Keeping a shared fridge clean and fair | Learn Chinese in English

About This Lesson

Use Keeping a shared fridge clean and fair to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

共用冰箱里又有过期食品了。

gòngyòng bīngxiāng lǐ yòu yǒu guòqī shípǐn le. There's expired food in the shared fridge again.

如果再放久一点，可能会有卫生问题。

rúguǒ zài fàng jiǔ yìdiǎn, kěnéng huì yǒu wèishēng wèntí. It could become a hygiene problem if it sits there much longer.

一些容器没有贴标签，所以没人知道是谁的。

yìxiē róngqì méiyǒu tiē biāoqiān, suǒyǐ méi rén zhīdào shì shéi de. Some containers aren't labeled, so nobody knows who owns them.

我们应该贴个通知，请大家写上自己的名字和日期。

wǒmen yīnggāi tiē ge tōngzhī, qǐng dàjiā xiě shàng zìjǐ de míngzi hé rìqī. We should post a notice asking people to add their names and dates.

我们要不要把放了一周以上的东西都扔掉？

wǒmen yào bu yào bǎ fàng le yì zhōu yǐshàng de dōngxi dōu rēngdiào? Should we throw away anything older than a week?

只有在给大家一个明确的截止时间之后才行。

zhǐyǒu zài gěi dàjiā yí ge míngquè de jiézhǐ shíjiān zhīhòu cái xíng. Only after we give everyone a clear deadline.

也许我们可以在群聊里建议每周清理一次。

yěxǔ wǒmen kěyǐ zài qúnliáo lǐ jiànyì měi zhōu qīnglǐ yí cì. Maybe we can suggest a weekly cleanout in the group chat.

这样每周清理就会有规律，不会让人觉得突然。

zhèyàng měi zhōu qīnglǐ jiù huì yǒu guīlǜ, bú huì ràng rén juéde tūrán. That would make the weekly cleanout predictable instead of sudden.

大家可以在清理日之前清理自己的架子。

dàjiā kěyǐ zài qīnglǐ rì zhīqián qīnglǐ zìjǐ de jiàzi. People can clear their shelves before cleaning day.

这样应该能让大家都公平、安全地使用冰箱。

zhèyàng yīnggāi néng ràng dàjiā dōu gōngpíng, ānquán de shǐyòng bīngxiāng. That should make fridge use fair and safe for everyone.

Word by Word

共用共用 in 共用冰箱 means shared by several people. It comes before a noun to identify a facility or item used by a group, such as in a shared kitchen situation.

冰箱冰箱 means refrigerator, the appliance containing the expired food in the dialogue. It can follow a descriptor such as 共用 when discussing shared food storage.

里里 in 冰箱里 means inside or in the refrigerator. It follows a place noun to locate something, especially when explaining where an item is stored.

又又 in 又有过期食品了 means again, showing that the same situation has happened another time. It commonly comes before the verb when reporting a repeated event or condition.

有有 in 又有过期食品了 means there is or there are, introducing something that exists in a place. Use it before a noun when reporting what is present in a room, container, or other location.

过期过期 in 过期食品 means expired, describing food whose valid period has ended. It comes before a noun to identify an item that should no longer be kept or used.

食品食品 means food or food products, referring here to the items in the shared refrigerator. It is used as a noun after a description such as 过期 when discussing stored food.

了了 at the end of 共用冰箱里又有过期食品了 signals that this is now the current situation. Sentence-final 了 is useful when reporting a new or changed condition.

如果如果 means if and introduces the condition in 如果再放久一点. Use it at the beginning of a conditional statement before the possible result.

再再 in 再放久一点 means any further or for longer, extending the current period rather than repeating an action. It comes before the verb when discussing continuing to leave something somewhere.

放放 in 放久一点 means leave or keep something in a place for a period of time. It is useful for talking about storing food or other objects and can be followed by a duration.

久久 in 放久一点 means a long time or for long. It describes the duration of leaving something in place and appears after 放 in this expression.

一点一点 in 久一点 means a little, making the duration slightly longer. It follows a description or measure when referring to a small additional amount.

可能可能 in 可能会有 means possibly, presenting a hygiene problem as an uncertain result. It commonly comes before a verb phrase when discussing a possible consequence.

会会 in 可能会有 indicates that a result may occur, here the possible appearance of a hygiene problem. It can come before an event or condition when describing a potential outcome.

卫生卫生 in 卫生问题 refers to hygiene or cleanliness. It comes before 问题 to identify the type of problem being discussed, such as a concern about stored food.

问题问题 means problem, here a problem related to hygiene. It can follow a descriptive word such as 卫生 to name a specific kind of difficulty.

一些一些 means some, referring to part of the containers rather than all of them. It usually comes before a noun when identifying an unspecified number of items.

