About This Lesson
Use Finding a Conference Room to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
你能告诉我会议室在哪里吗？
Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ huìyìshì zài nǎlǐ ma? Could you tell me where the conference room is?
B
走过大厅。它在电梯附近。
Zǒu guò dàtīng. Tā zài diàntī fùjìn. Go past the lobby. It's near the elevators.
A
我从这里坐电梯吗？
Wǒ cóng zhèlǐ zuò diàntī ma? Should I take the elevator from here?
B
坐电梯上去一层。
Zuò diàntī shàngqù yì céng. Take it up one floor.
B
然后向左转，进入走廊。
Ránhòu xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn, jìnrù zǒuláng. Then turn left into the hallway.
A
有我可以用的地图吗？
Yǒu wǒ kěyǐ yòng de dìtú ma? Is there a map I can use?
B
接待台旁边有一张地图。
Jiēdàitái pángbiān yǒu yì zhāng dìtú. There's one by the reception desk.
A
这很有帮助。这是我第一次来这栋楼。
Zhè hěn yǒu bāngzhù. Zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì lái zhè dòng lóu. That helps. It's my first time in this building.
B
走廊尽头附近有会议室的标记。
Zǒuláng jìntóu fùjìn yǒu huìyìshì de biāojì. The room is marked near the end of the hall.Word by Word
你
“你” means “you,” the person being asked to give the information in “你能告诉我会议室在哪里吗？”. It is used when speaking directly to a visitor, staff member, or another individual.
能
In “你能告诉我会议室在哪里吗？”, “能” means “can” or “could” and introduces a request about the other person’s ability or willingness. It commonly comes before a verb when asking someone to do something.
告诉
“告诉” means “tell” or “inform”; here it introduces the information the speaker wants to receive in “告诉我会议室在哪里”. It can be used before the person receiving the information and then the information being given.
我
In “告诉我”, “我” means “me,” the person who should receive the directions. The same form can refer to the speaker as “I” or as “me,” depending on its position in the sentence.
会议室
“会议室” means “conference room,” the destination the visitor is trying to find. It is useful in office directions, such as asking where the room is or explaining that it is near a particular place.
在
In “会议室在哪里”, “在” expresses the location of the conference room and corresponds to “be located” in the embedded question. It is commonly used with a place phrase to state where a person or thing is.
哪里
“哪里” means “where” in the question “会议室在哪里”. It is used after the thing whose location is being asked about, so this form is useful when asking for directions or a location.
吗
In “你能告诉我会议室在哪里吗？”, “吗” marks the whole sentence as a yes-no question. It is placed at the end when the speaker wants confirmation or an answer.
走过
“走过” means “go past” in the instruction “走过大厅”. It describes moving beyond a place and can be reused before the place that someone should pass.
大厅
“大厅” means “lobby” or “large entrance hall”; here it is the place the visitor should go past. It is useful in directions inside offices, hotels, public buildings, and similar places.
它
In “它在电梯附近”, “它” means “it” and refers back to the conference room already mentioned. It can be used to continue talking about an inanimate place or object after naming it.
电梯
“电梯” means “elevator,” first in “电梯附近” and later in “坐电梯”. It is used when giving directions through a building or explaining which form of vertical transport to take.
附近
“附近” means “near” or “nearby” in “电梯附近”, locating the conference room close to the elevators. It commonly follows the name of a reference place when describing a nearby position.
从
In “从这里”, “从” means “from” and marks the starting point of the proposed action. It is useful before a place when asking or explaining where movement begins.
这里
“这里” means “here,” referring to the speaker’s current position in “我从这里坐电梯吗？”. It is used when the location is understood from the immediate situation.
坐
In “坐电梯”, “坐” means “take” or “ride,” not simply “sit”; it describes using the elevator for transportation. It commonly comes before the vehicle or transport method being used.
上去
In “坐电梯上去一层”, “上去” means “go up,” describing movement to a higher level. It is useful when giving directions that involve moving upward from the current location.
层
In “一层”, “层” means a floor or story of a building. It follows a number when specifying how many building levels to travel, making it useful in elevator directions.
然后
“然后” means “then” in “然后向左转 into the hallway,” marking the next step in a sequence of directions. It is useful for connecting one instruction to the action that should follow it.
向
In “向左转”, “向” means “toward” and introduces the direction of the turn. It is commonly placed before a direction when giving movement instructions.
左
“左” means “left” in “向左转”. It identifies the direction the visitor should take, especially in spoken directions around a building.
