Coordinating dinner timing while hosting | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 客人可能会在主菜还在烹饪时到达。

   The guests may arrive while the main course is still cooking.

   客人

   guests

   可能会

   may possibly

   在 … 时

   while; during

   主菜

   main course

   还

   still

   烹饪

   cook

   到达

   arrive

   More detail

   客人 means “guest” or “guests.” Chinese nouns generally do not change form for singular versus plural; here the fixed translation identifies a plural group, so read it as “the guests.” The same noun can be singular when context supports one guest. Example: 客人到了。 — “The guest(s) arrived.” 可能会 expresses possibility about a future or expected event: “may” or “might.” 可能 marks uncertainty, while 会 here presents the event as something that can be expected to happen. This combination is useful for “may possibly do/be.” It does not assert that the arrival will happen. Example: 他可能会迟到。 — “He may be late.” 在 ... 时 is a reusable time pattern meaning “while/when ...” or “during the time that ...”. The two parts surround the time clause; here 在 comes before 主菜还在烹饪, and 时 comes after it. In this sentence, the time clause describes the period during which the guests may arrive. 主菜 means “main course.” It is a noun compound: 主 means “main” and 菜 can refer to a dish or course in this use. The compound names the course, not the people eating it. Example: 主菜已经准备好了。 — “The main course is ready.” 还 means “still” here. It indicates that the cooking is continuing at the relevant time; it does not mean “also” in this sentence. Example: 饭还在煮。 — “The rice is still cooking.” 烹饪 means “to cook” or “cooking,” and it is the lexical verb in 还在烹饪. 在 immediately before it marks an action in progress, so 还在烹饪 means “is still cooking.” The form 烹饪 itself does not change for person or number. Example: 厨师在烹饪鱼。 — “The chef is cooking fish.” 到达 means “to arrive” or “to reach a destination.” It is a verb compound, and its form does not change for person or number in this sentence. Compared with the more conversational 到, 到达 can sound somewhat more formal or explicit. Example: 火车即将到达。 — “The train is about to arrive.” Putting the parts together, 主菜还在烹饪 means “the main course is still cooking.” Enclosed by 在 ... 时, it becomes “while the main course is still cooking.” The main clause 客人可能会到达 means “the guests may arrive.” Together, the utterance means: “The guests may arrive while the main course is still cooking.”

2. 那就先上一道简单的开胃菜，让大家先安顿下来。

   Then serve a simple starter so people can settle in.

   那就

   then; in that case

   先

   first; for now

   上

   serve; bring out

   一道

   one dish; a course

   简单的

   simple

   开胃菜

   starter; appetizer

   让

   let; make

   大家

   everyone

   先

   first; for now

   安顿下来

   settle in

   More detail

   那就 means “then” or “in that case,” linking the utterance to the situation just mentioned. 那 refers to that situation, while 就 presents the resulting action. A reusable pattern is 那就 + action: “Then [do] …”. The first 先 places serving before another action or marks it as an initial step. For example, 先吃饭 means “eat first.” The second 先, before 安顿下来, likewise presents settling in as an initial or immediate step. The two occurrences apply to their respective actions. 上 is a verb meaning “serve” or “bring out” food here. In other contexts it can have meanings such as “go up”; the food context gives it the serving meaning. A useful food-related pattern is 上菜, “serve a dish.” 一道 is a measure phrase for a prepared dish or course. 一 is the numeral “one,” and 道 is the measure word used here for a dish or course. For example, 两道菜 means “two dishes.” 简单的 means “simple” here. 简单 is the adjective, and 的 links it to the noun it describes: 简单的 + noun. For example, 简单的早餐 means “a simple breakfast.” 开胃菜 is the noun “starter” or “appetizer,” meaning food served before the main part of a meal. In 一道开胃菜, it is the dish being served. 让 introduces the person or group affected by the following action. In the pattern 让 + person/group + action, it means “let” or “make” someone do something. Here it introduces what 大家 is to do. 大家 means “everyone” or “everybody.” It is a collective pronoun and does not specify an exact number of people. For example, 大家坐下 means “Everyone sit down.” 安顿下来 means “settle in” or “get settled.” 安顿 expresses settling or arranging a situation, and 下来 presents reaching a settled state. Together, they form the action that 大家 is to carry out after 让. Together, 那就先上 gives “then serve first,” 一道简单的开胃菜 gives “a simple starter,” and 让大家先安顿下来 gives “so everyone can first settle in.” The whole utterance means: “Then serve a simple starter so people can settle in.”

