Asking a librarian for a book recommendation | Learn Chinese in English

About This Lesson

Use Asking a librarian for a book recommendation to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗？

nǐ néng tuījiàn yì běn shìhé yǔyán xuéxízhě de shū ma Could you recommend a book for language learners?

你想找简单的故事，还是短文章？

nǐ xiǎng zhǎo jiǎndān de gùshì, háishì duǎn wénzhāng Are you looking for easy stories or short articles?

我想要用简单词语写的短故事。

wǒ xiǎng yào yòng jiǎndān cíyǔ xiě de duǎn gùshì I want short stories with simple words.

这本书里有容易看懂的故事和有帮助的图片。

zhè běn shū lǐ yǒu róngyì kàndǒng de gùshì hé yǒu bāngzhù de túpiàn This book has easy-to-understand stories and helpful pictures.

今天可以把它带回家吗？

jīntiān kěyǐ bǎ tā dài huí jiā ma Can I take it home today?

请在服务台出示你的借书证。

qǐng zài fúwùtái chūshì nǐ de jièshūzhèng Please show your library card at the desk.

我现在就借这本书。

wǒ xiànzài jiù jiè zhè běn shū I will check it out now.

读完后，再回来听听别的推荐吧。

dú wán hòu, zài huílái tīngting bié de tuījiàn ba Come back for another recommendation after you finish it.

Word by Word

你你 means “you” here, referring to the person being asked. In 你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗？, it is the person who may recommend the book. It is used for directly addressing someone in a request or question.

能能 means “can” or “be able to” here, asking whether the listener is able or willing to recommend something. In 你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗？, it comes before the action 推荐. This pattern is useful for asking whether someone can do an action.

推荐推荐 means “recommend” in 你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗？. It introduces a request for someone to suggest a suitable book. It can be used when asking another person to suggest a book, place, or other choice.

一一 means “one” in 一本, indicating one book. It appears before the classifier 本 and the noun 书. The sequence 一本 is used when specifying one book.

本本 is the classifier used for books in 一本适合语言学习者的书. It links the quantity 一 to the book 书. This classifier is used when counting or specifying books.

适合适合 means “be suitable for” in 适合语言学习者的书. It describes the book as suitable for language learners. The phrase 适合语言学习者的书 places the suitability description before the noun 书.

语言语言 means “language” in 语言学习者. It specifies the area of learning. Together with 学习者, it identifies people who learn languages.

学习者学习者 means “learner” in 语言学习者, referring here to a person learning a language. The word follows 语言 to specify what the person is learning. It is useful for describing people who are learning a subject or skill.

的的 connects 适合语言学习者 with 书 in 适合语言学习者的书. It marks the preceding description as modifying the following noun. This structure lets a description come before the thing it describes.

书书 means “book” in 一本适合语言学习者的书. It is the item being recommended and borrowed in the dialogue. It can follow the classifier 本 when referring to a specific number of books.

吗吗 is the question particle at the end of 你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗？. It turns the statement into a yes-or-no question. It is placed at the end of a question rather than before the main verb.

想想 means “want” or “would like” in 你想找简单的故事，还是短文章？. It expresses what the listener is looking for. It appears before the action 找 in a question about someone’s preference or intention.

找找 means “look for” in 你想找简单的故事，还是短文章？. It describes the action of searching for reading material. It follows 想 to form a question about what someone wants to look for.

简单简单 means “simple” or “easy” in 简单的故事. It describes the stories as not difficult. With 的, it comes before 故事 to describe the type of stories being sought.

故事故事 means “story” or “stories” in 简单的故事 and 短故事. It is one type of reading material discussed in the library. It can be described by words such as 简单 or 短 before it.

还是还是 means “or” in the question 简单的故事，还是短文章？. It presents two alternatives for the listener to choose between. In this dialogue, it links the two types of reading material.

短短 means “short” in 短文章 and 短故事. It describes the length of the written material. It comes before the noun it describes, such as 文章 or 故事.

文章文章 means “article” or “written piece” in 短文章. It is offered as an alternative to stories. It can be preceded by a description such as 短 to specify the kind of article.

我我 means “I” or “me” in 我想要用简单词语写的短故事 and 我现在就借这本书. It marks the speaker as the person who wants and borrows the book. It commonly appears before the action or desire being expressed.

要要 means “want” in 我想要用简单词语写的短故事. It contributes to the speaker’s desire for short stories written with simple words. Here it follows 想 and comes before the desired item or description.

用用 means “use” or “with” in 用简单词语写的短故事. It indicates the words used to write the stories. It comes before the material or means involved in an action.

词语词语 means “words” or “vocabulary” in 用简单词语写的短故事. It identifies the language material used to write the stories. It is modified by 简单 in the exact phrase 简单词语.

写写 means “write” in 用简单词语写的短故事. It describes how the stories were created with simple words. In this phrase, it follows the material 用简单词语 and comes before the noun 短故事.

这这 means “this” in 这本书里, pointing to the particular book being discussed. It comes before the classifier 本 and noun 书. This form is useful when identifying a nearby or already selected item.

里里 means “in” or “inside” in 这本书里. It places the stories and pictures inside the book. Together with 书, it forms a location expression for content contained in the book.

有有 means “have” or “there is/are” in 这本书里有容易看懂的故事和有帮助的图片. It states that the book contains stories and pictures. It commonly introduces something that exists in a place or object.

容易容易 means “easy to” in 容易看懂的故事. It describes the stories as easy to understand by reading or looking. It comes before 看懂 to describe the difficulty of that action.

看懂看懂 means “understand by reading or looking” in 容易看懂的故事. It describes reaching an understanding of the stories, not merely looking at them. It is used here after 容易 to describe material that learners can understand easily.

和和 means “and” in 故事和有帮助的图片. It connects the two kinds of content found in the book. It is placed between the items being joined.

帮助帮助 contributes the meaning of “help” or “helpful” in 有帮助的图片. It describes the pictures as useful to the learner. In 有帮助的图片, it appears before 的图片 as part of the description.

图片图片 means “picture” or “pictures” in 有帮助的图片. It is the second type of content the book contains. It can be preceded by a description such as 有帮助的.

今天今天 means “today” in 今天可以把它带回家吗？. It specifies when the speaker wants to take the book home. It commonly appears at the beginning of a sentence to set the time.

可以可以 means “can” or “may” in 今天可以把它带回家吗？. It asks whether taking the book home is permitted. It comes before the action phrase 把它带回家.

把把 marks the object being handled in 把它带回家. It places the book before the action that will move it home. This construction is useful when focusing on what happens to a specific object.

它它 means “it” in 把它带回家, referring to the book that was just recommended. It is the object placed after 把 and before the action 带回家. It avoids repeating 这本书 in the same question.

带带 means “take” or “carry” in 带回家. It describes moving the book to another place. In this dialogue, it is followed by 回家 to express taking the book home.

回家回家 means “go or take home” in 把它带回家. Here it describes the destination of the book. It follows 带 to show that the object is taken home.

请请 means “please” in 请在服务台出示你的借书证. It makes the librarian’s instruction polite. It appears at the beginning of a request or instruction.

在在 means “at” in 在服务台, identifying the place where the card should be shown. It comes before the location 服务台. This pattern is useful for stating where an action takes place.

服务台服务台 means “service desk” in 在服务台出示你的借书证. It is the place where the learner should present the library card. The location phrase comes before the action 出示.

出示出示 means “show” or “present” in 出示你的借书证. It describes presenting the card to the library staff. It is followed by the item being shown, 你的借书证.

借书证借书证 means “library card” in 出示你的借书证. It is the document the learner must present to borrow the book. It follows 出示 as the object being shown.

现在现在 means “now” in 我现在就借这本书. It places the borrowing action at the present time. It appears before the action 借 and combines with 就 to show immediacy.

就就 means “right away” in 我现在就借这本书. It emphasizes that the borrowing will happen immediately. The sequence 现在就借 shows that the action follows without delay.

借借 means “borrow” in 我现在就借这本书. It describes taking the book from the library for temporary use. It is followed by the specific object 这本书.

读读 means “read” in 读完后. It identifies the activity that will be completed before the next action. It appears before 完 to form the expression for finishing reading.

完完 marks completion in 读完后, meaning that the reading has been finished. It follows 读 and comes before 后, so returning happens after the reading is complete. The pattern verb plus 完 is useful for describing a completed action.

后后 means “after” in 读完后. It places the next action after the reading is finished. In 读完后, it follows the completed action and introduces the later time.

再再 means “then” or “again” in 再回来. It shows that returning happens after the earlier action. It is useful for marking a later or repeated action in a sequence.

回来回来 means “come back” in 再回来. It describes returning to the library or the current place after reading the book. It follows 再 to express a later return.

听听听听 means “have a listen” or “listen briefly” in 听听别的推荐吧. The repeated form presents listening as a light, brief action in the suggestion. It is used here for listening to another recommendation.

别的别的 means “another” or “other” in 别的推荐. It shows that the recommendation will be different from the one already given. It comes before 推荐 to describe the additional recommendation.

吧吧 softens the suggestion in 听听别的推荐吧. It makes the invitation to come back and listen to another recommendation sound less forceful. It is placed at the end of the sentence.

Grammar Points

还是……还是……

你想要故事还是短文章？

nǐ xiǎng yào gùshì háishì duǎn wénzhāng

Do you want a story or a short article?

还是……还是…… connects two choices in a question. It means “or” and is used when asking someone to choose.

动词+完

我读完书，借别的书。

wǒ dú wán shū, jiè bié de shū

I finish reading the book and borrow another book.

完 after a verb shows that an action is completed, as in 读完, “finish reading.”

Chinese Vocabulary

词语 noun

cíyǔ word; words

我想要用简单词语写的短故事。

短 adj

duǎn short

你想找简单的故事,还是短文章?

故事 noun

gùshì story

你想找简单的故事,还是短文章?

还是 conj

háishì or

你想找简单的故事,还是短文章?

简单 adj

jiǎndān simple; easy

你想找简单的故事,还是短文章?

适合 verb

shìhé be suitable for

你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗?

书 noun

shū book

你能推荐一本适合语言学习者的书吗?

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

language learner

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语言学习者

story

Show Answer

故事

article

Show Answer

文章

recommend

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