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Mythic Mandarin

Taking a taxi

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 1 About 4 minutes

坐出租车

Zuò chūzūchē

Taking a taxi

Story

  1. 。

    Lín Dōng zuò chūzūchē qù yīyuàn.

    Lin Dong takes a taxi to the hospital.

    Words in this sentence
    林东 Lín Dōng
    Lin Dong (name)
    坐 zuò
    to sit; to travel by Dictionary
    出租车 chūzūchē
    taxi Dictionary
    去 qù
    to go Dictionary
    医院 yīyuàn
    hospital Dictionary

  2. ：“？”

    sījī shuō:“ nǐ qù yīyuàn zuò shénme?”

    The driver says, "What are you going to the hospital for?"

    Words in this sentence
    司机 sījī
    driver Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    你 nǐ
    you Dictionary
    去 qù
    to go Dictionary
    医院 yīyuàn
    hospital Dictionary
    做 zuò
    to make, to do Dictionary
    什么 shénme
    what Dictionary

  3. “，！”

    “ wǒ shì yīshēng, wǒ hěn máng!”

    "I'm a doctor, and I'm very busy!"

    Words in this sentence
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    医生 yīshēng
    doctor Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    很 hěn
    very Dictionary
    忙 máng
    busy Dictionary

  4. 。

    chūzūchē hěn màn.

    The taxi is very slow.

    Words in this sentence
    出租车 chūzūchē
    taxi Dictionary
    很 hěn
    very Dictionary
    慢 màn
    slow Dictionary

  5. ，。

    jiǔ diǎn, tāmen dào yīyuàn.

    At nine they reach the hospital.

    Words in this sentence
    九 jiǔ
    nine Dictionary
    点 diǎn
    o'clock Dictionary
    他们 tāmen
    they, them Dictionary
    到 dào
    to arrive Dictionary
    医院 yīyuàn
    hospital Dictionary

  6. ：“！？”

    Lín Dōng shuō:“ xièxie! duōshao qián?”

    Lin Dong says, "Thanks! How much is it?"

    Words in this sentence
    林东 Lín Dōng
    Lin Dong (name)
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    谢谢 xièxie
    thank you Dictionary
    多少 duōshao
    how much, how many Dictionary
    钱 qián
    money Dictionary

  7. ：“。”

    sījī shuō:“ wǒ bú yào qián.”

    The driver says, "I don't want any money."

    Words in this sentence
    司机 sījī
    driver Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    不 bú
    not Dictionary
    要 yào
    to need to, to be going to; to want Dictionary
    钱 qián
    money Dictionary

  8. “！”

    “ wǒ shì nǐ de bìngrén!”

    "I'm your patient!"

    Words in this sentence
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    你 nǐ
    you Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    病人 bìngrén
    patient Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 做什么 "to do what": 你去医院做什么？
  • 不要 "do not want": 不要钱

Vocabulary

Questions

1林东做什么工作？Lín Dōng zuò shénme gōngzuò?What does Lin Dong do?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 3: 我是医生, "I'm a doctor."

  • A: The driver is the other person in the taxi.
  • B: 老师 is not in this story.
2出租车很慢。Chūzūchē hěn màn.The taxi is very slow.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. True. Sentence 4: 出租车很慢, "The taxi is very slow."

  • B: Sentence 4 says 出租车很慢, so it is true.
3他们几点到医院？Tāmen jǐ diǎn dào yīyuàn?What time do they reach the hospital?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Sentence 5: 九点，他们到医院, "At nine they reach the hospital."

  • B: Eight o'clock is not in the story.
  • C: Sentence 5 says 九点, nine o'clock.
4司机为什么不要钱？Sījī wèishénme bú yào qián?Why doesn't the driver want any money?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 8: 我是你的病人, "I'm your patient!" Lin Dong is the driver's own doctor.

  • A: The taxi is slow, but sentence 8 gives the reason: the driver is Lin Dong's patient.
  • B: The driver says 我不要钱: he does not want money from his own doctor.
5“慢”是什么意思？"Màn" shì shénme yìsi?What does 慢 mean?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. 慢 means "slow", not fast: 出租车很慢.

  • A: Lin Dong says 我很忙 (sentence 3); 慢 is about the taxi's speed.
  • C: 贵 is about money; 慢 is about speed.

Speaking task

你坐出租车。说去哪儿，问多少钱。

Nǐ zuò chūzūchē. Shuō qù nǎr, wèn duōshao qián.

You take a taxi. Say where you are going and ask how much it is.

Tips

  • Say where you go with 我去……
  • Ask the price with 多少钱？
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

你好！我去北京医院。谢谢！多少钱？

Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ qù Běijīng yīyuàn. Xièxie! Duōshao qián?

Hello! I'm going to Beijing Hospital. Thanks! How much is it?

About the HSK 1 level