3. 我可以在他们到达前准备好沙拉和面包。

   I can have salad and bread ready before they get here.

   我可以

   I can

   在他们到达前

   before they arrive

   准备好

   get ready; have ready

   沙拉

   salad

   面包

   bread

   More detail

   我可以 means “I can” here. 我 is the first-person singular pronoun “I”; it does not change for gender or grammatical case in this sentence. 可以 expresses ability or permission, and the fixed translation supports the ability reading: “can.” A reusable pattern is subject + 可以 + verb phrase, for example: 我可以帮忙。 — “I can help.” 在他们到达前 places the action before their arrival. 他们 is the third-person plural pronoun “they”; its specific referents are supplied by the fixed translation as “they,” but no further identities are stated. 到达 is a verb meaning “arrive,” with a somewhat formal or neutral tone. 前 means “before” when it follows a time event or period. The pattern 在 + event + 前 means “before [the event],” as in 在会议开始前 — “before the meeting starts.” 准备好 means “get something ready” or “have something ready.” 准备 is the verb “prepare,” and 好 functions here as a result complement: it shows that the preparation reaches a ready state. This is different from simply saying 准备, which focuses on preparing without asserting that the result is ready. For example, 我准备好晚餐了。 means “I have dinner ready.” 沙拉 is the noun “salad.” It is one item being made ready in the sentence. 面包 is the noun “bread,” the other item being made ready. The conjunction 和 between them means “and,” joining the two noun phrases: 沙拉和面包 — “salad and bread.” Together, 我可以 supplies the speaker’s ability, 在他们到达前 sets the deadline, and 准备好沙拉和面包 states the result: the speaker can have the salad and bread ready before they arrive. The full utterance therefore means, “I can have salad and bread ready before they get here.”

4. 这样可以给主菜多一点时间，又不会让人觉得晚餐推迟了。

   That gives the main course a little extra time without making dinner seem delayed.

   这样

   in this way; like this

   可以

   can; be possible

   给

   give; provide for

   主菜

   main course

   多一点

   a little more

   时间

   time

   又不会

   and will not

   让人觉得

   make people feel; make it seem

   晚餐

   dinner

   推迟

   delay; postpone

   More detail

   这样 means “in this way” or “like this.” It points to a manner already understood from the situation rather than naming a new action. A reusable pattern is 这样 + clause: “In this way, …” 可以 expresses that something is possible or permitted; here it means that the described arrangement can achieve the intended result. It is a modal verb and comes before the action or result it supports. For example, 现在可以开始。 means “We can start now.” 给 introduces the recipient or beneficiary of an action. In 给主菜多一点时间, the main course is the beneficiary: the arrangement gives it extra time. This is not the ordinary “give someone an object” pattern only; 给 + beneficiary + something can also mean “allow or provide something for …”. 主菜 means “main course.” It is a noun referring to the principal dish of a meal. 菜 can refer to a dish or a vegetable/food item depending on context, but 主菜 specifically identifies the main course here. 多一点 means “a little more.” 多 means “more,” and 一点 softens or limits the amount to a small degree. It compares the amount with an understood existing amount; it does not by itself specify an exact quantity. 时间 means “time.” In this sentence it is the time available for the main course, not a clock time. 给 + noun + 多一点时间 is a useful pattern for saying “give [something/someone] a little more time.” 又不会 links this result with the preceding one and says that the second result will not happen. 又 here coordinates the clause with the earlier 可以 clause; it is not the repeated-action meaning “again.” 不会 combines 不 with 会 and presents the negative outcome as something that will not occur or is not expected to occur in this situation. 让人觉得 means “make people feel” or “make it seem to people.” 让 introduces the person or group affected by a causative situation, while 觉得 means “feel” or “think/perceive.” The generic 人 does not identify a particular individual; it means people in general. A reusable pattern is 让人觉得 + clause, as in 这让人觉得很安心。 — “This makes people feel reassured.” 晚餐 means “dinner.” It is a noun for the evening meal and is the thing understood as being delayed in the following description. 推迟 means “delay” or “postpone.” It is a verb describing a later-than-planned time. In 晚餐推迟, 晚餐 is the event whose timing is moved later; 推迟 is not an adjective meaning simply “late.” For example, 会议推迟了。 means “The meeting was postponed.” Together, 可以给主菜多一点时间 says that this arrangement can allow the main course a little extra time. 又不会让人觉得晚餐推迟了 adds that, at the same time, it will not make people feel that dinner has been delayed. The whole utterance is therefore: “That gives the main course a little extra time without making dinner seem delayed.”

