现在几点？

Notes

1. “现在几点？” — “What time is it now?”

   A more complete version of the question may look like this: “现在几点钟？”

   The answer to that question may look like this, for example:
   “现在十一点(钟)。” — Now 11 o’clock.

2. “我两点一刻上课。” — “I have a lesson at a quarter past two.”

   “上课” has the meaning “the class begins” only if the time is clear from the context. Without clear time and context “上课” should be translated as “attend class”, “go to class”, “go to school” (about students) and even “give a lesson” (about teachers), but not “the lesson starts”. Unlike “上课”, the word combination “下课” has only one meaning “end a class / lesson”.

   The same goes for “上班” and “下班” (i. e. in cases without time of the beginning of the action — we get “be at work” and “to finish work”).

3. “下课以后你有事儿吗？” — “Will you be busy after the lessons?”

   As well as standing alone, the noun “以后” (or “以前”) may be used after a word or phrase denoting time, e.g. “两点以后”, “认识以后” и “来中国以后” (“after (o’clock)”, “after getting acquainted”, “after coming to China”).

   “有事儿” means “to have something to do” or “to be busy / engaged.”

4. “好啊。” — “Okay.”

   “啊” here is a modal particle, showing affirmation, approval or consent, and is pronounced in the neutral tone.

5. “我跟丁云一起去。” — “I’m going together with Ding Yung.”

   The prepositional construction “跟...”, which is made up of the preposition “跟” and its object, is very often used in front of the verb as an adverbial adjunct. Besides, “跟” frequently goes with the adverb “一起” to form the construction “跟…一起” which means “together with”.

   我跟你是好朋友。		You and I are good friends.
   我跟安德烈在一个班。		I and Andrew are in the same class.

   Being part of the predicate (for example, verbs of movement) and showing the joint nature of the action of A and B, it can be emphasized with the adverb “一起” before the predicate.

   你跟谁一起去？		Who are going with?
   妈妈跟爸爸一起去。		Mother and father went together.
   他是我的同学、我跟他(我们)一起学习。		He is my classmate, we study together.
   你跟我一起走吧。		Walk with me.
   安德烈和玛沙一起学汉语。		Andrew and Masha study Chinese together.

   However, “跟” can be used not only as a conjunction but also as a preposition. The original meaning of “跟” is “heel”, hence we get the derivatives — “follow”, “be behind” and then “with” and also “from”. The key difference is that “跟” doesn’t join the subject but separates. Naturally, “一起” can’t be used in this case.

   你跟他说一下。		(You) talk with/to him.
   他跟我说俄语、跟你说法语。		He speaks in Russian with me, with you (he) speaks in French.
   他跟同学借了一本书。		He borrowed a book from a classmate.
   安德烈和玛沙跟丁云学汉语。		Andrew and Masha learn Chinese from Ding Yung.
   我跟你学习。		I learn from you.
   我跟你走。		I’ll follow you.

6. “你们坐车去吗？” “Do you go by car?” (meaning: transport)

   is another instance of a sentence with verbal constructions in series. In sentences of this kind, the first verb usually tells the manner of the action expressed by the second verb, as in “走路去”, “用笔写”, “用汉语介绍” (“go on foot”, “write with a pen”, “tell/introduce in Chinese”) etc.

Substitution and Extension

一

4.

5.

6.

二

1. Asking the time
   

   A:

   请问、您的表现在几点？

   B:

   差五分九点。我的表快。你看、那儿是邮局的钟、现在八点五十。

   A:

   谢谢。

2. Making an appointment
   

   A:

   晚上你有事吗？

   B:

   没有事儿。

   A:

   你来我家、好吗？

   B:

   好啊。几点？

   A:

   七点半、好吗？

3. Making an invitation
   

   A:

   喂、晚上我们看电影、好吗？

   B:

   什么电影？

   A:

   中国电影、是新的。

   B:

   太好了、你买几点的票？

   A:

   我去买八点十分的票、好吗？

   B:

   好。七点五十我在家等你、我们一起坐车去。

Reading text

* * *

便条

Grammar

❶ Ways of telling the time

2:00 — 两点
2:05 — 两点五分
2:12 — 两点十二分
2:15 — 两点一刻（两点十五分）
2:30 — 两点半（两点三十分）
2:45 — 两点三刻（差一刻三点）
2:55 — 差五分三点（两点五十五分）
3:00 — 三点

❷ Nouns or numeral-measure words denoting time as adverbial adjuncts

A noun or a numeral-measure word such as “现在” “now”, “晚上” “(in the) evening”, or “两点十分” “ten minutes past two” can be used as the subject, predicate or attributive of a sentence. E.g.

