住房和日常问题
Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
Unit II moves from the personal profile of Unit I into independent daily life. This chapter opens that shift with housing: describing where and how you live, and handling the small problems that come up in daily life — something broken, something missing, something that needs fixing. You will expand your ability to talk about location in more detail, learn how to make a clear repair request or service complaint, and take your first controlled step into result complements, a system that will grow across the next several chapters.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe your home, room, and household items using expanded locative phrases.
- Report a household problem clearly and politely to a landlord, roommate, or repair service.
- Make a repair request using appropriate softened and direct forms.
- Recognize simple result complements such as 修好 and 坏了 in context.
- Continue building topic chains and reference cohesion across a short spoken or written exchange about a household issue.
- Complete an integrated listening, speaking, reading, and writing task about housing and a daily problem.
Result complements are introduced here at the recognition level only. You will begin producing them with more independence starting in Chapter 9. For now, focus on recognizing what they mean when you read or hear them.
Communication Scenario
You have just moved into a new apartment. Your building has an online maintenance request system, and your roommate has noticed a few things that need attention. This chapter follows three connected tasks: reading a message from your roommate about a problem, listening to a maintenance office's response, and writing your own repair request.
- You will listen to a short phone message from the building's maintenance office.
- You will read a text message from your roommate, 王雪, about a problem in the apartment.
- You will write a repair request describing the problem and what you need.
- You will speak with a partner, practicing a phone call to report a problem and request a repair.
Core Vocabulary
The words below are productive for this chapter. Entries follow the standard format: character | Pinyin | function | meaning | example.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Function | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 公寓 | gōngyù | noun | apartment | 我住在一个小公寓里。 |
| 房间 | fángjiān | noun | room | 我的房间不太大。 |
| 厨房 | chúfáng | noun | kitchen | 厨房在客厅旁边。 |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | noun | bathroom | 卫生间的灯坏了。 |
| 客厅 | kètīng | noun | living room | 我们常常在客厅看电视。 |
| 房东 | fángdōng | noun | landlord | 我给房东打电话了。 |
| 室友 | shìyǒu | noun | roommate | 我室友说厨房的水管坏了。 |
| 坏 | huài | verb/adj | to be broken; bad | 冰箱坏了。 |
| 修 | xiū | verb | to repair | 谁能来修一下？ |
| 水管 | shuǐguǎn | noun | water pipe | 水管漏水了。 |
| 漏水 | lòushuǐ | verb | to leak (water) | 厨房的水管在漏水。 |
| 灯 | dēng | noun | light, lamp | 卧室的灯不亮了。 |
| 冰箱 | bīngxiāng | noun | refrigerator | 冰箱里没有牛奶了。 |
| 空调 | kōngtiáo | noun | air conditioner | 空调不能用了。 |
| 维修 | wéixiū | noun/verb | maintenance; to service | 维修的人明天来。 |
| 附近 | fùjìn | noun | nearby area | 附近有一个超市。 |
| 楼上 | lóushàng | noun | upstairs | 楼上的邻居很安静。 |
| 楼下 | lóuxià | noun | downstairs | 楼下有一个信箱。 |
| 尽快 | jǐnkuài | adverb | as soon as possible | 请尽快来修一下。 |
| 麻烦 | máfan | adj/verb | troublesome; to trouble someone | 麻烦你帮我看一下。 |
Receptive vocabulary: 插座 (chāzuò, outlet), 物业 (wùyè, property management), and 故障 (gùzhàng, malfunction, formal) may appear in the reading passage for context but are not required for independent production this chapter.
Pronunciation and Literacy Focus
This chapter continues to consolidate tones and tone sandhi already active from Volume II, with special attention to two patterns that appear often in this chapter's vocabulary:
- Third-tone sandhi in 水管 (shuǐguǎn): both syllables are third tone in isolation; in connected speech the first becomes a rising (second-tone-like) contour: shuí guǎn.
- Neutral tone in 房间 (fángjiān) and 麻烦 (máfan): notice that the second syllable of 麻烦 is light and short — do not give it full fourth-tone weight.
Typing focus: this chapter introduces typing through Pinyin input as a controlled productive skill. Practice typing the vocabulary list above using a Pinyin input method, paying attention to selecting the correct character when several characters share the same Pinyin (for example, several characters are pronounced xiū; make sure you select 修 for "repair").
Handwriting is not a required skill for this chapter's vocabulary. Continue handwriting only the characters already scheduled from earlier chapters.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
1. Expanded Location with Locative Phrases
You already know 在 for basic location. This chapter expands the locative phrases that follow it, so you can describe rooms and objects more precisely.
