Lesson 5: Telling a Story and Asking Directions

讲过去的事

Learn to use 过, 离, 近, 远 through the topics of telling about the past and inviting and declining.

12 words2 grammar points1 dialogues~12 min

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Vocabulary12 words

方便fāngbiànAdjective

convenientused to describe a process or an object

Examples

这里很方便。

zhèlǐhěnfāngbiàn。

This place is very convenient.

这样做很方便。

zhèyàngzuòhěnfāngbiàn。

Doing it this way is very convenient.

故事gùshìNoun

story

Examples

这个故事很有趣。

zhègegùshìhěnyǒuqù。

This story is very interesting.

妈妈给我讲故事。

māmagěiwǒjiǎnggùshì。

Mom tells me stories.

近jìnAdjective

near; closedescribes a short distance

Examples

学校近。

xuéxiàojìn。

The school is near.

离家近。

líjiājìn。

It's close to home.

离lípreposition

(at a distance) fromused in the structure 'A is ... from B' to talk about the distance between two places

Examples

我家离学校很近。

wǒjiālíxuéxiàohěnjìn。

My home is very close to the school.

以前yǐqiánNoun

before; in the pastrefers to a time in the past

Examples

以前我不认识他。

yǐqiánwǒbúrènshitā。

I didn't know him before.

过guòVerb

1.to cross; to pass
2.to spend (time); to go through
3.Guo (a surname)

Examples

我们过马路吧。

wǒmenguòmǎlùba。

Let's cross the road.

时间过得很快。

shíjiānguòdéhěnkuài。

Time passes very quickly.

请qǐngVerb

pleaseExpresses politeness, used before a request.

Examples

请坐。

qǐngzuò。

Please sit down.

请喝水。

qǐnghēshuǐ。

Please have some water.

忘记wàngjìVerb

to forget

Examples

我忘记他的名字了。

wǒwàngjìtādemíngzìle。

I forgot his name.

别忘记明天的会议。

biéwàngjìmíngtiāndehuìyì。

Don't forget tomorrow's meeting.

休息xiūxiVerb

to rest

Examples

我休息一下。

wǒxiūxiyíxià。

I'll rest for a while.

远yuǎnAdjective

1.far; distant
2.faraway; remote

Examples

我家很远。

wǒjiāhěnyuǎn。

My home is very far.

远看山有色。

yuǎnkànshānyǒusè。

Seen from afar, the mountains have color.

知道zhīdàoVerb

1.to knowCommon usage, for having knowledge of something.
2.to understandLight sense.

Examples

我知道了。

wǒzhīdàole。

I see. (I understand now.)

你知道吗？

nǐzhīdàoma？

Do you know?

昨天zuótiānNoun

yesterday

Examples

昨天很忙。

zuótiānhěnmáng。

Yesterday was very busy.

我昨天在家。

wǒzuótiānzàijiā。

I was at home yesterday.

Grammar

Expressing Past Experience

S + V + 过 + (O)

Use verb + 过 to talk about an action that has happened at least once in the past, usually emphasizing the experience. Often used with time words such as 以前 (before).

我以前听过这个故事。

wǒyǐqiántīngguòzhègegùshì。

I have heard this story before.

你知道这个地方吗？我去过。

nǐzhīdàozhègedìfāngma？wǒqùguò。

Do you know this place? I have been there.

Expressing Distance (Near/Far)

离 + N + 近/远

Use this structure to say whether the distance from one place (A) to another place (B) is near or far. '离' is a preposition indicating distance, '近' means near, and '远' means far.

我家离学校很近。

wǒjiālíxuéxiàohěnjìn。

My house is very close to the school.

这个超市离这里远吗？

zhègechāoshìlízhèlǐyuǎnma？

Is this supermarket far from here?

Dialogues

Telling a Story and Asking Directions

Linh and Nam talk after class.

Linh

昨天老师讲的那个故事很有意思，你以前听过吗？

zuótiānlǎoshījiǎngdenàgegùshìhěnyǒuyìsī，nǐyǐqiántīngguòma？

The story the teacher told yesterday was really interesting. Have you heard it before?

Nam

没有，我昨天差点忘记了。你知道是什么故事吗？

méiyǒu，wǒzuótiānchàdiǎnwàngjìle。nǐzhīdàoshìshénmegùshìma？

No, I almost forgot about it yesterday. Do you know what story it is?

Linh

是关于一个方便大家休息的地方的故事。

shìguānyúyígèfāngbiàndàjiāxiūxidedìfāngdegùshì。

It's a story about a convenient place for everyone to rest.

Nam

听起来不错！对了，请问图书馆离这里近吗？

tīngqǐláibúcuò！duìle，qǐngwèntúshūguǎnlízhèlǐjìnma？

That sounds nice! By the way, is the library near here?

Linh

很近，走路五分钟就到。我以前常去那里休息。

hěnjìn，zǒulùwǔfēnzhōngjiùdào。wǒyǐqiánchángqùnàlǐxiūxi。

Very close, just a five-minute walk. I used to go there often to rest.