5. 大家都到了以后，我再做蔬菜吗？

   Should I cook the vegetables once everyone has arrived?

   大家

   everyone

   都到了

   have all arrived

   以后

   after; once

   我

   I; me

   再做

   cook later

   蔬菜

   vegetables

   吗

   yes-or-no question marker

   More detail

   大家 means “everyone” or “everybody” as a collective subject. It is a plural-group expression, even though it does not show a separate plural ending. For example, 大家一起走。 means “Everyone goes together.” 都到了 says that the whole relevant group has arrived. 到 is the base form meaning “arrive”; 了 marks the arrival as completed or presents the new situation that they are now there. 都 means “all” and applies to the group expressed by 大家, so 大家到了 and 大家都到了 are not identical: the latter explicitly emphasizes that everyone in the group has arrived. 以后 means “after” or “once” and introduces a later time relative to the event before it. The pattern A 以后，B means “after A, B.” Here, 大家都到了以后 is the time clause “once everyone has arrived.” 我 is the first-person pronoun “I” or “me.” Its role here is the person who will do the cooking. Unlike some languages, Mandarin pronouns generally do not change form for grammatical case in this way; 我 can be used for both “I” and “me,” with its role determined by the sentence. 再做 combines 再, “then/later” in a sequence, with 做, whose base meaning is “do” or “make.” In this sentence, 做 is understood from its object as “cook,” while 再 places the cooking after the earlier time condition. The pattern 先 A，再 B means “first A, then B”; for example, 先洗菜，再做饭。 means “First wash the vegetables, then cook.” 蔬菜 means “vegetables.” It is the object of 做, so 做蔬菜 means “cook the vegetables” in this context. The noun itself does not specify a particular number of vegetables. 吗 is placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a general yes-or-no question. It does not itself mean “should”; the sense of asking whether this is the appropriate plan comes from the whole question and its context. Together, 大家都到了以后 sets the condition “once everyone has arrived,” and 我再做蔬菜 says “I will cook the vegetables then/later.” With final 吗, the complete utterance asks whether the speaker should follow that timing: “Should I cook the vegetables once everyone has arrived?”

6. 蔬菜刚做好的时候味道更好，所以等到快要上菜时再做。

   They taste better freshly cooked, so wait until you are close to serving.

