千万别放弃！ Whatever you do, don’t give up! — HSK 4, lesson 34

Dialogues

Trouble at work

A

你最近怎么了？究竟出现了什么情况？

Nǐ zuìjìn zěnme le? Jiūjìng chūxiànle shénme qíngkuàng?

What’s been up with you lately? What on earth has happened?

B

公司遇到了很大的困难，我不知道该怎么办。

Gōngsī yùdàole hěn dà de kùnnan, wǒ bù zhīdào gāi zěnme bàn.

The company has run into big trouble and I don’t know what to do.

A

别急，我们好好考虑一下。关键是什么问题？

Bié jí, wǒmen hǎohǎo kǎolǜ yíxià. Guānjiàn shì shénme wèntí?

Don’t panic — let’s think it through. What’s the key problem?

B

情况很复杂。本来计划下个月完成，然而现在钱不够，加上人也少。

Qíngkuàng hěn fùzá. Běnlái jìhuà xià ge yuè wánchéng, rán’ér xiànzài qián bú gòu, jiāshàng rén yě shǎo.

It’s complicated. We originally planned to finish next month, but now there isn’t enough money, and we’re short of people too.

A

那你打算放弃吗？

Nà nǐ dǎsuàn fàngqì ma?

So are you going to give up?

B

不。即使再困难，我也要面对。

Bù. Jíshǐ zài kùnnan, wǒ yě yào miànduì.

No. Even if it gets harder, I’ll face it.

A

好！千万别放弃。我有个主意……

Hǎo! Qiānwàn bié fàngqì. Wǒ yǒu ge zhǔyi ……

Good! Whatever you do, don’t give up. I’ve got an idea…

A no-show

A

你到底去不去？大家都在等你。

Nǐ dàodǐ qù bu qù? Dàjiā dōu zài děng nǐ.

Are you coming or not? Everyone’s waiting for you.

B

对不起，我今天确实去不了。

Duìbuqǐ, wǒ jīntiān quèshí qù bu liǎo.

Sorry, I really can’t make it today.

A

什么原因？

Shénme yuányīn?

Why not?

B

我原来以为今天休息，没想到经理让我加班。

Wǒ yuánlái yǐwéi jīntiān xiūxi, méi xiǎngdào jīnglǐ ràng wǒ jiābān.

I thought I had today off, but the manager made me work overtime.

A

你的做法不太好，应该早点儿说。估计大家会不高兴。

Nǐ de zuòfǎ bú tài hǎo, yīnggāi zǎo diǎnr shuō. Gūjì dàjiā huì bù gāoxìng.

That’s not great — you should have said earlier. I reckon everyone will be upset.

B

你说得对，是我的错。另外，下次聚会我请客！

Nǐ shuō de duì, shì wǒ de cuò. Lìngwài, xià cì jùhuì wǒ qǐngkè!

You’re right, it’s my fault. And next time we get together, it’s my treat!

New words

困难kùnnandifficult; challenging; straitened circumstances
放弃fàngqìto renounce; to abandon; to give up
考虑kǎolǜto think over; to consider; consideration
估计gūjìto estimate; to assess; to calculate
主意zhǔyiidea; decision
做法zuòfǎway of handling sth; method for making; work method
究竟jiūjìngon earth, after all (in questions)
到底dàodǐfinally; in the end; when all is said and done
千万qiānwànby all means; never (with a negative)
确实quèshíreally, indeed
本来běnláioriginally; naturally
原来yuánláioriginal; former; originally; formerly; at first
不过búguòbut, however; only
另外lìngwàiadditional; in addition; besides
此外cǐwàibesides; in addition; moreover; furthermore
加上jiāshàngin addition, on top of that
即使jíshǐeven if; even though
无法wúfǎunable to; incapable of
情况qíngkuàngcircumstances; state of affairs; situation
出现chūxiànto appear; to arise; to emerge; to show up
复杂fùzácomplicated; complex
关键guānjiàncrucial point; crux; key
面对miànduìto face
然而rán'érhowever
原因yuányīncause; origin; root cause
最终zuìzhōngin the end; final

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 究竟 / 到底 “on earth, after all”

In questions 究竟 (more formal) and 到底 (more colloquial) demand a final answer: “so, really…?”: 你到底去不去？ “are you coming or not?”, 究竟出现了什么情况？ “what on earth has happened?”. 到底 also means “at last”: 我到底找到了 = 终于.

你到底去不去？

Nǐ dàodǐ qù bu qù?

Are you coming or not?

这个字究竟怎么读？

Zhège zì jiūjìng zěnme dú?

How on earth do you read this character?

