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Mythic Mandarin

The identical suitcase

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 4 About 8 minutes

一模一样的箱子

Yìmú-yíyàng de xiāngzi

The identical suitcase

Story

  1. ,,。

    Liáng Yǔ xià le fēijī, zài xíngli zhuànpán pángbiān děng le bàn gè xiǎoshí, yě méi kàndào zìjǐ de xiāngzi.

    Liang Yu got off the plane and waited half an hour at the baggage carousel without seeing his suitcase.

    Words in this sentence
    梁宇 Liáng Yǔ
    Liang Yu (name)
    下 xià
    next; down Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    飞机 fēijī
    plane Dictionary
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    行李 xíngli
    luggage Dictionary
    转盘 zhuànpán
    carousel Dictionary
    旁边 pángbiān
    next to, beside Dictionary
    等 děng
    to wait (for) Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    半 bàn
    half Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    小时 xiǎoshí
    hour Dictionary
    也 yě
    also, too Dictionary
    没 méi
    not (in the past) Dictionary
    看到 kàndào
    to see Dictionary
    自己 zìjǐ
    oneself Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
  2. ,,。

    zuìhòu, zhuànpán shàng zhǐ shèng xià yí gè huīsè de xiāngzi, gēn tā de yìmú-yíyàng.

    In the end only one grey suitcase was left on the carousel, exactly like his.

    Words in this sentence
    最后 zuìhòu
    in the end, finally Dictionary
    转盘 zhuànpán
    carousel Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    只 zhǐ
    only Dictionary
    剩 shèng
    to be left over Dictionary
    下 xià
    next; down Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    灰色 huīsè
    grey Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
    跟 gēn
    with; as Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    一模一样 yìmú-yíyàng
    exactly the same Dictionary
  3. ,,“”。

    tā zǐxì yí kàn, xiāngzi shàng de míngzi bú shì tā de, érshì“ Lín Xiǎotí”.

    When he looked closely, the name on it wasn't his, but "Lin Xiaoti".

    Words in this sentence
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    仔细 zǐxì
    careful(ly) Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    看 kàn
    to look, to watch, to read Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    名字 míngzi
    name Dictionary
    不是 bú shì
    is not (不是……就是……: either … or …) Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    而是 érshì
    but (不是……而是……) Dictionary
    林小提 Lín Xiǎotí
    Lin Xiaoti (name)
  4. ,:“,!”

    tā ànzhào xíngli pái shàng de diànhuà dǎ guòqu, yí gè nǚrén zháojí de shuō:“ duìbuqǐ, wǒ ná cuò le!”

    He rang the number on the luggage tag, and a woman said anxiously, "I'm so sorry, I took the wrong one!"

    Words in this sentence
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    按照 ànzhào
    according to Dictionary
    行李 xíngli
    luggage Dictionary
    牌 pái
    tag, label Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    电话 diànhuà
    phone call, telephone Dictionary
    打 dǎ
    to make (a phone call); to hit Dictionary
    过去 guòqu
    to pass, to go by Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    女人 nǚrén
    woman Dictionary
    着急 zháojí
    worried, anxious Dictionary
    地 de
    (turns a description into how something is done) Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    对不起 duìbuqǐ
    sorry Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    拿 ná
    to take, to pick up Dictionary
    错 cuò
    mistake; wrong Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
  5. ,。

    yuánlái tā shì yí wèi xiǎotíqín lǎoshī, xiāngzi lǐ yǒu tā wǎnshang yǎnchū yào chuān de yīfu.

    She was a violin teacher, and her suitcase held the clothes she had to wear for a performance that evening.

    Words in this sentence
    原来 yuánlái
    so it turns out Dictionary
    她 tā
    she, her Dictionary
    是 shì
    to be Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    位 wèi
    (polite measure word for people) Dictionary
    小提琴 xiǎotíqín
    violin Dictionary
    老师 lǎoshī
    teacher Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    她 tā
    she, her Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    演出 yǎnchū
    performance Dictionary
    要 yào
    to need to, to be going to; to want Dictionary
    穿 chuān
    to wear Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    衣服 yīfu
    clothes Dictionary
  6. 。

    liǎng gè rén yuē hǎo zài yīnyuètīng ménkǒu huàn xiāngzi.

