Signing Up for a Walking Event | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 参加步行活动要多少钱？

   How much does it cost to join the walking event?

   参加

   join; take part in

   步行

   walking; on foot

   活动

   event; activity

   要多少钱

   cost how much

   More detail

   参加 means to join or take part in something. It is a useful verb before the activity or group being joined: 参加活动 means “take part in an event,” while 参加会议 means “attend a meeting.” Example: 我参加比赛。 — “I take part in the competition.” 步行 means walking or going on foot. Here it modifies 活动, forming 步行活动, “walking event.” It can also be used as a verb: 我们步行回家。 — “We walk home.” 活动 means an event or activity. In 步行活动, it is the noun for the organized event. The same noun can refer more generally to an activity, as in 学校活动 — “school activity.” 要多少钱 asks how much something costs. 要 here expresses the required price, and 多少钱 asks for the amount of money; it is not a statement that any particular amount is required. Compare 要十元 — “It costs ten yuan” — and 要多少钱？ — “How much does it cost?” Together, 参加 + 步行活动 means “join the walking event,” and 要多少钱 asks for the required price. The whole question is therefore: “How much does it cost to join the walking event?”

2. 本市居民可以免费参加。

   It is free for city residents.

   本市

   this city; local city

   居民

   residents

   可以

   can; may

   免费

   free

   参加

   participate; join

   More detail

   本市 means “this city” or “the local city.” Here it identifies which residents are being discussed. 本 is a useful written/formal way to mean “this” in compounds such as 本市 (“this city”) and 本店 (“this shop”); it is not a standalone translation of every use of “this.” 居民 means “residents,” referring to people who live in a place. It is a noun and can follow a place expression: 本市居民 means “residents of this city.” Example: 居民可以参加。 — “Residents can participate.” 可以 expresses that someone is allowed or able to do something. In this sentence, it introduces the possibility or permission to participate; the context and fixed translation show that the participation is free for the residents. A reusable pattern is subject + 可以 + verb: 我们可以报名。 — “We can sign up.” 免费 means “free of charge.” It commonly appears before an activity or service to say that no payment is required, as in 免费参加 (“participate for free”). Example: 学生可以免费进入。 — “Students can enter for free.” This example introduces students as a new referent; it is not a claim about the supplied conversation. 参加 means “to participate in” or “to join” an activity, event, or organized activity. It is a verb. The same verb appears in the preceding question 参加步行活动 (“join the walking event”), while 参加 here is followed by an understood activity supplied by the context. Example: 她参加比赛。 — “She participates in the competition.” Together, 本市居民 is the subject, 可以 says that participation is possible or permitted, 免费 says that no fee is charged, and 参加 names the activity. The complete meaning is: “City residents can participate for free,” or, in the fixed translation, “It is free for city residents.”

3. 我们想一起报名。

   We would like to sign up together.

   我们想

   we would like

   一起

   together

   报名

   sign up

   More detail

   我们想 means “we want to / we would like to.” 我们 is the first-person plural pronoun “we”; 们 marks the plural human group, so 我 “I” contrasts with 我们 “we.” 想 here expresses desire or intention and is followed by an action: 我想报名。 means “I want to sign up.” In this sentence, the fixed translation presents that desire politely as “would like to.” 一起 means “together” and indicates that the participants do the action jointly. It can be placed before the action: 我们一起学习。 means “We study together.” It does not itself specify exactly who belongs to the group beyond the context supplied by the sentence. 报名 means “to sign up” or “to register,” especially for an activity, event, or service. It is a useful verb for registering oneself or a group. For example, 她报名参加课程。 means “She signs up for the course.” Together, 我们想 + 一起 + 报名 produces 我们想一起报名。: “We would like to sign up together.” The order is: the subject and desire first, then the manner of acting, then the action.

4. 请在这张表上写下你们的姓名、地址和电话号码。

   Please write your names, addresses, and phone numbers on this form.

