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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 29

一个夜里的复习 A night of revision

Yí ge yè lǐ de fùxí

Xiao Hong reflects through a quiet night of revision. Teaches V + 起来 (begin / seem) and 看起来 / 听起来 (sensory judgement).

Dialogue

我一个人复习起来 — I start studying alone

小红我wǒ一yí个gè人rén在zài房fáng间jiān里lǐ复fù习xí起qǐ来lái. I started studying alone in the room.
小红夜yè里lǐ很hěn安ān静jìng, 灯dēng亮liàng着zhe. It's quiet at night, the lamp is on.
小红我wǒ认rèn真zhēn背bèi起qǐ来lái生shēng词cí. I get into memorising new words.
同学小xiǎo红hóng, 你nǐ在zài干gàn什shén么me? Xiao Hong, what are you doing?
小红我wǒ刚gāng复fù习xí起qǐ来lái. 你nǐ也yě来lái吗ma? I just started studying. You coming too?
同学我wǒ有yǒu点diǎn困kùn. 你nǐ先xiān继jì续xù, 我wǒ休xiū息xi一yí下xià. I'm sleepy. You keep going — I'll rest.

Dialogue

看起来很认真 — You look serious

同学你nǐ看kàn起qǐ来lái很hěn认rèn真zhēn, 灯dēng关guān上shàng一yì点diǎn吧ba, 眼yǎn睛jīng舒shū服fú. You look serious. Dim the lamp — easier on the eyes.
小红听tīng起qǐ来lái你nǐ也yě想xiǎng复fù习xí了le. Sounds like you want to study too.
同学我wǒ现xiàn在zài看kàn书shū看kàn起qǐ来lái很hěn清qīng楚chǔ, 不bú困kùn了le. Reading now feels clear — I'm not sleepy.
小红太tài好hǎo了le. 用yòng老lǎo师shī教jiào的de方fāng法fǎ, 我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ坚jiān持chí下xià去qù. Great. Using the method the teacher taught, let's keep going together.
同学看kàn起qǐ来lái今jīn天tiān我wǒ们men都dōu睡shuì不bù好hǎo了le. Looks like neither of us will sleep well tonight.
小红没méi关guān系xì. 每měi天tiān复fù习xí是shì好hǎo习xí惯guàn, 学xué完wán我wǒ就jiù睡shuì. It's fine. Reviewing daily is a good habit — once I finish I'll sleep.

Vocabulary

夜yè里lǐ: noun late night (recall ch25)
一yí个gè人rén: adverb alone (recall Bk1)
房fáng间jiān: noun room (recall ch05)
灯dēng: noun lamp; light (recall Bk1)
关guān: verb close; turn off (recall Bk1)
开kāi: verb open; turn on (recall Bk1)
认rèn真zhēn: adjective serious; conscientious
困kùn: adjective sleepy (recall ch25)
坚jiān持chí: verb persist (recall ch25)
休xiū息xi: verb rest (recall ch04)
舒shū服fú: adjective comfortable
清qīng楚chǔ: adjective clear; clearly
继jì续xù: verb continue (recall ch27)
梦mèng: noun dream
想xiǎng起qǐ来lái: verb recall; come to mind
小xiǎo红hóng: pn. Xiao Hong (persona — recall ch21)

New characters

梦mèng: dream (in 梦想)
梦想 mèngxiǎng — dream; aspiration

Hanzi — writing & recognition

认

rèn recognise (in 认真) (recall ch24) Writing

4 strokes left-right

真

zhēn real; serious (in 认真) Writing

10 strokes top-bottom

困

kùn sleepy; surrounded Recognition

7 strokes enclosure

舒

shū unfold; comfortable (in 舒服) Recognition

12 strokes left-right

继

jì continue (in 继续) Recognition

10 strokes left-right

Grammar

V + 起来 — starting up an action

Explanation

`V + 起来` marks "the action begins (and continues)". 复习起来 / 笑起来 / 雨下起来了. The 起来 here is aspectual (start + continue), not directional. Sentence-final 了 announces the change. Negate: 没 + V + 起来. Objects often split: 背起来生词 / 背起生词来. Reserve the sensory use of 看/听 + 起来 for grammar-02.

Examples

我一个人复习起来. I started studying alone.
他笑起来了. He started laughing.
雨下起来了. It started raining.
小红认真背起来生词. Xiao Hong gets serious about new words.

Grammar

看 / 听 + 起来 — sensory judgement

Explanation

Grammar-01: V + 起来 starts an action. `看起来 / 听起来 + adj / clause` is a fixed shape — "looks / sounds X" (judgement from senses, not a hard fact). 你看起来很认真. Negate as 看起来不 + X / 听起来不像 + X. Also takes full clauses: 看起来今天会下雨. Cousins: 闻起来 / 吃起来 / 看上去.

Examples

你看起来很认真. You look serious.
听起来很有意思. Sounds interesting.
看起来今天会下雨. Looks like it will rain today.
这道题看起来不难. This question doesn't look hard.

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