My friend asked, “What do you want for dinner?” I said,“Whatever you want, I’ll eat that too.” Let’s learn how to say “whatever / anything goes” in Chinese.
什么……就什么…… (shénme… jiù shénme…)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天我和朋友聊天，他问我：
Zuótiān wǒ hé péngyou liáotiān, tā wèn wǒ:Yesterday I was chatting with a friend, and he asked me:
“晚饭吃什么？”
“Wǎnfàn chī shénme?”“What do you want for dinner?”
我说：“你想吃什么，我就吃什么。”
Wǒ shuō: “Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme, wǒ jiù chī shénme.”I said, “Whatever you want to eat, I’ll eat that too.”
结果他笑了，说：“那就火锅吧！”
Jiéguǒ tā xiào le, shuō: “Nà jiù huǒguō ba!”He laughed and said, “Then let’s have hotpot!”
This morning I saw the weather was beautiful and thought “Since it’s so nice out, I’ll just walk to work!” Let’s learn how to say “since / now that / given that” in Chinese.
既然 (jì rán)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
今天早上出门的时候，我看到天气特别好。
Jīntiān zǎoshang chūmén de shíhou, wǒ kàn dào tiānqì tèbié hǎo.This morning when I went out, the weather was amazing.
我心想：既然这么好，就别坐地铁了，走路去公司吧。
Wǒ xīn xiǎng: jì rán zhème hǎo, jiù bié zuò dìtiě le, zǒulù qù gōngsī ba.I thought, “Since the weather’s so nice, I might as well walk to work.”
结果走了二十分钟，整个人都醒了，心情也更好了。
Jiéguǒ zǒu le èrshí fēnzhōng, zhěng gè rén dōu xǐng le, xīnqíng yě gèng hǎo le.After a 20-minute walk, I felt completely awake and in a great mood.
My friend asked if I wanted to see a new movie. I said, “Of course! I’m definitely going!” Let’s learn how to say “absolutely / definitely / for sure” in Chinese.
绝对 (jué duì)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天朋友问我：“你想不想去看那部新电影？”
Zuótiān péngyou wèn wǒ: “Nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng qù kàn nà bù xīn diànyǐng?”Yesterday my friend asked me, “Do you want to see that new movie?”
我马上说：“当然想！我绝对要去！”
Wǒ mǎshàng shuō: “Dāngrán xiǎng! Wǒ jué duì yào qù!”I said right away, “Of course! I’m definitely going!”
因为那是我最喜欢的电影。
Yīnwèi nà shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de diànyǐng.Because it’s my favorite kind of movie.
我觉得，这次一定也很好看。
Wǒ juéde, zhè cì yídìng yě hěn hǎokàn.I think this one will definitely be good too.
I heard it’s going to rain this weekend, so I’m planning to stay home and watch a movie. Let’s learn how to say “I heard / people say” in Chinese.
听说 （tīng shuō)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
听说这周末要下雨。
Tīng shuō zhè zhōumò yào xià yǔ.I heard it’s going to rain this weekend.
所以我打算在家休息，看一部新电影。
Suǒyǐ wǒ dǎsuàn zài jiā xiūxi, kàn yí bù xīn diànyǐng.So I’m planning to stay home and watch a new movie.
朋友告诉我，那部电影很好笑。
Péngyou gàosu wǒ, nà bù diànyǐng hěn hǎo xiào.My friend told me it’s really funny.
我想，既然外面下雨，笑一笑也不错。
Wǒ xiǎng, jìrán wàimiàn xià yǔ, xiào yí xiào yě bú cuò.I thought, since it’s raining outside, having a laugh isn’t bad at all.
We went to a restaurant last night, but there were too many people, so I said, “How about we go somewhere else?”Let’s learn how to say “how about / otherwise / why not” in Chinese.
要不 （yào bù)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天晚上我和朋友约好出去吃饭。
Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ hé péngyou yuē hǎo chūqù chī fàn.Last night, my friend and I planned to go out for dinner.
可到餐厅的时候，人太多了，要等一个小时。
Kě dào cāntīng de shíhou, rén tài duō le, yào děng yí gè xiǎoshí.But when we got to the restaurant, it was packed — we had to wait an hour.
我看了看朋友，说：要不我们换一家吧？
Wǒ kàn le kàn péngyou, shuō: yào bù wǒmen huàn yì jiā ba?I looked at my friend and said, “How about we go somewhere else?”
结果我们找到了一家新的餐厅，味道还挺不错。
Jiéguǒ wǒmen zhǎo dào le yì jiā xīn de cāntīng, wèidào hái tǐng bú cuò.We ended up finding a new place, and the food was actually really good!
