Apologizing for damaging a borrowed tool | Learn Chinese in English

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Use Apologizing for damaging a borrowed tool to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

我得为我借的工具出了问题道歉。

wǒ děi wèi wǒ jiè de gōngjù chū le wèntí dàoqiàn I need to apologize for what happened to the tool I borrowed.

它出了什么问题？

tā chū le shénme wèntí What happened to it?

我用的时候，手柄裂了。

wǒ yòng de shíhou, shǒubǐng liè le The handle cracked while I was using it.

让我看看损坏得有多严重。

ràng wǒ kànkan sǔnhuài de yǒu duō yánzhòng Let me see how bad the damage is.

我可以换一个，也可以帮忙修理。

wǒ kěyǐ huàn yí ge, yě kěyǐ bāngmáng xiūlǐ I can replace it or help repair it.

我们应该看看修好后能不能用得住。

wǒmen yīnggāi kànkan xiūhǎo hòu néng bu néng yòng de zhù We should check whether a repair will hold.

对不起，给你增加了额外的工作。

duìbuqǐ, gěi nǐ zēngjiā le éwài de gōngzuò I am sorry for causing extra work.

下次请马上告诉我。

xià cì qǐng mǎshàng gàosu wǒ Tell me right away next time.

我们可以解决这个问题。

wǒmen kěyǐ jiějué zhège wèntí We can sort it out.

Word by Word

我 ‘我’ refers to the speaker as “I” in ‘我得为我借的工具出了问题道歉’. In ‘我借的工具’, it identifies the person who borrowed the tool. Use it for the speaker or the person being described as acting.

得 ‘得’ means need to in ‘我得为我借的工具出了问题道歉’. In ‘损坏得有多严重’ and ‘用得住’, it links an action or state to its degree or result instead. Use it before an action when expressing necessity.

为 ‘为’ introduces the matter or situation that motivates the apology in ‘为我借的工具出了问题道歉’. This is why it means “for” here. It can introduce the cause or matter before ‘道歉’.

借 ‘借’ means borrow in ‘我借的工具’; it identifies the tool as one the speaker borrowed. Here it comes before ‘的’ to describe ‘工具’. Use it when saying that someone borrowed an item.

的 ‘的’ links ‘我借’ to ‘工具’, making the preceding description identify which tool is meant. Here it closes the description ‘我借的’. Use it between a description and the noun it modifies.

工具 ‘工具’ means tool in ‘我借的工具’. It is the item that was borrowed and later damaged. Use it for an object used to carry out a practical task.

出 ‘出’ in ‘出了问题’ means that a problem occurred or developed; it does not mean going out here. Together with ‘问题’, it describes something going wrong. Reuse the expression when an object or plan develops a problem.

了 ‘了’ in ‘出了问题’, ‘裂了’, and ‘增加了’ shows that an event has happened or a situation has changed. It presents the problem, crack, or added work as an event that has occurred. Use it after a verb when reporting a completed event or change.

问题 ‘问题’ means problem in ‘出了问题’ and ‘什么问题’. In ‘出了问题’, it names what went wrong; in ‘什么问题’, it is the thing being asked about. Use it for a difficulty or issue.

道歉 ‘道歉’ means apologize in ‘为我借的工具出了问题道歉’. Here the speaker apologizes for the problem with the borrowed tool. It can follow the matter or cause introduced by ‘为’.

它 ‘它’ means it and refers back to the tool in ‘它出了什么问题？’. It lets B ask about the already-mentioned object without repeating its name. Use it for a non-person thing when the referent is clear.

什么 ‘什么’ asks what in ‘它出了什么问题？’; with ‘问题’, it asks what problem occurred. It comes before the thing being questioned here. Use it when asking the other person to identify something.

用 ‘用’ means use in ‘我用的时候’. It describes the action taking place when the handle cracked, with the tool understood from context. Use it before the item being used.

时候 ‘时候’ means time or when in ‘我用的时候’. The phrase marks the time during which another event happened. Use it after an action or situation to set a when-clause.

手柄 ‘手柄’ means handle in ‘手柄裂了’. It is the part of the tool that cracked. Use it when identifying a handle as the damaged part of an object.

裂 ‘裂’ means crack or split in ‘手柄裂了’. Here it reports the handle becoming cracked, with ‘了’ showing the change. Use it when a solid object develops a crack.

让 ‘让’ in ‘让我看看’ asks or permits the speaker to do something. It places ‘我’ after it as the person who will act, followed by ‘看看’. Use it when asking someone to let a person perform an action.

看看 ‘看看’ means take a look in ‘让我看看’. Repeating ‘看’ presents the looking as a brief or light action in this request. Use it when asking to inspect something.

损坏 ‘损坏’ describes the tool’s damaged condition in ‘损坏得有多严重’. It is the condition whose degree B wants to assess. Use it when talking about an object being damaged, followed here by a degree expression.

有 In ‘有多严重’, ‘有’ helps form a question about the degree of seriousness; it does not mean possession. The phrase asks how severe the damage is. Reuse this degree-question pattern with ‘多’ and a describing word.

多 ‘多’ in ‘有多严重’ asks to what degree. It works with ‘严重’ to ask how severe the damage is, rather than meaning many here. Use it before a describing word when asking about degree.

严重 ‘严重’ means serious or severe in ‘有多严重’. It describes the degree of damage being assessed. Use it when evaluating how serious a problem is.

