Checking the apartment before leaving | Learn Chinese in English

About This Lesson

Use Checking the apartment before leaving to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

我们离开前，应该检查一下公寓。

wǒmen líkāi qián, yīnggāi jiǎnchá yíxià gōngyù. Before we leave, we should check the apartment.

我已经关掉炉子了。

wǒ yǐjīng guāndiào lúzi le. I already turned off the stove.

所有窗户都关上了吗？

suǒyǒu chuānghu dōu guānshàng le ma? Are all the windows closed?

卧室的窗户还开着。

wòshì de chuānghu hái kāizhe. The bedroom window is still open.

我来关上它，再锁上阳台门。

wǒ lái guānshàng tā, zài suǒshàng yángtái mén. I'll close it and lock the balcony door.

走廊的灯还亮着。

zǒuláng de dēng hái liàngzhe. The hallway lights are still on.

所以我来把它们关掉。

suǒyǐ wǒ lái bǎ tāmen guāndiào. So I'll turn them off.

应该就这些了。

yīnggāi jiù zhèxiē le. That should be everything.

趁还不太晚，我们走吧。

chèn hái bú tài wǎn, wǒmen zǒu ba. Let's go before it gets too late.

Word by Word

我们我们 means “we” or “us” here, referring to the two speakers together. In 我们离开前, it comes before the action to show who will leave. Use it when talking about a plan or action shared with another person.

离开离开 means “leave” in 我们离开前, referring to leaving the apartment. In this pattern, it is followed by 前 to mark the action that happens before leaving. Use it when saying that someone leaves a place or situation.

前前 means “before” in 离开前, placing the apartment check before the act of leaving. It follows an action or time expression in this use. Use this pattern to describe what happens before another action.

应该应该 means “should” in 应该检查一下公寓, expressing what the speakers think is advisable to do. It comes before the action that is recommended. Use it when making a suggestion or stating a reasonable obligation.

检查检查 means “check” or “inspect” in 检查一下公寓, referring to looking over the apartment for anything that needs attention. It is followed by the object 公寓 here. Use it before an object when checking its condition or contents.

一下一下 in 检查一下 softens the action and presents the check as a brief or limited action. It follows the verb 检查 in this dialogue. Use it after an action verb when making the action sound lighter or less imposing.

公寓公寓 means “apartment” here, the place the speakers are checking before leaving. In 检查一下公寓, it is the object of the checking action. Use it when referring to an apartment as a living place.

我我 means “I” or “me” here, referring to the speaker who has already turned off the stove. It appears before the action in 我已经关掉炉子了. Use it as the subject when describing your own action or state.

已经已经 means “already” in 我已经关掉炉子了, showing that the action was completed before this statement. It comes before the verb phrase it modifies. Use it to say that something has happened by a relevant time.

关掉关掉 means “turn off” in 关掉炉子 and 把它们关掉, referring to stopping a stove or lights from being on. It combines the action 关 with the result of making something no longer operate. Use it with an object such as 炉子 or 它们 when turning something off.

炉子炉子 means “stove” here, the appliance that has already been turned off. In 关掉炉子, it follows the verb as the object being turned off. Use it when referring to a stove in a home or kitchen.

了 The 了 at the end of 我已经关掉炉子了 presents the turning-off as completed and relevant now. Here it follows the whole action rather than naming an object. Use sentence-final 了 when reporting a newly completed action or a resulting current situation.

所有所有 means “all” in 所有窗户, referring to the complete set of windows. It comes before the noun it describes. Use it before a plural or collective noun when referring to every member of a group.

窗户窗户 means “window” here, and 所有窗户 refers to all the windows in the apartment. It is the thing whose closed state is being checked. Use it when talking about a window as part of a building or room.

都都 means “all” in 所有窗户都关上了吗, applying the following state to the windows as a group. It usually appears before the verb or state that concerns all the items. Use it after a plural or collective subject to show that the statement applies to every one.

关上关上 means “close” or “shut” in 所有窗户都关上了吗 and 我来关上它, referring to bringing something into a closed position. It can be followed by the object being closed, such as 它. Use it for closing a window, door, or similar object.

吗吗 turns 所有窗户都关上了吗 into a yes-or-no question about whether all the windows are closed. It appears at the end of the question. Use it after a statement when asking for confirmation.

卧室卧室 means “bedroom” here, identifying which window is still open. In 卧室的窗户, it comes before 的 to modify the noun 窗户. Use it when referring to the room used for sleeping.

的的 links 卧室 to 窗户 in 卧室的窗户, showing that the window is associated with or located in the bedroom. It follows the noun or phrase that modifies another noun. Use it to connect a place or possessor with the thing being described.

还还 means “still” in 还开着, showing that the window remains open at this point. It comes before the state it modifies. Use it when an earlier or expected change has not happened yet.

