Lesson 13

Video and text
Listening and speaking
Vocabulary
Grammar exercises

Question: Normally it only takes you half an hour by bus, but today it has taken you an hour and a half to reach your friend's home. Explain this to your friend when you arrive on his doorstep.

Hint 1   Use 才 to indicate that the journey took longer than expected
Hint 2   The time measure an hour and a half should be placed after the verbs 走, 用, 要 and 花 to spend
Answer  平 常 坐 车 来 你 家 只 要用 半 个 小 时 ， 可 是 今 天 我 花 了 一 个 半 小 时 才 到 你 家 。 Listen
Comments  Alternatively: 平 常 坐 车 来 你 家 半 个 小 时 就 到 了, 但 是 今 天 花 了 我 一 个 半 小 时 才 到 píngcháng zuò chē lái nĭ jiā bàn ge xiăoshí jiù dào le, dànshi jīntiān huā le wŏ yí ge bàn xiăoshí cái dào. 才 cái  is used to comment on the preceding time word. In the above sentence the speaker thinks that 一 个 半 小 时 yí ge bàn xiăoshí is later than he has expected.
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