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Mythic Mandarin

Once it starts: 一旦…就

HSK 5 Unit 1: Even if and no matter what · Lesson 4 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can say what happens once something starts or happens with 一旦…就, and talk about habits, addiction and emergencies.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 恶劣 mean?

    1. to be worth
    2. violin
    3. very bad, harsh
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, very bad, harsh.

    恶劣 (èliè) means very bad, harsh.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “no matter, regardless”?

    1. 不管
    2. 悄悄
    3. 距离
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 不管.

    “no matter, regardless” is 不管 (bùguǎn).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    感情 gǎnqíng

    1. reason, grounds
    2. feelings, emotion
    3. exactly the same
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, feelings, emotion.

    You heard 感情 (gǎnqíng): feelings, emotion.

New words

  • 一旦yídànonce, in case
  • 养成yǎngchéngto form (a habit)
  • 上瘾shàngyǐnto become addicted
  • 后果hòuguǒconsequence
  • 及时jíshíin time, timely

一旦…就…

一旦 (yídàn) is once (something happens), often something serious or hard to undo. The result takes 就.

  • 一旦养成了坏习惯，就很难改。

    Yídàn yǎngchéng le huài xíguàn, jiù hěn nán gǎi.

    Once you form a bad habit, it's hard to change.

  • 一旦发现问题，要及时解决。

    Yídàn fāxiàn wèntí, yào jíshí jiějué.

    Once you find a problem, deal with it promptly.

  • Not: 一旦上瘾，很难改。

    But: 一旦上瘾，就很难改。 Yídàn shàngyǐn, jiù hěn nán gǎi.

    一旦 marks a turning point; the result usually takes 就.

后果 (hòuguǒ) is a consequence, usually a bad one.

  • 后果很严重。

    Hòuguǒ hěn yánzhòng.

    The consequences are serious.

Characters

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

Phone games

Su Fei (Sophie) worries about her nephew, who plays phone games all day. Li Ming gives advice.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 外甥 wàishēng nephew; 管 guǎn to control, to look after; 下降 xiàjiàng to drop, to fall

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What is Sophie worried about?

    1. that his nephew's eyes are getting worse
    2. that he is addicted to games
    3. that his nephew's grades have dropped
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, that he is addicted to games.

    我担心他上瘾了.

  2. Listening

    What does Li Ming suggest?

    1. ban games completely
    2. one hour a day
    3. buy him a new phone
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, one hour a day.

    每天只玩一个小时.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 苏菲

    我Wǒ外甥wàishēng一yì玩wán游戏yóuxì就jiù停tíng不bu下来xiàlai，我wǒ担心dānxīn他tā上瘾shàngyǐn了le。

    Once my nephew starts playing games he can't stop. I'm worried he's addicted.

  2. 李明

    一旦Yídàn上瘾shàngyǐn，就jiù很hěn难nán改gǎi。要Yào及时jíshí管guǎn一yì管guǎn。

    Once you're addicted it's very hard to change. You need to step in early.

  3. 苏菲

    怎么Zěnme管guǎn？不Bú让ràng他tā玩wán吗ma？

    How? Not let him play?

  4. 李明

    不Bú是shì完全wánquán不bú让ràng玩wán，而ér是shì帮bāng他tā养成yǎngchéng好hǎo习惯xíguàn，比如bǐrú每天měitiān只zhǐ玩wán一yí个gè小时xiǎoshí。

    Not banning it completely, but helping him form good habits, like only one hour a day.

  5. 苏菲

    要是Yàoshi他tā不bù听tīng呢ne？

    And if he won't listen?

  6. 李明

    跟Gēn他tā讲jiǎng清楚qīngchu后果hòuguǒ：一旦yídàn成绩chéngjì下降xiàjiàng，就jiù一yí个gè星期xīngqī不bù能néng玩wán。

    Explain the consequences clearly: once his grades drop, no games for a week.

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.

  • 一旦上瘾，就很难改。要及时管一管。

    Yídàn shàngyǐn, jiù hěn nán gǎi. Yào jíshí guǎn yì guǎn.

    Once you're addicted it's very hard to change. You need to step in early.

  • 跟他讲清楚后果：一旦成绩下降，就一个星期不能玩。

    Gēn tā jiǎng qīngchu hòuguǒ: yídàn chéngjì xiàjiàng, jiù yí gè xīngqī bù néng wán.

    Explain the consequences clearly: once his grades drop, no games for a week.

  • 我外甥一玩游戏就停不下来，我担心他上瘾了。

    Wǒ wàishēng yì wán yóuxì jiù tíng bu xiàlai, wǒ dānxīn tā shàngyǐn le.

    Once my nephew starts playing games he can't stop. I'm worried he's addicted.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 一旦 mean?

    1. level, standard
    2. a moment ago
    3. once, in case
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, once, in case.

    一旦 (yídàn) means once, in case.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to form (a habit)”?

    1. 及时
    2. 养成
    3. 失败
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 养成.

    “to form (a habit)” is 养成 (yǎngchéng).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: And if he won't listen?

    • 不
    • 要是
    • 他
    • 呢
    • 听
    Show the answer

    要是他不听呢 Yàoshi tā bù tīng ne?

    And if he won't listen?

    要是他不听呢？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    后果 hòuguǒ

    1. consequence
    2. how is it, how about
    3. sport, to exercise
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, consequence.

    You heard 后果 (hòuguǒ): consequence.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “in time, timely” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 及时

    “in time, timely” is 及时 (jíshí).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence is right?

    1. 一旦发现问题，所以要解决。
    2. 一旦发现问题，也要解决。
    3. 一旦发现问题，就要及时解决。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 一旦发现问题，就要及时解决。.

    一旦发现问题，就要及时解决。: 一旦…就….

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Form a good habit.

    ＿＿一个好习惯。

    1. 上瘾
    2. 养成
    3. 发现
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 养成.

    养成习惯: form a habit.

  8. In context

    You should deal with a problem quickly, before it grows. How?

    1. 及时
    2. 后果
    3. 一旦
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 及时.

    及时: in time, promptly.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for serious consequences

    Show the answer

    Answer: 严重的后果

    严重的后果: serious consequences.

Turning points

Give advice out loud about three habits, using 一旦…就.

  1. A bad habit and what happens once you form it.
  2. A health problem and why you should act promptly.
  3. A good habit and what happens once you have it.

Sentence frames

  • 一旦＿＿，就＿＿。

    Yídàn ＿＿, jiù ＿＿.

    Once ..., ...

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 一旦…就 for a turning point.
  • I can talk about habits, addiction and consequences.

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: Never give up