Chinese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 5 of 12
Hopes and wishes
希望和梦想Xīwàng hé mèngxiǎng
Talk about hopes, dreams and plans in Chinese: 希望, “if … would” with 要是…就…, “if only” with 要是…就好了, and polite requests.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you hope for with 希望 (xīwàng)
- Say what you would do if something were true with 要是…(的话)，就…
- Make a wish with 要是…就好了 (if only…)
- Ask for something politely with 能不能请您…
Listen
In Xi'an, Yang Fan, 17, tells her father that she wants to study abroad. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Yang Fan
爸，我想跟你说一件事。我将来想去英国留学。
Bà, wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō yí jiàn shì. Wǒ jiānglái xiǎng qù Yīngguó liúxué.
Dad, there's something I want to talk to you about. In the future I'd like to study in Britain.
Father
留学？你才十七岁，怎么想去留学了？
Liúxué? Nǐ cái shíqī suì, zěnme xiǎng qù liúxué le?
Study abroad? You're only seventeen. What's made you think of that?
Yang Fan
我的梦想是当医生，我希望能在英国上大学。
Wǒ de mèngxiǎng shì dāng yīshēng, wǒ xīwàng néng zài Yīngguó shàng dàxué.
My dream is to be a doctor, and I hope I can go to university in Britain.
Father
在英国上大学要花很多钱啊。
Zài Yīngguó shàng dàxué yào huā hěn duō qián a.
University in Britain costs a lot of money, you know.
Yang Fan
我知道。所以我准备申请奖学金。要是我能拿到奖学金，就不用花你们那么多钱了。
Wǒ zhīdào. Suǒyǐ wǒ zhǔnbèi shēnqǐng jiǎngxuéjīn. Yàoshi wǒ néng nádào jiǎngxuéjīn, jiù búyòng huā nǐmen nàme duō qián le.
I know. That's why I'm planning to apply for a scholarship. If I got one, I wouldn't need so much of your money.
Father
奖学金不容易拿。你的成绩怎么样？
Jiǎngxuéjīn bù róngyì ná. Nǐ de chéngjì zěnmeyàng?
Scholarships aren't easy to get. How are your marks?
Yang Fan
还不错。老师说，如果我的英语再好一点儿的话，就很有希望。
Hái búcuò. Lǎoshī shuō, rúguǒ wǒ de Yīngyǔ zài hǎo yìdiǎnr dehuà, jiù hěn yǒu xīwàng.
Pretty good. My teacher says that if my English gets a bit better, I'll have a good chance.
Father
你一个人去那么远的地方，我和你妈不太放心。
Nǐ yí ge rén qù nàme yuǎn de dìfang, wǒ hé nǐ mā bú tài fàngxīn.
You, all alone, somewhere so far away: your mum and I would worry.
Yang Fan
你们放心吧，我会每天给你们发消息的。
Nǐmen fàngxīn ba, wǒ huì měi tiān gěi nǐmen fā xiāoxi de.
Don't worry, I'll message you every day.
Father
你真的愿意一个人在那儿住五年吗？
Nǐ zhēn de yuànyì yí ge rén zài nàr zhù wǔ nián ma?
Are you really willing to live there on your own for five years?
Yang Fan
愿意。这是我的梦想。爸，要是你能支持我就好了。
Yuànyì. Zhè shì wǒ de mèngxiǎng. Bà, yàoshi nǐ néng zhīchí wǒ jiù hǎo le.
Yes, I am. It's my dream. Dad, I really wish you'd support me.
Father
好吧，我支持你。我也希望你的梦想能实现。先好好准备吧。
Hǎo ba, wǒ zhīchí nǐ. Wǒ yě xīwàng nǐ de mèngxiǎng néng shíxiàn. Xiān hǎohāo zhǔnbèi ba.
All right, I'll support you. I hope your dream comes true too. Now prepare well first.
Understand
Hopes and plans: 希望, 准备, 愿意
(xīwàng) means “to hope”, and it's followed directly by what you hope. There is no word for “that”: (wǒ xīwàng nǐ de mèngxiǎng néng shíxiàn), I hope (that) your dream comes true. (xīwàng) is also a noun, “hope”: (hěn yǒu xīwàng), there's a good chance.
