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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 2 · Chapter 45

一起做朋友 Friends together

Yìqǐ zuò péngyou

New Year's Eve, all four characters (Huang An, Xie Ping, Fang Hong, Wei Dong) share dinner. Vocab: 朋友 / 一起 / 全部 / 大家 / 自己 / 互相 / 帮 / 关心 / 重新 / 长. Introduces 选择复句 (二64). Cultural §3: How Chinese workplaces actually feel.

Dialogue

春节前夜 — New Year's Eve

黄安春chūn节jié快kuài乐lè! 大dà家jiā都dōu带dài了le礼lǐ物wù来lái, 真zhēn好hǎo! Happy Spring Festival! Everyone brought gifts — wonderful!
卫东春chūn节jié快kuài乐lè. 一yì年nián很hěn快kuài就jiù过guò. Happy New Year. The year flew by.
方红我wǒ才cái来lái一yì年nián, 但dàn是shì学xué了le很hěn多duō. 谢xiè谢xiè大dà家jiā. I've only been here a year, but learned a lot. Thanks everyone.
谢平我wǒ们men总zǒng是shì互hù相xiāng帮bāng助zhù. 这zhè就jiù是shì工gōng作zuò的de好hǎo. We always help each other. That's the good of work.
黄安我wǒ们men今jīn天tiān晚wǎn上shàng是shì吃chī饭fàn还hái是shì说shuō说shuō话huà? Tonight: eat or chat?
卫东都dōu做zuò! 先xiān吃chī饭fàn, 然rán后hòu说shuō话huà. Both! Eat first, then chat.

Dialogue

一年学了什么 — What did we learn this year?

卫东方fāng红hóng, 你nǐ这zhè一yì年nián学xué了le什shén么me? Fang Hong, what did you learn this year?
方红太tài多duō了le. 我wǒ先xiān是shì学xué怎zěn么me写xiě报bào告gào, 然rán后hòu学xué怎zěn么me跟gēn同tóng事shì说shuō话huà. So much. First, how to write reports, then how to talk to colleagues.
谢平黄huáng安ān你nǐ呢ne? 这zhè一yì年nián怎zěn么me样yàng? Huang An, you? How was your year?
黄安虽suī然rán忙máng, 但dàn是shì高gāo兴xìng. 我wǒ做zuò了le第dì一yī次cì的de经jīng理lǐ. 学xué了le怎zěn么me关guān心xīn同tóng事shì. Tired but happy. First time as manager. Learned to care for my team.
卫东一yì年nián比bǐ一yì年nián长zhǎng. 我wǒ们men都dōu互hù相xiāng帮bāng助zhù, 一yì起qǐ进jìn步bù. We grow each year. Help each other, grow together.
谢平是shì的de. 这zhè就jiù是shì同tóng事shì和hé朋péng友yǒu的de关guān系xì. Yes. That's what being colleagues and friends means.

Dialogue

新一年 — A new year

黄安新xīn一yì年nián, 我wǒ们men大dà家jiā想xiǎng做zuò什shén么me? What do we all want to do in the new year?
方红我wǒ想xiǎng做zuò更gèng多duō的de项xiàng目mù, 也yě想xiǎng学xué新xīn东dōng西xī. More projects, learn new things.
谢平我wǒ想xiǎng少shǎo加jiā班bān. 跟gēn朋péng友yǒu / 家jiā人rén多duō在zài一yì起qǐ. Less overtime. More time with friends and family.
黄安是shì的de. 工gōng作zuò虽suī然rán重zhòng要yào, 但dàn是shì朋péng友yǒu和hé家jiā人rén更gèng重zhòng要yào. Yes. Work matters, but friends and family matter more.
卫东一yì起qǐ努nǔ力lì, 一yì起qǐ成chéng功gōng. 新xīn一yì年nián, 大dà家jiā身shēn体tǐ好hǎo, 工gōng作zuò好hǎo, 心xīn里lǐ好hǎo! Try together, succeed together. New year — health, good work, good heart to all.
全部春chūn节jié快kuài乐lè! Happy Spring Festival!