2. 千万 “by all means, whatever you do” and 确实 “really”

千万 is an urgent request: 千万别放弃 “whatever you do, don’t give up”, 千万要小心 “do be careful”. Only in requests and advice. 确实 means “really, indeed” (confirming): 我今天确实去不了 “I really can’t go today”.

路上千万要小心！

Lùshang qiānwàn yào xiǎoxīn!

Do be careful on the way!

3. 本来 and 原来

本来 is “originally, at first (but then it changed)”: 本来计划下个月完成 “we originally planned to finish next month”; also “naturally, of course”: 本来就应该这样. 原来 is “former”: 原来的价格; and “so it turns out” (a realisation): 原来是你！ “so it’s you!”, 我原来以为今天休息 “I thought today was a day off”.

原来是你！我还以为是谁呢。

Yuánlái shì nǐ! Wǒ hái yǐwéi shì shéi ne.

So it’s you! I wondered who it was.

4. 即使 / 就是…，也… “even if…, still…”

The first part is a supposition, the second says the outcome won’t change: 即使再困难，我也要面对 “even if it gets harder, I’ll face it”, 就是下雨，我也去 “even if it rains, I’ll go”. 就是 is more colloquial, 即使 more formal.

就是下雨，我也去。

Jiùshì xià yǔ, wǒ yě qù.

Even if it rains, I’ll go.

即使很累，他也每天跑步。

Jíshǐ hěn lèi, tā yě měi tiān pǎobù.

Even when he’s tired, he runs every day.

5. 然而 / 不过; 此外 / 另外 / 加上

“However”: 然而 is formal, 不过 colloquial and softer (“but, though”). “Besides”: 此外 is formal, 另外 “in addition; also” (and “other”: 另外一个), 加上 “on top of that” (adds another reason): 钱不够，加上人也少. 最终 is “in the end, finally”: 最终，他们成功了.

他试了很多次，最终成功了。

Tā shìle hěn duō cì, zuìzhōng chénggōng le.

He tried many times and finally succeeded.

我无法理解他的做法。

Wǒ wúfǎ lǐjiě tā de zuòfǎ.

I can’t understand why he acts like that.

此外，还要注意安全。

Cǐwài, hái yào zhùyì ānquán.

In addition, safety must be observed.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

Answer
情况很复杂。 Qíngkuàng hěn fùzá. — The situation is very complicated.
Answer
千万别忘了带护照！ Qiānwàn bié wàngle dài hùzhào! — Whatever you do, don’t forget your passport!
Answer
原来是你！ Yuánlái shì nǐ! — So it’s you!
Answer
估计他不会来了。 Gūjì tā bú huì lái le. — I reckon he won’t come.

2. Choose the correct option

你___去不去？快说啊！
Answer
到底
___再忙，也要吃饭。
Answer
即使
路上___要小心！
Answer
千万
“So it’s you!” (realising)
Answer
原来是你！

3. Build the sentence

Whatever you do, don’t give up.
Answer
千万别放弃。 Qiānwàn bié fàngqì.
Even if it gets harder, I’ll face it.
Answer
即使再困难，我也要面对。 Jíshǐ zài kùnnan, wǒ yě yào miànduì.
What’s the key problem?
Answer
关键是什么问题？ Guānjiàn shì shénme wèntí?
I really can’t go today.
Answer
我今天确实去不了。 Wǒ jīntiān quèshí qù bu liǎo.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

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

A

你的作文写完了吗？

Nǐ de zuòwén xiěwán le ma?

Have you finished your essay?

B

还没有，出现了一些问题。

Hái méiyǒu, chūxiànle yìxiē wèntí.

Not yet — some problems came up.

A

什么问题？

Shénme wèntí?

What problems?

B

资料不够，加上电脑也坏了。

Zīliào bú gòu, jiāshàng diànnǎo yě huài le.

Not enough material, and on top of that my computer broke.

A

那怎么办？下星期就要交了。

Nà zěnme bàn? Xià xīngqī jiù yào jiāo le.

So what now? It’s due next week.

B

即使每天不睡觉，我也要按时交。

Jíshǐ měi tiān bú shuìjiào, wǒ yě yào ànshí jiāo.

Even if I have to stay up every night, I’ll hand it in on time.

5. Translate into Chinese

Are you going or not?
Answer
你到底去不去？
Even if it rains, the match will go ahead.
Answer
即使下雨，比赛也会举行。
Whatever you do, don’t tell him.
Answer
千万别告诉他。

💡 Did you know?: The old man who lost his horse

When misfortune strikes, Chinese people recall the parable 塞翁失马, “the old man at the frontier lost his horse”. His horse ran away; the neighbours pitied him, but he said, “Who knows, it may be good luck.” The horse came back bringing a fine stallion. His son rode it, fell and broke his leg — and so was spared from war and survived. The moral: every misfortune may hold some good, so 千万别放弃.