HSK 4 · Lesson 23他既幽默又活泼 He’s funny and lively

Character: strengths and weaknesses. 既…又 / 也… “both… and…”, the patterns 一A一B, 有A有B, 无A无B, 故意 “on purpose” and 老是 “always”.

Speed:Male voice:

Dialogues

A new colleague

A
你们新来的同事怎么样？
Nǐmen xīn lái de tóngshì zěnmeyàng?
What’s your new colleague like?
B
是个小伙子，既幽默又活泼，大家都喜欢他。
Shì ge xiǎohuǒzi, jì yōumò yòu huópō, dàjiā dōu xǐhuan tā.
A young guy — funny and lively. Everyone likes him.
A
他工作积极吗？
Tā gōngzuò jījí ma?
Is he keen at work?
B
很积极，也很细心，很少出错。
Hěn jījí, yě hěn xìxīn, hěn shǎo chūcuò.
Very keen, and careful too — he hardly ever makes mistakes.
A
有缺点吗？
Yǒu quēdiǎn ma?
Any faults?
B
有一点儿骄傲，有时候脾气不太好。不过人很诚实。
Yǒu yìdiǎnr jiāo’ào, yǒushíhou píqi bú tài hǎo. Búguò rén hěn chéngshí.
He’s a bit proud and sometimes bad-tempered. But he’s very honest.

What are they like?

A
你妹妹性格怎么样？
Nǐ mèimei xìnggé zěnmeyàng?
What’s your sister like?
B
她是个很害羞的姑娘，见了男士就不说话。
Tā shì ge hěn hàixiū de gūniang, jiànle nánshì jiù bù shuōhuà.
She’s a very shy girl — she goes quiet around men.
A
可是我昨天看见她跟朋友们有说有笑的。
Kěshì wǒ zuótiān kànjiàn tā gēn péngyoumen yǒu shuō yǒu xiào de.
But yesterday I saw her chatting and laughing with friends.
B
跟好朋友在一起就活泼了。她就是不太自信。
Gēn hǎo péngyou zài yìqǐ jiù huópō le. Tā jiùshì bú tài zìxìn.
With close friends she livens up. She just lacks confidence.
A
你哥哥呢？
Nǐ gēge ne?
And your brother?
B
他啊，又懒又笨，老是睡懒觉！
Tā a, yòu lǎn yòu bèn, lǎoshì shuì lǎnjiào!
Him? Lazy and dim — always sleeping in!
A
你是故意开玩笑吧？
Nǐ shì gùyì kāi wánxiào ba?
You’re joking on purpose, right?
B
对，其实他很勇敢，遇到事情也很冷静。
Duì, qíshí tā hěn yǒnggǎn, yùdào shìqing yě hěn lěngjìng.
Yes — actually he’s brave and very calm when something happens.

New words

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 既…又 / 也… “both… and…”

既 + A + 又 / 也 + B

既 A 又 B means “both A and B” (two qualities at once): 他既幽默又活泼 “he’s funny and lively”, 这个办法既简单又有效. With 也 it’s the same, a bit more formal: 他既会说汉语，也会写. 又…又… (HSK 3) is more colloquial.

这个办法既简单又有效。
Zhège bànfǎ jì jiǎndān yòu yǒuxiào.
This method is both simple and effective.
她既会唱歌，也会跳舞。
Tā jì huì chàng gē, yě huì tiàowǔ.
She can both sing and dance.

2. The patterns 一A一B, 有A有B, 无A无B

Four syllables with 一, 有 or 无 repeated make lively set phrases. 一A一B: 一问一答 “question and answer”, 一前一后 “one in front, one behind”, 一心一意 “wholeheartedly”. 有A有B “there is both”: 有说有笑 “chatting and laughing”, 有山有水 “mountains and rivers”. 无A无B “neither one nor the other”: 无忧无虑 “carefree”.

她跟朋友们有说有笑的。
Tā gēn péngyoumen yǒu shuō yǒu xiào de.
She’s chatting and laughing with her friends.
小时候我们无忧无虑。
Xiǎoshíhou wǒmen wúyōu-wúlǜ.
As children we were carefree.
他们一前一后走进了教室。
Tāmen yì qián yí hòu zǒujìnle jiàoshì.
They walked into the classroom one behind the other.