开开 means “be open” in 开着, describing the window’s open state rather than the act of opening it. With 着, it refers to a state that is being maintained. Use it with an object such as a window or door when describing that it is open.

着着 in 开着 indicates that the open state is continuing or remains in place. It follows 开 in the expression 开着. Use it after a verb when you need to describe a maintained state.

来来 in 我来关上它 means “I’ll do it” or “I’ll take care of it,” as the speaker volunteers to close the window. It appears after the subject and before the action. Use 我来 before an action when offering to handle something.

它它 means “it” in 关上它, referring back to the bedroom window. It comes after the verb as the object being closed. Use it to refer back to a previously mentioned non-human thing.

再再 in 再锁上阳台门 means “then” or “after that,” linking the next action to the preceding action of closing the window. It comes before the second verb. Use it to show that one action will follow another.

锁上锁上 means “lock” in 锁上阳台门, referring to securing the balcony door in the locked position. It is followed by the object 阳台门. Use it when locking a door or another object that can be secured.

阳台阳台 means “balcony” here, identifying which door is being locked. In 阳台门, it comes before the noun 门 to specify the door’s location or association. Use it when referring to an apartment or building balcony.

门门 means “door” in 阳台门, the object that will be locked. It follows the modifier 阳台 to form the phrase for the balcony door. Use it when referring to a door in a building or room.

走廊走廊 means “hallway” here, identifying where the lights are located. In 走廊的灯, it comes before 的 to modify 灯. Use it when referring to the passage connecting rooms or areas.

灯灯 means “light” or “lamp” in 走廊的灯, referring to the hallway lights that remain on. It is the thing whose state is described by 亮着. Use it when talking about a light or lamp in a room or building.

亮亮 means “be lit” or “be on” in 亮着, describing the lights’ current illuminated state. With 着, it presents that state as continuing. Use it with 灯 when saying that a light is on.

所以所以 means “so” or “therefore” in 所以我来把它们关掉, introducing the speaker’s response to the lights being on. It comes before the resulting action or decision. Use it to connect a reason or situation with its consequence.

把把 in 把它们关掉 marks 它们 as the specific objects that will be changed by the action. It places the object before the verb and its result. Use 把 with a clearly identified object when explaining what will be done to it.

它们它们 means “them” for the hallway lights in 把它们关掉. It refers back to the plural noun 灯 and appears as the object in the 把 construction. Use it when referring back to multiple non-human things.

就就 in 应该就这些了 means “just” or “that is all,” narrowing the answer to the items already considered. It appears before 这些 in this expression. Use it when indicating that the current set or result is limited to what has just been mentioned.

这些这些 means “these” or “this set of things” in 应该就这些了, referring to the apartment checks just completed. It points back to the items in the conversation rather than naming them again. Use it when referring to several nearby or previously mentioned things.

趁趁 in 趁还不太晚 means “while it is still not too late,” taking advantage of a favorable time. It introduces the time condition for the action that follows. Use it before a situation or time window when urging someone to act before that opportunity changes.

不不 means “not” in 不太晚, negating the description of being too late. It comes before the adjective phrase it negates. Use it to form a negative statement about a present or expected situation.

太太 in 太晚 means “too” or “overly,” showing that the time has passed the desirable limit. It comes before 晚 in this phrase. Use it before a quality when saying that something exceeds a suitable degree.

晚晚 means “late” in 还不太晚, describing the time as not yet excessively late. It is modified by 太 and negated by 不 in this dialogue. Use it when talking about the lateness of a time or event.

走走 means “go” or “leave” in 我们走吧, referring to the speakers leaving the apartment. It is followed by 吧 to make a suggestion. Use it when inviting someone to leave or move on together.

吧吧 in 我们走吧 makes 走 a suggestion or gentle urging: “Let’s go.” It appears at the end of the sentence. Use it after an action when proposing that the speaker and listener do it together.

Grammar Points

把 + object + verb

把所有窗户关上。

bǎ suǒyǒu chuānghu guānshàng.

Close all the windows.

The 把 construction places the object before the verb and emphasizes what happens to it.

趁 + time or situation，…

趁还不太晚，走吧。

chèn hái bú tài wǎn, zǒu ba.

Let's go while it's not too late.

趁 introduces a favorable time or situation for carrying out the following action.

Chinese Vocabulary

窗户 noun

chuānghu window

公寓 noun

gōngyù apartment

关掉 verb

guāndiào turn off

关上 verb

guānshàng close

还 adv

hái still

检查 verb

jiǎnchá check

开着 verb

kāizhe be open; be left open

离开 verb

líkāi leave

炉子 noun

lúzi stove

所有 det

suǒyǒu all

卧室 noun

wòshì bedroom

已经 adv

yǐjīng already

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

window

Show Answer

窗户

bedroom

Show Answer

卧室

stove

Show Answer

炉子

be open; be left open

Show Answer

开着