About This Lesson
Use Finding a Missing Screw to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
我丢了一颗小螺丝。
Wǒ diū le yī kē xiǎo luósī. I lost a small screw.
B
看看椅子下面。
Kànkan yǐzi xiàmiàn. Check under the chair.
A
它就在椅子腿旁边。
Tā jiù zài yǐzi tuǐ pángbiān. It was by the chair leg.
B
小心地把它捡起来。
Xiǎoxīn de bǎ tā jiǎn qǐlái. Pick it up carefully.
A
它很小。
Tā hěn xiǎo. It is tiny.
B
把它放在手掌里，这样它就不会再滚走了。
Bǎ tā fàng zài shǒuzhǎng lǐ, zhèyàng tā jiù bú huì zài gǔnzǒu le. Hold it in your palm so it does not roll away again.
A
我们需要它来修架子。
Wǒmen xūyào tā lái xiū jiàzi. We need it to fix the shelf.
B
这样我们就能把它修好了。
Zhèyàng wǒmen jiù néng bǎ tā xiū hǎo le. Then we can finish fixing it.Word by Word
我
我 means “I” in 我丢了，identifying the speaker as the person who lost the screw. It commonly appears before an action to show who does it, such as when reporting a small problem.
丢
丢 means “lose” in 我丢了，describing the screw no longer being with the speaker. It is used before the lost object, as in 我丢了一颗小螺丝, when explaining what went missing.
了
了 in 我丢了 shows that the losing event has happened. It follows the action here and is useful when reporting a completed event or a resulting situation.
一
一 means “one” in 一颗小螺丝, identifying one screw. It comes before the classifier 颗, and this pattern is useful when counting a specific object.
颗
颗 is the classifier used in 一颗小螺丝 for the small screw. It follows the number 一 and comes before the object, making the quantity expression complete when referring to one small item.
小
小 means “small” in 一颗小螺丝, describing the size of the screw. It comes before the noun 螺丝 and is useful when identifying an object by its size.
螺丝
螺丝 means “screw” in 一颗小螺丝, naming the missing object. It follows the classifier 颗 and is used when talking about the hardware needed to fix the shelf.
看看
看看 means “take a look” or “check” in 看看椅子下面, giving a light instruction to inspect a place. The repeated form is useful before a location or object when asking someone to check it in a practical situation.
椅子
椅子 means “chair” in 椅子下面 and 椅子腿, identifying the furniture used as a location reference. It can be followed by a location word or a body-part word to specify a part of the chair.
下面
下面 means “under” or “below” in 椅子下面, locating something beneath the chair. It follows the object used as the reference point and is useful when directing someone to search underneath something.
它
它 means “it” in 它就在椅子腿旁边, referring back to the screw. It is also used as the object in 把它捡起来 and 把它放在手掌里 when handling the same item.
就
就 in 它就在椅子腿旁边 emphasizes that the screw is right by the chair leg. It appears before the location phrase and is useful for pointing out an exact or immediate place.
在
在 in 它就在椅子腿旁边 marks the screw’s location as being by the chair leg. It comes before the place phrase and is useful when saying where a person or object is.
腿
腿 means “leg” in 椅子腿, referring to the leg of the chair rather than a person’s leg. It follows 椅子 to identify a specific part of the chair and helps describe where to look.
旁边
旁边 means “beside” or “next to” in 椅子腿旁边, locating the screw beside the chair leg. It follows the reference object and is useful when describing a nearby position.
小心
小心 means “carefully” in 小心地把它捡起来, telling the listener to handle the screw with care. Together with 地 it comes before the action and is useful when giving a careful instruction.
地
地 in 小心地把它捡起来 connects 小心 with the following action and marks the manner of picking it up. It is useful after a manner word and before the action being done that way.
把
把 in 把它捡起来 introduces the object being handled, namely it. The 把 construction places the object before the action and is useful when giving instructions about what to do with a specific thing.
