Chinese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 1 of 12
Talking about the past
你周末做什么了？Nǐ zhōumò zuò shénme le?
Say what you did at the weekend in Chinese: 了 for completed actions, 没 for things you didn't do, and words like yesterday and two days ago.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you did with 了 (le)
- Say what you didn't do with 没 (méi)
- Ask “Did you…?” with 了吗 (le ma)
- Say when: yesterday, last weekend, two days ago
Listen
On Monday morning, Zhao Lei and his colleague Fang Yu talk about their weekends at their office in Beijing. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Zhao Lei
早上好，方雨。周末过得怎么样？
Zǎoshang hǎo, Fāng Yǔ. Zhōumò guò de zěnmeyàng?
Good morning, Fang Yu. How was your weekend?
Fang Yu
很好。星期六我和朋友去电影院看了一部电影。
Hěn hǎo. Xīngqīliù wǒ hé péngyou qù diànyǐngyuàn kànle yí bù diànyǐng.
Very good. On Saturday I went to the cinema with a friend and saw a film.
Zhao Lei
什么电影？好看吗？
Shénme diànyǐng? Hǎokàn ma?
What film? Was it good?
Fang Yu
很好看。你呢？你周末做什么了？
Hěn hǎokàn. Nǐ ne? Nǐ zhōumò zuò shénme le?
Very good. And you? What did you do at the weekend?
Zhao Lei
星期六上午我在家打扫房间，下午去超市了。
Xīngqīliù shàngwǔ wǒ zài jiā dǎsǎo fángjiān, xiàwǔ qù chāoshì le.
On Saturday morning I cleaned the flat, and in the afternoon I went to the supermarket.
Fang Yu
星期天呢？
Xīngqītiān ne?
And on Sunday?
Zhao Lei
星期天我去我爸妈家了。我们一起包了很多饺子。
Xīngqītiān wǒ qù wǒ bàmā jiā le. Wǒmen yìqǐ bāole hěn duō jiǎozi.
On Sunday I went to my parents' place. We made lots of dumplings together.
Fang Yu
你包了多少个？
Nǐ bāole duōshao ge?
How many did you make?
Zhao Lei
我包了五十个，太累了。你星期天休息了吗？
Wǒ bāole wǔshí ge, tài lèi le. Nǐ xīngqītiān xiūxi le ma?
I made fifty. I was so tired. Did you rest on Sunday?
Fang Yu
休息了。我十点起床，晚上在家附近散步了。
Xiūxi le. Wǒ shí diǎn qǐchuáng, wǎnshang zài jiā fùjìn sànbù le.
Yes. I got up at ten, and in the evening I went for a walk near my home.
Zhao Lei
我没散步，也没休息。今天很累。
Wǒ méi sànbù, yě méi xiūxi. Jīntiān hěn lèi.
I didn't go for a walk, and I didn't rest either. I'm very tired today.
Fang Yu
我们先去喝杯咖啡吧。
Wǒmen xiān qù hē bēi kāfēi ba.
Let's go and have a coffee first.
Understand
了 after the verb: it happened
Chinese verbs never change for time. To show that an action happened and is complete, put (le) straight after the verb: (kànle), watched, from (kàn), to look, to watch, to read; (bāole), made. This 了 usually comes with a number or some other detail after it: (kànle yí bù diànyǐng), saw a film; (bāole wǔshí ge), made fifty; (bāole hěn duō jiǎozi), made lots of dumplings (, hěn duō, a lot of, many).
When the sentence is short and nothing follows the verb and its object, 了 goes at the end instead: (Wǒ qù chāoshì le.) I went to the supermarket. (Wǒ xiūxi le.) I rested. In pinyin, a 了 straight after the verb is written together with it (kànle); at the end of a sentence it stands on its own (le).
了 means “done”, not simply “past”. Descriptions of the past don't take it: (zuótiān hěn lèi), yesterday was tiring. The time word already tells you when.