   蔬菜

   vegetables

   刚

   just; freshly

   做好的

   made; prepared

   时候

   time; moment

   味道

   taste; flavor

   更好

   better

   所以

   so; therefore

   等到 … 时

   wait until …

   快要

   be about to

   上菜

   serve the food

   再

   then; afterward

   做

   make; cook

   More detail

   蔬菜 names the vegetables being discussed. In this sentence, they are the thing whose 味道 is being compared and which will later be prepared. 蔬菜 is a plural-capable noun in context; Chinese does not require a plural ending here. 刚 means “just” in relation to the preparation time. It can occur before a verb phrase to show that an event has happened very recently. Here it modifies 做好的, so 刚做好的 means “just prepared,” not simply “just do.” 做好的 is built from 做 “make/cook” + 好 as a result complement + 的. 做好 means that the cooking or preparation has been completed and the result is ready; 的 lets this phrase modify 时候: “the time when [it is] just prepared.” The base verb is 做, whose meaning can be “make” or “cook” depending on what is being prepared. Example: 饭做好了。 — “The meal is ready.” 时候 means “time” or “moment.” The pattern 动词短语 + 的时候 means “when …” or “at the time when ….” Thus 刚做好的时候 means “when it is freshly prepared.” 味道 means “taste” or “flavor,” the quality perceived when eating or drinking something. In 蔬菜的味道, it can mean “the taste of the vegetables,” although the source places 蔬菜 first without an explicit 的. 更好 means “better.” 好 is the base form meaning “good,” and 更 marks a comparison: 更好 means “better” than an understood alternative or situation. Here the comparison is between freshly prepared vegetables and vegetables prepared earlier or no longer freshly prepared. Example: 今天的味道更好。 — “Today’s taste is better.” 所以 connects a reason to its result: “so” or “therefore.” The statement before it gives the reason for the instruction after it. 等到 … 时 is a reusable time-boundary pattern meaning “wait until …” or “when it gets to the point that ….” 等到 introduces the point that must be reached, while 时 marks that time point. These two parts are separated in the source because 快要上菜 occurs between them. 快要 means “be about to” or “be nearly ready to.” It describes an event that is expected very soon. It occurs before 上菜, so 快要上菜 means “be close to serving the food,” not that serving has already happened. 上菜 means “serve the food” or, more literally, “bring the dishes to the table.” It is a verb expression used for the serving stage of a meal. Example: 快要上菜了。 — “The food is about to be served.” 再 marks a later step: “then” or “after that.” In this sentence it does not mean that the cooking should be repeated; it says that the cooking should happen after the time introduced by 等到 … 时. 做 is the verb “make” or “cook.” Here it refers to preparing the vegetables. The sequence 等到快要上菜时再做 means “wait until it is nearly time to serve, then cook them.” Together, 蔬菜刚做好的时候味道更好 says that the vegetables taste better when they have just been prepared. 所以 introduces the consequence, and 等到快要上菜时再做 instructs the cook to prepare them only when serving time is near. The complete meaning is: “They taste better freshly cooked, so wait until you are close to serving, then cook them.”

7. 招待客人让人觉得有压力，因为安排好所有时间比做饭更难。

   Hosting feels stressful because timing everything is harder than cooking.