Compare the words for the future. (xiǎng) is simply “want to”. (dǎsuan) is “plan to”. (zhǔnbèi) is “get ready to, intend to” and shows you're already working on it: (wǒ zhǔnbèi shēnqǐng jiǎngxuéjīn). (yuànyì) is “be willing to”. (jiānglái) means “in the future”, further ahead than (yǐhòu).
- 我希望明天不下雨。Wǒ xīwàng míngtiān bú xià yǔ.I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.
- 你将来想做什么工作？Nǐ jiānglái xiǎng zuò shénme gōngzuò?What job would you like to do in the future?
- 我不愿意一个人住。Wǒ bú yuànyì yí ge rén zhù.I don't want to live on my own.
要是…就…: if … would
You know (rúguǒ … jiù …), if … then. (yàoshi) means the same and is very common in speech. You can add (dehuà) at the end of the “if” part, with or without (rúguǒ) or (yàoshi): (yàoshi yǒu shíjiān dehuà), if I have time. (jiù) goes just before the verb in the second part.
English changes the verb for something unlikely or imagined: “if I had a scholarship, I would …”. Chinese doesn't. The same sentence covers both, and the situation tells you which one is meant: (yàoshi wǒ yǒu qián, wǒ jiù qù Yīngguó liúxué), if I have money / if I had money, I'll go / I'd go and study in Britain.
- 要是我能拿到奖学金，我就去英国。Yàoshi wǒ néng nádào jiǎngxuéjīn, wǒ jiù qù Yīngguó.If I get a scholarship, I'll go to Britain.
- 你明天有空的话，就来我家吃饭吧。Nǐ míngtiān yǒu kòng dehuà, jiù lái wǒ jiā chīfàn ba.If you're free tomorrow, come to my place for dinner.
If only… and polite requests
(yàoshi … jiù hǎo le) means “if only…, it would be good if…”. It expresses a wish: (yàoshi wǒ huì shuō Yīngyǔ jiù hǎo le), if only I could speak English. With a person, it's a gentle way of asking: (yàoshi nǐ néng zhīchí wǒ jiù hǎo le), I really wish you'd support me.
To ask someone older or more senior for something, start with (néng bu néng qǐng nín …), could I ask you to…: (Lǎoshī, néng bu néng qǐng nín bāng wǒ kàn yíxià shēnqǐng?), could you have a look at my application for me?
- 要是今天是周末就好了。Yàoshi jīntiān shì zhōumò jiù hǎo le.If only it were the weekend.
- 能不能请您再说一次？Néng bu néng qǐng nín zài shuō yí cì?Could you say that again, please?
More in the grammar: Joining sentences: connectors · Talking about the future
New words
- 将来jiāngláiin the future; the future
- 留学liúxuéto study abroad · (qù Yīngguó liúxué), go and study in Britain; (Zhōngguó), China; (huā qián), to spend money
- 梦想mèngxiǎngdream (hope for the future)
- 希望xīwàngto hope; hope · (wǒ xīwàng …), I hope (that)…
- 准备zhǔnbèito prepare; to plan to, to be going to
- 申请shēnqǐngto apply (for); application
- 奖学金jiǎngxuéjīnscholarship · (nádào jiǎngxuéjīn), to get a scholarship; (bù róngyì), not easy; (búyòng), no need to
- 要是yàoshiif · spoken, like (rúguǒ)
- 成绩chéngjìresults, marks, grades
- 的话dehuàif (at the end of the “if” part)
- 放心fàngxīnto be at ease, to stop worrying · (nǐ fàngxīn ba), don't worry; (bú fàngxīn), to worry
- 愿意yuànyìto be willing to, to want to
- 支持zhīchíto support
- 实现shíxiànto come true; to make (a plan) happen · (mèngxiǎng shíxiàn le), the dream came true
Practise
1.It's raining and you wanted to go to the park. How do you say “If only it weren't raining”?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I hope your dream comes true.
3.Match the Chinese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Where does (dehuà) go?
5.You want your teacher to look at your application. What do you say?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
我希望将来能去中国留学。
Wǒ xīwàng jiānglái néng qù Zhōngguó liúxué.
I hope I can study in China one day.
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.