日子里的味道
The Taste of Everyday Life
StartThe First Meal of Term
At the beginning of term, Su Le and Chen An prepare a simple meal together.
6 new words
学期xuéqīterm, semester
这个学期的第一顿聚餐，我们包饺子吧？
For the first shared meal of this term, shall we make dumplings?
出生chūshēngto be born
性别xìngbiésex, gender
道歉dào qiànto apologize
打印dǎyìnto print out
复印fùyìnto photocopy, to xerox
Listen to the conversation
苏乐
这个学期的第一顿聚餐，我们包饺子吧？
Zhè ge xuéqī de dì yī dùn jùcān, wǒmen bāo jiǎozi ba?
For the first shared meal of this term, shall we make dumplings?
陈安
好啊，我已经在厨房把菜洗好了。你会用这把刀吗？
Hǎo a, wǒ yǐjīng zài chúfáng bǎ cài xǐ hǎo le. Nǐ huì yòng zhè bǎ dāo ma?
Sure. I have already washed the vegetables in the kitchen. Can you use this knife?
苏乐
会，不过刀有点儿钝。饺子皮也破了几张。
Huì, búguò dāo yǒudiǎn dùn. Jiǎozi pí yě pò le jǐ zhāng.
Yes, but the knife is a little blunt. Several dumpling wrappers have torn too.
陈安
没关系，包的时候慢一点儿。吃完我们再做点包子。
Méi guānxi, bāo de shíhou màn yìdiǎnr. Chī wán wǒmen zài zuò diǎn bāozi.
That is all right. Go a little more slowly while wrapping them. We can make some buns after we eat.
苏乐
我来擀皮，你来调馅儿，好吗？
Wǒ lái gǎn pí, nǐ lái tiáo xiànr, hǎo ma?
I will roll the wrappers and you can season the filling, all right?
陈安
好。水开了以后，我们先煮一小锅试试。
Hǎo. Shuǐ kāi le yǐhòu, wǒmen xiān zhǔ yì xiǎo guō shìshi.
Fine. Once the water boils, we will cook a small batch first and try it.
苏乐
行，希望第一锅别再破了。
Xíng, xīwàng dì yī guō bié zài pò le.
Okay. I hope the first batch will not split again.
Tap a marked word for its meaning. Tap a line to see the English.
Which word means “to print out”?
A Good Landlord
Chen An tells Su Le about a friendly conversation with their landlord after getting a haircut.
7 new words
饺子jiǎozijiaozi, dumpling
刀dāoknife
破pòbroken, torn
脱tuōto take off
理发lǐ fàto get a haircut
我刚去理发，回来时在楼下碰到房东。
I just got a haircut. On my way back, I ran into the landlord downstairs.
包子bāozisteamed stuffed bun
零钱língqiánsmall change
Listen to the conversation
陈安
我刚去理发，回来时在楼下碰到房东。
Wǒ gāng qù lǐ fà, huílái shí zài lóuxià pèng dào fángdōng.
I just got a haircut. On my way back, I ran into the landlord downstairs.
苏乐
他又来收房租了吗？
Tā yòu lái shōu fángzū le ma?
Has he come to collect the rent again?
陈安
不是。他问我们要不要续租。我说厨房太小，可是住在这里很方便。
Bú shì. Tā wèn wǒmen yào bu yào xù zū. Wǒ shuō chúfáng tài xiǎo, kěshì zhù zài zhèlǐ hěn fāngbiàn.
No. He asked whether we want to renew the lease. I said the kitchen is too small, but living here is convenient.
苏乐
是啊，楼下就是菜市场。房东人也不错，见面总会打招呼。
Shì a, lóuxià jiù shì càishìchǎng. Fángdōng rén yě búcuò, jiànmiàn zǒng huì dǎ zhāohu.
Yes, and the market is just downstairs. The landlord is nice too; he always says hello when he sees us.
陈安
房租虽然涨了一点儿，不过还在我们能接受的范围内。
Fángzū suīrán zhǎng le yìdiǎnr, búguò hái zài wǒmen néng jiēshòu de fànwéi nèi.
The rent has gone up a little, but it is still within what we can accept.
苏乐
那就续租吧，省得再搬家。
Nà jiù xù zū ba, shěngde zài bān jiā.
Then let us renew the lease, so we do not have to move again.
