Lesson 13

Video and text
Listening and speaking
Vocabulary
Grammar exercises

Question: Your friend is in a hurry to get to the cinema, but does not realise that the film starts in two hours time. Tell him that there is no need to rush.

Hint 1   In two hours should be placed before the verb 开 始
Hint 2   Use 才 to indicate that the film will not start until two hours later
Answer  别 着 急 ， 电 影 两 个 小 时 以 后 才 开 始 呢。 Listen
Comments  Alternatively: 不 用 那 么 早 去, 电 影 两 个 小 时 以 后 才 开 始 呢 bú yòng màme zăo qù, diànyĭng liăng ge xiăoshí yĭhòu cái kāishĭ ne. 呢 ne is used to emphasize something that is going to take place in the future in a 才 cái sentence. It cannot be used in the same way in a 就 jiù sentence. However, the aspectual marker了 is used in a 就 jiù sentence, but not in a 才 cái sentence. For instance, 她 八 点 就 来 学 院 了 tā bā diăn jiù lái xuéyuàn le she came to the college (as early as) 8 o'clock; 他 十 点 半 才 来 学 院 tā shí diăn bàn cái lái xuéyuàn he came to the college as late as 10:30.
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