About This Lesson
Use Taking Photos in Free Time to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
你拍照吗？
nǐ pāi zhào ma Do you take photos?
B
我大多数时候都用我的小相机。
wǒ dà duō shù shí hòu dōu yòng wǒ de xiǎo xiàng jī I use my small camera most days.
A
你喜欢拍什么？
nǐ xǐ huān pāi shén me What do you like to photograph?
B
我最喜欢安静的街道。
wǒ zuì xǐ huān ān jìng de jiē dào Quiet streets are my favorite.
A
我可以看一张吗？
wǒ kě yǐ kàn yì zhāng ma Can I see one?
B
这是一张我在家附近拍的照片。
zhè shì yì zhāng wǒ zài jiā fù jìn pāi de zhào piàn Here is one I took near my home.
A
它看起来简单又清楚。
tā kàn qǐ lái jiǎn dān yòu qīng chu It looks simple and clear.
B
我有时间的时候就练习。
wǒ yǒu shí jiān de shí hòu jiù liàn xí I practice whenever I have time.Word by Word
你
你 means “you” in 你拍照吗？ and refers to the person being addressed. It is commonly placed before a verb, as in 你拍照, when asking about that person’s action or habit.
拍照
拍照 means “take photos” in 你拍照吗？ and is the action being asked about. Use 拍照 as a verb when talking about taking photographs, for example in a question about a hobby.
吗
吗 at the end of 你拍照吗？ turns the statement into a yes-or-no question. A common reuse pattern is a verb phrase followed by 吗 when asking about someone’s action or habit.
我
我 means “I” or “me” in 我大多数时候都用我的小相机 and refers to the speaker. It commonly comes before the verb when the speaker describes their own action, such as 我用...
大多数
大多数 means “most” in 大多数时候, referring to most occasions or days. It comes before 时候 to describe a general frequency, useful when describing a regular habit.
时候
时候 means “time” or “occasions” in 大多数时候 and 有时间的时候. In ...的时候, it helps introduce when something happens; this pattern is useful for describing a condition or time.
都
都 in 大多数时候都用 marks the action as part of the speaker’s regular pattern during most days or occasions. It follows the time phrase and comes before the verb, as in 大多数时候都用.
用
用 means “use” in 都用我的小相机 and describes using a camera as a tool. The thing being used follows it, as in 用我的小相机, when explaining what equipment you use.
的
的 in 我的小相机 links 我 to the noun phrase and shows that the camera belongs to the speaker. A common reuse pattern is a pronoun or noun followed by 的 and then the thing described, as in 我的相机.
小
小 means “small” in 小相机 and describes the size of the camera. It comes before the noun in 小相机, a useful pattern for describing an object.
相机
相机 means “camera” in 用我的小相机 and is the object used with 用. Use 用 + 相机 when saying that you use a camera for taking photos.
喜欢
喜欢 means “like” in 你喜欢拍什么？ and asks about the other person’s preference. It can be followed by an activity or object, as in 喜欢拍, when asking what someone enjoys doing.
拍
拍 in 拍什么 means “photograph” or “take a picture” and is followed by what is being photographed. The reusable pattern 拍 + object is useful when talking about taking pictures of something.
什么
什么 means “what” in 你喜欢拍什么？ and asks which thing the person likes to photograph. It commonly follows the verb when the unknown item is the object, as in 拍什么.
最
最 in 我最喜欢安静的街道 shows the highest degree of preference, meaning “most” or “favorite.” It comes before 喜欢 in this expression and is useful when selecting one preferred thing among others.
安静
安静 means “quiet” in 安静的街道 and describes the streets. It comes before 的街道 as an attributive description, useful when identifying streets by their quiet quality.
街道
街道 means “street” in 我最喜欢安静的街道 and is the thing the speaker likes most. It can follow a description such as 安静的 when referring to a particular kind of street.
可以
可以 in 我可以看一张吗？ expresses permission or ability to do something, here asking whether the speaker may look at one photo. It comes before the action verb, as in 可以看, and can be followed by 吗 in a permission question.
看
看 in 我可以看一张吗？ means “look at” or “see” one photo. It is followed by the object 一张, and 看 + an object is useful when asking to view something.
