Skip to content
Mythic Mandarin

Never give up

HSK 5 Unit 1: Even if and no matter what · Lesson 5 of 5 · About 28 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can follow a longer argument about persistence that uses the conditions of this unit, and write and say your own short argument.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 及时 mean?

    1. to praise
    2. promise, to promise
    3. in time, timely
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, in time, timely.

    及时 (jíshí) means in time, timely.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “even if (spoken)”?

    1. 就算
    2. 整整
    3. 教练
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 就算.

    “even if (spoken)” is 就算 (jiùsuàn).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    发掘 fājué

    1. future
    2. to excavate
    3. poor
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, to excavate.

    You heard 发掘 (fājué): to excavate.

New words

  • 坚持不懈jiānchí búxièto persevere (idiom)
  • 挫折cuòzhésetback
  • 毅力yìlìwillpower
  • 天才tiāncáigenius
  • 汗水hànshuǐsweat
  • 灵感línggǎninspiration

A short argument

An argument states a view, gives reasons and examples, and ends with a conclusion. Conditions like 即使, 不管 and 一旦 make it stronger.

  • 成功的人不一定是天才，但一定有毅力。

    Chénggōng de rén bù yídìng shì tiāncái, dàn yídìng yǒu yìlì.

    Successful people aren't necessarily geniuses, but they always have willpower.

  • 即使遇到挫折，也要坚持不懈。

    Jíshǐ yùdào cuòzhé, yě yào jiānchí búxiè.

    Even when you meet setbacks, persevere.

Characters

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

On persistence

Gao Fei writes a short essay for his company magazine.

Listen first

Play the whole text and answer the questions before you open it.

Helpful words: 钢琴 gāngqín piano; 爱迪生 Àidíshēng Edison; 百分之一 bǎifēnzhīyī one per cent; 白费 báifèi to be wasted; 遇到 yùdào to meet, to encounter; 大部分 dàbùfen most

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What do many people think, according to Gao Fei?

    1. success mostly comes from luck
    2. success needs a lot of money
    3. successful people are geniuses
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, successful people are geniuses.

    很多人以为，成功的人都是天才.

  2. Listening

    What happens once you give up?

    1. you can rest and start again later
    2. past effort is wasted
    3. you learn more from the failure
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, past effort is wasted.

    一旦放弃，以前的努力就都白费了.

  3. Listening

    What is his conclusion?

    1. only geniuses should keep trying
    2. persevere even when it's hard
    3. stop when it gets too hard
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, persevere even when it's hard.

    即使很难，我们也应该坚持不懈.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 很Hěn多duō人rén以为yǐwéi，成功chénggōng的de人rén都dōu是shì天才tiāncái。

    Many people think successful people are all geniuses.

  2. 其实Qíshí，大部分dàbùfen成功chénggōng的de人rén跟gēn我们wǒmen一样yíyàng，只是zhǐshì他们tāmen更gèng有yǒu毅力yìlì。

    In fact, most successful people are like us; they just have more willpower.

  3. 爱迪生Àidíshēng说shuō过guo：天才tiāncái是shì百分之一bǎifēnzhīyī的de灵感línggǎn加jiā百bǎi分fēn之zhī九十九jiǔshíjiǔ的de汗水hànshuǐ。

    Edison said: genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

  4. 不管Bùguǎn做zuò什么事shénmeshì，都dōu会huì遇到yùdào挫折cuòzhé。

    Whatever you do, you will meet setbacks.

  5. 一旦Yídàn放弃fàngqì，以前yǐqián的de努力nǔlì就jiù都dōu白费báifèi了le。

    Once you give up, all your past effort is wasted.

  6. 就算Jiùsuàn失败shībài了le一百yìbǎi次cì，第dì一百零一yībǎilíngyī次cì也yě可能kěnéng成功chénggōng。

    Even if you fail a hundred times, the hundred-and-first may succeed.

