20 Homework and courses 作业和课程
Hi everybody, welcome back to another episode of 成长汉语, Growing up with Chinese.
Now seen as a lot of you’re still in school, and for those of you who want, life is one big school, isn’t it? Anyway, it seems appropriate to have one of our shows focus on school, as well as all the vocabulary that comes with this territory.
Now the last time we saw Mike and 小明, they had just arrived late to class. Last show, 兰兰 was deep in discussion with her classmates on the topic of pets. So how did their day end up? Did their bad luck streak*1 finally come to an end? Let’s go check it out.
小明：噢，放学喽，回家喽。今天真是黑色星期一啊！
兰兰：黑色星期一？ 为什么啊？
麦克：兰兰，你可不知道。我们早上睡过头。上学迟到了。
小明：还有呢，上课没带书！
兰兰：你们呀！ 哎，小明。你们今天有体育课吧？
小明：有啊，有两节体育课。你怎么知道的？
兰兰：看你身上这么脏。我就知道有体育课。
麦克：兰兰，我特别喜欢上体育课。你呢？ 你喜欢上什么课？
兰兰：我嘛，我喜欢上语文课。不喜欢上数学课。
小明：切，我看你什么课都喜欢。你每科成绩都那么好。
兰兰：哎呀，好啦，好啦。麦克，今天你们老师留作业了吗？
麦克：当然了，每科都留了。黑色星期一还没有完。
兰兰：那你们去我家写作业吧？
麦克：好啊，好啊！ 小明你呢？
小明：啊，写作业！ 麦克，你去吧，我有事。
兰兰：你有事？ 有什么事？
小明：我……他们叫我呢！ 嘿，哥们儿，加我一个。
Well, it looks like they all made it through the day*2 pretty much unscathed*3 although 小明 does look like a little scruffy*4. Now it seems that classes and homework is the main topic of discussion today. And I guess their black monday or 黑色星期一 isn’t quite over just yet. Let’s take a look at some specifics.
兰兰, 你可不知道, 我们早上睡过头了, 上学迟到了. 兰兰 you have no idea, we slept too late this morning and we were late for class. 睡过头 is a set expression that means to sleep in, as in woke up later than we should have.
你们今天有体育课吗? Do you guys have gym class today? 今天 means today and 体育课 is gym class. 你们今天有体育课吗? Did you guys have gym class today?
有, 有两节体育课. Yes, we had two periods of gym class. 节 is the measure word for class. 两节体育课 two periods of gym class.
小明：噢，放学喽，回家喽。今天真是黑色星期一啊！
兰兰：黑色星期一？ 为什么啊？
麦克：兰兰，你可不知道。我们早上睡过头。上学迟到了。
小明：还有呢，上课没带书！
兰兰：你们呀！ 哎，小明。你们今天有体育课吧？
小明：有啊，有两节体育课。你怎么知道的？
看你身上这么脏, 我就知道有体育课. huh, 兰兰 is giving 小明 a hard time. This means “looking at how dirty you are I knew you had gym class today.” 就知道 is an emphatic way to say I know, or I knew.
兰兰：哎，小明。你们今天有体育课吧？
小明：有啊，有两节体育课。你怎么知道的？
兰兰：看你身上这么脏。我就知道有体育课。
xi xi xi… there it is, oh, OK. 你喜欢上什么课? What classes do you like? 喜欢 means like. 你喜欢上什么课? 我喜欢上英语课, 不喜欢上数学课. I like English class, and I don’t like math class. 英语课 is English class, 数学课 is math class. 我喜欢上英语课, 不喜欢上数学课.
今天你们老师留作业了吗? Did your teacher give you any homework today? 留 is the verb used with homework or 作业. 留 in this context means leave. 留作业 to leave homework or give homework. 今天你们老师留作业了吗?
当然了, 每科都留了. Of course, every subject has a homework assignment. Now because this sentence is preceded by question, it’s obvious that homework is the topic of discussion. So, 作业 doesn’t necessarily have to be used in the answer.
小明：噢，放学喽，回家喽。今天真是黑色星期一啊！
兰兰：黑色星期一？ 为什么啊？
麦克：兰兰，你可不知道。我们早上睡过头。上学迟到了。
小明：还有呢，上课没带书！
兰兰：你们呀！ 哎，小明。你们今天有体育课吧？
小明：有啊，有两节体育课。你怎么知道的？
兰兰：看你身上这么脏。我就知道有体育课。
麦克：兰兰，我特别喜欢上体育课。你呢？ 你喜欢上什么课？
兰兰：我嘛，我喜欢上语文课。不喜欢上数学课。
小明：切，我看你什么课都喜欢。你每科成绩都那么好。
兰兰：哎呀，好啦，好啦。麦克，今天你们老师留作业了吗？
麦克：当然了，每科都留了。黑色星期一还没有完。
兰兰：那你们去我家写作业吧？
麦克：好啊，好啊！ 小明你呢？
小明：啊，写作业！ 麦克，你去吧，我有事。
兰兰：你有事？ 有什么事？
小明：我……他们叫我呢！ 嘿，哥们儿，加我一个。
All right everybody, let’s take a look at today’s vocabulary.
