Chinese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Hobbies and free time
业余爱好Yèyú àihào
Talk about sports and hobbies in Mandarin, say how often you do them, tell 会, 能 and 可以 apart, and invite a friend or say no politely.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about your hobbies and sports
- Say how often you do something
- Choose between 会 (huì), 能 (néng) and 可以 (kěyǐ)
- Invite someone, accept, or say no politely
Listen
In Xiamen, friends Wu Hao and Chen Xi talk about what they do in their free time. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Wu Hao
陈曦，你周末常常做什么？
Chén Xī, nǐ zhōumò chángcháng zuò shénme?
Chen Xi, what do you usually do at the weekend?
Chen Xi
我常常游泳，一个星期游两次。你呢？
Wǒ chángcháng yóuyǒng, yí ge xīngqī yóu liǎng cì. Nǐ ne?
I often go swimming, twice a week. And you?
Wu Hao
我不会游泳。我常常打篮球，有时候跑步。
Wǒ bú huì yóuyǒng. Wǒ chángcháng dǎ lánqiú, yǒushíhou pǎobù.
I can't swim. I often play basketball, and sometimes I go running.
Chen Xi
我从来不跑步。我喜欢听音乐。
Wǒ cónglái bù pǎobù. Wǒ xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè.
I never go running. I like listening to music.
Wu Hao
星期天你想去爬山吗？我们一起去吧！
Xīngqītiān nǐ xiǎng qù páshān ma? Wǒmen yìqǐ qù ba!
Would you like to go hiking on Sunday? Let's go together!
Chen Xi
好啊！几点？
Hǎo a! Jǐ diǎn?
Sure! What time?
Wu Hao
早上七点，可以吗？
Zǎoshang qī diǎn, kěyǐ ma?
Seven in the morning, is that OK?
Chen Xi
不好意思，七点太早了，我不能去。八点行吗？
Bù hǎoyìsi, qī diǎn tài zǎo le, wǒ bù néng qù. Bā diǎn xíng ma?
Sorry, seven is too early, I can't make it. Is eight OK?
Wu Hao
行，八点见！
Xíng, bā diǎn jiàn!
Fine, see you at eight!
Understand
Can: 会, 能 or 可以?
English “can” has three Chinese words. (huì) is for skills you have learned: (wǒ huì yóuyǒng), I can swim. (néng) is for being able to right now, because of time, health or circumstances: (qī diǎn wǒ bù néng qù), I can't go at seven. (kěyǐ) is for permission or saying something is OK: (qī diǎn kěyǐ ma?), is seven OK?
All three go before the verb, and goes before them: (bú huì), (bù néng), (bù kěyǐ).
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (huì) | can: have learned how | (wǒ bú huì yóuyǒng.) I can't swim. |
| (néng) | can: am able to now | (jīntiān wǒ bù néng qù.) I can't go today. |
| (kěyǐ) | may, can: it's allowed, it's OK | (kěyǐ sǎomǎ ma?) Can I pay by code? |
How often: 常常, 有时候, 从来不, and 次
Words for how often go before the verb, like time words: (wǒ chángcháng dǎ lánqiú), I often play basketball; (wǒ yǒushíhou pǎobù), I sometimes go running; (wǒ cónglái bù pǎobù), I never go running.
To say how many times, use the measure word (cì, time): number + goes after the verb, and the period comes first: (yí ge xīngqī yóu liǎng cì), swim twice a week. With a verb + object word like (yóuyǒng), people often say only the verb here. (zuò) means “to do”: (nǐ zhōumò zuò shénme?), what do you do at the weekend?
- 我常常听音乐。Wǒ chángcháng tīng yīnyuè.I often listen to music.
- 他一个星期打两次篮球。Tā yí ge xīngqī dǎ liǎng cì lánqiú.He plays basketball twice a week.
- 我从来不打篮球。Wǒ cónglái bù dǎ lánqiú.I never play basketball.
Invitations: 一起…吧 and 你想…吗？
(xiǎng) + verb means “would like to”. To invite someone, ask (nǐ xiǎng… ma?), or suggest with (wǒmen yìqǐ… ba), let's… together. (qù) means “to go”: (qù páshān), to go hiking.
To accept, say (hǎo a!), sure! To say no, start with (bù hǎoyìsi), “sorry”, give a reason and maybe suggest another time: (qī diǎn tài zǎo le), seven is too early (, zǎo, early, as in , breakfast). To end, (bā diǎn jiàn) means “see you at eight”: (jiàn) is the second half of (zàijiàn).
More in the grammar: Modal verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 要, 想, 应该 · Verb + object words (离合词) · How long and how often
New words
- 周末zhōumòweekend · (zhōumò) goes before the verb: at the weekend.
- 常常chángchángoften
- 游泳yóuyǒngto swim; swimming
- 次cìtime, occurrence (measure word) · (liǎng cì), twice.
- 会huìcan (a learned skill) · (wǒ huì yóuyǒng), I can swim.
- 打篮球dǎ lánqiúto play basketball · (dǎ), to hit, to play (ball games).
- 有时候yǒushíhousometimes
- 跑步pǎobùto run, to go jogging
- 从来不cónglái bùnever · Before the verb: (wǒ cónglái bù pǎobù).
- 听音乐tīng yīnyuèto listen to music · (tīng), to listen; (yīnyuè), music.
- 爬山páshānto go hiking, to climb a hill or mountain
- 好啊hǎo asure, good idea
- 不好意思bù hǎoyìsisorry, excuse me · For small things, like saying no to an invitation.
- 能néngcan, to be able to (now) · (wǒ bù néng qù), I can't go.
Practise
1.You never learned to swim. How do you say “I can't swim”?
2.Put the words in order, starting with (wǒ): I swim twice a week.
Tap the words below in the right order.I swim twice a week.
3.Match the hobbies.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.A friend says (xīngqītiān yìqǐ qù páshān ba!). You'd like to go. What do you say?
5.Put the words in order, starting with (xīngqītiān): let's go hiking together on Sunday!
Tap the words below in the right order.Let's go hiking together on Sunday!
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
你周末常常做什么？
Nǐ zhōumò chángcháng zuò shénme?
What do you usually do at the weekend?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.