Borrowing a screwdriver and returning it before dinner | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 我可以借你的螺丝刀做个小修理吗？

   Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?

   我可以

   Could I…? / I can…

   借

   borrow

   你的

   your

   螺丝刀

   screwdriver

   做

   do; make

   小

   small

   修理

   repair

   吗？

   turns the sentence into a yes/no question

   More detail

   我可以 means “Could I…?” here. 我 is the first-person singular pronoun “I,” and 可以 is a modal verb meaning that something is permitted or possible. In this sentence it comes before the action and asks for permission. A reusable pattern is 我可以 + verb + 吗？ (“May/Could I + verb?”). 借 means “borrow”: the speaker wants to use something belonging to another person and implies that it will be returned. It is different from 借给, “lend to,” which describes the owner’s action. Example: 我可以借你的笔吗？ — “Could I borrow your pen?” 你的 means “your.” 你 is the second-person singular pronoun “you,” and 的 marks the possessive relationship: 你的 + noun. Here, the fixed translation identifies the screwdriver as belonging to the person addressed. 螺丝刀 means “screwdriver,” the tool being borrowed. It is a noun and functions as the object of 借. Example: 这把螺丝刀很好用。 — “This screwdriver is very useful.” 做 means “do” or “carry out” here. It introduces the activity for which the tool is needed. In 做个小修理, it means carrying out a small repair, not making the screwdriver. 小 means “small” and describes 修理 in the phrase 小修理, “small repair.” It is a descriptive adjective placed before the noun it modifies. Its opposite in a simple size contrast is 大, “big/large,” as in 一个大问题 — “a big problem.” 修理 means “repair” here, referring to the activity rather than to a particular repaired object. It can function as a verb (“to repair”) or, as in 小修理, as a noun (“a repair”). Example: 我需要修理自行车。 — “I need to repair the bicycle.” The 个 in 做个小修理 is a common classifier used with this noun phrase. It does not by itself assert a numerical count in the English sense; it helps form the natural phrase “do a small repair.” 吗？ is the sentence-final yes/no-question particle. It turns the preceding statement into a question without changing the word order. Here, 我可以借你的螺丝刀做个小修理 becomes a request asking whether the speaker may borrow the listener’s screwdriver for that purpose. Putting the parts together: 我可以 establishes the speaker’s request for permission; 借你的螺丝刀 gives the action and its object; and 做个小修理 gives the purpose. The complete utterance means, “Could I borrow your screwdriver for a small repair?”

2. 它在蓝色工具箱里。

   It is in the blue toolbox.

   它

   it

   在

   be in; be at

   蓝色

   blue

   工具箱

   toolbox

   里

   inside; in

   More detail

   它 means “it” here. It is a third-person pronoun commonly used for non-human referents in Mandarin; unlike 他 and 她, it does not mark masculine or feminine gender. The fixed sentence and translation do not identify exactly what “it” refers to, so the pronoun can be reused whenever the intended non-human referent is clear from context. 在 introduces the place where something is located. In this sentence it expresses being located in or at a place, rather than an action of entering that place. A reusable pattern is subject + 在 + place. 蓝色 means “blue.” It is a color description placed before the noun it modifies: 蓝色 + noun means “blue + noun.” For example, 蓝色的书 means “a blue book”; 的 is commonly used between a descriptive modifier and a noun, though short color-noun combinations such as 蓝色工具箱 can also occur without it. 工具箱 means “toolbox.” It is a compound noun: 工具 means “tool” or “tools,” and 箱 means “box” or “case.” As a whole, 工具箱 names a container for tools; it is not necessary to interpret the sentence as referring to a particular tool inside it. 里 marks the inside or interior of a place or container. With a noun, noun + 里 forms an interior-location expression, such as 箱子里 (“inside the box”). Here, 工具箱里 means “inside the toolbox.” Putting the parts together, 它 + 在 + 蓝色工具箱 + 里 gives the reusable location pattern “it is inside the blue toolbox.” The complete utterance is therefore: “It is in the blue toolbox.”

3. 我需要拧紧搁板支架。

   I need to tighten the shelf brackets.

   我需要

   I need

   拧紧

   tighten

   搁板

   shelf

   支架

   bracket

   More detail

   我需要 means “I need.” 我 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and 需要 is the verb “need.” In present-time Chinese, these forms do not change for person or number: 我需要 means “I need,” while 他需要 means “he needs.” Before an action, 我需要 + verb expresses “I need to …”: 我需要休息。 means “I need to rest.” 拧紧 means “to tighten.” It combines 拧, “twist or turn,” with 紧, “tight,” and describes making something tight by turning it. The useful opposite is 拧松, “to loosen by turning.” For example, 请拧紧螺丝。 means “Please tighten the screw.” Chinese verbs do not take an English-style infinitive ending; 拧紧 can follow 需要 directly in the pattern 需要 + verb. 搁板 means “shelf.” It is a compound noun containing 搁, related to placing or supporting, and 板, “board” or “panel.” Here it identifies the shelf associated with the brackets. For example, 这个搁板很重。 means “This shelf is heavy.” 支架 means “bracket” or “support.” Here it refers to the support hardware for the shelf. It is a noun; the fixed translation makes “bracket” the intended sense in this utterance. For example, 墙上的支架很牢固。 means “The bracket on the wall is sturdy.” Together, 我需要 + 拧紧 gives “I need to tighten,” and 搁板支架 gives “the shelf brackets.” In 搁板支架, 搁板 comes before 支架 to specify the type or purpose of the brackets. The complete utterance means “I need to tighten the shelf brackets.”

4. 用中号螺丝刀。

   Use the medium screwdriver.

   用

   use

   中号

   medium-sized

   螺丝刀

   screwdriver

   More detail

   用 means “use” here. Its base form is already the ordinary verb form; Mandarin commonly uses a bare verb in a short instruction, with the intended subject understood from the situation. Example: 用这把刀。 — “Use this knife.” 中号 means “medium-sized” or “medium.” It describes the size category of the following item. In this sentence, it does not express a comparison such as “more medium”; it identifies the screwdriver as the medium-size one. Example: 我要中号的。 — “I want the medium-sized one.” 螺丝刀 means “screwdriver,” the tool named in the instruction. It is a noun and can be modified directly by a size term such as 中号: 中号螺丝刀 means “medium screwdriver.” Example: 这是一把螺丝刀。 — “This is a screwdriver.” Together, 用 + 中号螺丝刀 gives the instruction “Use the medium screwdriver.” Mandarin often omits the subject in a concise instruction, so the sentence begins directly with the verb. The wording identifies which tool to use; it does not state a numeric quantity.

5. 它更适合那些支架。

   It fits those brackets better.

   它

   it

   更

   better / more

   适合

   suit / be suitable for

   那些

   those

   支架

   brackets / supports

   More detail

   它 means “it” here: a third-person pronoun for an already identifiable nonhuman or otherwise contextually specified thing. Its exact referent is not named in this sentence. In Mandarin, 它 is generally not marked for grammatical gender or plural number. Example: 我看见它了。 — “I saw it.” 更 means “more” or “better” in a comparison. It is an adverb placed before the word or phrase being compared; here it modifies 适合, making the meaning “be more suitable” or “fit better.” Example: 这个尺寸更合适。 — “This size is more suitable.” 适合 means “to suit,” “to be suitable for,” or “to fit” in the sense of being appropriate. It commonly links the thing that is suitable with the person, use, or object it suits: A 适合 B. In this sentence, 它 is the item being judged, and 那些支架 is what it suits. Do not confuse it with a verb meaning physical insertion; the context here supports suitability or compatibility. Example: 这把椅子适合办公。 — “This chair is suitable for office work.” 那些 means “those,” referring demonstratively to items viewed as away from the speaker, already identified, or otherwise distinguished from 这些 (“these”). It presents the following noun as a plural set, but Mandarin nouns themselves do not normally show plural endings. Example: 那些工具很重。 — “Those tools are heavy.” 支架 means “bracket” or “support.” It is a noun for a supporting structure or holder; the intended translation identifies the items here as brackets. Example: 这个支架很稳。 — “This bracket is stable.” Together, 它 identifies the item under discussion, 更适合 says that it is more suitable or fits better, and 那些支架 identifies the brackets involved. The complete utterance therefore means: “It fits those brackets better.”

6. 我什么时候该还它？

   When should I return it?

   我

   I; me

   什么时候

   when

   该

   should; be supposed to

   还

   return; give back

   它

   it

   More detail

   我 means “I” or “me.” In this sentence it is the subject—the person who is expected to return something. Chinese pronouns do not change form for subject versus object, so 我 can mean “I” or “me” depending on its role. 什么时候 means “when.” It asks about a time and can be reused in questions such as 你什么时候回来？ (“When will you come back?”). It is a time question word, not a question about a person or a reason. 该 expresses what is appropriate, expected, or due: here, “should.” The pattern 主语 + 该 + 动词 means that the subject should do the action, as in 我该走了。 (“I should go now.”) In this question, 什么时候 asks at what time that obligation or expectation applies. 还 is the verb “to return” or “to give back” here. It is pronounced huán in this use. Do not confuse it with the adverb 还, pronounced hái, meaning “still” or “also”; the surrounding verb-object structure and the fixed translation identify the returning sense here. The verb itself does not change for person or time. 它 means “it” and is the object of 还. It is used for a non-human referent; the particular item is not named in this sentence. Chinese pronouns do not change form for object position, so 它 remains the same form in this role. Together, 我 + 什么时候 + 该 + 还 + 它 forms a question asking at what time the speaker is expected or supposed to return the item: “When should I return it?” The question word appears before the modal and action in this sentence, while the item being returned remains after the verb.

7. 请在晚饭前把它还回来。

   Please bring it back before dinner.

   请

   please

   晚饭

   dinner

   前

   before

   把

   marks the affected object

   它

   it

   还回来

   bring back

   More detail

   请 makes the utterance a polite request. It commonly comes before the requested action: 请坐。 means “Please sit.” It does not itself state who should perform the action; the addressee is understood from the request. 晚饭 means “dinner” here. 饭 can refer to a meal or cooked rice depending on context, while 晚饭 specifically identifies the evening meal. 我晚饭后回来。 means “I’ll come back after dinner.” 前 follows a time expression to mean “before” that time: 晚饭前 is “before dinner.” The same pattern works with other time expressions, such as 出发前 (“before setting off”). 把 introduces an object that the following action deals with directly. In this sentence, the pattern is 把 + object + verb phrase: 把它还回来. This construction foregrounds the affected object and is especially natural when the object is identifiable. It is not itself a word meaning “it” or “back.” 它 is the third-person singular pronoun used here for the thing being returned. Its grammatical role is the object after 把; the supplied sentence does not identify what that thing is. In modern Mandarin, spoken tā does not distinguish the written forms 他, 她, and 它; 它 is the written form for a non-human referent. 还回来 means “return it and bring it back.” 还 here is the verb “to return,” not the different word 还 meaning “still” or “also.” 回来 adds the direction back toward the relevant here/origin point. For example, 请把书还回来。 means “Please return the book.” Together, 请 + 在晚饭前 + 把它还回来 forms a polite request: “Please bring it back before dinner.” 在 introduces the time boundary, 晚饭前 means “before dinner,” and the 把 construction presents 它 as the object whose return is requested. The context makes this the same return action discussed in the question about when to return it, while the later context uses the same object pronoun in a conditional statement.

8. 如果它沾上灰尘，我会先把它擦干净。

   If it gets dusty, I'll wipe it off first.

   如果

   if

   沾上

   get on; become stained with

   灰尘

   dust

   我会

   I will

   先

   first

   擦干净

   wipe clean

   More detail

   如果 introduces a condition: “if …”. A reusable pattern is 如果 + condition, ..., where the second part states what happens or will happen under that condition. 沾上 means “get onto” or “become stained/covered with” something. Here, 沾上灰尘 describes the object getting dust on it. 沾 is the core verb, while 上 indicates that the substance comes onto the object; 沾上 is not a form of the noun 灰尘. 灰尘 means “dust”. It is a noun for fine dirt or particles, and can follow 沾上 to name what gets onto the object. Example: 衣服沾上灰尘了。 — “The clothes got dusty.” This example introduces a new referent and illustrates the same pattern. 我会 combines 我 (“I”) with 会, which here marks the speaker’s expected or intended future action. 会 can have other uses in Chinese, so its future meaning comes from this conditional plan and the surrounding sentence, not from 我 alone. Example: 如果下雨，我会带伞。 — “If it rains, I’ll bring an umbrella.” 先 means “first” and sets the order of the action: the wiping is to happen before another relevant action or step. It does not by itself specify what the later step is. 擦干净 means “wipe clean”. 擦 means “wipe” or “rub”, and 干净 is a result complement: it states that the wiping leaves the object clean. This is a reusable result pattern, verb + 干净, as in 洗干净 — “wash clean.” Together, 如果它沾上灰尘 means “if it gets dust on it,” with 它 referring to the object already understood in the supplied context. 我会先把它擦干净 means “I’ll first wipe it clean”; 把 places the affected object before the action and highlights the result applied to it. The complete utterance is therefore: “If it gets dusty, I’ll wipe it off first.”

9. 这样可以让工具保持良好状态。

   That helps keep the tools in good shape.

   这样

   this way; in this manner

   可以

   can; helps to

   让

   make; let

   工具

   tools

   保持

   keep; maintain

   良好

   good; favorable

   状态

   condition; state

   More detail

   这样 means “this way” or “in this manner.” Here it refers to the method established by the surrounding context and points to its result. A reusable pattern is 这样 + clause, meaning “In this way, …” or “This way, …” 可以 here presents the following result as possible: the method helps produce that result. It can mean “can” or “be able to”; in other contexts it can also express permission, but permission is not the meaning supported here. Example: 这样可以节省时间。 — “This can save time.” 让 is a causative verb meaning “make” or “let.” The pattern 让 + noun/pronoun + verb or state presents the noun or pronoun as the one that is caused or allowed to do something or remain in a condition. Here, 工具 is the affected thing. 工具 means “tool” or “tools.” This noun form does not itself mark singular versus plural; the English plural is supported by the fixed translation and is not shown by a change in 工具. 保持 means “keep” or “maintain.” It is the verb that expresses continuing in a condition. Its form is unchanged here for person or number. Example: 保持安静。 — “Keep quiet.” 良好 means “good” or “favorable” in the sense of a desirable condition. It describes 状态 in the compound 良好状态; it is not an inflected form of 状态. Example: 设备处于良好状态。 — “The equipment is in good condition.” 状态 means “state” or “condition.” In 良好状态, it is the noun naming the condition, while 良好 describes it. Chinese commonly places a descriptive word before the noun it describes, so 良好 + 状态 means “good condition.” Together, 这样可以让工具保持良好状态 follows the pattern 这样 + 可以 + 让 + object + 保持 + condition: “This way can help keep the object in a particular condition.” The complete meaning is “That helps keep the tools in good shape.”