About This Lesson
Use Planning a quiet dinner with familiar food to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
你想一起吃晚饭吗？
Nǐ xiǎng yìqǐ chī wǎnfàn ma? Would you like to have dinner together?
B
我很愿意。安静地吃晚饭听起来不错。
Wǒ hěn yuànyì. Ānjìng de chī wǎnfàn tīng qǐlái búcuò. I'd like that. A quiet dinner sounds nice.
A
我来选一个安静的地方吗？
Wǒ lái xuǎn yí ge ānjìng de dìfang ma? Should I choose a calm place?
B
安静的地方会让我们更容易聊天。
Ānjìng de dìfang huì ràng wǒmen gèng róngyì liáotiān. Somewhere quiet would help us talk.
A
你更喜欢简单的食物，还是新食物？
Nǐ gèng xǐhuan jiǎndān de shíwù, háishì xīn shíwù? Do you prefer simple food or something new?
B
今晚我更想选熟悉的食物。
Jīnwǎn wǒ gèng xiǎng xuǎn shúxī de shíwù. I would rather choose something familiar tonight.
A
我可以在附近的餐厅预订一张桌子。
Wǒ kěyǐ zài fùjìn de cāntīng yùdìng yì zhāng zhuōzi. I can reserve a table at a nearby restaurant.
B
请在方便的时候把具体信息发给我。
Qǐng zài fāngbiàn de shíhou bǎ jùtǐ xìnxī fā gěi wǒ. Please send me the details when you can.Word by Word
你
你 means “you” in the question 你想一起吃晚饭吗？. It refers to the person being invited and commonly appears before an action, as in 你想……吗？. A new example is 你喜欢茶吗？, used when asking someone about a preference.
想
想 means “want to” in 你想一起吃晚饭吗？. Here it introduces the action the listener may want to do, followed by 一起吃晚饭. A new example is 我想休息一下。.
一起
一起 means “together” in 你想一起吃晚饭吗？. It shows that the speaker and listener will do the action as a group, placed before 吃晚饭. A new example is 我们一起学习。.
吃
吃 means “eat” in 一起吃晚饭. It names the action involving 晚饭 and can be followed by a meal or food. A new example is 吃午饭。.
晚饭
晚饭 means “dinner” in 一起吃晚饭. It is the evening meal and follows 吃 in this expression. A new example is 我还没吃晚饭。.
吗
吗 marks the sentence 你想一起吃晚饭吗？ as a yes-or-no question. It is placed at the end of the question and does not add a separate object or action. A new example is 你累吗？.
我
我 means “I” or “me” in 我很愿意 and the other first-person expressions in the dialogue. It identifies the speaker and commonly comes before the action or description. A new example is 我喜欢安静的地方。.
很
很 strengthens the positive response in 我很愿意, giving the meaning “I’m very willing” or “I’d be happy to.” It appears before 愿意 in this phrase. A new example is 我很喜欢这里。.
愿意
愿意 means “be willing” in 我很愿意, which accepts the invitation to have dinner. It commonly follows a person and can express readiness to do an understood or stated action. A new example is 我愿意帮忙。.
安静
安静 means “quiet” in 安静地吃晚饭 and 安静的地方. In the first expression it describes the manner of eating, while in the second it describes a place. A new example is 这里很安静。.
地
地 turns 安静 into a manner description in 安静地吃晚饭, meaning “eat dinner quietly.” It is placed between the description and the action it modifies. A new example is 慢慢地说。.
听起来
听起来 means “sound” or “seem” in 安静地吃晚饭听起来不错, describing how the idea appears to the speaker. In this whole expression, 听 contributes “hear” and 起来 contributes the resulting impression, so the expression is used before an evaluation such as 不错. A new example is 这个计划听起来很好。.
不错
不错 means “nice” or “not bad” in 安静地吃晚饭听起来不错. It gives a positive evaluation of the idea after 听起来. A new example is 这个地方不错。.
来
来 in 我来选一个安静的地方吗？ shows that the speaker is offering to take responsibility for choosing the place. It appears before the action 选 and helps present the action as the speaker’s proposal. A new example is 我来开门。.
选
选 means “choose” in 我来选一个安静的地方吗？. It is followed by the thing being chosen, here 一个安静的地方. A new example is 请选一个座位。.
个
个 is the general measure word in 一个安静的地方. It is placed between 一 and 地方 to count one place. A new example is 一个问题。.
的
的 links 安静 to 地方 in 安静的地方, showing that 安静 describes the place. The same linking function appears in 熟悉的食物. A new example is 简单的菜单。.
地方
地方 means “place” in 一个安静的地方. It is the location being chosen and follows the description 安静的. A new example is 我知道一个好地方。.
会
会 in 安静的地方会让我们更容易聊天 indicates the expected result that a quiet place will make chatting easier. It appears before the result-producing expression 让我们更容易聊天. A new example is 这样会更方便。.
让
让 means “make” or “let” in 会让我们更容易聊天, introducing the result experienced by 我们. The pattern here is 让 + person + description or action, with 我们 as the affected people. A new example is 这首歌让我开心。.
我们
我们 means “we” or “us” in 会让我们更容易聊天. Here it refers to both people in the conversation and follows 让 as the people affected by the place. A new example is 我们一起吃饭。.
更
更 means “more” in 更容易聊天, showing that chatting becomes easier in comparison with an unstated alternative. It is placed before the description 容易. A new example is 这样更简单。.