   请

   please

   在

   on; at

   这张表

   this form

   上

   on

   写下

   write down

   你们的

   your (plural)

   姓名

   name

   地址

   address

   电话号码

   telephone number

   More detail

   请 makes the utterance a polite request. It comes before the requested action; compare 请坐 (“please sit”) and 请看 (“please look”). 在 introduces the place where the action takes place. In this sentence it combines with the location phrase 这张表上, giving the pattern 在 + place + 上 + verb: “write on a place.” 这张表 means “this form.” 这 means “this,” while 张 is the classifier used with flat items such as forms, sheets, and tables. For example, 一张纸 means “a sheet of paper”; 一张表 means “a form/table.” The classifier is not an independent count word here; it is required in the demonstrative-noun pattern 这 + classifier + noun. 上 follows the location noun and marks the surface or location “on” which something happens. Thus 表上 is “on the form.” The separate words 在 and 上 work together in 在表上写 (“write on the form”); 上 here is not part of the verb 写下. 写下 means “write down.” Its base verb is 写 (“to write”); 下 is a complement that presents the writing as being put down or recorded. For example, 请写下你的名字 means “Please write down your name.” This is different from simply 写, which can mean “write” without highlighting the recording result. 你们的 means “your,” addressed to more than one person. 你们 is the plural second-person pronoun, and 的 marks possession or association. For one person, use 你的; for more than one person, use 你们的. The plural meaning is carried by 们 in 你们, not by 的. 姓名 means “name,” especially a person’s full or official name. The word 名 alone can mean “name” in some contexts, while 名字 is a common everyday word for “name”; 姓名 is a useful choice on forms and other official documents. Here it is the thing that the addressees are asked to write. 地址 means “address.” It can refer to a postal or residential address, and it also commonly refers to an electronic or web address when the context specifies one. For example, 请写下你的地址 means “Please write down your address.” 电话号码 means “telephone number.” It is a compound noun: 电话 means “telephone,” and 号码 means “number.” For example, 我的电话号码是…… means “My telephone number is …”; the observed form is a noun phrase, not a verb. Together, 请 + 在这张表上 + 写下 forms a polite request to write something on this form. The object is 你们的姓名、地址和电话号码: the addressees’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers. The commas separate the three requested items, so the complete meaning is “Please write your names, addresses, and phone numbers on this form.”

5. 我们也应该写电子邮件地址吗？

   Should we add an email address too?

   我们

   we

   也

   also; too

   应该

   should

   写

   write

   电子邮件地址

   email address

   吗

   yes-or-no question particle

   More detail

   我们 means “we” here: the speaker refers to themself together with at least one other person. Mandarin pronouns do not change for grammatical gender, and 我们 is the plural form of 我 (“I”). Example: 我们现在开始。 — “We are starting now.” 也 adds the meaning “also” or “too.” It presents the following action or situation as an additional one. In this sentence it comes after 我们 and before the modal-and-verb group, marking the proposed writing as something to do in addition to the other information. 应该 expresses what is advisable, expected, or appropriate: “should” or “ought to.” It comes before the verb it modifies, so 应该写 means “should write/enter.” Mandarin verbs and modal verbs such as 应该 do not change according to the subject; the same form can occur with different subjects. Example: 你应该保存这个地址。 — “You should save this address.” 写 means “write” in this sentence. In the form-filling context, it naturally covers entering the information, which is why the fixed translation uses “add.” Its basic form does not change for person or tense in Mandarin; time is understood from context or expressed with other words. Example: 请写你的姓名。 — “Please write your name.” 电子邮件地址 is the noun phrase “email address.” It is a compound made from 电子邮件 (“email”) and 地址 (“address”), but the selected phrase functions as one useful information type in this sentence. Example: 我的电子邮件地址在这里。 — “My email address is here.” 吗 is a sentence-final particle that turns a statement into a neutral yes-or-no question. Compare 我们应该写电子邮件地址。 — “We should write an email address.” — with the supplied sentence, where adding 吗 asks whether that is the case. 吗 does not itself mean “should” or “too”; those meanings come from 应该 and 也. Together, 我们也应该写电子邮件地址吗？ has the structure “we + too/also + should + write/enter + email address + yes-or-no question particle.” The whole utterance asks whether the group should enter an email address in addition to the other requested information. In this context, the question is compatible with the following information that this item is optional.

6. 那一项是可选的。

   That part is optional.

