Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 44 of 240

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Where I live in Traditional Chinese

Maya has settled into the apartment above the scooter shop on Banyan Lane. Auntie Lin asks where she lives, and Maya shares a few details about her new place.

Learn to say your street, floor, and how close you are to the MRT. You can also describe a room that is not very big.

A-Li says he lives around, though he is not very specific. His soy milk is still unfinished, and the fortune slip remains a mystery.

By the end of this lesson

Say where you live, name your floor, describe a room, and say whether it is close to the MRT.

  • 我住在___I live in ___.
  • 我住在榕樹巷I live on Banyan Lane.
  • 我住在二樓I live on the second floor.
  • 離捷運站很近It is very close to the MRT station.
  • 這個房間不大This room is not big.
  • 你住在哪裡？Where do you live?

Scene — a home above the scooter shop

Maya is at Banyan Breakfast after moving into the apartment above the scooter shop on Banyan Lane. Auntie Lin asks where she lives, and Maya describes the apartment.

A-Li is nearby with his usual soy milk. He says he lives around, but does not explain exactly where. The fortune slip stays folded in the till.

Maya and Auntie Lin talk at the breakfast counter while A-Li enjoys his soy milk nearby.

Learn — talking about where you live

Listen to the ways Maya describes her home, from the street to the floor and the room itself.

Learn each useful phrase as one piece, then notice how the details fit together.

  1. A-Li gives a vague neighborhood gesture while keeping his home location unspecified.

    我住在___

    I live in ___.

    When to use it: Use this frame to say where you live; add a place.

    Learn it as one piece.

  2. Maya gestures toward Banyan Lane and the apartment above the scooter shop where she lives.

    我住在榕樹巷

    I live on Banyan Lane.

    When to use it: Use this to say you live on Banyan Lane.

  3. Maya stands on the apartment’s upper landing, making clear that her home is on the second floor.

    我住在二樓

    I live on the second floor.

    When to use it: Use this to say your home is on the second floor.

  4. Maya points from the nearby lane toward the MRT station just a short walk away.

    離捷運站很近

    It is very close to the MRT station.

    When to use it: Use this to describe a place near the MRT.

  5. Maya stands in her compact apartment room, whose limited size is clear from the close-set furnishings.

    這個房間不大

    This room is not big.

    When to use it: Use this to describe a room that is small.

  6. Auntie Lin leans toward Maya with a curious expression and an inviting question gesture.

    你住在哪裡？

    Where do you live?

    When to use it: Ask someone where they live.

Story — home on Banyan Lane

Join Maya at Banyan Breakfast after she has moved above the scooter shop. Auntie Lin asks about her new place, and A-Li listens from his usual table.

His answer is short and vague: he lives around. His soy milk is still unfinished, and nobody reads or explains the fortune slip.

  1. Auntie Lin你好，瑪雅！Hello, Maya!
  2. Maya你好。Hello.
  3. Auntie Lin你住在哪裡？Where do you live?
  4. Maya我住在榕樹巷。I live on Banyan Lane.
  5. Maya我住在二樓。I live on the second floor.
  6. Maya離捷運站很近。It is very close to the MRT station.
  7. Maya這個房間不大。This room is not big.
  8. Maya turns toward A-Li before asking him the same question.
  9. Maya你呢？And you?
  10. A-Li我住在附近。I live around here.

Practice — describe your place

Try eleven short exercises about where someone lives and what their home is like.

Build, listen, and choose the lines that fit each situation. Then say some of them aloud.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我住在榕樹巷

  2. What do you say?

    Auntie Lin asks where you live. Give a simple answer using a place name.

  3. Build the line

    I live on the second floor.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    It is very close to the MRT station.

    離捷運站很____

  5. What do you say?

    A friend asks what your room is like. Say that it is not big.

  6. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我住在榕樹巷Drop the English here
    我住在二樓Drop the English here
    離捷運站很近Drop the English here
    這個房間不大Drop the English here

    English

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

  7. What did you hear?

  8. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    你住在哪裡？

    Where do you live?

    And you reply with:

  9. What did you hear?

  10. What did you hear?

  11. What do you say?

    You want a reusable sentence frame for telling someone where you live. Choose the frame and fill in a place.

Say it — tell them about home

You are Maya, sharing a few details about your new apartment with Auntie Lin and A-Li.

Listen to each cue, then answer or ask a question aloud. Keep your answers short and natural.

  1. Auntie Lin asks Maya about her new home.
  2. Auntie Lin你住在哪裡？Where do you live?
  3. Maya (you)Tell Auntie Lin that you live on Banyan Lane.

    我住在榕樹巷

    I live on Banyan Lane.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我住在___I live in ___.
我住在榕樹巷I live on Banyan Lane.
我住在二樓I live on the second floor.
離捷運站很近It is very close to the MRT station.
這個房間不大This room is not big.
你住在哪裡？Where do you live?
Next: lesson 45The keys from Mr. Wang

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