You finished this day
Daily lessons · Day 15 of 90
Your day, start to finish
Everyday verbs and routines
You now have the time words, the word order and 的. This day spends all three on the thing people ask about most: what you do and when you do it.
From waking to sleeping
Four verbs that cover most of a day.
Why it works
Several of these are a verb plus its own object already glued together: 吃饭 is eat rice, 睡觉 is sleep a sleep, 上班 is go on shift. They behave as single verbs, so you do not add another object after them. To say what you ate, you replace 饭 rather than adding to it.
What you do generally
Frequency words sit in the same slot as time words, before the verb.
Why it works
常常 often, 有时候 sometimes and 从来不 never all live in the same place as 明天 and 八点, in front of the verb. Chinese does not move adverbs around for emphasis the way English does, so there is only one position to learn and no exceptions to it.
Work and being asked about it
Your job comes up in the first minute of most conversations.
Why it works
Job titles take 是, because they join two nouns: I am an engineer. Note that there is no word for a in Chinese, so 我是工程师 is complete as it stands. Adding 一个 is possible but it makes the sentence count engineers rather than describe you.
The lunch break is a real break
In many Chinese offices, factories and schools the middle of the day is properly closed, often from noon to one thirty or two. People eat and then sleep, at their desks or on a folding bed, and calling someone during that window is mildly rude. Banks and government offices may shut entirely, so plan errands around it.
Carried over from earlier days
Say each one out loud before you look at the English.
Today’s words 12
Check yourself
8 questions. Get 6 right to finish the day.
Where do frequency words like 常常 go?
- before the verb, in the same slot as time words
- after the verb
- at the end of the sentence
- before the subject only
Show the answer
before the verb, in the same slot as time words There is only one position and it has no exceptions.
Type I get up at seven in pinyin.
Show the answer
wǒ qī diǎn qǐchuáng The time sits between the subject and the verb.
Why can you not add an object after 吃饭?
- 饭 is already the object built into the verb
- 吃饭 is a noun
- objects are never used in Chinese
- it needs 的 first
Show the answer
饭 is already the object built into the verb To say what you ate, replace 饭 rather than add to it.
Which is correct for I'm an engineer?
- 我是工程师 wǒ shì gōngchéngshī
- 我很工程师 wǒ hěn gōngchéngshī
- 我工程师是 wǒ gōngchéngshī shì
- 我有工程师 wǒ yǒu gōngchéngshī
Show the answer
我是工程师 wǒ shì gōngchéngshī 是 joins two nouns, and there is no word for a.
What does 我周末不上班 mean?
- I don't work at weekends
- I work at weekends
- I go to the weekend
- I am not free at weekends
Show the answer
I don't work at weekends 周末 is the weekend, sitting in the time slot.
Which sentence means I work from home?
- 我在家工作 wǒ zài jiā gōngzuò
- 我工作在家 wǒ gōngzuò zài jiā
- 在家我工作吗 zài jiā wǒ gōngzuò ma
- 我家在工作 wǒ jiā zài gōngzuò
Show the answer
我在家工作 wǒ zài jiā gōngzuò Place before the verb, as on day 11.
Why is calling a Chinese colleague at half past twelve a bad idea?
- the middle of the day is often a real closed break for eating and sleeping
- phones are switched off by law
- it is considered unlucky
- lunch is taken at four
Show the answer
the middle of the day is often a real closed break for eating and sleeping Banks and government offices may shut entirely.
Type what do you do for work in pinyin.
Show the answer
nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò The question word stays in the slot the answer will fill.
Question 1 of 8
Writing practice optional
Every character from today, in the order it came up. Watch it, trace it, then write it from memory.
Press Watch to see the stroke order.
Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.
Character 1 of 42
This lesson is written by an English speaker who learned Mandarin as a second language, and it is waiting on a check by a native speaker. If you spot something off, please tell us and we will fix it.