Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 196 of 240

New here? This is lesson 196 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

Start hereHow this works

How I'm feeling in Traditional Chinese

Maya's third month in Taipei has stacked a cold, a long work week, and a typhoon into one stretch. At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin can see it on her face.

Learn six lines for how you feel and what brought that mood on: stress, a low day, tiredness, a thought that cheers you, feeling relaxed, and almost giving out.

You will use them with neighbors who already know how to ask if you are okay. A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished, and nobody reads the slip today.

By the end of this lesson

Describe your mood and what caused it, from stress and tiredness to feeling relaxed or almost worn out.

  • 我最近壓力很大I've been under a lot of stress lately.
  • 我今天心情不太好I'm not in a great mood today.
  • 我有點累I'm a bit tired.
  • 一想到這個就很開心Whenever I think of it I'm happy.
  • 我覺得很放鬆I feel relaxed.
  • 我快撐不住了I can barely hold on.

Scene — a heavy week

Rain still clings to Banyan Lane after the typhoon. Maya sits at the counter, quieter than usual.

Auntie Lin is already watching her, and Yi-Jun dropped by after a long meeting with Zhi-Ming.

A-Li occupies two stools at the back. His soy milk sits untouched. The till still holds the slip, unread.

After the typhoon, Maya sits quiet at the counter of the banyan breakfast shop while Auntie Lin watches and Yi-Jun pauses just inside from the rain.

Learn — how I'm feeling

Here are six lines for naming a mood and what caused it. Listen, then say each one out loud.

Notice how 有點 softens a feeling, and how 快…了 marks a point you can barely hold.

  1. Maya sits alone at the counter with both hands locked around a warm cup as the week's stress stays in the grip.

    我最近壓力很大

    I've been under a lot of stress lately.

    When to use it: Use this when work or life has been heavy for a while.

    最近 marks a recent stretch of time, not only today.

  2. Maya sits in profile toward the rainy street with a cheek on a fist while Auntie Lin watches from behind the counter.

    我今天心情不太好

    I'm not in a great mood today.

    When to use it: Use this when your mood is off today.

    不太 softens the negative so it sounds less blunt.

    Say it: 不 rises to second tone before a fourth-tone syllable.

  3. Yi-Jun pauses just inside the shop doorway after a long meeting, weight on the doorframe, rubbing the back of the neck.

    我有點累

    I'm a bit tired.

    When to use it: Use this for mild tiredness, not total exhaustion.

    有點 tones down an adjective, like saying a bit.

    Say it: Two third tones in a row; the first one rises.

  4. Auntie Lin holds a breakfast tray to the chest across the counter from Maya, who sits up as a happy thought of a trip arrives.

    一想到這個就很開心

    Whenever I think of it I'm happy.

    When to use it: Use this when a thought instantly lifts your mood.

    一 plus 就 links a trigger to what follows at once.

    Say it: 一 turns fourth tone before the third-tone 想.

  5. From above, Maya rests after a few bites while Yi-Jun sits at ease on a stool and A-Li the yak occupies a pair of stools at the back.

    我覺得很放鬆

    I feel relaxed.

    When to use it: Use this when you finally feel at ease.

    覺得 names an inner feeling, not a fact you proved.

    Say it: 得 is a light neutral tone after 覺.

  6. Maya leans full weight on both palms at the counter, barely holding up, while Auntie Lin stays close with a hand hovering.

    我快撐不住了

    I can barely hold on.

    When to use it: Use this when you are close to giving out.

    快 and 了 together mean you are almost at that point.

    Say it: 不 rises before the fourth-tone 住.

Story — breakfast after the storm

Maya is worn down after a week of work, a cold, and the typhoon. Auntie Lin and Yi-Jun check in at breakfast.

A-Li listens from the back table and does not finish his drink.

  1. Auntie Lin美女，你還好嗎？Are you okay, beautiful?
  2. Maya我最近壓力很大。I've been under a lot of stress lately.
  3. Yi-Jun怎麼了？What's wrong?
  4. Maya志明一直開會，我今天心情不太好。Zhi-Ming keeps holding meetings, and I'm not in a great mood today.
  5. Auntie Lin這週又感冒，還遇上颱風，當然累。You caught a cold this week and ran into a typhoon too, of course you're tired.
  6. Maya我有點累。I'm a bit tired.
  7. Yi-Jun那一定很辛苦。That must be tough.
  8. Yi-Jun brings up the Tainan trip they still want to take.
  9. Yi-Jun臺南那趟還想去嗎？Do you still want to go on that Tainan trip?
  10. Maya對啊，一想到這個就很開心。Yeah, whenever I think of it I'm happy.
  11. Auntie Lin先吃蛋餅，心情會好一點。Eat some egg pancake first; you'll feel a bit better.
  12. Maya takes a few bites at the counter.
  13. Maya我覺得很放鬆。I feel relaxed.
  14. A-Li豆漿還沒喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.
  15. Yi-Jun他又傳了。He sent another message.
  16. Maya我快撐不住了。I can barely hold on.
  17. Auntie Lin沒關係，慢慢吃。It's okay, eat slowly.
  18. Maya好喔。Okay.

Practice — name the mood

Try ten quick exercises on these mood lines. Pick the line that fits each moment.

After each answer, read why the others fail, then say the right line again.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我最近壓力很大

  2. What do you say?

    You sit down at breakfast after a rough morning. Tell Auntie Lin your mood is off today.

  3. Build the line

    Whenever I think of it I'm happy.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm a bit tired.

    我____累

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Swap the word

    Work and the typhoon have piled up. Swap the falling-asleep verb so the line means you can barely hold on.

    我快____了

  7. Pick the reply

    Maya says:

    我最近壓力很大

    I've been under a lot of stress lately.

    And you reply with:

  8. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我最近壓力很大Drop the English here
    我今天心情不太好Drop the English here
    我覺得很放鬆Drop the English here
    我快撐不住了Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. What do you say?

    Maya looks worn as she sits down. Softly ask if she is okay.

  10. What does it mean?

    怎麼了？

Say it — tell them how you feel

You play Maya at Banyan Breakfast. Listen to each cue, then say how you feel.

Tap the microphone to speak. You can replay the other person's line before your turn.

  1. After the typhoon, Maya comes into Banyan Breakfast looking worn.
  2. Auntie Lin美女，你還好嗎？Are you okay, beautiful?
  3. Maya (you)Tell Auntie Lin you have been under a lot of stress lately.

    我最近壓力很大

    I've been under a lot of stress lately.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我最近壓力很大I've been under a lot of stress lately.
我今天心情不太好I'm not in a great mood today.
我有點累I'm a bit tired.
一想到這個就很開心Whenever I think of it I'm happy.
我覺得很放鬆I feel relaxed.
我快撐不住了I can barely hold on.
Next: lesson 197Online shopping and returns

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's mood lines are in Yak Cards with more ways to say how you feel.

Review a few feeling cards each day so the words come when you need them.

Open Yak Cards