; use (Level 1 revisit; in 以前 / 以后) Recognition
hòu after; back (Level 1 revisit; in 以后 / 然后) Recognition
Grammar
是不是 confirmation and 当…的时候
Explanation
Two related items: (1) 是不是 (二78) — a confirmation question. Pattern: 是不是 + sentence (strong query), OR sentence + 是不是 (soft confirmation tag). 是不是这样? / 你来了, 是不是? More "I want to confirm" in tone than 吗 questions. (2) 当 (二21) — preposition, used with 的时候. Pattern: 当 + time / event + 的时候. 当我开始工作的时候 = "when I started working." 当…的时候 is more formal or written; in casual speech, just "X 的时候" is more common.
Examples
- 是不是这样? Is it like this?
- 你不太忙, 是不是? You're not too busy, are you?
- 当我开始上班的时候, 我不太会工作. When I started working, I didn't know how to do the job.
- 现在不一样了. It's different now.
Pronunciation
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