Speak and Write Language Series
Unit III — 学习、工作和社区 · Unit III — Learning, Work, and Community
12

工作、责任和邮件

Volume II, Chapter 12: Work, Responsibilities, and Email · Speak and Write Mandarin Chinese: Everyday Independence and Connected Communication

Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives

This chapter continues Unit III by moving from learning methods toward work, responsibilities, and workplace-adjacent written communication. You will talk about tasks you are responsible for, describe a typical day at work or in a part-time job, and write your first short formal email in Chinese. The chapter introduces 应该, 得, and 必须 — three related but distinct ways of expressing obligation — and teaches the basic structure of a polite, task-oriented email.

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. Distinguish 应该 (should), 得 (have to, in speech), and 必须 (must) when describing obligations.
  2. Describe your responsibilities at work, school, or home.
  3. Talk about a typical workday, including tasks, schedule, and coworkers.
  4. Write a short formal email requesting information or reporting a problem.
  5. Use appropriate opening and closing phrases in a formal written message.

Communication Scenario

You have a part-time job or internship and need to communicate with a supervisor about your schedule and responsibilities. You will discuss what you are responsible for, compare it with a coworker's experience, and write a short formal email asking about next week's schedule.

  1. You will listen to a short conversation between two coworkers discussing their responsibilities.
  2. You will read a short formal email between an employee and a supervisor.
  3. You will write your own short formal email asking about a schedule or reporting a small problem.
  4. You will speak with a partner about your responsibilities at work, school, or home.
生词 — Core Vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

ChinesePinyinFunctionMeaningExample
工作gōngzuòverb/nounto work; job, work我在一家公司工作。
责任zérènnounresponsibility这是我的责任。
同事tóngshìnouncoworker我的同事很热心。
经理jīnglǐnounmanager经理今天不在办公室。
安排ānpáiverb/nounto arrange; arrangement, schedule下星期的安排还没定。
任务rènwunountask这个任务不太难。
完成wánchéngverbto complete我得今天完成这个任务。
开会kāihuìverb phraseto have a meeting我们下午两点开会。
加班jiābānverbto work overtime这星期我得加班两次。
请假qǐngjiàverb phraseto request time off我想请假一天。
邮件yóujiànnounemail请查一下这封邮件。
回复huífùverb/nounto reply; reply请尽快回复我。
通知tōngzhīverb/nounto notify; notice请通知我开会的时间。
尽快jǐnkuàiadverbas soon as possible请尽快告诉我。
麻烦máfanadjective/verbtroublesome; to trouble (someone)麻烦您回复一下。

Receptive only: the model email below includes a few fixed formal-email phrases (such as 您好 as a formal greeting and 此致敬礼 as a very formal closing). These are glossed and may be used as formulaic openings and closings, but their internal grammar is not a productive target at this stage.

发音和读写 — Pronunciation and Literacy Focus

Pronunciation and Literacy Focus

  • Tone pair practice: 责任 (zérèn) moves from second tone to falling tone — keep the second syllable from flattening out.
  • Neutral tone review: the second syllable of 麻烦 is light and short; contrast it with the fuller tone of 安排, where both syllables carry full tones.
  • Typing: practice typing longer strings through Pinyin input for full sentences, including selecting the correct characters when the IME offers several candidates for common syllables like an and ren.

No new handwriting characters are introduced beyond the productive inventory already scheduled through Chapter 11.

语法 — Grammar and Sentence Patterns

Grammar and Sentence Patterns

1. Expressing Obligation: 应该, 得, and 必须

All three words can be translated with English "should" or "must," but they differ in strength and in how they are used.

应该 — what is generally advisable or expected; a recommendation or moral/social expectation.
你应该跟经理谈谈这个问题。
Nǐ yīnggāi gēn jīnglǐ tántan zhège wèntí.
You should talk to your manager about this problem.

得 (děi) — a personal necessity, common in speech; something you have to do because of the situation.
我今天得加班。
Wǒ jīntiān děi jiābān.
I have to work overtime today.

必须 — a strong, often official or rule-based obligation; stronger and more formal than 得.
员工必须准时上班。
Yuángōng bìxū zhǔnshí shàngbān.
Employees must arrive at work on time.

A useful test: if you are giving advice or describing what is generally expected, use 应该. If you are describing a personal necessity in casual speech, use 得. If you are stating a firm rule or official requirement, use 必须. In everyday conversation, 应该 and 得 overlap somewhat, but 必须 always signals something stronger and less optional.

2. Describing Responsibilities

Use 负责 (to be responsible for) or 的责任是 (the responsibility is) to describe what someone is in charge of.

我负责回复客户的邮件。
Wǒ fùzé huífù kèhù de yóujiàn.
I'm responsible for replying to customer emails.

