Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 204 of 240

New here? This is lesson 204 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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A leaking tap in Traditional Chinese

Water keeps dripping from the tap in Maya's apartment, so she contacts Mr. Wang, her landlord. He first offers tomorrow, then changes the plan to next week.

Learn to describe the leak, request a repair visit, ask when the worker can come, and say when you are home.

These phrases help you report a household problem clearly and arrange a practical time without sounding demanding.

By the end of this lesson

Report a leaking tap, request a repair visit, share your availability, and ask the landlord to arrange it promptly.

  • 水龍頭一直在漏水The tap keeps leaking.
  • 可以請人來看一下嗎？Can you send someone to take a look?
  • 他什麼時候可以來？When can he come?
  • 我下午都在家I'm home all afternoon.
  • 修好了嗎？Has it been fixed?
  • 麻煩你盡快Please be as quick as you can.

Scene — a repair request

Maya is at home in her Da'an apartment when she notices that the kitchen tap will not stop dripping. She contacts her landlord, Mr. Wang, to arrange a repair.

He first says someone can come tomorrow. After checking, he changes the plan to next week, so Maya needs to explain when she is available and ask him to hurry.

Maya stands at the kitchen sink of a Da'an apartment staring at a dripping tap while A-Li the yak occupies two stools beside her.

Learn — reporting a problem at home

These lines help you explain a repair problem and coordinate a visit with your landlord. Listen for the ongoing leak and the questions about timing.

Notice how you can give your availability, check whether a repair is finished, and politely ask for quick help.

  1. Maya leans over the kitchen sink and points at the dripping tap while a bowl catches the leak.

    水龍頭一直在漏水

    The tap keeps leaking.

    When to use it: Use this to report that a tap has been leaking continuously.

    一直 comes before the verb phrase to show that the leak has continued over time.

    Say it: 龍 has a rising second tone; 漏 has a sharp falling fourth tone.

  2. Maya holds a phone to one ear and lifts an open palm toward the leaking sink, asking for a repair visit.

    可以請人來看一下嗎？

    Can you send someone to take a look?

    When to use it: Use this polite question to ask someone to arrange an inspection.

  3. Maya sets the phone on speaker on the counter and looks toward a wall clock while waiting to learn the visit time.

    他什麼時候可以來？

    When can he come?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need to know when someone can visit.

    什麼時候 stays where the time answer belongs; Mandarin does not move it to the front.

  4. Maya stands in the kitchen doorway with a palm on the chest and a sweep of the room to show she is home, while A-Li the yak stays parked on two stools behind her.

    我下午都在家

    I'm home all afternoon.

    When to use it: Use this to tell someone when you will be home and available.

  5. Maya crouches at the still-dripping tap and touches the metal to check whether anything has been repaired.

    修好了嗎？

    Has it been fixed?

    When to use it: Ask this to check whether a repair is finished.

    Say it: 了 is neutral here and stays short after 修好.

  6. Maya leans toward the phone and makes a hurried rolling gesture while the basin under the tap is close to overflowing.

    麻煩你盡快

    Please be as quick as you can.

    When to use it: Use this polite but direct request when you need something done soon.

Story — a repair visit gets delayed

A leak in Maya's apartment leads to a call with Mr. Wang. He first says a repair worker can come tomorrow, then changes the offer to next week.

Maya shares her availability and later checks whether the tap has been fixed.

  1. Maya王先生，不好意思，水龍頭一直在漏水。Mr. Wang, excuse me, the tap keeps leaking.
  2. Maya可以請人來看一下嗎？Can you send someone to take a look?
  3. Mr. Wang好，我明天請師傅過去。Sure, I'll ask a repair worker to come tomorrow.
  4. Maya他什麼時候可以來？When can he come?
  5. Mr. Wang明天上午可以。Tomorrow morning works.
  6. Maya我下午都在家，上午不方便。I'm home all afternoon; mornings don't work for me.
  7. Mr. Wang我剛確認過，師傅明天沒空，下週二下午可以嗎？I just checked; the repair worker is busy tomorrow. Would next Tuesday afternoon work?
  8. Maya麻煩你盡快。Please be as quick as you can.
  9. Mr. Wang好，我安排下週二下午。有問題再打給我。All right, I'll arrange next Tuesday afternoon. Call me if there's a problem.
  10. Maya好喔，麻煩你了。Okay, thanks for taking care of it.
  11. The following week, the repair worker arrives at Maya's apartment.
  12. Repair worker你好，我來看水龍頭。Hello, I'm here to look at the tap.
  13. Maya好喔，麻煩你了。Okay, thanks for taking care of it.
  14. After a few minutes, the worker finishes checking and repairing the tap.
  15. Maya修好了嗎？Has it been fixed?
  16. Repair worker好了，不會漏了。It's done. It won't leak now.

Practice — arrange the repair

Try ten exercises to report the leak, arrange a time, and check on the repair. Choose words that match the situation and the meaning.

Some tasks revisit polite phrases from earlier lessons. Pay attention to who is speaking and what still needs to happen.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    水龍頭一直在漏水

  2. What do you say?

    The tap keeps dripping in your flat. Politely ask your landlord to arrange an inspection.

  3. Fill the gap

    I'm home all afternoon.

    我____都在家

  4. Fill the gap

    When can he come?

    他什麼時候可以____？

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    水龍頭一直在漏水Drop the English here
    他什麼時候可以來？Drop the English here
    修好了嗎？Drop the English here

    English

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

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Mr. Wang says:

    我下週二下午安排師傅來。

    I'll arrange for the repair worker to come next Tuesday afternoon.

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    The worker has finished looking at the tap. Check whether it has been fixed.

  9. What do you say?

    Thank the repair worker politely for coming to look at the tap.

  10. True or false?

    Mr. Wang is finishing the call by inviting Maya to call if a problem comes up.

Say it — talk to the landlord

Play Maya as she contacts Mr. Wang and speaks with the repair worker. Listen to each cue, then say the Chinese line that fits the moment.

Use a clear, polite voice when you report the problem, agree on a visit, and check the repair.

  1. Maya contacts Mr. Wang about the tap.
  2. Maya (you)Tell Mr. Wang that the tap keeps leaking.

    水龍頭一直在漏水

    The tap keeps leaking.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
水龍頭一直在漏水The tap keeps leaking.
可以請人來看一下嗎？Can you send someone to take a look?
他什麼時候可以來？When can he come?
我下午都在家I'm home all afternoon.
修好了嗎？Has it been fixed?
麻煩你盡快Please be as quick as you can.
Next: lesson 205At the post office and bank

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Today's repair phrases are in Yak Cards with more useful lines for home and daily life.

Review the repair phrases again before you need to arrange a visit.

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