About This Lesson
Use Prepare for a Meeting to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
会议笔记准备好了吗？
Huìyì bǐjì zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma? Are the meeting notes ready?
B
它们在我的桌上。
Tāmen zài wǒ de zhuō shàng. They are on my desk.
A
有我的一份吗？
Yǒu wǒ de yí fèn ma? Is there a copy for me?
B
这里有一份。
Zhèlǐ yǒu yí fèn. Here is one.
A
我们今天讨论什么？
Wǒmen jīntiān tǎolùn shénme? What are we discussing today?
B
我们要讨论新计划。
Wǒmen yào tǎolùn xīn jìhuà. We will discuss the new plan.
A
开始前让我读一下笔记。
Kāishǐ qián ràng wǒ dú yíxià bǐjì. Let me read the notes before we start.
B
开始前花一分钟吧。
Kāishǐ qián huā yì fēnzhōng ba. Take a minute before we begin.Word by Word
会议
会议 means “meeting” here, in 会议笔记, “meeting notes.” It is used for workplace meetings, and can be followed by a topic such as 会议笔记.
笔记
笔记 means “notes,” referring here to the notes for the meeting. It can be used after a topic word in 会议笔记, “meeting notes,” or with 读 when talking about reading notes.
准备
准备 in 准备好了吗 means “be prepared” or “get ready,” as part of asking whether the notes are ready. A useful pattern from this dialogue is 准备好, referring to something reaching a ready state.
好
好 in 准备好 means “ready,” completing the idea that the meeting notes are prepared. In 准备好了吗, it helps ask whether the preparation has reached the required state.
了
了 in 准备好了吗 points to the completed or changed state of being ready. Together with 准备好, it asks whether the notes have become ready now.
吗
吗 turns 准备好了吗 into a yes-or-no question about whether the notes are ready. It is commonly placed at the end of a question when the speaker expects a yes-or-no answer.
它们
它们 means “they” or “them” for things, referring here to the meeting notes. It is used as the subject before 在我的桌上 when talking about where several things are located.
在
在 means “be located at” in 它们在我的桌上. A reliable pattern is 在 + place, used to say where a person or thing is.
我
我 refers to the speaker as “I” or “me”; in 我的桌上, it contributes the meaning “my.” It can be placed before 的 when the speaker identifies something as belonging to them.
的
的 links 我 to 桌上 in 我的桌上 and marks the possessive relationship, giving “my desk.” A useful pattern is pronoun + 的 + noun, as in 我的桌上.
桌上
桌上 means “on the desk,” describing the location of the notes. It is used after 在 in 在我的桌上 to give the place where something is located.
有
有 means “there is” or “there are” in 有我的一份吗, asking whether a copy for the speaker is available. A useful pattern is 有 + thing when asking whether something exists or is available.
份
份 is the classifier for the copy in 一份, “one copy.” It is used after a number and before an understood document or portion, as in 有我的一份吗.
这里
这里 means “here” in 这里有一份, pointing to the place where a copy is being offered. It commonly appears with 有 to present or identify something that is here.
我们
我们 means “we” or “us,” referring here to the two people who will discuss the plan and begin together. It is placed before the verb in 我们今天讨论什么 and 我们要讨论新计划.
今天
今天 means “today,” identifying when the discussion takes place in 我们今天讨论什么. It can be placed before the verb to give the time of an action.
讨论
讨论 means “discuss” in 我们今天讨论什么 and 我们要讨论新计划. A useful pattern is 讨论 + topic, as in 讨论新计划, “discuss the new plan.”
什么
什么 means “what” in 我们今天讨论什么, asking for the topic of the discussion. It follows 讨论 here because the speaker is asking what will be discussed.
要
要 in 我们要讨论新计划 indicates that the speakers will or are going to discuss the new plan. A useful pattern is 要 + verb for an intended or upcoming action.
新
新 means “new” and describes the plan in 新计划. It is placed before the noun it describes, so 新计划 means “new plan.”
计划
计划 means “plan,” specifically the new plan that will be discussed. It can follow a describing word such as 新 in 新计划.
开始
开始 means “start” or “begin” in 开始前, referring to the start of the meeting or activity. It can be followed by 前 to express the time before an event begins.
前
前 means “before” in 开始前, “before we start.” A useful pattern is event or action + 前 to refer to the time before it.
让
让 means “let” or “allow” in 让我读一下, where the speaker asks to be allowed to read the notes. A useful pattern is 让我 + verb for “let me do something.”
读
读 means “read” in 让我读一下笔记, referring to reading the notes. It can be followed by the material being read, as in 读笔记.
一下
一下 in 让我读一下笔记 makes the action sound brief or light: “let me read the notes for a moment.” In the exact form 一下, 一 and 下 work together as a softening expression rather than meaning a literal “one down”; a common pattern is verb + 一下.
花
花 means “spend” in 花一分钟, referring to spending time. A useful pattern is 花 + duration, used when saying how much time an activity takes.
分钟
分钟 means “minute” in 花一分钟, describing the amount of time. It follows a number in 一分钟 and can be used after 花 to express time spent.
吧
吧 at the end of 开始前花一分钟吧 makes the sentence a gentle suggestion: “let’s spend a minute before we begin.” It is commonly placed at the end of a sentence when proposing an action.
Grammar Points
这里有 + 名词
这里有一份计划。
Zhèlǐ yǒu yí fèn jìhuà.There is a copy of the plan here.
Chinese uses 有 to express existence, often placing the location before 有.
动词 + 一下
请读一下。
Qǐng dú yíxià.Please read it briefly.
一下 after a verb makes the action sound brief or more polite.
Chinese Vocabulary
笔记
noun
bǐjì
notes
读
verb
dú
read
会议
noun
huìyì
meeting
计划
noun
jìhuà
plan
今天
adv
jīntiān
today
开始
verb
kāishǐ
start; begin
讨论
verb
tǎolùn
discuss
新
adj
xīn
new
一份
phrase
yí fèn
a copy; one portion
一下
adv
yíxià
a little; briefly
准备好
verb
zhǔnbèi hǎo
be ready
桌上
phrase
zhuō shàng
on the desk
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
a little; briefly
Show Answer
一下be ready
Show Answer
准备好on the desk
Show Answer
桌上a copy; one portion