No matter what: 无论…都
HSK 4 Unit 3: Conditions and choices · Lesson 1 of 5 · About 22 minutes
Preview version — Chinese review in progress.
Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can say that something stays true whatever happens with 无论…都, and talk about family support for life choices.
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 学会 mean?
That is 聪明 (cōngming).
That is 幽默 (yōumò).
Show the answer
Answer: A, to learn (successfully), to master.
学会 (xuéhuì) means to learn (successfully), to master.
Characters
Which word means “young people”?
幽默 (yōumò) means humorous.
内向 (nèixiàng) means introverted, shy.
Show the answer
Answer: A, 年轻人.
“young people” is 年轻人 (niánqīngrén).
New words
无论…都…
无论 (wúlùn) + a question word or two choices, then 都 (or 也): the result is the same whatever happens. It sounds a little more formal than other ways of saying it.
无论你做什么，我都支持你。
Wúlùn nǐ zuò shénme, wǒ dōu zhīchí nǐ.
Whatever you do, I'll support you.
无论天气好不好，他都去跑步。
Wúlùn tiānqì hǎo bu hǎo, tā dōu qù pǎobù.
Whether the weather is good or not, he goes running.
无论是谁，都要准时来。
Wúlùn shì shéi, dōu yào zhǔnshí lái.
Whoever you are, you have to be on time.
Not:
无论你去哪儿，我就去。But: 无论你去哪儿，我都去。 Wúlùn nǐ qù nǎr, wǒ dōu qù.
无论 pairs with 都.
Life choices
理想 (lǐxiǎng) is a dream or ideal; 职业 (zhíyè) is a profession. 支持 (zhīchí) is to support and 反对 (fǎnduì) to oppose.
我的理想是当医生。
Wǒ de lǐxiǎng shì dāng yīshēng.
My dream is to become a doctor.
父母反对我们结婚。
Fùmǔ fǎnduì wǒmen jiéhūn.
My parents are against us getting married.
Characters
Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.
Following a dream
Xiaoyu tells Liu Fang she wants to give up her office job to become a painter.
Listen first
Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.
Listening
Listen first. Who is against Xiaoyu's plan?
Show the answer
Answer: A, her dad.
我爸爸反对.
Listening
What does Liu Fang say at the end?
Show the answer
Answer: B, Whatever you do, I'll support you..
无论你做什么，我都支持你.
Show the transcript
小雨
我想辞职，去当画家。这是我的理想。
I want to quit and become a painter. It's my dream.
刘芳
你父母支持你吗？
Do your parents support you?
小雨
我妈妈支持，可是我爸爸反对。他说画家不是一个好职业。
My mum does, but my dad is against it. He says painting isn't a good profession.
刘芳
你自己怎么想？
What do you think yourself?
小雨
无论他们同意不同意，我都要试试。
Whether they agree or not, I'm going to try.
刘芳
好！无论你做什么，我都支持你。
Great! Whatever you do, I'll support you.
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.
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Recording is not available in this browser. Listen, then repeat aloud and compare by ear.
我妈妈支持，可是我爸爸反对。他说画家不是一个好职业。
Wǒ māma zhīchí, kěshì wǒ bàba fǎnduì. Tā shuō huàjiā bú shì yí gè hǎo zhíyè.
My mum does, but my dad is against it. He says painting isn't a good profession.
好！无论你做什么，我都支持你。
Hǎo! Wúlùn nǐ zuò shénme, wǒ dōu zhīchí nǐ.
Great! Whatever you do, I'll support you.
我想辞职，去当画家。这是我的理想。
Wǒ xiǎng cízhí, qù dāng huàjiā. Zhè shì wǒ de lǐxiǎng.
I want to quit and become a painter. It's my dream.
Practice
Meaning
What does 无论 mean?
That is 起飞 (qǐfēi).
That is 妹妹 (mèimei).
Show the answer
Answer: C, no matter (what, how, who).
无论 (wúlùn) means no matter (what, how, who).
Characters
Which word means “painter”?
熟悉 (shúxī) means familiar, to be familiar with.
理想 (lǐxiǎng) means ideal, dream.
Show the answer
Answer: A, 画家.
“painter” is 画家 (huàjiā).
Word order
Put the words in order: What do you think yourself?
- 想
- 你
- 自己
- 怎么
Show the answer
你自己怎么想 Nǐ zìjǐ zěnme xiǎng?
What do you think yourself?
你自己怎么想？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.
Listening
Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
反对 fǎnduì
That would be 留学 (liúxué).
That would be 别的 (biéde).
Show the answer
Answer: A, to oppose, to be against.
You heard 反对 (fǎnduì): to oppose, to be against.
Your turn
Recall: type the Chinese for “to get married” (characters or pinyin).
Show the answer
Answer: 结婚
“to get married” is 结婚 (jiéhūn).
Grammar
Which sentence is right?
Show the answer
Answer: C, 无论多忙，他都运动。.
无论多忙，他都运动。: 无论…都: whatever the case.
Fill the gap
Complete: Whatever you say, I won't change my mind.
＿＿你说什么，我都不会改变。
Show the answer
Answer: A, 无论.
无论你说什么: whatever you say.
In context
Your friend's parents don't want her to marry. How do you describe them?
Show the answer
Answer: A, 他们反对她结婚。.
他们反对她结婚。: 反对: to be against.
Your turn
Type the Chinese for my dream (my ideal)
Show the answer
Answer: 我的理想
我的理想: my dream.
Your dream job
Talk about a dream or ideal you have, out loud, in five sentences.
- What your dream is: 我的理想是…。
- Who supports it and who is against it.
- What you will do whatever happens: 无论…，我都….
Sentence frames
无论＿＿，我都＿＿。
Wúlùn ＿＿, wǒ dōu ＿＿.
No matter ..., 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 pair 无论 with 都.
- I can talk about dreams, professions, support and opposition.
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