Fill the gap我刚去____，回来时在楼下碰到房东。I just got a haircut. On my way back, I ran into the landlord downstairs.
The Registration Form
He Tian and Chen An prepare the information needed for a community cooking activity.
8 new words
打招呼dǎ zhāohuto greet, to say hello
戴dàito wear (accessories)
她戴着眼镜，坐在服务台旁边，很好认。
She wears glasses and sits beside the service desk, so she is easy to recognize.
眼镜yǎnjìngglasses, spectacles
她戴着眼镜，坐在服务台旁边，很好认。
She wears glasses and sits beside the service desk, so she is easy to recognize.
舞蹈wǔdǎodance
国籍guójínationality, citizenship
里面要写出生日期、性别和国籍。
It needs a date of birth, gender, and nationality.
抬táito lift, to raise
胳膊gēboarm
转zhuǎnto turn, to shift
Listen to the conversation
何天
社区活动的报名表打印好了吗？里面要写出生日期、性别和国籍。
Shèqū huódòng de bàomíngbiǎo dǎyìn hǎo le ma? Lǐmian yào xiě chūshēng rìqī, xìngbié hé guójí.
Has the registration form for the community activity been printed? It needs a date of birth, gender, and nationality.
陈安
我打印了一份，也复印了两份。梅老师说下午交。
Wǒ dǎyìn le yí fèn, yě fùyìn le liǎng fèn. Méi lǎoshī shuō xiàwǔ jiāo.
I printed one copy and photocopied two more. Ms. Mei said to hand them in this afternoon.
何天
我刚给她打电话，可一直占线。
Wǒ gāng gěi tā dǎ diànhuà, kě yìzhí zhànxiàn.
I just called her, but her line has been busy the whole time.
陈安
那我一会儿再问。她戴着眼镜，坐在服务台旁边，很好认。
Nà wǒ yíhuìr zài wèn. Tā dàizhe yǎnjìng, zuò zài fúwùtái pángbiān, hěn hǎo rèn.
Then I will ask her again shortly. She wears glasses and sits beside the service desk, so she is easy to recognize.
何天
要不我去服务台看看？
Yào bu wǒ qù fúwùtái kànkan?
Shall I go and look at the service desk?
陈安
好，我们一起去，顺便把表交了。
Hǎo, wǒmen yìqǐ qù, shùnbiàn bǎ biǎo jiāo le.
Yes, let us go together and hand in the form while we are there.
Which word means “dance”?
More Than a Meal
A short account of a community dumpling gathering that brings cooking and movement together.
5 new words
租zūto rent, to lease
吵chǎonoisy
厨房里不能大声吵，也禁止把球带进去。
People could not make too much noise in the kitchen, and balls were not allowed inside.
厨房chúfángkitchen
厨房里不能大声吵，也禁止把球带进去。
People could not make too much noise in the kitchen, and balls were not allowed inside.
房东fángdōnglandlord/landlady
占线zhànxiàn(of a telephone line) to be busy
Listen to the text
为了给社区的饺子活动留出座位，大家把桌子抬到一边。有人脱下外套，跟着音乐学了几步舞蹈；有人去旁边的乒乓球场和羽毛球场活动胳膊。厨房里不能大声吵，也禁止把球带进去。一个小孩子跑得太快，撞了别人一下，零钱也掉在地上。他一边道歉，一边谢谢帮他捡起零钱的人。做饺子要花功夫，大家转过身，又一起回到桌边帮忙。
Wèile gěi shèqū de jiǎozi huódòng liú chū zuòwèi, dàjiā bǎ zhuōzi tái dào yìbiān. Yǒu rén tuō xià wàitào, gēnzhe yīnyuè xué le jǐ bù wǔdǎo; yǒu rén qù pángbiān de pīngpāngqiúchǎng hé yǔmáoqiúchǎng huódòng gēbo. Chúfáng lǐ bù néng dà shēng chǎo, yě jìnzhǐ bǎ qiú dài jìnqù. Yí ge xiǎo háizi pǎo de tài kuài, zhuàng le biérén yíxià, língqián yě diào zài dì shàng. Tā yìbiān dào qiàn, yìbiān xièxie bāng tā jiǎn qǐ língqián de rén. Zuò jiǎozi yào huā gōngfu, dàjiā zhuǎn guò shēn, yòu yìqǐ huí dào zhuō biān bāngmáng.
