About This Lesson
Use Practicing Clearer Pronunciation to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
我可以听一下录音吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ tīng yíxià lùyīn ma? Can I listen to the audio?
B
我们一起听吧。
Wǒmen yìqǐ tīng ba. Let's listen together.
A
对我来说太快了。
Duì wǒ lái shuō tài kuài le. It's too fast for me.
B
我来把它放慢。
Wǒ lái bǎ tā fàngmàn. I'll slow it down.
A
这个句子怎么发音？
Zhè ge jùzi zěnme fāyīn? How do I pronounce this sentence?
B
先听一遍，然后跟我读。
Xiān tīng yí biàn, ránhòu gēn wǒ dú. Listen once, then repeat after me.
A
让我再试一次。
Ràng wǒ zài shì yí cì. Let me try again.
B
现在听起来更清楚了。
Xiànzài tīng qǐlái gèng qīngchu le. That sounds clearer now.Word by Word
我
“我” means “I” or “me”; here it refers to the speaker. It commonly comes before an action, as in “我可以听一下录音吗？”. Use it when talking about yourself, such as in a classroom or conversation.
可以
“可以” means “can” or “may”; here it asks whether the speaker is allowed to listen. It comes before the action in “我可以听一下录音吗？”. Use it to ask for permission or say that something is possible.
听
“听” means “listen” or “hear”; here it refers to listening to the recording. It is followed by the object in “听一下录音” and also appears in “一起听吧”. Use it when receiving sound or listening to someone speak.
一下
“一下” makes “听一下” mean listening briefly or making the action sound lighter and more polite. It follows the verb in “我可以听一下录音吗？”. Use it after an action when asking to do it for a short time or in a less forceful way.
录音
“录音” means “audio recording”; here it is what the speaker wants to listen to. It follows “听一下” in “听一下录音”. Use it when referring to a recorded voice, sound, or lesson.
吗
“吗” turns “我可以听一下录音” into the yes-or-no question “我可以听一下录音吗？”. It is placed at the end of the question. Use it after a statement when asking whether something is so or allowed.
我们
“我们” means “we” or “us”; here it refers to both people listening together. It comes before the action in “我们一起听吧”. Use it when including yourself and at least one other person.
一起
“一起” means “together”; here it says that the speakers will listen at the same time. It comes before the verb in “一起听”. Use it before an action to show that people do the action together.
吧
“吧” makes “我们一起听” a suggestion: “Let’s listen together.” It appears at the end of “我们一起听吧”. Use it at the end of a sentence when suggesting an action in a friendly way.
对
“对” means “for” or “toward”; here it introduces the person whose viewpoint is being described in “对我来说”. It is used before the person in this pattern. Use “对 someone 来说” when giving an evaluation from that person’s point of view.
来说
“来说” completes “对我来说”, meaning “for me” or “as far as I am concerned” in “对我来说太快了”. It follows the person after “对”. Use the pattern “对 someone 来说 + evaluation” to state how something is from that person’s perspective.
太
“太” means “too” or “excessively”; here it shows that the speed is beyond what is comfortable for the speaker. It comes before “快” in “太快了”. Use it before an adjective when describing an excessive degree.
快
“快” means “fast”; here it describes the speed of the audio. It is used in “太快了” after “太”. Use it to describe the speed of an action, sound, or movement.
了
“了” at the end of “对我来说太快了” presents the current evaluation that it is too fast. It follows the description “太快”. Use sentence-final “了” when presenting a new or changed situation or an assessment of the situation now.
来
“来” in “我来把它放慢” shows that the speaker will take responsibility for doing the action, meaning “I’ll handle it” or “Let me do it”. It comes before “把它放慢”. Use “我来 + action” when offering to perform an action yourself.
把
“把” marks “它” as the object that will be acted on in “把它放慢”. The pattern places the object after “把” and the action after the object. Use it when focusing on what will happen to a specific object.
它
“它” means “it”; here it refers to the audio or sentence being slowed down. It follows “把” in “把它放慢”. Use it for a thing already understood from the conversation.
放慢
“放慢” means “slow down”; here it means making the audio play more slowly. It follows the object in “把它放慢”. Use it with something whose speed can be reduced, such as audio or movement.
这个
“这个” means “this”; here it points to the sentence being discussed. It comes before “句子” in “这个句子怎么发音？”. Use it before a noun when identifying a particular nearby thing.