3. Talking About a Typical Workday

Combine time expressions (from earlier chapters) with work vocabulary to describe a sequence of daily tasks.

我每天九点上班，先看邮件，然后开会，下午完成经理安排的任务。
Wǒ měitiān jiǔ diǎn shàngbān, xiān kàn yóujiàn, ránhòu kāihuì, xiàwǔ wánchéng jīnglǐ ānpái de rènwu.
I start work at nine every day. First I check email, then I have a meeting, and in the afternoon I complete the tasks my manager has assigned.

4. Basic Formal Email Structure

A short formal email in Chinese typically follows this pattern: a formal greeting, a brief statement of purpose, the specific request or information, a polite closing request, and a formal sign-off.

您好，
我想请问一下下星期的工作安排。麻烦您尽快回复我，谢谢！
Nín hǎo, wǒ xiǎng qǐngwèn yíxià xià xīngqī de gōngzuò ānpái. Máfan nín jǐnkuài huífù wǒ, xièxie!
Hello, I'd like to ask about next week's work schedule. Sorry to trouble you, but could you reply as soon as possible? Thank you!

对话 — Model Dialogue

Model Dialogue

Context: two coworkers discussing responsibilities before the end of the workday, semi-formal register

陈明：你今天的任务都完成了吗？
丽丽：差不多了。我负责回复客户的邮件，今天回复了十几封。你呢？
陈明：我得先开会，然后才能开始做经理安排的报告。
丽丽：你应该早一点告诉经理，这个报告得花很多时间。
陈明：对，我打算写一封邮件问问她，能不能晚一天交。
丽丽：好主意。别忘了邮件要写得客气一点。
陈明：我知道，公司的员工必须注意邮件的礼貌。
丽丽：没错，这一点很重要。

Chen Ming: Have you finished all your tasks today? Lili: Almost. I'm responsible for replying to customer emails — I replied to a dozen or so today. What about you? Chen Ming: I have to go to a meeting first, and only then can I start the report my manager assigned. Lili: You should tell your manager earlier — this report is going to take a lot of time. Chen Ming: Right, I'm planning to write her an email asking whether I can turn it in a day late. Lili: Good idea. Don't forget the email needs to be written politely. Chen Ming: I know — employees at this company must pay attention to politeness in email. Lili: That's right, that point is important.

练习 — Guided Practice

Guided Practice

1. Choose 应该, 得, or 必须 to complete each sentence:

  1. 员工＿准时上班，这是公司的规定。
  2. 我今天＿加班，因为任务还没完成。
  3. 你＿多休息，别太累了。

2. Complete each sentence with 负责, 安排, 完成, or 通知:

  1. 我＿回复客户的邮件。
  2. 请＿我开会的时间。

3. Rewrite the following note as the opening two sentences of a short formal email:

  1. 你想问经理：下星期几号开会？（请用"您好"开头，用"请问"提问）
听力练习 — Listening Practice

Listening Practice

Listening script for independent use. Read aloud slowly, then at a natural pace, or have a fluent speaker record it.

对话 — Conversation:
女：你今天的责任是什么？
男：我负责通知同事开会的时间，还得完成经理安排的报告。
女：报告得什么时候交？
男：应该是星期五，可是我觉得时间不够，我打算给经理写邮件，问问能不能晚一天。
女：好主意，不过邮件得写得客气一点。
男：我知道，我会说"麻烦您"和"谢谢"。

QuestionAnswer
男的负责什么？______
报告应该什么时候交？______
男的打算做什么？______
口语练习 — Speaking Practice

Speaking Practice

控制性练习 — Controlled practice

With a partner, take turns saying one thing you 应该 do, one thing you 得 do this week, and one thing that is 必须 true in a rule you know (at school, work, or home).

交际任务 — Communicative task: 我的责任

Interview a partner about their responsibilities at work, school, or home: what they are responsible for, what a typical day looks like, and what they should do better. Then switch roles.

独立练习 — Solo alternative

Record yourself describing a typical workday or school day, including at least one responsibility and one obligation using 应该, 得, or 必须.

阅读练习 — Reading Practice

Reading Practice

Read the short formal email exchange, then answer the comprehension questions.

经理您好，
我想请问一下下星期的工作安排。我记得应该是星期五交报告，可是我这星期得完成的任务比较多，可能需要多一天时间。请问我能不能星期一早上交？麻烦您尽快回复我，谢谢！

小李回复：
你好，可以星期一早上交，但是必须在十点以前。谢谢你提前通知我。
Hello Manager, I'd like to ask about next week's work schedule. I remember the report should be due on Friday, but I have a lot of tasks to complete this week and may need an extra day. Could I turn it in Monday morning instead? Sorry to trouble you — could you reply as soon as possible? Thank you! — Reply: Hello, Monday morning is fine, but it must be before ten o'clock. Thank you for letting me know in advance.
  1. 员工本来应该什么时候交报告？
  2. 员工为什么想晚一天交？
  3. 经理同意了吗？有什么条件？
写作练习 — Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop

Write a short formal email (five to eight sentences) to a supervisor, teacher, or landlord, either asking for information or reporting a small problem.

