Understanding a Lesson Question | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 我不明白这部分课文。

   I don't understand this part of the lesson.

   我

   I; me

   不明白

   not understand

   这

   this

   部分

   part; section

   课文

   lesson text

   More detail

   我 means “I” here, the first-person singular pronoun. Chinese pronouns do not change for grammatical gender, and the same form can also mean “me” when its role in the sentence is not the subject. 不明白 means “do not understand” here. The useful positive form is 明白, “understand” or “be clear about”; 不 placed before it makes the statement negative: 明白 → 不明白. For example, 我明白。means “I understand.” 这 means “this.” It is a demonstrative identifying something near the speaker or otherwise salient. In 这部分, it comes before 部分 to form “this part”; its form does not change for grammatical gender or number. 部分 means “part” or “section.” It identifies a portion of something larger. A reusable pattern is 这部分 + noun, meaning “this part/section of [noun].” 课文 means “lesson text” or “the text of a lesson.” It is a noun referring to material being studied, rather than to a lesson as an entire class session. In 这部分课文, it follows 部分 and specifies what the part belongs to. Together, 我 + 不明白 gives “I do not understand.” The noun phrase 这部分课文 means “this part of the lesson text.” Chinese places that noun phrase after the verb here, so the whole utterance means: “I don’t understand this part of the lesson.”

2. 你觉得哪道题难？

   Which question is giving you trouble?

   你

   you

   觉得

   think; feel

   哪道

   which one (of questions)

   题

   question; problem

   难

   difficult

   More detail

   你 means “you” here, the person being asked. Chinese pronouns do not change for case or grammatical gender; 你 is the usual singular or generic second-person form. Example: 你明白吗？ — “Do you understand?” 觉得 means “think” or “feel” in the sense of forming an opinion or having an impression. It commonly introduces what someone considers or experiences: 我觉得很难。 — “I think it is difficult.” In this sentence, it asks for the learner’s judgment about the difficulty of a question. 哪道 is a reusable “which [question/problem]” pattern. 哪 asks “which,” while 道 is a classifier commonly used with questions or problems. The classifier is part of the noun phrase, so 哪道题 means “which question,” not simply “which.” Example: 你做哪道题？ — “Which question are you doing?” 题 is a noun meaning “question” or “problem,” especially an exercise or item that someone must answer. Its meaning here is compatible with the translation’s “question.” In 一道题, 一 is the numeral “one” and 道 is the classifier: 我做了一道题。 — “I did one problem.” 难 is a descriptive adjective meaning “difficult” or “hard.” Chinese adjectives can function as predicates without a separate form of “to be”: 这道题难。 — “This question is difficult.” 难 does not inflect for person or number. A useful contrast is 容易 — “easy”: 这道题不难。 — “This question is not difficult.” Together, 你觉得 asks for the addressee’s opinion, 哪道题 identifies the question being selected, and 难 describes it as difficult. The whole utterance means: “Which question is giving you trouble?” More literally, it asks, “Which question do you think is difficult?”

3. 这里的答案我不明白。

   The answer here doesn't make sense to me.

   这里

   here

   答案

   answer

   我

   I; me

   不明白

   do not understand

   More detail

   这里 means “here,” referring to the relevant place or context. In Chinese, location words commonly appear before 的 to modify a noun: 这里的答案 means “the answer here.” The word 这里 itself does not change for number or gender. 答案 means “answer.” It is a noun formed from 答 “answer” and 案 in this fixed word; learn the complete word 答案 as the normal expression for an answer. Example: 这个答案正确。 — “This answer is correct.” 我 means “I” or “me.” Chinese uses the same form for subject and object; its role comes from position. Here it is the subject of 不明白, so the meaning is “I do not understand.” The plural form is 我们 when the speaker means “we” or “us.” 不明白 expresses “do not understand” in this sentence. 明白 is the base expression “understand” or “be clear,” and 不 places the action or state in the negative: 我明白。 — “I understand”; 我不明白。 — “I don’t understand.” Chinese verbs do not change form here for the speaker or for singular versus plural. Together, 这里的答案 is “the answer here,” 我 identifies the person who does not understand, and 不明白 supplies the negative understanding statement. The complete utterance means: “The answer here doesn’t make sense to me,” or more literally, “I don’t understand the answer here.”

4. 我们先读句子吧。

   Let's read the sentence first.

