Booking and tidying a shared office room | Learn Chinese in English

Chinese lesson set in a contemporary Shanghai everyday setting: In a shared office, two adults discuss booking a quiet room, adding it to the calendar, and leaving it tidy..

EN → ZH / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Booking and tidying a shared office room to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

我需要一间安静的房间打电话。

Wǒ xūyào yì jiān ānjìng de fángjiān dǎ diànhuà. I need a quiet room for a call.
B

先查看共享办公室的日历。

Xiān chákàn gòngxiǎng bàngōngshì de rìlì. Check the shared office calendar first.
A

小房间今天下午看起来有空。

Xiǎo fángjiān jīntiān xiàwǔ kàn qǐlái yǒu kòng. The small room looks available this afternoon.
B

在使用之前，先把预订加到日历上。

Zài shǐyòng zhīqián, xiān bǎ yùdìng jiā dào rìlì shàng. Add the booking to the calendar before you use it.
A

我打完电话后需要做什么吗？

Wǒ dǎ wán diànhuà hòu xūyào zuò shénme ma? Should I do anything after the call?
B

把桌面清理干净，并把你的东西带走。

Bǎ zhuōmiàn qīnglǐ gānjìng, bìng bǎ nǐ de dōngxi dài zǒu. Clear the desk and take your things with you.
A

我走之前会把桌面收拾整齐。

Wǒ zǒu zhīqián huì bǎ zhuōmiàn shōushi zhěngqí. I'll leave it tidy before I go.
B

这样可以让下一位使用者顺利开始。

Zhèyàng kěyǐ ràng xià yí wèi shǐyòngzhě shùnlì kāishǐ. That helps the next person get started smoothly.

