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Address someone and make a request
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| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| title | 称谓 |
| permission | 许可 |
A useful situation
- Your goal: Use a suitable title and ask permission politely.
- Before you start, recall people’s names, teacher老师 for teacher and simple questions with (yes/no ?)吗. Use the person’s preferred form of address; permission and instructions are different actions.
我可以进来吗？可以 means may or can, and 进来 means come in. In a classroom entrance situation, what is the speaker doing?
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可以…吗 asks whether entry is allowed in this situation. It is a request for permission, not proof that permission has been granted. Wait for the reply.
Words you will use
- teacher老师 lǎoshī — teacher. to rule王teacher老师。
- may / can with permission可以 kěyǐ — may / can with permission. I / me我may / can with permission可以come in进来(yes/no ?)吗？
- come in进来 jìnlái — come in. to ask请come in进来。
- do not, instruction别 bié — do not, instruction. do not, instruction别to speak说话。
- late晚 wǎn — late. 我来late晚(completed / change)了。
Match each word with its meaning in this unit.
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Use the example sentences to check each word’s meaning in context.
Build the meaning
- A surname normally comes before a role title: to rule王teacher老师, Teacher Wang. Use a title suited to the person and situation.
- may / can with permission可以……(yes/no ?)吗？ asks permission; to ask请 introduces a polite request. do not, instruction别…… gives a negative instruction.
Work through a decision: A visitor says plum李teacher老师，I / me我may / can with permission可以to sit坐here这里(yes/no ?)吗 — Teacher Li, may I sit here? The surname plum李 comes before the role teacher老师. The visitor asks about sitting in this place; a reply may / can with permission可以，to sit坐(suggestion)吧 permits it. A question alone does not establish the answer or the person’s preferred title in every setting.
Compare a plausible mistake: to ask请come in进来 invites someone in; do not, instruction别come in进来 tells them not to enter. to ask请 can make a request courteous, but tone, relationship and context still matter. Do not treat recognising a polite word as permission to ignore a negative instruction.
Do not translate English first-name classroom address automatically into every Chinese setting. Use the person’s preferred form of address.
Complete “May I come in?”: 我____进来吗？
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可以……吗 asks permission.
A teacher replies 可以，请进来。别说话。可以 permits entry, 请进来 means please come in and 别说话 means do not talk. First separate permission from the restriction. Which action is allowed?
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可以，请进来 allows entry, while 别说话 restricts talking. Entry permission does not cancel the following instruction. The teacher has not refused entry.
Listen for a fresh detail
- Listen before revealing the script.
- Replay if you need to. This is practice: if playback is unavailable, use the script as reading and return to listening on a device with Mandarin playback.
Show the listening script and meaning
plum李teacher老师，I / me我may / can with permission可以to sit坐here这里(yes/no ?)吗？
Teacher Li, may I sit here?
What permission is requested?
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坐这里 asks to sit here, not to enter.
Read a different account
林安来late晚(completed / change)了。she / her她variant of 说说：“to rule王teacher老师，I'm sorry对不起。I / me我may / can with permission可以come in进来(yes/no ?)吗？”to rule王teacher老师variant of 说说：“may / can with permission可以，to ask请come in进来。do not, instruction别to speak说话。”
- The reading and listening have different details. Use the material for the question you are answering.
- Read once for the situation, then again for the relevant detail. Reveal help when needed.
Show the reading meaning
Lin An arrives late. She apologises to Teacher Wang and asks to come in. The teacher permits her and asks her not to talk.
What does the teacher ask Lin An not to do?
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别说话 is a negative instruction about speaking.
王老师 says 现在不能进来，请在门口等一下。门口 means doorway and 等 wait. What should the visitor understand?
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现在不能进来 refuses entry now, and 请在门口等一下 asks the visitor to wait at the doorway. It does not permit immediate entry or establish a permanent ban. Keep the time limit and the requested waiting place.
Speak, write, and review
- Address Teacher Li, ask to come in, and respond when permission is given.
- Record yourself privately or work with a partner. First try without the model, then compare the meaning and structure; a text checker cannot assess your pronunciation.
A: plum李teacher老师，I / me我may / can with permission可以come in进来(yes/no ?)吗？ B: may / can with permission可以，to ask请come in进来。 A: to thank谢谢。
- Write a polite request to sit here, using a surname and title.
- Tomorrow, recall a permission question and two different replies. A few days later, change the action and add a time limit such as now. Explain what the visitor can do and what remains undecided.
Use a suitable title and ask permission politely. Use the examples as support, then try a fresh version. Completing these exercises records practice, not a guarantee of mastery.
Practise this unit’s words and skills · Choose the next guided unit
Write a polite request to sit here, using a surname and title.
Compare the meaning and structure with the checklist. Your own response may differ from the model.
Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Write or speak a fictional classroom exchange: address a teacher appropriately, ask permission for a specific action, and give a reply that permits it with one condition or asks the visitor to wait. Explain which action is allowed and which is restricted.
If you treated the question as an approval, locate the reply and revise. If you dropped a negative instruction, identify its verb and state what must not happen. Compare the intended meaning; written self-review cannot judge your tone or pronunciation.