容器容器 means container, referring to the food containers in the shared refrigerator. It can be followed by a description of their labels, ownership, or condition.

没有没有 in 没有贴标签 shows that the containers do not have labels attached. It is used before a noun or action to indicate that something is absent or has not been done.

贴贴 in 贴标签 means attach or put a label onto something. It is useful when describing putting notices, labels, or other flat items onto a surface.

标签标签 means label, the identifying mark that should be attached to a container. It is the object of 贴 when discussing how people identify their food.

所以所以 means so or therefore, linking the missing labels to the result that nobody knows the owner. It commonly introduces the consequence after a stated reason.

没人没人 means nobody or no one, referring to the absence of any person who knows the owner. It can come before a verb to describe what no person does or knows.

知道知道 means know, here referring to knowing who owns the containers. It can be followed by a question word or clause when identifying information that someone knows.

谁谁 in 谁的 asks which person or whose item is involved. It is used to identify a person, and with 的 it forms a question about ownership.

是是 in 是谁的 links the item with the person it belongs to, giving the meaning whose it is. It is used in a statement or question that identifies someone or something.

的的 in 谁的 marks possession, so 谁的 means whose. It follows a person or question word when asking or stating who an item belongs to.

我们我们 means we or us, referring to the speakers as the people making the plan. It commonly appears before a recommendation or action that the group may take.

应该应该 in 我们应该贴个通知 means should, presenting the notice as a recommended action. It comes before the verb when giving advice or proposing a responsible step.

个个 in 个通知 is a general measure word for one notice. It is placed before the noun when counting or introducing a single ordinary item.

通知通知 means notice, referring to a message posted for the people who use the refrigerator. It can be the object of 贴 when discussing a public written instruction.

请请 in 请大家写上 means please or ask someone to do something. It comes before the person addressed and the requested action in a polite request.

大家大家 means everyone, referring to all the people sharing the refrigerator. It can follow 请 to identify the whole group being asked to act.

写写 in 写上 means write, specifically writing names and dates onto the relevant label or item. It is used before the information that someone records.

上上 in 写上 indicates that the written information is put onto the relevant place or item. The pattern 写上 is useful when asking someone to write or add information onto something.

自己自己 in 自己的名字 means one's own, referring to the name belonging to each person. It comes before 的 and a noun when the subject's own item or information is meant.

名字名字 means name, here the name written to identify the owner of food. It can follow 自己的 and be the information added with 写上.

和和 means and, joining 名字 and 日期 in the list of information to write. It is used between nouns or noun phrases when including both items.

日期日期 means date, referring to the date written on the food label. It can be listed with another identifying detail such as a name.

要要 in 要不要 asks whether the speakers want or intend to take the proposed action. The pattern 要不要 + verb is a common way to ask whether to do something.

不不 in 要不要 forms the alternative question whether to do the action or not. Together with 要, it creates the reusable pattern 要不要 + verb.

把把 in 把放了一周以上的东西都扔掉 places the items being dealt with before the disposal action. The pattern 把 + object + verb is useful when emphasizing what will be handled or changed.

一周一周 means one week, giving the length of time used to judge the food's age. It can be followed by 以上 when setting a time-based rule.

以上以上 in 一周以上 means one week or more. It follows an amount or limit when including that amount and anything beyond it.

东西东西 means things or items, referring broadly to the food kept in the refrigerator. It is useful as a general noun when the exact objects do not need to be named.

都都 in 东西都扔掉 means all, applying the action to every item in the specified group. It usually appears before the verb when the whole group is affected.

扔扔 in 扔掉 means throw away, describing disposal of the old items. It is used with an object when telling people to get rid of unwanted things.

掉掉 in 扔掉 marks the result of removing something, so 扔掉 means throw something away completely. The pattern verb + 掉 is useful for actions that get rid of or remove an object.

只有只有 in 只有在给大家一个明确的截止时间之后才行 means only, limiting when the disposal is acceptable. It introduces a necessary condition and works with 才 for an only-when meaning.

在在 in 只有在给大家一个明确的截止时间之后 introduces the event that must happen first. It can be followed by an action and 之后 when setting a condition based on timing.

给给 in 给大家一个明确的截止时间 means give or provide something to everyone. The pattern 给 + recipient + thing is useful when assigning or providing information or resources.

一个一个 in 一个明确的截止时间 means one or a single item, introducing one deadline. It comes before the descriptive phrase and noun being counted.

明确明确 in 明确的截止时间 means clear or definite, describing a deadline that people can understand. It comes before 的 and the noun it qualifies.

截止截止 in 截止时间 identifies the limit at which something is due or ends. It combines with 时间 to refer to a deadline in a plan or notice.

