Reviewing Words with Cards | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 我想复习这些单词。

   I want to review these words.

   我想

   I want to

   复习

   review

   这些

   these

   单词

   words

   More detail

   我想 means “I want to” here: 我 is the first-person singular pronoun “I,” and 想 expresses a desire or intention before another verb. A reusable pattern is 我想 + verb, as in 我想学习。 — “I want to study.” In this use, 想 is followed by the intended action; it is not the noun “thought.” 复习 means “to review” or “to revise.” It is a verb that can be used directly before the thing being reviewed, as in 我复习汉字。 — “I review Chinese characters.” 这些 means “these.” 这 means “this,” while 这些 refers to multiple nearby or contextually identified things. Chinese marks the plural demonstrative with 些 here; 这些 does not itself specify exactly how many things there are. 单词 means “word” or “vocabulary word.” It is a noun referring to an individual lexical item, especially one being learned or studied. For example, 这些单词很重要。 — “These words are important.” In the following context, the same words are discussed as material for word cards. Together, 我想 + 复习 gives “I want to review,” and 这些 + 单词 identifies what is to be reviewed: “these words.” The complete utterance 我想复习这些单词。 therefore means “I want to review these words.”

2. 我们用这些单词卡吧。

   Let's use these word cards.

   我们

   we; us

   用

   use

   这些

   these

   单词

   word

   卡

   card

   吧

   suggestion-softening particle

   More detail

   我们 means “we” or “us.” In Mandarin, this pronoun does not mark gender, and it does not distinguish inclusive “we” (including the listener) from exclusive “we” (not including the listener); the situation determines that. Here it is the group proposed as the users of the cards. 用 means “use” here. Its base form is already 用; Mandarin verbs do not change for person or number. A useful pattern is 用 + object: 用手机 means “use a phone.” 这些 means “these.” 这 identifies something near the speaker, while 些 indicates multiple items; unlike English, Chinese does not add a plural ending to the noun. For example, 这些书 means “these books.” 单词 means “word,” especially an individual vocabulary item or a word being studied. In 单词卡, it modifies 卡, forming “word card” or “vocabulary flashcard.” This is a noun compound, so the modifier comes before the noun. 卡 means “card.” In this sentence it is the main noun of the compound 单词卡. For example, 一张卡 means “one card”; 张 is a measure word commonly used with flat objects such as cards. 吧 is a sentence-final particle that makes the proposal softer and less forceful. The pattern …吧 can often be rendered as “let’s …” when the speaker suggests a shared action. It is not part of the verb 用 and does not change the verb’s form. Together, 这些单词卡 means “these word cards,” 用 means “use,” and 我们 identifies the proposed users. The sentence-final 吧 turns the statement into a suggestion: “Let’s use these word cards.”

3. 我记不住这个。

   I can't remember this one.

   我

   I

   记不住

   can’t remember

   这个

   this one

   More detail

   我 means “I” here, the speaker as the subject. Mandarin 我 does not change form for grammatical gender or number. Example: 我看书。— “I read.” 记不住 is the negative form of the pattern 记得住 / 记不住, meaning that the speaker cannot successfully retain something in memory. The base verb 记 means “to remember” or “to record,” while 住 here functions as a complement indicating that the memory is retained or held. 不 placed between the verb and this complement gives the negative potential meaning: “cannot remember,” not simply a general statement that remembering is absent. Example: 这个名字我记不住。— “I can’t remember this name.” 这个 means “this one” in this sentence. It consists of the proximal demonstrative 这 (“this”) and the general classifier 个; together, 这个 can point to one item under discussion. The exact referent is supplied by the situation rather than by the form alone. Example: 这个很简单。— “This one is easy.” Together, 我 + 记不住 + 这个 means “I can’t remember this one.” The speaker is the person unable to retain the item identified as 这个. In the supplied learning context, the utterance can naturally refer to one of the items being studied.

4. 看看例句。

   Look at the example sentence.

   看看

   have a look at

   例句

   example sentence

   More detail

   看看 means “have a look.” The base verb is 看, “to look at” or “to read,” and its reduplicated form 看看 commonly makes a brief, casual suggestion or request: “take a look.” The repeated form does not necessarily mean looking twice. For example, 看看这个。 means “Have a look at this.” 例句 means “example sentence.” It is a compound noun: 例 means “example,” and 句 refers to a sentence or utterance. This is more specific than 例子 (“example” in general), while 句子 means “sentence” without stating that it is an example. For example, 这是一个例句。 means “This is an example sentence.” Together, 看看 + 例句 gives the direct request “Look at the example sentence.” The utterance is concise and conversational; the object being looked at is the example sentence.

5. 这个句子帮助我记住它。

   The sentence helps me remember it.

