Using a Shared Laundry Room Fairly | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 所有洗衣机又都有人用了。

   All the washing machines are full again.

   所有

   all; every

   洗衣机

   washing machine

   又

   again

   都

   all; without exception

   有人

   someone; somebody

   用了

   has used; used

   More detail

   所有 means “all” or “every” and introduces the complete group. In 所有洗衣机, it applies to the washing machines as a group rather than stating a particular number. A reusable pattern is 所有 + noun + 都 + ..., meaning “all the ... do ...” or “all the ... are ... .” 洗衣机 means “washing machine.” It is a compound noun for a machine used to wash clothes. 又 means “again” here: the situation has occurred another time. For example, 他又迟到了。 means “He is late again.” 都 means that the following predicate applies across the whole group introduced by 所有洗衣机. Together, 所有洗衣机又都... gives the reusable pattern “all the washing machines are ... again” or “all the washing machines have ... again.” 有人 is an existential expression meaning “someone” or, depending on context, “some people.” It identifies an unspecified user without identifying who that person is. For example, 有人在门外。 means “Someone is outside the door.” 用了 is 用 (“to use”) with 了, which presents the using as completed. 用 is the base form; for example, 请用这台机器。 means “Please use this machine.” In this utterance, 有人用了 says that someone has used the machines, while 都 makes that condition apply to every machine. The wording describes the machines as having been used; the fixed translation presents the resulting situation as “full.” Putting the pieces together, 所有洗衣机 identifies the complete set, 又 marks a recurrence, 都 applies the predicate to every machine, and 有人用了 says that someone has used them. The whole utterance means: “All the washing machines are full again.”

2. 看看时间表，确认下一筒衣物什么时候洗完。

   Check the schedule and see when the next load finishes.

   看看

   check; take a look

   时间表

   schedule

   确认

   confirm

   下一筒

   the next load

   衣物

   clothing; laundry

   什么时候

   when

   洗完

   finish washing

   More detail

   看看 means “take a look” here. 看 is “look” or “see”; repeating it as 看看 makes a light, brief suggestion or command: “have a look.” Example: 看看这张表。 — “Take a look at this chart.” 时间表 means “schedule” or “timetable.” It is a noun referring to an organized list of times. Example: 我先看时间表。 — “I’ll check the schedule first.” 确认 means “confirm” or “verify.” It presents the following information as something to establish as correct, not merely to notice. Example: 请确认地址。 — “Please confirm the address.” 下一筒 means “the next load.” 下一个 is a general “next one,” while 下一筒 uses 筒 for a load conceived as a batch/containerful; the following 衣物 specifies what the load contains. Example: 下一筒衣物还没洗。 — “The next load of laundry has not been washed yet.” 衣物 means “clothing” or “laundry.” It is a relatively neutral noun for clothes as a group. In this sentence it identifies the contents of 下一筒, rather than naming a particular individual garment. 什么时候 means “when.” It asks for the time at which an event happens. In a Chinese embedded question, it can remain in the position associated with the event: 你知道他什么时候到吗？ — “Do you know when he will arrive?” 洗完 means “finish washing.” 洗 means “wash,” and 完 is a result complement showing that the action is completed. Thus 洗完 focuses on the washing reaching completion, not simply on the activity of washing. The observed form does not itself mark a separate tense; context supplies the intended time. Example: 衣服洗完了。 — “The clothes are done washing.” The sentence begins with the light command 看看时间表: “check the schedule.” It then coordinates 确认 with that action. The object of 确认 is an embedded question, 下一筒衣物什么时候洗完 — literally, “when the next load of laundry finishes washing.” Chinese commonly leaves the subject of 洗完 unspoken when it is clear from the surrounding noun phrase; here it is the next load of laundry. Together, the utterance means: “Check the schedule and see when the next load finishes.”

3. 有一台应该很快就洗好了，但启动它的那个人不在附近。

   One should be done soon, but the person who started it isn't around.