   那

   that

   一项

   an item; a part

   是

   is

   可选的

   optional

   More detail

   那 is the demonstrative “that.” Together with 一项, it points to the relevant part as “that part.” The form itself gives the demonstrative contrast, not a more detailed referent. A reusable contrast is 这 “this” versus 那 “that.” 一项 is a numeral-classifier phrase for one item, matter, or project; in 那一项, it combines with 那 to identify “that item” or “that part.” The meaning “that” does not come from 一项 alone. The classifier 项 is useful for certain items, matters, and projects. 是 is the copula “to be.” The reusable pattern A 是 B connects a subject with an identity or description, as in 这是新的 (“This is new”). 可选的 means “optional.” 可选 means “available to be chosen.” Here, the final 的 forms the descriptive predicate 可选的, so 是可选的 describes the item as optional. A contrasting description is 必选的, “required” or “mandatory,” for something that must be selected. Together, 那一项 identifies “that part,” 是 links it to its description, and 可选的 describes it as optional. The whole utterance means: “That part is optional.”

7. 如果我们填写电子邮件地址，你们会发送什么？

   What will you send if we add one?

   如果

   if

   我们

   we; us

   填写

   fill in; enter

   电子邮件地址

   email address

   你们

   you (plural)

   会

   will

   发送

   send

   什么

   what

   More detail

   如果 introduces a condition: “if …”. A reusable pattern is 如果 + condition, …, as in 如果下雨，我们不出去。 — “If it rains, we won’t go out.” 我们 means “we/us” and includes the speaker. Chinese pronouns do not change for case, and 我们 does not itself specify whether the group is male, female, or mixed. It is different from 你们, which refers to more than one person addressed by the speaker. 填写 means “fill in” or “enter” information in a form or field. Its base form is the same as the observed form because Chinese verbs do not conjugate for person or number. For example, 请填写姓名。 means “Please enter your name.” 电子邮件地址 means “email address”: 电子邮件 is “email,” and 地址 is “address.” Together they name the information being entered. In this sentence, the translation’s “add one” expresses the action of entering an email address without repeating that detail. 你们 means “you” when addressing a plural group. Like 我们, it does not change for case, gender, or number within the form itself; the plural meaning is part of the pronoun. 你 is the corresponding singular “you.” 会 comes before 发送 and indicates an expected or future event here: “will send.” Chinese does not mark this future meaning by changing the verb. 会 can also express likelihood in other contexts, but this sentence uses it for the expected result of the condition. 发送 means “send,” especially for messages, files, or other transmitted items. It stays in the same form with different subjects. For example, 系统会发送邮件。 means “The system will send an email.” 什么 asks “what?” and is the object of 发送: the question asks which item will be sent, not who will send it. A useful contrast is 谁, which asks “who?” rather than “what?” The sentence combines the conditional clause 如果我们填写电子邮件地址 (“if we enter an email address”) with the question 你们会发送什么？ (“what will you send?”). The whole utterance therefore means: “What will you send if we add an email address?” In the supplied context, the expected item is the schedule for the next event.

8. 我们会发送下一次活动的日程。

   We will send the schedule for the next event.

   我们会

   we will

   发送

   send

   下一次

   next time; next occurrence

   活动

   event; activity

   日程

   schedule

   More detail

   我们会 means “we will” here. 我们 is the first-person plural pronoun “we.” 会 is a modal placed before the verb; in this sentence it marks a future action or expected event. Chinese verbs do not change form for person or number, so 发送 remains the same after 我们会. 发送 means “send.” It is a lexical verb and does not inflect for tense. The pattern 会 + verb is reusable: 他们会发送。 means “They will send.” 下一次 means “the next time” or “the next occurrence.” 下 marks a later occurrence, while 一次 presents an occurrence as one instance. In this sentence it modifies 活动, so it identifies the event as the next occurrence of the event/activity. 活动 means “event” or “activity.” The appropriate English choice here is “event,” as shown by the fixed translation. For example, 学校活动 can mean “school activity” or “school event,” depending on context. 日程 means “schedule.” It is the item being sent. Chinese nouns do not take an English-style plural ending here; the form 日程 can refer to a schedule as a general item. The phrase 下一次活动的日程 uses 的 to connect a modifier to the noun it describes: 下一次活动 (“the next event”) + 的 + 日程 (“schedule”). Thus, it means “the schedule for the next event.” Putting the parts together, 我们会发送 establishes that the subject will carry out the action, and 下一次活动的日程 identifies what will be sent. The complete utterance means: “We will send the schedule for the next event.”