习惯和变化
Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
In Chapter 2, you learned to describe people you know and keep your reference to them clear across several sentences. This chapter shifts to describing yourself — specifically, how your daily habits have changed. You will contrast what you used to do with what you do now, mark a change directly with the particle 了, and expand your control of 不 and 没/没有 so you can talk about habits you no longer have, habits you have not yet started, and things you still do not do.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe a habit or routine using 习惯 and related vocabulary.
- Contrast a past habit with a present one using 以前 and 现在.
- Mark a change in situation using change-of-state 了.
- Distinguish 不 (general negation) from 没/没有 (negation of a past or completed situation) in statements about habits.
- Ask and answer questions about how someone's routine has changed over time.
Communication Scenario
This week's activity in the online exchange group is "我的习惯变了" (My Habits Have Changed). Members post about one habit that has changed since they started their current situation — moving to a new place, starting a new class, or beginning a new routine.
- You will read 大卫's post about how his morning routine changed after moving into the dorm.
- You will listen to 安娜 describe how her study habits changed after meeting 玛丽.
- You will write your own "我的习惯变了" post.
- You will speak with a partner about a habit of yours that has changed.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter adds vocabulary for describing habits, change, and the pace of change over time. All new items are productive and will recur throughout Volume II.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Part/Function | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 习惯 | xíguàn | noun/verb | habit; to be used to | 这是我的新习惯。This is my new habit. |
| 改变 | gǎibiàn | verb | to change (something) | 我改变了我的习惯。I changed my habit. |
| 变化 | biànhuà | noun | a change | 我的生活有很多变化。My life has many changes. |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | adverb | already | 我已经习惯了。I am already used to it. |
| 后来 | hòulái | adverb | afterward; later on | 后来我不这样做了。Afterward I stopped doing it this way. |
| 一直 | yìzhí | adverb | all along; continuously | 我一直七点起床。I've always gotten up at seven. |
| 有时候 | yǒu shíhou | adverb phrase | sometimes | 我有时候很忙。Sometimes I am very busy. |
| 慢慢 | mànmàn | adverb | slowly; gradually | 我慢慢习惯了。I gradually got used to it. |
Recycled Volume I and Chapter 1–2 vocabulary — 以前、现在、每天、常常、朋友、宿舍、认识 — is used throughout this chapter and is not retaught in full.
Pronunciation Review
This chapter introduces no new sounds. Use the checklist below to confirm control of familiar sound patterns in new words.
- The neutral tone in the second syllable of 习惯 (xíguàn) and 有时候 (yǒu shíhou).
- Third-tone sandhi in 已经 (yǐjīng) when it begins a sentence, and in 很有意思 (hěn yǒuyìsi)-type phrases.
- Keeping the fourth tone crisp and falling in 变化 (biànhuà) and 改变 (gǎibiàn) — do not let it flatten into a neutral tone.
- The repeated-syllable rhythm of 慢慢 (mànmàn): both syllables keep a full, though softened, second-tone-to-tone contour rather than reducing to neutral tone.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns: Contrasting Habits, Marking Change, and Expanding 不/没
This chapter's core task is describing how something used to be true and is no longer true, or was not true before and has become true. Mandarin marks this contrast with time words and with the sentence-final particle 了, which signals a change of state — a different function from the completion use of 了 you have already studied.
Pattern 1 — Past habit vs. present habit: 以前..., 现在...
以前我每天很晚睡觉，现在我十一点睡觉。 Yǐqián wǒ měitiān hěn wǎn shuìjiào, xiànzài wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào. Before, I went to bed very late every day; now I go to bed at eleven.
Time words open the clause they belong to. Do not insert 是 between the time word and the rest of the sentence — Mandarin does not need a linking verb here.
Pattern 2 — Change-of-state 了
我习惯了。 Wǒ xíguàn le. I've gotten used to it (I wasn't before, but now I am).
我现在不喝咖啡了。 Wǒ xiànzài bù hē kāfēi le. I don't drink coffee anymore (I used to, but not now).
Here, 了 sits at the end of the sentence and marks that the overall situation has changed, not that an action was completed. This is a different function from the perfective 了 you practiced in Volume I. Note that 不...了 together mean "not anymore," a very common change-of-state pattern.
Pattern 3 — Expanding 不 and 没/没有 for habits
我不喝咖啡。 Wǒ bù hē kāfēi. I don't drink coffee (general habit/fact).
我以前没(有)习惯早起。 Wǒ yǐqián méi(yǒu) xíguàn zǎo qǐ. I wasn't used to getting up early before.
我还没习惯这儿的天气。 Wǒ hái méi xíguàn zhèr de tiānqì. I still haven't gotten used to the weather here.
