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Mythic Mandarin

Plans for the future

HSK 4 Unit 10: Looking back, looking ahead · Lesson 5 of 8 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can present your plans and hopes for the next five years, and follow a longer text that uses all the HSK 4 grammar.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 农村 mean?

    1. to preserve
    2. countryside
    3. to represent, on behalf of
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, countryside.

    农村 (nóngcūn) means countryside.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to cherish, to value”?

    1. 骆驼
    2. 交流
    3. 珍惜
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 珍惜.

    “to cherish, to value” is 珍惜 (zhēnxī).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    骆驼 luòtuo

    1. camel
    2. exchange, to communicate
    3. rabbit
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, camel.

    You heard 骆驼 (luòtuo): camel.

New words

  • 未来wèiláifuture
  • 实现shíxiànto realise, to achieve
  • 梦想mèngxiǎngdream

Talking about the future

未来 (wèilái) is the future; 梦想 (mèngxiǎng) is a dream; 实现 (shíxiàn) is to make it come true.

  • 我的梦想是开一家自己的咖啡馆。

    Wǒ de mèngxiǎng shì kāi yì jiā zìjǐ de kāfēiguǎn.

    My dream is to open my own café.

  • 我相信我一定能实现梦想。

    Wǒ xiāngxìn wǒ yídìng néng shíxiàn mèngxiǎng.

    I believe I can make my dream come true.

Characters

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

Sophie's plan

Sophie writes about her plans at the end of the HSK 4 course.

Listen first

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

Helpful words: 通过 tōngguò to pass (an exam); 五级 wǔjí level five; 小说 xiǎoshuō novel; 一句 yí jù one sentence

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What could Sophie do three years ago?

    1. not a single sentence
    2. read the news in Chinese
    3. hold simple meetings
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, not a single sentence.

    我连一句汉语都不会说.

  2. Listening

    What is her dream?

    1. to teach French
    2. to become a translator
    3. to open a French bakery in China
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to open a French bakery in China.

    在中国开一家法国面包店.

  3. Listening

    Why did she progress so fast?

    1. a good teacher
    2. she lived in China
    3. she practised every day
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, she practised every day.

    每天都坚持练习.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 三Sān年nián前qián，我wǒ连lián一句yí jù汉语Hànyǔ都dōu不bú会huì说shuō。

    Three years ago, I couldn't say a single sentence in Chinese.

  2. 现在Xiànzài，我wǒ不但búdàn能néng看kàn懂dǒng中文Zhōngwén新闻xīnwén，而且érqiě能néng用yòng汉语Hànyǔ跟gēn同事tóngshì开会kāihuì。

    Now I can not only understand Chinese news, but also hold meetings with colleagues in Chinese.

  3. 我Wǒ之所以zhīsuǒyǐ能néng进步jìnbù这么zhème快kuài，是shì因为yīnwèi我wǒ每天měitiān都dōu坚持jiānchí练习liànxí。

    The reason I've progressed so fast is that I practised every day.

  4. 未来Wèilái五wǔ年nián，我wǒ有yǒu三sān个gè目标mùbiāo。

    For the next five years, I have three goals.

  5. 首先Shǒuxiān，我wǒ要yào通过tōngguò五级wǔjí考试kǎoshì。

    First, I want to pass the level 5 exam.

  6. 其次Qícì，除了chúle工作gōngzuò以外yǐwài，我wǒ还hái想xiǎng翻译fānyì一yì本běn中国Zhōngguó小说xiǎoshuō。

    Second, besides my work, I'd like to translate a Chinese novel.

  7. 最后Zuìhòu，我wǒ的de梦想mèngxiǎng是shì在zài中国Zhōngguó开kāi一yì家jiā法国Fǎguó面包店miànbāodiàn。

    Finally, my dream is to open a French bakery in China.

  8. 无论Wúlùn有yǒu多duō难nán，我wǒ都dōu会huì努力nǔlì实现shíxiàn我wǒ的de梦想mèngxiǎng！

    However hard it is, I'll work to make my dream come true!

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.

  • 无论有多难，我都会努力实现我的梦想！

    Wúlùn yǒu duō nán, wǒ dōu huì nǔlì shíxiàn wǒ de mèngxiǎng!

    However hard it is, I'll work to make my dream come true!

  • 未来五年，我有三个目标。

    Wèilái wǔ nián, wǒ yǒu sān gè mùbiāo.

    For the next five years, I have three goals.

  • 最后，我的梦想是在中国开一家法国面包店。

    Zuìhòu, wǒ de mèngxiǎng shì zài Zhōngguó kāi yì jiā Fǎguó miànbāodiàn.

    Finally, my dream is to open a French bakery in China.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 未来 mean?

    1. future
    2. interest
    3. nervous, tense
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, future.

    未来 (wèilái) means future.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to realise, to achieve”?

    1. 梦想
    2. 理由
    3. 实现
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 实现.

    “to realise, to achieve” is 实现 (shíxiàn).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 梦想 (dream)?

    1. mèngxiǎng
    2. měngxiǎng
    3. mèngxiàng
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, mèngxiǎng.

    梦想 is read mèngxiǎng. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    未来 wèilái

    1. future
    2. to have fun, to play
    3. originally, at first
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, future.

    You heard 未来 (wèilái): future.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “to realise, to achieve” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 实现

    “to realise, to achieve” is 实现 (shíxiàn).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    首先，我要通过五级考试。 Shǒuxiān, wǒ yào tōngguò wǔjí kǎoshì.

    1. Now I can not only understand Chinese news, but also hold meetings with colleagues in Chinese.
    2. However hard it is, I'll work to make my dream come true!
    3. First, I want to pass the level 5 exam.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, First, I want to pass the level 5 exam..

    You heard 首先，我要通过五级考试。 (Shǒuxiān, wǒ yào tōngguò wǔjí kǎoshì.): First, I want to pass the level 5 exam.

  7. Reading

    Read: 我的梦想是当一名医生。虽然要学很多年，但是无论多辛苦，我都不会放弃。 What will the writer do however hard it is?

    1. not give up
    2. change dreams
    3. study abroad
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, not give up.

    我都不会放弃.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means I can understand Chinese films now?

    1. 我现在看得懂中国电影了。
    2. 我现在能看得懂中国电影了。
    3. 我现在看懂不中国电影了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 我现在看得懂中国电影了。.

    我现在看得懂中国电影了。: 看得懂: can understand by watching.

  9. In context

    You finally did what you always wanted. What do you say?

    1. 我未来了我的梦想！
    2. 我实现了我的梦想！
    3. 我计划了我的梦想！
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 我实现了我的梦想！.

    我实现了我的梦想！: 实现梦想: make a dream come true.

  10. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for to make a dream come true

    Show the answer

    Answer: 实现梦想

    实现梦想: to make a dream come true.

Your next five years

Present your plans for the next five years out loud in eight to ten sentences, using as much HSK 4 grammar as you can. Record it and save a copy to your device.

  1. Where you were when you started Chinese, with 连…都.
  2. What you can do now, with potential complements and 不但…而且.
  3. Your goals, with 首先, 其次, 最后.
  4. Your dream, with 无论…都.

Sentence frames

  • 未来五年，我有＿＿个目标。

    Wèilái wǔ nián, wǒ yǒu ＿＿ gè mùbiāo.

    For the next five years, I have ... goals.

  • 无论多难，我都会＿＿。

    Wúlùn duō nán, wǒ dōu huì ＿＿.

    However hard it is, I will ...

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 present my plans and dreams with the HSK 4 grammar.
  • I can review any HSK 4 unit before moving on.

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: Before the stories: an online shop