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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 35

同事 Colleagues

Tóngshì

周月 settles in among colleagues. Teaches 跟 X 比起来 (compared to X) and 不如 + N (not as good as N).

Dialogue

同事们都很热情 — The colleagues are warm

王明上shàng班bān一yí个gè星xīng期qī了le, 同tóng事shì怎zěn么me样yàng? A week in — how are the colleagues?
周月同tóng事shì们men又yòu说shuō又yòu笑xiào, 都dōu很hěn热rè情qíng. The colleagues chat and laugh — everyone is warm.
王明跟gēn你nǐ大dà学xué的de朋péng友yǒu比bǐ起qǐ来lái呢ne? Compared to your university friends?
周月跟gēn大dà学xué朋péng友yǒu比bǐ起qǐ来lái, 同tóng事shì们men更gèng聪cōng明ming. Compared to uni friends, the colleagues are smarter.
王明大dà家jiā互hù相xiāng帮bāng助zhù吗ma? Do you all help each other?
周月互hù相xiāng帮bāng助zhù, 合hé作zuò得dé很hěn舒shū服fú. We help each other — collaboration feels easy.

Dialogue

不如新办公室好 — Not as nice as the new office

周月第dì一yī天tiān我wǒ就jiù记jì住zhù了le同tóng事shì的de名míng字zì. 我wǒ们men的de办bàn公gōng室shì不bú错cuò, 你nǐ看kàn过guò吗ma? On day one I memorised my colleagues' names. Our office is nice — have you seen it?
王明我wǒ去qù过guò一yí次cì. 跟gēn以yǐ前qián的de比bǐ起qǐ来lái很hěn现xiàn代dài. Been once. Modern compared to the old one.
周月我wǒ以yǐ前qián的de学xué校xiào不bù如rú这zhè里lǐ舒shū服fú. My old school wasn't as comfortable as here.
王明同tóng事shì的de关guān系xì不bù如rú老lǎo朋péng友yǒu好hǎo吧ba? Colleague bonds aren't as deep as old friends, are they?
周月现xiàn在zài还hái不bù如rú老lǎo朋péng友yǒu. 但dàn是shì时shí间jiān长cháng就jiù会huì越yuè来lái越yuè好hǎo. For now, not as deep — but it grows with time.
王明互hù相xiāng帮bāng助zhù, 关guān系xì一yí定dìng会huì好hǎo. Help each other — the bond will form.

Vocabulary

同tóng事shì: noun colleague (recall ch31)
跟gēn: preposition with; from (recall Bk1)
比bǐ起qǐ来lái: verb comparing to
不bù如rú: verb not as good as; rather
热rè情qíng: adjective enthusiastic; warm
友yǒu好hǎo: adjective friendly
聪cōng明ming: adjective smart
能néng干gàn: adjective capable; able
帮bāng助zhù: verb help (recall Bk1)
合hé作zuò: verb cooperate
互hù相xiāng: adverb mutually; each other
关guān系xì: noun relationship
舒shū服fú: adjective comfortable (recall ch29)
办bàn公gōng室shì: noun office
周zhōu月yuè: pn. Zhou Yue (persona — recall ch31)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

聪: (in 聪明 = smart)
聪明 cōngming — smart
代
尽
量

Hanzi — writing & recognition

跟

gēn with; from (recall Bk1) Writing

13 strokes left-right

如

rú as; like Writing

6 strokes left-right

热

rè hot; warm (in 热情) (recall Bk1) Recognition

10 strokes top-bottom

情

qíng feeling (in 热情) Recognition

11 strokes left-right

互

hù mutual (in 互相) Recognition

4 strokes single

系

xì relate (in 关系) Recognition

7 strokes top-bottom

Grammar

又 … 又 … — coordinate compound sentence (三63)

Explanation

"又 … 又 …" links two actions or situations of the same subject — happening together / coexisting. Beyond Band 2's 又 X 又 Y (two qualities), Band 3 often joins two action phrases or clauses: 大家又说又笑 / 又唱歌又跳舞. Among colleagues: 他又热情又能干.

Examples

同事们又说又笑. The colleagues chatted and laughed.
晚会上大家又唱歌又跳舞. At the party everyone sang and danced.
他又工作又学习. He both works and studies.
这个工作又忙又有意思. This job is both busy and interesting.

Grammar

Manner adverbs: 互相 / 亲自 / 尽量 (三17)

Explanation

Grammar-01 was coordinate clauses. Three manner adverbs: 互相 = each other (互相帮助 / 互相关心). 亲自 = in person (经理亲自来). 尽量 = as much as possible (尽量早点). All before the verb, describing how the action is done. Among colleagues: 我们要互相帮助.

Examples

同事们互相帮助. Colleagues help each other.
经理亲自来看我们. The manager came to see us in person.
请尽量早点完成. Please finish as early as you can.
大家互相关心. Everyone cares for one another.

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