Chinese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 6 of 12
Solving problems
解决问题Jiějué wèntí
Explain what's wrong with something in Chinese and sort it out: result complements (修好, 找到), “can” and “can't” with 得 and 不, and 只要…就….
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain that something is broken or won't work
- Say what happened with a result: 修好, 用坏, 找到
- Say whether something can or can't be done: 修得好, 打不开, 找不到
- Set a condition with 只要…就… (as long as)
Listen
In Hangzhou, Qian Wei takes his new laptop back to the shop because it won't turn on. Ms Luo is at the service desk. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Ms Luo
您好，请问有什么可以帮您？
Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín?
Hello, how can I help you?
Qian Wei
你好。我上个星期在这儿买了这台电脑，现在打不开了。
Nǐ hǎo. Wǒ shàng ge xīngqī zài zhèr mǎile zhè tái diànnǎo, xiànzài dǎ bu kāi le.
Hello. I bought this laptop here last week, and now it won't turn on.
Ms Luo
我看看……屏幕一直是黑的。是不是没电了？您带充电器了吗？
Wǒ kànkan… Píngmù yìzhí shì hēi de. Shì bu shì méi diàn le? Nín dài chōngdiànqì le ma?
Let me see… The screen stays black. Could the battery be flat? Did you bring the charger?
Qian Wei
带了。昨天充了一个晚上的电，还是打不开。
Dài le. Zuótiān chōngle yí ge wǎnshang de diàn, háishi dǎ bu kāi.
Yes. I charged it all night yesterday, and it still won't turn on.
Ms Luo
电脑是不是摔过？
Diànnǎo shì bu shì shuāiguo?
Has the laptop been dropped?
Qian Wei
没有。我以前的手机被我儿子摔坏了，所以这台电脑我用得很小心。
Méiyǒu. Wǒ yǐqián de shǒujī bèi wǒ érzi shuāihuài le, suǒyǐ zhè tái diànnǎo wǒ yòng de hěn xiǎoxīn.
No. My son dropped and broke my old phone, so I've been very careful with this laptop.
Ms Luo
好的，我帮您检查一下……是里面的问题，不是您用坏的。
Hǎo de, wǒ bāng nín jiǎnchá yíxià… Shì lǐmiàn de wèntí, bú shì nín yònghuài de.
All right, let me check it for you… It's a problem inside. It isn't something you did.
Qian Wei
修得好吗？我很多工作上的东西都在里面。
Xiū de hǎo ma? Wǒ hěn duō gōngzuò shang de dōngxi dōu zài lǐmiàn.
Can it be fixed? A lot of my work is on it.
Ms Luo
修得好，您放心，这个问题不难解决。电脑还在保修，所以是免费的。不过要一个星期才能修好。
Xiū de hǎo, nín fàngxīn, zhège wèntí bù nán jiějué. Diànnǎo hái zài bǎoxiū, suǒyǐ shì miǎnfèi de. Búguò yào yí ge xīngqī cái néng xiūhǎo.
Yes, it can, don't worry. It's not a hard problem to solve. The laptop is still under warranty, so it's free. But the repair will take a week.
Qian Wei
一个星期？我每天都要用电脑。能不能换一台新的？
Yí ge xīngqī? Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào yòng diànnǎo. Néng bu néng huàn yì tái xīn de?
A week? I need my laptop every day. Could I exchange it for a new one?
Ms Luo
可以。只要有发票，就能换新的，也可以退货。您电脑里的东西，我们负责放到新电脑里。
Kěyǐ. Zhǐyào yǒu fāpiào, jiù néng huàn xīn de, yě kěyǐ tuìhuò. Nín diànnǎo li de dōngxi, wǒmen fùzé fàngdào xīn diànnǎo li.
Yes. As long as you have the receipt, you can exchange it or return it. We'll take care of moving everything on your laptop to the new one.
Qian Wei
太好了，换一台新的吧。发票……怎么找不到了？哦，在手机里。
Tài hǎo le, huàn yì tái xīn de ba. Fāpiào… zěnme zhǎo bu dào le? Ò, zài shǒujī li.
Great, I'll take a new one. The receipt… Why can't I find it? Oh, it's on my phone.
