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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 38

做运动 Exercising

Zuò yùndòng

林雪 and 王明 pick a workout. Teaches 不是 X 而是 Y (correction) and 宁可 X 也不 Y (preference).

Dialogue

不是跑步, 而是游泳 — Not running, but swimming

王明你nǐ感gǎn冒mào好hǎo了le吗ma? 今jīn天tiān我wǒ们men去qù跑pǎo步bù还hái是shì去qù打dǎ球qiú? Is your cold better? Run or play ball today?
林雪不bú是shì跑pǎo步bù, 而ér是shì游yóu泳yǒng. 我wǒ想xiǎng去qù游yóu泳yǒng. Not running — swimming. I want to swim.
王明游yóu泳yǒng? 我wǒ以yǐ前qián不bú会huì, 你nǐ教jiào我wǒ吧ba. Swim? I can't — teach me.
林雪体tǐ育yù馆guǎn有yǒu游yóu泳yǒng的de地dì方fāng, 每měi周zhōu三sān都dōu开kāi. The sports centre has a pool — open Wednesdays.
王明游yóu泳yǒng不bú是shì太tài累lèi的de运yùn动dòng吧ba? Swimming isn't too tiring, right?
林雪不bú是shì太tài累lèi, 而ér是shì很hěn舒shū服fú, 多duō运yùn动dòng就jiù不bù容róng易yì生shēng病bìng. Not tiring — actually comfortable. Exercising more makes you less likely to get sick.

Dialogue

宁可累, 也不停 — Rather tired than stop

王明我wǒ宁nìng可kě累lèi, 也yě不bù停tíng运yùn动dòng. I'd rather be tired than stop exercising.
林雪你nǐ也yě宁nìng可kě早zǎo起qǐ也yě不bù晚wǎn睡shuì吗ma? Do you also rather get up early than stay up late?
王明是shì. 我wǒ宁nìng可kě早zǎo起qǐ出chū去qù骑qí车chē也yě不bú在zài家jiā躺tǎng着zhe. Yes. I'd rather go for a bike ride than lie around at home.
林雪我wǒ宁nìng可kě每měi天tiān出chū汗hàn一yí次cì也yě不bú要yào一yì星xīng期qī不bú动dòng. I'd rather sweat daily than not move all week.
王明要yào是shi天tiān天tiān坚jiān持chí, 身shēn体tǐ就jiù一yí定dìng越yuè来lái越yuè好hǎo. If you keep at it every day, your health is sure to get better and better.
林雪好hǎo. 为wèi了le健jiàn康kāng, 也yě为wèi家jiā人rén, 我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ去qù体tǐ育yù馆guǎn. OK. For our health, and for our families, let's go to the gym together.

Vocabulary

运yùn动dòng: noun exercise; sport (recall ch36)
游yóu泳yǒng: verb swim
打dǎ球qiú: verb play ball games
骑qí车chē: verb ride a bike
体tǐ育yù馆guǎn: noun gym; sports hall
累lèi: adjective tired (recall Bk1)
宁nìng可kě: adverb would rather
而ér是shì: conjunction but rather (in 不是...而是)
选xuǎn择zé: verb choose (recall ch30)
每měi周zhōu: adverb every week
认rèn真zhēn: adjective serious (recall ch29)
坚jiān持chí: adjective persist (recall ch25)
出chū汗hàn: noun sweat
舒shū服fú: adjective comfortable (recall ch29)
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

育: (in 体育馆 = gym; sports hall)
体育馆 tǐyùguǎn — gym; sports hall
宁: (in 宁可 = would rather)
宁可 nìngkě — would rather
停
骑: ride (in 骑车)
骑车 qí chē — ride a bike

Hanzi — writing & recognition

动

dòng move (recall Bk1) Writing

6 strokes left-right

球

qiú ball (in 打球) Recognition

11 strokes left-right

骑

qí ride (in 骑车) Recognition

11 strokes left-right

体

tǐ body (in 体育) Recognition

7 strokes left-right

Grammar

要是 … , 就 … — hypothetical sentence (三69)

Explanation

要是 X, 就 Y is a hypothetical: if X happens, then Y. 要是天气好, 我就去跑步. 要是 is the colloquial form of 如果, common in Band 3, with 就 echoing in the second clause. Negative: 要是不 X, 就 Y.

Examples

要是天气好, 我就去跑步. If the weather's good, I'll go running.
要是不忙, 就多运动一会儿. If you're not busy, exercise a bit more.
要是下雨, 我就在家运动. If it rains, I'll exercise at home.
要是累了, 就休息一下. If you're tired, take a rest.

Grammar

Preposition 为² — for someone/something (三23)

Explanation

Grammar-01 was hypotheticals. `为 + target + verb` introduces "for whom / for what". 妈妈每天为我们做饭 (为我们 = beneficiary). 为大家的健康干杯. Unlike 为了 (purpose), 为 takes a person or thing — "for the benefit of…". On exercise: 为了健康, 也为家人.

Examples

妈妈每天为我们做饭. Mum cooks for us every day.
他为我买了一些水果. He bought some fruit for me.
为大家的健康, 多运动吧. For everyone's health, let's exercise more.
医生为病人做检查. The doctor examines the patient.

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