← 课程列表 HSK 1 Lesson 13 Vocab Card
他在学做中国菜呢
He Is Learning to Cook Chinese Food · Dialogues · Vocabulary · Grammar
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How to read this page: Line 1 = Chinese characters. Line 2 = pinyin (lined up character-by-character above each word). Line 3 = English meaning of the whole sentence, with the matching key word marked in (parentheses). Words in a pink box are this lesson's key vocabulary. Tap the 🔊 button to hear it read aloud — in the dialogue, speaker A and speaker B are read in two different voices.

📖 Text

Read the story once for the general idea, then go through it again line by line.

 A ：wèi喂 ，nǐ你zài在zuò做shén什me么ne呢 ？
A: (Hello)? What (are) you doing?
 B ：wǒ我zài在kàn看shū书ne呢 。
B: I'm reading (right now).
 A ：dà大wèi卫yě也zài在kàn看shū书ma吗 ？
A: Is David reading (too)?
 B ：tā他méi没kàn看shū书 ，tā他zài在xué学zuò做zhōng中guó国cài菜ne呢 。
B: No — he's (learning) to cook (Chinese food).
 A ：zuó昨tiān天shàng上wǔ午nǐ你zài在zuò做shén什me么ne呢 ？
A: What were you doing yesterday (morning)?
 B ：wǒ我zài在shuì睡jiào觉ne呢 。nǐ你ne呢 ？
B: I was (sleeping). What about you?
 A ：wǒ我zài在jiā家kàn看diàn电shì视ne呢 。nǐ你xǐ喜huan欢kàn看diàn电shì视ma吗 ？
A: I was watching (TV) at home. Do you (like) watching TV?
 B ：wǒ我bù不xǐ喜huan欢kàn看diàn电shì视 ，wǒ我xǐ喜huan欢kàn看diàn电yǐng影 。
B: No, I don't — I like watching movies.
 A ：bā八èr二sān三líng零sì四yāo幺wǔ五wǔ五 ，zhè这shì是lǐ李lǎo老shī师de的diàn电huà话ma吗 ？
A: 82304155 — is that Teacher Li's phone number?
 B ：bú不shì是 。tā她de的diàn电huà话shì是bā八èr二sān三líng零sì四yāo幺wǔ五liù六 。
B: No, her number is 82304156.
 A ：hǎo好 ，wǒ我xiàn现zài在gěi给tā她dǎ打diàn电huà话 。
A: OK, I'll (call) her right now ((give) her a call).
 B ：tā她zài在gōng工zuò作ne呢 ，nǐ你xià下wǔ午dǎ打ba吧 。
B: She's working — call (in that case) this afternoon.

📋 Key Vocabulary

Each word shows the part of speech, meaning, and an extra example sentence.

喂wèiint.
hello, hey (on the phone)
喂，你在做什么呢？
Hello? What are you doing?
也yěadv.
also, too
大卫也在看书吗？
Is David reading too?
学习xuéxíverb
to study, to learn
他在学习汉语。
He's studying Chinese.
上午shàngwǔnoun
morning, before noon
昨天上午你在做什么呢？
What were you doing yesterday morning?
睡觉shuìjiàoverb
to sleep
我在睡觉呢。
I'm sleeping.
电视diànshìnoun
television
我在家看电视呢。
I'm watching TV at home.
喜欢xǐhuanverb
to like, to be fond of
你喜欢看电视吗？
Do you like watching TV?
给gěiprep.
to, for
我现在给她打电话。
I'm calling her right now.
打电话dǎ diànhuàphrase
to make a phone call
你下午给她打电话吧。
Call her this afternoon.
吧bapart.
(softens a suggestion or command)
你下午打吧。
Call this afternoon, then.

🧩 Grammar Focus

Structures from this story worth practicing.

① 喂 — answering or starting a phone call
叹词 "喂"
喂, …?
喂 is the standard way to open a phone call, whether you're calling someone or picking up — similar to "hello?" on the phone in English.
喂，你在做什么呢？
Wèi, nǐ zài zuò shénme ne?
Hello? What are you doing?
② 在……呢 — an action in progress
"在……呢" 表示动作正在进行
Subject + 在 + Verb (+ Object) + 呢
Add 在 before the verb, or 呢 at the end of the sentence (or both together), to show an action is happening right now — like "-ing" in English. Negative: 没(在) + Verb, and drop 呢.
我在看书呢。
Wǒ zài kàn shū ne.
I'm reading right now.
③ Telephone numbers — read digit by digit, with 1 → yāo
电话号码的表达
Digit + Digit + Digit … (1 = yāo)
Unlike regular numbers, phone numbers are read one digit at a time. The digit 1 is always read yāo instead of yī, to avoid confusion with 七 (qī) over the phone.
82304156
bā èr sān líng sì yāo wǔ liù
(her phone number, read digit by digit)
④ 吧 — softening a suggestion or command
语气助词 "吧"
Imperative sentence + 吧
Adding 吧 to the end of an imperative sentence turns a blunt command into a gentle suggestion — much like adding "..., okay?" or softening tone in English.
你下午打吧。
Nǐ xiàwǔ dǎ ba.
Why don't you call this afternoon.
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⭐ Key Sentences

Practice saying these sentences out loud. Try covering the English and translating from Chinese yourself.

1
我在看书呢。
Wǒ zài kàn shū ne.
I'm reading right now.
2
他在学做中国菜呢。
Tā zài xué zuò Zhōngguó cài ne.
He's learning to cook Chinese food.
3
我现在给她打电话。
Wǒ xiànzài gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.
I'm calling her right now.
4
她在工作呢，你下午打吧。
Tā zài gōngzuò ne, nǐ xiàwǔ dǎ ba.
She's working — call this afternoon.

✅ Quick Check

Answer in your head, then check with your teacher.

1. What is David doing (dialogue 1)?
A. Reading    B. Learning to cook Chinese food    C. Sleeping
2. What was B doing yesterday morning (dialogue 2)?
A. Watching TV    B. Sleeping    C. Reading
3. Does B like watching TV?
A. Yes    B. No, prefers movies    C. Not mentioned
4. Why should A call Teacher Li in the afternoon instead of now?
A. She's sleeping    B. She's working    C. Wrong number
student 你在做什么呢？Answer right now, using 在…呢! 📱 decoration