    They arranged to swap suitcases outside the concert hall.

    Words in this sentence
    两 liǎng
    two Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary
    约 yuē
    to arrange (to meet) Dictionary
    好 hǎo
    good; OK Dictionary
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    音乐厅 yīnyuètīng
    concert hall Dictionary
    门口 ménkǒu
    doorway, gate Dictionary
    换 huàn
    to change, to swap Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
  7. ,。

    wèile gǎnxiè tā, Lín lǎoshī sòng le tā yì zhāng dàngtiān wǎnshang de piào.

    To thank him, Ms Lin gave him a ticket for that evening.

    Words in this sentence
    为了 wèile
    in order to, for Dictionary
    感谢 gǎnxiè
    to thank Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    林 Lín
    Lin (surname) Dictionary
    老师 lǎoshī
    teacher Dictionary
    送 sòng
    to take (someone somewhere); to give Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    他 tā
    he, him Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    张 zhāng
    (measure word for flat things like photos) Dictionary
    当天 dàngtiān
    that same day Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    票 piào
    ticket Dictionary
  8. ,。

    nà tiān wǎnshang, Liáng Yǔ dì-yī cì tīng le yì chǎng xiǎotíqín yīnyuèhuì.

    That night Liang Yu went to a violin concert for the first time.

    Words in this sentence
    那 nà
    that Dictionary
    天 tiān
    day Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    梁宇 Liáng Yǔ
    Liang Yu (name)
    第一 dì-yī
    first Dictionary
    次 cì
    time (occurrence) Dictionary
    听 tīng
    to listen, to hear Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    场 chǎng
    (measure word for events) Dictionary
    小提琴 xiǎotíqín
    violin Dictionary
    音乐会 yīnyuèhuì
    concert Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 不是……而是…… "not … but …"
  • 按照 "according to"

Vocabulary

Questions

1转盘上剩下的箱子是什么样的?Zhuànpán shàng shèng xià de xiāngzi shì shénmeyàng de?What was the suitcase left on the carousel like?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 2: 跟他的一模一样.

  • A: They were identical.
  • B: It was grey (灰色).
2这个箱子是梁宇的。Zhè gè xiāngzi shì Liáng Yǔ de.This suitcase is Liang Yu's.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. False. Sentence 3: the name on it 不是他的,而是"林小提".

  • A: The name tag shows it belongs to Lin Xiaoti (sentence 3).
3林老师为什么很着急?Lín lǎoshī wèishénme hěn zháojí?Why is Ms Lin so anxious?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Sentence 5 explains it.

  • B: Nothing is said about her flight.
  • C: It is her clothes she needs, not her violin.
4“一模一样”是什么意思?"Yìmú-yíyàng" shì shénme yìsi?What does 一模一样 mean?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. That is why he could not tell the cases apart at first.

  • A: 一模一样 is stronger: identical.
  • B: That is the opposite.
5两个人__好在音乐厅门口换箱子。Liǎng gè rén __ hǎo zài yīnyuètīng ménkǒu huàn xiāngzi.The two of them ___ to swap suitcases outside the concert hall.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. 约好 means to agree on a time and place to meet (sentence 6).

  • A: 找好 does not mean making an arrangement.
  • C: 送好 does not fit here.

Speaking task

你的行李丢了。告诉机场的工作人员你的箱子是什么样的。

Nǐ de xíngli diū le. Gàosu jīchǎng de gōngzuò rényuán nǐ de xiāngzi shì shénmeyàng de.

Your luggage is missing. Describe your suitcase to the airport staff.

Tips

  • Describe colour, size and one special detail.
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

我的箱子是灰色的,不太大,上面有一个红色的行李牌。

Wǒ de xiāngzi shì huīsè de, bú tài dà, shàngmiàn yǒu yí gè hóngsè de xíngli pái.

My suitcase is grey, not very big, with a red luggage tag on it.

About the HSK 4 level