Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 206 of 240

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Taking a day off in Traditional Chinese

Your manager is checking next week's schedule. You need Tuesday at the dentist, so you have to ask for the day.

Learn how to request leave, name the day, finish work first, and check who can cover. Then thank them when they agree.

Keep the reason light; you do not have to tell the whole clinic story. The fortune slip stays in Auntie Lin's till.

By the end of this lesson

Ask your manager for a day off, explain the day, cover your work, and thank them.

  • 我想請一天假I'd like to take a day off.
  • 我下禮拜二有點事I have something next Tuesday.
  • 我會先把工作做完I'll finish my work first.
  • 我請假的時候誰可以幫忙？Who can help while I'm away?
  • 謝謝你讓我請假Thanks for letting me take leave.
  • 我已經跟同事交代好了I've already briefed my colleague.

Scene — a day off at work

Maya waits at her manager's desk, two MRT stops from Banyan Lane. Yi-Jun has already told her to book the dentist.

The manager wants the project on time, and Maya needs Tuesday off. The ask is ordinary office Mandarin. Nobody here is solving a fortune.

Maya waits beside Zhi-Ming’s desk in a sunlit Taipei coworking studio while he works at a large monitor.

Learn — asking for leave

These six lines help you ask for a day off and show that the work is covered.

Listen, then say each one. Notice 把 in the line about finishing work.

  1. Maya leans toward Zhi-Ming’s desk with a polite, careful gesture as she asks for a day off.

    我想請一天假

    I'd like to take a day off.

    When to use it: Use this to ask your manager for one day of leave.

    請假 means to ask for time off, and 一天假 is one day of it.

    Say it: 假 for leave is fourth tone, while 假 meaning fake is third tone.

  2. Maya holds a phone out toward Zhi-Ming over the desk while he listens.

    我下禮拜二有點事

    I have something next Tuesday.

    When to use it: Name the day you need to be away from work.

    有點事 keeps the reason polite and a little vague.

  3. Maya sits at her own desk stacking finished printouts and pointing at her screen.

    我會先把工作做完

    I'll finish my work first.

    When to use it: Promise to clear your tasks before the day off.

    把 puts 工作 first, then 做完 says you will finish it.

  4. Maya turns from Zhi-Ming and looks across the open studio with an open-hand question toward other desks.

    我請假的時候誰可以幫忙？

    Who can help while I'm away?

    When to use it: Ask who can cover your work while you are gone.

    的時候 marks the time when you will be away.

  5. Maya faces Zhi-Ming with a small grateful bow after he agrees.

    謝謝你讓我請假

    Thanks for letting me take leave.

    When to use it: Thank your manager after the leave is approved.

    讓 here means allow, not force someone to do something.

  6. Maya leans over A-Jie’s desk and hands over a folder while pointing at a tablet.

    我已經跟同事交代好了

    I've already briefed my colleague.

    When to use it: Say the handover to a colleague is already done.

    了 marks a finished act, and 好 shows the briefing is complete.

    Say it: Final 了 is a short neutral tone here.

Story — Tuesday at the dentist

Maya asks her manager for Tuesday off after Yi-Jun tells her to see a dentist.

Listen for how she names the day, covers the work, and thanks them.

  1. Yi-Jun你最好去看醫生。You'd better see a doctor.
  2. Maya我去跟主管請假。I'll go ask my manager for leave.
  3. Maya sits down at her manager's desk.
  4. Manager瑪雅，找我有事嗎？Maya, did you need me for something?
  5. Maya我想請一天假。I'd like to take a day off.
  6. Manager哪一天啊？Which day?
  7. Maya我下禮拜二有點事。I have something next Tuesday.
  8. Manager工作還來得及嗎？Is there still time for the work?
  9. Maya我會先把工作做完。I'll finish my work first.
  10. Manager那你不在的時候呢？What about when you're away?
  11. Maya我請假的時候誰可以幫忙？Who can help while I'm away?
  12. Manager同事可以看一下。A colleague can take a look.
  13. Maya我已經跟同事交代好了。I've already briefed my colleague.
  14. Manager沒問題。No problem.
  15. Maya謝謝你讓我請假。Thanks for letting me take leave.
  16. Manager好喔，下禮拜三見。Okay, see you next Wednesday.

Practice — request the day

Work through quick items on asking for leave, naming Tuesday, and handing work over.

Read why a wrong choice fails, then say the right line again.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我想請一天假

  2. What do you say?

    Your manager already heard you want leave. They ask which day.

  3. Fill the gap

    I'll finish my work first.

    我會先____工作做完

  4. What did you hear?

  5. Build the line

    Thanks for letting me take leave.

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Swap the word

    You tell your manager the handover is done. Swap in the word for colleague.

    我已經跟____交代好了

  7. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我想請一天假Drop the English here
    我下禮拜二有點事Drop the English here
    我會先把工作做完Drop the English here
    謝謝你讓我請假Drop the English here

    English

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

  8. Pick the reply

    Manager says:

    好啊，那你去吧。

    Sure, go ahead then.

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    Your manager is fine with your Tuesday off. What do they say?

  10. What does it mean?

    你最好去看醫生

Say it — your leave request

You are Maya at your manager's desk. Hear each cue, then ask for the day off out loud.

Tap the microphone. You can replay the other person's line before you speak.

  1. You sit down with your manager to ask for Tuesday off.
  2. Manager瑪雅，找我有事嗎？Maya, did you need me for something?
  3. Maya (you)Ask for a day off.

    我想請一天假

    I'd like to take a day off.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我想請一天假I'd like to take a day off.
我下禮拜二有點事I have something next Tuesday.
我會先把工作做完I'll finish my work first.
我請假的時候誰可以幫忙？Who can help while I'm away?
謝謝你讓我請假Thanks for letting me take leave.
我已經跟同事交代好了I've already briefed my colleague.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's leave lines are in Yak Cards with more useful phrases for work.

Review a few leave cards so asking for a day off feels natural.

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