XiaoWen
Try a demoLessonsHow it works
HSK2·Lesson 2

Let's Take a Taxi to Peking University Instead

还是打车去北大吧

Be able to understand and talk about basic information about a school. | Be able to understand and use "多" to express approximate quantities. | Master the use of the fixed pattern "还是……吧" to express choices. | Learn about Peking University, a prestigious university in China.

Text 1

在宾馆前台,白家月和安妮向服务员咨询。

zài bīn guǎn qián tái , bái jiā yuè hé ān nī xiàng fú wù yuán zī xún 。

At the hotel reception, Bai Jiayue and Annie were asking the receptionist for information.

白家月 (Bai Jiayue)请问,这儿有到北京大学的公交车吗?
服务员 (Receptionist)有,但车站有点儿远。
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)这儿好打车吗?
服务员 (Receptionist)好打车。
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)谢谢。安妮,我们还是打车去吧。
安妮 (Annie)好,没问题。

Text 2

在北京大学,白家月和安妮在参观校园。

zài běi jīng dà xué , bái jiā yuè hé ān nī zài cān guān xiào yuán 。

At Peking University, Bai Jiayue and Annie were touring the campus.

白家月 (Bai Jiayue)学校里人真多啊!
安妮 (Annie)是啊,北京大学有四万多名学生呢!
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)你是怎么知道的?
安妮 (Annie)是网上说的,网上还说北京大学有三千多名外国学生。
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)我也想来这儿学习。
安妮 (Annie)那边就有一间教室,我们去看一下吧。

Text 3

在北京大学,白家月和安妮在参观校园。

zài běi jīng dà xué , bái jiā yuè hé ān nī zài cān guān xiào yuán 。

At Peking University, Bai Jiayue and Annie were touring the campus.

安妮 (Annie)家月,你看,学校里有家电影院!
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)是啊,电影院还不小。
安妮 (Annie)他们卖的电影票也很便宜。
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)天啊!有的还不到二十块钱。
安妮 (Annie)那你想不想去看个电影?
白家月 (Bai Jiayue)还是别看电影了,北京大学就很好看!
HanziPinyinEnglish
公交车gōngjiāochēbus
但dànbut; yet
车站chēzhànstop; station
远yuǎnfar away
打车dǎchētake/hail a taxi
还是háishihad better
北京大学Běijīng DàxuéPeking University
啊aused at the end of a sentence to express appreciation, agreement, etc.

role_play

两人一组,一人问路,一人回答。问路的人询问附近有没有到新新电影院的公交车,车站远不远,到电影院要多长时间,等等。尽可能使用本课所学词和语法。

Work in pairs. One student asks for directions, and the other answers. The student asking for directions asks questions such as whether there is a bus nearby to Xinxin Cinema, whether the bus stop is far, and how long it takes to get to the cinema. Try to use the vocabulary and grammar learned in this lesson as much as possible.

e.g. A: 请问,这儿有到新新电影院的公交车吗? B: 有,但车站有点儿远。 ……

万wànten thousand
名míngused for people; place in a competition; name
网上wǎngshangonline
外国wàiguóforeign country
间jiānused of smallest units of housing
教室jiàoshìclassroom
票piàoticket
别biédon't; had better not
过来guòláicome here

Fixed Pattern "还是……吧" (hái shì...ba)

The fixed pattern "还是……吧" (hái shì...ba) is used to express a preferential choice, with the connotation that "this way is better".

  • 我们还是打车去吧。 (wǒ men hái shì dǎ chē qù ba 。)

    Let's take a taxi instead.

  • 那件衣服很好看,还是买那件吧。 (nà jiàn yī fu hěn hǎo kàn , hái shì mǎi nà jiàn ba 。)

    That outfit looks great. Let's buy that one instead.

  • 你第一次去北京,还是找个人接你吧。 (nǐ dì yī cì qù běi jīng , hái shì zhǎo gè rén jiē nǐ ba 。)

    It's your first time in Beijing. You'd better have someone pick you up.

Expressing Approximate Numbers with "多" (duō)

Adding "多" (duō) after a number or a numeral phrase indicates that the quantity is slightly greater than the stated number. When the number is a multiple of ten, "多" (duō) is usually placed directly after the numeral. When the number is not a multiple of ten, "多" (duō) is usually placed after the measure word.

  • 北京大学有四万多名学生呢! (běi jīng dà xué yǒu sì wàn duō míng xué shēng ne !)

    Peking University has over 40,000 students!

  • 教室里有二十多个学生。 (jiào shì lǐ yǒu èr shí duō gè xué shēng 。)

    There are over 20 students in the classroom.

  • 这两个苹果五块多钱。 (zhè liǎng gè píng guǒ wǔ kuài duō qián 。)

    These two apples cost just over 5 yuan.

Verbs, Verbal Phrases, and Subject-Predicate Phrases as Attributives

Verbs, verbal phrases, or subject-predicate phrases can be placed before a noun to indicate the characteristics or state of that noun.

  • 他们卖的电影票也很便宜。 (tā men mài de diàn yǐng piào yě hěn pián yi 。)

    The movie tickets they sell are also very affordable.

  • 现在学中文的学生很多。 (xiàn zài xué zhōng wén de xué shēng hěn duō 。)

    There are many students learning Chinese now.

  • 这是朋友给我的杯子。 (zhè shì péng yǒu gěi wǒ de bēi zi 。)

    This is the cup my friend gave me.