Skip to content
Mythic Mandarin

A narrow escape

HSK 5 Unit 4: Luck and necessity · 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 story of a narrow escape that uses this unit's language, and tell one of your own.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 只不过 mean?

    1. it's just that, merely
    2. danger, dangerous
    3. aim, purpose (of an organisation)
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, it's just that, merely.

    只不过 (zhǐbuguò) means it's just that, merely.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to have to (as the only option)”?

    1. 显示
    2. 只好
    3. 标准
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 只好.

    “to have to (as the only option)” is 只好 (zhǐhǎo).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    中心 zhōngxīn

    1. to close
    2. to win a prize (in a lottery)
    3. centre
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, centre.

    You heard 中心 (zhōngxīn): centre.

New words

  • 不过búguòbut, however
  • 遇到yùdàoto meet with, to encounter
  • 摔shuāito fall, to tumble
  • 只是zhǐshìonly, just, it's just that
  • 惊险jīngxiǎnthrilling, dangerous
  • 庆幸qìngxìngto rejoice, to feel lucky

不过 and 只是

不过 (búguò) is but, however, softer than 但是. 只是 (zhǐshì) is it's just that: a small reservation after praise.

  • 这个饭店很好，不过有点儿贵。

    Zhège fàndiàn hěn hǎo, búguò yǒudiǎnr guì.

    This restaurant is good, but a bit expensive.

  • 他人很好，只是太忙了。

    Tā rén hěn hǎo, zhǐshì tài máng le.

    He's lovely, it's just that he's too busy.

Characters

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

Zhang Wei's mountain story

Zhang Wei writes about a hiking trip.

Listen first

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

Helpful words: 座 zuò (measure word for mountains); 天气预报 tiānqì yùbào weather forecast; 一半 yíbàn half; 滑 huá slippery; 拉住 lāzhù to grab hold of; 山洞 shāndòng cave; 电池 diànchí battery

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What did the forecast say?

    1. sunshine all day
    2. rain in the afternoon
    3. snow in the evening
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, rain in the afternoon.

    天气预报说下午有雨.

  2. Listening

    Who saved Zhang Wei from falling?

    1. a guide
    2. nobody, he fell
    3. his friend
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, his friend.

    幸亏朋友拉住了我.

  3. Listening

    Where did they wait?

    1. in a small cave
    2. in a small hotel
    3. in their friend's car
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, in a small cave.

    在一个小山洞里等了两个小时.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 上个Shàngge月yuè，我wǒ和hé朋友péngyou去qù爬pá一yí座zuò很hěn有名yǒumíng的de山shān。

    Last month, my friends and I went to climb a famous mountain.

  2. 天气预报Tiānqì yùbào说shuō下午xiàwǔ有yǒu雨yǔ，不过búguò我们wǒmen觉得juéde没méi问题wèntí。

    The forecast said rain in the afternoon, but we thought it would be fine.

  3. 爬Pá到dào一半yíbàn，天tiān突然tūrán黑hēi了le，下xià起qǐ了le大雨dàyǔ。

    Halfway up, the sky suddenly went dark and heavy rain started.

  4. 路Lù很hěn滑huá，我wǒ差点儿chàdiǎnr摔shuāi下去xiàqu，幸亏xìngkuī朋友péngyou拉住lāzhù了le我wǒ。

    The path was slippery and I nearly fell; luckily my friend grabbed me.

  5. 我们Wǒmen不得不bùdébù停tíng下来xiàlai，在zài一yí个gè小xiǎo山洞shāndòng里lǐ等děng了le两liǎng个gè小时xiǎoshí。

    We had no choice but to stop and wait two hours in a small cave.

  6. 第Dì一yī次cì爬pá这么zhème高gāo的de山shān，难免nánmiǎn会huì遇到yùdào问题wèntí。只是Zhǐshì我们wǒmen太tài不bù小心xiǎoxīn了le。

    Climbing such a high mountain for the first time, problems are bound to happen. It's just that we were too careless.

  7. 下山Xiàshān以后yǐhòu，大家dàjiā都dōu很hěn庆幸qìngxìng。这Zhè真是zhēnshi一yí次cì惊险jīngxiǎn的de经历jīnglì！

    After coming down, we all felt very lucky. What a dangerous adventure!

