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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 17

谈家人 Talking about family

Tán jiārén

Discussing family. Teaches V + 得 + adj (manner / extent complement) and pairs with V + 得 + 不 + adj (negative manner).

Dialogue

你爸爸做什么工作? — What does your dad do?

王明上shàng次cì一yì家jiā人rén一yì起qǐ吃chī饭fàn很hěn高gāo兴xìng. 你nǐ爸bà爸ba做zuò什shén么me工gōng作zuò? Last time the whole family ate together — it was lovely. What does your dad do?
林雪他tā是shì工gōng程chéng师shī, 工gōng作zuò得dé很hěn认rèn真zhēn. He is an engineer, and he works very seriously.
王明妈mā妈ma呢ne? And mom?
林雪妈mā妈ma是shì老lǎo师shī, 说shuō话huà说shuō得dé很hěn清qīng楚chǔ. Mom is a teacher; she speaks very clearly.
王明你nǐ呢ne? 你nǐ写xiě得dé快kuài吗ma? And you? Do you write fast?
林雪写xiě得dé不bú快kuài, 但dàn读dú得dé流liú利lì. I don't write fast, but I read fluently.

Dialogue

姐姐唱得很好 — Older sister sings well

林雪我wǒ姐jiě姐jie性xìng格gé热rè情qíng, 唱chàng歌gē唱chàng得dé很hěn好hǎo. My sister is warm — she sings very well.
王明弟dì弟di性xìng格gé怎zěn么me样yàng? And your brother's personality?
林雪他tā比bǐ较jiào安ān静jìng, 但dàn跑pǎo得dé真zhēn快kuài. He is rather quiet, but he runs really fast.
王明你nǐ说shuō得dé自zì然rán, 我wǒ能néng想xiǎng到dào一yì家jiā人rén. You speak naturally — I can picture the whole family.
林雪我wǒ爷yé爷ye退tuì休xiū了le, 现xiàn在zài跑pǎo得dé不bú快kuài了le. My grandpa is retired — he does not run fast now.
王明没méi关guān系xì, 退tuì休xiū了le应yīng该gāi慢màn慢màn走zǒu. That's fine — retired people should walk slowly.

Vocabulary

家jiā人rén: noun family member(s) (recall Bk2)
工gōng作zuò: noun work; job (recall Bk1)
工gōng程chéng师shī: noun engineer
退tuì休xiū: verb retire
性xìng格gé: noun personality; character
高gāo: adjective tall; high (recall Bk1)
安ān静jìng: adjective quiet (recall ch07)
热rè情qíng: adjective warm; enthusiastic (recall ch12)
说shuō话huà: verb speak; talk (recall Bk1)
跑pǎo: verb run (recall Bk1)
唱chàng: verb sing (recall Bk1)
清qīng楚chǔ: adverb clearly; clear (recall Bk2)
流liú利lì: adverb fluent(ly)
认rèn真zhēn: adverb serious(ly); careful(ly) (recall Bk2)
自zì然rán: adverb natural(ly) (recall Bk2)
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

程: measure; -er (in 工程师)
工程师 gōngchéngshī — engineer
楚: (in 清楚 = clearly; clear (recall Bk2))
清楚 qīngchu — clearly; clear (recall Bk2)
流: (in 流利 = fluent(ly))
流利 liúlì — fluent(ly)
格: style; pattern (in 性格)
性格 xìnggé — personality; character价格 jiàgé — price
退: retreat; retire (in 退休)
退休 tuìxiū — retire

Hanzi — writing & recognition

得

de particle for manner complement (recall Bk1) Writing

11 strokes left-right

性

xìng nature; -ity (in 性格) Writing

8 strokes left-right

格

gé style; pattern (in 性格) Recognition

10 strokes left-right

退

tuì retreat; retire (in 退休) Recognition

9 strokes left-right

程

chéng measure; -er (in 工程师) Recognition

12 strokes left-right

Grammar

Subject-predicate predicate sentence (三53)

Explanation

The predicate of a sentence is itself a "subject + predicate". The sentence opens with a big subject (the topic), then a "small subject + predicate" comments on it. 我家人都很好 (topic 我家人; comment 都很好). 这件衣服颜色很好看 (topic; 颜色很好看). Common in Band 3 to describe one aspect of a person/thing.

Examples

我家人都很好. My family are all well.
这件衣服颜色很好看. This piece of clothing has a lovely colour.
那本书我没看过. That book — I haven't read it.
爷爷身体很好. Grandpa is in good health.

Grammar

Verb-copying: V + object + V + complement (三59)

Explanation

Grammar-01 used a clause as predicate. Here: when a verb has BOTH an object AND a complement, the verb is COPIED. 他做饭做得很好 (做饭 + 做得很好). 她说中文说得很流利. The first 做饭 carries the object; the second 做 carries the complement. You cannot say 他做饭得很好.

Examples

他做饭做得很好. He cooks very well.
她说中文说得很流利. She speaks Chinese fluently.
我打球打得不太好. I don't play ball very well.
他走路走得很快. He walks very fast.

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