New here? This is lesson 144 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.
The lost umbrella in Traditional Chinese
Rain catches Maya on her way home, and she realizes her umbrella is missing. She thinks she left it on the MRT, so she asks a station clerk for help.
Learn how to describe the umbrella, explain where you left it, and ask whether anyone found it. You can also offer to leave your phone number.
A-Li brings an umbrella he found on the train to the service desk. The fortune slip gets a joking mention, but the recovery has an ordinary explanation.
By the end of this lesson
Describe a missing umbrella, say where you left it, and ask about lost-and-found.
- 我的傘不見了My umbrella is missing.
- 是一把黑色的長傘It's a long black one.
- 我昨天忘在捷運上I left it on the MRT yesterday.
- 請問失物招領在哪裡？Where is lost and found?
- 有人撿到嗎？Did anyone find it?
- 我留一下電話I'll leave my number.
Scene — a rainy-day search
Rain falls outside the MRT station, where Maya has come to ask about her missing umbrella.
A-Li arrives carrying an umbrella he picked up on the train yesterday. He had tucked it into his raincoat pocket and is bringing it to the station service desk.
Maya remembers leaving her umbrella on the MRT. The fortune slip gets a small joke, but nobody treats it as magic.
Learn — describe a missing umbrella
These lines help you report a missing item and give useful details. Start with what is missing, then describe its color and shape.
Notice the measure phrase 一把 for an umbrella, and how 忘在 names the place where you left something.
我的傘不見了
My umbrella is missing.
When to use it: Say this when you cannot find your umbrella.
是一把黑色的長傘
It's a long black one.
When to use it: Use this to describe a long, black umbrella.
一把 is the measure phrase used for one umbrella.
Say it: 一 changes to a falling tone before the third-tone word 把.
我昨天忘在捷運上
I left it on the MRT yesterday.
When to use it: Say this when you remember leaving something on the MRT.
忘在 names the place where you accidentally left something.
請問失物招領在哪裡？
Where is lost and found?
When to use it: Ask this at a station or venue when looking for lost property.
有人撿到嗎？
Did anyone find it?
When to use it: Ask whether someone has picked up your missing item.
我留一下電話
I'll leave my number.
When to use it: Say this when leaving your phone number for a follow-up.
一下 softens 留電話, making the offer sound less direct.
Story — the umbrella at the station
Maya asks a clerk at the MRT station about her missing umbrella. A-Li arrives carrying one he picked up on the train and tucked into his raincoat pocket.
The fortune slip gets a joke, not an explanation.
Maya不好意思，我的傘不見了。Excuse me, my umbrella is missing.- Station clerk請問是什麼樣的傘？What kind of umbrella is it?
- Maya是一把黑色的長傘。It's a long black one.
- Station clerk你昨天把傘忘在哪裡了？Where did you leave the umbrella yesterday?
- Maya我昨天忘在捷運上。I left it on the MRT yesterday.
- Maya請問失物招領在哪裡？Where is lost and found?
- Station clerk出口旁邊的服務台。The service desk beside the exit.
- Maya有人撿到嗎？Did anyone find it?
- Station clerk我還沒收到消息。I haven't heard anything yet.
- Maya我留一下電話。I'll leave my number.
A-Li欸，我昨天在捷運上撿到一把傘。Hey, I picked up an umbrella on the MRT yesterday.- A-Li我把傘放進雨衣口袋，剛剛拿來了。I put the umbrella in my raincoat pocket and just brought it here.
- Station clerk這把黑色長傘是你的嗎？Is this long black umbrella yours?
- Maya對，這是我的。Right, this is mine.
- Station clerk太好了，找到了。Great, we found it.
- A-Li籤詩又說中了？真巧。The fortune slip was right again? What a coincidence.
Practice — ask about lost property
Try nine short exercises about describing a lost umbrella and asking for help. Listen for key details, choose useful questions, and build lines from word tiles.
The final exercises help you open politely and confirm that the umbrella is yours.
0 of 9 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
我的傘不見了
Build the line
Build the line
It's a long black one.
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I left it on the MRT yesterday.
我昨天忘在____上
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are at a station and need to find the lost-property desk. Ask where it is.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Pick the reply
Station clerk says:
Pick the reply
這是你的傘嗎？
Is this your umbrella?
And you reply with:
Swap the word
Swap the word
The clerk offers to contact you if the umbrella turns up. Offer to leave your number.
我____一下電話
Match the pairs
Traditional Chinese
我的傘不見了Drop the English here是一把黑色的長傘Drop the English here請問失物招領在哪裡？Drop the English here有人撿到嗎？Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You need to get the station clerk's attention politely before reporting a missing item.
Say it — report your missing umbrella
You are Maya at the MRT station. Listen to the clerk, then report the missing umbrella and give useful details.
Ask where lost and found is, say where you left the umbrella, and ask whether anyone found it. Offer your number for a follow-up.
- Maya speaks with the station clerk about her missing umbrella.
- Station clerk你好，請問有什麼事？Hello, what can I help you with?
- Maya (you)Tell the clerk your umbrella is missing.
Tell the clerk your umbrella is missing.
我的傘不見了
My umbrella is missing.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Traditional Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 我的傘不見了 | My umbrella is missing. | |
| 是一把黑色的長傘 | It's a long black one. | |
| 我昨天忘在捷運上 | I left it on the MRT yesterday. | |
| 請問失物招領在哪裡？ | Where is lost and found? | |
| 有人撿到嗎？ | Did anyone find it? | |
| 我留一下電話 | I'll leave my number. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review useful lost-property lines in Yak Cards.
Practise describing one everyday item so you can ask for it confidently.
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