Traditional Chinese - Lesson 66 of 152: Past Experiences

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

我年紀比較小的時候常常___。

Wǒ niánjì bǐjiào xiǎo de shíhou chángcháng ___.

I used to ___ when I was younger.

Meaning: 我年紀比較小的時候常常___。 (Wǒ niánjì bǐjiào xiǎo de shíhou chángcháng ___.) means “I used to ___ when I was younger.”

When to use: Use it for repeated habits or things you often did earlier in life.

Tip: Don’t use this for one single event. 常常 (chángcháng) means “often.”

我年紀比較小的時候常常騎腳踏車去上學。

Wǒ niánjì bǐjiào xiǎo de shíhou chángcháng qí jiǎotàchē qù shàngxué.

I used to ride a bike to school when I was younger.

我年紀比較小的時候常常跟表哥打電動。

Wǒ niánjì bǐjiào xiǎo de shíhou chángcháng gēn biǎogē dǎ diàndòng.

I used to play video games with my cousin when I was younger.

我以前去過___。

Wǒ yǐqián qùguò ___.

I’ve been to ___ before.

Meaning: 我以前去過___。 (Wǒ yǐqián qùguò ___.) means “I’ve been to ___ before.”

When to use: Use it to say you have visited a place at some point in the past.

Tip: Keep 過 (guò) after the verb 去 (qù): 去過 (qùguò), not 過去 (guòqù) here.

我以前去過台南。

Wǒ yǐqián qùguò Táinán.

I’ve been to Tainan before.

我以前去過日本，可是只去過一次。

Wǒ yǐqián qùguò Rìběn, kěshì zhǐ qùguò yí cì.

I’ve been to Japan before, but only once.

你有___過嗎？

Nǐ yǒu ___ guò ma?

Have you ever ___?

Meaning: 你有___過嗎？ (Nǐ yǒu ___ guò ma?) means “Have you ever ___?”

When to use: Use it to ask someone whether they have had an experience before.

Tip: Put 過 (guò) after the action verb, like 吃過 (chī guò) or 旅行過 (lǚxíng guò).

你有吃過臭豆腐嗎？

Nǐ yǒu chī guò chòu dòufu ma?

Have you ever eaten stinky tofu?

你有一個人旅行過嗎？

Nǐ yǒu yí ge rén lǚxíng guò ma?

Have you ever traveled alone?

那是在我___的時候發生的。

Nà shì zài wǒ ___ de shíhòu fāshēng de.

That happened when I was ___.

Meaning: 那是在我___的時候發生的。 (Nà shì zài wǒ ___ de shíhòu fāshēng de.) means “That happened when I was ___.”

When to use: Use it to locate an event in a time of your life, such as an age, school stage, or job period.

那是在我大學的時候發生的。

Nà shì zài wǒ dàxué de shíhòu fāshēng de.

That happened when I was in college.

那是在我二十歲的時候發生的。

Nà shì zài wǒ èrshí suì de shíhòu fāshēng de.

That happened when I was twenty.

我第一次___是在___。

Wǒ dì-yī cì ___ shì zài ___.

The first time I ___ was ___.

Meaning: 我第一次___是在___。 (Wǒ dì-yī cì ___ shì zài ___.) means “The first time I ___ was ___.”

When to use: Use it to introduce the first time something happened, with a time or place after 在 (zài).

我第一次出國是在高中。

Wǒ dì-yī cì chūguó shì zài gāozhōng.

The first time I went abroad was in high school.

我第一次學中文是在台北。

Wǒ dì-yī cì xué Zhōngwén shì zài Táiběi.

The first time I studied Chinese was in Taipei.

在那之前，我從來沒有___過。

Zài nà zhīqián, wǒ cónglái méiyǒu ___ guò.

I had never ___ before.

Meaning: 在那之前，我從來沒有___過。 (Zài nà zhīqián, wǒ cónglái méiyǒu ___ guò.) means “I had never ___ before.”

When to use: Use it when something was completely new before a past event.

Tip: Use 沒有 (méiyǒu), not 不有 (bù yǒu), for “have not” in this experience pattern.

在那之前，我從來沒有爬過那麼高的山。

Zài nà zhīqián, wǒ cónglái méiyǒu pá guò nàme gāo de shān.

Before that, I had never climbed such a high mountain.

在那之前，我從來沒有吃過榴槤。

Zài nà zhīqián, wǒ cónglái méiyǒu chī guò liúlián.

Before that, I had never eaten durian.

