Simplified Chinese course

Lesson 171 of 240

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Planning Tainan in Simplified Chinese

Yi-Jun opens a map marked in red and blue. You open a list of departure times. Together you plan a Tainan weekend: high-speed rail, two nights, and what to eat.

Learn how to name the train, the hotel stay, the sights, a famous bowl of noodles, luggage, and a weather check.

Keep A-Li's unfinished drink and the fortune slip out of this plan; this trip is still only on paper.

By the end of this lesson

Plan a weekend trip: name the high-speed rail, a two-night stay, sights, food, luggage, and a weather check.

  • 我们坐高铁去台南We'll take the HSR to Tainan.
  • 我订了两晚住宿I booked two nights.
  • 有哪些景点值得去？Which sights are worth visiting?
  • 我想吃担仔面I want to eat danzai noodles.
  • 行李要带多少？How much luggage should we bring?
  • 先查一下天气Let's check the weather first.

Scene — colors versus times

At the co-working space two MRT stops from Banyan Lane, Yi-Jun and Maya sit with a laptop between them.

Yi-Jun's plan is a map of colored dots. Maya's plan is a column of clock times.

They are only planning. The fortune slip stays in Auntie Lin's till, and A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished back at the shop.

Yi-Jun and Maya sit small at a sunlit coworking table with a laptop between a dotted map and a column of clock marks.

Learn — the Tainan weekend plan

These six lines cover the weekend plan: the high-speed rail, two nights, sights, noodles, luggage, and weather.

Listen, then say each line. Notice 了 on the booking, and 值得 when you ask what is worth seeing.

  1. Yi-Jun traces a long southbound line of colored dots on a map while Maya writes on a clock column without looking at the map.

    我们坐高铁去台南

    We'll take the HSR to Tainan.

    When to use it: Use this when you name the high-speed rail as your way to Tainan.

    坐 names the vehicle you ride, then 去 plus the place.

  2. Maya holds up a pair of keycards beside a column of clock marks while Yi-Jun leans back sipping tea.

    我订了两晚住宿

    I booked two nights.

    When to use it: Use this after you have already booked two nights.

    了 marks the booking as already done, not as a plan.

    Say it: 两 rises before the third tone on 晚.

  3. Maya leans toward the dotted map with an open questioning palm while Yi-Jun taps a cluster of dots with a pen.

    有哪些景点值得去？

    Which sights are worth visiting?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want tips on which sights are worth the stop.

    哪些 asks which ones; the question word stays in place.

  4. Yi-Jun points at a warm-colored map dot and holds a phone showing a small shrimp noodle bowl while Maya keeps writing on a clock sheet.

    我想吃担仔面

    I want to eat danzai noodles.

    When to use it: Use this to name danzai noodles as the food you want.

    想吃 means you would like to eat that dish.

    Say it: 仔 in 担仔面 has a third tone.

  5. Maya weighs a small backpack against a larger suitcase while Yi-Jun leans on one hand and watches the laptop.

    行李要带多少？

    How much luggage should we bring?

    When to use it: Ask this when you are deciding how much to pack.

    多少 asks how much; it stays in place in the question.

  6. Yi-Jun turns the laptop to show only sun and cloud shapes while Maya unzips a backpack and looks at the bag, not the display.

    先查一下天气

    Let's check the weather first.

    When to use it: Use this to put a weather check before the rest of the plan.

    一下 after a verb makes the action short and light.

    Say it: 一 rises to second tone before the fourth tone on 下.

Story — a plan on the table

Yi-Jun and Maya sit down to plan the Tainan weekend at the co-working space. Her map uses colors; Maya's list uses times.

Listen for the train, the two nights, the noodles, and a last check of the weather.

  1. Yi-Jun这周末去台南，好不好？Shall we go to Tainan this weekend?
  2. Maya好啊，我们坐高铁去台南。Sure, we'll take the HSR to Tainan.
  3. Yi-Jun我去过台南。I've been to Tainan.
  4. Maya我订了两晚住宿。I booked two nights.
  5. Maya有哪些景点值得去？Which sights are worth visiting?
  6. Yi-Jun安平很值得去。Anping is well worth visiting.
  7. Maya好，那我们早上十点去安平。Okay, then we'll go to Anping at ten in the morning.
  8. Yi-Jun holds up a map with red and blue dots. Maya still looks at the clock times on her phone.
  9. Yi-Jun红色是小吃，蓝色是庙。Red is snacks, blue is temples.
  10. Maya我想吃担仔面。I want to eat danzai noodles.
  11. Yi-Jun担仔面一定要吃啦。You have to have danzai noodles.
  12. Maya行李要带多少？How much luggage should we bring?
  13. Yi-Jun两晚而已，一个小包包就够了。It's only two nights; one small bag is enough.
  14. Maya先查一下天气。Let's check the weather first.
  15. Yi-Jun要看天气。It depends on the weather.
  16. Maya那就这么说定了。Then it's settled.

Practice — lock in the plan

Try ten quick exercises on the train, the stay, the sights, and the food. Choose the line that fits each small moment.

After each answer, check the explanation and try saying the line again.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我们坐高铁去台南

  2. What do you say?

    You already reserved a place for Saturday and Sunday night. Tell Yi-Jun.

  3. Build the line

    I want to eat danzai noodles.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    Which sights are worth visiting?

    有哪些景点____去？

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Pick the reply

    Yi-Jun says:

    你觉得可以吗？

    Does that seem okay to you?

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    You already booked a stay. Tell Yi-Jun you booked two nights, not two days.

    我订了两____住宿

  8. What do you say?

    You still need to know how much to pack for two nights. Ask Yi-Jun.

  9. Fill the gap

    I've been to Tainan.

    我去____台南

  10. Swap the word

    Yi-Jun says the plan depends on something. Name the weather, not the time.

    要看____

Say it — your Tainan plan

You play Maya and plan the Tainan weekend with Yi-Jun. Listen to each cue, then say your line out loud.

Tap the microphone to speak. You can replay Yi-Jun's line before your turn.

  1. Maya and Yi-Jun sit down to plan the Tainan weekend.
  2. Yi-Jun这周末去台南，好不好？Shall we go to Tainan this weekend?
  3. Maya (you)Say you will take the high-speed rail there.

    我们坐高铁去台南

    We'll take the HSR to Tainan.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Simplified ChineseEnglish
我们坐高铁去台南We'll take the HSR to Tainan.
我订了两晚住宿I booked two nights.
有哪些景点值得去？Which sights are worth visiting?
我想吃担仔面I want to eat danzai noodles.
行李要带多少？How much luggage should we bring?
先查一下天气Let's check the weather first.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's Tainan planning lines are in Yak Cards with more useful travel phrases.

Review a few trip-planning cards each day so the weekend talk comes easily.

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