   有一台

   there is one machine

   应该

   should; is expected to

   很快

   soon

   洗好了

   be finished washing

   但

   but

   启动

   start; turn on

   它

   it

   那个人

   that person

   不在附近

   not nearby

   More detail

   有一台 uses 有 to present something as existing, followed by 一 and the classifier 台, which is used for machines and similar equipment. Here it introduces one machine. A reusable pattern is 有 + number + classifier + noun, as in 有一台电脑 (“There is one computer”). 应该 is a modal meaning that something is expected to be the case. Here it expresses an expectation about the washing being completed soon. It commonly appears before the predicate it qualifies, as in 他应该到了 (“He should have arrived”). 很快 means “soon” here, referring to the short time until the expected completion. It can also mean “quickly” when describing how fast an action happens; the surrounding completion predicate gives it the time-related meaning here. 洗好了 describes washing as completed and in a satisfactory or ready state. The verb is 洗 (“wash”); 好 adds a result meaning such as “finished successfully” or “ready,” and 了 marks the resulting change of state in this use. The reusable pattern 洗好 can be used with different subjects, for example 衣服洗好了 (“The clothes are washed / have finished washing”). 但 connects two contrasting clauses and means “but.” 启动 is the lexical verb “to start” or “to turn on” a machine. Its form does not show English-style tense inflection. It can be used directly before an object, as in 启动机器 (“start the machine”). 它 is the singular third-person pronoun for a non-human referent, meaning “it” here. Chinese does not mark grammatical gender in this pronoun; the usual plural form is 它们, so 它 itself is not the plural form. The fixed translation supports understanding it as the machine introduced earlier. In 启动它, it is the object of 启动. 那个人 means “that person.” It is segmented as 那 (“that”) + 个 (a classifier) + 人 (“person”). 那 points to a person understood from the situation, while 个 classifies 人 here. The phrase is the noun phrase identified by the preceding relative clause. 不在附近 means “is not nearby” or “isn’t around.” 在 expresses being located somewhere, 附近 means “nearby,” and 不 negates this present-state description. The phrase does not specify where the person is. Together, 启动它的那个人 is a relative-clause construction: 启动它 (“started it”) comes before 的, and the whole clause identifies 那个人 as the person who started it. 有一台 introduces the machine, and 应该很快就洗好了 says that it is expected to be finished washing soon; 就 connects the expected result with that near time. After 但, 启动它的那个人不在附近 contrasts this expected completion with the fact that the person who started it is not around. The whole utterance means: “One should be done soon, but the person who started it isn’t around.”

4. 先等那个人几分钟，再移动那个人的衣物。

   Give them a few minutes before moving their laundry.

   先

   first

   等

   wait

   那

   that

   人

   person

   几

   a few

   分钟

   minutes

   再

   then

   移动

   move

   衣物

   laundry

   More detail

   先 marks the earlier step in an ordered sequence: “first” or “before doing something else.” A highly reusable pattern is 先 A，再 B — “first do A, then do B.” 等 means “wait.” Here it is followed by the person being waited for and a duration: 等那个人几分钟 means “wait for that person for a few minutes.” The verb can also be used with a time expression without naming what or whom one is waiting for, as in the example 请等两分钟。 — “Please wait two minutes.” 那个人 means “that person.” It consists of the demonstrative 那 (“that”), the measure word 个, and the noun 人 (“person”). 那 contrasts with 这 (“this”) when distance or discourse reference differs. The fixed translation identifies this person with “them” without specifying a gender. 几 means “a few” here: a small, unspecified number. It is used with a measure word or unit, so 几分钟 means “a few minutes.” 几 does not give an exact count. A specific number can be used instead, such as 五分钟 — “five minutes.” 分钟 is the time unit “minute.” In 几分钟, 几 gives the approximate number and 分钟 names the unit. This expression supplies the duration of the waiting action, not the duration of the later moving action. 再 marks the later step in the sequence. In the pattern 先 A，再 B, it means “then” or “after that,” so 再移动 means “then move.” It differs from 又, which commonly describes something happening again rather than the planned next step in an ordered instruction. 移动 means “move” or “relocate.” It is a verb that can take an object, as in 移动那个人的衣物: move that person’s laundry. The sentence does not say that the clothing is washed or discarded; 移动 only describes changing its location. Example: 请移动箱子。 — “Please move the box.” 衣物 means “clothing” or, in this context, “laundry,” referring collectively to garments. It is a noun; the related word 衣服 is also commonly used for clothes or clothing, while 衣物 can sound more collective or formal. In this sentence, 那个人的衣物 links the garments to that person. The second 那个人 and 衣物 are connected by 的: 那个人的衣物 means “that person’s laundry/clothing.” In Chinese, A 的 B commonly expresses possession or another close relation; here the fixed translation specifies the possessive reading, “their laundry.” Putting the parts together, 先等那个人几分钟 says “first wait for that person for a few minutes,” and 再移动那个人的衣物 says “then move that person’s laundry.” The full instruction is therefore: “Give them a few minutes before moving their laundry.”