3. 故意 “on purpose” and 老是 “always”

故意 means “on purpose, deliberately”: 你是故意的吧？ “you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”, 对不起，我不是故意的 “sorry, I didn’t mean to”. 老是 means “always, constantly” (often reproachful), like 老 in lesson 22: 他老是睡懒觉.

对不起，我不是故意的。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bú shì gùyì de.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to.
你别老是看手机。
Nǐ bié lǎoshì kàn shǒujī.
Stop looking at your phone all the time.

4. Character words

性格 is “character” in general, 脾气 “temper, disposition”: 脾气不好 “bad-tempered”, 脾气好 “good-natured”. 优点 / 缺点 are “strength / weakness”. 骄傲 is “proud, arrogant” (and sometimes “pride”: 你是我们的骄傲). 男士 is the polite “gentleman”, 男性 / 女性 “male / female (sex)”, 性别 “sex, gender”.

老师对学生很有耐心。
Lǎoshī duì xuésheng hěn yǒu nàixīn.
The teacher is very patient with the students.
这个工作男性女性都可以做。
Zhège gōngzuò nánxìng nǚxìng dōu kěyǐ zuò.
Both men and women can do this job.
请写上您的性别和年龄。
Qǐng xiěshang nín de xìngbié hé niánlíng.
Please write your sex and age.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

  1. Answer
    他对人很友好。 Tā duì rén hěn yǒuhǎo. — He’s very friendly to people.

  2. Answer
    她是个很害羞的姑娘。 Tā shì ge hěn hàixiū de gūniang. — She’s a very shy girl.

  3. Answer
    对不起，我不是故意的。 Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bú shì gùyì de. — Sorry, I didn’t mean to.

  4. Answer
    遇到事情要冷静。 Yùdào shìqing yào lěngjìng. — When something happens, you must stay calm.

2. Choose the correct option

  1. “He’s funny and lively”

    Answer
    他既幽默又活泼。
  2. What does 有说有笑 mean?

    Answer
    Chatting and laughing.
  3. 他脾气不好，___生气。

    Answer
    老是
  4. The opposite of 优点:

    Answer
    缺点

3. Build the sentence

  1. He’s funny and lively.

    Answer
    他既幽默又活泼。 Tā jì yōumò yòu huópō.
  2. You’re joking on purpose, right?

    Answer
    你是故意开玩笑吧？ Nǐ shì gùyì kāi wánxiào ba?
  3. She just lacks confidence.

    Answer
    她就是不太自信。 Tā jiùshì bú tài zìxìn.
  4. The teacher is very patient with the students.

    Answer
    老师对学生很有耐心。 Lǎoshī duì xuésheng hěn yǒu nàixīn.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

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

A
你觉得自己有什么优点？
Nǐ juéde zìjǐ yǒu shénme yōudiǎn?
What do you think your strengths are?
B
我很诚实，也很有耐心。
Wǒ hěn chéngshí, yě hěn yǒu nàixīn.
I’m honest, and very patient.
A
那缺点呢？
Nà quēdiǎn ne?
And your weaknesses?
B
我有点儿懒，老是睡懒觉。
Wǒ yǒudiǎnr lǎn, lǎoshì shuì lǎnjiào.
I’m a bit lazy — always sleeping in.
A
你朋友多吗？
Nǐ péngyou duō ma?
Do you have many friends?
B
不少，我性格活泼，跟谁都能有说有笑。
Bù shǎo, wǒ xìnggé huópō, gēn shéi dōu néng yǒu shuō yǒu xiào.
Quite a few — I’m outgoing and can chat and laugh with anyone.

5. Translate into Chinese

  1. This flat is both big and cheap.
    Answer
    这个房子既大又便宜。
  2. He’s always late.
    Answer
    他老是迟到。
  3. Did you do it on purpose?
    Answer
    你是故意的吗？

💡 Did you know?: Zodiac sign and character

Every Chinese person has a 生肖 shēngxiào, a birth-year sign from twelve animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Many people half-jokingly (and some seriously) believe the sign shapes character: a “Tiger” is brave, a “Monkey” clever, an “Ox” hard-working. To ask someone’s age politely, people sometimes say: 你属什么？ “What’s your animal sign?”

Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).