Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 31 of 240

New here? This is lesson 31 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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Can you help me in Traditional Chinese

Maya is at Banyan Breakfast in Da'an. She cannot find her EasyCard, so she asks A-Li for help. He looks in the wrong place, kindly and with full confidence.

Learn to ask for help, request a closer look, and thank someone for helping you.

The card is still missing for now. A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished, and the fortune slip remains a mystery.

By the end of this lesson

Ask someone for help, ask them to take a look, and thank them for helping.

  • 請幫幫我Please help me.
  • 你可以幫我嗎？Can you help me?
  • 我需要幫忙I need help.
  • 你可以幫我看一下嗎？Can you take a look for me?
  • 謝謝你的幫忙Thanks for your help.
  • 誰可以幫我？Who can help me?

Scene — a missing card

Maya is at Banyan Breakfast in Da'an. She cannot find her EasyCard, so she asks A-Li for help. He searches kindly, but in the wrong place.

His advice does not work. The card is still missing, and Maya still needs someone to take a look.

Maya is beside a bike-share bicycle that will not unlock while Ali offers a confident, kind suggestion.

Learn — asking for help

These lines help you ask for help in a few everyday ways, from a direct request to asking who can help.

Listen to each one, then say it aloud.

  1. Maya appeals to Ali for help beside the bicycle that will not unlock.

    請幫幫我

    Please help me.

    When to use it: Use this direct request when you need someone to help.

    Learn it as one piece.

    Say it: The second 幫 is often neutral.

  2. Maya directly asks Ali for assistance while gesturing toward the stuck bicycle.

    你可以幫我嗎？

    Can you help me?

    When to use it: Ask someone directly if they can help you.

    Learn it as one piece.

  3. Maya makes clear that she needs help as the bicycle remains locked.

    我需要幫忙

    I need help.

    When to use it: Say this when you need help with something.

    Learn it as one piece.

  4. Maya asks Ali to inspect the bicycle lock, which is still stuck.

    你可以幫我看一下嗎？

    Can you take a look for me?

    When to use it: Ask someone to take a look at something for you.

    Learn it as one piece.

    Say it: 一下 often has a light final syllable.

  5. Maya thanks Ali warmly even though the bicycle is still locked.

    謝謝你的幫忙

    Thanks for your help.

    When to use it: Thank someone after they help you.

    Learn it as one piece.

  6. Maya looks around the dock and raises a hand to seek another person who can help.

    誰可以幫我？

    Who can help me?

    When to use it: Ask a group when you do not know who to ask.

    Learn it as one piece.

Story — a very kind guess

Maya cannot find her EasyCard at Banyan Breakfast, so she asks A-Li for help. He kindly offers a confident suggestion, but it is not very useful.

The card is still missing. Maya asks the nearby people who can help.

  1. Maya我需要幫忙。I need help.
  2. A-Li怎麼了？What's wrong?
  3. Maya請幫幫我。Please help me.
  4. A-Li好啊。Sure.
  5. Maya你可以幫我嗎？Can you help me?
  6. A-Li可以。Sure.
  7. Maya你可以幫我看一下嗎？Can you take a look for me?
  8. A-Li在桌子下面。It's under the table.
  9. Maya謝謝你的幫忙。Thanks for your help.
  10. A-Li不客氣。You're welcome.
  11. Maya誰可以幫我？Who can help me?
  12. Auntie Lin我來看看。I'll take a look.

Practice — ask and thank

Try these short exercises to choose, build, and say useful requests for help.

Pay attention to whether you are asking someone to help, thanking them, or asking who is available.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    請幫幫我

  2. What do you say?

    Ask a friend directly whether they can help you.

  3. Build the line

    I need help.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    Can you take a look for me?

    你可以幫我____一下嗎？

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    請幫幫我Drop the English here
    你可以幫我嗎？Drop the English here
    謝謝你的幫忙Drop the English here
    誰可以幫我？Drop the English here

    English

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

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    謝謝你。

    Thank you.

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    Address the nearby group to find out who is available to help you.

  9. What do you say?

    Someone just helped you. Use the short, simple thank-you.

  10. Build the line

    Thanks for your help.

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — ask for a hand

You are Maya at Banyan Breakfast. Ask A-Li for help, then thank someone when they take a look.

Listen to each cue and say your line aloud. A-Li's advice may not solve the problem.

  1. Maya asks A-Li for help finding her EasyCard.
  2. Maya (you)Ask A-Li if he can help you.

    你可以幫我嗎？

    Can you help me?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
請幫幫我Please help me.
你可以幫我嗎？Can you help me?
我需要幫忙I need help.
你可以幫我看一下嗎？Can you take a look for me?
謝謝你的幫忙Thanks for your help.
誰可以幫我？Who can help me?
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Review these useful requests and thanks in Yak Cards.

Practice a few cards each day so asking for help feels easier.

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