The cheap room

Story

1. 何芳刚到北京工作，想租一个小房间。

   Hé Fāng gāng dào Běijīng gōngzuò, xiǎng zū yí gè xiǎo fángjiān.

   He Fang has just started working in Beijing and wants to rent a small room.

   Words in this sentence

   何芳 Hé Fāng

   He Fang (name)

   Learn to write

   刚 gāng

   just Dictionary

   到 dào

   to arrive Dictionary

   北京 Běijīng

   Beijing Dictionary

   工作 gōngzuò

   to work; job Dictionary

   想 xiǎng

   to want to, would like to; to think Dictionary

   租 zū

   to rent Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   小 xiǎo

   small, little, young Dictionary

   房间 fángjiān

   room Dictionary

2. 她在网上看了很多房子，不是太贵，就是离公司太远。

   tā zài wǎngshang kàn le hěn duō fángzi, bú shì tài guì, jiùshì lí gōngsī tài yuǎn.

   She has looked at lots of places online: they are either too expensive or too far from the office.

   Words in this sentence

   她 tā

   she, her Dictionary

   在 zài

   at, in; to be at Dictionary

   网上 wǎngshang

   online Dictionary

   看 kàn

   to look, to watch, to read Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   很 hěn

   very Dictionary

   多 duō

   many, a lot Dictionary

   房子 fángzi

   flat, house Dictionary

   不是 bú shì

   is not (不是……就是……: either … or …) Dictionary

   太 tài

   too, excessively Dictionary

   贵 guì

   expensive Dictionary

   就是 jiùshì

   is exactly, is right Dictionary

   离 lí

   from (distance) Dictionary

   公司 gōngsī

   company, office Dictionary

   太 tài

   too, excessively Dictionary

   远 yuǎn

   far Dictionary

3. 后来，她找到了一个房间：又干净又亮，一个月只要两千块。

   hòulái, tā zhǎodào le yí gè fángjiān: yòu gānjìng yòu liàng, yí gè yuè zhǐ yào liǎngqiān kuài.

   Then she finds a room that is clean and bright, and only two thousand yuan a month.

   Words in this sentence

   后来 hòulái

   later, afterwards Dictionary

   她 tā

   she, her Dictionary

   找到 zhǎodào

   to find Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   房间 fángjiān

   room Dictionary

   又 yòu

   and also, on top of that Dictionary

   干净 gānjìng

   clean Dictionary

   又 yòu

   and also, on top of that Dictionary

   亮 liàng

   bright Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   月 yuè

   month Dictionary

   只 zhǐ

   only Dictionary

   要 yào

   to need to, to be going to; to want Dictionary

   两千 liǎngqiān

   two thousand

   Learn to write

   块 kuài

   yuan (money, spoken) Dictionary

4. 她问房东：“这么好的房间，为什么这么便宜？”

   tā wèn fángdōng:“ zhème hǎo de fángjiān, wèishénme zhème piányi?”

   She asks the landlord, "Why is such a nice room so cheap?"

   Words in this sentence

   她 tā

   she, her Dictionary

   问 wèn

   to ask Dictionary

   房东 fángdōng

   landlord Dictionary

   这么 zhème

   so, this Dictionary

   好 hǎo

   good; OK Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   房间 fángjiān

   room Dictionary

   为什么 wèishénme

   why Dictionary

   这么 zhème

   so, this Dictionary

   便宜 piányi

   cheap Dictionary

5. 房东有点儿不好意思：“楼上的小伙子每天晚上打鼓，声音很大。”

   fángdōng yǒudiǎnr bù hǎoyìsi:“ lóushàng de xiǎohuǒzi měitiān wǎnshang dǎ gǔ, shēngyīn hěn dà.”

   The landlord looks a little embarrassed: "The young man upstairs plays the drums every evening. It's very loud."

   Words in this sentence

   房东 fángdōng

   landlord Dictionary

   有点儿 yǒudiǎnr

   a bit, somewhat Dictionary

   不好意思 bù hǎoyìsi

   embarrassed Dictionary

   楼上 lóushàng

   upstairs Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   小伙子 xiǎohuǒzi

   young man Dictionary

   每天 měitiān

   every day Dictionary

   晚上 wǎnshang

   evening Dictionary

   打 dǎ

   to make (a phone call); to hit Dictionary

   鼓 gǔ

   drum Dictionary

   声音 shēngyīn

   sound, noise Dictionary

   很 hěn

   very Dictionary

   大 dà

   big, loud Dictionary

6. 没想到何芳高兴地说：“太好了！我也打鼓，正好可以找个朋友一起练！”

   méi xiǎngdào Hé Fāng gāoxìng de shuō:“ tài hǎo le! wǒ yě dǎ gǔ, zhènghǎo kěyǐ zhǎo gè péngyou yìqǐ liàn!”

   To the landlord's surprise, He Fang says happily, "Great! I play the drums too. Now I'll have someone to practise with!"

   Words in this sentence

   没想到 méi xiǎngdào

   unexpectedly, to one's surprise Dictionary

   何芳 Hé Fāng

   He Fang (name)

   Learn to write

   高兴 gāoxìng

   happy, glad Dictionary

   地 de

   (turns a description into how something is done) Dictionary

   说 shuō

   to say, to speak Dictionary

   太 tài

   too, excessively Dictionary

   好 hǎo

   good; OK Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   我 wǒ

   I, me Dictionary

   也 yě

   also, too Dictionary

   打 dǎ

   to make (a phone call); to hit Dictionary

   鼓 gǔ

   drum Dictionary

   正好 zhènghǎo

   just right, as it happens Dictionary

   可以 kěyǐ

   can, may; all right Dictionary

   找 zhǎo

   to look for Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   朋友 péngyou

   friend Dictionary

   一起 yìqǐ

   together Dictionary

   练 liàn

   to practise Dictionary

7. 第二天，她就搬进了这个房间。

   dì-èr tiān, tā jiù bān jìn le zhè gè fángjiān.

   The next day she moves in.

   Words in this sentence

   第二 dì-èr

   second Dictionary

   天 tiān

   day Dictionary

   她 tā

   she, her Dictionary

   就 jiù

   then, right away Dictionary

   搬 bān

   to move (house) Dictionary

   进 jìn

   into; to enter Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   这 zhè

   this Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   房间 fángjiān

   room Dictionary