句子
“句子” means “sentence”; here it is the language sentence whose pronunciation the speaker asks about. It follows “这个” in “这个句子”. Use it when referring to a complete sentence in speech, writing, or study.
怎么
“怎么” means “how”; here it asks how to pronounce the sentence in “这个句子怎么发音？”. It comes before the action or description being questioned. Use it to ask how to do something or how something happens.
发音
“发音” means “pronounce” or “pronunciation”; here it is the action of pronouncing the sentence in “怎么发音”. It follows “怎么” in the question. Use it when asking about or discussing the way a word, phrase, or sentence is pronounced.
先
“先” means “first”; here it sets the first step in the sequence “先听一遍，然后跟我读”. It comes before the first action. Use it to order instructions or say what should happen before something else.
一遍
“一遍” means “once” or “one complete pass” through an action; here it means listening to the recording one time in “听一遍”. It follows the verb “听”. Use it with an action that can be completed from beginning to end, such as listening to or reading something.
然后
“然后” means “then”; here it introduces the next step after listening once in “然后跟我读”. It comes before the following action. Use it to connect ordered actions or instructions.
跟
“跟” means “with” or “following”; here “跟我读” means reading or repeating after me. It comes before the person who is being followed, “我”. Use “跟 + person + action” when doing an action by following another person.
读
“读” means “read” or “read aloud”; here it tells the learner to say the sentence after the teacher in “跟我读”. It follows “跟我”. Use it for reading written language aloud or silently, depending on the context.
让
“让” means “let” or “allow”; here it begins “让我再试一次”, meaning “Let me try again”. It is followed by the person and the action they want to do. Use “让我 + action” when asking or saying that you will do something.
再
“再” means “again” here; it shows that the speaker will try another time in “再试一次”. It comes before the verb “试”. Use it before an action that will happen one more time.
试
“试” means “try”; here it refers to making another attempt in “让我再试一次”. It is followed by “一次” to state the number of attempts. Use it when attempting an action or testing whether something works.
一次
“一次” means “one time”; here it counts the attempt in “试一次”. It follows the verb “试”. Use it after an action to specify that it happens one time.
现在
“现在” means “now”; here it refers to the current result after the learner tries again. It appears at the beginning of “现在听起来更清楚了”. Use it to locate an action, situation, or evaluation in the present.
听起来
“听起来” means “sound” or “seem when heard”; here it describes how the pronunciation seems to the listener in “现在听起来更清楚了”. It combines “听”, relating to hearing, with “起来”, which helps form the pattern for how something seems when experienced. Use “听起来 + description” to describe the impression something gives when heard.
更
“更” means “more” or “even more”; here it compares the current sound with the earlier one in “更清楚了”. It comes before “清楚”. Use it before a description when showing an increased degree.
清楚
“清楚” means “clear” or “clearly”; here it describes pronunciation that is easier to hear and understand in “听起来更清楚了”. It follows “更” in the comparison. Use it for speech, sound, information, or other things that can be understood without difficulty.
Grammar Points
先……然后……
先听一遍，然后跟读。
Xiān tīng yí biàn, ránhòu gēn dú.First listen once, then read aloud along.
先 introduces the first action, and 然后 introduces the following action.
太 + 形容词
录音对我来说太快。
Lùyīn duì wǒ lái shuō tài kuài.The recording is too fast for me.
太 + adjective means “too …”; the adjective follows 太.
Chinese Vocabulary
对我来说
phrase
duì wǒ lái shuō
for me
对我来说太快了。
发音
verb
fāyīn
to pronounce
这个句子怎么发音?
放慢
verb
fàngmàn
to slow down
我来把它放慢。
句子
noun
jùzi
sentence
这个句子怎么发音?
快
adj
kuài
fast
对我来说太快了。
录音
noun
lùyīn
audio recording
我可以听一下录音吗?
太
adv
tài
too; excessively
对我来说太快了。
听
verb
tīng
to listen
我们一起听吧。
先
adv
xiān
first
先听一遍,然后跟我读。
一遍
phrase
yí biàn
once
先听一遍,然后跟我读。
一起
adv
yìqǐ
together
我们一起听吧。
怎么
adv
zěnme
how
这个句子怎么发音?
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
for me
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对我来说how
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怎么to pronounce
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发音once