  7. 所以Suǒyǐ，即使jíshǐ很hěn难nán，我们wǒmen也yě应该yīnggāi坚持不懈jiānchí búxiè。

    So even if it's hard, we should persevere.

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.

  • 爱迪生说过：天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水。

    Àidíshēng shuō guo: tiāncái shì bǎifēnzhīyī de línggǎn jiā bǎi fēn zhī jiǔshíjiǔ de hànshuǐ.

    Edison said: genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

  • 不管做什么事，都会遇到挫折。

    Bùguǎn zuò shénmeshì, dōu huì yùdào cuòzhé.

    Whatever you do, you will meet setbacks.

  • 很多人以为，成功的人都是天才。

    Hěn duō rén yǐwéi, chénggōng de rén dōu shì tiāncái.

    Many people think successful people are all geniuses.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 坚持不懈 mean?

    1. to persevere (idiom)
    2. effect, result
    3. society
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, to persevere (idiom).

    坚持不懈 (jiānchí búxiè) means to persevere (idiom).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “setback”?

    1. 挫折
    2. 天才
    3. 上瘾
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 挫折.

    “setback” is 挫折 (cuòzhé).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 毅力 (willpower)?

    1. yìlí
    2. yìlǐ
    3. yìlì
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, yìlì.

    毅力 is read yìlì. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    天才 tiāncái

    1. sad, heartbroken
    2. to treat, treatment
    3. genius
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, genius.

    You heard 天才 (tiāncái): genius.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “sweat” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 汗水

    “sweat” is 汗水 (hànshuǐ).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    爱迪生说过：天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水。 Àidíshēng shuō guo: tiāncái shì bǎifēnzhīyī de línggǎn jiā bǎi fēn zhī jiǔshíjiǔ de hànshuǐ.

    1. Edison said: genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.
    2. Even if you fail a hundred times, the hundred-and-first may succeed.
    3. Once you give up, all your past effort is wasted.
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, Edison said: genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration..

    You heard 爱迪生说过：天才是百分之一的灵感加百分之九十九的汗水。 (Àidíshēng shuō guo: tiāncái shì bǎifēnzhīyī de línggǎn jiā bǎi fēn zhī jiǔshíjiǔ de hànshuǐ.): Edison said: genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

  7. Reading

    Read: 他学钢琴学了十年，遇到过很多挫折，可是他从来没放弃。他说：“我不是天才，我只是有毅力。” What does he say about himself?

    1. He is a natural genius at the piano.
    2. He has often wanted to give up.
    3. He's not a genius, just determined.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, He's not a genius, just determined..

    我不是天才，我只是有毅力.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means Once you give up, it's wasted?

    1. 一旦放弃，也白费了。
    2. 一旦放弃，就白费了。
    3. 一旦放弃，所以白费了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 一旦放弃，就白费了。.

    一旦放弃，就白费了。: 一旦…就….

  9. In context

    A sudden great idea comes to an artist. What is it?

    1. 汗水
    2. 挫折
    3. 灵感
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 灵感.

    灵感: inspiration.

  10. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for willpower

    Show the answer

    Answer: 毅力

    毅力: willpower.

Your argument

Give a short argument out loud (eight sentences) on the question: Is talent or effort more important? Record it.

  1. Your view.
  2. Two reasons, using 即使, 不管 or 一旦.
  3. An example.
  4. Your conclusion with 所以.

Sentence frames

  • 我认为＿＿比＿＿更重要。

    Wǒ rènwéi ＿＿ bǐ ＿＿ gèng zhòngyào.

    I think ... is more important than ...

  • 即使＿＿，也＿＿。

    Jíshǐ ＿＿, yě ＿＿.

    Even if ..., ...

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 follow and give a short argument with strong conditions.
  • I have used 即使, 不管, 就算 and 一旦 in context.

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: HSK 5 Unit 2: Rather than and on the contrary, where you compare options and express surprise.