Use 不 for a general, ongoing habit or fact. Use 没 or 没有 when describing a state that had not yet come about, often together with 还 (still/yet) or 以前 (before). Keep this distinct from the negative-ability forms 不会/不能/不可以 you learned in Chapter 2 — those describe skill, circumstance, and permission, not habit.
You may also recycle 不会/不能/不可以 when a change involves ability or permission, for example 我以前不会做饭，现在我会了 (I couldn't cook before; now I can). Notice how 了 attaches to the end of the whole sentence to mark that this ability is new.
Model Dialogue
安娜和大卫 — Anna and David:
安娜：大卫，你的生活习惯改变了很多吗？
大卫：改变了不少。以前我每天很晚睡觉，现在我十一点就睡觉了。
安娜：为什么变了？
大卫：因为我的邻居王先生一直七点起床，我也慢慢习惯了早睡早起。
安娜：真的吗？我还没习惯这儿的生活呢。
大卫：别担心，后来你也会习惯的。你有什么习惯改变了吗？
安娜：有时候我想家，但是我已经不像以前那么想家了。
This dialogue integrates the past/present contrast (以前...现在...), change-of-state 了 (改变了, 习惯了, 不...了), and the 不/没 contrast (还没习惯) within a natural exchange about changing routines.
Guided Practice
练习一 — Exercise 1: Combine each pair of sentences into a past/present contrast using 以前...，现在...
- 我以前七点起床。我现在八点起床。
- 她以前不喜欢喝茶。她现在很喜欢喝茶。
- 我们以前常常去图书馆。我们现在很少去图书馆。
练习二 — Exercise 2: Add 了 to mark a change of state, and translate your new sentence.
- 我现在不喝咖啡＿。
- 他慢慢习惯＿。
- 我以前不会做饭，现在我会＿。
练习三 — Exercise 3: Fill in the blank with 不 or 没(有).
- 我一直＿喝咖啡。 (general habit)
- 我还＿习惯这儿的天气。 (not yet)
- 她以前＿喜欢运动，但是现在很喜欢。 (state before now)
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or fluent speaker to read the passage below aloud twice at a natural pace before answering.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read it aloud yourself, slowly at first, then at a natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Mandarin speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
安娜的学习习惯 — Anna's Study Habits:
以前我常常一个人学习中文，也常常很晚才做作业。后来我认识了玛丽，我们开始一起学习。现在我们每天下午一起复习生词、练习说话。我已经习惯了跟朋友一起学习，一个人学习的时候，我觉得没有以前那么有意思了。我还没习惯每天早上学习，但是我在慢慢改变。
听力任务 — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 安娜以前怎么学习中文？ (How did Anna used to study Chinese?) | ______ |
| 安娜现在跟谁一起学习？ (Who does Anna study with now?) | ______ |
| 安娜已经习惯了什么？ (What has Anna already gotten used to?) | ______ |
| 安娜还没习惯什么？ (What has Anna not yet gotten used to?) | ______ |
Speaking Practice
控制性练习 — Controlled practice: guided interview
With a partner, take turns asking and answering: 你以前几点睡觉？你现在几点睡觉？你的习惯改变了吗？你已经习惯了这儿的生活吗？
交际任务 — Communicative task: 我的习惯变了
With a partner, take turns describing one habit that has changed for you. Include an 以前...现在... contrast, at least one change-of-state 了, and one correct use of 不 or 没/没有. Ask a follow-up question about your partner's habit.
独立练习 — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing a habit you used to have and one you have now, explaining why or how the change happened.
Reading Practice
Read the short passage below, then answer the comprehension questions. Pinyin support remains reduced, as in Chapters 1 and 2; rely on familiar characters and context.
理解问题 — Comprehension questions:
- 大卫以前几点睡觉，几点起床？
- 大卫为什么开始早睡早起？
- 大卫现在几点睡觉，几点起床？
- 大卫觉得改变习惯容易不容易？
Writing Workshop
Write a connected paragraph of five to seven sentences titled 我的习惯变了, describing one habit of yours that has changed.
写作任务 — Writing task: Type your paragraph with Pinyin input if possible, or handwrite the characters you have already been assigned for handwriting. Your paragraph must include:
- An opening sentence naming the habit you are describing, using 习惯 or 变化.
- A past/present contrast using 以前...，现在....
- At least one change-of-state 了 used accurately.
- At least one correct use of 不 or 没/没有, distinguishing general habit from a not-yet-true state.
- A connected sentence that continues your topic without repeating the subject unnecessarily, recycling your reference skills from Chapter 2.
- A closing sentence giving your opinion about the change.