可以 ‘可以’ means can or it is possible to in ‘我可以换一个’ and ‘也可以帮忙修理’. Here it presents two possible ways to deal with the damaged tool. It is commonly followed by an action.

换 ‘换’ means replace or change in ‘换一个’. Here it means replace the damaged item with another one. The object can be specified after it or omitted when ‘一个’ makes the replacement clear.

个 ‘个’ is the general classifier in ‘一个’. Here it counts the replacement item, while the noun is omitted because the tool is understood. Use it after a number before a countable item when no more specific classifier is needed.

也 ‘也’ means also in ‘也可以帮忙修理’. It adds a second possible action alongside ‘可以换一个’. Place it before the additional action phrase when adding another option.

帮忙 ‘帮忙’ means help in ‘帮忙修理’. Here A offers help with repairing the tool. It can be followed by the action that the help concerns.

修理 ‘修理’ means repair in ‘帮忙修理’. It names the action A offers to help with. Use it with an object that needs fixing, such as the tool in this scene.

我们 ‘我们’ means we or us in ‘我们应该看看’ and ‘我们可以解决这个问题’. It refers to the speaker and listener together as the people who should check and resolve the problem. Use it when the group includes the speaker and at least one other person.

应该 ‘应该’ means should in ‘我们应该看看修好后能不能用得住’. It presents checking the repair as the appropriate action. It is followed here by the action the speakers think is needed.

修好 ‘修好’ means repair something successfully or get it fixed in ‘修好后’. The ‘好’ part presents the repair as completed with a successful result, not merely started. Use it when the completed condition after repairing matters.

后 ‘后’ means after in ‘修好后’. It places the next event after the repair has been completed. Use it after an action or event to introduce what happens later.

能 ‘能’ means can or be able to in ‘能不能用得住’. Here it asks whether the repaired tool will remain usable. It is paired with ‘不’ in ‘能不能’ to form a question about possibility.

不 ‘不’ in ‘能不能’ creates the positive-or-negative question pattern. Here it asks whether the repair will hold, rather than simply stating a negation. It appears immediately after ‘能’ in this question.

住 ‘住’ in ‘用得住’ means hold up or remain usable under use. It contributes the idea that the repair will last, not physical residence. Use it in a verb-plus-‘住’ expression when something needs to withstand a condition.

对不起 ‘对不起’ is the apology in ‘对不起，给你增加了额外的工作。’; it acknowledges that the speaker caused extra work. Within this fixed expression, ‘对’ directs the apology toward the person addressed, while ‘不起’ contributes the sense that the speaker cannot face or measure up to that person; together they form the apology. Use ‘对不起’ when apologizing directly to someone.

给 ‘给’ marks ‘你’ as the person affected by the extra work in ‘给你增加了额外的工作’. It is translated as “to” or “for” here. Use it before the person who receives something or is affected by an action.

你 ‘你’ means you in ‘给你增加了额外的工作’ and is the person addressed. It identifies B as the person who received the extra work. Use it for one person being spoken to.

增加 ‘增加’ means add or increase in ‘增加了额外的工作’. Here it says that the situation created additional work for the listener. It can be followed by the thing that becomes greater or is added.

额外 ‘额外’ means extra or additional in ‘额外的工作’. It specifies that this work was added beyond the expected amount. Place it before the thing that is extra.

工作 ‘工作’ means work in ‘额外的工作’. Here it refers to the repair-related effort B now has to deal with. Use it for tasks or effort that someone has to do.

下次 ‘下次’ means next time in ‘下次请马上告诉我’. It points to a future occasion when the same kind of situation may happen. Use it to set a future occasion for the action that follows.

请 ‘请’ makes ‘马上告诉我’ a polite request in ‘下次请马上告诉我’. It softens the instruction while keeping the requested action clear. Use it before an action when asking someone politely to do it.

马上 ‘马上’ means immediately or right away in ‘马上告诉我’. It says that the telling should happen without delay. Place it before the action whose timing should be immediate.

告诉 ‘告诉’ means tell in ‘告诉我’. Here B asks A to tell B about a problem promptly. A common reuse keeps the person being told after ‘告诉’, as in ‘告诉我’.

解决 ‘解决’ means solve or resolve in ‘解决这个问题’. It refers to dealing with the tool problem so it is settled. It is followed by the problem or issue being resolved.

这 ‘这’ means this in ‘这个问题’. It points to the specific problem already being discussed. It comes before ‘个’ and the noun in this phrase to identify a known item.

Grammar Points

V + 了 + ...

出了问题

chū le wèntí

Something went wrong.

了 shows that a new situation or change has occurred; 出了问题 means that a problem occurred.

V + 得 + complement

用得住

yòng de zhù

It holds up in use.

得 introduces a complement describing how well an action can be carried out or what result it achieves.

Chinese Vocabulary

帮忙 verb

bāngmáng to help

出了问题 phrase

chū le wèntí to have a problem; something went wrong

道歉 verb

dàoqiàn to apologize

工具 noun

gōngjù tool

换 verb

huàn to replace; to change

借 verb

jiè to borrow

裂 verb

liè to crack; to split

手柄 noun

shǒubǐng handle

损坏 verb

sǔnhuài damage; to damage

修好 verb

xiūhǎo to repair successfully; to fix

修理 verb

xiūlǐ to repair

严重 adj

yánzhòng serious; severe

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to have a problem; something went wrong

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出了问题

to help

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帮忙

to repair successfully; to fix

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修好

to apologize

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道歉