Lesson 23
Everyday we talk let others know what we’re thinking and how we feel. Are you feeling happy, angry, excited or even disappointed? In this lesson, you’ll learn how to start expressing your thoughts and emotions in Chinese.
Verbs related to thought
| 觉得 | juéde | to think that; to feel that |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel; to sense; to perceive |
| 想（想念） | xiǎng (xiǎngniàn) | to miss; long to see again |
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know |
| 明白 | míngbai | to understand or realize |
| 懂 | dǒng | to understand or comprehend |
| 怕（害怕） | pà (hàipà) | to be afraid or scared |
| 爱 | ài | to love |
| 忘（忘记） | wàng (wàngjì) | to forget |
| 记住 | jìzhu | to remember; to learn by heart |
| 希望 | xīwàng | to hope |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree |
Emotions
| 开心 | kāixīn | happy |
| 伤心 | shāngxīn | sad |
| 生气 | shēngqì | angry |
| 担心 | dānxīn | worried |
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | nervous |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointed |
| 吃惊 | chījīng | surprised |
| 兴奋 | xīngfèn | excited |
Additional vocabulary
| 有点儿 | yǒudiǎnr | slightly, somewhat; a little |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because |
| 还是 (还） | háishi (hái) | still; as before |
| 别 | bié | don’t… |
Notes
Basic use of 因为
“因为” is used in Chinese to introduce a cause or reason for something. It connects the result to the reason, allowing speakers to explain why a particular action or situation is occurring. It’s similar to the English word “because”. When used on it’s own, we structure the sentence like this:
Result, 因为 + Reason
Examples:
- 我想回去吃饭，因为我饿了。(Wǒ xiǎng huíqù chīfàn, yīnwèi wǒ èle.)
I want to go back to eat because I’m hungry. - 你不可以看电视，因为你没写作业。(Nǐ bù kěyǐ kàn diànshì, yīnwèi nǐ méi xiě zuòyè.)
You can’t watch TV because you haven’t done your homework.
Negative commands with 别
“别” is used in Chinese to convey the imperative “don’t” or “stop.” It functions as a command, instructing someone not to do a particular action or to cease an ongoing action. It uses the structure:
别 + Verb (+ Obj.)
Examples:
- 别笑。(Bié xiào.)
Don’t laugh. / Stop laughing. - 你已经喝太多了。别喝了。(Nǐ yǐjīng hē tài duō le. Bié hē le.)
You’ve already had too much to drink. Don’t drink anymore.
How to use 还 and 还是
You learnt in lesson 12 how to use “还是” to mean “or”, but did you know that it could also be used to mean “yet” or “still”?
When used with verbs or adjectives, “还” or “还是” can indicate that an action or condition is ongoing or still valid. There is only a minor difference between the two, which is that “还是” suggests that something is still happening despite some other effort to stop it.
Example:
- 他还在睡觉 (Tā hái zài shuìjiào)
He is still sleeping.
- 我还是很生气。(Wǒ hái shì hěn shēngqì.)
I’m still very angry. [Suggests that someone tried to pacify the speaker’s anger.]
Language in action
Here are some simple sentences that use the new words introduced in this lesson. If you’ve completed the previous lessons, you’ve already learnt all the other words you need to understand each of the sentences, so try to decipher what they mean on your own before clicking on the sentence to check the English. Then, listen to the audio and practice reading the sentences aloud.
1. 我觉得这条裙子更好看。(wǒ juéde zhè tiáo qúnzi gènghǎo kàn.)
I think this dress looks better.
2. 我们感到很高兴。(wǒmen gǎndào hěn gāoxìng.)
We feel very happy.
3. 我住在英国的时候常常想念爸妈。(wǒ zhùzài yīngguó de shíhòu chángcháng xiǎngniàn bàmā.)
When I lived in the UK, I often missed my parents.
4. 我真的不知道。(wǒ zhēnde bùzhīdào.)
I really don’t know.
5. 我现在明白了。(wǒ xiànzài míngbai le.)
I understand now.
6. 不好意思，我没听懂。(bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ méi tīngdǒng.)
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand.
7. 我还是有点儿害怕。(wǒ háishi yǒudiǎnr hàipà.)
I’m still a little scared.
8. 我爱你。(wǒ ài nǐ.)
I love you.
9. 我需要回去，因为我忘了关门！(wǒ xūyào huíqu, yīnwèi wǒ wàng le guānmén!)
I need to go back because I forgot to close the door!
10. 你要记住妈妈的电话号码。(nǐ yào jìzhu māma de diànhuà hàomǎ.)
You should remember mom’s phone number.
11. 我希望有更多时间画画。(wǒ xīwàng yǒu gèngduō shíjiān huà huà.)
I hope to have more time to paint.
12. 你同意吗？(nǐ tóngyì ma?)
Do you agree?
13. 我今天感到很开心。(wǒ jīntiān gǎndào hěn kāixīn.)
I feel very happy today.
14. 她感到伤心的时候，喜欢出去跑步。(tā gǎndào shāngxīn de shíhòu, xǐhuan chūqù pǎobù.)
When she feel sad, she likes to go for a run.
15. 我还是很生气。(wǒ háishi hěn shēngqì.)
I’m still very angry.
16. 别担心。(bié dānxīn.)
Don’t worry.
17. 我对你很失望。(wǒ duì nǐ hěn shīwàng.)
I’m very disappointed in you.
18. 我有点儿紧张。(wǒ yǒudiǎnr jǐnzhāng.)
I’m a little nervous.
19. 我们都很吃惊。(wǒmen dōu hěn chījīng.)
We are all very surprised.
20. 我感到非常兴奋，因为明天是我的生日。(wǒ gǎndào fēicháng xīngfèn, yīnwèi míngtiān shì wǒde shēngrì.)
I feel very excited because tomorrow is my birthday.
What you’ve learnt
You now know the basics you need to talk about what you are thinking and how you are feeling. You also learned to use some very useful words like “因为”,“还”,“别 ”and “有点儿”.
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