我的电话打不通 You can’t get through to me — HSK 4, lesson 14

Dialogues

A message that didn’t arrive

A

我给你发的短信，你收到了吗？

Wǒ gěi nǐ fā de duǎnxìn, nǐ shōudào le ma?

Did you get the text I sent you?

B

没有。我这儿信号不好，电话也打不通。

Méiyǒu. Wǒ zhèr xìnhào bù hǎo, diànhuà yě dǎ bu tōng.

No. The signal’s bad here and calls don’t get through either.

A

那我在网上给你发信息吧。

Nà wǒ zài wǎngshang gěi nǐ fā xìnxī ba.

Then I’ll message you online.

B

好。对了，你看了我转发的视频吗？

Hǎo. Duì le, nǐ kànle wǒ zhuǎnfā de shìpín ma?

OK. By the way, did you watch the video I forwarded?

A

看了，可是那个消息恐怕是假的。

Kàn le, kěshì nàge xiāoxi kǒngpà shì jiǎ de.

I did, but I’m afraid that story is fake.

B

也许吧。我再查看一下那个网页。

Yěxǔ ba. Wǒ zài chákàn yíxià nàge wǎngyè.

Maybe. I’ll check that web page again.

A parcel

A

你的快递到了，在楼下。

Nǐ de kuàidì dào le, zài lóuxià.

Your parcel has arrived — it’s downstairs.

B

我暂时下不去，你能帮我取一下吗？

Wǒ zànshí xià bu qù, nǐ néng bāng wǒ qǔ yíxià ma?

I can’t go down right now — could you collect it for me?

A

好。是你的网友寄来的吗？

Hǎo. Shì nǐ de wǎngyǒu jìlai de ma?

Sure. Is it from your online friend?

B

说不定是。我们线上聊了很久，可是线下还没见过面。

Shuōbudìng shì. Wǒmen xiànshàng liáole hěn jiǔ, kěshì xiànxià hái méi jiànguo miàn.

Quite possibly. We’ve chatted online for ages but haven’t met in person yet.

A

那你快回复他，告诉他东西收到了。

Nà nǐ kuài huífù tā, gàosu tā dōngxi shōudào le.

Then reply to him quickly and tell him it’s arrived.

B

好，我现在就给他发消息。

Hǎo, wǒ xiànzài jiù gěi tā fā xiāoxi.

OK, I’ll message him right now.

New words

互联网hùliánwǎngInternet
网页wǎngyèweb page
网址wǎngzhǐweb address; URL
网友wǎngyǒuonline friend; netizen; Internet user
视频shìpínvideo
短信duǎnxìntext message; SMS
密码mìmǎcipher; secret code; password; PIN
信号xìnhàosignal
信息xìnxīinformation; news; message
发送fāsòngto transmit; to dispatch
回复huífùto reply
转发zhuǎnfāto forward
线上xiànshàngonline
线下xiànxiàoffline, in person
快递kuàidìexpress delivery
播放bōfàngto play, to broadcast
是否shìfǒuwhether
能否néngfǒuwhether one can
发出fāchūto send out, to give off
图片túpiànpicture; photograph
消息xiāoxi(piece of) news; information; message
联系liánxìconnection; contact; relation
回信huíxìnto write back; a reply
寄jìto post, to send
取qǔto collect, to take
查看chákànto check, to look over
查找cházhǎoto search for, to look up
通tōngto get through
暂时zànshítemporary; provisional; for the time being
暂停zàntíngto pause, to suspend
假jiǎfake, false
也许yěxǔperhaps; maybe
恐怕kǒngpàI’m afraid (that); probably

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 也许 “maybe” and 恐怕 “I’m afraid”

也许 is “maybe, perhaps” (like 可能): 他也许不来了. 恐怕 is also a guess, but with worry: “I’m afraid…, probably”: 那个消息恐怕是假的 “I’m afraid that story is fake”, 恐怕要下雨了. Both go before the verb or at the start; 也许吧 means “maybe so”.

他也许不来了。

Tā yěxǔ bù lái le.

Maybe he isn’t coming.

恐怕要下雨了，带上伞吧。

Kǒngpà yào xià yǔ le, dàishang sǎn ba.

I’m afraid it’s going to rain — take an umbrella.

