Total Chinese Level 1

1. Lesson 14 Making Phone Calls 打电话
Learning Objectives:
After completing the lesson, you will be able to
• Make a phone call
• Ask when an event or activity is going to happen
• Ask what someone is doing
Phone Situation 1:
Lin Jun: 喂! 请问王老师在吗？
Wéi! Qǐngwèn wáng lǎoshī zài ma?
Wang Laoshi: 我就是。请问你是哪位？
Wǒ jiù shì. Qǐngwèn nǐ shì nǎ wèi?
Lin Jun: 我是您的学生林君。 我有一个问题。
Wǒ shì nín de xuéshēng Lín Jūn. Wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí.
Wang Laoshi: 有什么问题?
Yǒu shénme wèntí?
Lin Jun: 我们什么时候考试？
Wǒmen shénme shíhòu kǎoshì?
Wang Laoshi: 五月二十三号。
Wǔ yuè èr shí sān hào.
Lin Jun: 知道了，谢谢您。
Zhī dào le, xièxie nín.
Wang Laoshi: 不客气。
Bú kèqì.

2. English Translation of the Dialogue
Phone Situation 1:
Lin Jun: Hello, is Teacher Wang in?
Wang Laoshi: This is she. May I know who is speaking?
Lin Jun: I am your student Lin Jun. I have a question.
Wang Laoshi: What is your question?
Lin Jun: When is our exam?
Wang Laoshi: May 23.
Lin Jun: Got it, thank you.
Wang Laoshi: You are welcome.
Phone Situation 2:
Lin Jun: 喂! 是大山吗？你在做什么？
Wéi! Shì Dàshān ma? Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
Li Dashan: 我在做功课。你呢？你在做什么？
Wǒ zài zuò gōngkè. Nǐ ne? Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
Lin Jun: 我在上网。你想不想去吃饭？
Wǒ zài shàngwǎng. Nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng qù chīfàn?
Li Dashan: 好啊！什么时候去？
Hǎo a! Shénme shíhòu qù?
Lin Jun: 晚上六点半，好吗？
Wǎnshàng liù diǎn bàn, hǎo ma?
Li Dashan: 没问题，六点半见。
Méi wèntí, liù diǎn bàn jiàn.

3. English Translation of the Dialogue
Phone Situation 2:
Lin Jun: Hello, is this Dashan? What are you doing?
Li Dashan: I am doing homework. How about you? What are you doing?
Lin Jun: I am on internet. Would you like to go out to eat?
Li Dashan: Great, when?
Lin Jun: 6:30 pm, is it good?
Li Dashan: No problem, see you at 6:30 pm.
Vocabulary
Simplified
Character
Tradition
Character
Pinyin English
Meaning
1. 喂 喂 wéi Hello (used in greeting
in phone
conversation)
2. 位 位 wèi M.W. Polite form for people
3. 就
我就是
就
我就是
Jiù
Wǒ jiù shì This is he/she
speaking
4. 问题 問題 wèn tí N. Problem, question
5. 什么时候 什麼時候 shénme shíhòu N. When
6. 考试 考試 kǎoshì N. Exam, test
7. 上网 上網 shàngwǎng V.O. To be online
Pinyin Exercise:
1. Listen and repeat the following sound.
1. wèntí wénhuà wénxué
2. kǎoshì kǎoyàn kǎoròu
3. shíhòu shíjiān shíyuè
4. shàngkè shàngwǎng shànghǎi
5. qù bú qù yào bú yào xiǎng bù xiǎng

4. 2. Listen and repeat the following sound.
1. jiū jiú jiǔ jìu
2. bān bán bǎn bàn
3. jiān jián jiǎn jiàn
4. hōu hóu hǒu hòu
5. wāng wáng wǎng wàng
3. Repeat the following phrases.
1. Wǒ yǒu yí ge wèn tí.
2. Nǐ yǒu shénme wèntí.
3. Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
4. Wǒ zài zuò gōngkè.
5. Nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng qù chīfàn?
Grammar
1. Asking when 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu)
什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) is used to ask “what time” or “when”. It may be used to ask a
wider range of time frame rather than a specific time. Word order for 什么时候 shénme
shíhòu(when) is Subject + 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) + V. O.
Example:
When do you go home?
你什么时候回家？ Nǐ shénme shíhòu huíjiā?
When do we have class?
我们什么时候上课？ Wǒmen shénme shíhòu shàngkè?
When do they get up?
他们什么时候起床？ Tāmen shénme shíhòu qǐchuáng?
When do you go to China?
你什么时候去中国？ Nǐ shénme shíhòu qù zhōngguó?

5. 2. The Adverbs 就(jiù) and 我就是 (wǒ jiù shì)
就(jiù) is used to emphasis the verb in the sentence 我就是(wǒ jiù shì)。我就是(wǒ jiù
shì) means this is she/ he.
她就是林君。Tā jiùshì Lín Jūn.
She is Lin Jun. (Emphasis on she.)
大山就是我的同学。Dàshān jiù shì wǒde tóngxué.
Dashan is my classmate. (Emphasis on Dashan.)
3. Progressive Form with 在
在 + V is similar to the English -ing verb ending which means someone or something is
doing / working “right now” or “at present time.”
The main sentence pattern is Subject + 在 zai + Verb + Object. And the negative
sentence pattern is Subject + 没有 meiyou or 不 bu + 在 zai + Verb + Object.
Answer with Positive Patterns Answer with Negative Patterns
你在做什么？
NǏ zài zuò shénme?
我在吃饭。
Wǒ zài chī fàn.
我在上网。
Wǒ zài shàngwǎng.
你在吃饭吗？
Nǐ zài chīfàn ma?
我没有在吃饭。
Wǒ méiyǒu zài chīfàn.
我不在吃饭。
Wǒ búzài chīfàn.
Word Building
问
问题
一个问题
我有一个问题
你有没有问题
时候
什么时候
什么时候回家
你什么时候上课
我们什么时候去吃饭
做
做什么
你在做什么
你们在做什么
你会不会做饭