厨房在客厅旁边。
Chúfáng zài kètīng pángbiān.
The kitchen is next to the living room.
冰箱在厨房里面。
Bīngxiāng zài chúfáng lǐmiàn.
The refrigerator is inside the kitchen.
灯在桌子上面。
Dēng zài zhuōzi shàngmiàn.
The lamp is on top of the table.
Form: Subject + 在 + place/object + locative word (旁边, 里面, 上面, 下面, 附近). These locative words function as nouns following the reference point; do not treat them as English prepositions attached directly to the verb.
2. Reporting a Problem with 坏了
坏 can function as an adjective ("bad") or, combined with change-of-state 了, describe something becoming broken or malfunctioning.
冰箱坏了。
Bīngxiāng huài le.
The refrigerator is broken (it has stopped working).
空调不能用了。
Kōngtiáo bù néng yòng le.
The air conditioner can't be used anymore.
Notice that 了 here marks a change of state, not a completed action — a system you already practice from Chapter 3. This chapter simply applies it to household problems.
3. Recognition: Simple Result Complements
A result complement is a second verb or adjective placed directly after the main verb to show the result of the action. This system will not become fully productive until Chapter 9, but you should begin recognizing two very common examples now.
维修的人把灯修好了。
Wéixiū de rén bǎ dēng xiū hǎo le.
The repair person fixed the light (repaired it to completion/success).
水管的问题解决了。
Shuǐguǎn de wèntí jiějué le.
The water pipe problem has been resolved.
For now, treat 修好 ("repaired successfully") as a recognizable two-character unit rather than analyzing 好 as a separate grammatical slot you must produce freely. Full result-complement production begins in Chapter 9.
4. Repair Requests and Polite Directness
Combine 请 with 尽快 and 麻烦 to make a request sound both clear and polite — an important balance in a service request.
请尽快派人来修一下。
Qǐng jǐnkuài pài rén lái xiū yíxià.
Please send someone to repair it as soon as possible.
麻烦你看一下厨房的水管，谢谢。
Máfan nǐ kàn yíxià chúfáng de shuǐguǎn, xièxie.
Sorry to trouble you — please take a look at the kitchen water pipe, thank you.
The verb-一下 pattern (看一下, 修一下) softens a request by suggesting a brief, easy action, and is recycled from earlier chapters.
Model Dialogue
Context: tenant to maintenance office, phone call, service register
维修员：你好，这里是维修中心，请问有什么问题？
房客：你好，我家厨房的水管在漏水，冰箱好像也坏了。
维修员：好的，请问是几号房间？
房客：三零五号。这个情况有点儿麻烦，可以尽快派人来看一下吗？
维修员：没问题，我们今天下午会派人过去。
房客：太好了，谢谢你！
Repairperson: Hello, this is the maintenance center — what's the problem? Tenant: Hi, the water pipe in my kitchen is leaking, and the refrigerator seems to be broken too. Repairperson: Okay, which room number? Tenant: 305. This situation is a bit troublesome — could someone come take a look as soon as possible? Repairperson: No problem, we'll send someone over this afternoon. Tenant: Great, thank you!
Guided Practice
1. Complete each sentence with the correct locative word (旁边 / 里面 / 上面 / 附近):
- 我的房间＿有一个小书桌。 (on top of)
- 超市在我们公寓＿。 (nearby)
- 冰箱＿有牛奶和水果。 (inside)
2. Rewrite each statement as a polite repair request using 请…尽快 or 麻烦你:
- 空调坏了。
- 卫生间的灯不亮了。
Listening Practice
Listening script for independent use. Read aloud slowly, then at a natural pace, or have a fluent speaker record it.
维修中心的电话留言 — Maintenance center voicemail:
你好，这是维修中心的留言。我们收到了你的维修请求，你说厨房的水管在漏水，冰箱也坏了。我们今天下午三点会派人过去看一下，请你在家等一下。如果三点你不在家，请给我们打电话，谢谢。
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 房客报告了什么问题？ | ______ |
| 维修中心几点会派人来？ | ______ |
| 如果房客不在家，应该怎么办？ | ______ |
Speaking Practice
控制性练习 — Controlled practice
With a partner, take turns describing where three objects are in a room using 在…旁边/里面/上面.
交际任务 — Communicative task: 报修电话
Role-play a phone call reporting a household problem. One partner plays the tenant; the other plays the maintenance office. Include a clear problem description, a room number, a polite request using 请…尽快 or 麻烦你, and a closing thank-you.
独立练习 — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing your own home (real or imagined), including at least three locative phrases and one household problem with a repair request.
