Chinese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 1 of 12
Stories and memories
小时候的回忆Xiǎoshíhou de huíyì
Tell a story about the past in Chinese: 是…的 for when and how, 就 and 才 for early and late, and words like first, then and in the end.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask and say when, where and how something happened with 是…的
- Say that something happened early or late with 就 and 才
- Put the events of a story in order
- Recognise verbs with a result or a direction added (记住, 拿出来)
Listen
In Beijing, university student Xiaoyu asks her grandmother about moving to the city in the 1960s. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Xiaoyu
奶奶，您是哪年来北京的？
Nǎinai, nín shì nǎ nián lái Běijīng de?
Grandma, what year did you come to Beijing?
Grandma
一九六五年。那时候我才十八岁，是跟我姐姐一起坐火车来的。
Yī jiǔ liù wǔ nián. Nà shíhou wǒ cái shíbā suì, shì gēn wǒ jiějie yìqǐ zuò huǒchē lái de.
In 1965. I was only eighteen then. I came with my older sister, by train.
Xiaoyu
你们来了以后住在哪儿？
Nǐmen láile yǐhòu zhù zài nǎr?
Where did you live after you arrived?
Grandma
先住在前门附近的一个胡同里，后来才搬到这儿。
Xiān zhù zài Qiánmén fùjìn de yí ge hútòng li, hòulái cái bāndào zhèr.
First in a hutong near Qianmen. We only moved here later.
Xiaoyu
您跟爷爷是怎么认识的？
Nín gēn yéye shì zěnme rènshi de?
How did you and Grandpa meet?
Grandma
他是我们胡同里的邻居，当时住在我们旁边。我们是一九六七年结的婚。
Tā shì wǒmen hútòng li de línjū, dāngshí zhù zài wǒmen pángbiān. Wǒmen shì yī jiǔ liù qī nián jié de hūn.
He was a neighbour in our hutong. At the time he lived next door to us. We got married in 1967.
Xiaoyu
那您二十岁就结婚了？我妈妈三十岁才结婚。
Nà nín èrshí suì jiù jiéhūn le? Wǒ māma sānshí suì cái jiéhūn.
So you were already married at twenty? My mum didn't get married until she was thirty.
Grandma
那时候大家结婚都早。你爷爷年轻的时候很会唱歌，我很喜欢听。
Nà shíhou dàjiā jiéhūn dōu zǎo. Nǐ yéye niánqīng de shíhou hěn huì chànggē, wǒ hěn xǐhuan tīng.
Back then everyone married young. When your grandpa was young, he sang really well, and I loved listening to him.
Xiaoyu
您还记得来北京的第一天吗？
Nín hái jìde lái Běijīng de dì-yī tiān ma?
Do you still remember your first day in Beijing?
Grandma
记得。我们先去了天安门，然后在那儿拍了一张照片，最后才去找住的地方。
Jìde. Wǒmen xiān qùle Tiān'ānmén, ránhòu zài nàr pāile yì zhāng zhàopiàn, zuìhòu cái qù zhǎo zhù de dìfang.
I do. First we went to Tiananmen, then we took a photo there, and only in the end did we go and look for somewhere to live.
Xiaoyu
那张照片还在吗？
Nà zhāng zhàopiàn hái zài ma?
Do you still have that photo?
Grandma
还在。你等一下，我拿出来给你看。
Hái zài. Nǐ děng yíxià, wǒ ná chūlai gěi nǐ kàn.
I do. Wait a moment, I'll get it out and show you.
Understand
是…的: when, where, how, with whom
When everyone already knows that something happened, and you want to talk about a detail of it (when, where, how, with whom), put (shì) before the detail and (de) at the end: (Nín shì nǎ nián lái Běijīng de?), what year did you come to Beijing? The answer uses the same frame: (wǒ shì zuò huǒchē lái de), I came by train.
In a positive statement (shì) is often left out, as in (wǒ yī jiǔ liù wǔ nián lái de), but (de) stays. The negative is always (bú shì … de): (wǒ bú shì yí ge rén lái de), I didn't come alone.