   招待

   host; entertain

   客人

   guest

   让人觉得

   make someone feel

   有压力

   feel pressured

   安排好

   arrange successfully

   所有时间

   all the timing

   做饭

   cook; cooking

   比

   than

   更难

   harder

   More detail

   招待 means to host or entertain guests. It is a verb; the related noun 招待 can also refer to hosting or hospitality in some contexts, but here it is the action. Example: 他招待朋友。 — “He hosts friends.” 客人 means guest. 客 is the guest-related element, while 客人 is the ordinary noun for a guest. In this sentence, it is the object of 招待, giving the reusable pattern 招待 + person (“host someone”). 让人觉得 expresses “make people feel” or “cause people to feel.” 让 introduces the person affected, 人 is generic “people” here rather than a specifically identified individual, and 觉得 means “feel” or “think/perceive.” The pattern is 让 + person + 觉得 + description. 有压力 literally describes having pressure and here means feeling pressured or stressed. 有 means “have,” and 压力 is “pressure”; together they describe a person’s state rather than an action of applying pressure. Example: 考试让我有压力。 — “Exams make me feel stressed.” 安排好 means arrange or organize something successfully. 安排 is the verb “arrange,” and 好 functions after it as a result complement: the arrangement has been completed satisfactorily. This is different from simply 安排, which only states “arrange” without emphasizing the achieved result. 所有时间 refers here to all the relevant time slots or timing that must be organized, not necessarily to time as an uninterrupted substance. 所有 means “all,” and 时间 means “time.” The phrase is the object of 安排好, producing 安排好所有时间 (“arrange all the timing”). 比 introduces the comparison standard. The pattern A 比 B + adjective means “A is more [adjective] than B.” Here, 做饭 supplies the comparison standard rather than being part of the meaning of 比 alone. 做饭 means cooking or to cook. 做 is the verb “do/make,” and 饭 refers to a meal or cooked food; together this is the established expression for preparing food. In this sentence it is nominalized by context and serves as the activity being compared. Example: 做饭很有意思。 — “Cooking is interesting.” 更难 means harder or more difficult. 难 is the base adjective “difficult,” and 更 marks a higher degree, so 更难 is “more difficult.” In A 比 B 更难, the compared activity A is more difficult than B. The adjective carrying the comparison is 难, not 做饭. Together, 招待客人 means “hosting guests.” 让人觉得有压力 says that this activity makes people feel stressed. After 因为, the reason is 安排好所有时间比做饭更难: arranging all the timing is harder than cooking. Thus the whole utterance means, “Hosting feels stressful because arranging all the timing is harder than cooking.”

8. 做一个简单的上菜计划：先上饮料，再上开胃菜，最后上主菜。

   Make a simple serving plan: drinks, starter, then the main course.

   做

   make

   简单

   simple

   上菜计划

   serving plan

   先上

   serve first

   饮料

   drinks

   再上

   then serve

   开胃菜

   starter

   最后上

   serve last

   主菜

   main course

   More detail

   做 means “make” here. Its base form is also 做; Chinese verbs do not change for person or number, so the same form can mean “I make,” “you make,” or “make” when the context supplies the subject. Example: 做一个计划。 — “Make a plan.” 简单 means “simple.” It is a descriptive word placed before the noun it describes: 简单的计划 means “a simple plan.” In this sentence, 的 is omitted in the compact phrase 简单的上菜计划; this omission is common when the modifier is short and closely connected to the noun. 上菜计划 is a noun phrase meaning “serving plan,” specifically a plan for the order in which dishes or drinks are served. 上菜 literally contains 上, “put/place or bring up,” and 菜, “dish/food,” but together it is the reusable expression “serve food.” 计划 means “plan.” Example: 我们需要一个上菜计划。 — “We need a serving plan.” 先上 combines 先, “first,” with 上, “serve.” Here 上 is the verb “serve,” not a direction meaning “go up.” The pattern 先上 + item means “serve the item first.” 先 marks the first step in an order; it does not by itself indicate how many items are involved. 饮料 means “drinks” or “beverages.” It is the item served after 先上: 先上饮料 means “serve the drinks first.” The noun itself does not specify a particular number of drinks. 再上 means “then serve.” 再 marks a later step after an earlier one, so 再上 + item is a useful way to give the next serving instruction. Example: 先上汤，再上饭。 — “Serve the soup first, then serve the rice.” 开胃菜 means “starter” or “appetizer.” It is a noun for food served before the main course. In 再上开胃菜, it is the item served in the second stated stage. 最后上 combines 最后, “last/finally,” with 上, “serve.” The pattern 最后上 + item means “serve the item last.” 最后 identifies the final step in the listed order, while 上 supplies the serving action. 主菜 means “main course” or “main dish.” In 最后上主菜, it is the final item in the stated serving sequence. Taken together, 做一个简单的上菜计划 means “make a simple serving plan.” The colon introduces the plan’s sequence: 先上饮料 — “serve drinks first”; 再上开胃菜 — “then serve the starter”; 最后上主菜 — “serve the main course last.” The whole utterance therefore means: “Make a simple serving plan: drinks, starter, then the main course.”

9. 我可以把那张清单放在炉子旁边。

   I can keep that checklist near the stove.