我沒想到會___。

Wǒ méi xiǎngdào huì ___.

I didn’t expect to ___.

Meaning: 我沒想到會___。 (Wǒ méi xiǎngdào huì ___.) means “I didn’t expect to ___.”

When to use: Use it when a past story had an unexpected result or feeling.

我沒想到會那麼感動。

Wǒ méi xiǎngdào huì nàme gǎndòng.

I didn’t expect to be so moved.

我沒想到會迷路。

Wǒ méi xiǎngdào huì mílù.

I didn’t expect to get lost.

後來，我就___。

Hòulái, wǒ jiù ___.

After that, I ___.

Meaning: 後來，我就___。 (Hòulái, wǒ jiù ___.) means “After that, I ___.”

When to use: Use it to continue a story and explain what happened next.

後來，我就決定再去一次。

Hòulái, wǒ jiù juédìng zài qù yí cì.

After that, I decided to go again.

後來，我就開始對攝影有興趣。

Hòulái, wǒ jiù kāishǐ duì shèyǐng yǒu xìngqù.

After that, I started to become interested in photography.

我記得___

Wǒ jìdé ___.

I remember ___.

Meaning: 我記得___。 (Wǒ jìdé ___.) means “I remember ___.”

When to use: Use it to bring up a memory, detail, feeling, or scene from the past.

我記得那天雨下得很大。

Wǒ jìdé nà tiān yǔ xià de hěn dà.

I remember it rained really hard that day.

我記得大家都笑得很開心。

Wǒ jìdé dàjiā dōu xiào de hěn kāixīn.

I remember everyone laughed happily.

那是我經歷過最棒的___之一。

Nà shì wǒ jīnglì guò zuì bàng de ___ zhī-yī.

It was one of the best ___ I’ve ever had.

Meaning: 那是我經歷過最棒的___之一。 (Nà shì wǒ jīnglì guò zuì bàng de ___ zhī-yī.) means “It was one of the best ___ I’ve ever had.”

When to use: Use it to sum up a great experience, trip, event, class, or memory.

那是我經歷過最棒的旅行之一。

Nà shì wǒ jīnglì guò zuì bàng de lǚxíng zhī-yī.

It was one of the best trips I’ve ever had.

那是我經歷過最棒的生日之一。

Nà shì wǒ jīnglì guò zuì bàng de shēngrì zhī-yī.

It was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.

幾年前，我___。

Jǐ nián qián, wǒ ___.

A few years ago, I ___.

Meaning: 幾年前，我___。 (Jǐ nián qián, wǒ ___.) means “A few years ago, I ___.”

When to use: Use it as a simple opening for a story about a past experience.

幾年前，我搬到台北。

Jǐ nián qián, wǒ bān dào Táiběi.

A few years ago, I moved to Taipei.

幾年前，我參加了一個很特別的活動。

Jǐ nián qián, wǒ cānjiā le yí ge hěn tèbié de huódòng.

A few years ago, I joined a very special event.

我曾經___

Wǒ céngjīng ___.

I once ___.

Meaning: 我曾經___。 (Wǒ céngjīng ___.) means “I once ___.”

When to use: Use it to mention a past experience you have had, often as part of your life story.

我曾經在咖啡店打工。

Wǒ céngjīng zài kāfēi diàn dǎgōng.

I once worked part-time at a café.

我曾經一個人去環島。

Wǒ céngjīng yí ge rén qù huándǎo.

I once traveled around Taiwan by myself.

結果我最後___。

Jiéguǒ wǒ zuìhòu ___.

I ended up ___.

Meaning: 結果我最後___。 (Jiéguǒ wǒ zuìhòu ___.) means “I ended up ___.”

When to use: Use it for the final result of a story, especially if it was surprising or not planned.

結果我最後交到很多新朋友。

Jiéguǒ wǒ zuìhòu jiāo dào hěn duō xīn péngyǒu.

I ended up making many new friends.

結果我最後愛上那個地方。

Jiéguǒ wǒ zuìhòu ài shàng nà ge dìfāng.

I ended up falling in love with that place.

Traditional Chinese - Past Experiences

1. Reading + Listening Practice

2. Conversational Listening Practice

3. Guided Practice

Which phrase means “Have you ever ___?”

Which phrase is best for a repeated habit from when you were younger?

Choose the best Mandarin for “That happened when I was in college.”

Which phrase means “I ended up ___”?

I’ve been to Tainan before.

Before that, I had never eaten durian.

After that, I started to become interested in Chinese.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice