你能借给我一本词典吗？ Could you lend me a dictionary? — HSK 3, lesson 17

Dialogues

Borrowing a dictionary

A

你能借给我一本词典吗？

Nǐ néng jiè gěi wǒ yì běn cídiǎn ma?

Could you lend me a dictionary?

B

可以。你什么时候还给我？

Kěyǐ. Nǐ shénme shíhou huán gěi wǒ?

Sure. When will you give it back?

A

下周一就还你。谢谢你的帮助！

Xià zhōuyī jiù huán nǐ. Xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù!

Next Monday. Thanks for your help!

B

不客气。为了考试，你最近很努力啊。

Bú kèqi. Wèile kǎoshì, nǐ zuìjìn hěn nǔlì a.

You’re welcome. You’ve been working really hard for the exam lately.

A

是啊，我怕考不好。

Shì a, wǒ pà kǎo bu hǎo.

Yes, I’m afraid I’ll do badly.

A lost old man

A

今天在路上我遇到一个老人，他找不到家了。

Jīntiān zài lùshang wǒ yùdào yí ge lǎorén, tā zhǎo bu dào jiā le.

Today on the way I met an old man who couldn’t find his home.

B

那怎么办？

Nà zěnme bàn?

What did you do?

A

我问了别人，后来把他送回家了。

Wǒ wènle biérén, hòulái bǎ tā sòng huí jiā le.

I asked people, and then took him home.

B

你真关心别人！他家人一定很高兴。

Nǐ zhēn guānxīn biérén! Tā jiārén yídìng hěn gāoxìng.

You really care about others! His family must have been so glad.

A

他女儿为了谢谢我，送给我一个礼物。

Tā nǚ’ér wèile xièxie wǒ, sòng gěi wǒ yí ge lǐwù.

His daughter gave me a present to thank me.

B

帮助别人，自己也很开心。

Bāngzhù biérén, zìjǐ yě hěn kāixīn.

Helping others makes you happy too.

New words

借jièto borrow; (used in combination with 給 or 出 etc) to lend
还huángive back, return
帮助bāngzhùassistance; aid; to help; to assist
照顾zhàogùto take care of; to show consideration; to attend to
关心guānxīnto be concerned about; to care about
为wèifor
为了wèilefor; for the purpose of; in order to
接jiēto receive; to answer (the phone); to meet or welcome sb
礼物lǐwùgift; present
别人biérénother people; others; other person
别的biédeelse; other
其他qítāother; (sth or sb) else; the rest
怎样zěnyànghow; what kind
怎么办zěnme bànwhat's to be done
遇到yùdàoto meet; to run into; to come across
遇见yùjiànmeet by chance
发现fāxiànto notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect
经过jīngguòto pass; to go through; process
得到dédàoto get; to obtain; to receive
受到shòudàoto receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised…
面前miànqiánin front of; facing; (in the) presence (of)
身边shēnbiānby one’s side

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 借给, 还给, 送给 — “to whom, what”

Subject + verb + 给 + whom + what

Verbs of giving often take 给 and two objects: 借给我一本书 “lend me a book”, 还给你 “give it back to you”, 送给她一个礼物 “give her a present”, 发给他. Only 给, 送, 问, 告诉 (HSK 1–2) can do without 给. 借 means both “borrow” and “lend”: 向他借 “borrow from him”, 借给他 “lend to him”.

你能借给我一本词典吗？

Nǐ néng jiè gěi wǒ yì běn cídiǎn ma?

Could you lend me a dictionary?

明天我还给你。

Míngtiān wǒ huán gěi nǐ.

I’ll give it back to you tomorrow.

2. 为 and 为了 — “for, in order to”

为 + person means “for someone’s sake”: 我为你高兴 “I’m happy for you”. 为了 + goal means “in order to, for the sake of”: 为了考试，他每天都复习 “he revises every day for the exam”. The 为了 goal usually comes first.

我为你高兴！

Wǒ wèi nǐ gāoxìng!

I’m happy for you!

为了学好汉语，她每天都看中文书。

Wèile xuéhǎo Hànyǔ, tā měi tiān dōu kàn Zhōngwén shū.