张
张 is the measure word in 一张 and is used here for a flat item such as a photo. The reusable pattern 一张 + 照片 refers to one photograph when asking to see or mentioning a picture.
这
这 in 这是一张我在家附近拍的照片 points to the photo being shown and means “this.” It commonly appears before 是 when introducing or identifying an item, as in 这是一张...
是
是 in 这是一张我在家附近拍的照片 links 这 with the noun phrase that identifies it. The pattern 这是 + a noun phrase is useful when presenting or identifying something.
在
在 in 我在家附近拍的照片 marks the place where the photo was taken. It comes before a location, as in 在家附近, and is useful when saying where an action happens.
家
家 in 家附近 means “home” and provides the reference point for the location. The pattern 家附近 is useful when describing something located near one’s home.
附近
附近 in 家附近 means “nearby” or “the area around” a place. It follows the place in 家附近, a reusable pattern for describing a location close to a named place.
照片
照片 means “photo” or “picture” in 一张我在家附近拍的照片 and is the main noun for the item being shown. It can follow a measure phrase such as 一张照片 when referring to one photograph.
它
它 in 它看起来简单又清楚 refers to the photo and means “it.” It can be placed before a description, as in 它看起来..., when commenting on a non-human thing.
看起来
看起来 means “look” or “appear” in 它看起来简单又清楚 and introduces how the photo seems. A common reuse pattern is subject + 看起来 + description, useful when giving an impression of something.
简单
简单 means “simple” in 看起来简单又清楚 and gives one description of the photo’s appearance. It follows 看起来 and is useful for describing something as uncomplicated or plain.
又
又 in 简单又清楚 connects two qualities that apply together: simple and clear. The reusable pattern A又B is useful when describing one thing with two qualities at the same time.
清楚
清楚 means “clear” in 看起来简单又清楚 and gives the second description of the photo. It follows 又 in 简单又清楚, a useful way to add another quality to the same description.
有
有 in 有时间 means “have,” expressing that the speaker has time available. It comes before the thing available, as in 有时间, which is useful when talking about whether one has time for an activity.
时间
时间 in 我有时间的时候 means “time,” specifically time available for the speaker. It follows 有 in 有时间 and is useful in the pattern 有时间的时候 when describing when an activity can happen.
就
就 in 我有时间的时候就练习 marks the regular result that follows the time condition: when the speaker has time, they practice. It comes after ...的时候 and before the verb, as in ...的时候就练习.
练习
练习 means “practice” in 有时间的时候就练习 and describes the activity the speaker does when time is available. It follows 就 in this sentence and is useful when describing regular practice of an activity or skill.
Grammar Points
有时间的时候，……
有时间的时候，练习拍照。
yǒu shí jiān de shí hòu,liàn xí pāi zhàoWhen I have time, I practice taking photos.
“有时间的时候”放在句首，引出动作发生的时间。
看起来 + 形容词
照片看起来很清楚。
zhào piàn kàn qǐ lái hěn qīng chuThe photo looks clear.
“看起来”后面接形容词，表示看上去具有某种特征。
Chinese Vocabulary
安静
adj
ān jìng
quiet
我最喜欢安静的街道。
大多数时候
adv
dà duō shù shí hòu
most of the time
我大多数时候都用我的小相机。
附近
noun
fù jìn
nearby; vicinity
这是一张我在家附近拍的照片。
街道
noun
jiē dào
street
我最喜欢安静的街道。
看
verb
kàn
to look at; to see
我可以看一张吗?
拍照
verb
pāi zhào
to take photos
你拍照吗?
喜欢
verb
xǐ huān
to like
你喜欢拍什么?
小相机
noun
xiǎo xiàng jī
small camera
我大多数时候都用我的小相机。
一张
num
yì zhāng
one; a sheet or picture
我可以看一张吗?
用
verb
yòng
to use
我大多数时候都用我的小相机。
照片
noun
zhào piàn
photo
这是一张我在家附近拍的照片。
最喜欢
phrase
zuì xǐ huān
to like the most; favorite
我最喜欢安静的街道。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
most of the time
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大多数时候street
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街道to like
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喜欢one; a sheet or picture