捡
捡 means “pick up” in 把它捡起来, describing taking the screw from the floor or another surface. It is used with the object being picked up, and here it combines with 起来 to show the upward action.
起来
起来 in 把它捡起来 adds the idea of moving the object upward as part of picking it up. It follows 捡 in this action expression and is useful when the action involves lifting something from a lower position.
很
很 in 它很小 marks the degree of the following description, making the statement that the screw is very small. It comes before the adjective 小 and is useful in a simple description of an object’s size.
放
放 means “put” or “place” in 把它放在手掌里, describing placing the screw in the palm. It is followed by the location phrase 在手掌里 and is useful when telling someone where to put an object.
手掌
手掌 means “palm of the hand” in 手掌里, identifying the place where the screw should be kept. It is followed by 里 to form a location phrase and is useful when describing holding something in the palm.
里
里 means “inside” or “in” in 手掌里, showing that the screw is kept within the palm. It follows 手掌 and is useful for forming an inside-location phrase.
这样
这样 means “this way” or “so” in 这样它就不会再滚走了, linking the action of keeping the screw in the palm with the intended result. It is useful at the start of a result explanation after giving an instruction.
不
不 in 不会再滚走 negates the expected movement away. It comes before 会 and is useful when saying that an action or result will not happen.
会
会 in 不会再滚走 indicates that the screw will or may roll away again, while 不会 says that this will not happen. It comes before the action and is useful for describing a possible future result.
再
再 in 不会再滚走 means “again,” referring to the screw rolling away another time. It comes before the action 滚走 and is useful when preventing a repeated event.
滚
滚 means “roll” in 滚走, describing the screw moving by rolling. It combines with 走 to show movement away and is useful for describing a small round object leaving its place.
走
走 in 滚走 shows movement away as part of the expression for rolling away. It follows 滚 here and is useful when an object’s movement carries it away from the current place.
我们
我们 means “we” or “us” in 我们需要它, referring to the two people who need the screw. It appears before the action and is useful when describing something shared by the speaker and another person.
需要
需要 means “need” in 我们需要它, expressing that the screw is necessary for the repair. It comes before the needed object and can be followed by 来 plus an action to explain the purpose.
来
来 in 来修架子 introduces the purpose for needing the screw: fixing the shelf. It comes before 修 and is useful after an object or need when explaining what the object will be used to do.
修
修 means “fix” or “repair” in 修架子, describing the work to be done on the shelf. It comes before the object 架子 and is useful when talking about repairing something.
架子
架子 means “shelf” in 修架子, naming the object that needs repair. It follows 修 as the object of the repair and is useful when identifying furniture being fixed.
能
能 in 我们就能把它修好了 means “can” or “be able to,” showing that the speakers will be able to complete the repair. It comes before the action phrase and is useful when describing an achievable result.
好
好 in 把它修好了 shows that the repair has been completed successfully. It follows 修 in the action expression and is useful as a result meaning that something has been fixed properly.
Grammar Points
动词 + 好
修好了
xiū hǎo lefinished fixing it; repaired it successfully
“好” after a verb shows that the action has been completed successfully.
小心地 + 动词
小心地捡起来
xiǎoxīn de jiǎn qǐláicarefully pick it up
“地” links an adverbial expression to a verb and shows how the action is done.
Chinese Vocabulary
丢
verb
diū
lose
捡起来
verb
jiǎn qǐlái
pick up
看看
verb
kànkan
check; take a look
螺丝
noun
luósī
screw
旁边
noun
pángbiān
beside; next to
手掌
noun
shǒuzhǎng
palm
腿
noun
tuǐ
leg
下面
adv
xiàmiàn
under; below
小
adj
xiǎo
small
小心地
adv
xiǎoxīn de
carefully
椅子
noun
yǐzi
chair
这样
adv
zhèyàng
so; in this way
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
palm
Show Answer
手掌pick up
Show Answer
捡起来beside; next to
Show Answer
旁边chair