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 ：nǐ你hé和lǐ李xiǎo小jiě姐shì是shén什me么shí时hòu候rèn认shi识de的 ？
A: When did you and Miss Li first (meet)?
B ：wǒ我men们shì是èr二líng零yī一yī一nián年jiǔ九yuè月rèn认shi识de的 。
B: We (met) in September, 2011.
A ：nǐ你men们zài在nǎ哪ér儿rèn认shi识de的 ？
A: Where did you (meet) each other?
B ：wǒ我men们shì是zài在xué学xiào校rèn认shi识de的 ，tā她shì是wǒ我dà大xué学tóng同xué学 。
B: We (met) at school — she was my (university) classmate.
A ：nǐ你men们shì是zěn怎me么lái来fàn饭diàn店de的 ？
A: How did you come to the (hotel)?
B ：wǒ我men们shì是zuò坐chū出zū租chē车lái来de的 。
B: We came by (taxi).
A ：lǐ李xiān先shēng生ne呢 ？
A: What about Mr. Li?
B ：tā他shì是hé和péng朋yǒu友yì一qǐ起kāi开chē车lái来de的 。
B: He drove here (together) with a friend.
A ：hěn很gāo高xìng兴rèn认shi识nín您 ！lǐ李xiǎo小jiě姐 。
A: (Nice) to (meet) you, Miss Li!
B ：rèn认shi识nǐ你wǒ我yě也hěn很gāo高xìng兴 ！
B: (Nice) to (meet) you too!
A ：tīng听zhāng张xiān先shēng生shuō说 ，nín您shì是zuò坐fēi飞jī机lái来běi北jīng京de的 ？
A: I (heard) from Mr. Zhang that you came to Beijing by (plane)?
B ：shì是de的 。
B: Yes, I did.
📋 Key Vocabulary
Each word shows the part of speech, meaning, and an extra example sentence.
认识verb
to meet, to know
我很高兴认识你。
I'm very glad to meet you.
I'm very glad to meet you.
年noun
year
我们是二零一一年认识的。
We met in 2011.
We met in 2011.
大学noun
college, university
她是我的大学同学。
She is my university classmate.
She is my university classmate.
饭店noun
hotel, restaurant
他们怎么来饭店？
How are they coming to the hotel?
How are they coming to the hotel?
出租车noun
taxi, cab
我们坐出租车来。
We're coming by taxi.
We're coming by taxi.
一起adv.
together
我们一起开车来。
We drove here together.
We drove here together.
高兴adj.
glad, happy
认识你我很高兴。
I'm glad to meet you.
I'm glad to meet you.
听verb
to listen, to hear
听张先生说，您坐飞机来。
Mr. Zhang said you came by plane.
Mr. Zhang said you came by plane.
飞机noun
airplane
我是坐飞机来的。
I came here by plane.
I came here by plane.
同学noun
classmate
他是我的大学同学。
He is my university classmate.
He is my university classmate.
北京n. (place)
Beijing
您是坐飞机来北京的吗？
Did you come to Beijing by plane?
Did you come to Beijing by plane?
🧩 Grammar Focus
Structures from this story worth practicing.
① 是 … 的 — emphasizing WHEN, WHERE, or HOW something happened
“是……的” 句：强调时间、地点、方式
Subject + 是 + [time / place / manner] + Verb + 的
When both speakers already know an event happened, 是 … 的 spotlights one detail about it — the time, the place, or the manner. The emphasized detail sits between 是 and 的. In positive and question sentences the 是 can be dropped (你们怎么来的？), but read on for the negative.
我是坐飞机来的。
Wǒ shì zuò fēijī lái de.
I came by plane. (emphasis: HOW I came)
② Negative: 不是 … 的 — you must keep 是
“是……的” 的否定式：不是……的
Subject + 不 + 是 + [time / place / manner] + Verb + 的
To negate, add 不 before 是. Unlike the positive form, here the 是 cannot be dropped — 不是……的 always keeps all three parts.
这些衣服不是今天买的，是昨天买的。
Zhèxiē yīfu bú shì jīntiān mǎi de, shì zuótiān mǎi de.
These clothes weren't bought today — they were bought yesterday.
③ Saying dates — biggest unit first
日期的表达：年、月、日/号、星期
Year + 年 → Month + 月 → Date + 日/号 → 星期 + day
Chinese dates go from the biggest unit to the smallest: year, then month, then day, then weekday. The year is read digit by digit (2011 = 二零一一, èr-líng-yī-yī), while the month and date are read as whole numbers. Weekdays are 星期 + a number.
我们是二零一一年九月认识的。
Wǒmen shì èr líng yī yī nián jiǔ yuè rènshi de.
We met in September 2011.
④ Bonus — reading phone numbers (一 → yāo)
文化：电话号码里的 “1” 读 yāo
Phone digits: 1 → yāo
In China, landline numbers have 6–8 digits and mobile numbers always have 11, usually grouped 3-4-4 when read aloud (139-0107-8866). Inside a phone number, the digit 1 is read yāo, not yī — this keeps it from being confused with 七 (qī, 7) over the phone.
139-0107-8866
yāo sān jiǔ — líng yāo líng qī — bā bā liù liù
A mobile number read in the 3-4-4 pattern.
⭐ Key Sentences
Practice saying these sentences out loud. Try covering the English and translating from Chinese yourself.
我是坐飞机来的。
Wǒ shì zuò fēijī lái de.
I came here by plane.
我们是2011年9月认识的。
Wǒmen shì èr líng yī yī nián jiǔ yuè rènshi de.
We met in September 2011.
我们是在学校认识的。
Wǒmen shì zài xuéxiào rènshi de.
We met at school.
他是和朋友一起开车来的。
Tā shì hé péngyou yìqǐ kāichē lái de.
He drove here together with a friend.
✅ Quick Check
Answer in your head, then check with your teacher.
1. When did A and Miss Li get to know each other?
2. How did the speakers come to the hotel?
3. How did Miss Li come to Beijing?
4. Which negative sentence is correct?
你是怎么来的？ Tell me how you got to class today — by 是…的! ✈️🚕
