Lesson 3: Talking about school and lessons

学校

Learn 在/正在 + 地点 + 动词 and A + 和/跟 + B through school and lessons.

5 words2 grammar points1 dialogues~10 min

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Vocabulary5 words

大学dàxuéNoun

1.university
2.The Great Learning (one of the Four Books of Confucianism)

Examples

我的姐姐在大学学习。

wǒdejiějiezàidàxuéxuéxí。

My older sister studies at university.

回答huídáVerb

1.to answer; to replyUsed when responding to a question or request.
2.an answer; a replyThe noun sense.

Examples

请回答问题。

qǐnghuídáwèntí。

Please answer the question.

教jiāoVerb

to teachTo impart knowledge or skills.

Examples

他教中文。

tājiāozhōngwén。

He teaches Chinese.

小学xiǎoxuéNoun

primary school, elementary school

Examples

我弟弟上小学。

wǒdìdishàngxiǎoxué。

My younger brother is in primary school.

小学老师很好。

xiǎoxuélǎoshīhěnhǎo。

The primary school teacher is very good.

中学zhōngxuéNoun

secondary school; middle school

Examples

她在中学学习。

tāzàizhōngxuéxuéxí。

She studies at a secondary school.

我们是中学同学。

wǒmenshìzhōngxuétóngxué。

We are classmates from secondary school.

Grammar

An action happening at a place

S + 在/正在 + 地点 + 动词

We use '在' or '正在' to talk about an action taking place at a specific location. This structure is often used to describe an activity in progress.

我在大学学习。

wǒzàidàxuéxuéxí。

I study at the university.

他正在学校里回答老师。

tāzhèngzàixuéxiàolihuídálǎoshī。

He is answering the teacher at school.

和 and 跟 (and, with)

A + 和/跟 + B

和 (hé) and 跟 (gēn) join two nouns and mean "and". With verbs of joint action, 跟 also means "with". They link nouns only — not two clauses.

我喜欢用新本子和新书学习。

wǒxǐhuanyòngxīnběnzihéxīnshūxuéxí。

I like studying with a new notebook and new books.

我跟同学一起回答老师。

wǒgēntóngxuéyìqǐhuídálǎoshī。

I answer the teacher together with my classmates.

Dialogues

Talking about school and lessons

Two students, Xiao Lan and Xiao Song, talk after class.

小兰

小松，你这个学期怎么样？

xiǎosōng，nǐzhègexuéqīzěnmeyàng？

Xiao Song, how is this semester going for you?

小松

很好。我正在准备大学的考试。

hěnhǎo。wǒzhèngzàizhǔnbèidàxuédekǎoshì。

Pretty good. I’m preparing for the university exam.

小兰

真好啊！你的课怎么样？

zhēnhǎoa！nǐdekèzěnmeyàng？

That’s great! How’s your course going?

小松

还行。老师教得很好，我天天认真回答老师。

háixíng。lǎoshījiāodehěnhǎo，wǒtiāntiānrènzhēnhuídálǎoshī。

Not bad. The teacher teaches well, and I answer carefully every day.

小兰

我喜欢用新本子和新书学习。你呢？

wǒxǐhuanyòngxīnběnzihéxīnshūxuéxí。nǐne？

I like studying with a new notebook and new books. And you?

小松

我也是。用新书学习，我很高兴。

wǒyěshì。yòngxīnshūxuéxí，wǒhěngāoxìng。

Me too. I'm happy when I study with new books.

小兰

你妹妹上小学还是中学？

nǐmèimeishàngxiǎoxuéháishìzhōngxué？

Is your sister in primary school or middle school?

小松

她上中学。小学的课不难，中学的课难一点儿。

tāshàngzhōngxué。xiǎoxuédekèbùnán，zhōngxuédekènányìdiǎnr。

She’s in middle school. Primary lessons aren’t hard; middle-school ones are a bit harder.