First we’ll go over today’s specific vocabulary words, and then, we will move onto the radical of the day. So our first word is:
- 脏 dirty, filthy*5. zāng
- 喜欢 like. xǐ huān
- 上课 to have class, to attend class. shàng kè
- 当然 of course. dāng rán
- 留 leave, leave behind. liú
- 完 finish. wán
- 体育 physical education. tǐ yù
- 语文 Chinese language class. yǔ wén
- 数学 math, arithmetic. shù xué
Today we are going to be looking at the word or language radical. It’s called the 言子旁 and we can see it in all kinds of characters. So let’s look at two from today. Today, we saw the 言子旁 in 语文的语… as well as, 数学课的课. OK, 语文的语, 数学课的课.
Now, if you break these characters apart, we can see that the language radical or word radical is on the left side of both characters. Now, as a character on its own, 言 looks like this. In its original form, looks like that. Now, I’d say that these two characters really don’t look all that similar. But, if you try writing 言 very quickly, you just might get something that looks like its radical. So, 语 means word or language and 课 means class. Now both have a lot to do with words and language.
Spotlight
Education is without a doubt, one of the most important things we receive in life. Be it at home or at school we are always learning, aren’t we? Now seeing as Mike and 小明’s day at school was over, we thought it might be interesting for all of you to hear about how education works in China.
In ancient times before schools was mandatory for all, there were private schools where families would send their children especially boys. Now receiving an education was considered quite a luxury.
And if you wanted to get a government job, you had to complete mandatory classes at an imperial school. And pass an incredibly difficult exam that lasted literally for days. Students would be locked into cubicles that contained a table, paper, a calligraphy brush, and a chamber pot for when they needed to go to the bathroom.
Today, everyone gets the chance to have an education. Primary or elementary school is grades one through six, middle school is grades seven through nine, and high school is grades ten through twelve. The average course load*6 of a middle school student includes math, English, Chinese, physics, chemistry, gym, politics, history, geography and music. Now when kids in high school, they declare focus on either the humanities or sciences and the courses adjust accordingly. Now there are a growing number of international students that attend Chinese schools these days be it elementary, middle or high school.
Primer
We will start at by looking at 喜欢, to like. 我喜欢他. I like him. 我喜欢英语课. I like English class. Now if you are to say 我喜欢英语, it would simply mean I like English. The 课 in 英语课 is the word for class or subject. So, 英语课 is English class.
Now, to turn 喜欢 negative, you use 不. 不喜欢 don’t like, doesn’t like. 他不喜欢我. He doesn’t like me. 我不喜欢上课. I don’t like to go to class. Let’s take a look at some more examples of 喜欢 and 不喜欢.
- 兰兰，我特别喜欢吃川菜。你喜欢吗？／我不太喜欢，川菜太辣了。我喜欢吃上海菜。
- 儿子，看，我给你买了件运动服。你喜欢吗？／哇，真漂亮，我太喜欢了。
Let’s take a look at 上课. 上 in this case means to attend, just like 上学 means to attend school.
When Mike and 小明 were trying to get to school a couple of shows ago, we covered a verb 去, 去学校 to get to school, to go to school. 上 is attend 上学, 上课.
If you need to add an adjective to 上课, it goes in between 上 and 课, just like adding math to attend class. You attend math class, right. 上英语课, 上数学课.
- 哎，兰兰，今天下午上什么课啊？／嗯，我看看。今天下午上英语课和体育课。／有体育课啊，太棒啦！
- 阿姨，请问兰兰在家吗？／小明啊。兰兰不在，她去上钢琴课了。
当然. Of course. this is pretty straightforward. Its use is essentially the same as English “of course.” Notice though that in today’s dialogue it came up as 当然了. 兰兰 asked Mike 今天你们老师留作业了吗? School’s over when the dialogue takes place, so 兰兰 is referring to what has already passed. Hence the use of 了 in her question. So Mike’s response needs to follow 兰兰’s pattern. And this is why he says 当然了, 每科都留了, 很多作业.
- 小明，今天晚上你愿意来看我的钢琴表演吗？／当然了，这是我的荣幸。
你们喜欢作业吗? Do you all like homework? 我今天不留作业. I won’t leave you with any today.
If you want to review anything we’ve covered though, feel free to check out our website. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, leave us some feedback. 不要忘了, don’t forget. 好的, we’re out of time today, but I shall see you all very very soon. 加油 everyone, 下次见, see you next time.