If the verb has an object, (de) usually goes before the object: (wǒmen shì yī jiǔ liù qī nián jié de hūn), we got married in 1967. (jiéhūn) is a verb + object word, so (de) goes in the middle.
| Asking about | Example |
|---|---|
| when | (Nǐ shì shénme shíhou dào de?) When did you arrive? |
| where | (Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn shì zài nǎr pāi de?) Where was this photo taken? |
| how | (Nǐmen shì zěnme rènshi de?) How did you meet? |
| with whom | (Nǐ shì gēn shéi yìqǐ lái de?) Who did you come with? |
就 and 才: early or late
(jiù) and (cái) go just before the verb and show how the speaker feels about a time. (jiù) means earlier or sooner than you'd expect, and the sentence usually ends in (le): (tā èrshí suì jiù jiéhūn le), she got married when she was only twenty.
(cái) means later than you'd expect, “not until”, and the sentence has no (le): (wǒ māma sānshí suì cái jiéhūn), my mum didn't get married until thirty.
Before a number without a verb, (cái) means “only”: (nà shíhou wǒ cái shíbā suì), I was only eighteen then.
- 他六点就起床了。Tā liù diǎn jiù qǐchuáng le.He got up at six (that's early).
- 他十点才起床。Tā shí diǎn cái qǐchuáng.He didn't get up until ten.
- 我们后来才搬到这儿。Wǒmen hòulái cái bāndào zhèr.We only moved here later.
Telling a story in order
You know (xiān … ránhòu …), first … then … In a longer story, add (hòulái), later, afterwards, and (zuìhòu), in the end. (… yǐhòu) means “after …”: (nǐmen láile yǐhòu), after you arrived. (nà shíhou) and (dāngshí) both mean “at that time”.
Stories are full of verbs with a second part that tells you the result or the direction of the action. (jìzhù) is “remember” + “fixed”, so “memorise, keep in mind”. (bāndào) is “move” + “arrive”, move to a place. (ná chūlai) is “take” + “out, towards me”, and (bān guòlai) is “move over here”. You will learn these endings properly in the next chapters.
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (xiān) | first |
| (ránhòu) | then |
| (hòulái) | later, afterwards (in the past) |
| (zuìhòu) | in the end, finally |
| (láile yǐhòu) | after coming, after arriving |
| (nà shíhou), (dāngshí) | at that time, back then |
More in the grammar: Direction complements: 来, 去 and more · Result and potential complements · 就 and 才 · 是…的: focusing on details
New words
- 奶奶nǎinaigrandma (father's mother) · (yéye) is grandpa. Xiaoyu calls her (nín), as many Beijing families do.
- 那时候nà shíhouat that time, back then
- 才cáinot until, only then; only · for something late: (sānshí suì cái jiéhūn)
- 胡同hútònghutong, a narrow lane in old Beijing
- 后来hòuláilater, afterwards · only for the past; for the future say (yǐhòu)
- 搬bānto move (house); to carry · (bānjiā), to move house; (bāndào Shànghǎi), to move to Shanghai
- 邻居línjūneighbour · (rènshi), to know (a person), to get to know: (Nǐmen shì zěnme rènshi de?), how did you meet?
- 当时dāngshíat the time, then
- 结婚jiéhūnto get married · (gēn … jiéhūn), to marry someone
- 就jiùalready, as early as · for something early: (èrshí suì jiù jiéhūn le)
- 年轻niánqīngyoung · (niánqīng de shíhou), when (someone) was young; (chànggē), to sing
- 记得jìdeto remember · (bú jìde), don't remember
- 最后zuìhòuin the end, finally; last
- 回忆huíyìmemory (of the past); to recall
Practise
1.You know your friend came to Shanghai. How do you ask how she came?
2.Grandma talks about her wedding. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.We got married in 1967.
3.Match the Chinese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Your colleague usually arrives at nine, but today he was at the office at seven. What do you say?
5.Grandma says (wǒ ná chūlai gěi nǐ kàn). What is she going to do?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
您是什么时候来的？
Nín shì shénme shíhou lái de?
When did you come?
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.