New here? This is lesson 194 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
Typhoon day indoors in Simplified Chinese
A typhoon has kept Maya home from work, but she can still reach the nearby breakfast shop.
Auntie Lin has opened the door for her, and A-Li is inside with an unfinished soy milk.
Today you will talk about the wind, suggest an easy meal, and ask what to do if the power goes out.
A-Li begins a story about his first visit, but getting to the end is another matter.
By the end of this lesson
Discuss a typhoon day indoors and describe a story that stops halfway.
- 台风天不用上班No work on a typhoon day.
- 我们来煮方便面吧Let's cook instant noodles.
- 外面风好大It's very windy outside.
- 停电了怎么办？What if the power goes out?
- 说来话长It's a long story.
- 他说到一半就停了He stopped halfway through.
Scene — Shelter at the breakfast shop
Wind rattles the breakfast shop windows while Maya steps in from the rain.
Auntie Lin is checking the shutters, and A-Li sits across two stools with his soy milk still on the table.
There is time to make lunch and listen to a story, if A-Li can finish telling it.
Learn — Six lines for a stormy day
Listen to each line before you say it. These phrases move from practical typhoon-day talk to the moment when someone starts a story and stops halfway.
台风天不用上班
No work on a typhoon day.
When to use it: Use this when explaining that the typhoon means you do not have to work.
不用 means something is not necessary; it does not mean you are unable to do it.
我们来煮方便面吧
Let's cook instant noodles.
When to use it: Use this to suggest making an easy meal together.
来 invites everyone into the action, while 吧 makes the suggestion gentle.
外面风好大
It's very windy outside.
When to use it: Use this when noticing strong wind from somewhere sheltered.
好 before 大 adds the feeling of noticing just how strong the wind is.
停电了怎么办？
What if the power goes out?
When to use it: Use this to ask for a plan in case the electricity goes out.
怎么办 asks what to do about a problem, rather than how to perform a task.
说来话长
It's a long story.
When to use it: Use this when an answer needs more explanation than you can give quickly.
This set phrase signals that the explanation will take time.
他说到一半就停了
He stopped halfway through.
When to use it: Use this to say that a man stopped speaking before finishing his story.
说到一半 describes reaching the middle of what he was saying before stopping.
Story — The first time
Listen as Maya takes shelter at Banyan Breakfast. A-Li remembers his first visit to the shop, but something on the table draws his attention before he reaches the end.
- Maya comes in, shaking rain from her umbrella.
Auntie Lin台风天不用上班。请坐，外面风好大。No work on a typhoon day. Have a seat; it's really windy outside.
Maya对啊。我们来煮方便面吧。It is. Let's make instant noodles.- Auntie Lin好啊，店里还有方便面。Sure, there's still instant noodles in the shop.
A-Li停电了怎么办？What if the power goes out?- Auntie Lin还有煤气灶，不用担心。We still have the gas stove. Don't worry.
- Maya阿犛，你第一次来这里，也是台风天吗？A-Li, was it a typhoon day the first time you came here, too?
- A-Li说来话长。It's a long story.
- Auntie Lin spots the folded slip near the till.
- Auntie Lin玛雅，你信这个吗？Maya, do you believe in this?
- Maya我不知道。先听阿犛说吧。I don't know. Let's hear A-Li's story first.
- A-Li第一次来的时候，我坐在这里，然后……The first time I came, I sat right here, and then…
- Auntie Lin然后呢？And then?
- A-Li欸，我的豆浆还没喝完。Oh, I haven't finished my soy milk.
- Maya他说到一半就停了。He stopped halfway through.
- Auntie Lin对啊，每次都这样。Yeah. He does that every time.
Practice — Rain, noodles, and a story
Use the situation and English meaning to choose your answer. Some exercises test what you heard; others ask you to put a line together or respond in the shop.
0 of 8 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
台风天不用上班
Build the line
Build the line
Let's cook instant noodles.
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
It's very windy outside.
外面____好大
What do you say?
What do you say?
The storm is getting stronger. Ask Auntie Lin what you would do if the electricity went out.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
He stopped halfway through.
他说到____就停了
Pick the reply
Maya says:
Pick the reply
外面雨好大，我可以进来等吗？
It's raining hard outside. May I come in and wait?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
Auntie Lin shows you the folded fortune slip. Ask A-Li whether he believes in it.
Say it — Your typhoon day
You are Maya, taking shelter in the breakfast shop. Speak when it is your turn: notice the weather, suggest lunch, and ask about the power. Listen for where A-Li's story stops.
- Auntie Lin opens the door for you.
- Maya (you)Tell her you do not have to work today because of the typhoon.
Tell her you do not have to work today because of the typhoon.
台风天不用上班
No work on a typhoon day.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 台风天不用上班 | No work on a typhoon day. | |
| 我们来煮方便面吧 | Let's cook instant noodles. | |
| 外面风好大 | It's very windy outside. | |
| 停电了怎么办？ | What if the power goes out? | |
| 说来话长 | It's a long story. | |
| 他说到一半就停了 | He stopped halfway through. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep today's storm-day lines ready in Yak Cards.
Review them before the next time someone begins a story you want to hear.
Open Yak Cards