Word by Word

我 我 means “I” or “me” and identifies the speaker in 我需要一间安静的房间打电话。 It is commonly placed before the action or need being described.
需要 需要 means “need” in 我需要一间安静的房间打电话。 It is followed by the thing that is needed, such as 一间安静的房间.
间 间 is the classifier used for a room in 一间安静的房间. It is placed between the number 一 and the noun 房间 when counting rooms.
安静 安静 means “quiet” in 安静的房间 and describes the room’s sound level. With 的, it is placed before 房间 to form the description 安静的房间.
的 的 links a description to a noun in 安静的房间, meaning “a quiet room.” It also links possession in 你的东西, showing that the things belong to 你.
房间 房间 means “room” in 一间安静的房间 and 小房间. It can follow a classifier such as 间 or be modified directly by 小.
打电话 打电话 means “make a phone call” in 我需要一间安静的房间打电话。 In this expression, 打 contributes the action of making the call and 电话 is the phone call; together they form the complete activity.
先 先 means “first” in 先查看共享办公室的日历 and puts 查看 before other actions. It is useful for giving the first step in a sequence.
查看 查看 means “check” or “view” in 先查看共享办公室的日历. It is followed by the thing being checked, here 共享办公室的日历.
共享 共享 means “shared” in 共享办公室 and describes an office used by more than one person. It is placed before 办公室 as a description.
办公室 办公室 means “office” in 共享办公室. In this dialogue, it identifies the shared office whose 日历 should be checked.
日历 日历 means “calendar” in 共享办公室的日历 and 加到日历上. It is the schedule that is checked and then receives the 预订.
小 小 means “small” in 小房间 and describes the size of the room. It is placed directly before 房间.
今天 今天 means “today” in 今天下午 and places the availability in the current day. It comes before the time period 下午.
下午 下午 means “afternoon” in 今天下午. Together with 今天, it identifies the time as this afternoon.
看起来 看起来 means “look” or “seem” in 小房间今天下午看起来有空. 看 contributes the idea of seeing, while 起来 turns this into the way something appears.
有 有 means “have” or “there is” in 有空, where it helps express that the room has free time and is available. It is placed before 空 in this availability expression.
空 空 means “free” or “available” in 有空. With a room as the subject, 有空 describes a time when the room is not occupied.
在 在 introduces the action or time before which something happens in 在使用之前. Here it helps form the phrase “before using it,” with 使用之前 following it.
使用 使用 means “use” in 在使用之前 and refers to using the room. It can be followed by 之前 to place another action before its use.
之前 之前 means “before” in 在使用之前. It follows the action 使用 and marks that the booking should be added before using the room.
把 把 marks the object that will be acted on in 把预订加到日历上 and 把桌面清理干净. The object follows 把, and the action and its result or destination come afterward.
预订 预订 means “booking” or “reservation” in 把预订加到日历上. It is the item being added to the calendar, following 把 in this construction.
加 加 means “add” in 加到日历上 and describes putting the 预订 onto the calendar. It is followed by 到日历上 to show the destination of the addition.
到 到 marks the destination or endpoint in 加到日历上. It connects 加 with 日历上, showing where the 预订 is added.
上 上 means “on” or “onto” in 日历上 and shows the resulting placement on the calendar. In 加到日历上, it completes the location expression for where the booking is placed.
打 打 contributes the action of making a call in 打电话 and 打完电话. In 打完电话, it combines with 完 to show that the phone-call action has been completed before the following action.
完 完 marks completion in 打完电话, meaning that the call has been finished. It follows 打 and comes before 电话 in this completed-action expression.
电话 电话 means “phone call” in 打电话 and 打完电话. In 打电话 it is the activity made with 打, and in 打完电话 it is the call that has been completed.
后 后 means “after” in 打完电话后 and places the next action after the completed call. It follows the event 打完电话.
做 做 means “do” in 做什么 and asks about carrying out an action. It is followed by 什么 when the action is not specified.
什么 什么 means “what” in 做什么吗 and asks which action needs to be done. In this question, it fills the object or action slot after 做.
吗 吗 turns the sentence 做什么 into a yes-or-no question in 做什么吗. It is placed at the end of the question.
桌面 桌面 means “desk surface” in 把桌面清理干净. It is the specific surface being cleared, following 把.
清理 清理 means “clear” or “clean up” in 清理干净. It describes the action performed on 桌面 and is followed by 干净 to show the result.
干净 干净 means “clean” in 清理干净 and describes the result of clearing the desk. After 清理, it shows that the desk has been left clean.
并 并 means “and” in 清理干净，并把你的东西带走. It connects the instruction to clear the desk with the instruction to take away personal things.
你 你 means “you” in 你的东西 and refers to the person whose belongings should be taken away. With 的, it helps form the possessive phrase 你的东西.
东西 东西 means “things” or “belongings” in 你的东西. It refers to the person’s personal items that should be taken away with 带走.
带走 带走 means “take away” in 把你的东西带走. 带 contributes carrying or taking something, and 走 adds movement away from the current place; together they mean taking the things away.
走 走 means “go” or “leave” in 走之前, referring to leaving the room. In 带走, it instead contributes the idea of movement away as part of 带走.
会 会 indicates that the speaker will carry out an action in 走之前会把桌面收拾整齐. It comes before 把把桌面收拾整齐 to show the intended future action.
收拾 收拾 means “tidy” or “put in order” in 把桌面收拾整齐. It describes organizing the desk, with 整齐 showing the resulting condition.
整齐 整齐 means “tidy” or “neat” in 收拾整齐 and describes how the desk should be left. It follows 收拾 to express the result of tidying.
这样 这样 means “this way” or “like this” in 这样可以让下一位使用者顺利开始. It refers to the preceding actions of clearing the desk and taking personal things away.
可以 可以 means “can” or “be able to” in 这样可以让下一位使用者顺利开始. Here it indicates that the described action makes the next person’s smooth start possible.
让 让 means “let” or “make” in 让下一位使用者顺利开始. It introduces the person affected by the action, 下一位使用者, followed by the result 顺利开始.
下一位 下一位 means “the next person” in 下一位使用者. 下 marks the next position in sequence, 一 means one, and 位 is a classifier used for a person.
使用者 使用者 means “user” or “person using the room” in 下一位使用者. It identifies the person who will use the shared room after the current speaker.
顺利 顺利 means “smoothly” or “without problems” in 顺利开始. It describes the manner in which the next person can begin using the room.
开始 开始 means “start” or “get started” in 顺利开始. It describes the next person beginning their use of the room, with 顺利 explaining that the start goes smoothly.

Grammar Points

先 + 动词

先查看日历

Xiān chákàn rìlì

Check the calendar first.

先放在动词前，表示先做某事，再做其他事。

在 + 动作 + 之前

在打电话之前

Zài dǎ diànhuà zhīqián

before making a call

之前放在动作后，表示某事发生以前的时间。

Chinese Vocabulary

安静 adj
ānjìng quiet

我需要一间安静的房间打电话。

查看 verb
chákàn check; view

先查看共享办公室的日历。

打电话 phrase
dǎ diànhuà make a call

我需要一间安静的房间打电话。

房间 noun
fángjiān room

我需要一间安静的房间打电话。

共享办公室 noun
gòngxiǎng bàngōngshì shared office

先查看共享办公室的日历。

看起来 verb
kàn qǐlái look; seem

小房间今天下午看起来有空。

日历 noun
rìlì calendar

先查看共享办公室的日历。

下午 noun
xiàwǔ afternoon

小房间今天下午看起来有空。

先 adv
xiān first

先查看共享办公室的日历。

需要 verb
xūyào need

我需要一间安静的房间打电话。

有空 adj
yǒu kòng be available; be free

小房间今天下午看起来有空。

预订 noun
yùdìng booking; reservation

在使用之前,先把预订加到日历上。

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

shared office

Show Answer共享办公室

quiet

Show Answer安静

look; seem

Show Answer看起来

make a call

Show Answer打电话