| Let's look at the sentence pattern. |
| Do you remember how the character said, |
| "First, pour the water into the pot." |
| and |
| "First, put the eggs in a bowl, not in the pot." |
| 先把水倒入锅里。(Xiān bǎ shuǐ dào rù guō li.) |
| 先放鸡蛋在碗里，别放在锅里。(Xiān fàng jīdàn zài wǎn lǐ, bié fàng zài guō li.) |
| 先把水倒入锅里。(Xiān bǎ shuǐ dào rù guō li.) |
| 先放鸡蛋在碗里，别放在锅里。(Xiān fàng jīdàn zài wǎn lǐ, bié fàng zài guō li.) |
| These sentences follow these patterns here: |
| Pattern 1 |
| Subject + 把 + Object + Verb Phrase |
| Subject + bǎ + Object + Verb Phrase |
| "[Subject] takes [Object] and [does something to it]" |
| Pattern 2 |
| 别 + Verb Phrase |
| Bié + Verb Phrase |
| "Don't + [Verb Phrase]" |
| These structures are often used when you want to give clear, action-oriented instructions — like in recipes or when giving directions. |
| Let's see how the lines from the dialogue use these patterns. |
| 先把水倒入锅里。(Xiān bǎ shuǐ dào rù guō li.) |
| "First, pour the water into the pot." |
| Let's break it down together. |
| 先 (xiān) means "first," telling us the order in which to do something. |
| 把 (bǎ) is used to highlight what object is being acted on — in this case, 水 (shuǐ), meaning "water." |
| 倒入 (dào rù) means "pour into." It's a two-part verb where 倒 (dào) is "to pour" and 入 (rù) adds the sense of "into." |
| 锅里 (guō li) means "in the pot." |
| So altogether, we're saying: |
| "First, take the water, and pour it into the pot." |
| This structure, with Subject + 把 + Object + Verb Phrase, is great for giving clear instructions in Chinese. |
| Next is |
| 先放鸡蛋在碗里，别放在锅里。(Xiān fàng jīdàn zài wǎn lǐ, bié fàng zài guō li.) |
| "First, put the eggs in a bowl, not in the pot." |
| 先 (xiān) means "first," so this tells us the order of the action. |
| 放 (fàng) means "to put." |
| 鸡蛋 (jīdàn) is "eggs." |
| 在碗里 (zài wǎn lǐ) means "in the bowl." So this part is saying "Put the eggs in the bowl first." |
| Then we have the second part: |
| 别 (bié) means "don't." |
| 放在锅里 (fàng zài guō li) means "put them in the pot." |
| So altogether, this sentence clearly tells someone: "Put the eggs in the bowl first, not in the pot." |
| This follows the 别 + Verb Phrase pattern. |
| In Chinese, the word 请 (qǐng) is the literal translation of "please," but it's not used as frequently as in English. |
| While it can be used at the beginning of a polite request—like 请坐 (qǐng zuò) "please sit"—Chinese speakers often rely more on tone, context, and softeners like 一下 (yíxià, "a little bit"). |
| This means that in daily conversation, a request may sound polite without using "please" at all. |
| Using 请 too often or in the wrong context might even sound overly formal or stiff. |
| So while it's important to know the word, it's just as important to learn how to sound polite without always relying on it. |
| Now let's look at some speaking examples. |
| 把水果洗干净。(Bǎ shuǐguǒ xǐ gānjìng.) |
| "Wash the fruit clean." |
| Can you see how the pattern applies here? |
| Let's break it down: |
| We start with 把 (bǎ) — this little word tells us we're doing something to the object that follows. |
| 水果 (shuǐguǒ) means "fruit." |
| 洗 (xǐ) is the verb "to wash." |
| And 干净 (gānjìng) means "clean." |
| Here's another example |
| 别把手机放在水边。(Bié bǎ shǒujī fàng zài shuǐ biān.) |
| "Don't put your phone near the water." |
| 别把手机放在水边。(Bié bǎ shǒujī fàng zài shuǐ biān.) |
| "Don't put your phone near the water." |
| Let's try one more, |
| 把玩具收拾好。(Bǎ wánjù shōushi hǎo.) |
| "Put the toys away properly." |
| 把玩具收拾好。(Bǎ wánjù shōushi hǎo.) |
| "Put the toys away properly." |
| Another one. |
| 别用热水洗衣服。(Bié yòng rè shuǐ xǐ yīfu.) |
| "Don't use hot water to wash clothes." |
| 别用热水洗衣服。(Bié yòng rè shuǐ xǐ yīfu.) |
| "Don't use hot water to wash clothes." |
| One last example. |
| 把桌子擦一下。(Bǎ zhuōzi cā yīxià.) |
| "Wipe the table down." |
| 把桌子擦一下。(Bǎ zhuōzi cā yīxià.) |
| "Wipe the table down." |
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