修改清单 — Editing checklist:
- All six required elements are present and connected, not a disconnected list of sentences.
- Time words such as 以前 and 现在 open their clause rather than following 是.
- 了 is used to mark change of state, not confused with the perfective use of 了 for a single completed action.
- 不 and 没/没有 are not confused with one another.
- A Chinese period (。) ends each sentence, and commas (，) separate connected clauses.
Culture and Communication
In many Mandarin-speaking contexts, discussing changes in daily routine — sleep schedule, meals, exercise, or study habits — is a common and comfortable small-talk topic among friends, classmates, and neighbors, and is often framed in terms of gradually "getting used to" (习惯) a new environment rather than as a sudden decision. How much detail people share about personal routines, and how directly they discuss habits they consider unhealthy or undisciplined, varies by relationship, generation, and individual personality.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Inserting 是 before a time word: say 以前我很晚睡觉, not a form that inserts 是 between the time word and the rest of the sentence.
- Confusing change-of-state 了 with perfective 了: 我习惯了 means "I've become used to it" (a new state), not "I completed a habit."
- Using 不 where 没/没有 is needed: a state that has not yet come about, especially with 还 (still/yet), takes 没 or 没有, not 不.
- Confusing habit negation with ability negation: 不喝咖啡 (doesn't drink coffee, a habit) is different from 不会/不能/不可以, which describe skill, circumstance, or permission.
Chapter Summary
This chapter developed your ability to describe how your habits have changed. You added vocabulary for habits, change, and the pace of change, learned to contrast past and present routines with 以前 and 现在, used change-of-state 了 to mark a shift in situation, and expanded your control of 不 versus 没/没有 for habitual versus not-yet-true states. No major new grammar system beyond controlled change-of-state 了 and expanded negation was introduced.
Chapter Review
部分 A — 语法复习 (Grammar Review)
1. Combine into a past/present contrast using 以前...，现在...:
- 他以前不喜欢运动。他现在很喜欢运动。
2. Choose the correct negation word:
- 我还＿（不 / 没）习惯这儿的天气。
部分 B — 阅读 (Reading)
1. Return to the reading passage about 大卫's routine above and answer:
- 大卫觉得改变习惯容易吗？
部分 C — 写作 (Writing)
1. Write your five-to-seven-sentence "我的习惯变了" paragraph, following the Writing Workshop steps above.
部分 D — 口语 (Speaking)
1. Complete the guided interview and the "我的习惯变了" task with a partner or recording.
Recognition Check
Say each of the following aloud and confirm accurate tones and connected phrasing: 以前我很晚睡觉，现在我早睡了, 我已经习惯了, 我还没习惯这儿的天气, 我现在不喝咖啡了. If any of these feel uncertain, review this chapter before continuing to Chapter 4.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 3 Performance Task
我的习惯变了 — My Habits Have Changed
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to Anna's description of her changed study habits and complete the listening table above.
- Read David's passage about his changed sleep schedule and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own five-to-seven-sentence "我的习惯变了" paragraph, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist.
- Speak through the guided interview and the "我的习惯变了" task with a partner, recording, or instructor.
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Exercise 1
- 以前我七点起床，现在我八点起床。
- 她以前不喜欢喝茶，现在她很喜欢喝茶。
- 我们以前常常去图书馆，现在我们很少去图书馆。
Guided Practice — Exercise 2
- 我现在不喝咖啡了。 (I don't drink coffee anymore.)
- 他慢慢习惯了。 (He gradually got used to it.)
- 我以前不会做饭，现在我会了。 (I couldn't cook before; now I can.)
Guided Practice — Exercise 3
- 不
- 没
- 不
Listening
- Before, Anna often studied Chinese alone and often did homework very late.
- Anna now studies together with Mary every afternoon.
- Anna has already gotten used to studying together with a friend.
- Anna has not yet gotten used to studying every morning, but she is gradually changing.
Reading — Comprehension
- Before, David went to bed very late and got up very late.
- David started going to bed early and getting up early because of his neighbor, Mr. Wang, who has always gotten up at seven.
- David now goes to bed at eleven and gets up at seven-thirty.
- David feels that although it wasn't easy at first, it is no longer difficult; change is possible but takes time.
Chapter Review — 部分 A
- 他以前不喜欢运动，现在他很喜欢运动。
- 没
Chapter Review — 部分 B
David feels that although changing a habit wasn't easy at first, it became less difficult afterward, and he believes change is possible with time.
Looking Ahead
现在你会做什么 — What you can do now
You can describe a habit using 习惯 and related vocabulary; contrast a past habit with a present one using 以前 and 现在; mark a change of state with 了; and distinguish 不 from 没/没有 when talking about habits and routines.