Deciding Which Task to Do First | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 我今天早上有太多任务。

   I have too many tasks this morning.

   我

   I; me

   今天早上

   this morning

   有

   have

   太多

   too many

   任务

   tasks

   More detail

   我 means “I/me” here, the first-person singular pronoun. It identifies the speaker as the person who has the tasks. Example: 我是学生。 — “I am a student.” 今天早上 means “this morning.” 今天 is “today,” and 早上 is “morning”; together they form a time expression. Chinese commonly places a time expression before the main action or situation: 我今天早上学习。 — “I study this morning.” 有 means “have” in this sentence. With a person as the subject, it can express possession or the fact that something is present for that person: 我有时间。 — “I have time.” It is different from 是, which means “be” and is not used to express possession here. 太多 means “too many” before the noun 任务. 多 means “many/much,” while 太 adds the excessive meaning “too.” This expression is used with countable nouns such as 任务: 这里有太多学生。 — “There are too many students here.” The quantity expression comes before the noun it describes. 任务 means “task” or “tasks.” The form does not change for singular and plural in this sentence; the quantity expression 太多 supplies the plural/excessive-quantity meaning. Example: 我有三个任务。 — “I have three tasks.” Together, 我 + 今天早上 + 有 + 太多 + 任务 means “I have too many tasks this morning.” The next sentence uses 它们 to refer back to these tasks and tells the listener to list them by priority.

2. 先按优先顺序把它们列出来。

   List them by priority first.

   先

   first

   按优先顺序

   by priority order

   把

   object-marking particle

   它们

   them

   列出来

   list out

   More detail

   先 means “first” here and places the action before other actions in the intended sequence. It is an adverb, not part of the object. Example: 先看这个。 — “Look at this first.” 按优先顺序 means “by priority order.” 按 introduces the standard or basis used for an action; 优先顺序 is the order of priority. The same pattern is reusable in 按时间顺序说 — “speak in chronological order.” 把 marks the object that will be handled and describes what happens to it. The general pattern is 把 + object + verb phrase, as in 把门关上 — “close the door.” It does not itself mean “the” or indicate a numerical quantity. 它们 is the plural pronoun “them.” 它 is the singular third-person pronoun for non-human referents, and 它们 is its plural form. In the supplied context, the preceding sentence mentions multiple tasks, which supports understanding 它们 as that group. The pronoun itself does not name the objects. 列出来 means “list out.” 列 is the verb “to list,” while 出来 is a result/directional complement showing that the items are brought out into a visible, stated list. Compare 列出三项 — “list three items”; 列出来 emphasizes producing the list. Chinese does not mark this verb for past or present tense by changing 列. Together, 先按优先顺序 sets the order and timing, 把它们 marks the items to be handled, and 列出来 gives the resulting action: “List them by priority first.” The sentence has no overt subject; the intended addressee is understood from the imperative use, while the translation confirms the instruction.

3. 这封邮件很紧急。

   This email is urgent.

   这封

   this (for a letter or email)

   邮件

   email

   紧急

   urgent

   More detail

   这封 combines the demonstrative 这 (“this” here) with 封, the classifier used with letters and letter-like messages such as emails. The classifier comes between the demonstrative and the noun: 这封邮件 = “this email.” Example: 那封信很长。 — “That letter is long.” Here 那封 uses the same pattern with a different demonstrative. 邮件 is the noun “email.” It can be used in other classifier phrases, such as 一封邮件 — “an email” or “one email.” 封 is the classifier; it is not a numeric count by itself in 这封邮件. 紧急 means “urgent” in this sentence. It is a descriptive adjective and can function as the predicate after 很: 情况很紧急。 — “The situation is urgent.” In this construction, 很 helps connect the adjective to the subject; it does not always mean strong “very.” 紧急 differs from 重要 (“important”): something can be urgent, important, or both, depending on the intended description. The complete pattern is 这 + classifier + noun + 很 + adjective. 这封邮件 is the subject, and 很紧急 describes it. Together, 这封邮件很紧急。 means “This email is urgent.”

4. 这份报告很重要。

   The report is important.