5. 等多久后我再移动它才算公平？

   How long is fair before I move it?

   等

   wait

   多久后

   after how long

   移动

   move

   它

   it

   才算公平

   only then count as fair

   More detail

   等 means “wait” here. Its form does not change for person or number, and Chinese does not mark its tense by changing this verb; time is understood from surrounding words or context. Example: 我等你。 — “I’ll wait for you.” 多久后 asks “after how long.” 多久 asks about the length of a period, while 后 places the next event after that period. Example: 你还要等多久？ — “How much longer do you have to wait?” 移动 means “move” an object from one position to another. It is a verb that can take the thing being moved directly after it. Example: 请移动椅子。 — “Please move the chair.” 它 is a non-human pronoun. In this utterance, the fixed translation presents it as “it,” referring to the thing the speaker may move; the form itself does not mark number or grammatical gender. The sentence does not name that thing. 才算公平 expresses a condition or threshold: 才 means that only after the stated condition is met, and 算 means “count as” or “be considered”; 公平 means “fair.” Thus, the combination asks when the action will qualify as fair, rather than simply asking when it will happen. Example: 等十分钟才算公平。 — “Waiting ten minutes is what counts as fair.” Together, 等多久后 sets the waiting period, 我再移动它 says that I will then move it, and 才算公平 asks whether that waiting time is sufficient for the move to be considered fair. The whole utterance therefore means: “How long is fair before I move it?” The question is about the time threshold for the speaker’s later move.

6. 如果还有其他人在等，短暂地多等一会儿就够了。

   A short grace period is enough if other people are waiting.

   如果

   if

   还有

   there are still

   其他人

   other people

   在等

   be waiting

   短暂地

   briefly

   多等一会儿

   wait a little longer

   就够了

   is enough

   More detail

   如果 introduces a condition: “if ...”. A reusable pattern is 如果 + condition, ... for an outcome that applies under that condition. Example: 如果下雨，我们就不去。 — “If it rains, we won’t go.” 还有 means that something remains or is still the case. Here it combines with 其他人 to say that other people are still present in the relevant situation. 还 means “still/yet,” while 有 means “have/exist”; 还有 is a common way to express “there are still ...” or “there is still ...”. 其他人 means “other people.” 人 is the noun “person/people,” and 其他 means “other” or “additional.” Chinese nouns generally do not change form for singular and plural, so 人 can refer to one person or more than one when the context supports it. Example: 其他人已经到了。 — “The other people have already arrived.” 在等 means “are waiting.” 等 is the verb “wait,” and 在 + verb presents an action as in progress: 在等 is “be waiting” in this sentence. The form does not mark person or number, so the surrounding subject supplies who is waiting. Example: 她在等朋友。 — “She is waiting for a friend.” Together, 还有其他人在等 forms the condition “if other people are still waiting.” The 在 belongs with 等 to show the waiting is ongoing; it is not a separate English-style tense ending. 短暂地 means “briefly” or “for a short time.” 短暂 describes something short-lived, and 地 turns this description into an adverbial modifier of the following action. Example: 请短暂地停留。 — “Please stay briefly.” 多等一会儿 means “wait a little longer.” 等 is again “wait”; 多 indicates an additional amount, and 一会儿 means “a little while.” In this phrase, 多 does not mean that the waiting person is plural; it modifies the amount of waiting. 一会儿 is a duration expression rather than a fixed exact measurement. Example: 请多等一会儿。 — “Please wait a little longer.” 就够了 means “is enough” or “that will be sufficient.” 够 means “be enough/sufficient,” and 了 marks the situation as established or changed relative to the context. 就 adds the sense that this amount alone is sufficient: “then it is enough” or “that will do.” Example: 十分钟就够了。 — “Ten minutes is enough.” The whole utterance has the pattern 如果 + condition, amount/action + 就够了: 如果还有其他人在等 sets the condition, and 短暂地多等一会儿就够了 says that briefly waiting a little longer is sufficient under that condition. The fixed meaning is therefore: “A short grace period is enough if other people are waiting.”