   我们

   we; us

   先

   first

   读

   read

   句子

   sentence

   吧

   soft suggestion

   More detail

   我们 means “we” or “us” and refers to the speaker together with at least one other participant. It does not itself specify the group’s size. Chinese pronouns do not change form for subject versus object in this way: 我们 can be “we” in subject position or “us” in object position. Example: 我们看书。 — “We read books.” 先 means “first” or “beforehand” here. It places the reading before a later action or step; the following context makes checking the answer the later step. A reusable pattern is 先 + verb: 先吃饭。 — “Eat first.” 读 is the verb “to read.” It is the basic form used here; Chinese verbs generally do not change form for person or number. Example: 我读这本书。 — “I read this book.” Depending on context, 读 can also emphasize reading aloud, but the fixed sentence only establishes the general activity of reading. 句子 is the noun “sentence.” 句 is a measure word commonly used with sentences, so “one sentence” is 一句话 or 一个句子, depending on the intended phrasing and context; the noun itself does not assert a quantity here. Example: 这个句子很短。 — “This sentence is very short.” 吧 is a sentence-final particle that makes the proposal softer and less forceful. In this sentence it helps turn the statement into “Let’s read...” rather than a bare command. It does not independently mean “we” or “first.” Together, 我们 supplies the participants, 先读 means “read first,” and 句子 identifies what they will read. The final 吧 presents the action as a soft suggestion: “Let’s read the sentence first.”

5. 然后检查答案。

   Then check the answer.

   然后

   then

   检查

   check

   答案

   answer

   More detail

   然后 means “then” and places this action after an earlier step. It is a sequence word, often used in the pattern 先……，然后…… (“first…, then…”). Example: 先读句子，然后检查答案。 — “First read the sentence, then check the answer.” 检查 means “to check” or “to inspect” something carefully. It is a verb and can be followed directly by the thing being checked. Example: 请检查作业。 — “Please check the homework.” 答案 means “answer.” It is a noun; 答 and 案 are not separate words with the full meaning “answer” in this sentence. Example: 答案在这里。 — “The answer is here.” Together, 然后 marks the next step, 检查 supplies the action, and 答案 identifies what is checked. The complete utterance means “Then check the answer.” In this context it is a concise instruction, with the subject understood from the situation rather than stated in the sentence.

6. 你能大声读这个句子吗？

   Can you read the sentence aloud?

   你能

   can you

   大声

   aloud

   读

   read

   这个

   this

   句子

   sentence

   吗

   yes-or-no question marker

   More detail

   你能 means “you can” here. It combines 你 (“you”) with 能 (“can/be able to”) and introduces a request about ability. In this question, 能 comes before the action: 你能 + verb ...吗？ = “Can you ...?” 大声 means “loudly” or “aloud.” It describes how the reading is done. For example, 请大声说。 means “Please speak loudly.” 读 means “to read.” This is the base verb; Mandarin verbs do not change form for the subject or for present versus future time in the way many languages do. For example, 我读。 means “I read” or “I am reading,” depending on context. 这个 means “this.” 这 points to something relatively near the speaker, and 个 is a common measure word used with many nouns. Together, 这个 + noun means “this [noun].” 句子 means “sentence.” It is a noun; the first character, 句, can relate to a phrase or sentence, while 子 is part of this word here and should not be treated as a separate translation. A useful contrasting noun is 答案, “answer,” as in the preceding context. 吗 is placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a neutral yes-or-no question. The statement-like sequence 你能大声读这个句子 becomes the question 你能大声读这个句子吗？ No verb-form change is needed. Together, 你能 + 大声读 + 这个句子 + 吗 produces: “Can you read this sentence aloud?” The structure is reusable as 你能 + [manner] + [verb] + [object] + 吗？.

7. 我会慢慢读。

   I'll read it slowly.

   我会

   I will

   慢慢

   slowly

   读

   read

   More detail

   我会 combines 我 (“I”) with 会, which here expresses the speaker’s intended or expected future action: “I will.” 会 can also express ability in other contexts, but the fixed translation supports the future-intention reading here. For example, 我会回来。 means “I will come back.” 慢慢 means “slowly” in this sentence. It is the reduplicated form of 慢 (“slow”); repeating this kind of descriptive word creates an adverbial manner expression, describing how the action is carried out. For example, 请慢慢说。 means “Please speak slowly.” 读 is the verb “to read.” The form does not show tense by itself; 会 before it supplies the future-oriented meaning in this utterance. For example, 我读这个句子。 means “I read this sentence” or, depending on context, “I am reading this sentence.” Together, 我会 marks the speaker’s future action, 慢慢 specifies its manner, and 读 names the action: “I will read slowly.” The object is understood from context rather than stated in the target sentence; the fixed translation renders it as “it.”