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.

  • 下山以后，大家都很庆幸。这真是一次惊险的经历！

    Xiàshān yǐhòu, dàjiā dōu hěn qìngxìng. Zhè zhēnshi yí cì jīngxiǎn de jīnglì!

    After coming down, we all felt very lucky. What a dangerous adventure!

  • 第一次爬这么高的山，难免会遇到问题。只是我们太不小心了。

    Dì yī cì pá zhème gāo de shān, nánmiǎn huì yùdào wèntí. Zhǐshì wǒmen tài bù xiǎoxīn le.

    Climbing such a high mountain for the first time, problems are bound to happen. It's just that we were too careless.

  • 天气预报说下午有雨，不过我们觉得没问题。

    Tiānqì yùbào shuō xiàwǔ yǒu yǔ, búguò wǒmen juéde méi wèntí.

    The forecast said rain in the afternoon, but we thought it would be fine.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 不过 mean?

    1. but, however
    2. station, stop
    3. no matter, regardless
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, but, however.

    不过 (búguò) means but, however.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to meet with, to encounter”?

    1. 不过
    2. 投资
    3. 遇到
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 遇到.

    “to meet with, to encounter” is 遇到 (yùdào).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 摔 (to fall, to tumble)?

    1. shuāi
    2. shuǎi
    3. shuài
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, shuāi.

    摔 is read shuāi. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    只是 zhǐshì

    1. only, just, it's just that
    2. document, file
    3. influence, to influence
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, only, just, it's just that.

    You heard 只是 (zhǐshì): only, just, it's just that.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “thrilling, dangerous” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 惊险

    “thrilling, dangerous” is 惊险 (jīngxiǎn).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    上个月，我和朋友去爬一座很有名的山。 Shàngge yuè, wǒ hé péngyou qù pá yí zuò hěn yǒumíng de shān.

    1. We had no choice but to stop and wait two hours in a small cave.
    2. Climbing such a high mountain for the first time, problems are bound to happen. It's just that we were too careless.
    3. Last month, my friends and I went to climb a famous mountain.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, Last month, my friends and I went to climb a famous mountain..

    You heard 上个月，我和朋友去爬一座很有名的山。 (Shàngge yuè, wǒ hé péngyou qù pá yí zuò hěn yǒumíng de shān.): Last month, my friends and I went to climb a famous mountain.

  7. Reading

    Read: 这个手机很好用，不过电池不太好，只是用一天就没电了。 What is the problem with the phone?

    1. The battery doesn't last.
    2. It's too expensive.
    3. The screen is too small.
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, The battery doesn't last..

    电池不太好: the battery.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means It's good, but a bit expensive?

    1. 很好，不过有点儿贵。
    2. 很好，不过有点儿不贵。
    3. 不过很好，有点儿贵。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 很好，不过有点儿贵。.

    很好，不过有点儿贵。: 不过: but.

  9. In context

    After an accident with no injuries, how do people feel?

    1. 很惊险
    2. 很不过
    3. 很庆幸
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 很庆幸.

    很庆幸: 庆幸: to feel lucky.

  10. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for a dangerous experience

    Show the answer

    Answer: 惊险的经历

    惊险的经历: a dangerous experience.

Your narrow escape

Tell the story of a narrow escape, out loud, in eight sentences. Record it and listen back.

  1. The plan, and the warning you ignored, with 不过.
  2. What went wrong, with 差点儿.
  3. How you were saved, with 幸亏 or 多亏.
  4. What you had to do, with 不得不, and what you learned.

Sentence frames

  • 我差点儿＿＿，幸亏＿＿。

    Wǒ chàdiǎnr ＿＿, xìngkuī ＿＿.

    I nearly ..., luckily ...

  • 我们不得不＿＿。

    Wǒmen bùdébù ＿＿.

    We had no choice but 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 use 不过 and 只是 for soft contrasts.
  • I can tell a story of a narrow escape with this unit's language.

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 5: Organising ideas, where you add, include and change the subject in formal Chinese.