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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 4

飞机上 On the plane

Fēijī shang

In-flight conversation. Introduces V + 着 durative state and stance + 着 + main action.

Dialogue

外面的云 — Clouds outside

林雪你nǐ看kàn, 飞fēi机jī已yǐ经jīng飞fēi起qǐ来lái了le! Look — the plane's already up!
王明外wài面miàn的de天tiān空kōng真zhēn好hǎo看kàn, 云yún也yě漂piào亮liang极jí了le. The sky outside is lovely, and the clouds are gorgeous.
林雪坐zuò飞fēi机jī很hěn累lèi, 我wǒ现xiàn在zài累lèi得dé很hěn. Flying is tiring — I'm really worn out now.
王明里lǐ面miàn太tài安ān静jìng了le, 大dà家jiā都dōu在zài休xiū息xi. It's very quiet in here — everyone's resting.
林雪我wǒ有yǒu点diǎn饿è, 都dōu快kuài饿è死sǐ了le. I'm a bit hungry — practically starving.
王明到dào了le就jiù吃chī饭fàn. 你nǐ先xiān看kàn看kàn窗chuāng外wài的de云yún. We'll eat when we land. Look at the clouds out the window first.

Dialogue

坐飞机很有意思 — Flying is interesting

王明你nǐ醒xǐng了le? 休xiū息xi好hǎo了le吗ma? You're awake? Did you rest well?
林雪躺tǎng了le一yí会huì儿er, 好hǎo多duō了le. 第dì一yī次cì坐zuò飞fēi机jī, 我wǒ高gāo兴xìng极jí了le! Lay down a while — much better. First time flying, I'm overjoyed!
王明坐zuò飞fēi机jī很hěn有yǒu意yì思sī, 也yě很hěn方fāng便biàn. Flying is interesting, and very convenient too.
林雪是shì. 我wǒ想xiǎng站zhàn起qǐ来lái走zǒu走zǒu, 听tīng听tīng音yīn乐yuè. Yeah. I want to stand up, walk a bit, listen to some music.
王明好hǎo. 那nà我wǒ们men聊liáo天tiān吧ba. Sure, let's chat then.
林雪还hái有yǒu两liǎng个gè小xiǎo时shí, 时shí间jiān长cháng得dé很hěn. Two hours to go — the time feels really long.

Vocabulary

窗chuāng: noun window
极jí了le: adverb extremely (degree complement: Adj + 极了)
外wài面miàn: noun outside (recall Bk1)
里lǐ面miàn: noun inside (recall Bk1)
云yún: noun cloud
天tiān空kōng: noun sky
飞fēi: verb fly
睡shuì觉jiào: verb sleep (recall Bk1)
醒xǐng: verb wake up
听tīng: verb listen (recall Bk1)
音yīn乐yuè: noun music (recall Bk1)
聊liáo天tiān: verb chat
站zhàn: verb stand (recall Bk2)
躺tǎng: verb lie down
休xiū息xi: verb rest (recall Bk1)
安ān静jìng: adjective quiet
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

云yún: cloud
窗chuāng: window
醒xǐng: wake up
躺tǎng: lie down

Hanzi — writing & recognition

空

kōng empty; sky (in 天空) Writing

8 strokes top-bottom

静

jìng quiet (in 安静) Recognition

14 strokes left-right

息

xī rest; breath (in 休息) Recognition

10 strokes top-bottom

Grammar

Degree complement: Adj + 得很 / 极了 / 死了 (三49)

Explanation

Adding 得很 / 极了 / 死了 after an adjective or psych-verb marks a VERY high degree. 热得很 = very hot. 冷极了 = extremely cold. 累死了 = dead tired (colloquial, hyperbolic). 极了 / 死了 attach directly; 得很 links with 得. Stronger than Band 2's 很 / 非常.

Examples

飞机上热得很. It's very hot on the plane.
我累极了. I'm extremely tired.
大家高兴极了. Everyone was overjoyed.
我饿死了. I'm starving.

Grammar

Verb / adjective phrase as subject (三43)

Explanation

Grammar-01 covered degree complements. Here: an action or a state can serve as the SUBJECT. 坐飞机很累 (Flying is tiring — 坐飞机 is the subject). 太冷了不好 (Too cold is no good). 等很长时间不舒服 (Waiting a long time is uncomfortable). Subjects are no longer only nouns/pronouns — a Band 3 extension.

Examples

坐飞机很累. Flying is tiring.
等很长时间不舒服. Waiting a long time is uncomfortable.
太冷了不好, 太热了也不好. Too cold is bad, too hot is bad too.
慢慢走比较安全. Walking slowly is safer.

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