About This Lesson
Use Waiting in Line to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
这是去柜台的队伍吗？
Zhè shì qù guìtái de duìwu ma? Is this line for the counter?
B
队伍从这里开始。
Duìwu cóng zhèlǐ kāishǐ. This is where it starts.
A
我需要拿票吗？
Wǒ xūyào ná piào ma? Do I need a ticket?
B
从这个盒子里拿一张。
Cóng zhège hézi lǐ ná yì zhāng. Take one from this box.
A
什么时候轮到我？
Shénme shíhou lúndào wǒ? When is my turn?
B
你排在那个人后面。
Nǐ pái zài nàge rén hòumiàn. You're after that person.
A
我会在这里等。
Wǒ huì zài zhèlǐ děng. I will wait here.
B
前面那个人快办完了。
Qiánmiàn nàge rén kuài bànwán le. The person ahead is almost finished.Word by Word
这
In “这是去柜台的队伍吗？”, 这 means “this” and points to the line being identified. Use it for a nearby thing or situation when speaking about it directly.
是
In “这是去柜台的队伍吗？”, 是 connects 这 with the noun phrase 去柜台的队伍, asking whether they are the same thing. It is useful when identifying or describing what something is.
去
In “去柜台”, 去 means going to and introduces the destination 柜台. A reusable pattern is 去 followed by the place someone is going to.
柜台
In “去柜台”, 柜台 means “counter”, specifically the service counter in this scene. Use it when referring to a counter where people receive a service or handle a matter.
的
In “去柜台的队伍”, 的 links the description 去柜台 to the noun 队伍, meaning the line associated with going to the counter. A reusable noun phrase places a description before 的 and the described noun after it.
队伍
In “去柜台的队伍”, 队伍 means the line or queue of people waiting for the counter. Use it when referring to an organized line or group waiting together.
吗
At the end of “这是去柜台的队伍吗？”, 吗 marks the sentence as a yes-or-no question. It is used at the end when asking someone to confirm information.
从
In “从这里开始” and “从这个盒子里拿一张”, 从 marks the starting point or source. A reusable pattern is 从 followed by a place, source, or container.
这里
In “队伍从这里开始” and “我会在这里等”, 这里 means “here”, referring to the current place. It can identify a location after 从 or with 在.
开始
In “队伍从这里开始”, 开始 means “start” and says that the line begins at this place. The dialogue uses the reusable pattern 从这里开始 to state where something starts.
我
In “我需要拿票吗？” and “我会在这里等”, 我 means “I” or “me”, the person speaking. It is placed before the need or action being described.
需要
In “我需要拿票吗？”, 需要 means “need” and expresses that the speaker may need to get a ticket. It can be followed by a thing or an action, as in 需要拿票.
拿
In “我需要拿票吗？” and “从这个盒子里拿一张”, 拿 means to take or get something. It can be used with an object such as 票 or with a source marked by 从.
票
In “拿票”, 票 means “ticket”, the item the speaker needs to take. Use it as the object of an action such as 拿票 when obtaining a ticket.
这个
In “这个盒子”, 这个 means “this” or “this one” and identifies the box near the speaker. It is placed before a noun to point to a particular nearby item.
盒子
In “这个盒子里”, 盒子 means “box”, the container from which a ticket is taken. It can be followed by 里 when describing something inside the box.
里
In “这个盒子里”, 里 means “inside” or “in” and marks the inside of the box. A reusable pattern is a container or place followed by 里.
张
In “一张”, 张 is the classifier used here for one ticket, with 票 understood from the context. With a ticket or another flat item, place 张 after the number and before the item when it is stated.
什么时候
In “什么时候轮到我？”, 什么时候 means “when” and asks about the time at which the speaker’s turn arrives. It is useful for asking when an event or turn will happen.
轮到
In “轮到我”, 轮到 means that a turn reaches someone. Within the expression, 轮 conveys taking turns and 到 conveys the turn reaching the person; use 轮到 followed by the person whose turn it is.
你
In “你排在那个人后面”, 你 means “you” and refers to the person being told about their place in the line. It is used as the person performing or occupying the position described after it.
排
In “排在那个人后面”, 排 means to stand or be positioned in a line. The dialogue uses it in the reusable position pattern 排在那个人后面 to describe someone’s place in a queue.
在
In “排在那个人后面”, 在 helps describe the position of 你 relative to that person, while in “在这里等” it marks the place where the waiting happens. It is useful for stating a location or position in relation to something.
那个
In “那个人”, 那个 means “that” and identifies a particular person being indicated. It is placed before 人 to point to someone already identifiable in the situation.
人
In “那个人”, 人 means “person”, referring to the person ahead or being used as the reference point in the line. Use it after a demonstrative such as 那个 when identifying someone.
后面
In “那个人后面”, 后面 means “behind” or “after”, describing the position in the queue relative to that person. The dialogue uses it in 排在那个人后面 to say who is next behind someone.
会
In “我会在这里等”, 会 indicates that the speaker will wait there. It is placed before the action or situation that is expected to happen.
等
In “我会在这里等”, 等 means “wait”, the action the speaker plans to do at this place. It can follow a location phrase such as 在这里 when saying where someone will wait.
前面
In “前面那个人”, 前面 means “ahead” or “in front”, identifying the person who is next in the line. A position word can come before a noun to identify someone by where they are.
快
In “快办完了”, 快 means “almost” or “soon” and shows that the action is close to completion. It is useful before an action when saying that the action will finish shortly.
办
In “办完了”, 办 means to handle or take care of the matter being dealt with at the counter. It can be combined with 完 when describing the handling of a task through to completion.
完
In “办完”, 完 follows 办 and shows that the handling of the matter reaches completion. A reusable pattern is an action followed by 完 when that action has been finished.
了
At the end of “快办完了”, 了 shows that the situation has reached a newly relevant state in which the task is nearly finished. It is useful at the end of a sentence when a current change or completed situation matters now.
Grammar Points
从 + 地点 + 开始
队伍从这里开始。
Duìwu cóng zhèlǐ kāishǐ.The line starts here.
从 introduces the starting point, followed by the place and then 开始: “start from a place.”
什么时候 + 句子
什么时候轮到我？
Shénme shíhou lúndào wǒ?When is it my turn?
什么时候 stays where the time information belongs; it does not move to the beginning as in English questions.
Chinese Vocabulary
从
prep
cóng
from
队伍
noun
duìwu
line; queue
柜台
noun
guìtái
counter
盒子
noun
hézi
box
开始
verb
kāishǐ
start; begin
轮到我
phrase
lúndào wǒ
be my turn
拿
verb
ná
take; get
票
noun
piào
ticket
去
verb
qù
go; go to
什么时候
adv
shénme shíhou
when
需要
verb
xūyào
need
这里
pron
zhèlǐ
here
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
when
Show Answer
什么时候start; begin
Show Answer
开始counter
Show Answer
柜台be my turn