   这份

   this (classifier phrase)

   报告

   report

   很重要

   is important

   More detail

   这份 combines 这 (“this”) with 份, a measure word commonly used with documents, including reports. In 这份报告, it forms the reusable pattern 这 + 份 + document noun for referring to this report. The classifier helps structure the noun phrase; it does not by itself assert a numeric count. Example: 这份文件很长。 — “This document is long.” 报告 means “report.” It is a noun and can follow a measure phrase such as 一份报告 (“a report”) or 这份报告 (“this report”). Here it is the subject identified by 这份. Example: 我看了这份报告。 — “I read this report.” 很重要 describes the report as important. 重要 is the adjective “important”; 很 is a degree adverb that can mean “quite/very,” and it also commonly helps form a natural adjective predicate in Mandarin. In this sentence, the intended meaning is simply that the report is important, not a comparison with another report. 重要 does not change form for number or gender. Example: 这个决定很重要。 — “This decision is important.” The utterance assembles as 这份报告 (“this report”) + 很重要 (“is important”). Mandarin commonly places a descriptive predicate after the subject without a separate verb corresponding to English “is,” so the complete meaning is: “The report is important.”

5. 报告什么时候截止？

   When is the report deadline?

   报告

   report

   什么时候

   when

   截止

   be due; reach its deadline

   More detail

   报告 is the noun “report.” It can refer to a written report or an oral presentation, but here the fixed translation identifies a report whose deadline is being asked about. Example: 我在写报告。 — “I am writing a report.” 什么时候 asks “when,” referring to a time. It commonly appears where a time expression would appear in a statement: 你什么时候到？ — “When will you arrive?” It is different from 什么 “what,” which asks about a thing rather than a time. 截止 expresses reaching a deadline or cutoff point. In this sentence it means that the report becomes due at a particular time. The related noun phrase 截止时间 means “deadline,” but the observed form here is 截止, not 截止时间. Example: 报名什么时候截止？ — “When does registration close?” Together, 报告 identifies what has a deadline, 什么时候 asks for the time, and 截止 supplies the deadline event: “When is the report due?” Chinese can form this kind of question without an equivalent of English “is”; the time phrase 什么时候 occupies the position of the requested time. In the supplied context, the following statement gives the answer as tomorrow afternoon: 它明天下午要交。 — “It is due tomorrow afternoon.”

6. 它明天下午要交。

   It is due tomorrow afternoon.

   它

   it

   明天

   tomorrow

   下午

   afternoon

   要

   be due to; need to

   交

   submit; hand in

   More detail

   它 means “it” here, referring to the item under discussion—the report identified by the preceding context. It is a third-person singular pronoun; its referent must come from context rather than from the pronoun alone. For example: 它很重要。 — “It is important.” 明天 means “tomorrow,” the day after today. It can be placed before a time-of-day expression: 明天早上 — “tomorrow morning.” 下午 means “afternoon.” Together, 明天下午 forms a time expression meaning “tomorrow afternoon.” Chinese commonly places this kind of time expression before the action or event it schedules. 要 here marks an expected or required event: the report is due, or needs to be submitted. With a subject and a verb, 要 + verb can express an obligation or an upcoming scheduled action. Its meaning here is not simply “want.” For example: 我明天要上班。 — “I have to work tomorrow.” 交 means “submit” or “hand in.” In this sentence, the object is omitted because the context supplies it. The verb itself does not identify who submits the item; with 它 as the subject, the sentence presents the item as needing to be handed in. For example: 请按时交作业。 — “Please hand in the homework on time.” The sentence is assembled as 它 + 明天下午 + 要 + 交: “It + tomorrow afternoon + is required/expected + to be submitted.” The whole utterance therefore means “It is due tomorrow afternoon.” The time expression specifies when the submission is due, while 要交 expresses the required or scheduled submission.

7. 那就先回复这封紧急邮件。

   Then answer the urgent email first.

   那就

   then, in that case

   先

   first

   回复

   reply to; answer

   这封

   this one (for a letter or email)

