Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 25 of 240

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Where is it in Traditional Chinese

Maya is at Banyan Breakfast when she notices her key is missing. It is not in her pocket, and A-Li points toward his raincoat.

Learn to ask where something is, say it is here or over there, and check whether a place is nearby. You will also learn two short ways to describe a location.

Listen for the difference between here, there, and inside. A-Li's soy milk is still waiting at the table.

By the end of this lesson

Ask where something is, check whether it is nearby, and say that it is here, there, or inside.

  • ___在哪裡？Where is ___?
  • 在這裡It's here.
  • 在那裡It's over there.
  • 在這附近嗎？Is it near here?
  • 不在這裡It's not here.
  • 在裡面It's inside.

Scene — the missing key

At Banyan Breakfast, Maya checks her pocket for her key and finds nothing. A-Li is at the back table with his soy milk, still unfinished.

His raincoat is across the room, away from both Maya and A-Li. He points to it, and Maya follows the clue. The key is inside the raincoat.

Maya checks her pocket for her missing key while A-Li sits at the back table with unfinished soy milk and his raincoat beside him.

Learn — ask where something is

These six short lines help you ask where something is and describe where it can be found.

Learn each chunk as one piece, then listen for how the location words change the meaning.

  1. Maya holds up her empty hand and looks across the breakfast shop toward A-Li as she asks where her key is.

    ___在哪裡？

    Where is ___?

    When to use it: Ask where a named object is when you cannot find it.

    Learn it as one piece.

  2. A-Li points directly to the raincoat beside him while his soy milk remains unfinished.

    在這裡

    It's here.

    When to use it: Say this when something is close to you.

    Learn it as one piece.

  3. Maya follows A-Li's clue and points toward the raincoat across the shop.

    在那裡

    It's over there.

    When to use it: Point out something at a spot farther away.

    Learn it as one piece.

  4. Standing beside the raincoat, Maya looks around the nearby table area with a questioning expression.

    在這附近嗎？

    Is it near here?

    When to use it: Ask whether a place is close to where you are.

    Learn it as one piece.

  5. Maya checks the raincoat's empty outer pocket and shows that the key is not there.

    不在這裡

    It's not here.

    When to use it: Say this when something is somewhere else.

    Learn it as one piece.

  6. Maya finds the key tucked inside the raincoat and looks relieved.

    在裡面

    It's inside.

    When to use it: Say this when something is inside a space or container.

    Learn it as one piece.

Story — a key in the raincoat

Maya cannot find her key at Banyan Breakfast. She checks her pocket, and A-Li points toward his raincoat.

Listen for the place words as Maya finds the key. A-Li's soy milk remains unfinished.

  1. Auntie Lin你好。Hello.
  2. Maya鑰匙在哪裡？Where is the key?
  3. A-Li不在這裡。It's not here.
  4. Maya在這附近嗎？Is it near here?
  5. Auntie Lin在那裡。It's over there.
  6. A-Li在裡面。It's inside.
  7. Maya在這裡。It's here.
  8. A-Li豆漿還沒喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.
  9. Maya謝謝。Thank you.

Practice — find the right place

Try nine quick exercises about finding Maya's key. Choose a useful question, complete a location phrase, and match each answer to its meaning.

Some questions are about a nearby place; others point to a specific spot.

0 of 9 done

  1. What do you say?

    You cannot find your key. Ask Auntie Lin where it is.

  2. Build the line

    It's here.

    Tap the words in order.

  3. What did you hear?

  4. Fill the gap

    Is it near here?

    在這____嗎？

  5. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    鑰匙在這裡嗎？

    Is the key here?

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    It's inside.

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    在這裡Drop the English here
    在那裡Drop the English here
    不在這裡Drop the English here
    在裡面Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Traditional Chinese, or tap one and then the other.

  8. What does it mean?

    謝謝

  9. What does it mean?

    你好

Say it — ask and answer

You play Maya and look for your key with Auntie Lin and A-Li. Listen to each cue, then say the question or answer out loud.

Speak one turn at a time and listen to the reply before you continue.

  1. Maya notices that her key is not in her pocket.
  2. Maya (you)Ask where your key is.

    ___在哪裡？

    Where is ___?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
___在哪裡？Where is ___?
在這裡It's here.
在那裡It's over there.
在這附近嗎？Is it near here?
不在這裡It's not here.
在裡面It's inside.
Next: lesson 26In front, behind, beside

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