Since that's the case: 既然…就
HSK 4 Unit 3: Conditions and choices · Lesson 2 of 5 · About 22 minutes
Preview version — Chinese review in progress.
Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can draw a conclusion from a known situation with 既然…就, and talk about promises, regrets and giving up.
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 理想 mean?
That is 饿 (è).
That is 职业 (zhíyè).
Show the answer
Answer: A, ideal, dream.
理想 (lǐxiǎng) means ideal, dream.
Characters
Which word means “occupation, profession”?
外向 (wàixiàng) means extroverted, outgoing.
相反 (xiāngfǎn) means opposite, on the contrary.
Show the answer
Answer: B, 职业.
“occupation, profession” is 职业 (zhíyè).
Listening
From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
花 huā
That would be 不但 (búdàn).
That would be 连 (lián).
Show the answer
Answer: C, flower.
You heard 花 (huā): flower.
New words
既然…就…
既然 (jìrán) states a fact that both speakers accept; 就 gives the conclusion: since that's how it is, then …. Unlike 如果, the first part is already true.
既然你不舒服，就早点儿回家吧。
Jìrán nǐ bù shūfu, jiù zǎodiǎnr huí jiā ba.
Since you're not feeling well, go home early.
既然你答应了，就一定要做到。
Jìrán nǐ dāying le, jiù yídìng yào zuò dào.
Since you promised, you must do it.
既然 needs a fact that both speakers already accept. For a pure supposition, use 如果: 如果明天下雨，我们就别去了。
Promises and regrets
答应 (dāying) is to agree or promise; 后悔 (hòuhuǐ) is to regret; 放弃 (fàngqì) is to give up; 尊重 (zūnzhòng) is to respect.
我不后悔。
Wǒ bú hòuhuǐ.
I have no regrets.
别放弃！
Bié fàngqì!
Don't give up!
我尊重你的选择。
Wǒ zūnzhòng nǐ de xuǎnzé.
I respect your choice.
Characters
Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.
Don't give up
Gao Fei wants to give up his evening Chinese class. Chen Jing talks to him.
Listen first
Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.
Listening
Listen first. What does Gao Fei want to give up?
Show the answer
Answer: B, his evening Chinese class.
想放弃晚上的汉语课.
Listening
What does he decide in the end?
Show the answer
Answer: B, to keep going.
我就坚持下去.
Show the transcript
高飞
我太忙了，想放弃晚上的汉语课。
I'm too busy. I'm thinking of giving up my evening Chinese class.
陈静
你不是答应了你自己，今年一定要学好汉语吗？
Didn't you promise yourself you would learn Chinese properly this year?
高飞
是啊，可是工作太累了。
Yes, but work is too tiring.
陈静
既然你已经学了半年，就别放弃。以后你会后悔的。
Since you've already studied for half a year, don't give up. You'll regret it later.
高飞
你说得对。既然我答应了自己，我就坚持下去。
You're right. Since I promised myself, I'll keep going.
陈静
我尊重你的选择，加油！
I respect your choice. Go for it!
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.
Recordings stay in this browser tab: nothing is uploaded, and they disappear when you leave the page unless you save a copy of a task recording to your device yourself. Your browser asks for the microphone first.
Recording is not available in this browser. Listen, then repeat aloud and compare by ear.
既然你已经学了半年，就别放弃。以后你会后悔的。
Jìrán nǐ yǐjīng xué le bàn nián, jiù bié fàngqì. Yǐhòu nǐ huì hòuhuǐ de.
Since you've already studied for half a year, don't give up. You'll regret it later.
你说得对。既然我答应了自己，我就坚持下去。
Nǐ shuō de duì. Jìrán wǒ dāying le zìjǐ, wǒ jiù jiānchí xiàqu.
You're right. Since I promised myself, I'll keep going.
我尊重你的选择，加油！
Wǒ zūnzhòng nǐ de xuǎnzé, jiāyóu!
I respect your choice. Go for it!
Practice
Meaning
What does 既然 mean?
That is 几乎 (jīhū).
That is 鱼 (yú).
Show the answer
Answer: A, since, now that.
既然 (jìrán) means since, now that.
Characters
Which word means “to agree, to promise”?
理想 (lǐxiǎng) means ideal, dream.
后悔 (hòuhuǐ) means to regret.
Show the answer
Answer: C, 答应.
“to agree, to promise” is 答应 (dāying).
Pinyin
How do you read 后悔 (to regret)?
Show the answer
Answer: B, hòuhuǐ.
后悔 is read hòuhuǐ. Check the tone mark on every syllable.
Listening
Listen. What does the word mean?
Cannot listen? Read it instead
放弃 fàngqì
That would be 预订 (yùdìng).
That would be 夏天 (xiàtiān).
Show the answer
Answer: B, to give up.
You heard 放弃 (fàngqì): to give up.
Your turn
Recall: type the Chinese for “to respect” (characters or pinyin).
Show the answer
Answer: 尊重
“to respect” is 尊重 (zūnzhòng).
Grammar
Which sentence is right?
Show the answer
Answer: B, 既然你累了，你就休息吧。.
既然你累了，你就休息吧。: 既然…就: since … then.
Fill the gap
Complete: Don't give up!
别＿＿！
Show the answer
Answer: B, 放弃.
别放弃: don't give up!
In context
You promised to help a friend move. Now you're tired. What should you think?
Show the answer
Answer: A, 既然答应了，就要去。.
既然答应了，就要去。: 既然答应了，就要去: since I promised, I should go.
Your turn
Type the Chinese for I don't regret it
Show the answer
Answer: 我不后悔
我不后悔: I have no regrets.
Advice
Give advice out loud to three friends in difficult situations, each time with 既然…就.
- A friend who is tired of their job.
- A friend who promised to do something.
- A friend who wants to give up learning something.
Sentence frames
既然＿＿，你就＿＿吧。
Jìrán ＿＿, nǐ jiù ＿＿ ba.
Since ..., you should ...
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 既然…就 for a conclusion from a known fact.
- I can talk about promises, regrets and giving up.
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.