写作任务 — Writing task: Type your email with Pinyin input. Your email must include:

  1. A formal greeting, such as 您好.
  2. A clear statement of purpose, using 请问 or 我想.
  3. A description of a responsibility or task, using 负责 or 任务.
  4. At least one sentence with obligation, using 应该, 得, or 必须.
  5. A polite closing request, using 麻烦您 and 谢谢.

修改清单 — Editing checklist:

  • 应该, 得, and 必须 are each used correctly and not interchanged.
  • The greeting and closing match a formal, respectful register.
  • The email states its purpose clearly within the first two sentences.
  • Chinese punctuation (，。？！) is used correctly throughout.

Culture and Communication

Culture Note — Politeness in workplace email

In many Mandarin-speaking workplace and academic contexts, a short formal email tends to open with a greeting and a brief statement of purpose before making a request, rather than beginning directly with the request itself. Phrases like 麻烦您 ("sorry to trouble you") and 谢谢 at the end are common softening devices. This pattern is common but not universal — expectations vary by workplace, generation, and individual relationship, so it is worth observing how colleagues and supervisors write before assuming a fixed rule.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating 必须 as a casual "should": 必须 signals a strong, often rule-based obligation, not a mild suggestion — use 应该 for suggestions.
  • Using 得 in very formal writing: 得 is common in speech; formal written requests more often use 应该 or 需要.
  • Starting a formal email directly with a request: a brief greeting and purpose statement usually comes first.
  • Omitting a polite closing: a bare request without 谢谢 or a closing phrase can sound abrupt in a formal email.

Chapter Summary

This chapter introduced 应该, 得, and 必须 for expressing obligation, along with vocabulary for describing work, responsibilities, and daily tasks. You practiced describing a typical workday, discussing responsibilities with a partner, and writing a short, polite formal email that states its purpose clearly and closes appropriately.

Chapter Review

部分 A — 语法复习 (Grammar Review)

1. Choose 应该, 得, or 必须:

  1. 这是公司的规定，员工＿准时上班。

2. Complete with 负责 or 安排:

  1. 我＿回复邮件，经理＿开会的时间。

部分 B — 阅读 (Reading)

1. Return to the email exchange above and answer:

  1. 经理同意员工星期一交报告，但是有什么条件？

部分 C — 写作 (Writing)

1. Write your five-to-eight-sentence formal email, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist above.

部分 D — 口语 (Speaking)

1. Complete the 我的责任 interview with a partner or recording.

Recognition Check

Say each of the following aloud and confirm accurate tones and connected phrasing: 我负责回复邮件, 我今天得加班, 员工必须准时上班, 你应该早一点告诉经理. If any of these feel uncertain, review the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section before continuing to Chapter 13.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 12 Performance Task

我的责任 — My Responsibilities

Complete the following four connected tasks.

  1. Listen to the conversation and complete the listening table above.
  2. Read the formal email exchange and answer the comprehension questions.
  3. Write your own short formal email, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist.
  4. Speak through the 我的责任 interview with a partner, recording, or instructor.

Answer Key

Guided Practice

  1. a. 必须   b. 得   c. 应该
  2. a. 负责   b. 通知
  3. 经理，您好，请问下星期几号开会？ (Hello Manager, may I ask what day the meeting is next week?)

Listening Practice

  • He's responsible for notifying coworkers of the meeting time and completing the report his manager assigned.
  • It should be turned in on Friday.
  • He plans to email his manager to ask if he can turn it in a day late.

Reading Practice

  1. Friday.
  2. He has more tasks to complete this week and needs extra time.
  3. Yes; he can turn it in Monday morning, but it must be before ten o'clock.

Chapter Review — 部分 A

  1. 必须
  2. 负责 / 安排

Chapter Review — 部分 B

必须在十点以前交。 (It must be turned in before ten o'clock.)

Looking Ahead

现在你会做什么 — What you can do now

You can distinguish 应该, 得, and 必须, describe your responsibilities at work, school, or home, talk about a typical workday, and write a short, polite formal email.

继续前进：第十三章 — Continuing on: Chapter 13

Chapter 13, 公共信息和通知 (Public Information and Notices), continues Unit III by introducing public notices, signs, formal vocabulary, and recognition of 被, moving from workplace communication toward public and institutional information.