classroom
In the Classroom
Speaking up in your own language class: asking how a character is read and written, asking why a sentence uses 了, admitting you are lost, apologising for being late, asking for leave, and finding out what the homework is.
Essential phrases
In the order you are likely to need them. Play each one, repeat it, and read the note underneath — knowing when to say a sentence matters as much as saying it correctly.
老师好！老師好！
Lǎoshī (third tone, dipping) hǎo! (third tone, dipping)
Good morning, teacher!
When to use it
What you say as the teacher comes in, often with the whole class together. Teachers are addressed as 老师 or 姓 + 老师 (王老师), never by their given name alone.
老师，我可以问一个问题吗？老師，我可以問一個問題嗎？
Lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) wèn (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) wèntí (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Teacher, may I ask a question?
When to use it
The polite way in. Raise your hand and say this rather than launching straight into the question; in a language class questions are welcome, but the frame comes first.
这个字怎么读？這個字怎麼讀？
Zhège (fourth tone, falling) zì (fourth tone, falling) zěnme (third tone, dipping) dú? (second tone, rising)
How is this character read?
When to use it
Point at the character in the textbook as you ask. 字 (zì) is a single character and 词 (cí) is a word made of one or more characters — asking with the right one gets you the right answer.
这个词是什么意思？這個詞是什麼意思？
Zhège (fourth tone, falling) cí (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) yìsi? (fourth tone, falling)
What does this word mean?
When to use it
The most useful sentence in the room, and one you should get comfortable saying without hesitating. Teachers usually answer in Chinese with a simpler word or an example sentence rather than a translation.
老师，这个字的笔顺是什么？老師，這個字的筆順是什麼？
Lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) zhège (fourth tone, falling) zì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) bǐshùn (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme? (second tone, rising)
Teacher, what is the stroke order of this character?
When to use it
笔顺 (bǐshùn) is the order in which strokes are written, and it is taken seriously: it affects how the character looks, how fast you write, and whether handwriting-recognition input finds it.
老师，请您再说一遍，好吗？老師，請您再說一遍，好嗎？
Lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) qǐng (third tone, dipping) nín (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) yí (second tone, rising) biàn, (fourth tone, falling) hǎo (third tone, dipping) ma? (neutral tone)
Teacher, could you say that once more, please?
When to use it
Ask the first time you lose the thread, not the third. 一遍 (yí biàn) counts repetitions of something said or read from beginning to end, and 好吗 softens the request.
这句话为什么用“了”？這句話為什麼用“了”？
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) jù (fourth tone, falling) huà (fourth tone, falling) wèishénme (fourth tone, falling) yòng (fourth tone, falling) “le”? (neutral tone)
Why does this sentence use 了?
When to use it
A precise question gets a precise answer. Naming the exact element you are asking about — 了, 把, 的 — is far more productive than saying you do not understand the sentence.
这个语法我还是不太明白，能再举个例子吗？這個語法我還是不太明白，能再舉個例子嗎？
Zhège (fourth tone, falling) yǔfǎ (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) háishi (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) tài (fourth tone, falling) míngbai, (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) jǔ (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) lìzi (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
I still do not quite understand this grammar point — could you give another example?
When to use it
The most useful thing to ask for is another example, not another explanation. 举例子 (jǔ lìzi) means to give an example, and 还是 here means “still”, admitting politely that the first attempt did not land.
对不起，我迟到了，可以进来吗？對不起，我遲到了，可以進來嗎？
Duìbuqǐ, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) chídào (second tone, rising) le, (neutral tone) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) jìnlái (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Sorry, I am late — may I come in?
When to use it
Say it at the door, briefly, and take the nearest seat. A short apology and asking permission is expected; a long explanation in the doorway is not.
老师，我今天不舒服，想请一天假。老師，我今天不舒服，想請一天假。
Lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jīntiān (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) shūfu, (first tone, high and level) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) qǐng (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) tiān (first tone, high and level) jià. (fourth tone, falling)
Teacher, I am unwell today — I would like to ask for a day off.
When to use it
请假 (qǐngjià) means asking for leave, and it splits: 请一天假, 请两天假. Send the message before the class starts rather than explaining afterwards, and attendance is usually recorded.
今天的作业是什么？什么时候交？今天的作業是什麼？什麼時候交？
Jīntiān (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) zuòyè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme? (second tone, rising) Shénme (second tone, rising) shíhou (second tone, rising) jiāo? (first tone, high and level)
What is today’s homework, and when is it due?
When to use it
Ask both halves together — 交 (jiāo) is the verb for handing work in. Homework is normally announced at the end of the lesson and posted in the class WeChat group, so check there too.
老师，这次考试考哪几课？老師，這次考試考哪幾課？
Lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) zhè (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) kǎoshì (third tone, dipping) kǎo (third tone, dipping) nǎ (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) kè? (fourth tone, falling)
Teacher, which lessons does this test cover?
