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Mythic Mandarin

Sorting out a problem politely

HSK 3 Unit 7: Travel and seasons · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 20 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can complain politely about a problem, understand an apology, and agree on a solution or a refund.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 航班 mean?

    1. flight (number)
    2. new word
    3. result, grade
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, flight (number).

    航班 (hángbān) means flight (number).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “broadcast, announcement”?

    1. 广播
    2. 还书
    3. 推迟
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 广播.

    “broadcast, announcement” is 广播 (guǎngbō).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    教室 jiàoshì

    1. plan, to plan
    2. classroom
    3. writing brush
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, classroom.

    You heard 教室 (jiàoshì): classroom.

New words

  • 服务fúwùservice, to serve
  • 解决jiějuéto solve
  • 退tuìto return, to refund
  • 质量zhìliàngquality
  • 抱歉bàoqiànsorry (formal)
  • 热水rèshuǐhot water

Complaining politely

Start with the problem, not the anger: 房间里没有热水. Staff apologise with 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) or 不好意思, and offer to solve it with 解决 (jiějué).

  • 不好意思，我的房间没有热水。

    Bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ de fángjiān méiyǒu rèshuǐ.

    Excuse me, there's no hot water in my room.

  • 真抱歉，我们马上解决。

    Zhēn bàoqiàn, wǒmen mǎshàng jiějué.

    We're very sorry, we'll sort it out right away.

  • 这件衣服的质量不好，可以退吗？

    Zhè jiàn yīfu de zhìliàng bù hǎo, kěyǐ tuì ma?

    The quality of this item is poor. Can I return it?

  • Not: 你们解决马上！

    But: 你们马上解决，好吗？ Nǐmen mǎshàng jiějué, hǎo ma?

    The time word goes before the verb, and a question is more polite.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

No hot water

David calls reception about his room. Xiao Zhou answers.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What two problems does David have?

    1. no hot water and a broken air conditioner
    2. no towels and a noisy room
    3. a dirty room and no internet
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, no hot water and a broken air conditioner.

    没有热水 and 空调也坏了.

  2. Listening

    What solution does Xiao Zhou offer?

    1. a different room
    2. a refund
    3. a free breakfast
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, a different room.

    我们给您换一个房间.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 大卫

    喂Wéi，不bù好hǎo意思yìsi，八bā零líng六liù房间fángjiān没有méiyǒu热水rèshuǐ。

    Hello, sorry to bother you, there's no hot water in room 806.

  2. 小周

    真Zhēn抱歉bàoqiàn！我们Wǒmen马上mǎshàng叫jiào人rén去qù看看kànkan。

    I'm very sorry! We'll send someone up right away.

  3. 大卫

    空调Kōngtiáo也yě坏huài了le，房间fángjiān里lǐ太tài热rè了le。

    The air conditioning is broken too. The room is far too hot.

  4. 小周

    对不起Duìbuqǐ，我们wǒmen给gěi您nín换huàn一yí个gè房间fángjiān，好hǎo吗ma？

    Sorry. Shall we move you to another room?

  5. 大卫

    好Hǎo。你们Nǐmen的de服务fúwù很hěn好hǎo，问题wèntí很hěn快kuài就jiù解决jiějué了le。

    OK. Your service is good, the problem was solved quickly.

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.

  • 好。你们的服务很好，问题很快就解决了。

    Hǎo. Nǐmen de fúwù hěn hǎo, wèntí hěn kuài jiù jiějué le.

    OK. Your service is good, the problem was solved quickly.

  • 真抱歉！我们马上叫人去看看。

    Zhēn bàoqiàn! Wǒmen mǎshàng jiào rén qù kànkan.

    I'm very sorry! We'll send someone up right away.

  • 喂，不好意思，八零六房间没有热水。

    Wéi, bù hǎo yìsi, bā líng liù fángjiān méiyǒu rèshuǐ.

    Hello, sorry to bother you, there's no hot water in room 806.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 服务 mean?

    1. service, to serve
    2. tired
    3. nervous, tense
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, service, to serve.

    服务 (fúwù) means service, to serve.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to solve”?

    1. 安检
    2. 广播
    3. 解决
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 解决.

    “to solve” is 解决 (jiějué).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 退 (to return, to refund)?

    1. tuì
    2. tuí
    3. tuī
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, tuì.

    退 is read tuì. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    质量 zhìliàng

    1. to get up
    2. to clean, to sweep
    3. quality
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, quality.

    You heard 质量 (zhìliàng): quality.

  5. Pinyin

    Type the pinyin of 抱歉 (sorry (formal)). Tone marks or tone numbers are welcome.

    Show the answer

    Answer: bàoqiàn

    抱歉 is bàoqiàn in pinyin.

  6. In context

    The hotel staff apologise formally. What do they say?

    1. 没关系！
    2. 真抱歉！
    3. 加油！
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 真抱歉！.

    真抱歉！: 抱歉: sorry (formal).

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: We'll sort it out right away.

    我们马上＿＿。

    1. 解决
    2. 质量
    3. 服务
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 解决.

    我们马上解决: we'll solve it right away.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means The problem was solved?

    1. 问题解决了。
    2. 问题是解决。
    3. 解决问题了被。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 问题解决了。.

    问题解决了。: 问题解决了: the problem has been solved.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for Can I return it?

    Show the answer

    Answer: 可以退吗

    可以退吗: can I return it (for a refund)?

Complain politely

Act out two complaints out loud: one in a hotel and one in a shop.

  1. Describe the problem calmly, starting with 不好意思.
  2. Ask for a solution: change, refund or repair.
  3. Thank the staff when it is solved.

Sentence frames

  • 不好意思，＿＿坏了。

    Bù hǎo yìsi, ＿＿ huài le.

    Excuse me, ... is broken.

  • 可以换一个吗？

    Kěyǐ huàn yí gè ma?

    Could I change it?

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 can complain politely and ask for a solution.
  • I understand 抱歉, 解决 and 退.

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.

Next lesson: The four seasons