I love autumn — especially that cool feeling in the morning air, and the sound of golden leaves under my feet. Let’s learn how to say “especially / in particular” in Chinese.
特别是 （tè bié shì)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
我很喜欢秋天，
Wǒ hěn xǐhuan qiūtiān,I really like autumn,
特别是早上空气凉凉的那种感觉。
tèbié shì zǎoshang kōngqì liáng liáng de nà zhǒng gǎnjué.especially that cool feeling in the morning air.
街上的树叶变成金黄色，踩上去沙沙地响。
Jiē shàng de shùyè biàn chéng jīn huángsè, cǎi shàng qù shā shā de xiǎng.The leaves on the street turn golden and make a soft sound under your feet.
我总觉得秋天让人安静下来，也更容易想事情。
Wǒ zǒng juéde qiūtiān ràng rén ānjìng xiàlái, yě gèng róngyì xiǎng shìqing.I always feel autumn makes people calmer and more thoughtful.
Everyone has their own way to relax. Take my friend for example — she likes hiking, while I prefer staying home with coffee and a book. Let’s learn how to say “take … for example” in Chinese.
拿……来说 （ná … lái shuō)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
最近我发现，很多人都有自己的放松方式。
Zuìjìn wǒ fāxiàn, hěn duō rén dōu yǒu zìjǐ de fàngsōng fāngshì.Recently, I’ve noticed that everyone has their own way to relax.
拿我朋友来说，她喜欢周末去爬山。
Ná wǒ péngyou lái shuō, tā xǐhuan zhōumò qù páshān.Take my friend for example — she likes hiking on weekends.
而我呢，我更喜欢在家看书、喝咖啡。
Ér wǒ ne, wǒ gèng xǐhuan zài jiā kàn shū, hē kāfēi.As for me, I prefer staying home, reading, and drinking coffee.
不管做什么，只要能放松，就很好。
Bùguǎn zuò shénme, zhǐyào néng fàngsōng, jiù hěn hǎo.No matter what you do, as long as it helps you relax, it’s great.
This morning I thought it was a bit cold, so I decided to wear one more layer — but then the sun came out! Let’s learn how to say “a little bit / slightly” in Chinese.
稍微 (shāo wēi)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.
今天早上我出门的时候，天气有点儿凉。
Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ chūmén de shíhou, tiānqì yǒu diǎnr liáng.This morning when I went out, it felt a bit cool.
我想了想，决定稍微多穿一件外套。
Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, juédìng shāo wēi duō chuān yí jiàn wàitào.I thought for a second and decided to wear one more layer.
结果出门走了几步，太阳出来了！
Jiéguǒ chūmén zǒu le jǐ bù, tàiyáng chū lái le!But after walking just a few steps, the sun came out!
我笑了笑：哎，稍微多穿一点也不错。
Wǒ xiào le xiào: āi, shāo wēi duō chuān yì diǎn yě bú cuò.I smiled and thought, “Well, wearing a little extra isn’t so bad.”
I saw someone running toward the subway this morning, talking on the phone — clearly in a hurry to get to work! Let’s learn how to say “in a hurry / rushing to” in Chinese.
急着 (jí zhe)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.
今天早上我出门的时候，看到楼下有一个人，
Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ chūmén de shíhou, kàn dào lóu xià yǒu yí gè rén,This morning when I left home, I saw someone downstairs,
他一边打电话，一边跑着去地铁站。
Tā yībiān dǎ diànhuà, yībiān pǎo zhe qù dìtiě zhàn.He was talking on the phone while running toward the subway station.
看起来他很急着去上班。
Kàn qǐlái tā hěn jí zhe qù shàngbān.He looked like he was in a hurry to get to work.
我笑了笑，因为我以前也经常那样。
Wǒ xiào le xiào, yīnwèi wǒ yǐqián yě jīngcháng nà yàng.I smiled — because I used to be like that too.
I’ve been ordering from the same restaurant every day, but now I’m really getting tired of it! Let’s learn how to say “tired of / fed up with” in Chinese.
腻 (nì)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.
最近我每天中午都点同一家餐厅的饭。
Zuìjìn wǒ měitiān zhōngwǔ dōu diǎn tóng yì jiā cāntīng de fàn.Recently, I’ve been ordering lunch from the same restaurant every day.
一开始觉得特别好吃，
Yī kāishǐ juéde tèbié hǎo chī,At first, I thought it was delicious,
可吃了一个星期以后，真的有点儿腻了。
Kě chī le yí gè xīngqī yǐhòu, zhēnde yǒu diǎnr nì le.but after a week, I’m really getting tired of it.