7. 我会设个提醒，这样我的衣物一洗完我就回来。

   I'll set a reminder so I come back as soon as my load is done.

   我会

   I will

   设

   set

   提醒

   reminder

   这样

   so; in this way

   我的

   my

   衣物

   clothes; laundry

   洗

   wash

   一 … 就

   as soon as … then …

   回来

   come back

   More detail

   我会 expresses “I will” here: 我 is the first-person pronoun “I”, and 会 is a modal placed before the verb to indicate a future plan or expected action. A reusable pattern is 我会 + verb, as in 我会等你。 — “I will wait for you.” 设 means “set” in the sense of arranging or creating something, not “suppose” in this sentence. In 设个提醒, 个 is a classifier and the phrase means “set a reminder.” 提醒 is a noun meaning “reminder” here. It can also function as a verb meaning “to remind” in other sentences; for example, 请提醒我。 means “Please remind me.” 这样 means “so” or “in this way.” It links the reminder-setting action to the result that follows: setting the reminder makes the later return happen at the intended time. 我的 means “my”: 我 plus 的 marks possession or association. It modifies 衣物, so 我的衣物 means “my clothes” or, in this situation, “my laundry.” 衣物 is a relatively general noun for clothing or clothes. In this utterance, the fixed translation’s “my load” identifies it as the laundry being washed, rather than a particular single garment. 洗 means “wash.” The visible form 洗完 includes 完, which indicates that the washing is completed: 洗 is the action, while 洗完 means “finish washing” or “be done washing.” For example, 衣服洗完了。 means “The clothes are done washing.” 一 … 就 … is a reusable pattern meaning “as soon as …, then …” or “once …, immediately ….” Here, 一 begins the condition 一洗完, and 就 introduces the immediate result 就回来. The pattern connects two events in sequence; it does not mean that 一 alone gives a numeric count. Example: 他一到家就睡觉。 — “As soon as he gets home, he goes to sleep.” 回来 means “come back” or “return.” 回 expresses returning, and 来 indicates movement toward the relevant location or viewpoint. In this sentence, it is the speaker’s planned return after the laundry is done; the sentence does not by itself specify the location. Together, 我会设个提醒 means “I’ll set a reminder.” 这样 introduces the purpose or resulting arrangement. 我的衣物一洗完 means “as soon as my laundry is done,” and 我就回来 means “I’ll come back then.” The whole utterance therefore means: “I’ll set a reminder so I come back as soon as my load is done.”

8. 这样也更容易对其他人提出同样的要求。

   That makes it easier to ask the same of everyone else.