   我可以

   I can

   那张

   that one

   清单

   checklist

   放

   keep; place

   炉子

   stove

   在 … 旁边

   near; beside

   More detail

   我可以 means “I can” here. 我 is the first-person singular pronoun “I”, and 可以 is a modal verb meaning “can” or “be able to”. In this sentence it comes before the action 放, giving the pattern subject + 可以 + action: “someone can do something”. Example: 我可以帮你。 — “I can help you.” 那张 means “that [classifier]”. 那 points to something relatively distant or already identifiable as “that”, while 张 is the classifier used here for a flat item such as a sheet, list, or ticket. The classifier belongs with the following noun: 那张清单, not with 放. 清单 means “checklist” or “list”. It is a noun. In this utterance, the noun is specifically identified by 那张, so the chunk means “that checklist”. Example: 这张清单很有用。 — “This checklist is very useful.” 放 means “put” or, as intended here, “keep/place”. It is the action controlled by 可以. Chinese commonly uses 放在 + place to say where something is put or kept. Example: 请把书放在桌上。 — “Please put the book on the table.” 炉子 means “stove”. It is a noun formed from 炉 (“stove” or “furnace”) and 子, which is part of this word; do not treat 子 here as a separate translation of the whole noun. 炉子 is the location noun inside 炉子旁边. 在 and 旁边 form the location expression 在 + place + 旁边, meaning “beside/next to a place”. 在 introduces the location, and 旁边 means “beside” or “next to”. In 在炉子旁边, the stove is the reference point: “beside the stove”. Example: 猫在门旁边。 — “The cat is beside the door.” Together, 我可以 supplies the subject and ability, 把那张清单 identifies the checklist as the item being placed, and 放在炉子旁边 gives its location. The whole utterance means: “I can keep that checklist near the stove.” The 把-construction presents the checklist as the specific item affected by the action: subject + 可以 + 把 + item + 放在 + location.

10. 客人到达时，它应该能帮助你保持专注。

    It should help you stay focused while people arrive.

    客人

    guest(s)

    到达

    arrive

    时

    when; at the time

    它

    it

    应该

    should

    能

    can; be able to

    帮助

    help

    你

    you

    保持

    keep; maintain

    专注

    focused

    More detail

    客人 means “guest” or “guests” here. Chinese nouns normally do not mark singular versus plural by changing the noun itself; context supplies the number. 客人们 can explicitly mark multiple guests when that emphasis is needed. 到达 is the verb “arrive” or “reach.” Its form does not change for person or time. In this sentence, it is followed by 时, so 到达时 means “when [someone] arrives” or “at the time of arriving.” The subject of this clause is 客人: “when guests arrive.” 它 is the third-person pronoun used here for “it.” Chinese pronouns are not inflected for case or grammatical gender in this form. The supplied sentence identifies the referent only as “it”; the preceding context mentions a checklist, but the sentence itself does not explicitly state that 它 refers to it. 应该 expresses an expectation or recommendation; with 能 here, it contributes “should be expected to” rather than simply marking ability. 能 means “can” or “be able to.” The combination 应该能 is a reusable pattern meaning “should be able to.” Chinese does not change these forms for subject person or number. 帮助 means “help.” A useful pattern is 帮助 + person + verb phrase: 帮助你保持专注 means “help you stay focused.” Unlike English, Chinese does not need a separate equivalent of “to” before the following verb phrase. 你 is the second-person pronoun “you.” It has the same form whether addressing one person or more than one in this sentence; 你们 is the distinct plural form when a plural addressee is intended. 保持 means “keep” or “maintain,” describing the continuation of a state. Here it introduces the state that the person remains in. 专注 means “focused” or “concentrated,” and 保持专注 is a common combination meaning “stay focused.” Putting the parts together, 客人到达时 is the time clause “when guests arrive,” and 它应该能帮助你保持专注 is “it should be able to help you stay focused.” The complete utterance means: “It should help you stay focused while people arrive.”