Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 183 of 240

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What I'm into in Traditional Chinese

Maya has been shooting photos on Banyan Lane, and A-Li shows up in every frame. At breakfast she names the new hobby and why it stuck.

Learn how to say you are into something, ask how an interest started, and talk about time spent on it. Add a line for old curiosity, then offer to keep talking.

A-Li's soy milk still sits unfinished. The photos are ordinary; do not treat the yak as magic.

By the end of this lesson

Talk about a new interest, say why it started, and offer to keep the conversation going.

  • 我最近很迷攝影I'm into photography lately.
  • 你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？How did you get interested in this?
  • 我花很多時間研究I spend a lot of time looking into it.
  • 我想多了解一點I want to learn more about it.
  • 我一直都對___很好奇I've always been curious about ___.
  • 我們可以多聊聊We can talk more.

Scene — photos on the lane

Maya stands outside Banyan Breakfast with a camera. Auntie Lin watches from the counter, and A-Li occupies two stools with soy milk still full.

Every photo of the lane includes the yak. The talk is about a new hobby, not the fortune in the till.

Maya stands outside Banyan Breakfast with a camera while Auntie Lin watches from the counter and A-Li occupies two stools beside an untouched cup of soy milk.

Learn — a new interest

Here are six lines for a new interest and why it caught you. Listen, then say each one out loud.

Notice 迷 for a current obsession, and how 是 and 的 wrap the path into a hobby.

  1. Maya lifts her camera toward A-Li at the counter, lining up the viewfinder from over her shoulder.

    我最近很迷攝影

    I'm into photography lately.

    When to use it: Say this when a new hobby has taken over your time lately.

    迷 marks a strong current interest, more than simply liking something.

  2. Auntie Lin leans on the counter, head tilted in curiosity, wiping a tray as she looks toward the doorway.

    你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？

    How did you get interested in this?

    When to use it: Ask this after someone names a hobby you want to hear about.

    是 and 的 wrap the how, so the question focuses on the path into it.

    Say it: The final 的 is a light neutral tone.

  3. Maya sits hunched over her camera and a small picture album, studying the preview screen.

    我花很多時間研究

    I spend a lot of time looking into it.

    When to use it: Use this when the hobby takes real hours of study.

    花 here means spend time, not spend money.

  4. Auntie Lin holds Maya's camera with both hands while Maya stands close and A-Li waits on the stools.

    我想多了解一點

    I want to learn more about it.

    When to use it: Say this when you want to go a little deeper.

    一點 keeps the wish small: a bit more, not the whole field.

    Say it: 一 becomes fourth tone before a third-tone syllable.

  5. Maya stands under the banyan with her camera lowered, looking down the lane toward A-Li.

    我一直都對___很好奇

    I've always been curious about ___.

    When to use it: Fill the blank with the topic you keep wondering about.

    對 points at the topic, then 好奇 names the curiosity.

    Say it: 好 in 好奇 is third tone.

  6. Auntie Lin gestures toward an empty stool as Maya enters the open shopfront, while A-Li stays on the other stools.

    我們可以多聊聊

    We can talk more.

    When to use it: Offer this when you want to keep the conversation going.

    Repeating 聊 makes the chat sound casual and open-ended.

Story — A-Li in every shot

Listen as Maya talks about photography at Banyan Breakfast. A-Li asks how the interest started, and he appears in every shot.

His soy milk stays unfinished. Nobody reads the slip today.

  1. A-Li你平常有什麼興趣？What are your hobbies?
  2. Maya我最近很迷攝影。I'm into photography lately.
  3. A-Li你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？How did you get interested in this?
  4. Maya我一直都對榕樹巷很好奇。I've always been curious about Banyan Lane.
  5. Auntie Lin你最近花很多時間研究攝影喔？You've been spending a lot of time looking into photography?
  6. Maya我花很多時間研究。I spend a lot of time looking into it.
  7. Auntie Lin每張照片都有阿犛耶。A-Li is in every photo.
  8. Auntie Lin holds the camera. The yak is in every shot.
  9. A-Li我只是路過。I was just passing by.
  10. Maya我還是新手。I'm still a beginner.
  11. Auntie Lin還要再拍嗎？Are you going to keep shooting?
  12. Maya我想多了解一點。I want to learn more about it.
  13. A-Li豆漿還沒喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.
  14. Maya我們可以多聊聊。We can talk more.

Practice — talk about hobbies

Work through these short tasks to name a hobby, ask how it started, and say you want to learn more.

After each answer, read why the other choice fails, then say the line again.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我最近很迷攝影

  2. What do you say?

    A friend just named a new hobby. Ask how that interest started.

  3. Build the line

    I spend a lot of time looking into it.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    I want to learn more about it.

    我想多____一點

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Swap the word

    You mean photography has hooked you lately, not that you simply love it.

    我最近很____攝影

  7. Fill the gap

    I've always been curious about ___.

    我一直都對___很____

  8. Pick the reply

    A-Li says:

    你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？

    How did you get interested in this?

    And you reply with:

  9. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我最近很迷攝影Drop the English here
    你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？Drop the English here
    我花很多時間研究Drop the English here
    我想多了解一點Drop the English here

    English

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

  10. What do you say?

    You have just met someone and no hobby is on the table yet. Ask what they usually like doing.

  11. What does it mean?

    我還是新手

Say it — your new hobby

You play Maya at the breakfast shop. Answer A-Li about your new hobby, then keep the chat going.

Tap the microphone to speak. Replay his line if you need it before your turn.

  1. Maya sits at Banyan Breakfast with her camera on the table.
  2. A-Li你平常有什麼興趣？What are your hobbies?
  3. Maya (you)Say photography has taken over your time lately.

    我最近很迷攝影

    I'm into photography lately.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我最近很迷攝影I'm into photography lately.
你是怎麼對這個產生興趣的？How did you get interested in this?
我花很多時間研究I spend a lot of time looking into it.
我想多了解一點I want to learn more about it.
我一直都對___很好奇I've always been curious about ___.
我們可以多聊聊We can talk more.
Next: lesson 184Never gets old

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's hobby lines are in Yak Cards with more ways to talk about interests.

Review a few interest cards each day so the lines come out smoothly.

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