New here? This is lesson 60 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
And then what happened in Simplified Chinese
Yi-Jun has a story from the night market, and Maya wants to hear more. Ask what happened next, why someone thinks something, and how they felt.
You will also learn how to clarify which person someone means and when an event happened. A-Li listens in, then asks a question that Yi-Jun has already answered.
Keep your questions short and give the other person room to continue. The story stays ordinary, even when A-Li loses track.
By the end of this lesson
Ask follow-up questions about what happened next, someone's reasons or feelings, and unclear people or times.
- 后来呢？And then?
- 你为什么会这样想？Why do you think so?
- 你当时觉得怎么样？How did you feel at the time?
- 你是说哪一个？Which one do you mean?
- 那是什么时候的事？When was that?
- 那你呢？And you?
Scene — a story at breakfast
At Banyan Breakfast, Yi-Jun tells Maya about seeing an old coworker at the night market. A-Li is at the back table with his soy milk still unfinished.
The story includes a photo from last summer. Maya asks questions to keep Yi-Jun talking, while A-Li listens from his usual spot.
Learn — keep the story going
These questions help you show interest and invite someone to add another part of a story. Listen for how each one asks about a different kind of information.
Use the clarification questions when a person or time is unclear.
后来呢？
And then?
When to use it: Ask this to invite someone to continue a story.
呢 keeps the question open and invites the other person to continue.
你为什么会这样想？
Why do you think so?
When to use it: Ask this when you want to hear someone's reason for an idea.
为什么 asks for a reason about the idea just mentioned.
Say it: The second syllable in 什么 is usually neutral in Taiwan Mandarin.
你当时觉得怎么样？
How did you feel at the time?
When to use it: Ask about someone's feelings during a past event.
当时 points to the time when the event happened.
你是说哪一个？
Which one do you mean?
When to use it: Ask this when you need someone to identify which person or thing they mean.
哪一个 asks someone to identify one item from a group.
那是什么时候的事？
When was that?
When to use it: Ask this when you want to know when an event happened.
什么时候 asks about the time of an event.
那你呢？
And you?
When to use it: Ask this to invite someone to share their own view or experience.
那 links your question to what the other person just said.
Story — Yi-Jun tells Maya a story
At breakfast, Yi-Jun starts telling Maya about an old coworker. Maya asks questions to hear more, and A-Li listens from the back table.
A-Li's drink remains unfinished, and his question about the date comes after Yi-Jun has already said it.
Auntie Lin你好。Hello.
Yi-Jun我昨天在夜市遇到以前的同事。你呢？Yesterday I ran into an old coworker at the night market. How about you?
Maya我昨天在家休息。I rested at home yesterday.- Yi-Jun去年夏天我在夜市看到一张照片。Last summer, I saw a photo at the night market.
- Maya后来呢？And then?
- Yi-Jun照片里有两个人，我觉得其中一个是他的同事。There were two people in the photo, and I thought one of them was his coworker.
- Maya你为什么会这样想？Why do you think so?
- Yi-Jun其中一个人戴着他常戴的帽子。One of them was wearing a hat he often wears.
- Maya你当时觉得怎么样？How did you feel at the time?
- Yi-Jun我当时很惊讶。朋友说那个人像他的同事。I was surprised at the time. My friend said that person looked like his coworker.
- Maya你是说哪一个？Which one do you mean?
- Yi-Jun戴帽子的那个人。The person wearing the hat.
- Maya那你呢？And you?
- Yi-Jun我也觉得很巧。I think it's quite a coincidence too.
A-Li那是什么时候的事？When was that?- Yi-Jun去年夏天啊，刚刚说过了。Last summer; I just said that.
Practice — ask what happened next
Try ten exercises to choose, build, and say follow-up questions. Think about what you have heard so far before picking a question.
A good follow-up asks for information the speaker has not already given.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
后来呢？
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your friend says they met someone yesterday. Invite them to continue the story.
Build the line
Build the line
How did you feel at the time?
？
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Which one do you mean?
你是说____？
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What do you say?
What do you say?
A friend says they think one person in a photo is their coworker. Ask why they think so.
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
后来呢？Drop the English here你为什么会这样想？Drop the English here你当时觉得怎么样？Drop the English here那你呢？Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Auntie Lin greets you when you arrive at the breakfast shop. Greet her back.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your friend asks about your routine. Return the question to ask about theirs.
Build the line
Build the line
Why do you think so?
？
Tap the words in order.
Say it — keep the conversation going
Play Maya and respond to Yi-Jun as she tells you about the night market. Listen to each cue, then ask a natural follow-up question aloud.
Give your conversation partner time to answer before asking the next question.
- Yi-Jun starts telling Maya about her old coworker.
- Yi-Jun我昨天在夜市遇到以前的同事。Yesterday I ran into an old coworker at the night market.
- Yi-Jun他提到去年夏天我在夜市看到的一张照片。He mentioned a photo I saw at the night market last summer.
- Maya (you)Invite Yi-Jun to tell you what happened next.
Invite Yi-Jun to tell you what happened next.
后来呢？
And then?
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 后来呢？ | And then? | |
| 你为什么会这样想？ | Why do you think so? | |
| 你当时觉得怎么样？ | How did you feel at the time? | |
| 你是说哪一个？ | Which one do you mean? | |
| 那是什么时候的事？ | When was that? | |
| 那你呢？ | And you? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Save these follow-up questions in Yak Cards and practise them with your own stories.
Try one follow-up question the next time someone tells you a story.
Open Yak Cards