- 我看了一部电影。Wǒ kànle yí bù diànyǐng.I saw a film.
- 他们包了很多饺子。Tāmen bāole hěn duō jiǎozi.They made lots of dumplings.
- 我去超市了。Wǒ qù chāoshì le.I went to the supermarket.
没 (méi): I didn't
To say that something didn't happen, put (méi) or (méiyǒu) before the verb and leave 了 out: (Wǒ méi qù chāoshì.) I didn't go to the supermarket. Don't use 没 and 了 together. (bù) is for now, habits and the future: (wǒ bú qù), I'm not going.
To ask “Did you…?”, add (ma) after 了, or (méiyǒu) at the end: (Nǐ xiūxi le ma?) or (Nǐ xiūxi le méiyǒu?). Say yes by repeating the verb with 了: (xiūxi le). Say no with (méiyǒu) or 没 + the verb: (méi xiūxi).
| What you say | Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| it happened | (Wǒ kàn le.) | I watched it. |
| it didn't happen | (Wǒ méi kàn.) | I didn't watch it. |
| question | (Nǐ kàn le ma?) | Did you watch it? |
| question | (Nǐ kàn le méiyǒu?) | Did you watch it or not? |
When and where: before the verb
Time words go at the start of the sentence or right after the person, never at the end: (zuótiān), yesterday. For “last”, use (shàng ge): (shàng ge zhōumò), last weekend. For “ago”, put (qián) after the length of time: (liǎng tiān qián), two days ago.
The place comes after the time and also before the verb, with (zài): (wǒ zài jiā bāo jiǎozi), I make dumplings at home. So the order is person – time – place – verb, or time – person – place – verb.
- 上个周末我在家休息了。Shàng ge zhōumò wǒ zài jiā xiūxi le.Last weekend I rested at home.
- 两天前我去我爸妈家了。Liǎng tiān qián wǒ qù wǒ bàmā jiā le.Two days ago I went to my parents' place.
- 上个月我没去电影院。Shàng ge yuè wǒ méi qù diànyǐngyuàn.Last month I didn't go to the cinema.
More in the grammar: Negation: 不, 没 and 别 · 了 after the verb: completed actions
New words
- 周末过得怎么样？Zhōumò guò de zěnmeyàng?How was your weekend? · (guò) means “to spend (time)”. A set phrase for now; (de) comes in chapter 5.
- 电影院diànyǐngyuàncinema · (diànyǐng), film + (yuàn), a building or courtyard
- 部bùmeasure word for films · (yí bù diànyǐng), a film. In everyday speech (yí ge diànyǐng) is also common.
- 好看hǎokàngood to watch; good-looking · like (hǎochī), tasty
- 打扫dǎsǎoto clean · (dǎsǎo fángjiān), to clean the room
- 超市chāoshìsupermarket
- 爸妈bàmāmum and dad, parents · short for (bàba māma)
- 包饺子bāo jiǎozito make dumplings · (bāo) means “to wrap”: dumplings are wrapped by hand.
- 累lèitired · (tài lèi le), so tired
- 休息xiūxito rest, to have a break
- 散步sànbùto go for a walk
- 没(有)méi(yǒu)didn't · before a verb, without 了: (wǒ méi qù), I didn't go
- 上个shàng gelast, previous · (shàng ge xīngqī), last week; (shàng ge yuè), last month
- 前qiánago · after a length of time: (sān nián qián), three years ago
Practise
1.Fang Yu wants to say “I saw a film.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Zhao Lei wants to say “I didn't rest.” Which sentence is correct?
3.Put the words in order: say that you made lots of dumplings together.
Tap the words below in the right order.We made lots of dumplings together.
4.Match the Chinese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.A friend asks (Nǐ xiūxi le ma?) You did rest. What do you answer?
6.Put the words in order: say that you didn't go to the supermarket.
Tap the words below in the right order.I didn't go to the supermarket.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
你周末过得怎么样？
Nǐ zhōumò guò de zěnmeyàng?
How was your 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.