   这样

   this way; thus

   也

   also

   更容易

   easier

   对

   to; toward

   其他人

   other people

   提出

   raise; put forward

   同样的

   the same

   要求

   request; demand

   More detail

   这样 means “in this way” or “thereby.” Here it points to the situation or action already being discussed and introduces its result; it is not a standalone noun. Reusable pattern: 这样 + clause = “in this way, …” or “that way, …”. Example: 这样就不会迟到。 — “That way, we won’t be late.” 也 adds “also” to the clause. It links this benefit with another relevant benefit or situation, rather than specifying who performs the action. Example: 这样也更方便。 — “This is also more convenient.” 更容易 means “easier.” 容易 is the base adjective “easy,” and 更 marks comparison: 容易 → 更容易 (“easy” → “easier”). The comparison is understood relative to another way or situation; the sentence does not state a numeric degree. Example: 这样更容易记住。 — “This way, it is easier to remember.” 对 introduces the person or group toward whom an action is directed. In the reusable pattern 对 + person/group + 提出要求, it marks the addressee of a request or demand. It does not itself mean “give” or “ask.” 其他人 means “other people” or “everyone else.” 其他 means “other,” and 人 means “person/people.” The plural meaning here comes from the context and the general reference, not from a separate plural ending on 人. 提出 means “to put forward” or “to raise.” It is a verb made up of 提 (“lift; raise”) and 出 (“out”), but it should be learned as the established verb 提出, not as a freely compositional translation in every use. It commonly combines with an idea, question, proposal, or request: 提出问题 — “raise a question.” 同样的 means “the same” or “the same kind of.” 同样 means “same; alike,” and 的 turns it into a modifier before the noun 要求. It describes the request as matching one already understood; it does not by itself say that the requests use identical wording. 要求 means “request” or “demand” here and functions as a noun after 提出: 提出要求 = “make a request” or “put forward a demand.” The same form can also be a verb meaning “to require” or “to demand,” as in the example 经理要求大家准时。 — “The manager requires everyone to be punctual.” Its role in the fixed sentence is the noun-like object of 提出. Together, 这样也更容易 means “that way, it is also easier,” with 更 comparing this situation with another possible way. 对其他人提出同样的要求 means “to make the same request of other people”: 对其他人 identifies the people addressed, 提出 is the action of putting something forward, and 同样的要求 is the request being put forward. The complete utterance therefore means: “That also makes it easier to ask the same of everyone else.”

9. 如果我也把自己的衣物留在那里，就不能抱怨别人把衣物丢在那里。

   I can't complain about abandoned laundry if I leave mine there too.

   如果

   if

   我也

   I too

   把

   object-fronting marker

   自己的

   one’s own

   衣物

   clothing; laundry

   留

   leave; keep

   在那里

   there

   就

   then

   不能

   cannot

   抱怨

   complain

   别人

   other people

   丢

   discard; leave behind

   More detail

   如果 introduces the condition: “if …”. A reusable pattern is 如果 + condition, 就 + result. Example: 如果下雨，就不出去。 — “If it rains, then we won’t go out.” The conditional itself does not say that the condition is true; here, the condition is leaving the speaker’s own laundry there too. 我也 means “I also/too.” 我 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and 也 adds the idea that the speaker does this as well as someone or something already under discussion. Example: 我也去。 — “I’m going too.” 把 marks the object that is handled or affected. In the pattern 把 + object + verb, the object is placed before the verb, and the verb phrase describes what happens to it. Here, 把自己的衣物留在那里 means “leave one’s own laundry there.” 把 is not translated as an ordinary standalone English word in this sentence. 自己的 means “one’s own.” 自 relates to the self, and 自己 means “oneself”; with 的, 自己的 marks possession or association with the relevant subject. In this sentence, it identifies the clothing as the speaker’s own. Example: 我带自己的书。 — “I bring my own book.” 衣物 is a noun meaning “clothing” or “laundry” in this context. It is a relatively general term for clothes and textile items, rather than a form that marks singular or plural. Example: 衣物需要晾干。 — “Clothes need to be dried.” 留 means “leave” or “keep” something in a place. In 把自己的衣物留在那里, it describes the speaker leaving the clothing there rather than taking it away. The form 留 is not marked for past or present tense by itself; surrounding context indicates the time. Example: 请把钥匙留在桌上。 — “Please leave the key on the table.” 在那里 means “there,” referring to a location understood from the situation. 那 means “that,” 里 marks an inside location, and 在 marks being at or in a place. The location’s specific identity is not stated in this sentence. Example: 书在那里。 — “The book is there.” 就 introduces the result or consequence in the 如果 … 就 … pattern. It can often be rendered as “then” here. Together, 如果我也把自己的衣物留在那里，就… means “if I also leave my own laundry there, then …” 不能 combines 不 (“not”) with 能 (“can; be able to”). Here it does not describe physical inability; in 不能抱怨, it means that the speaker cannot reasonably complain under that condition. Example: 你不能这样做。 — “You cannot do this.” 抱怨 means “complain” or “grumble,” especially about something regarded as undesirable or unfair. It functions as the verb after 不能: 不能抱怨 means “cannot complain.” Example: 别抱怨天气。 — “Don’t complain about the weather.” 别人 means “other people” or “someone else.” 别 means “other/different,” and 人 means “person/people.” Here it is the people whose action is the object of the complaint; the sentence does not specify which individuals they are. Example: 不要替别人决定。 — “Don’t decide for other people.” 丢 means “throw away,” “discard,” or, as here, “leave behind.” In 别人把衣物丢在那里, it describes other people leaving the laundry there, with the location supplied by 在那里. The 把 construction places 衣物 before 丢 because the sentence focuses on what happens to the laundry. Example: 他把垃圾丢进桶里。 — “He throws the rubbish into the bin.” The whole sentence follows 如果 + 我也把自己的衣物留在那里，就 + 不能抱怨 + 别人把衣物丢在那里: “If I also leave my own laundry there, then I cannot complain about other people leaving laundry there.” The two 把 constructions each put 衣物 before the verb that describes its treatment. The fixed translation expresses the same contrast with “mine” and “abandoned laundry,” while 也 makes the speaker’s action parallel to the other people’s action.

