There's an app for that: 用…来
HSK 3 Unit 3: Home and daily life · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 18 minutes
Preview version — Chinese review in progress.
Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can say what you use to do something with 用…来, and talk about apps, websites, passwords and paying by phone.
Audio preview uses your device’s Chinese voice. It is not a recording.
Warm-up: do you remember?
Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.
Meaning
What does 主意 mean?
That is 雨伞 (yǔsǎn).
That is 挂 (guà).
Show the answer
Answer: C, idea.
主意 (zhǔyi) means idea.
Characters
Which word means “oil”?
画 (huà) means painting, picture, to draw.
弄 (nòng) means to make, to do (something to).
Show the answer
Answer: C, 油.
“oil” is 油 (yóu).
Listening
From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
关心 guānxīn
That would be 偷 (tōu).
That would be 坚持 (jiānchí).
Show the answer
Answer: A, to care about.
You heard 关心 (guānxīn): to care about.
New words
用 A 来 B: use A to do B
用 (yòng) + tool + 来 (lái) + verb says what you use to do something. 来 can be left out.
我用手机来付钱。
Wǒ yòng shǒujī lái fù qián.
I pay with my phone.
他用这个软件学汉语。
Tā yòng zhège ruǎnjiàn xué Hànyǔ.
He uses this app to learn Chinese.
你用什么方法学汉字？
Nǐ yòng shénme fāngfǎ xué Hànzì?
What method do you use to learn characters?
Not:
我付钱用手机。But: 我用手机付钱。 Wǒ yòng shǒujī fù qián.
用 + tool comes before the main verb.
Apps and websites
软件 (ruǎnjiàn) is software or an app; 下载 (xiàzài) is to download; 网站 (wǎngzhàn) a website; 密码 (mìmǎ) a password.
我忘了密码。
Wǒ wàng le mìmǎ.
I forgot my password.
你可以在网站上下载。
Nǐ kěyǐ zài wǎngzhàn shàng xiàzài.
You can download it from the website.
Characters
Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.
Paying by phone
Mark tries to pay in a small shop in China. Xiaoyu helps.
Listen first
Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.
Helpful words: 信用卡 xìnyòngkǎ credit card; 账户 zhànghù account
Listening
Listen first. How does everyone pay, according to Xiaoyu?
Show the answer
Answer: A, by phone.
大家都用手机付钱.
Listening
What does Mark do first?
Show the answer
Answer: A, download the app.
先下载这个软件.
Show the transcript
马克
小雨，这儿可以用信用卡吗？
Xiaoyu, can I use a credit card here?
小雨
不太方便。在中国，大家都用手机付钱。
Not really. In China everyone pays with their phone.
马克
用什么软件？
With which app?
小雨
我给你看。先下载这个软件，再在网上开一个账户。
I'll show you. First download this app, then open an account online.
马克
好。我要一个密码。
OK. I need a password.
小雨
对，别忘了你的密码！
Yes, don't forget your password!
Speak: listen, record, compare
Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.
Recordings stay in this browser tab: nothing is uploaded, and they disappear when you leave the page unless you save a copy of a task recording to your device yourself. Your browser asks for the microphone first.
Recording is not available in this browser. Listen, then repeat aloud and compare by ear.
我给你看。先下载这个软件，再在网上开一个账户。
Wǒ gěi nǐ kàn. Xiān xiàzài zhège ruǎnjiàn, zài zài wǎngshàng kāi yí gè zhànghù.
I'll show you. First download this app, then open an account online.
用什么软件？
Yòng shénme ruǎnjiàn?
With which app?
好。我要一个密码。
Hǎo. Wǒ yào yí gè mìmǎ.
OK. I need a password.
Practice
Meaning
What does 付 mean?
That is 鸡蛋 (jīdàn).
That is 一共 (yígòng).
Show the answer
Answer: B, to pay.
付 (fù) means to pay.
Characters
Which word means “software, app”?
方法 (fāngfǎ) means method, way.
主意 (zhǔyi) means idea.
Show the answer
Answer: B, 软件.
“software, app” is 软件 (ruǎnjiàn).
Pinyin
How do you read 下载 (to download)?
Show the answer
Answer: C, xiàzài.
下载 is read xiàzài. Check the tone mark on every syllable.
Listening
Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
网站 wǎngzhàn
That would be 高兴 (gāoxìng).
That would be 中文 (Zhōngwén).
Show the answer
Answer: B, website.
You heard 网站 (wǎngzhàn): website.
Pinyin
Type the pinyin of 密码 (password). Tone marks or tone numbers are welcome.
Show the answer
Answer: mìmǎ
密码 is mìmǎ in pinyin.
Grammar
Which sentence means I pay with my phone?
Show the answer
Answer: C, 我用手机付钱。.
我用手机付钱。 用 + tool + verb.
Fill the gap
Complete: I forgot my password.
我忘了＿＿。
Show the answer
Answer: A, 密码.
我忘了密码: I forgot my password.
In context
A friend asks how you learn new words. What do you say?
Show the answer
Answer: A, 我用一个软件学。.
我用一个软件学。: 我用一个软件学: I use an app to learn.
Your turn
Type the Chinese for to download an app
Show the answer
Answer: 下载软件
下载软件: to download an app.
Your digital life
Explain out loud what you use your phone and computer for, in five sentences with 用…来.
- Paying, messaging, learning, working.
- Name an app or website you use and say what for.
Sentence frames
我用＿＿来＿＿。
Wǒ yòng ＿＿ lái ＿＿.
I use ... to ...
Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:
Review and finish
Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.
- I put 用 + tool before the main verb.
- I can talk about apps, websites, passwords and paying by phone.
Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.
Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.