Reading Practice
Read 王雪's text message to her roommate, then answer the comprehension questions.
- 王雪今天早上发现了什么问题？
- 她已经做了什么？
- 冰箱有什么问题？
- 她请室友做什么？
Writing Workshop
Write a repair request message (six to nine sentences) to your building's maintenance office, responding to the scenario above or describing your own household problem.
写作任务 — Writing task: Type your message with Pinyin input. Your message must include:
- An opening greeting and your room number or address.
- A clear description of the problem, using 坏了, 漏水, or another problem word from this chapter.
- At least one locative phrase describing where the problem is (旁边/里面/上面/附近).
- A polite request using 请…尽快 or 麻烦你.
- A closing sentence, such as a thank-you or a note about when you are available.
修改清单 — Editing checklist:
- The problem is described specifically, not just as "something is wrong."
- 坏了 is used only for something broken/malfunctioning, distinct from 没有 for something missing.
- The locative phrase correctly follows the place or object it describes.
- The request is polite but clear, using 请 or 麻烦你 appropriately.
- Chinese punctuation (。，？) is used correctly throughout.
Culture and Communication
In many Mandarin-speaking contexts, a service or repair request is often softened even when the problem is urgent or frustrating — for example, by adding 麻烦你 ("sorry to trouble you") or a closing 谢谢, rather than stating the problem as a blunt demand. How much softening is expected can vary by relationship, setting, and individual style, but in many formal or service contexts a polite frame around a direct problem description is common and is generally seen as courteous rather than weak or indirect.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing 坏了 with 没有: use 坏了 for something that is broken or malfunctioning, and 没有 for something that is missing or absent.
- Treating locative words like English prepositions: 旁边, 里面, and 上面 function as nouns after the reference point (桌子上面, not a direct equivalent of "on the table" attached to the verb).
- Overanalyzing 修好 too early: at this stage, treat it as a recognizable unit meaning "fixed/repaired successfully" rather than trying to freely build new result-complement combinations — that begins in Chapter 9.
- Dropping politeness markers in a request: a request that is grammatically correct but missing 请, 麻烦你, or a closing 谢谢 can sound abrupt in this context.
Chapter Summary
This chapter introduced housing vocabulary, expanded locative phrases, and the language needed to report a household problem and make a polite repair request. You also began recognizing simple result complements such as 修好, which will become a fully productive system starting in Chapter 9. Typing through Pinyin input became a controlled productive skill this chapter, while handwriting remains limited to previously scheduled characters.
Chapter Review
部分 A — 语法复习 (Grammar Review)
1. Choose the correct locative word:
- 灯在桌子＿。(上面/附近)
2. Choose 坏了 or 没有 to complete the sentence:
- 冰箱里＿牛奶了，我要去买一点儿。
部分 B — 阅读 (Reading)
1. Return to 王雪's message above and answer:
- 王雪已经给谁打电话了？
部分 C — 写作 (Writing)
1. Write your six-to-nine-sentence repair request message, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist above.
部分 D — 口语 (Speaking)
1. Complete the 报修电话 role-play with a partner or recording.
Recognition Check
Say each of the following aloud and confirm accurate tones and connected phrasing: 厨房的水管在漏水, 冰箱坏了, 请尽快派人来修一下, 麻烦你了，谢谢. If any of these feel uncertain, review this chapter before continuing to Chapter 7.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 6 Performance Task
报修 — Reporting a Household Problem
Complete the following four connected tasks.
- Listen to the maintenance center's voicemail and complete the listening table above.
- Read 王雪's message and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own repair request message, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist.
- Speak through the 报修电话 role-play with a partner, recording, or instructor.
Answer Key
Guided Practice
- a. 上面 b. 附近 c. 里面
- Sample answers: a. 空调坏了，麻烦你派人来看一下。 b. 卫生间的灯不亮了，请尽快派人来修一下。
Listening Practice
- The kitchen water pipe is leaking and the refrigerator is broken.
- At three o'clock this afternoon.
- Call the maintenance center.
Reading Practice
- The kitchen water pipe was leaking, and there was water on the floor.
- She called the landlord.
- It is not cold enough inside anymore.
- She asks her roommate to wait at home for the repair person.
Chapter Review — 部分 A
- 上面
- 没有
Chapter Review — 部分 B
王雪已经给房东打电话了。 (Wang Xue already called the landlord.)
Looking Ahead
现在你会做什么 — What you can do now
You can describe your home using expanded locative phrases, report a household problem clearly, make a polite repair request, and recognize simple result complements in context.