About This Lesson
Use Letting Someone Go First in Line to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
不好意思，你可以排到我前面。
bù hǎo yì si, nǐ kě yǐ pái dào wǒ qián miàn. Excuse me, you can go ahead of me.
B
你确定吗？我不想占你的位置。
nǐ què dìng ma? wǒ bù xiǎng zhàn nǐ de wèi zhì. Are you sure? I don't want to take your place.
A
没关系，你的包看起来很重。
méi guān xi, nǐ de bāo kàn qǐ lái hěn zhòng. It's all right, your bags look heavy.
B
谢谢你。
xiè xie nǐ. I appreciate it.
B
我在柜台只需要一分钟。
wǒ zài guì tái zhǐ xū yào yì fēn zhōng. I'll only be a minute at the counter.
A
我可以再等一会儿。
wǒ kě yǐ zài děng yí huìr. I can wait a little longer.
B
我会注意，不耽误你太久。
wǒ huì zhù yì, bù dān wu nǐ tài jiǔ. I'll make sure I don't hold you up.Word by Word
不好意思
不好意思 is a polite “excuse me” used here before making a considerate request. 不、好、意思 appear together in the exact form 不好意思, and the whole expression functions as a polite opener. You can reuse 不好意思 before speaking to someone you may inconvenience.
你
你 means “you” and refers to the person being addressed in 你可以排到我前面. It identifies the listener as the person who may move ahead in line. It is commonly placed before the verb or verb phrase describing what the listener can do.
可以
可以 means “can” or “may”; here it gives the other person permission to move ahead. In 你可以排到我前面, it comes before the action 排到我前面. A reusable pattern is 可以 + verb phrase when granting permission or describing what is possible.
排
排 means “line up” in 排到我前面, describing moving into a position in the line. It is followed by 到 and the destination position. The pattern 排到 + position is useful when saying where someone should line up.
到
到 marks the position reached by the lining-up action in 排到我前面. It connects 排 with the endpoint 我前面. In this dialogue, it helps express moving up to a particular place in the line.
我
我 means “I” or “me”; here it refers to the speaker whose position is being used as the reference point. In 我前面, it is followed by 前面 to form “in front of me.” It can be used before a location word to identify whose position is meant.
前面
前面 means “in front” in 我前面, the position ahead of the speaker in the line. Together with 我, it specifies the destination in 排到我前面. It is useful after a person or place reference when describing a position in front of it.
确定
确定 means “sure” or “certain” in 你确定吗, asking whether the speaker really means the offer. It describes the listener’s certainty about moving ahead. The pattern 你确定吗 is a direct way to check whether an offer or decision is genuine.
吗
吗 is the question particle at the end of 你确定吗. It turns the preceding statement into a yes-or-no question. It is used at the end of a sentence when checking information or confirmation.
不
不 means “not” in 不想占你的位置, where it negates the desire expressed by 想. It comes directly before the verb or verb phrase it negates. The reusable pattern 不 + verb expresses a present or general refusal or lack of desire.
想
想 means “want to” in 不想占你的位置. Because 不 comes before it, the phrase means “do not want to occupy your place.” It is commonly followed by the action that someone wants or does not want to do.
占
占 means “occupy” or “take up”; here it refers to taking the other person’s place in line. In 占你的位置, the object is the specific place being occupied. A useful pattern is 占 + position or space.
的
的 links 你 and 位置 in 你的位置 to show that the position is associated with or belongs to you. It appears between the person reference and the noun. This pattern is commonly used for possession or close association: person + 的 + noun.
位置
位置 means “place” or “spot”; here it means the person’s place in the line. In 你的位置, it identifies the spot that the other person does not want to take. It can be reused when referring to a particular place or position.
没关系
没关系 is the exact expression used to reassure the other person that the offer causes no problem. 没 provides the negative element and 关系 is the second component, but the reassurance comes from the expression 没关系 as a whole. It is useful when accepting an apology, concern, or possible inconvenience.
包
包 means “bag”; here it refers to the bags the other person is carrying in 你的包. It is the item whose weight is being judged in the conversation. It can be used after a possessive phrase such as 你的包 when identifying someone’s bag.
看起来
看起来 means “look” or “seem” based on appearance in 看起来很重. 看 contributes the idea of looking, and 起来 forms the expression that describes how something appears; the whole phrase means “looks.” It is useful before an adjective when making an appearance-based observation.