容易
容易 means “easy” in 更容易聊天, describing how easy it is for the two people to chat. With 更 before it, the meaning is “easier,” and it can be followed by the action that becomes easier. A new example is 这里容易找到。.
聊天
聊天 means “chat” in 更容易聊天. It names the relaxed conversation that the quiet place supports and follows 容易 in this pattern. A new example is 我喜欢和朋友聊天。.
喜欢
喜欢 means “like” or “prefer” in 你更喜欢简单的食物还是新食物？. It asks about the listener’s preference between the two choices and is followed by the preferred object. A new example is 你喜欢什么？.
简单
简单 means “simple” in 简单的食物. It describes the food option being compared with 新食物 and is linked to 食物 by 的. A new example is 我喜欢简单的菜。.
食物
食物 means “food” in 简单的食物 and 新食物. It is the object of the preference question and can be modified by a description before 的. A new example is 这些食物很新鲜。.
还是
还是 means “or” in the question 简单的食物，还是新食物？. It presents alternatives for the listener to choose between and is used between the alternatives. A new example is 你想喝茶还是咖啡？.
新
新 means “new” in 新食物, the alternative to 简单的食物 in the preference question. It directly describes 食物 without 的 in this short noun phrase. A new example is 我想试试新菜。.
今晚
今晚 means “tonight” in 今晚我更想选熟悉的食物. It sets the time for the choice and appears at the beginning of the sentence. A new example is 今晚我们在家吃饭。.
熟悉
熟悉 means “familiar” in 熟悉的食物, describing food the speaker already knows or is accustomed to. It comes before 的食物 as the description of the chosen option. A new example is 我对这个地方很熟悉。.
可以
可以 means “can” or “be able to” in 我可以在附近的餐厅预订一张桌子. It presents the speaker’s ability or possibility of making the reservation and comes before the action 预订. A new example is 你可以坐这里。.
在
在 marks the location in 在附近的餐厅, meaning that the reservation is made at that restaurant. It comes before the place phrase and is followed by the action 预订. A new example is 我们在家学习。.
附近
附近 means “nearby” in 附近的餐厅, identifying a restaurant close to the relevant place. It modifies 餐厅 through 的. A new example is 附近有一家商店。.
餐厅
餐厅 means “restaurant” in 在附近的餐厅预订一张桌子. It is the place where the table will be reserved and follows the description 附近的. A new example is 这家餐厅很安静。.
预订
预订 means “reserve” or “book” in 预订一张桌子. It names the action of arranging the table in advance and is followed by the thing reserved. A new example is 我想预订一个房间。.
张
张 is the measure word used for the table in 一张桌子. It appears between 一 and 桌子 in this noun phrase. A new example is 两张票。.
桌子
桌子 means “table” in 一张桌子, the object being reserved at the restaurant. It follows the measure word 张. A new example is 桌子上有一本书。.
请
请 means “please” in 请在方便的时候把具体信息发给我, making the request polite. It appears at the beginning of the request before the action and its details. A new example is 请坐。.
方便
方便 means “be convenient” or “be free” in 在方便的时候, referring to a time when the listener is able to deal with the request. It is followed by 的时候 to form a time phrase. A new example is 你什么时候方便？.
时候
时候 means “time” in 在方便的时候, forming the phrase “when it is convenient.” It follows the description 方便的 and identifies the relevant time. A new example is 你来的时候告诉我。.
把
把 marks 具体信息 as the object that will be handled in 把具体信息发给我. The pattern places the object after 把 and describes what happens to it afterward. A new example is 请把门关上。.
具体
具体 means “specific” or “detailed” in 具体信息, describing the information the listener should receive. It comes before 信息 as its modifier. A new example is 请告诉我具体时间。.
信息
信息 means “information” or “details” in 把具体信息发给我. It is the object marked by 把 and the thing to be sent. A new example is 我收到了一条信息。.
发
发 means “send” in 发给我, naming the action applied to 具体信息. In this dialogue it is used with 给我 to show that the information is sent to the speaker. A new example is 我晚点发照片。.
给
给 in 发给我 marks the recipient of the sending action, with 我 as the recipient. The reusable pattern is 发 + something + 给 + someone, as in 发信息给朋友. A new example is 请把地址发给我。.
Grammar Points
愿意 + 动词
我愿意一起吃晚饭。
Wǒ yuànyì yìqǐ chī wǎnfàn.I’m willing to have dinner together.
愿意后面直接接动词，表示“be willing to do something”。
让 + 名词 + 形容词
安静的地方让聊天容易。
Ānjìng de dìfang ràng liáotiān róngyì.A quiet place makes chatting easy.
让可接对象和形容词，表示“使某事或某人处于某种状态”，类似 make + object + adjective。
Chinese Vocabulary
安静
adj
ānjìng
quiet
吃晚饭
phrase
chī wǎnfàn
have dinner
地方
noun
dìfang
place
简单
adj
jiǎndān
simple
聊天
verb
liáotiān
chat
让
verb
ràng
let; make
容易
adj
róngyì
easy
听起来
phrase
tīng qǐlái
sound
喜欢
verb
xǐhuan
like; prefer
选
verb
xuǎn
choose
一起
adv
yìqǐ
together
愿意
verb
yuànyì
be willing to
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
like; prefer
Show Answer
喜欢be willing to
Show Answer
愿意sound
Show Answer
听起来place