今天中午我准备换一家试试。
Jīntiān zhōngwǔ wǒ zhǔnbèi huàn yì jiā shìshi.Today, I’m planning to try a new place.
I wanted to sleep more but also wanted to get to work early —I thought, “Ugh, I’m so conflicted!” Let’s learn how to say “conflicted / to have mixed feelings” in Chinese.
矛盾 (máo dùn)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.
昨天我加班到很晚，
Zuótiān wǒ jiābān dào hěn wǎn,Yesterday I worked overtime until late,
今天早上闹钟响的时候，我特别想再睡一会儿。
Jīntiān zǎoshang nàozhōng xiǎng de shíhou, wǒ tèbié xiǎng zài shuì yí huìr.and this morning when my alarm went off, I really wanted to sleep longer.
可是我又想早点去公司。
Kěshì wǒ yòu xiǎng zǎo diǎn qù gōngsī.But at the same time, I wanted to get to work early.
我心想：哎，我真矛盾！
Wǒ xīn xiǎng: āi, wǒ zhēn máo dùn!I thought, “Ugh, I’m so conflicted!”
My friend asked if I liked working from home. I said, “To be honest, I feel a bit conflicted — it’s nice, but sometimes too quiet.” Let’s learn how to say “to be honest / honestly speaking” in Chinese.
说实话 (shuō shí huà)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.
昨天朋友问我：
Zuótiān péngyou wèn wǒ:Yesterday my friend asked me:
“你喜欢在家工作吗？”
“Nǐ xǐhuan zài jiā gōngzuò ma?”“Do you like working from home?”
我想了想，说实话，我有点儿矛盾。
Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, shuō shí huà, wǒ yǒu diǎnr máodùn.I thought for a moment and said, “To be honest, I feel a bit conflicted.”
在家很舒服，可是有时候也太安静了。
Zài jiā hěn shūfu, kěshì yǒu shíhou yě tài ānjìng le.It’s comfortable at home, but sometimes it’s too quiet.
I got up early and left home in a great mood, but just as I reached the subway — it started raining! Let’s learn how to say “just / unfortunately / against expectations” in Chinese.
偏偏 (piān piān)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
今天早上我起得特别早，想早点出门上班。
Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qǐ de tèbié zǎo, xiǎng zǎo diǎn chūmén shàngbān.This morning, I got up super early, planning to leave for work ahead of time.
出门的时候，太阳很好，我心情也不错。
Chūmén de shíhou, tàiyáng hěn hǎo, wǒ xīnqíng yě bú cuò.When I left home, the sun was shining, and I was in a great mood.
结果刚走到地铁口，天就偏偏开始下雨了！
Jiéguǒ gāng zǒu dào dìtiě kǒu, tiān jiù piānpiān kāishǐ xià yǔ le!But just as I got to the subway entrance, it suddenly started raining — just my luck!
我只好又跑回家拿伞。
Wǒ zhǐhǎo yòu pǎo huí jiā ná sǎn.So I had to run back home to grab my umbrella.
The subway was so crowded today that I could barely move.I thought, “Oh no, I really can’t stand this anymore!” Let’s learn how to say “can’t stand / can’t take it anymore” in Chinese.
受不了 (shòu bù liǎo)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
今天地铁上人特别多。Jīntiān dìtiě shàng rén tèbié duō.The subway was super crowded today.
大家都挤在一起，我差点儿动不了。Dàjiā dōu jǐ zài yīqǐ, wǒ chàdiǎnr dòng bù liǎo.Everyone was packed together — I could barely move.
我心想：天哪，我真的受不了了**！**Wǒ xīn xiǎng: Tiān nà, wǒ zhēnde shòu bù liǎo!I thought, “Oh no, I really can’t stand this anymore!”
还好下一站就到了。Hái hǎo xià yí zhàn jiù dào le.Luckily, the next stop came quickly.
On the subway yesterday, someone next to me kept sneezing.I thought, “Oh no, I hope I don’t catch a cold,” and quietly said,“Stay a little farther away from me!” Let’s learn how to say “stay away / back off a bit” in Chinese.
离我远点儿 (lí wǒ yuǎn diǎnr)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天我在地铁上，旁边有个人一直打喷嚏。Zuótiān wǒ zài dìtiě shàng, pángbiān yǒu gè rén yīzhí dǎ pēntì.Yesterday on the subway, the person next to me kept sneezing.
我心想：完了，不会感冒吧？Wǒ xīn xiǎng: wán le, bú huì gǎnmào ba?I thought, “Oh no, I hope I don’t catch a cold.”
