老师表扬了我 The teacher praised me — HSK 4, lesson 3

Dialogues

In class

A

同学们好，现在开始点名。李文？

Tóngxuémen hǎo, xiànzài kāishǐ diǎnmíng. Lǐ Wén?

Hello, everyone. Let’s take the register. Li Wen?

B

到！

Dào!

Here!

A

昨天的功课大家都做了吗？今天的课文都预习了吗？

Zuótiān de gōngkè dàjiā dōu zuò le ma? Jīntiān de kèwén dōu yùxí le ma?

Has everyone done yesterday’s homework? Has everyone prepared today’s text?

B

预习了。老师，“鼓励”是什么意思？您能举个例子吗？

Yùxí le. Lǎoshī, “gǔlì” shì shénme yìsi? Nín néng jǔ ge lìzi ma?

We have. Teacher, what does 鼓励 mean? Could you give an example?

A

好。例如：老师常常鼓励我们多说汉语，不要怕说错。

Hǎo. Lìrú: lǎoshī chángcháng gǔlì wǒmen duō shuō Hànyǔ, búyào pà shuōcuò.

All right. For example: the teacher often encourages us to speak more Chinese and not to be afraid of mistakes.

B

明白了，谢谢老师！

Míngbai le, xièxie lǎoshī!

I see, thank you!

A

下面我们首先读课文，然后分小组练习。

Xiàmiàn wǒmen shǒuxiān dú kèwén, ránhòu fēn xiǎozǔ liànxí.

Now we’ll first read the text, then practise in groups.

After class

A

今天老师表扬你作文写得好！

Jīntiān lǎoshī biǎoyáng nǐ zuòwén xiě de hǎo!

The teacher praised your essay today!

B

可是上个星期她还批评我上课玩手机呢。

Kěshì shàng ge xīngqī tā hái pīpíng wǒ shàngkè wán shǒujī ne.

But last week she told me off for playing on my phone in class.

A

你最近表现很好，老师都看见了。期中考试快到了，我们组一起复习吧？

Nǐ zuìjìn biǎoxiàn hěn hǎo, lǎoshī dōu kànjiàn le. Qīzhōng kǎoshì kuài dào le, wǒmen zǔ yìqǐ fùxí ba?

You’ve been doing well lately, and the teacher has noticed. The midterm is coming — shall our group revise together?

B

好啊。首先总结一下这个学期的重点，然后做练习。

Hǎo a. Shǒuxiān zǒngjié yíxià zhège xuéqī de zhòngdiǎn, ránhòu zuò liànxí.

Sure. First let’s sum up the key points of the term, then do exercises.

A

大家选你当组长吧！不懂的地方，你去请老师解释。

Dàjiā xuǎn nǐ dāng zǔzhǎng ba! Bù dǒng de dìfang, nǐ qù qǐng lǎoshī jiěshì.

Let’s make you the group leader! Whatever we don’t understand, you ask the teacher to explain.

B

没问题！

Méi wèntí!

No problem!

New words

表扬biǎoyángto praise; to commend
批评pīpíngto criticize; criticism
鼓励gǔlìto encourage
点名diǎnmíngto take the register; to name
功课gōngkèhomework; assignment; task
预习yùxíto prepare a lesson in advance
自学zìxuéto teach oneself
知识zhīshiknowledge; intellectual
课堂kètángclassroom; class
期中qīzhōngmid-term
期末qīmòthe end of a term or semester (in school)
举jǔto lift; to hold up; to cite
举例jǔlìto give an example
例如lìrúfor example; for instance; such as
例子lìzicase; (for) instance; example
说明shuōmíngto explain; to illustrate; to indicate
解释jiěshìexplanation; to explain; to interpret
答dáto answer; to reply; to respond
当dāngto be, to serve as
为wéito be, to act as (written): 选…为 “elect as”
叫作jiàozuòto call; to be called
重点zhòngdiǎnkey point; main
总结zǒngjiéto sum up; to conclude; summary
改gǎito change; to alter; to transform
接着jiēzhenext, then; to carry on
顺序shùnxùsequence; order
抬头táitóuto raise one's head; to look up
小组xiǎozǔgroup
组zǔto form; to organize; group
作文zuòwénessay, composition
表现biǎoxiànto perform, to show; performance
首先shǒuxiānfirst of all; in the first place

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. Praise / criticise someone for something

表扬 / 批评 + whom + what they did

Chinese needs no separate word for “for”: after 表扬 “praise” or 批评 “criticise” name the person and then what they did: 老师表扬小王帮助同学 “the teacher praised Xiao Wang for helping classmates”, 老师批评我上课不认真 “the teacher criticised me for not paying attention in class”. The person is both the one praised and the one who did it.

老师表扬他作文写得好。

Lǎoshī biǎoyáng tā zuòwén xiě de hǎo.

The teacher praised him for writing a good essay.

老师批评我上课不认真。

Lǎoshī pīpíng wǒ shàngkè bú rènzhēn.

The teacher criticised me for not paying attention in class.

