Chinese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 5 of 12
Work and studies
工作和学习Gōngzuò hé xuéxí
Talk about your job and studies in Chinese: how long you've worked somewhere, what you studied, how well you do something with 得, and why.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say how long you worked or have worked somewhere
- Talk about your studies and your old job
- Say how well someone does something with 得 (de)
- Give reasons with 因为…所以… (yīnwèi… suǒyǐ…)
Listen
Over lunch at their company in Shanghai, Xie Fang asks her new colleague Song Jie about her old job. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Xie Fang
宋洁，你以前在哪儿工作？
Sòng Jié, nǐ yǐqián zài nǎr gōngzuò?
Song Jie, where did you work before?
Song Jie
在北京。我在一家公司当工程师。
Zài Běijīng. Wǒ zài yì jiā gōngsī dāng gōngchéngshī.
In Beijing. I was an engineer at a company there.
Xie Fang
你在那儿工作了几年？
Nǐ zài nàr gōngzuòle jǐ nián?
How many years did you work there?
Song Jie
四年。大学毕业以后，我一直在那儿工作。
Sì nián. Dàxué bìyè yǐhòu, wǒ yìzhí zài nàr gōngzuò.
Four years. After I graduated from university, I worked there the whole time.
Xie Fang
你大学的专业是什么？
Nǐ dàxué de zhuānyè shì shénme?
What was your subject at university?
Song Jie
工程。你呢？
Gōngchéng. Nǐ ne?
Engineering. And you?
Xie Fang
我的专业是英语。上大学的时候，我英语说得很好，现在不行了。
Wǒ de zhuānyè shì Yīngyǔ. Shàng dàxué de shíhou, wǒ Yīngyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo, xiànzài bù xíng le.
I studied English. When I was at university I spoke English very well, but not any more.
Song Jie
你太客气了。
Nǐ tài kèqi le.
You're too modest.
Xie Fang
你为什么辞职了？
Nǐ wèishénme cízhí le?
Why did you leave your job?
Song Jie
因为那儿常常加班，太累了，所以我辞职了。
Yīnwèi nàr chángcháng jiābān, tài lèi le, suǒyǐ wǒ cízhí le.
We often had to work overtime there. It was too tiring, so I quit.
Xie Fang
我在这儿工作了三年了，不常加班。同事都很好，经理也很好。
Wǒ zài zhèr gōngzuòle sān nián le, bù cháng jiābān. Tóngshì dōu hěn hǎo, jīnglǐ yě hěn hǎo.
I've been working here for three years, and we don't often do overtime. The colleagues are all very nice, and so is the manager.
Song Jie
太好了，我更喜欢这儿了。
Tài hǎo le, wǒ gèng xǐhuan zhèr le.
Great. Now I like it here even more.
Understand
How long: 工作了四年 and 工作了三年了
How long something lasted goes after the verb, with 了 after the verb: (wǒ zài nàr gōngzuòle sì nián), I worked there for four years. This is finished: Song Jie doesn't work there any more.
Add a second 了 at the end and the action is still going on: (wǒ zài zhèr gōngzuòle sān nián le), I've been working here for three years (and still do). Ask with (jǐ nián), how many years, or (duō cháng shíjiān), how long.
| Chinese | Meaning | Still going on? |
|---|---|---|
| (Wǒ xuéle liǎng nián Zhōngwén.) | I studied Chinese for two years. | no |
| (Wǒ xuéle liǎng nián Zhōngwén le.) | I've been studying Chinese for two years. | yes |
| (Tā zài Shànghǎi zhùle wǔ nián.) | He lived in Shanghai for five years. | no |
| (Tā zài Shànghǎi zhùle wǔ nián le.) | He has lived in Shanghai for five years. | yes |
说得很好: how well you do something
To say how well someone does something, put (de) after the verb and then the comment: (shuō de hěn hǎo), speaks very well; (zuò de búcuò), does it well, not bad. The negative goes in the comment: (shuō de bù hǎo), doesn't speak well.
If there's an object, say it first and then the verb with 得: (wǒ Yīngyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo), I speak English very well. You can also say the verb twice: (tā shuō Yīngyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo).
- 你中文说得很好。Nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.You speak Chinese very well.
- 经理说你做得不错。Jīnglǐ shuō nǐ zuò de búcuò.The manager says you're doing well.
- 我英语说得不太好。Wǒ Yīngyǔ shuō de bú tài hǎo.I don't speak English very well.
Before, after, when, because
(yǐqián) means “before” or “used to”: (wǒ yǐqián zài Běijīng gōngzuò), I used to work in Beijing. After an event, (yǐhòu) means “after”: (bìyè yǐhòu), after graduating. (yìzhí), which you know from (yìzhí zǒu), go straight on, also means “all along, the whole time”: (wǒ yìzhí zài nàr gōngzuò), I worked there the whole time. (de shíhou) means “when…”: (shàng dàxué de shíhou), when I was at university. All of these go before the main verb.
(yīnwèi… suǒyǐ…), because… so…, gives a reason and its result. Ask for the reason with (wèishénme), why. (gèng) before an adjective or 喜欢 means “even more”: (wǒ gèng xǐhuan zhèr le), now I like it here even more.
- 毕业以后，我当了工程师。Bìyè yǐhòu, wǒ dāngle gōngchéngshī.After graduating, I became an engineer.
- 因为常常加班，所以他辞职了。Yīnwèi chángcháng jiābān, suǒyǐ tā cízhí le.Because he often had to work overtime, he quit his job.
More in the grammar: How long and how often · Joining sentences: connectors · 了 after the verb: completed actions · 了 at the end: change and new situations · 得: how well something is done
New words
- 以前yǐqiánbefore; used to · (yǐqián) is general; (liǎng tiān qián) counts back from now
- 当dāngto work as, to be (a job) · (dāng gōngchéngshī). (yì jiā gōngsī), a company: (jiā) counts companies and shops.
- 工程师gōngchéngshīengineer · (gōngchéng), engineering
- 毕业bìyèto graduate · (dàxué bìyè), to graduate from university
- 以后yǐhòuafter; later · (bìyè yǐhòu), after graduating
- 专业zhuānyèsubject, major (at university) · (wǒ de zhuānyè shì Yīngyǔ), I studied English. (Yīngyǔ), English; (Zhōngwén), Chinese
- …的时候… de shíhouwhen… · (shàng dàxué de shíhou), when I was at university. (xiànzài), now
- 得de(links a verb to how well it's done) · (shuō de hěn hǎo), speaks very well
- 因为…所以…yīnwèi… suǒyǐ…because… so… · Ask “why?” with (wèishénme).
- 加班jiābānto work overtime
- 辞职cízhíto quit (a job), to resign
- 同事tóngshìcolleague
- 经理jīnglǐmanager
- 更gèngeven more · (gèng hǎo), even better
Practise
1.Xie Fang still works at the company. Which sentence says so?
2.How do you say “You speak Chinese very well”?
3.Match the words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Put the words in order: ask what someone studied at university.
Tap the words below in the right order.What was your subject at university?
5.Put the words in order: because it was too tiring, I quit.
Tap the words below in the right order.Because it was too tiring, I quit my job.
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
我以前在北京工作。
Wǒ yǐqián zài Běijīng gōngzuò.
I used to work in Beijing.
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.