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

Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 22

选课 Choosing courses

Xuǎn kè

Choosing university courses. Teaches 不但 X 而且 Y (additive — more formal cousin of 不仅 X 还 Y) and pairs with 又 X 又 Y (light parallel revisit).

Dialogue

历史不但有意思而且重要 — History is not only interesting but also important

小红下xià课kè后hòu我wǒ们men去qù图tú书shū馆guǎn选xuǎn课kè吧ba, 这zhè学xué期qī选xuǎn什shén么me课kè? Let's go to the library after class to pick courses — what are you taking this term?
同学历lì史shǐ很hěn有yǒu意yì思sī, 并bìng且qiě很hěn有yǒu用yòng. History is interesting, and useful too.
小红数shù学xué呢ne? 难nán不bu难nán? Math? Hard or not?
同学数shù学xué不bú但dàn难nán, 而ér且qiě作zuò业yè多duō. Math is not only hard but the homework is heavy.
小红何hé老lǎo师shī推tuī荐jiàn我wǒ选xuǎn文wén学xué. Teacher He recommends I take literature.
同学文wén学xué不bú但dàn有yǒu意yì思sī, 而ér且qiě老lǎo师shī讲jiǎng得dé好hǎo. Literature is interesting and the teacher lectures well.

Dialogue

又有意思又容易 — Both interesting and easy

小红经jīng济jì课kè怎zěn么me样yàng? 有yǒu人rén说shuō又yòu有yǒu意yì思sī又yòu容róng易yì. How's the economics class? Some say both interesting and easy.
同学不bù一yí定dìng. 我wǒ觉jué得de又yòu难nán又yòu有yǒu意yì思sī. Not really. I find it both hard and interesting.
小红我wǒ考kǎo虑lǜ了le一yí下xià, 至zhì少shǎo选xuǎn两liǎng门mén, 还hái是shì文wén学xué和hé历lì史shǐ. I've thought it over — at least two courses, I'll go with literature and history.
同学不bù光guāng你nǐ, 我wǒ也yě选xuǎn文wén学xué. Not only you — I'm taking literature too.
小红那nà我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ上shàng课kè吧ba. Then let's take the class together.
同学好hǎo. 又yòu是shì好hǎo朋péng友yǒu又yòu是shì同tóng学xué. Sure. Both friends and classmates.

Vocabulary

选xuǎn: verb choose; select (recall ch07)
课kè: noun class; lesson (recall Bk1)
专zhuān业yè: noun major; specialty
兴xìng趣qù: noun interest
文wén学xué: noun literature
历lì史shǐ: noun history
数shù学xué: noun math
经jīng济jì: noun economy; economics
难nán: adjective difficult (recall Bk1)
容róng易yì: adjective easy
不bú但dàn: conjunction not only
而ér且qiě: conjunction moreover (recall Bk2)
推tuī荐jiàn: verb recommend (recall ch08)
有yǒu用yòng: adjective useful
考kǎo虑lǜ: verb consider
小xiǎo红hóng: pn. Xiao Hong (persona — recall ch21)

New characters

史shǐ: (in 历史 = history)
历史 lìshǐ — history
并
济: aid (in 经济)
经济 jīngjì — economy; economics
虑: (in 考虑 = consider)
考虑 kǎolǜ — consider
至
专: specialise (in 专业)
专业 zhuānyè — major; specialty
趣: (in 兴趣 = interest)
兴趣 xìngqù — interest

Hanzi — writing & recognition

但

dàn but (recall Bk2) Writing

7 strokes left-right

容

róng easy; contain (in 容易) Writing

10 strokes top-bottom

易

yì easy (in 容易) Recognition

8 strokes top-bottom

经

jīng pass through (in 经济) Recognition

8 strokes left-right

济

jì aid (in 经济) Recognition

9 strokes left-right

Grammar

并且 / 不光 … 还 — progressive connectors (三30)

Explanation

Two Band 3 connectors: 并且 links two clauses, adding more (他学习好, 并且很努力 — studies well AND works hard). 不光 X 还/也 Y = "not only… but also", with 不光 more colloquial (不光我去, 他也去). Both mean "not just one thing — there's more".

Examples

他学习好, 并且很努力. He studies well, and works hard too.
不光我喜欢这门课, 同学也喜欢. Not only do I like this course, my classmates do too.
这个办法好, 并且很简单. This method is good, and simple too.
不光要听, 还要写. You have to not just listen but also write.

Grammar

Scope adverbs: 光 / 只 / 至少 (三13)

Explanation

Grammar-01 was progression. Three scope adverbs: 光 = only, colloquial (光玩不学习 = only plays, doesn't study). 仅 = only, written (仅有五个人). 至少 = at least, no fewer than (至少五十人 / 至少要学一年). All before a verb or quantity, limiting scope.

Examples

他光玩不学习. He only plays and never studies.
今天来上课的仅有五个人. Only five people came to class today.
教室里至少有五十个人. There are at least fifty people in the classroom.
这门课至少要学一年. This course takes at least a year.

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

Study in the app →