When to use it
哪几课 asks “which lessons” — a small plural question that gets you a list of chapter numbers. Teaching follows the textbook closely, so the answer is genuinely the syllabus for the test.
同学，可以借我看一下你的笔记吗？同學，可以借我看一下你的筆記嗎？
Tóngxué, (second tone, rising) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) jiè (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) yíxià (second tone, rising) nǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) bǐjì (third tone, dipping) ma? (neutral tone)
Excuse me — could you lend me your notes for a moment?
When to use it
同学 (tóngxué) is how you address a classmate whose name you do not know, and it is friendly rather than distant. Asking to borrow notes after an absence is completely routine.
Cultural notes
A Chinese language classroom is textbook-led and briskly paced. The teacher works through the — the lesson text — line by line, with reading aloud, dictation () of the new vocabulary, drills on the day’s grammar pattern, and short exercises done on the spot; the same will be revisited in the test, which is why is a real question with a real answer. Everyone who works at the university is addressed as , and your own teacher is or surname + — using a given name alone would be strange even with a young teacher you get on well with. Students are called on by name and are expected to answer promptly; a short answer given immediately is worth more than a perfect sentence assembled slowly, and a wrong answer corrected on the spot is entirely normal and carries no shame. Questions from students are welcome in a language class, but the convention is to raise a hand and open with ， rather than interrupting. Attendance is usually recorded, so absence is arranged in advance by — a short message to the teacher before the lesson, giving the reason — rather than explained afterwards. Homework is set at the end of the lesson and handed in () at the start of the next; announcements, homework and file-sharing go through the class WeChat group, which is the single thing you cannot afford not to check daily. In many classes one student is a , the class representative for the subject, who collects homework and relays messages between the teacher and the group. Handwriting still matters: stroke order () is taught explicitly and characters are written by hand in exercises even in the age of phone input.
These notes describe common practice, not rules. Requirements and procedures differ between cities, institutions and years — confirm anything procedural with the office, clinic or company itself.
Vocabulary
No word list has been attached to this scenario yet. Every phrase above is searchable word by word in the dictionary, and tapping a word inside the tutor role-play adds it to your review queue.
Dictionary →Offline phrase card
Everything else on this page is hidden when you print. What comes out is the card below: Chinese, pinyin and your language, in the order you need them — one page that works with no signal.
HSK Guide · Offline phrase card
In the Classroom
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老师好！老師好！
Lǎoshī hǎo!
Good morning, teacher!
老师，我可以问一个问题吗？老師，我可以問一個問題嗎？
Lǎoshī, wǒ kěyǐ wèn yí ge wèntí ma?
Teacher, may I ask a question?
这个字怎么读？這個字怎麼讀？
Zhège zì zěnme dú?
How is this character read?
这个词是什么意思？這個詞是什麼意思？
Zhège cí shì shénme yìsi?
What does this word mean?
老师，这个字的笔顺是什么？老師，這個字的筆順是什麼？
Lǎoshī, zhège zì de bǐshùn shì shénme?
Teacher, what is the stroke order of this character?
老师，请您再说一遍，好吗？老師，請您再說一遍，好嗎？
Lǎoshī, qǐng nín zài shuō yí biàn, hǎo ma?
Teacher, could you say that once more, please?
这句话为什么用“了”？這句話為什麼用“了”？
Zhè jù huà wèishénme yòng “le”?
Why does this sentence use 了?
这个语法我还是不太明白，能再举个例子吗？這個語法我還是不太明白，能再舉個例子嗎？
Zhège yǔfǎ wǒ háishi bú tài míngbai, néng zài jǔ ge lìzi ma?
I still do not quite understand this grammar point — could you give another example?
对不起，我迟到了，可以进来吗？對不起，我遲到了，可以進來嗎？
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le, kěyǐ jìnlái ma?
Sorry, I am late — may I come in?
老师，我今天不舒服，想请一天假。老師，我今天不舒服，想請一天假。
Lǎoshī, wǒ jīntiān bù shūfu, xiǎng qǐng yì tiān jià.
Teacher, I am unwell today — I would like to ask for a day off.
今天的作业是什么？什么时候交？今天的作業是什麼？什麼時候交？
Jīntiān de zuòyè shì shénme? Shénme shíhou jiāo?
What is today’s homework, and when is it due?
老师，这次考试考哪几课？老師，這次考試考哪幾課？
Lǎoshī, zhè cì kǎoshì kǎo nǎ jǐ kè?
Teacher, which lessons does this test cover?
同学，可以借我看一下你的笔记吗？同學，可以借我看一下你的筆記嗎？
Tóngxué, kěyǐ jiè wǒ kàn yíxià nǐ de bǐjì ma?
Excuse me — could you lend me your notes for a moment?