New here? This is lesson 32 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.
Borrow a phone in Traditional Chinese
Your phone dies on Banyan Lane, just when you need to reach someone. Auntie Lin lends you the shop phone without asking why.
Learn how to borrow a phone, ask someone to call, and explain that you need help. These short lines are useful when plans suddenly change.
Then join Maya at breakfast, where a small urgent errand brings her and Auntie Lin together. A-Li is nearby with his soy milk still unfinished.
By the end of this lesson
Ask to borrow a phone, ask someone to make a call, and request help in an urgent situation.
- 可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？May I borrow your phone for a moment?
- 可以幫我打給___嗎？Can you call ___ for me?
- 我該怎麼辦？What should I do?
- 這是緊急狀況This is an emergency.
- 請你陪我去Please come with me.
- 麻煩你找人來幫忙Could you get someone to help?
Scene — a phone on the lane
On Banyan Lane, Maya's phone battery dies while she is out. Nearby, someone is feeling unwell, and Maya needs to reach Dr. Chen.
She heads to Banyan Breakfast. Auntie Lin hands over the shop phone without asking why. A-Li sits at the back with his soy milk, still unfinished.
Learn — ask and get help
These six lines help you ask to borrow a phone, arrange a call, and get help. Learn each whole line, then notice how the requests sound.
可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？
May I borrow your phone for a moment?
When to use it: Ask politely to use someone else's phone briefly.
Learn it as one piece.
Say it: In 可以, the first third tone rises before the next third tone.
可以幫我打給___嗎？
Can you call ___ for me?
When to use it: Ask someone to call a person for you.
Learn it as one piece.
我該怎麼辦？
What should I do?
When to use it: Ask for advice when you do not know what to do.
Learn it as one piece.
Say it: The second syllable in 怎麼 is light and neutral.
這是緊急狀況
This is an emergency.
When to use it: Say this when something needs urgent attention.
Learn it as one piece.
請你陪我去
Please come with me.
When to use it: Ask someone to go somewhere with you.
Learn it as one piece.
麻煩你找人來幫忙
Could you get someone to help?
When to use it: Ask someone to find another person to help.
Learn it as one piece.
Story — a call from the shop
Listen as Maya asks Auntie Lin for the shop phone and calls Dr. Chen. Someone nearby is unwell, so Maya explains that it is urgent and asks Lin to help.
A-Li watches from his usual table, leaving his soy milk unfinished.
Maya不好意思，可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？Excuse me, may I borrow your phone for a moment?
Auntie Lin好喔。Sure.- Maya可以幫我打給陳醫師嗎？Can you call Dr. Chen for me?
- Auntie Lin好，我來打。Okay, I'll make the call.
- Maya這是緊急狀況。This is an emergency.
- Auntie Lin怎麼了？What's wrong?
- Maya附近有人不舒服。我該怎麼辦？Someone nearby isn't feeling well. What should I do?
- Maya請你陪我去。Please come with me.
- Auntie Lin我陪你去。I'll go with you.
- Maya麻煩你找人來幫忙。Could you get someone to help?
- Auntie Lin我去找人。I'll find someone.
A-Li豆漿還沒喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.
Practice — make the right request
Work through nine short exercises to choose, build, and complete useful requests. The situations stay simple, even when Maya's phone stops working.
0 of 9 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your phone has no battery. Ask Auntie Lin to call Dr. Chen for you.
Build the line
Build the line
May I borrow your phone for a moment?
？
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
What should I do?
我____怎麼辦？
What do you say?
What do you say?
Someone nearby needs urgent help. Tell Auntie Lin this is an emergency.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Build the line
Build the line
Could you get someone to help?
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Get Auntie Lin's attention politely before asking her something.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want general help, not a specific task. Ask Auntie Lin to help you.
Say it — ask Auntie Lin
Take Maya's part in a short phone emergency. Listen to Auntie Lin, then ask to borrow the phone, arrange a call, and request help.
Say each line aloud before you continue.
- Maya's phone has run out of battery at Banyan Breakfast.
- Maya (you)Ask to borrow Auntie Lin's phone politely.
Ask to borrow Auntie Lin's phone politely.
可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？
May I borrow your phone for a moment?
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Traditional Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 可以借我用一下你的手機嗎？ | May I borrow your phone for a moment? | |
| 可以幫我打給___嗎？ | Can you call ___ for me? | |
| 我該怎麼辦？ | What should I do? | |
| 這是緊急狀況 | This is an emergency. | |
| 請你陪我去 | Please come with me. | |
| 麻煩你找人來幫忙 | Could you get someone to help? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Today's phone and help requests are in Yak Cards with more useful everyday lines.
Review a few cards each day so these requests come to mind when you need them.
Open Yak Cards