   紧急

   urgent

   邮件

   email

   More detail

   那就 means “then, in that case” here. 那 points back to an already established situation or decision, and 就 presents the resulting action as the next step. Together, 那就 + action is a reusable pattern: “Then let’s/then [do] …” Example: 那就明天见。 — “Then see you tomorrow.” 先 means “first” or “for now, before another step.” It places the action before a later action, without by itself saying that the later action will never happen. Example: 先吃饭。 — “Let’s eat first.” In this sentence, it makes answering the email the earlier task. 回复 is the verb “to reply to” or “to answer.” In this use it takes the thing being answered directly after it: 回复邮件 — “reply to an email.” Example: 请回复这条消息。 — “Please reply to this message.” 这封 means “this one,” with 封 as the classifier used for letters and emails. Chinese commonly places a demonstrative and classifier before the noun: 这 + classifier + noun. 这 identifies the item as “this,” while 封 does not express a numeric count here; it is the required measure word for this type of item. 紧急 means “urgent.” It describes 邮件 in the compound 紧急邮件, “urgent email.” It can also be used before other nouns when the situation requires immediate attention, for example 紧急通知 — “urgent notice.” 邮件 means “email” here. It is a noun and can follow a classifier such as 封: 一封邮件 — “an email,” and 这封邮件 — “this email.” In source order, 那就 sets up the next step, 先 says that it should happen before a later task, and 回复 supplies the action. The object is 这封紧急邮件: 这封 identifies the email, 紧急 describes it, and 邮件 names it. The complete utterance therefore means, “Then answer the urgent email first.”

8. 之后我会做这份报告。

   After that I will work on the report.

   之后

   after that; afterward

   我会

   I will

   做

   do; work on

   这份

   this one (of a document/report)

   报告

   report

   More detail

   之后 means “after that” or “afterward.” It places the event that follows later than an already understood event. It can also be used in a pattern such as ……之后 (“after …”): 吃饭之后我去散步。 means “After eating, I go for a walk.” 我会 combines 我 (“I”) with 会, which here marks a future action or plan: “I will.” In other contexts, 会 can express ability or likelihood, so the surrounding verb and meaning determine its function. Chinese verbs do not change form for tense or for the subject; 会 supplies the future-or-modal meaning here. 做 is the verb “do” and is commonly used with tasks or products. In 做报告, it means working on or preparing a report, rather than merely performing an unspecified action. Its basic form does not change for the future: 我做报告 can mean “I work on reports / I do a report” depending on context, while 我会做报告 means “I will work on the report” here. 这份 identifies a particular item as “this …,” using 份 as the measure word. 份 is commonly used for documents, reports, forms, and similar items. The demonstrative 这 marks the item as “this,” while 份 classifies the document; it does not by itself assert a numerical count in the English sense of “one.” 报告 is the noun “report.” Together, 这份报告 means “this report.” The noun follows the demonstrative-plus-measure-word phrase, a common Chinese pattern: 这份文件 means “this document.” Putting the parts together, 之后 sets the time as later than an understood earlier event, 我会 marks the speaker’s future action, and 做这份报告 specifies that action as working on this report. The whole utterance therefore means: “After that, I will work on the report.”

9. 这样应该能让你感觉没那么有压力。

   That should help you feel less stressed.

   这样

   this way; that way

   应该

   should

   能

   can; be able to

   让

   make; let

   你

   you

   感觉

   feel

   没那么

   not so; not as

   有压力

   be under pressure

   More detail

   这样 means “this way” or “that way” and points to a manner or situation understood from context. Its exact referent is not specified here. 应该 expresses an expectation or likely result: “should.” It commonly appears before a verb phrase, as in 他应该知道 (“He should know”). Here it presents the result as expected rather than guaranteed. 能 means “can” or “be able to.” In 应该能 + verb, it combines expectation with possibility or capability: “should be able to + verb.” For example, 这样应该能解决问题 means “This should be able to solve the problem.” 让 is a causative verb meaning “make” or “let.” A useful pattern is A 让 B + verb/adjective phrase: A causes or enables B to have the stated experience. Here 这样 is the cause or means, and 你 is the person who experiences the result. 你 is the second-person pronoun “you.” It does not mark grammatical gender. Chinese commonly uses 你们 for an explicitly plural “you,” while 你 here leaves the addressee’s number unspecified by the sentence itself. 感觉 means “feel” or “have the sensation that.” After 让, 让你感觉... means “make you feel...” For example, 我感觉很累 means “I feel very tired.” 没那么 means “not so” or “not as ...,” reducing the degree of what follows. The negative word 没 belongs to this degree expression; it does not negate the whole ability structure 应该能. 有压力 literally means “have pressure” and here describes being under pressure or feeling stressed. 有 is the verb “have,” while 压力 is the noun “pressure.” The related expression 没有压力 means “have no pressure,” but this sentence only says that the pressure will be reduced, not necessarily eliminated. Together, 这样应该能让你感觉没那么有压力 has the pattern 这样 + 应该能 + 让 + person + 感觉 + 没那么 + state: “That should help you feel less stressed.” 应该能 presents the help as a likely possibility, and 让你感觉没那么有压力 describes a reduction in the addressee’s felt stress.