Vocabulary

朋péng友yǒu: noun friend (Level 1 revisit, formal closing)
一yì起qǐ: adverb together (Level 1 revisit)
全quán部bù: noun all; the whole
大dà家jiā: pronoun everyone (Bk1 revisit)
自zì己jǐ: pronoun self; oneself
互hù相xiāng: adverb mutually; each other
帮bāng: verb help (Bk1 revisit)
关guān心xīn: verb care about
重chóng新xīn: adverb anew (二16)
长cháng: verb grow (second reading of 长 — zhǎng)

New characters

互: mutually (in 互相)
互相 hùxiāng — mutually; each other
相: (in 互相 = mutually; each other)
互相 hùxiāng — mutually; each other

Hanzi — writing & recognition

朋

péng friend (Level 1 revisit; in 朋友) Writing

8 strokes left-right radical 月

友

yǒu friend (Level 1 revisit) Writing

4 strokes standalone

互

hù mutually (in 互相) Writing

4 strokes standalone

心

xīn heart (Level 1 revisit; in 关心) Writing

4 strokes standalone

部

bù part; division (in 全部 / 部分) Recognition

10 strokes left-right

自

zì self (Bk2 ch9 revisit; in 自己 / 自然) Recognition

6 strokes standalone

己

jǐ self (in 自己) Recognition

3 strokes standalone

长

cháng / zhǎng long (cháng); grow (zhǎng) — Level 1 revisit Recognition

4 strokes standalone

关

guān close; relate (revisit ch13; in 关心) Recognition

6 strokes top-bottom

Grammar

Selection compound — either X or Y

Explanation

(是) X 还是 Y? is the "either X or Y" question. Pattern: (是) + choice 1 + 还是 + choice 2. 你是去还是不去? ("Are you going or not?"); 你想吃饺子还是吃饭? ("Dumplings or rice?"). KEY: (1) This is a question, not a statement. (2) 还是 vs 或者 — 还是 for questions, 或者 for declarative statements. 你想吃饺子还是吃饭? (Q) vs 我吃饺子或者饭都行 (S). (3) Adding 是 at the start makes it more emphatic / formal. Without 是 is fine and more casual.

Examples

你想吃饺子还是吃饭? Dumplings or rice?
我们今天晚上去公园还是看电影? Park or movie tonight?
你是黄安的同事, 还是黄安的朋友? Are you Huang An's colleague, or her friend?
我们大家一起做朋友, 还是只做同事? Are we all friends, or just colleagues?

Culture

中国职场的真相 How Chinese workplaces actually feel

The "view" of work and the "real" feel of work aren't always the same. Here's what Chinese workplaces are really like.

Relationships matter most

In Chinese companies, 关系 (relationships with colleagues, managers, and old friends) matter more than written policies. Managers choose people based on more than just performance — they also consider connection. This isn't unfair; it's how Chinese workplaces really work.

Midday rest (午休)

Most Chinese companies have a real midday break — a full hour to go home, eat, or sleep in the office. Not the Western "30-minute sandwich break." It's real rest time.

Overtime (加班)

Overtime is common in China — often unpaid, often until 9pm. This is the well-known "996" culture (9am-9pm, six days a week). Many companies are changing this now, but it's still common in tech.

When the boss invites you to dinner

In China, when the boss invites you to dinner, it's significant. Accepting builds relationship. Declining can feel cold. Eating together signals "we're one team."

Too polite reads as distant

In China, being too polite with colleagues actually reads as distant. People who care about you joke with you, give you things, help each other. Colleagues who are 'too polite' may still be on the outside of the inner circle.

The Chinese work world is about relationships. Friends, colleagues, the people we share life with — all central parts of Chinese life.

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