转
In “向左转”, “转” means “turn” and gives a direct movement instruction. It can be used with a direction to tell someone how to change direction at a particular point.
进入
“进入” means “enter” or “go into” in “进入走廊”. It describes moving from outside a place to inside it and is useful when giving directions into a room, hallway, or other area.
走廊
“走廊” means “hallway” or “corridor,” the area the visitor should enter after turning left. It is common vocabulary for navigating offices, hotels, schools, and other buildings.
有
In “有我可以用的地图吗？”, “有” means “there is” or “there are,” introducing the possible existence of a usable map. It is commonly used at the beginning of a question asking whether something is available.
可以
In “我可以用的地图”, “可以” means “can” or “be able to,” describing what the speaker is allowed or able to do with the map. It commonly comes before a verb to express possibility, permission, or ability.
用
“用” means “use” in “我可以用的地图”, referring to using the map for navigation. It commonly comes before the object that someone uses, such as a map or another tool.
的
In “我可以用的地图”, “的” connects the preceding description “我可以用” to the noun “地图”. It closes a descriptive phrase before the noun and is useful for saying that something has a particular quality or purpose.
地图
“地图” means “map,” the item the visitor asks to use for finding the conference room. It is useful when asking for or offering a visual guide in an unfamiliar building.
接待台
“接待台” means “reception desk,” the place where the map is located in “接待台旁边”. It is useful when directing visitors to the main service point of an office, hotel, or public building.
旁边
“旁边” means “beside” or “next to” in “接待台旁边”, locating the map alongside the reception desk. It commonly follows the reference place in a location phrase.
张
In “一张地图”, “张” is the classifier used for the flat object “地图”. It appears between the number and the noun, and it is useful for counting maps and other flat items.
这
“这” means “this”; in “这很有帮助” it refers to the directions or information just given, and in “这栋楼” it points to the building where the speaker is located. It can stand for something already understood or come before a noun to identify a nearby thing.
很
In “这很有帮助”, “很” strengthens the assessment that the information is helpful, giving the phrase the meaning “very helpful” or “quite helpful”. It is placed before the expression describing the degree or quality.
帮助
In “很有帮助”, “帮助” contributes the idea of help or usefulness; the whole expression means that something is helpful. It is useful when thanking someone or describing information that makes a task easier.
是
In “这是我第一次来这栋楼”, “是” links “这” with “我第一次来这栋楼” and means “is”. It is commonly used to identify or describe what something is.
第一次
“第一次” means “the first time” in “这是我第一次来这栋楼”. It identifies the first occurrence of an action and is useful when explaining that a place or activity is unfamiliar.
来
In “来这栋楼”, “来” means “come,” describing the speaker’s arrival at this building. It commonly comes before the destination when talking about coming to a place.
栋
In “这栋楼”, “栋” is the classifier used with a building. It appears between the demonstrative “这” and the noun “楼”, and it is useful when identifying or counting buildings.
楼
In “这栋楼”, “楼” means “building,” referring to the building the speaker is visiting for the first time. With the classifier “栋” in this context, it identifies the whole building rather than a particular floor.
尽头
“尽头” means “end” or “far end” in “走廊尽头”, referring to the terminal part of the hallway. It is useful in directions when locating something at the end of a path or space.
标记
“标记” means a “mark” or identifying sign in “会议室的标记”. Here it refers to the indication showing where the conference room is, so it is useful when following labels or signs in an unfamiliar building.
Grammar Points
向左 + 动词
向左转。
Xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn.Turn left.
向左放在动作前，表示动作的方向。
然后 + 动词短语
然后进入走廊。
Ránhòu jìnrù zǒuláng.Then enter the hallway.
然后放在下一个动作前，连接按顺序发生的动作。
Chinese Vocabulary
大厅
noun
dàtīng
lobby
电梯
noun
diàntī
elevator
附近
noun
fùjìn
nearby; in the vicinity
告诉
verb
gàosu
to tell
会议室
noun
huìyìshì
conference room
哪里
pron
nǎlǐ
where
然后
adv
ránhòu
then
上去
verb
shàngqù
to go up
向左
phrase
xiàng zuǒ
to the left
一层
phrase
yì céng
one floor
这里
pron
zhèlǐ
here
走过
verb
zǒuguò
to go past
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
here
Show Answer
这里nearby; in the vicinity
Show Answer
附近elevator
Show Answer
电梯lobby