10. 大家留意洗衣周期，共用洗衣房的使用就会更顺利。

    Shared laundry goes more smoothly when people watch the cycle times.

    大家

    everyone; people

    留意

    pay attention to

    洗衣周期

    laundry cycle

    共用

    share; use together

    洗衣房

    laundry room

    使用

    use; usage

    就会

    then will

    顺利

    smooth; go smoothly

    More detail

    大家 means “everyone” or, in this context, “people” in general. It is a plural-capable human subject, but Chinese does not mark its number with an inflection. Example: 大家都到了。— “Everyone has arrived.” 留意 means “to pay attention to” or “to watch carefully.” It is a verb and can be followed directly by the thing being monitored, as in 留意时间 — “watch the time.” In this sentence, it asks people to monitor the laundry cycle. 洗衣周期 is a noun phrase meaning “laundry cycle.” 洗衣 modifies 周期, so the phrase identifies the type of cycle rather than asserting that 洗衣 is a separate action here. Chinese commonly forms compact noun phrases this way: 洗衣机 means “washing machine,” for example. 共用 means “to share” or “to use jointly.” Here it modifies 洗衣房, giving the idea of a laundry room used by multiple people. It is different from a verb meaning simply “use” when no shared arrangement is intended. 洗衣房 means “laundry room.” 房 is the noun meaning “room” in this compound; 洗衣 specifies its function. Example: 洗衣房在楼下。— “The laundry room is downstairs.” 使用 means “use” or “usage.” In 洗衣房的使用, the 的 phrase links 洗衣房 to 使用: “the use of the laundry room.” 使用 can function as a verb, as in 使用这台机器 — “use this machine,” or as a noun-like word in a phrase such as 使用方法 — “method of use.” 就会 is a reusable result pattern. 就 marks the consequence, and 会 here indicates that the consequence will or can occur under the stated condition. The pattern “如果/when A，B 就会 C” means “if/when A, B will then become or do C.” In this sentence, the condition is expressed before the comma rather than with an explicit 如果. 会 does not change for person or number. 顺利 means “smooth” or “without difficulty.” With 会 and 更, it describes how the use proceeds: it becomes smoother. 更 is the comparative marker “more”; it modifies 顺利, not 洗衣房 or 使用. Example: 提前安排会更顺利。— “Making arrangements in advance will go more smoothly.” Taken together, 大家留意洗衣周期 means “when people pay attention to the laundry cycles.” 共用洗衣房的使用 means “the use of the shared laundry room,” and 就会更顺利 adds the result “will then go more smoothly.” The complete meaning is: “Shared laundry goes more smoothly when people watch the cycle times.”