Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 16

一家人吃饭 Family dinner

Yì jiā rén chī fàn

Family dinner. Teaches 让 / 叫 + N + V (causative) and pairs with 请 + N + V (polite causative).

Dialogue

妈妈让我帮忙 — Mom asks me to help

林雪妈mā妈ma让ràng我wǒ准zhǔn备bèi桌zhuō子zi. Mom asked me to set the table.
妈妈你nǐ叫jiào弟dì弟di一yì起qǐ帮bāng忙máng吧ba. Tell your younger brother to help too.
林雪好hǎo. 弟dì弟di, 妈mā妈ma叫jiào你nǐ来lái帮bāng忙máng. OK. Brother, mom is asking you to come help.
弟弟我wǒ来lái了le, 让ràng姐jiě姐jie放fàng菜cài. Coming — let sister put the dishes out.
妈妈爸bà爸ba快kuài回huí来lái了le, 大dà家jiā坐zuò下xià吧ba. Dad is coming back soon — everyone sit down.
林雪今jīn天tiān是shì中zhōng秋qiū节jié, 一yì家jiā人rén团tuán圆yuán一yì起qǐ吃chī, 我wǒ很hěn高gāo兴xìng. Today is Mid-Autumn — the whole family reunited to eat together, and I'm so happy.

Dialogue

请大家尝尝 — Please try it

爸爸今jīn天tiān妈mā妈ma做zuò的de菜cài, 请qǐng大dà家jiā尝cháng尝cháng. Mom cooked today — please try it.
姐姐我wǒ给gěi爸bà爸ba夹jiá一yí块kuài. I will pick up a piece for dad.
妈妈让ràng弟dì弟di也yě多duō吃chī一yì点diǎn. Let younger brother eat more too.
林雪妈mā妈ma的de菜cài, 我wǒ吃chī得dé很hěn满mǎn意yì. Mom's food, I am very satisfied.
爸爸一yì家jiā人rén坐zuò在zài一yì起qǐ, 是shì最zuì高gāo兴xìng的de时shí候hòu. When the family sits together, that is the happiest time.
妈妈请qǐng再zài吃chī一yì些xiē. 还hái有yǒu汤tāng呢ne. Eat some more please. There is soup too.

Vocabulary

让ràng: verb let; make (causative) (recall Bk2)
叫jiào: verb tell; ask (someone) to (recall Bk1)
请qǐng: verb invite; please (recall Bk1)
爸bà爸ba: noun dad (recall Bk1)
妈mā妈ma: noun mom (recall Bk1)
姐jiě姐jie: noun older sister (recall Bk1)
弟dì弟di: noun younger brother (recall Bk1)
桌zhuō子zi: noun table (recall Bk1)
帮bāng忙máng: verb help out (recall Bk1)
尝cháng: verb taste (recall ch09)
香xiāng: adjective fragrant (recall Bk2)
坐zuò下xià: verb sit down
夹jiá: verb pick up (with chopsticks)
满mǎn意yì: adjective satisfied (recall ch09)
高gāo兴xìng: adjective happy (recall Bk1)
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

夹jiá: pick up (with chopsticks)

Hanzi — writing & recognition

让

ràng let; make (recall Bk2) Writing

5 strokes left-right

请

qǐng please; invite (recall Bk1) Writing

10 strokes left-right

叫

jiào tell; ask; (be) called (recall Bk1) Recognition

5 strokes left-right

帮

bāng help (recall Bk1) Recognition

9 strokes left-right

忙

máng busy (recall Bk1) Recognition

6 strokes left-right

Grammar

让 / 叫 + N + V — causative ("make / let / tell N do V")

Explanation

`让 / 叫 + N + V` makes N the doer of V at someone else's prompting: 妈妈让我准备桌子 (mom asked me to set the table), 你叫弟弟一起帮忙 (tell your brother to help). 让 is neutral / slightly written ("let / make"); 叫 is colloquial and a touch more like an order. They usually swap freely. Negate via 不让 / 别让 + N + V. Shape: subject → 让 / 叫 → causee → verb-phrase.

Examples

妈mā妈ma让ràng我wǒ准zhǔn备bèi桌zhuō子zi. Mom asked me to set the table.
你叫弟弟一起帮忙. Tell younger brother to help.
让姐姐放菜. Let older sister put the dishes out.
别叫他去, 太远了. Don't tell him to go — too far.

Grammar

请 + N + V — polite causative ("please / let me invite N to V")

Explanation

Grammar-01 used 让 / 叫 — neutral or lightly directive. Grammar-02 reaches polite register: `请 + N + V` invites or requests. 请大家尝尝 (please everyone try it), 请爸爸坐 (please dad sit). Softer than 让 / 叫; works for elders, guests, or formal settings. Speaker = host: 请 sits at the front and N follows. Negate as 请别 + V. Different from ch08's 给 + N + V ("do V for N") — this is "I invite N to do V".

Examples

请大家尝尝. Everyone, please try it.
请爸爸坐这里. Dad, please sit here.
请你帮我一下. Please help me a moment.
请别说话, 老师在讲. Please don't talk — teacher is speaking.

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →