Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work | Learn Chinese in English

Chinese lesson set in a contemporary Shanghai everyday setting: At work, one person borrows a laptop charger, checks the connector, and agrees where to return it..

EN → ZH / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

我的笔记本电脑快没电了。

Wǒ de bǐjìběn diànnǎo kuài méi diàn le. My laptop battery is almost empty.
B

你可以借我的充电器用到开会前。

Nǐ kěyǐ jiè wǒ de chōngdiànqì yòng dào kāihuì qián. You can borrow my charger until the meeting.
A

它和我的笔记本电脑兼容吗？

Tā hé wǒ de bǐjìběn diànnǎo jiānróng ma? Is it compatible with my laptop?
B

应该可以，但先检查一下接口。

Yīnggāi kěyǐ, dàn xiān jiǎnchá yíxià jiēkǒu. It should be, but check the connector first.
A

插头合适，电池现在正在充电。

Chātóu héshì, diànchí xiànzài zhèngzài chōngdiàn. It fits, and the battery is charging now.
B

你用完后把它放回我的桌上。

Nǐ yòng wán hòu bǎ tā fàng huí wǒ de zhuō shàng. Put it back on my desk when you finish.
A

你离开前我会把它放回去。

Nǐ líkāi qián wǒ huì bǎ tā fàng huí qù. I'll put it back before you leave.
B

这样在我再次需要它之前，我就有足够的时间。

Zhèyàng zài wǒ zàicì xūyào tā zhīqián, wǒ jiù yǒu zúgòu de shíjiān. That gives me enough time before I need it again.