8. 我会把关键词写在我的笔记本上。

   I'll write the key words in my notebook.

   我会

   I will

   关键词

   key words

   写

   write

   我的

   my

   笔记本

   notebook

   上

   on

   More detail

   我会 means “I will” here. 我 is the first-person pronoun “I”; Chinese does not mark its number in this form. 会 is a modal before the verb, expressing the future action intended here. This differs from 能, which more directly concerns ability or possibility. Example: 我会回来。 — “I will come back.” 关键词 means “key words” or “keywords.” It is a noun phrase; Chinese nouns normally do not change form to mark plural number, so the context supplies the plural reading here. Example: 请圈出关键词。 — “Please circle the keywords.” 写 means “to write.” This verb form does not change for person or tense; in this sentence, 我会 supplies the future meaning. Example: 我写名字。 — “I write my name.” 我的 means “my.” It consists of 我 (“I”) plus 的, which marks possession or an attributive relation. The possessed noun follows it, as in 我的笔记本 (“my notebook”). 我的 does not change for the number or grammatical gender of the possessor or possessed noun. Example: 这是我的书。 — “This is my book.” 笔记本 means “notebook.” It is a noun compound; 笔记 relates to notes, while 本 contributes the book-or-volume meaning in this word. The form itself does not mark singular or plural. Example: 我的笔记本在桌子上。 — “My notebook is on the table.” 上 means “on” in this locative use. Following 笔记本, it indicates the surface or location where the writing is placed. A common location pattern is 在 + place + 上, as in 在桌子上 (“on the table”); with an action such as writing, 写在 + place + 上 means “write on + place.” Example: 把名字写在纸上。 — “Write the name on the paper.” Together, 我会把关键词写在我的笔记本上 uses the 把 construction to place 关键词 before the verb and present the writing action as affecting that object. The reusable pattern is subject + modal + 把 + object + verb + 在 + location + 上: “I will write the keywords on my notebook.” The final 。 marks the utterance as a statement.

9. 那我们再试试这个答案吧。

   Then let's try the answer again.

   那我们

   then let's

   再

   again

   试试

   try

   这个

   this

   答案

   answer

   吧

   soft suggestion

   More detail

   那我们 begins with 那, which here means “then” or “in that case,” and continues with 我们, “we/us.” Together, the pattern 那我们…… can introduce a proposal: “Then let’s …” Chinese 我们 does not by itself specify whether the listener is included; the proposal context here includes the listener because of the fixed translation “let’s.” Example: 那我们走吧。 — “Then let’s go.” 再 means “again” here: it places the trying another time after an earlier attempt or opportunity. It is different from 又, which commonly describes something happening again as a repeated fact or event. The short pattern 再 + verb is useful for proposing or describing a further action. Example: 请再说一次。 — “Please say it once more.” 试试 comes from the verb 试, “to try,” with reduplication. 试试 presents the action as a brief, tentative, or approachable attempt—roughly “try it” or “give it a try.” The reduplication belongs to 试; it does not itself mean “again,” so the repeated-time meaning in this sentence comes from 再. Example: 你试试这个方法。 — “Try this method.” 这个 means “this” and is the demonstrative pattern 这 + 个. 这 points to something relatively near or currently salient, while 个 is a common measure word used with many countable nouns. The demonstrative marks the item as “this”; the specific answer it refers to is identified by the sentence’s context, not by 这个 alone. Example: 这个问题很简单。 — “This question is simple.” 答案 means “answer.” It is a noun and can occur after a demonstrative or other determiner, as in 这个答案, “this answer.” Example: 答案在这里。 — “The answer is here.” 吧 is a sentence-final particle that makes the utterance a soft suggestion or proposal. It does not supply the action’s time or the meaning “again”; those meanings come from the neighboring words. The utterance combines 那我们 (“then let’s”), 再 (“again”), 试试 (“try”), and 这个答案 (“this answer”), followed by 吧 to soften the proposal. Its complete meaning is: “Then let’s try this answer again.”