我小声地说：Wǒ xiǎo shēng de shuō:I quietly said,
“啊，离我远点儿！”“À, lí wǒ yuǎn diǎnr!”“Uh… stay a little farther away from me!”
说完我们都笑了。Shuō wán wǒmen dōu xiào le.After that, we both laughed.
My colleague looked tired this morning, and when he said he’d worked until 1 a.m., I said, “No wonder you’re so sleepy today!”Let’s learn how to say “no wonder / that explains why” in Chinese.
难怪 （nán guài)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
今天早上我去公司，发现同事看起来很累。Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī, fāxiàn tóngshì kàn qǐlái hěn lèi.This morning at work, I noticed my colleague looked really tired.
我问他：“你昨晚没睡好吗？”Wǒ wèn tā: “Nǐ zuó wǎn méi shuì hǎo ma?”I asked him, “Didn’t you sleep well last night?”
他说：“我昨天晚上加班到一点。”Tā shuō: “Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang jiābān dào yī diǎn.”He said, “I worked overtime until 1 a.m.”
我笑着说：“难怪你今天这么困！”Wǒ xiào zhe shuō: “Nán guài nǐ jīntiān zhème kùn!”I smiled and said, “No wonder you’re so sleepy today!”
I wanted to go grocery shopping after work, but I thought, “It’s too crowded — it’d be better to order takeout.” Let’s learn how to say “not as good as / it would be better to” in Chinese.
不如 （bù rú)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。
Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天我下班的时候，本来想去超市买菜，Zuótiān wǒ xiàbān de shíhou, běnlái xiǎng qù chāoshì mǎi cài,Yesterday after work, I was planning to go grocery shopping,
可是一想到超市那么多人，kě shì yī xiǎng dào chāoshì nàme duō rén,but when I thought about how crowded it would be,
我就觉得，算了，今天不如点外卖吧。wǒ jiù juéde, suàn le, jīntiān bù rú diǎn wàimài ba.I thought, “Forget it — it would be better to order takeout today.”
结果外卖送来时，还挺香的！Jiéguǒ wàimài sòng lái shí, hái tǐng xiāng de!And when the food arrived, it actually smelled really good!
My friend said that drinking more coffee will definitely make you feel awake, but I said, “Not necessarily — sometimes it makes me sleepier!” Let’s learn how to say “not necessarily / not always true” in Chinese.
不见得（ bú jiàn de)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天朋友跟我说：Zuótiān péngyou gēn wǒ shuō:Yesterday, my friend told me:
“多喝咖啡一定会提神。”“Duō hē kāfēi yídìng huì tí shén.”“Drinking more coffee will definitely make you more awake.”
我笑着说：Wǒ xiào zhe shuō:I smiled and said:
“也不见得吧，我喝多了反而更困。”“Yě bú jiàn de ba, wǒ hē duō le fǎn’ér gèng kùn.”“Not necessarily — when I drink too much, I actually get sleepier.”
My friend asked if I wanted to go hiking this weekend, but I’ve been so busy lately that I said, “Let’s talk about it later.”Let’s learn how to say “we’ll see / let’s talk about it later” in Chinese.
再说吧 （zài shuō ba)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
昨天晚上朋友问我：Zuótiān wǎnshang péngyou wèn wǒ:Last night, my friend asked me:
“周末要不要去爬山？”“Zhōumò yào bù yào qù páshān?”“Do you want to go hiking this weekend?”
我想了想，说：Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, shuō:I thought for a moment and said:
“这几天工作太忙了，再说吧。”“Zhè jǐ tiān gōngzuò tài máng le, zài shuō ba.”“I’ve been too busy these days — let’s talk about it later.”
其实我还没决定去不去。Qíshí wǒ hái méi juédìng qù bú qù.Honestly, I still haven’t decided if I’ll go or not.
On my way to work, I saw a new coffee shop and thought, “If the coffee is good, I’ll come again tomorrow.” And guess what? It really was! Let’s learn how to say “if / suppose” in Chinese.
要是 （yào shi)
Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.
今天早上我去公司，Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī,This morning, I went to the office.
路上看到一家新的咖啡店。Lùshang kàn dào yì jiā xīn de kāfēi diàn.On the way, I saw a new coffee shop.
我心想：要是咖啡好喝，我明天就再来。Wǒ xīn xiǎng: yào shi kāfēi hǎo hē, wǒ míngtiān jiù zài lái.I thought, “If the coffee is good, I’ll come again tomorrow.”
结果真的很好喝！Jiéguǒ zhēn de hěn hǎo hē!And it really was delicious!