About This Lesson
Use Talking about drawing in free time to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
你空闲时做什么？
nǐ kòngxián shí zuò shénme? What do you do in your free time?
B
我喜欢在家画画。
wǒ xǐhuan zài jiā huàhuà. I enjoy drawing at home.
A
听起来是个让人放松的爱好。
tīng qǐlái shì ge ràng rén fàngsōng de àihào. That sounds like a relaxing hobby.
B
我通常在笔记本上画一些小东西。
wǒ tōngcháng zài bǐjìběn shàng huà yìxiē xiǎo dōngxi. I usually sketch small things in my notebook.
A
你经常练习吗？
nǐ jīngcháng liànxí ma? Do you practice often?
B
一点点，主要是在我有时间的时候。
yìdiǎndiǎn, zhǔyào shì zài wǒ yǒu shíjiān de shíhou. A little, mostly when I have time.
A
也许我也可以试试。
yěxǔ wǒ yě kěyǐ shìshi. Maybe I can try it too.
B
你可以用我的旧铅笔。
nǐ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de jiù qiānbǐ. You can use my old pencil.Word by Word
你
“你” means “you” and refers to the person being asked in “你空闲时做什么？”. It commonly comes before the action or description about the other person.
空闲
“空闲” means free or not busy in “你空闲时做什么？”. It describes a time when the person has no current work or other activity, and it can be followed by “时” to refer to that time.
时
“时” means “when” or “during” in “空闲时”. It follows “空闲” to mark the time when the action happens, as in “空闲时做什么”.
做
“做” means “do” in “你空闲时做什么？”. Together with “什么”, it asks about the activity someone does; “做什么” is a reusable question pattern.
什么
“什么” means “what” in “做什么”, asking which activity the person does. It appears after “做” as the thing being asked about.
我
“我” means “I” or “me” and refers to the speaker in “我喜欢在家画画”. It commonly comes before the action or feeling the speaker is describing.
喜欢
“喜欢” means “like” or “enjoy” in “我喜欢在家画画”. It is followed here by the activity “在家画画”, and it can be used to say that someone enjoys an activity.
在
“在” marks the location in “在家”, meaning “at home”. It is placed before a place to show where an action happens, as in “在家画画”.
家
“家” means “home” in “在家”. Together with “在”, it gives the location where the drawing happens.
画画
“画画” means drawing or to draw in “我喜欢在家画画”. It names the hobby the speaker enjoys and can follow “喜欢” to describe an enjoyed activity.
听起来
“听起来” means “sound” or “seem from hearing” in “听起来是个让人放松的爱好”. “听” points to hearing, while “起来” helps present the impression that arises, so the whole expression describes how something seems. It is used before an impression or description.
是
“是” means “is” in “是个让人放松的爱好”. It connects the impression “听起来” with the description that follows.
个
“个” is the general measure word in “个爱好”, referring to one hobby as a unit. It is placed between “是” and the noun “爱好” in this expression.
让人
“让人” is part of “让人放松的爱好”, meaning “make people” or “cause someone to”. Here, “让” expresses causing an effect and “人” refers to people; together they introduce the people who feel the effect of “放松”.
放松
“放松” means relax or feel relaxed in “让人放松”. It describes the effect that the hobby has on people, and it follows “让人” in this expression.
的
“的” links “让人放松” to “爱好” in “让人放松的爱好”. The full expression means a hobby that makes people relax, with the words before “的” describing the hobby after it.
爱好
“爱好” means hobby in “让人放松的爱好”. It is the noun being described and is preceded by “个” when counted as one hobby.
通常
“通常” means usually in “我通常在笔记本上画一些小东西”. It shows that the action happens regularly but not every single time, and it comes before the action or location phrase.
笔记本
“笔记本” means notebook in “在笔记本上”. It is the surface used for the drawing and is followed by “上” to express “on the notebook”.
上
“上” means “on” in “笔记本上”. It follows “笔记本” to mark the surface where “画” happens, as in “在笔记本上画”.
一
“一” contributes to the expression “一些”, which means “some” here rather than exactly one. It works together with “些” before “小东西” to indicate an unspecified amount.
