Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 188 of 240

New here? This is lesson 188 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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What's unclear in Traditional Chinese

After a long meeting at the design studio, Maya's notes still have a gap. Zhi-Ming notices and checks what is unclear, then whether his answer actually helps.

Learn to ask which part is fuzzy, offer a clearer explanation, and start again from the top.

These are ordinary work lines. A-Li's unfinished soy milk can wait until breakfast.

By the end of this lesson

Ask which part is unclear, check whether the answer helps, and offer to explain from the start.

  • 哪一部分不清楚？Which part is unclear?
  • 有哪裡不太確定嗎？Is there anything you're unsure about?
  • 這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？Does that answer your question?
  • 我可以說得更清楚一點I can make it clearer.
  • 你想先問什麼？What do you want to ask first?
  • 我們從頭說一次Let's go through it from the start.

Scene — a meeting that ran long

The meeting at Zhi-Ming's studio has run long. Laptops are still open, and Maya's notes have a blank in the middle.

Zhi-Ming is kind when he disagrees, and he would rather check what is unclear than guess. Nobody mentions the fortune slip.

Maya stares at a notebook with a blank gap while Zhi-Ming waits across open laptops and A-Li the yak sits on stools nearby.

Learn — checking what is unclear

These six lines help you check what is unclear and whether your answer helped.

Listen for 得 after 說, and for 哪裡 when it means in what way, not a place.

  1. Zhi-Ming leans across the desk and points to the empty band in Maya's notebook while her pen hangs frozen above the paper.

    哪一部分不清楚？

    Which part is unclear?

    When to use it: Ask this when someone looks lost and you need the exact section.

    哪一部分 asks which section, and the question word stays in place.

    Say it: 一 in 一部分 is second tone before a fourth-tone syllable.

  2. Maya rubs a temple over a glowing laptop while Zhi-Ming's open palms reach toward her.

    有哪裡不太確定嗎？

    Is there anything you're unsure about?

    When to use it: Use this to invite any remaining doubt, not just one section.

    哪裡 here means in what respect, not a place.

    Say it: 不 is second tone before the fourth-tone 太.

  3. Zhi-Ming turns a laptop toward Maya while she compares the screen with her notes.

    這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？

    Does that answer your question?

    When to use it: Ask this after you explain, to check that the answer helped.

    到 after 回答 marks whether the reply actually reached the question.

    Say it: 的 in 你的問題 is often a neutral tone.

  4. Zhi-Ming half-stands and redraws a simpler sketch on a pad with slow wide hand motions while Maya looks up from the blank gap.

    我可以說得更清楚一點

    I can make it clearer.

    When to use it: Offer this when your first explanation was not enough.

    得 after the verb introduces how clearly you can say it.

    Say it: 一 in 一點 is fourth tone before a third-tone syllable.

  5. Zhi-Ming holds an open inviting hand while Maya hovers a pen over the empty band and lifts the other hand slightly.

    你想先問什麼？

    What do you want to ask first?

    When to use it: Use this when the other person has more than one question.

    什麼 stays in place in this question.

  6. Zhi-Ming rolls a chair in and turns Maya's notebook back toward the beginning while she turns the paper with him.

    我們從頭說一次

    Let's go through it from the start.

    When to use it: Suggest this when starting over will be clearer than adding bits.

    從頭 means you start again from the beginning.

Story — Zhi-Ming checks in

Listen as Zhi-Ming checks what Maya still finds unclear after a long meeting.

He offers to explain more clearly, then they start from the beginning.

  1. Zhi-Ming會議有點長，你還好嗎？The meeting ran a bit long. Are you okay?
  2. Maya我只聽懂一部分。I only understood part of it.
  3. Zhi-Ming哪一部分不清楚？Which part is unclear?
  4. Maya進度那一塊。The progress part.
  5. Zhi-Ming有哪裡不太確定嗎？Is there anything you're unsure about?
  6. Maya顏色跟交期。The colors and the deadline.
  7. Zhi-Ming你想先問什麼？What do you want to ask first?
  8. Maya先問交期吧。The deadline first, then.
  9. Zhi-Ming我可以說得更清楚一點。I can make it clearer.
  10. He turns the laptop so Maya can see the timeline.
  11. Zhi-Ming預計禮拜五交，顏色先不要改。Expected Friday delivery; don't change the colors yet.
  12. Zhi-Ming這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？Does that answer your question?
  13. Maya顏色那邊還不太懂。I still don't quite get the color part.
  14. Zhi-Ming抱歉，我沒說清楚。Sorry, I wasn't clear.
  15. Zhi-Ming我們從頭說一次。Let's go through it from the start.
  16. Maya好喔。Okay.
  17. Zhi-Ming顏色用這一版，禮拜五交稿。Use this version for the colors, and deliver Friday.
  18. Zhi-Ming這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？Does that answer your question?
  19. Maya我明白了。I understand.

Practice — ask and check

Work through these exercises as if the meeting just paused. Pick the line that checks understanding or offers a clearer pass.

Read each explanation, then say the line out loud.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    哪一部分不清楚？

  2. What do you say?

    You finished a recap. Check whether anything at all is still uncertain, yes or no.

  3. Fill the gap

    I can make it clearer.

    我可以說____更清楚一點

  4. Build the line

    Let's go through it from the start.

    Tap the words in order.

  5. What did you hear?

  6. Pick the reply

    Zhi-Ming says:

    我有兩個問題。

    I have two questions.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    After the recap, check whether Maya is still unsure about anything.

    有____不太確定嗎？

  8. What do you say?

    Zhi-Ming asks how much of the brief you followed. You caught only part of it.

  9. Pick the reply

    Zhi-Ming says:

    預計禮拜五交，顏色先不要改。

    Expected Friday delivery; don't change the colors yet.

    And you reply with:

  10. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    哪一部分不清楚？Drop the English here
    這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？Drop the English here
    你想先問什麼？Drop the English here
    我們從頭說一次Drop the English here

    English

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

  11. What do you say?

    His face is still blank after your first pass. Apologize that you were not clear.

Say it — your check-in

You play Maya and check that Zhi-Ming is following the brief. Listen to each cue, then ask or offer the next line.

Tap the microphone to speak. You can replay his line before your turn.

  1. Maya checks that Zhi-Ming is still following the brief.
  2. Zhi-Ming這份資料我有點跟不上。I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up with this file.
  3. Maya (you)Ask which section is still a problem.

    哪一部分不清楚？

    Which part is unclear?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
哪一部分不清楚？Which part is unclear?
有哪裡不太確定嗎？Is there anything you're unsure about?
這樣有回答到你的問題嗎？Does that answer your question?
我可以說得更清楚一點I can make it clearer.
你想先問什麼？What do you want to ask first?
我們從頭說一次Let's go through it from the start.
Next: lesson 189Thinking out loud

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