Such a noun or numeral-measure word can be used as an adverbial adjunct as well. When so used, it can be put either between the subject and the main element of the predicate or before the subject (in this case special emphasis is laid on the time). E.g.:

Points to be noted:

1. When used adverbially, a noun or a numeral-measure word denoting time does not necessarily take a preposition before it. For example, you cannot put the preposition “在” before “两点” in the sentence “我两点一刻上课” “My classes start a quarter past two.”
2. Such a noun or numeral-measure word, when used adverbially, can never be put at the end of the sentence. For example, you can only say “我们晚上去看电影” — “We are going to the movie tonight.”
3. If there is more than one adverbial of time in a sentence, the time word denoting the biggest time unit usually precedes those denoting the smaller time units. Thus, you can only say and write “晚上八点我去看电影” — “I’m going to the movie at 8 o’clock.” or, by analogy, “今天晚上八点我去看电影”.
4. In a sentence, if there are both an adverbial of time and an adverbial of place to simultaneously qualify the verb, the former usually precedes the latter.

❸ Question type “…, 好吗？” — “[Do]…, okay?” or “Let’s [do]…?”

The tag question “…, 好吗？” is often used to make a request or a suggestion and ask for the opinion of the person addressed. The first part of such a tag question is usually a statement. E.g.:

The usual form of answer to this type of question is “好啊” or “好” indicating consent or agreement of the person addressed.

Exercises

1. Read out the following phrases and make sentences with them:

   (1)

   下课以后
   看电影以后
   回宿舍以前

   回家以后
   介绍以后

   来中国以后
   上课以前

   (2)

   跟老师说中文
   跟丁云一起去图书馆
   跟他们一起学习
   跟老师学习

   跟朋友看电影
   跟谁一起工作
   给学生上课

2. Say the following time in Chinese:

   6:00;

   3:30;

   8:22;

   4:45;

   9:45;

   7:08;

   11:57.

3. Make up questions asking about the underlined parts of the following sentences, using interrogative pronouns:

   1. 现在十二点二十五分。
      
   2. 我五点半回家。
      
   3. 晚上他们学习外语。
      
   4. 他跟他弟弟一起去看电影。
      
   5. 她坐车去王老师家。
      
   6. 下课以后他从学院去图书馆。
      

4. Ask questions on the Reading text.

5. Make a suggestion to a friend of yours.

   Example: 去商店

   → А: 现在你有事儿吗？

   B:

   没有事儿。

   A:

   我们一起去商店、好吗？

   B:

   好。几点去？

   A:

   现在四点二十、四点半去、好吗？

   B:

   好。

   (1) 看京剧
   (2) 去图书馆

6. Write a short passage, using the information given.

   7:35

   坐车去学院

   8:00

   上课

   11:55

   下课

   14:15

   去阅览室看杂志

   16:30

   跟朋友一起去咖啡馆

   17:50

   回宿舍

   19:45

   看电影

Pronunciation and Intonation

❶ Word stress (5)

1. Most words of three or four syllables have a main stress falling on the last syllable. The usual stress pattern of the trisyllables is “medium-weak-strong”. E.g.

   ˉ	ˉ	˘		´	ˉ	˘		ˉ	´	`
   咖	啡	馆		图	书	馆		中	文	系
   		•				•				•
   ´	´	ˉ		`	˘	`		´	`	`
   留	学	生		阅	览	室		实	验	室
   		•				•				•

   The usual stress pattern of the four syllables is “medium- weak-medium-strong”. E.g.

   `	˘	´	`		`	˘	´	˘
   外	语	学	院		汉	语	词	典
   			•					•
   ˉ	´	`	`		ˉ	´	´	`
   中	国	画	报		中	文	杂	志
   			•					•

2. The modal particles “啊”, “吗” and “呢”, etc. are never stressed, but pronounced always in the neutral tone. E.g.:

   “好啊！”, “你呢？”, “你有事儿吗？” etc.

❷ Exercises

Read aloud the following words and expressions containing the sounds “g” and “k”, paying special attention to the pronunciation of “g” and “k”:

`

ˉ

ˉ

´

ˉ

`

ˉ

ˉ

g:

个

哥

哥

中

国

工

作

公

司

`

`

`

`

`

˘

˘

`

´

k:

刻

上

课

下

课

口

语

课

文

Test exercises

Write the following sentences in Chinese characters adding tone marks above them:

1. Xiànzài jǐdiǎn? — Chà yíkè liǎng diǎn, nǐ jǐdiǎn shàng kè? — Liǎngdiǎn èrshí fēn, chà shífēn sìdiǎn xià kè. — Xià kè yǐhòu nǐ yǒu shì ma? — Méiyǒu shì. — Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhāng diànyǐng piào, wǎnshang wǒmen yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma? — Hǎo a, kàn jǐdiǎnde? — Liùdiǎnbànde. — Nǐ cóng nǎr qù? — Cóng wǒ jiā qù. — Nǐ zuò chē qù ma? — Bù, zǒu lù qù. — Liùdiǎn yíkè wǒ zài diànyǐngyuàn ménkǒu děng nǐ. — Liùdiǎn shíwǔfēn zàijiàn.
2. Qǐng wèn, nǐmen jǐdiǎn xià bān? Wǎnshang qīdiǎn. — Xià bān yǐhòu wǒmen yìqǐ qù kāfēiguǎn, hǎo ma? — Tài hǎole, wǎnshang zàijiàn. — Zàijiàn.
3. Wǒmende xuéxiào yǒu liǎngge shítáng, hái yǒu yíge xīn kāfēiguǎn. Yíge shítáng shì xuésheng shítáng, yíge shì jiàoshī shítáng. Xuésheng shítáng hěn dà, zuòwèi hěn duō. Xià kè yǐhòu wǒ cháng gēn péngyoumen yìqǐ qù kāfēiguǎn hē chá, wǒmende hànyǔ lǎoshī yě dōu cháng qù nàr.

Write the following word combinations and sentences in Chinese characters and pinyin, lay tone marks:

Lái 俄罗斯以前; qù 美国 yǐhòu; kàn 德国 diànyǐng; zài 公司上班；下班 yǐhòu; 下班 yǐhòu lái 电话；回国 yǐhòu; 回国 yǐhòu gěi wǒmen xiě xìn; shàng kè 以前; shàng kè 以前 qù mǎi 雨伞；上班以前；上班以前 qù mǎi piào; xià kè yǐhòu qù túshūguǎn huán shū; huí jiā 以前; huí jiā 以前 qù 邮局 mǎi 邮票；莫斯科的电影院.

③ Exercise on reading and understanding unfamiliar words:

前后；电影票；黑白电影；课堂；课本；分工；电车；电报；路口；上车；下车；后来；回信；回国；事件；上下班；手表；手电。

Translate the following sentences from English into Chinese:

1. My younger brother studies Chinese, [but] doesn’t dare to speak in Chinese with teacher Ma.
   
2. — What are you looking for?
   — I’m looking for a café. Where is a café?
   
3. Go with me together. I know the way.
   
4. — What time is it now?
   — Now is half past seven, the father haven’t come back home yet.
   
5. — What time do you attend classes?
   — At half past nine. And you?
   — I’m at a quarter past nine.
   
6. I’m not going home after classes today, I’m going to a seven hours movie.
   
7. I’ll drink coffee at the dining room of the Institute.
   
8. — Who are going to the library with?
   — With a friend. He also finished classes.
   
9. I’ll be waiting for you at the reading room at ten to two o’clock.
   
10. My mother will go to the shop before work.
    
11. — Are you busy tonight?
    — No.
    — Come to me, okay?
    — Okay, at what time?
    — I’m home after six o’clock.
    
12. We are not going by car, we are going on foot.
    
13. — Does he tell you about Beijing?
    — No, he tells us about Shanghai.
    
14. Write with my pen. It’s new.
    
15. Today after work, we are going to the Beijing opera. Will you go with us together?
    
16. I'll be home until three o’clock. Come to my place.
    
17. We often speak English with this Englishman.
    
18. After coming back home, I often read Chinese newspapers.
    
19. Chinese people don't drink coffee, they drink tea.
    
20. Teacher Wang gives us Chinese lessons, his wife teaches us calligraphy.
    
21. After classes, I’m going to the library to borrow an English-Chinese dictionary.
    
22. This Mister is a manager of a French company. I know him. I’ll introduce him to you, okay?
    
23. — Do you know the foreign students?
    — Yes, I know several foreign students. They all study in the English Language Department.
    
24. These are not my trousers. My trousers are not blue and not new.
    
25. My younger brother doesn’t have a coat. Tonight he is going with me together to buy a coat.
    
26. The German textbook is not mine, I don’t study German.
    
27. He doesn’t speak Chinese with me and with you, too [doesn’t speak Chinese].
    
28. There is a new Chinese movie today at our Institute. Are you coming?
    — I don’t have a ticket.
    — I have two tickets.
    
29. Those two are the Chinese magazines of our teacher. Let’s have a look.
    
30. Will Ding Yun return to you that book tomorrow? I want to read.
    
31. Please say to Mr. Wang that I’ll come at his place at a quarter past four, and we’ll go together to the bank.
    
32. We don’t have things to do today in the afternoon. We’ll go to the new theatre . The theatre is big, (and) has many seats. (We’ll) buy tickets tonight.