   这个

   this

   句子

   sentence

   帮助

   help

   我

   me

   记住

   remember

   它

   it

   More detail

   这个 means “this” here and points to a specific nearby or contextually identified item. It is 这 (“this”) plus the general classifier 个; the classifier is part of the normal pattern 这 + classifier + noun. Example: 这个问题很简单。 — “This question is simple.” 句子 means “sentence.” It is a noun; its plural or singular interpretation is normally supplied by context rather than by an English-style noun ending. In this utterance, 这个 identifies the sentence being discussed. 帮助 is the verb “to help.” A useful pattern is 帮助 + person + verb phrase: the person after 帮助 is the one who carries out the following action. Example: 这本书帮助我学习汉语。 — “This book helps me study Chinese.” 我 means “me” in this position. Chinese pronouns do not change form for grammatical case, so 我 can also mean “I” when it is the subject in another sentence. Example: 我学习汉语。 — “I study Chinese.” 记住 means “remember” in the sense of successfully retaining something. It consists of 记 (“remember; memorize”) plus 住, which indicates that the result is held or retained. This is different from 记 alone, which can describe the activity of trying to remember or recording something. Example: 请记住这个词。 — “Please remember this word.” 它 means “it” here. It is a third-person pronoun used for the intended non-human or otherwise inanimate referent, but the supplied sentence does not identify exactly what that referent is. Chinese pronouns do not mark English-style case here; 它 is the object of 记住. Together, 这个句子 is “this sentence,” and it is the subject of 帮助. The pattern 帮助我记住它 means “helps me remember it”: 我 is the person helped, and 记住它 is the action that person carries out. Thus the whole utterance means, “This sentence helps me remember it.”

6. 试试另一张卡，先看例句。

   Try another card and check the example first.

   试试

   try

   另一张

   another

   卡

   card

   先

   first

   看

   check

   例句

   example sentence

   More detail

   试试 is the reduplicated form of 试 “to try.” Reduplication makes this a light, casual suggestion or request: “try it / give it a try.” The first 试 carries the verb meaning, and the second repeats the form; this is not a separate object. For example, 试试这个。 means “Try this.” 另一张 means “another one” with 张 as the measure word. 另 marks a different choice, while 一张 supplies the measure-word phrase; here it modifies the following noun 卡. Mandarin measure words commonly appear between a numeral or determiner and a noun, as in 一张卡 “one card” and 两张卡 “two cards.” 卡 means “card” here. The sentence does not specify a more particular kind of card, so the noun can be reused with different modifiers when the context identifies the type. 先 means “first” or “before doing something else.” It places the action that follows it earlier in the sequence. For example, 先看这个。 means “Look at this first.” 看 literally means “look at” or “read,” and with 例句 it means “check” or “look at” the example sentence. Its base form is also the ordinary present-time verb; Mandarin does not change this verb for English-style subject agreement or tense. For example, 我看这句话。 means “I look at/read this sentence.” 例句 means “example sentence”: 例 indicates an example, and 句 is associated with a sentence or utterance. In this utterance, 看例句 means “check the example sentence,” rather than merely looking at an unspecified object. Together, 试试另一张卡 means “Try another card.” Then 先看例句 means “check the example sentence first.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Try another card and check the example first.” The sequence marker 先 makes checking the example sentence the earlier action.

7. 我现在试试下一张卡。

   I will try the next card now.

   我

   I; me

   现在

   now

   试试

   try

   下一张

   the next one

   卡

   card

   More detail

   我 means “I” here, the speaker as the person who will try something. It is a first-person singular pronoun. Chinese pronouns do not change for grammatical case, and 我 can be used as either subject or object; its role here comes from its position as the subject. 现在 means “now.” It is a time word that commonly appears before the verb phrase: 我现在学习。 = “I am studying now.” 试试 means “try” here. The base verb is 试 “to try”; repeating it gives a light, brief sense such as “try it” or “give it a try.” This reduplicated form is a verb pattern, not a separate noun. Compare 试一下, which also means “try it,” often with a similarly brief or softened force. 下一张 means “the next one” in the relevant card sequence. 下 contributes the idea of “next” here, while 一张 uses 张, the classifier for flat items such as cards, sheets, and tickets. In Chinese, a number or determiner and a classifier commonly occur before the noun: 一张卡 = “one card,” 下一张卡 = “the next card.” The phrase 下一张 can omit the noun when the context already makes the type of item clear. 卡 means “card” in this sentence. It is the noun identified by the preceding classifier phrase 下一张. For example, 这张卡很难。 means “This card is difficult.” Putting the chunks together, 我 gives the actor, 现在 places the action at the present time, 试试 expresses a brief attempt, and 下一张卡 identifies what is being tried. The complete utterance 我现在试试下一张卡。 means “I will try the next card now.” Chinese does not require a separate future auxiliary here; the future interpretation comes from the speaker’s intention together with the time word and context.

8. 先读句子，再说单词。

   Read the sentence first, then say the word.

   先

   first

   读

   read

   句子

   sentence

   再

   then

   说

   say

   单词

   word

   More detail

   先 means “first” here. It is an adverb placed before the first action to set its order. The reusable pattern 先 + action，再 + action means “do the first action, then do the second.” 读 means “read.” It is the verb in the first instruction. Chinese verbs do not change form for present tense or for the subject; the subject is understood from the situation here. Example: 先读标题。 — “Read the title first.” 句子 means “sentence.” It is the object of 读, so 读句子 means “read the sentence.” The word 子 is part of this noun here, not a separate word meaning “child.” 再 means “then” or “after that.” It marks the second action, contrasting with 先; it does not itself express a new subject or a tense ending. Example: 先听，再说。 — “Listen first, then speak.” 说 means “say” or “speak.” In this utterance it introduces the action of saying the word. Its exact object is supplied by the following noun, 单词. Example: 请说慢一点。 — “Please speak a little more slowly.” 单词 means “word,” especially an individual vocabulary word. It is the object of 说, so 说单词 means “say the word.” This noun is different from 句子, which means “sentence.” Together, 先读句子 gives the first instruction, “read the sentence first,” and 再说单词 gives the next one, “then say the word.” The subject is not stated, which is natural in this concise instruction; the sequence is expressed by 先……再……. The full utterance is therefore: “Read the sentence first, then say the word.”