About This Lesson
Use A weekly cleaning schedule at home to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
我们需要为公寓安排一个更好的清洁计划。
wǒmen xūyào wèi gōngyù ānpái yí gè gèng hǎo de qīngjié jìhuà. We need a better cleaning schedule for the apartment.
B
我们一直没有平均分配家务。
wǒmen yìzhí méiyǒu píngjūn fēnpèi jiāwù. We have not been dividing the chores evenly.
A
我可以在星期六上午给架子掸灰。
wǒ kěyǐ zài xīngqīliù shàngwǔ gěi jiàzi dǎn huī. I can dust the shelves on Saturday morning.
B
那我午饭后拖厨房的地。
nà wǒ wǔfàn hòu tuō chúfáng de dì. Then I'll mop the kitchen after lunch.
A
我们要不要每个星期日打扫浴室？
wǒmen yào bu yào měi ge xīngqīrì dǎsǎo yùshì? Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?
B
星期日合适，因为浴室很快就会变脏。
xīngqīrì héshì, yīnwèi yùshì hěn kuài jiù huì biàn zāng. Sunday makes sense because it gets dirty quickly.
A
我会把日程表贴在冰箱上。
wǒ huì bǎ rìchéngbiǎo tiē zài bīngxiāng shàng. I'll put the schedule on the fridge.
B
这样应该能帮助我们记住每项家务。
zhèyàng yīnggāi néng bāngzhù wǒmen jìzhù měi xiàng jiāwù. That should help us remember each task.Word by Word
我们
我们 means “we” or “us,” referring to the two adults sharing the apartment and its chores. It can be used before a verb as the subject, as in 我们需要, or before another verb phrase.
需要
需要 means “need” here: the speakers need a better cleaning plan. It is commonly followed by a noun or by an action, such as 需要时间 or 需要安排.
为
为 marks the person, place, or thing that an arrangement is made for; here, 为公寓 means “for the apartment.” A reusable pattern is 为 + someone or something + 安排 + an activity or plan.
公寓
公寓 means “apartment,” the home for which the cleaning plan is being arranged. It can be used after 为 to identify the place receiving the arrangement.
安排
安排 means “arrange” or “set up” here, referring to organizing a cleaning plan for the apartment. It can be used before a person, activity, or plan that is being organized.
一个
一个 means “one” or “a” before the noun 计划, giving the meaning “a plan.” 一个 is commonly placed directly before a singular countable noun.
更好
更好 means “better” here and describes the desired cleaning plan as an improvement over the current one. It is placed before 的计划 to describe the plan.
的
的 links the description 更好 to the noun 计划, making 更好的计划 mean “a better plan.” A reusable pattern is description + 的 + noun.
清洁
清洁 means “cleaning” here and describes the kind of plan being discussed. In 清洁计划, it comes before 计划 to specify its purpose.
计划
计划 means “plan” here, specifically the cleaning plan the speakers need. It can refer to an organized set of future activities and can follow a describing word such as 清洁.
一直
一直 shows that the situation has continued over a stretch of time; here, the speakers have continually not divided the chores evenly. It commonly comes before a verb phrase to describe an ongoing situation.
没有
没有 makes the following situation negative; in 一直没有平均分配, it says that the speakers have not divided the chores evenly. It can be placed before an action that has not occurred or has not been achieved.
平均
平均 means “evenly” or “equally” here, describing how the chores should be divided. It commonly comes before a verb such as 分配 to describe an equal distribution.
分配
分配 means “divide” or “assign,” referring to assigning the household chores between the speakers. It can be followed by the thing being assigned, such as 分配家务.
家务
家务 means “housework” or “chores,” the tasks that the two speakers are dividing. It can be used as the object after 分配 when talking about assigning household work.
我
我 means “I” or “me”; here, it identifies the speaker who offers to dust the shelves. It commonly comes before a verb or ability expression such as 我可以.
可以
可以 means “can” here and presents the speaker’s ability or willingness to take on a chore. It is commonly followed by a verb, as in 可以掸灰.
在
在 introduces the time phrase 在星期六上午, meaning that the action will happen on Saturday morning. It commonly comes before a time or place phrase.
星期六
星期六 means “Saturday,” the day chosen for dusting the shelves. It can be followed by a time-of-day expression such as 星期六上午.
上午
上午 means “morning,” specifying when on Saturday the dusting can happen. It commonly follows a day expression, as in 星期六上午.
给
给 marks the shelves as the thing receiving the dusting action in 给架子掸灰. A reusable pattern is 给 + object + verb when an action is done to or for that object.
架子
架子 means “shelf” here, the surface that will be dusted. It follows 给 in 给架子掸灰 to identify what receives the cleaning action.
掸灰
掸灰 means “remove dust” or “dust,” referring to cleaning dust from the shelves. It can be used after an object, as in 给架子掸灰.
那
那 means “then” or “in that case” here, connecting the second speaker’s proposed chore to the first speaker’s offer. It is useful at the beginning of a response when making a related proposal.
午饭
午饭 means “lunch,” and here it provides the time reference in 午饭后, “after lunch.” It can combine with 后 to place an action after the meal.
