New here? This is lesson 220 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
If only in Simplified Chinese
You missed the train, and the morning at Banyan Breakfast turns into a pile of what-ifs. Yi-Jun is with you, and A-Li is still at the back table with soy milk he has not finished.
Learn how to say you would not have gone, you wish you could try again, and you should have asked one more thing. Then guess whether there is still time, or admit it is too late.
These lines fit ordinary regret, not a long speech.
By the end of this lesson
Express regrets about what you would have done, say you wish you could try again, and judge whether there is still time.
- 早知道就不去了If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone.
- 要是能再来一次就好了If only I could do it again.
- 如果当时我多问一句If I'd asked one more question at the time.
- 真希望我早点学I really wish I'd learned earlier.
- 说不定还来得及There may still be time.
- 可惜已经太晚了It's too late, unfortunately.
Scene — a missed train
Maya and Yi-Jun push into Banyan Breakfast after the train they wanted has already gone. A-Li is at the back table with two stools and soy milk he still has not finished.
Maya is late, sweaty, and stuck on what she should have asked. Nobody opens the fortune slip today.
Learn — wishes and regrets
Listen to six lines for regret, wishes, and whether a chance is still open. Notice how 早知道, 要是, and 如果 look back at a choice you cannot change.
就好了 and 真希望 name a wish. 说不定 keeps a little hope; 可惜 closes it.
早知道就不去了
If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone.
When to use it: Say this when you regret going, now that you know it was not worth it.
早知道 plus 就 plus a negative verb looks back at a choice you would not make again.
Say it: 不 changes to a rising tone before the falling tone of 去.
要是能再来一次就好了
If only I could do it again.
When to use it: Use this to wish you could repeat a moment and do it differently.
要是 plus what you wanted, then 就好了, marks a wish, not a real plan.
如果当时我多问一句
If I'd asked one more question at the time.
When to use it: Use this when you regret not asking something important in that moment.
一句 is the measure word for a spoken question or sentence.
Say it: 一 changes to a rising tone before the falling-tone measure word 句.
真希望我早点学
I really wish I'd learned earlier.
When to use it: Say this when you wish you had started learning sooner.
真希望 plus a past action you missed makes a strong personal wish.
Say it: In 早点, the first third tone rises before the next third tone.
说不定还来得及
There may still be time.
When to use it: Use this when something might still be possible, even if it looks tight.
说不定 softens a guess; you are not promising it will work.
可惜已经太晚了
It's too late, unfortunately.
When to use it: Say this when the chance has already gone and you feel sorry.
已经 with 了 shows that being too late is already a finished fact.
Story — too late for the train
Maya missed a train and sits down at Banyan Breakfast with Yi-Jun. A-Li is already there, and his soy milk is still waiting.
Listen for the wishes and the moment they decide it is too late.
- Maya and Yi-Jun come into Banyan Breakfast. A-Li is already at the back table, using two stools.
Yi-Jun怎么了？你跑得满头汗。What's wrong? You're sweating from running.
Maya我迟到了。I'm late.- Yi-Jun那班车呢？What about that train?
- Maya已经开走了。It already left.
A-Li坐一下吧，豆浆还在。Sit for a bit; the soy milk is still here.- Maya早知道就不去了。If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone.
- Yi-Jun去哪里？Gone where?
- Maya车站。如果当时我多问一句。The station. If I'd asked one more question at the time.
- A-Li问什么？Ask what?
- Maya几点开、在哪个月台，我都没问。我十点有会，还来得及吗？What time it left, which platform—I didn't ask any of it. I have a ten o'clock meeting; is there still time?
- A-Li说不定还来得及。There may still be time.
- Yi-Jun我帮你看下一班。I'll check the next one for you.
- Maya要是能再来一次就好了。If only I could do it again.
- A-Li时刻表很难吧。The timetable is hard, isn't it?
- Maya真希望我早点学。I really wish I'd learned earlier.
- Yi-Jun下一班要等四十分钟，十点赶不上。The next one is a forty-minute wait; you won't make ten o'clock.
- Maya可惜已经太晚了。It's too late, unfortunately.
- A-Li没关系，你先坐。豆浆还热。It's okay, sit first. The soy milk is still warm.
- Yi-Jun那我们先喝点东西吧。Then let's have a drink first.
- Maya好喔。Okay.
- A-Li好啊。Sure.
Practice — if only
Work through short exercises on wishes and missed chances. Pick the line that fits each moment, and watch the gap so only one word works.
After each answer, read why the other choices fail, then say the line again.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
早知道就不去了
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
If I'd asked one more question at the time.
如果____我多问一句
What do you say?
What do you say?
You missed the train and wish you could live that moment again.
Build the line
Build the line
I really wish I'd learned earlier.
Tap the words in order.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Swap the word
Swap the word
The next train is forty minutes away, and the chance has already gone.
可惜已经太____了
Pick the reply
Yi-Jun says:
Pick the reply
还来得及吗？
Is there still time?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
Yi-Jun sees you rush in after the train has gone and asks what is wrong.
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
早知道就不去了Drop the English here如果当时我多问一句Drop the English here真希望我早点学Drop the English here可惜已经太晚了Drop the English hereEnglish
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
还来得及吗？
Say it — say your regrets
You play Maya after the missed train. Listen to Yi-Jun and A-Li, then say the wish or regret that fits.
Tap the microphone to speak. You can replay their lines before your turn.
- After the train has gone, Maya sits down at Banyan Breakfast.
- Yi-Jun你去车站了？Did you go to the station?
- Maya (you)Tell her you would not have gone if you had known.
Tell her you would not have gone if you had known.
早知道就不去了
If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 早知道就不去了 | If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone. | |
| 要是能再来一次就好了 | If only I could do it again. | |
| 如果当时我多问一句 | If I'd asked one more question at the time. | |
| 真希望我早点学 | I really wish I'd learned earlier. | |
| 说不定还来得及 | There may still be time. | |
| 可惜已经太晚了 | It's too late, unfortunately. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Today's wishes and regrets are in Yak Cards with more lines for talking about what might have been.
Review a few wish cards after a real delay, so the lines are ready next time.
Open Yak Cards