些
“些” contributes to “一些”, meaning “some” or “a few” in “画一些小东西”. Together, “一些” comes before the noun phrase to show an unspecified amount.
小
“小” means small in “一些小东西”. It comes before “东西” to describe the size of the things being drawn.
东西
“东西” means things in “一些小东西”. It is the object of “画”, referring here to the small things the speaker sketches in the notebook.
经常
“经常” means often in “你经常练习吗？”. It asks about how frequently the practice happens and comes before “练习”.
练习
“练习” means practice or practise in “你经常练习吗？”. It names the activity being asked about and can follow a frequency word such as “经常”.
吗
“吗” is the question particle at the end of “你经常练习吗？”. It turns the statement into a yes-or-no question and is placed at the end.
一点点
“一点点” means a little or a small amount in “一点点，主要是在我有时间的时候”. It gives a limited answer about how much the speaker practises and can stand at the beginning of a short reply.
主要
“主要” means mainly in “主要是在我有时间的时候”. It shows that the following time is the main situation in which the practice happens.
有
“有” means “have” in “我有时间” within “我有时间的时候”. Together with “时间”, it says that the speaker has time, and the whole phrase identifies when the practice happens.
时间
“时间” means time in “有时间”. It is the thing someone has in this expression and can be followed by “的时候” to mean “when there is time”.
时候
“时候” means “time” or “when” in “有时间的时候”. It follows the preceding situation to mark the time when that situation applies, as in “有时间的时候”.
也许
“也许” means maybe or perhaps in “也许我也可以试试”. It presents the speaker’s suggestion as possible rather than certain and commonly comes before the subject or proposed action.
也
“也” means also or too in “我也可以试试”. It shows that the speaker is included in the possibility of trying and appears before “可以” here.
可以
“可以” means can or may in “可以试试”, expressing that trying is possible or permitted. It is placed before the action, as in “可以试试”.
试试
“试试” means give it a try in “我也可以试试”. It names the proposed action and follows “可以” in this sentence; “可以试试” is a reusable way to suggest trying something.
用
“用” means use in “你可以用我的旧铅笔”. It comes before the object that will be used, here “我的旧铅笔”.
我的
“我的” means “my” in “我的旧铅笔”. “我” identifies the speaker and “的” links the speaker to “铅笔” to show possession; this phrase comes before the possessed noun.
旧
“旧” means old or used in “旧铅笔”. It describes the pencil and comes before “铅笔”.
铅笔
“铅笔” means pencil in “我的旧铅笔”. It is the object of “用”, the item that the other person can use.
Grammar Points
通常／经常／主要 + 动词
通常在家画画。
tōngcháng zài jiā huàhuà.I usually draw at home.
Chinese adverbs such as 通常, 经常, and 主要 usually come before the verb, unlike English sentence-final adverbs.
用 + 工具 + 动词
用铅笔画画。
yòng qiānbǐ huàhuà.Draw with a pencil.
用 comes before the tool or method to show what is used to do an action.
Chinese Vocabulary
爱好
noun
àihào
hobby
让人放松的爱好
笔记本
noun
bǐjìběn
notebook
在笔记本上
画
verb
huà
to draw; to sketch
在笔记本上画一些小东西
画画
verb
huàhuà
to draw
我喜欢在家画画。
空闲
adj
kòngxián
free
空闲时
让人放松
phrase
ràng rén fàngsōng
relaxing
让人放松的爱好
听起来
verb
tīng qǐlái
to sound
听起来是个让人放松的爱好。
通常
adv
tōngcháng
usually
我通常在笔记本上画一些小东西。
喜欢
verb
xǐhuan
to enjoy; to like
我喜欢在家画画。
小东西
noun
xiǎo dōngxi
small things
画一些小东西
在家
phrase
zài jiā
at home
我喜欢在家画画。
做什么
phrase
zuò shénme
what to do
你空闲时做什么?
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
relaxing
Show Answer
让人放松to draw
Show Answer
画画hobby
Show Answer
爱好notebook