后
后 means “after” here because it follows 午饭 in 午饭后. A reusable pattern is time or event + 后 to describe when something happens afterward.
拖
拖 means “mop” here, referring to cleaning the kitchen floor, not dragging something. It is commonly used with 地 in 拖地 or with a place and its floor, as in 拖厨房的地.
厨房
厨房 means “kitchen,” the place whose floor will be mopped. In 拖厨房的地, it comes before 的地 to specify which floor.
地
地 means “floor” here, specifically the kitchen floor in 厨房的地. It follows the place name and 的 to identify the relevant floor.
要不要
要不要 is an A-not-A question meaning “shall we” or “should we,” asking whether to clean the bathroom every Sunday. The first 要 presents doing the action, 不 negates it, and the final 要 repeats the positive choice; the whole expression is commonly followed by a verb phrase.
每个
每个 means “every” or “each” and introduces the repeated time unit in 每个星期日, “every Sunday.” It commonly comes before a countable noun or time expression.
星期日
星期日 means “Sunday,” the day proposed for cleaning the bathroom. With 每个 before it, 每个星期日 refers to every Sunday.
打扫
打扫 means “clean” or “clean up” here, referring to cleaning the bathroom. It commonly comes before the place or area being cleaned, as in 打扫浴室.
浴室
浴室 means “bathroom,” the place that should be cleaned every Sunday. It can follow 打扫 as the object of the cleaning action.
合适
合适 means “suitable” or “makes sense” here, describing Sunday as a good time for the cleaning. It can be used to evaluate whether a time or arrangement fits a purpose.
因为
因为 introduces the reason why Sunday is suitable: the bathroom becomes dirty quickly. It commonly introduces a reason before the result or conclusion.
很快
很快 means “quickly” here and describes how soon the bathroom becomes dirty. It commonly comes before the action or change it modifies, as in 很快就会变脏.
就
就 helps connect the quick condition with its expected result in 很快就会变脏. Here it emphasizes that the bathroom will become dirty soon after being clean.
会
会 means “will” or “is likely to” here, expressing the expected result that the bathroom becomes dirty. It commonly comes before a verb or change, such as 会变脏.
变脏
变脏 means “become dirty,” describing a change into a dirty condition. It can follow 会 to describe an expected change, as in 会变脏.
把
把 marks 日程表 as the object that the speaker will handle in 把日程表贴在冰箱上. A reusable pattern is 把 + object + verb + place or result.
日程表
日程表 means “schedule,” here referring to the schedule that will be put on the refrigerator. It is the object after 把 in 把日程表贴在冰箱上.
贴
贴 means “put up” or “stick” here, describing attaching the schedule to the refrigerator. It commonly appears in the pattern 把 + thing + 贴在 + place.
冰箱
冰箱 means “refrigerator” or “fridge,” the place where the schedule will be put. It is followed by 上 in 冰箱上 to indicate the surface.
上
上 means “on” or “onto” here, indicating that the schedule is placed on the refrigerator’s surface. It commonly follows a place noun in a location phrase such as 冰箱上.
这样
这样 means “this way” or “like this,” referring to putting the schedule on the fridge. It is useful when pointing back to an action or method just mentioned.
应该
应该 means “should” here and expresses the speaker’s expectation that this arrangement will help them remember. It commonly comes before the action or result that is expected.
能
能 means “can” or “be able to” here, expressing that the arrangement has the ability to help them remember. It commonly comes before a verb, as in 能帮助.
帮助
帮助 means “help,” and here it describes assisting the speakers in remembering each task. A reusable pattern is 帮助 + person + verb, as in 帮助我们记住.
记住
记住 means “remember” or “keep in mind,” referring to retaining each cleaning task. It can be followed by the information or task that someone needs to remember.
每项
每项 means “each item” or “every task,” referring here to each individual household chore. 每项 is used before 家务 to identify the tasks one by one.
Grammar Points
要不要 + 动词？
要不要每个星期日打扫浴室？
yào bu yào měi ge xīngqīrì dǎsǎo yùshì?Should we clean the bathroom every Sunday?
“要不要”放在动词前，用来提出“要不要做某事”的建议或询问。
一直 + 动词
一直打扫浴室。
yìzhí dǎsǎo yùshì.Keep cleaning the bathroom.
“一直”放在动词前，表示动作持续进行或一直保持。
Chinese Vocabulary
安排
verb
ānpái
arrange; schedule
分配
verb
fēnpèi
divide; allocate
更好的
adj
gèng hǎo de
better
公寓
noun
gōngyù
apartment
家务
noun
jiāwù
housework; chores
架子
noun
jiàzi
shelf
平均
adv
píngjūn
evenly; equally
清洁计划
noun
qīngjié jìhuà
cleaning schedule
上午
noun
shàngwǔ
morning
星期六
noun
xīngqīliù
Saturday
需要
verb
xūyào
need
一直
adv
yìzhí
all along; continuously
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
cleaning schedule
Show Answer
清洁计划arrange; schedule
Show Answer
安排housework; chores
Show Answer
家务shelf