HSK 4 · Article · 277 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/keep-the-conversation-going

没听懂也能接着聊

When You Miss Most of the Sentence

Name: ________________ Date: ________

对方duìfāng说shuō了le一yí大dà串chuàn，你nǐ只zhǐ听见tīngjiàn“明天míngtiān”。你nǐ笑xiào着zhe说shuō“对duì”，他tā却què还hái在zài等děng你nǐ回答huídá。原来yuánlái，他tā问wèn的de是shì：“明天míngtiān你nǐ想xiǎng几点jídiǎn见面jiànmiàn？”

没méi听懂tīngdǒng的de时候shíhou，不用búyòng急jí着zhe说shuō“对duì”，也yě不bù一定yídìng要yào从头cóngtóu再zài听tīng一遍yíbiàn。先xiān告诉gàosù对方duìfāng，你nǐ听懂tīngdǒng了le哪nǎ一部分yíbùfen。

“你nǐ是shì说shuō，明天míngtiān见面jiànmiàn吗ma？”

这zhè句jù话huà把bǎ问题wèntí变小biànxiǎo了le。对方duìfāng只要zhǐyào说shuō“对duì”，你nǐ就jiù可以kéyǐ接着jiēzhe问wèn：“几点jídiǎn？”

如果rúguǒ一yí个gè词cí也yě没méi听清tīngqīng，可以kéyǐ说shuō：“不好意思bùhǎoyìsi，刚才gāngcái没méi听清tīngqīng，能néng再zài说shuō一遍yíbiàn吗ma？”如果rúguǒ他tā说shuō得de太tài快kuài，就jiù加jiā一yí句jù：“可以kéyǐ慢màn一点yìdiǎn吗ma？”

听见tīngjiàn了le声音shēngyīn，却què不bù知道zhīdào一yí个gè词cí是shì什么shénme意思yìsi，可以kéyǐ直接zhíjiē问wèn：“‘改期gǎiqī’是shì什么shénme意思yìsi？”也yě可以kéyǐ把bǎ这zhè个gè词cí重复chóngfù一次yícì，等děng对方duìfāng解释jiěshì。

最后zuìhòu，按àn自己zìjǐ的de理解líjiě，再zài确认quèrèn时间shíjiān和hé地点dìdiǎn：“所以suóyǐ，我们wǒmen明天míngtiān下午xiàwǔ三sān点diǎn，在zài咖啡店kāfēidiàn见jiàn，是shì这样zhèyàng吗ma？”时间shíjiān、地点dìdiǎn都dōu没错méicuò，这zhè件jiàn事shì就jiù说shuō清楚qīngchu了le。

不必búbì每měi句jù话huà都dōu听懂tīngdǒng，也yě能néng继续jìxù聊liáo。你nǐ听见tīngjiàn的de那nà个gè词cí，已经yǐjīng是shì下xià一yí句jù话huà的de开头kāitóu。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
回答	huídá	to answer; to reply; answer; reply
见面	jiànmiàn	to meet; to see each other
不用	búyòng	need not; don't have to
急	jí	anxious; worried
一定	yídìng	surely; certainly; must
先	xiān	first; in advance
句	jù	classifier for phrases and lines of speech or verse
只要	zhǐyào	as long as; provided that; if only
刚才	gāngcái	just now; a moment ago
加	jiā	to add; to plus
声音	shēngyīn	sound; voice
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final

English (for the teacher)

The other person says a whole string of things, and you only catch ‘tomorrow’. You smile and say ‘yes’, but they are still waiting for your answer. It turns out they asked, ‘What time would you like to meet tomorrow?’

When you don’t understand, there’s no need to rush to say ‘yes’, or necessarily to listen to everything again from the beginning. First, tell the other person which part you understood.

‘Do you mean meeting tomorrow?’

This sentence narrows the question down. Once they say ‘yes’, you can follow up with ‘What time?’

If you didn’t catch a single word, you can say, ‘Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you say it again?’ If they are speaking too quickly, add, ‘Could you speak a little more slowly?’

If you heard the sounds but don’t know what a word means, you can ask directly, ‘What does “reschedule” mean?’ You can also repeat the word once and wait for them to explain.

Finally, confirm the time and place according to your understanding: ‘So we’re meeting at the café at three tomorrow afternoon. Is that right?’ Once the time and place are both correct, you’ve made the arrangement clear.

You can keep chatting without understanding every sentence. The word you caught is already the beginning of your next sentence.