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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 2 · Chapter 37

因为忙所以没去 Because busy, didn't go

Yīnwèi máng suǒyǐ méi qù

Fang Hong missed a meeting; Xie Ping asks why. Vocab: 因为 / 所以 / 为 / 为了 / 忙 / 原因 / 结果 / 见面 / 迟到 / 道歉. Introduces 因果复句 (二68) and the 为 preposition (二28).

Dialogue

为什么没来 — Why didn't you come?

谢平方fāng红hóng, 上shàng午wǔ开kāi会huì你nǐ为wèi什shén么me没méi来lái? Fang Hong, why didn't you come to the morning meeting?
方红因yīn为wèi我wǒ太tài忙máng, 所suǒ以yǐ没méi去qù. Because I was busy, so I didn't go.
谢平什shén么me事shì这zhè么me忙máng? What's so urgent?
方红为wèi了le写xiě报bào告gào, 一yì直zhí没méi时shí间jiān. 我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ道dào歉qiàn. For the report — no time at all. I apologize.
谢平没méi关guān系xì. 但dàn是shì下xià次cì你nǐ要yào先xiān告gào诉sù我wǒ. No problem. But next time, tell me first.
方红一yí定dìng. 我wǒ以yǐ后hòu注zhù意yì. Will do. I'll be careful from now on.

Dialogue

原因和结果 — Cause and result

谢平迟chí到dào的de原yuán因yīn是shì什shén么me? What was the reason for being late?
方红今jīn天tiān的de地dì铁tiě很hěn慢màn. 我wǒ等děng了le二èr十shí分fēn钟zhōng才cái上shàng车chē. Today's subway was slow. I waited 20 minutes to get on.
谢平好hǎo. 那nà是shì不bu是shì没méi办bàn法fǎ. OK. So nothing you could do.
方红是shì的de. 结jié果guǒ就jiù是shì, 我wǒ没méi来lái开kāi会huì. Yes. The result is, I didn't make it to the meeting.
谢平我wǒ给gěi你nǐ会huì议yì的de报bào告gào. 你nǐ看kàn一yí下xià. I'll give you the meeting report. Read it.
方红太tài好hǎo了le, 谢xiè谢xiè你nǐ. Great, thanks.

Dialogue

下次见面 — Next meeting

方红下xià次cì什shén么me时shí候hòu见jiàn面miàn? When do we meet next?
谢平下xià个gè星xīng期qī一yī. 上shàng午wǔ十shí点diǎn. Next Monday. 10am.
方红我wǒ一yí定dìng来lái. 因yīn为wèi这zhè次cì太tài重zhòng要yào了le. I'll definitely come. Because this one's so important.
谢平是shì的de. 你nǐ准zhǔn备bèi一yí下xià你nǐ的de看kàn法fǎ. Right. Prepare your view.
方红我wǒ先xiān看kàn以yǐ前qián的de报bào告gào, 然rán后hòu准zhǔn备bèi. I'll look at the previous reports first, then prepare.
谢平好hǎo. 见jiàn. Good. See you.

Vocabulary

因yīn为wèi: conjunction because
所suǒ以yǐ: conjunction so; therefore
为wèi: preposition for (二28)
为wèi了le: preposition in order to
忙máng: adjective busy (Level 1 revisit)
原yuán因yīn: noun reason; cause
结jié果guǒ: noun result
见jiàn面miàn: verb meet (face to face)
迟chí到dào: verb arrive late
道dào歉qiàn: verb apologize

New characters

因: because; cause (in 因为 / 原因)
因为 yīnwèi — because原因 yuányīn — reason; cause
所: so; place (in 所以)
所以 suǒyǐ — so; therefore
歉: (in 道歉 = apologize)
道歉 dàoqiàn — apologize
诉
原: origin; original (in 原因)
原因 yuányīn — reason; cause
结: tie; conclude (in 结果)
结果 jiéguǒ — result总结 zǒngjié — summarise; sum up结束 jiéshù — end; finish
迟: (in 迟到 = arrive late)
迟到 chídào — arrive late

Hanzi — writing & recognition

因

yīn because; cause (in 因为 / 原因) Writing

6 strokes enclosure radical 囗

Compound: 囗 (enclosure) + 大 (big). Original sense: "cause / origin." Anchors 因为 (because, this chapter), 原因 (reason).

所

suǒ so; place (in 所以) Writing

8 strokes left-right

Modern: "place / so / that which." Anchors 所以 (therefore, this chapter). Also: 厕所 (toilet — Level 3+), 所有 (all — Level 3+).

为

wèi / wéi for (preposition; in 为什么 / 因为) Writing

4 strokes standalone

原

yuán origin; original (in 原因) Writing

10 strokes enclosure

结

jié tie; conclude (in 结果) Recognition

9 strokes left-right radical 纟

果

guǒ fruit; result (in 结果 / 如果) Recognition

8 strokes top-bottom

见

jiàn see; meet (revisit ch4; in 见面) Recognition

4 strokes standalone

面

miàn face; surface (in 见面 / 方面) Recognition

9 strokes enclosure

道

dào way; road (in 道歉 / 知道 / 道理) Recognition

12 strokes enclosure radical 辶

Grammar

Cause-effect compound / preposition 为

Explanation

Two items: (1) 因为…所以… (二68): Pattern: 因为 + reason, 所以 + result. Example: 因为忙, 所以没去. NOTE: in casual speech, learners sometimes drop one half ("因为 X" or "X, 所以 Y"); beginners are better off using both. (2) Preposition 为 (二28): two common forms — 为什么 (why) and 为了 (for the purpose of, "in order to"). Example: 为了工作, 我搬到北京 (for work, I moved to Beijing). KEY: 为什么 is one word, never split; 为了 takes a noun or action object.

Examples

因为忙, 所以没去. Because busy, didn't go.
我为了工作, 一直加班. For work, I keep working overtime.
你为什么没来见面? Why didn't you come to meet?
原因是我迟到了, 我跟你道歉. The reason is I was late — I apologize.

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