To learn Chinese well, she reads Chinese books every day.

3. 别人, 别的, 其他

别人 means “other people”: 关心别人. 别的 + noun is “other, else”: 别的东西, 还有别的吗？ “anything else?”. 其他 means “the rest, the others”: 其他同学都来了 “the other students have all come”.

还有别的问题吗？

Hái yǒu biéde wèntí ma?

Any other questions?

其他人都走了。

Qítā rén dōu zǒu le.

Everyone else has left.

4. 怎么办? 怎样? 遇到, 发现, 受到

怎么办？ is “what shall I do?”: 手机丢了，怎么办？怎样 is a bookish “how” (= 怎么): 怎样学好汉语？遇到 / 遇见 mean “run into, meet by chance”: 遇到问题 “run into a problem”. 发现 is “discover, notice”. 受到 is “receive (help, a welcome)”: 受到欢迎 “be warmly received”.

遇到问题的时候，你怎么办？

Yùdào wèntí de shíhou, nǐ zěnme bàn?

What do you do when you run into a problem?

我发现我的伞不见了。

Wǒ fāxiàn wǒ de sǎn bú jiàn le.

I noticed my umbrella was gone.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

Answer
明天我还给你。 Míngtiān wǒ huán gěi nǐ. — I’ll give it back tomorrow.
Answer
我为你高兴！ Wǒ wèi nǐ gāoxìng! — I’m happy for you!
Answer
还有别的问题吗？ Hái yǒu biéde wèntí ma? — Any other questions?
Answer
手机丢了，怎么办？ Shǒujī diū le, zěnme bàn? — I’ve lost my phone — what shall I do?

2. Choose the correct option

“Lend me a book”
Answer
借给我一本书。
___学好汉语，我每天都复习。
Answer
为了
“The other students have all come”: ___同学都来了。
Answer
其他
“He was warmly welcomed by all”: 他___了大家的欢迎。
Answer
受到

3. Build the sentence

Could you lend me a dictionary?
Answer
你能借给我一本词典吗？ Nǐ néng jiè gěi wǒ yì běn cídiǎn ma?
He gave me a present.
Answer
他送给我一个礼物。 Tā sòng gěi wǒ yí ge lǐwù.
I’m happy for you!
Answer
我为你高兴！ Wǒ wèi nǐ gāoxìng!
What do you do when you run into a problem?
Answer
遇到问题的时候，你怎么办？ Yùdào wèntí de shíhou, nǐ zěnme bàn?

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

You are speaker B. Pick the right reply and the conversation goes on.

A

你能借给我一点儿钱吗？

Nǐ néng jiè gěi wǒ yìdiǎnr qián ma?

Could you lend me a little money?

B

可以，你要多少？

Kěyǐ, nǐ yào duōshao?

Sure — how much do you need?

A

一百块。我的钱包丢了。

Yìbǎi kuài. Wǒ de qiánbāo diū le.

A hundred yuan. I’ve lost my wallet.

B

给你。别着急，你什么时候还给我都行。

Gěi nǐ. Bié zháojí, nǐ shénme shíhou huán gěi wǒ dōu xíng.

Here you are. Don’t worry — give it back whenever you can.

A

太谢谢你了！

Tài xièxie nǐ le!

Thank you so much!

B

不客气，朋友就应该帮助朋友。

Bú kèqi, péngyou jiù yīnggāi bāngzhù péngyou.

You’re welcome — friends should help each other.

5. Translate into Chinese

Please lend me an umbrella.
Answer
请借给我一把伞。/ 你能借给我一把伞吗？
I’ll give the book back to you tomorrow.
Answer
我明天把书还给你。/ 明天我还给你书。
He’s learning Chinese in order to go to China.
Answer
为了去中国，他在学汉语。

💡 Did you know?: Returning a favour

China values 人情 rénqíng, “the debt of favours”: help and gifts are, in time, returned with help or gifts. So thanks are not only spoken — people invite you for a meal (请客). Yet between close friends small favours often go unthanked: “we’re family”.