2. 说不定 “who knows, quite possibly”

说不定 is the colloquial “quite possibly, who knows”: 说不定他已经到了 “maybe he’s already arrived”. As an answer: 说不定是 “could well be”. Literally it means “can’t say for sure”.

说不定他已经到了。

Shuōbudìng tā yǐjīng dào le.

Maybe he’s already arrived.

3. 是否 / 能否 “whether” (formal)

是否 = 是不是 and 能否 = 能不能 — used in notices and formal letters: 请告诉我您是否同意 “please let me know whether you agree”, 您能否帮我一下？ “could you help me?”. Don’t add 吗 after them.

请告诉我您是否同意。

Qǐng gàosu wǒ nín shìfǒu tóngyì.

Please let me know whether you agree.

您能否把网址发给我？

Nín néngfǒu bǎ wǎngzhǐ fā gěi wǒ?

Could you send me the web address?

4. Online words: 线上 / 线下, 发送 / 转发 / 回复, 暂时 / 暂停

线上 is “online”, 线下 “offline, in person”: 线上课 “an online class”. 发送 is “to send”, 转发 “to forward”, 回复 “to reply (to a message)”, 回信 “to write back; a reply letter”. 暂时 is “for the time being”: 我暂时下不去; 暂停 is “to pause, to suspend”: 视频暂停播放. 打不通 is “can’t get through” (通 means “to go through”).

互联网改变了我们的生活。

Hùliánwǎng gǎibiànle wǒmen de shēnghuó.

The internet has changed our lives.

我忘了邮箱的密码。

Wǒ wàngle yóuxiāng de mìmǎ.

I’ve forgotten my email password.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

Answer
电话打不通。 Diànhuà dǎ bu tōng. — The call won’t go through.
Answer
请把网址发给我。 Qǐng bǎ wǎngzhǐ fā gěi wǒ. — Please send me the web address.
Answer
那个消息恐怕是假的。 Nàge xiāoxi kǒngpà shì jiǎ de. — I’m afraid that story is fake.
Answer
我暂时没有时间。 Wǒ zànshí méiyǒu shíjiān. — I don’t have time at the moment.

2. Choose the correct option

“Could you help me?” (formal)
Answer
您能否帮我一下？
外边云这么多，___要下雨了。
Answer
恐怕
How do you say “forward a message”?
Answer
转发消息
我们在网上聊了很久，还没在___见过面。
Answer
线下

3. Build the sentence

The signal is bad here.
Answer
我这儿信号不好。 Wǒ zhèr xìnhào bù hǎo.
Could you collect my parcel for me?
Answer
你能帮我取一下快递吗？ Nǐ néng bāng wǒ qǔ yíxià kuàidì ma?
Maybe he’s already arrived.
Answer
说不定他已经到了。 Shuōbudìng tā yǐjīng dào le.
Please let me know whether you agree.
Answer
请告诉我您是否同意。 Qǐng gàosu wǒ nín shìfǒu tóngyì.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

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

A

你看我发的图片了吗？

Nǐ kàn wǒ fā de túpiàn le ma?

Did you see the picture I sent?

B

还没有，我的手机暂时上不了网。

Hái méiyǒu, wǒ de shǒujī zànshí shàng bu liǎo wǎng.

Not yet — my phone can’t get online at the moment.

A

那我给你发到邮箱吧。

Nà wǒ gěi nǐ fādào yóuxiāng ba.

Then I’ll email it to you.

B

好，我用电脑查看一下。

Hǎo, wǒ yòng diànnǎo chákàn yíxià.

OK, I’ll check it on my computer.

A

收到以后回复我一下。

Shōudào yǐhòu huífù wǒ yíxià.

Reply to me when you get it.

B

没问题，收到了马上回复你。

Méi wèntí, shōudàole mǎshàng huífù nǐ.

Sure, I’ll reply as soon as I get it.

5. Translate into Chinese

I’m afraid he won’t come today.
Answer
他今天恐怕不来了。
Maybe she’s already at home.
Answer
说不定她已经在家了。
Please forward me that video.
Answer
请把那个视频转发给我。

💡 Did you know?: WeChat, the super-app

The main app on a Chinese phone is 微信 Wēixìn (WeChat). People don’t just chat and call on it: they pay, hail taxis, book doctors, buy tickets, read the news and even handle official paperwork. Instead of a business card, Chinese people often show their QR code: 扫一扫，加个微信 — “scan this and add me on WeChat”.