Understand
Result complements: 修好, 找到, 用坏
A result complement is a second word after the verb that says what the action led to. (xiū) is “to repair”, but (xiūhǎo), repair + good, means it's actually fixed. (zhǎo) is “to look for”; (zhǎodào), look for + reach, means you found it.
The negative uses (méi), without (le): (wǒ méi zhǎodào), I didn't find it. (hái méi xiūhǎo), it hasn't been fixed yet.
With (bèi), a result complement tells you how bad things got: (wǒ de shǒujī bèi wǒ érzi shuāihuài le), my son dropped my phone and broke it. (shuāi) is “to drop, to fall”.
| Result | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (hǎo) | done properly, ready | (xiūhǎo), fixed |
| (dào) | reached, got | (zhǎodào), found |
| (wán) | finished | (chīwán), finished eating |
| (huài) | broken | (yònghuài), broken by using |
| (cuò) | wrong | (kàncuò), misread |
| (dǒng) | understood | (tīngdǒng), understood (by listening) |
Can or can't: 修得好, 打不开
Put (de) between the verb and its result to say it can happen, and (bu) to say it can't: (xiū de hǎo), it can be fixed; (xiū bu hǎo), it can't be fixed. These are called potential complements. In them 得 and 不 are said lightly, without a tone, and 不 doesn't change to bú: (zhǎo bu dào).
They are the normal way to talk about problems: (dǎ bu kāi), won't open, won't turn on; (zhǎo bu dào), can't find; (tīng bu dǒng), can't understand (by listening). You ask with (… ma?) or with both forms: (xiū de hǎo xiū bu hǎo?), can it be fixed or not?
- 我的钥匙找不到了。Wǒ de yàoshi zhǎo bu dào le.I can't find my keys.
- 他说得太快，我听不懂。Tā shuō de tài kuài, wǒ tīng bu dǒng.He speaks too fast, I can't understand.
- 这个门打不开。Zhège mén dǎ bu kāi.This door won't open.
只要…就…: as long as
(zhǐyào … jiù …) means “as long as …, then …”: one simple condition is enough. (zhǐyào yǒu fāpiào, jiù néng huàn xīn de), as long as you have the receipt, you can exchange it.
Compare (rúguǒ … jiù …), if … then, which just gives a condition. (zhǐyào) stresses that nothing more is needed.
- 只要您有时间，我们就可以今天修。Zhǐyào nín yǒu shíjiān, wǒmen jiù kěyǐ jīntiān xiū.As long as you have time, we can repair it today.
- 只要多练习，你就能说好中文。Zhǐyào duō liànxí, nǐ jiù néng shuōhǎo Zhōngwén.As long as you practise a lot, you'll be able to speak Chinese well.
More in the grammar: Joining sentences: connectors · Result and potential complements · The passive with 被
New words
- 打不开dǎ bu kāiwon't open, won't turn on · (dǎkāi), to open, to turn on
- 屏幕píngmùscreen
- 充电器chōngdiànqìcharger · (chōngdiàn), to charge; (diànnǎo), computer, laptop
- 坏huàibroken; bad · (huài le), it's broken; (shuāihuài), break by dropping
- 检查jiǎncháto check, to examine · (xiǎoxīn), careful: (wǒ yòng de hěn xiǎoxīn), I've been careful with it
- 修xiūto repair, to fix · (xiūhǎo), fixed; (xiū de hǎo), can be fixed
- 解决jiějuéto solve, to sort out
- 保修bǎoxiūwarranty; to be under warranty
- 免费miǎnfèifree (of charge)
- 换一台新的huàn yì tái xīn deto exchange it for a new one · (tái) is the measure word for machines
- 发票fāpiàoreceipt, invoice (official)
- 退货tuìhuòto return goods (for your money back)
- 负责fùzéto be responsible for, to take care of · (diànnǎo li de dōngxi), the things on the computer; (dōngxi), things, stuff
- 找不到zhǎo bu dàocan't find
Practise
1.You looked everywhere for your phone, but you didn't find it. What do you say?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.My phone was dropped and broken by my son.
3.Match the Chinese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.The mechanic asks (Xiū de hǎo ma?) about your bike. What is he asking?
5.How do you say “As long as it's not raining, we'll go”?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
我的电脑打不开了。
Wǒ de diànnǎo dǎ bu kāi le.
My laptop won't turn on.
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.