很
很 means “very” in 很重 and intensifies the description of the bags’ weight. It comes before the adjective 重. A reusable pattern is 很 + adjective when describing a strong degree of a quality.
重
重 means “heavy” in 很重, describing the weight of the bags. It follows 很 in the phrase 很重. It is useful when describing the weight of something someone is carrying or handling.
谢谢
谢谢 means “thanks” or “thank you”; in 谢谢你, it expresses gratitude for being allowed to go first. The two occurrences of 谢 are the repeated components of this polite expression, and 谢谢 functions as a whole. It is used when thanking someone for help, permission, or consideration.
在
在 marks the location in 在柜台, meaning “at the counter.” It comes before the place name 柜台. The pattern 在 + place identifies where an action or situation occurs.
柜台
柜台 means “counter”; here it is the service counter where the speaker will spend a short time. In 在柜台, it follows 在 to name the location. This word is useful for referring to a shop, bank, or other service counter.
只
只 means “only” in 只需要一分钟 and limits the amount of time needed. It comes before the verb phrase 需要一分钟. The pattern 只 + amount or time emphasizes that the amount is small or limited.
需要
需要 means “need” in 只需要一分钟, stating that the speaker needs one minute at the counter. It is followed here by the required amount of time 一分钟. A reusable pattern is 需要 + amount, time, or object.
分钟
分钟 means “minute,” the unit of time in 一分钟. It follows the number 一 to express a one-minute duration. The pattern number + 分钟 is used when stating how many minutes something takes.
再
再 means “further” or “another” in 再等一会儿, showing that the speaker is willing to wait beyond the current point. It comes before the action 等. The pattern 再 + verb is useful for describing doing something further or again in the situation at hand.
等
等 means “wait” in 再等一会儿. It is followed by the duration 一会儿, which says how long the waiting will continue. The pattern 等 + duration is useful when asking or offering to wait for a stated period.
一会儿
一会儿 means “a little while” in 再等一会儿. 一 contributes the idea of one, and 会儿 refers to a short period; together, 一会儿 is the short-duration expression used here. It is useful when asking someone to wait briefly or describing a brief wait.
会
会 means “will” in 我会注意, expressing the speaker’s intention to be careful in the future. It comes before the verb 注意. The pattern 会 + verb is useful for making a promise or stating a future intention.
注意
注意 means “pay attention” or “be careful”; here, 我会注意 means the speaker will make sure not to inconvenience the other person. It follows 会 and describes the care the speaker promises to take. 会注意 is a reusable way to say that you will be careful about something.
耽误
耽误 means “delay” or “hold up”; in 不耽误你太久, it means keep you waiting or inconvenience you for too long. The person affected appears after it as 你, and the duration appears as 太久. A useful pattern is 耽误 + person + duration.
太
太 means “too” in 太久, indicating that the delay should not become excessive. It comes before 久 to describe an unwanted length of time. It is useful before a description when saying that something goes beyond the acceptable or intended amount.
久
久 means “long” as a duration in 太久. Together, 太久 means “too long” in the promise not to hold the other person up. It is useful when talking about how long a wait, delay, or other situation lasts.
Grammar Points
看起来 + 形容词
包看起来重。
bāo kàn qǐ lái zhòng.The bag looks heavy.
看起来表示“seem/look”，后面可以直接接形容词。
再 + 动词 + 一会儿
再等一会儿。
zài děng yí huìr.Wait a little longer.
再放在动词前，表示在现在的动作之后继续做一段时间。
Chinese Vocabulary
包
noun
bāo
bag
不好意思
intj
bù hǎo yì si
Excuse me; sorry
柜台
noun
guì tái
counter
看起来
verb
kàn qǐ lái
to look; to seem
没关系
phrase
méi guān xi
it's all right; no problem
排到
verb
pái dào
to move into a place in line
前面
noun
qián miàn
in front; ahead
确定
adj
què dìng
sure; certain
位置
noun
wèi zhì
place; position
谢谢你
phrase
xiè xie nǐ
thank you
占
verb
zhàn
to take; to occupy
重
adj
zhòng
heavy
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
Excuse me; sorry
Show Answer
不好意思thank you
Show Answer
谢谢你place; position
Show Answer
位置to look; to seem