New here? This is lesson 61 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.
Tell me more in Traditional Chinese
At Banyan Breakfast, a rumor about the fortune slip keeps growing. Maya wants to know who first connected it to her arrival, but nobody can trace the story.
Ask for an example, find out how someone knows, and ask what happened before. You will also ask how often the story comes up and check that you understood.
Auntie Lin heard the rumor from Yi-Jun, who heard it from someone else. A-Li sits nearby with his soy milk still unfinished.
By the end of this lesson
Ask for an example, ask how someone knows, ask what happened before, ask how often something happens, and check your understanding.
- 比如說？For example?
- 你怎麼知道？How do you know?
- 感覺怎麼樣？What was it like?
- 在那之前發生了什麼？What happened before that?
- 這種事多久發生一次？How often does this happen?
- 我這樣理解對嗎？Do I understand this correctly?
Scene — a rumor at breakfast
At Banyan Breakfast in Da'an, Maya asks Auntie Lin about a rumor that links the fortune slip to her arrival in Taipei. Lin has heard it from Yi-Jun, who heard it from someone else.
Nobody knows who started the story. A-Li is at the back table with his soy milk, still unfinished.
Learn — questions that keep a story going
These questions help you invite details without taking over the conversation. Ask for an example, ask what came first, and check your understanding.
Listen for how the question word stays in its usual place in Chinese.
比如說？
For example?
When to use it: Ask this when you want someone to give a specific example.
你怎麼知道？
How do you know?
When to use it: Ask this when you want to know how someone learned something.
感覺怎麼樣？
What was it like?
When to use it: Ask this about someone's experience or impression.
在那之前發生了什麼？
What happened before that?
When to use it: Ask this to find out what happened earlier.
Question words stay where the answer belongs; 什麼 follows 發生 here.
這種事多久發生一次？
How often does this happen?
When to use it: Ask this about how frequently something happens.
Say it: 一 changes to a rising tone before the fourth-tone 次.
我這樣理解對嗎？
Do I understand this correctly?
When to use it: Use this to check whether your understanding is right.
嗎 marks a yes-or-no question, here checking your understanding.
Story — where did the rumor begin
Maya asks Auntie Lin about the rumor that connects the fortune slip to her arrival. Lin has heard the story secondhand, and nobody knows where it began.
Listen for Maya's follow-up questions as she tries to understand the story.
Auntie Lin你好，瑪雅。Hello, Maya.
Maya您好，林阿姨。聽說籤詩的傳聞又有人提起了。Hello, Auntie Lin. I heard someone brought up that fortune-slip rumor again.- Auntie Lin對啊，最近大家又在聊那張籤詩。That's right. Lately everyone has been talking about that fortune slip again.
- Maya比如說？For example?
- Auntie Lin有人說籤詩提過你會來，不知道誰先說的。Someone said the fortune slip mentioned you would come, but I don't know who said it first.
- Maya你怎麼知道？How do you know?
- Auntie Lin怡君告訴我的，她也是聽別人說的。Yi-Jun told me. She heard it from someone else too.
- Maya在那之前發生了什麼？What happened before that?
- Auntie Lin我不知道，大家問來問去，也沒人說得清楚。I don't know. People keep asking, but nobody can explain it clearly.
- Maya你聽到這個傳聞，感覺怎麼樣？What was it like hearing this rumor?
- Auntie Lin有點好笑，也有點奇怪。A little funny, and a little strange.
- Maya這種事多久發生一次？How often does this happen?
- Auntie Lin最近常有人提，平常比較少。People mention it often lately, but less often usually.
- Maya大家都在傳，卻沒人知道起頭，我這樣理解對嗎？Everyone is passing it along, but nobody knows how it started. Do I understand that correctly?
- Auntie Lin對，誰先說的，真的沒人知道。That's right. Nobody really knows who said it first.
Practice — ask for more details
Try nine exercises about asking for details and checking what you heard. Choose the question that fits each moment, then build and complete a few lines.
Some options sound like reasonable questions but ask for a different kind of information.
0 of 9 done
What do you say?
What do you say?
Auntie Lin says people have been talking about the slip. Ask her to give a specific example.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
你怎麼知道？
Build the line
Build the line
What happened before that?
？
Tap the words in order.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
How often does this happen?
這種事____發生一次？
What do you say?
What do you say?
You have summarized the rumor and want to check that your understanding is correct.
Match the pairs
Traditional Chinese
比如說？Drop the English here你怎麼知道？Drop the English here這種事多久發生一次？Drop the English here我這樣理解對嗎？Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You meet a neighbor you know at the breakfast shop. Greet them casually.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are greeting Auntie Lin politely when you arrive at the shop.
Say it — check what you heard
You play Maya and ask Auntie Lin about the fortune-slip rumor. Listen to her replies, then ask the follow-up that fits.
Speak each line aloud. Try to keep the conversation curious and friendly, even though nobody knows how the rumor began.
- Maya asks Auntie Lin how she heard the rumor.
- Maya (you)Ask Lin how she knows.
Ask Lin how she knows.
你怎麼知道？
How do you know?
0 of 4 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Traditional Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 比如說？ | For example? | |
| 你怎麼知道？ | How do you know? | |
| 感覺怎麼樣？ | What was it like? | |
| 在那之前發生了什麼？ | What happened before that? | |
| 這種事多久發生一次？ | How often does this happen? | |
| 我這樣理解對嗎？ | Do I understand this correctly? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review these follow-up questions in Yak Cards and practise keeping a conversation going.
Try asking one follow-up question the next time someone tells you a story.
Open Yak Cards