时间时间 means time, here as part of 截止时间, the time limit given to everyone. It can follow a word describing the purpose or limit of the time.

之后之后 means after or afterward, marking the point following the event of giving everyone a deadline. It follows an event or time expression when ordering actions.

才才 in 之后才行 means only then, emphasizing that the action is acceptable after the stated condition. It commonly follows a condition and comes before the resulting action or judgment.

行行 in 才行 means okay or acceptable. It is useful in a short response when stating that a proposed action works only under the required condition.

也许也许 means maybe, presenting the weekly cleanout as a tentative suggestion. It often appears at the beginning of a sentence when offering an idea without stating it as certain.

可以可以 in 我们可以建议 means can or may, indicating that the speakers have the possibility of making the suggestion. It comes before a verb when proposing a possible action.

群聊群聊 means group chat, the online place where the suggestion can be shared. It can follow 在 and be followed by 里 when naming an online group space.

建议建议 means suggest, referring to proposing a weekly cleanout. It can be followed by a plan or activity that someone recommends.

每每 in 每周 means every, making the action apply to each week. It comes before a time unit when expressing regular frequency.

周周 means week, here as the time unit in 每周清理一次. It follows 每 to express a weekly schedule.

清理清理 in 清理一次 means clean out, while in 清理日 it identifies the cleaning activity. It is useful for removing unwanted items or making a shared space orderly.

一次一次 in 清理一次 means once or one time, specifying how often the cleaning happens. It follows the verb when giving the number of times an action occurs.

这样这样 means this way or with this arrangement, referring to the proposed weekly schedule. It can introduce the result or benefit of a plan just mentioned.

就就 in 这样每周清理就会有规律 links the arrangement to its result, meaning then or thereby. It commonly appears before the result after a condition, method, or situation.

规律规律 in 有规律 means a regular pattern or predictable schedule. It follows 有 when describing an activity that happens in an orderly, expected way.

不会不会 in 不会让人觉得突然 means will not or will not cause something to happen. It comes before the verb phrase describing the result that is being ruled out.

让让 in 让人觉得突然 means make or cause someone to feel something. The pattern 让 + person + verb or description is useful for describing an effect on other people.

人人 in 让人觉得突然 refers generally to people who experience the cleaning as sudden. It can follow 让 when the affected people are not named individually.

觉得觉得 in 人觉得突然 means feel or think, describing people's impression of the cleaning schedule. It can be followed by a description of how something seems to them.

突然突然 in 觉得突然 means sudden or abrupt, describing how the cleanout might seem to people. It is useful when discussing an event that appears to happen without enough warning.

日日 in 清理日 means day, forming the expression cleaning day. It can follow an activity to name a designated day for that activity.

之前之前 in 清理日之前 means before cleaning day. It follows a time or event expression when telling people when something should happen.

架子架子 means shelf, referring to each person's shelf in the refrigerator. It can follow a possessive phrase when identifying the storage space belonging to someone.

能能 in People can clear their shelves means can or be able to, indicating that people have the opportunity or ability to clear them. It comes before the verb describing the possible action.

公平公平 in 公平、安全地使用 describes refrigerator use as fair for everyone. It is useful when discussing equal treatment or access in a shared arrangement.

安全安全 in 公平、安全地使用 describes the use of the refrigerator as safe. It appears before 地 to combine with 使用 and describe how the action is carried out.

地地 in 公平、安全地使用 turns the preceding descriptions into adverbial information about how people use the refrigerator. The pattern description + 地 + verb is useful for expressing manner.

使用使用 means use, here referring to using the shared refrigerator. It is followed by the object 冰箱 when naming the equipment or resource being used.

Grammar Points

过期一周以上的 + 名词

过期一周以上的食品要扔掉。

guòqī yì zhōu yǐshàng de shípǐn yào rēngdiào.

Food that has been expired for more than a week should be thrown away.

一周以上 follows a time period to mean “more than a week” and can describe how long a condition has lasted.

没人 + 动词

没人贴标签。

méi rén tiē biāoqiān.

Nobody labels it.

没人 means “nobody” and can directly serve as the subject before a verb.

Chinese Vocabulary

冰箱 noun

bīngxiāng refrigerator; fridge

共用 adj

gòngyòng shared; communal

过期 adj

guòqī expired; to expire

没人 pron

méi rén nobody; no one

名字 noun

míngzi name

日期 noun

rìqī date

容器 noun

róngqì container

食品 noun

shípǐn food

贴标签 verb

tiē biāoqiān to label; to put a label on

通知 noun

tōngzhī notice

卫生 noun

wèishēng hygiene; sanitation

问题 noun

wèntí problem; issue

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

date

Show Answer

日期

expired; to expire

Show Answer

过期

problem; issue

Show Answer

问题

to label; to put a label on

Show Answer

贴标签