To make room for the community dumpling activity, everyone moved the tables to one side. Some people took off their coats and learned a few dance steps with the music; others exercised their arms at the table-tennis and badminton courts nearby. People could not make too much noise in the kitchen, and balls were not allowed inside. A child running too fast bumped into someone, and his change fell on the floor. He apologized, and thanked the person who picked the coins up for him. Making dumplings takes effort, so everyone turned back and returned to the table to help.
Grammar
一个小孩子跑得太快，撞了别人一下，零钱也掉在地上。A child running too fast bumped into someone, and his change fell on the floor.
Verb +得/不+上+ Noun
上 · “shàng”. Used after a verb as a complement of direction or possibility.
看来今天吃不上羊肉饺子了。
Kànlái jīntiān chī bu shàng yángròu jiǎozi le.
It seems we can't eat mutton dumplings today.
Fill the gap____里不能大声吵，也禁止把球带进去。People could not make too much noise in the kitchen, and balls were not allowed inside.
Culture
舌尖上的中国——饺子
Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) is a traditional Chinese food, essential for Spring Festival. It symbolizes wealth (shaped like ingots) and family reunion. It consists of a wrapper and filling (meat/vegetables), usually boiled or steamed.
What a Meal Holds
A reflection on why shared food can carry memories, comfort, and conversation.
6 new words
功夫gōngfukung fu
乒乓球pīngpāngqiútable tennis, ping-pong
羽毛球yǔmáoqiúbadminton
场chǎngused for sports or recreational events etc.
禁止jìnzhǐto prohibit, to forbid
座位zuòwèiseat
Listen to the text
一盘饺子的味道，能让人想起不同的生活。有人从辣椒里尝到热闹，有人从清汤里尝到安心；一口下去，家乡的味道就出来了。总的来说，大家喜欢的味道不完全一样；生活的好味道也不只在于吃什么，还在于和谁坐在一起、有没有时间好好说话。
Yì pán jiǎozi de wèidào, néng ràng rén xiǎng qǐ bùtóng de shēnghuó. Yǒu rén cóng làjiāo lǐ cháng dào rènào, yǒu rén cóng qīng tāng lǐ cháng dào ānxīn; yì kǒu xiàqù, jiāxiāng de wèidào jiù chūlái le. Zǒng de lái shuō, dàjiā xǐhuan de wèidào bù wánquán yíyàng; shēnghuó de hǎo wèidào yě bù zhǐ zàiyú chī shénme, hái zàiyú hé shéi zuò zài yìqǐ, yǒu méi yǒu shíjiān hǎohǎo shuōhuà.
The taste of a plate of dumplings can bring different kinds of life to mind. Some people taste liveliness in chilli, while others taste reassurance in clear soup; after one bite, the flavour of home emerges. Overall, people do not all enjoy the same flavours. The good flavour of life lies not only in what we eat, but also in who sits with us and whether we have time to talk properly.
Grammar
有人从辣椒里尝到热闹，有人从清汤里尝到安心；一口下去，家乡的味道就出来了。
Verb +出来+ Clause
出来 · “chūlái”. Complement of direction indicating emergence or identification.
我看出来你跳得这么好。
Wǒ kàn chūlai nǐ tiào de zhème hǎo.
I can see that you dance so well.
总的来说，大家喜欢的味道不完全一样；生活的好味道也不只在于吃什么，还在于和谁坐在一起、有没有时间好好说话。
总的来说+ Statement
总的来说 · “zǒng de lái shuō”. Generally speaking.
总的来说，这套房子他很满意。
Zǒng de lái shuō, zhè tào fángzi tā hěn mǎnyì.
Generally speaking, he is very satisfied with this house.
总的来说，大家喜欢的味道不完全一样；生活的好味道也不只在于吃什么，还在于和谁坐在一起、有没有时间好好说话。
Subject +在于+ Noun/Verb
在于 · “zàiyú”. To lie in; to consist in.
生命在于运动。
Shēngmìng zàiyú yùndòng.
Life lies in motion.
Which word means “kung fu”?
Write the new characters
0 of 21 written
饺 from 饺子 · jiaozi, dumpling
Trace the strokes in order
Practice
8 questions · about 4 minutes
Pick the meaningListenFill the gapMatchWord order
Finish
Finish the practice to complete this lesson.