Word by Word

我 我 means “I” or “me” in forms such as 我的笔记本电脑 and 我会把它放回去. It refers to the speaker and commonly appears before 的 for possession or before an action.
的 的 marks possession in 我的笔记本电脑 and 我的充电器, meaning that the laptop and charger belong to the speaker. Use it after a person or noun and before the thing they possess.
笔记本电脑 笔记本电脑 means “laptop” in 我的笔记本电脑. It is the device whose battery is nearly empty and is commonly used after a possessive such as 我的.
快 快 means “almost” in 快没电了, showing that the battery is close to having no power. It can appear before a change or result that is about to happen.
没 没 expresses the lack of power in 快没电了, meaning that the laptop is nearly out of power. In this dialogue it combines with 电, and the pattern 没电 describes something as having no electricity or power.
电 电 means “electricity” or “power” in 没电 and 电池. In 没电, it refers specifically to the power available to the laptop, while in 电池 it is part of the word for battery.
了 The final 了 in 快没电了 presents the laptop’s nearly empty-power state as the current situation. It is useful when reporting a newly relevant or changed state.
你 你 means “you” in 你可以借我的充电器 and 你离开前. It refers to the person receiving the charger and commonly appears before the action or ability being described.
可以 可以 means “can” or “be allowed to” in 你可以借我的充电器, giving permission or indicating that borrowing is possible. A common pattern is 可以 + an action, as in 可以借.
借 借 means “borrow” in 借我的充电器, where the speaker offers an item for the other person to use temporarily. It commonly appears before the object being borrowed.
充电器 充电器 means “charger” in 我的充电器 and is the item being borrowed. It can follow a possessive such as 我的 or serve as the object of 借.
用 用 means “use” in 借我的充电器用到开会前, describing what the other person may do with the charger. Here it is followed by 到 to show the time limit for using it.
到 到 marks the endpoint in 用到开会前, meaning “until before the meeting.” It can follow an action and a time expression to show how long that action continues.
开会 开会 means “have a meeting” in 开会前. In this dialogue it identifies the event used as the time reference, and it can be followed by 前 to mean before the meeting.
前 前 means “before” in 开会前 and 离开前, placing one event earlier than another. A common pattern is an event or action + 前, such as 离开前.
它 它 means “it” in 它和我的笔记本电脑兼容吗 and refers to the charger. It is used for the already mentioned object and can appear before an action or description.
和 和 connects the charger and the laptop in 它和我的笔记本电脑兼容吗. It links the two things whose compatibility is being discussed, commonly in the pattern A 和 B + description.
兼容 兼容 means “be compatible” in 它和我的笔记本电脑兼容吗, asking whether the charger works with the laptop. It commonly appears after the two things whose compatibility is being considered.
吗 吗 turns 它和我的笔记本电脑兼容吗 into a yes-or-no question. It is placed at the end of a question when the speaker wants confirmation.
应该 应该 expresses an expectation rather than a firm guarantee in 应该可以, meaning “it should work” or “it ought to be possible.” It commonly appears before a possibility or action to give a qualified answer.
但 但 means “but” in 应该可以，但先检查一下接口, introducing a caution after the expected answer. It commonly connects an initial statement with a qualification or contrasting instruction.
先 先 means “first” in 先检查一下接口, telling the listener to check the connector before proceeding. It commonly appears before the action that should happen earlier.
检查 检查 means “check” or “inspect” in 检查一下接口, asking the listener to examine the connector. It commonly appears before the item being checked.
一下 一下 softens 检查一下接口 and presents the check as brief or limited. The components 一 and 下 form this expression together; use it after an action verb when making a small, light request.
接口 接口 means “connector” or “port” in 检查一下接口, referring to the part that must be checked for compatibility. It is the object of 检查 in this dialogue and can follow that verb directly.
插头 插头 means “plug” in 插头合适, identifying the part that fits the laptop connection. It can be used as the topic or subject of a description of its suitability.
合适 合适 means “fit” or “be suitable” in 插头合适, indicating that the plug is a suitable match. It can follow the item being evaluated, as in 插头合适.
电池 电池 means “battery” in 电池现在正在充电, referring to the laptop battery that is receiving power. It commonly appears before an action describing what the battery is doing.
现在 现在 means “now” in 电池现在正在充电, locating the charging action at the present time. It commonly appears before the action or situation that is happening at this moment.
正在 正在 shows that the charging action is currently in progress in 正在充电. It commonly appears before an action to emphasize that it is happening at the stated time.
充电 充电 means “charge” or “be charging” in 电池现在正在充电. With 正在, it describes the battery as receiving power at this moment; it commonly follows the thing being charged.
完 完 marks completion in 用完后, meaning “after finishing using it.” It commonly follows an action verb to show that the action has been completed before the next event.
后 后 means “after” in 用完后, placing the return after the charger has been used. A common pattern is an action or completed action + 后, followed by the next action.
把 把 introduces the object-handling construction in 把它放回我的桌上, placing 它 before the action and its result. The full construction focuses on what happens to the charger, and it is commonly followed by an action phrase that gives a clear result or location.
放回 放回 means “put back” in 放回我的桌上 and 放回去, describing the return of the charger to its place. It commonly appears before a destination, such as 我的桌上, or with 去 in 放回去.
桌 桌 means “desk” or “table” in 我的桌上, identifying the surface where the charger should be returned. It commonly combines with 上 to form a location expression.
上 上 means “on” in 我的桌上, showing that the charger is placed on the desk. It commonly follows a surface noun to indicate location.
会 会 marks a future plan in 我会把它放回去, meaning that the speaker will put the charger back. It commonly appears before the action the speaker intends or expects to carry out.
离开 离开 means “leave” in 你离开前, referring to the other person leaving the workplace. It can be followed by 前 to form a time expression meaning before you leave.
去 去 completes 放回去 by presenting the charger as being put back to its place. In this dialogue, the whole expression 放回去 means “put it back,” and 去 is used after the action to express the directional movement.
这样 这样 means “this way” or “so” in 这样在我再次需要它之前, referring to the return arrangement just agreed on. It is useful when connecting a just-mentioned action or arrangement with its result.
在 在 introduces the time frame in 在我再次需要它之前, meaning “before I need it again.” A common pattern is 在 + time clause + 之前 to set the point before which something happens.
再次 再次 means “again” in 再次需要它, showing that the speaker will need the charger another time. It commonly appears before the repeated action.
需要 需要 means “need” in 我再次需要它, describing the speaker’s future requirement for the charger. It commonly appears before the needed object, as in 需要它.
之前 之前 means “before” in 在我再次需要它之前, setting the time before the speaker needs the charger again. It commonly follows a time or event clause and can be introduced by 在.
就 就 links the timing condition to its result in 我就有足够的时间, meaning “then” or “as a result, I have enough time.” It commonly appears before the result that follows from the preceding situation.
有 有 means “have” in 我就有足够的时间, stating that the speaker has enough available time. It commonly appears before the thing or amount that someone has.
足够 足够 means “enough” or “sufficient” in 足够的时间, describing the amount of time as meeting the need. It commonly appears before 的 + noun, as in 足够的时间.
时间 时间 means “time” in 足够的时间, referring to the period available before the charger is needed again. It commonly follows an amount description such as 足够的 and can be used with 有 to express available time.

Grammar Points

快 + 谓语 + 了

电池快没电了。

Diànchí kuài méi diàn le.

The battery is almost out of power.

快表示某种情况即将发生，了表示状态即将变化。

正在 + 动词

正在充电。

Zhèngzài chōngdiàn.

Currently charging.

正在放在动词前，表示动作正在进行，相当于 “be -ing”。

Chinese Vocabulary

笔记本电脑 noun
bǐjìběn diànnǎo laptop
充电器 noun
chōngdiànqì charger
电池 noun
diànchí battery
兼容 adj
jiānróng compatible
检查 verb
jiǎnchá check; inspect
接口 noun
jiēkǒu connector; port
借 verb
jiè borrow
开会 verb
kāihuì hold a meeting; attend a meeting
快 adv
kuài almost; nearly
没电 phrase
méi diàn out of power; have no battery
先 adv
xiān first
用到 phrase
yòng dào use until

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

laptop

Show Answer笔记本电脑

battery

Show Answer电池

charger

Show Answer充电器

check; inspect

Show Answer检查