HSK 3 · Article · 331 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/same-place-different-door

我们都到了却没见面

Same Place Different Door

Name: ________________ Date: ________

“我wǒ到dào了le。”

“我wǒ也yě到dào了le。你nǐ在zài哪儿nǎr？”

“门口ménkǒu啊a。”

两liǎng个gè人rén都dōu没méi迟到chídào，却què又yòu等děng了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng。一个yígè在zài商场shāngchǎng东门dōngmén，一个yígè在zài西门xīmén；一个yígè站zhàn在zài外面wàimiàn，一个yígè已经yǐjīng进去jìnqu了le。

“门口ménkǒu”听起来tīngqǐlai很hěn清楚qīngchu，其实qíshí少shǎo了le不少bùshǎo信息xìnxī。约yuē见面jiànmiàn时shí，可以kéyǐ先xiān说shuō哪个nǎge门mén，然后ránhòu说shuō门mén里还是háishì门外ménwài：“我们wǒmen在zài商场shāngchǎng东dōng门外ménwài见jiàn。”如果rúguǒ有yǒu好几háojǐ层céng，也yě说shuō清楚qīngchu楼层lóucéng。

不bù知道zhīdào哪边nǎbiān是shì东dōng、哪边nǎbiān是shì西xī，也yě没关系méiguānxi。找zhǎo一个yígè对方duìfāng容易róngyì看见kànjiàn、不会búhuì动dòng的de地方dìfang：“我wǒ在zài一楼yìlóu咖啡店kāfēidiàn门口ménkǒu，旁边pángbiān是shì书店shūdiàn。”比起bíqǐ“我wǒ在zài一yí辆liàng白bái车chē后面hòumiàn”，这样zhèyàng的de地方dìfang更gèng容易róngyì找zhǎo。

“左边zuǒbiān”和hé“右边yòubiān”要yào特别tèbié小心xiǎoxīn。你nǐ在zài商场shāngchǎng里往外wǎngwài看kàn，朋友péngyǒu在zài马路mǎlù上shàng往wǎng里看kàn，你们nǐmen的de左边zuǒbiān可能kěnéng不是búshì同tóng一边yìbiān。可以kéyǐ换huàn个gè说法shuōfǎ：“从cóng东门dōngmén进去jìnqu，往wǎng右yòu走zǒu，第一dìyī家jiā店diàn就是jiùshì。”先xiān说shuō清qīng从cóng哪里nálǐ出发chūfā，然后ránhòu说shuō怎么zěnme走zǒu。

如果rúguǒ还是háishi找不到zhǎobudào，就jiù让ràng一yí个gè人rén留liú在zài原地yuándì：“你nǐ留liú在zài咖啡店kāfēidiàn，别动biédòng，我wǒ过来guòlái找zhǎo你nǐ。”两liǎng个gè人rén一起yìqǐ走zǒu，很hěn容易róngyì又yòu错过cuòguò。

下次xiàcì发fā“我wǒ到dào了le”时shí，顺手shùnshǒu多duō写xiě一yí句jù：“东dōng门外ménwài，蓝色lánsè招牌zhāopái下面xiàmiàn。我wǒ穿chuān白色báisè外套wàitào。”朋友péngyǒu一yì抬头táitóu，就jiù能néng把bǎ你nǐ从cóng人群rénqún里找zhǎo出来chūlái。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
等	děng	etc.; and so on
商场	shāngchǎng	shopping mall; department store
站	zhàn	station; stop
外面	wàimiàn	outside; out
进去	jìnqu	to go in; to enter
时	shí	when; while
门	mén	door; gate
动	dòng	to move
迟到	chídào	to be late; to arrive late
清楚	qīngchu	clear; distinct
其实	qíshí	actually; in fact

English (for the teacher)

‘I’m here.’

‘I’m here too. Where are you?’

‘At the entrance, of course.’

Neither person was late, but they still waited another ten minutes. One was at the mall’s east entrance and the other at the west entrance; one was outside and the other had already gone in.

‘At the entrance’ sounds clear, but it actually leaves out quite a lot of information. When arranging to meet, first say which entrance, then whether you mean inside or outside: ‘Let’s meet outside the mall’s east entrance.’ If there are several floors, make the floor clear too.

It’s all right if you don’t know which way is east or west. Find a place the other person can easily see and that won’t move: ‘I’m at the café entrance on the ground floor, next to the bookshop.’ A place like that is easier to find than ‘behind a white car’.

Be especially careful with ‘left’ and ‘right’. If you’re looking out from inside the mall and your friend is looking in from the street, your left sides might not be the same side. Try putting it differently: ‘Go in through the east entrance, turn right, and it’s the first shop.’ First make your starting point clear, then explain where to go.

If you still can’t find each other, have one person stay put: ‘Stay at the café. Don’t move. I’ll come and find you.’ If you both start walking, it’s easy to miss each other again.

Next time you send ‘I’m here’, add another sentence: ‘Outside the east entrance, under the blue sign. I’m wearing a white jacket.’ Your friend will be able to pick you out of the crowd as soon as they look up.