2. 选 / 收 + whom + 当 / 做 / 为 “choose as”

选 / 收 + whom + 当 / 做 / 为 + as what

“To choose someone as something” is 选 + person + 当 / 做 + role: 同学们选她当班长 “the classmates elected her class monitor”. In written style 为 wéi replaces 当: 大家选他为队长. 收 + person + 做 is “to take someone on as”: 王老师收他做学生 “Teacher Wang took him on as a student”. 当 dāng and 做 here mean “to be, to work as”: 我想当老师.

同学们选她当班长。

Tóngxuémen xuǎn tā dāng bānzhǎng.

The classmates elected her class monitor.

王老师收他做学生。

Wáng lǎoshī shōu tā zuò xuésheng.

Teacher Wang took him on as a student.

大家选他为队长。

Dàjiā xuǎn tā wéi duìzhǎng.

Everyone chose him as team captain.

3. 首先…然后… “first…, then…”, 接着 “next”

首先 “first of all” opens a list of steps; then come 然后 “then”, 接着 “next” and 最后 “finally”. 首先 can also stand before the subject: 首先，我们读课文. 接着 also means “to carry on”: 你接着说 “go on”.

首先预习生词，然后读课文，最后做练习。

Shǒuxiān yùxí shēngcí, ránhòu dú kèwén, zuìhòu zuò liànxí.

First prepare the new words, then read the text, and finally do the exercises.

他说完了，接着我说。

Tā shuōwán le, jiēzhe wǒ shuō.

He finished, and then I spoke.

4. 例如, 举例, 叫作, 说明

例如 “for example” is the written form of 比如: 很多水果，例如苹果、香蕉. 举例 / 举个例子 “to give an example” (举 is “to raise”: 举手 “raise your hand”). 叫作 “is called”: 这种练习叫作“连词成句”. 说明 is “to explain” and also “to show, to indicate”: 这说明他很努力 “this shows he works hard”.

我喜欢很多运动，例如游泳、跑步。

Wǒ xǐhuan hěn duō yùndòng, lìrú yóuyǒng, pǎobù.

I like many sports, for example swimming and running.

这种练习叫作“连词成句”。

Zhè zhǒng liànxí jiàozuò “lián cí chéng jù”.

This exercise is called “build a sentence from words”.

知道答案的同学请举手。

Zhīdào dá’àn de tóngxué qǐng jǔ shǒu.

Raise your hand if you know the answer.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

Answer
他自学了两年汉语。 Tā zìxuéle liǎng nián Hànyǔ. — He taught himself Chinese for two years.
Answer
老师在改作文。 Lǎoshī zài gǎi zuòwén. — The teacher is marking essays.
Answer
请按顺序回答问题。 Qǐng àn shùnxù huídá wèntí. — Answer the questions in order.
Answer
请抬头看黑板。 Qǐng táitóu kàn hēibǎn. — Look up at the blackboard.

2. Choose the correct option

“The teacher praised him for a good essay”
Answer
老师表扬他作文写得好。
“Everyone elected her class monitor”
Answer
大家选她当班长。
___预习生词，然后读课文。
Answer
首先
很多水果，___苹果、香蕉，我都喜欢。
Answer
例如

3. Build the sentence

We’ve learned a lot in class.
Answer
课堂上我们学到了很多知识。 Kètáng shang wǒmen xuédàole hěn duō zhīshi.
The teacher criticised me for not paying attention in class.
Answer
老师批评我上课不认真。 Lǎoshī pīpíng wǒ shàngkè bú rènzhēn.
First read the text, then do the exercises.
Answer
首先读课文，然后做练习。 Shǒuxiān dú kèwén, ránhòu zuò liànxí.
Could you give an example?
Answer
您能举个例子吗？ Nín néng jǔ ge lìzi ma?

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

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

A

期末考试考什么？

Qīmò kǎoshì kǎo shénme?

What’s on the end-of-term exam?

B

老师说，这个学期学的都要考。

Lǎoshī shuō, zhège xuéqī xué de dōu yào kǎo.

The teacher said everything we’ve done this term.

A

那重点是什么？

Nà zhòngdiǎn shì shénme?

So what are the key points?

B

重点是第五课到第十课的语法。

Zhòngdiǎn shì dì-wǔ kè dào dì-shí kè de yǔfǎ.

The grammar of lessons five to ten.

A

我们一起复习吧，你先总结一下。

Wǒmen yìqǐ fùxí ba, nǐ xiān zǒngjié yíxià.

Let’s revise together — you sum up first.

B

好，首先我们看看第五课。

Hǎo, shǒuxiān wǒmen kànkan dì-wǔ kè.

OK, first let’s look at lesson five.

5. Translate into Chinese

The teacher praised me for helping my classmates.
Answer
老师表扬我帮助同学。
First read the text, then answer the questions.
Answer
首先读课文，然后回答问题。
Can you give an example?
Answer
你能举个例子吗？

💡 Did you know?: “Stand up! Good morning, teacher!”

In a Chinese school a lesson starts with a ritual. The teacher says 上课！ “class begins”, the class monitor calls 起立！ “stand up!”, the class says together 老师好！ “hello, teacher!”, and the teacher replies 同学们好，请坐 “hello, everyone, sit down”. Each subject also has a 课代表, a student helper who collects the homework, 功课, and hands it to the teacher.