Chapter 19

可以

可以(ke3yi3) is a auxiliary verb used to express the meaning “to be permitted” or “can, be able to”. It means that someting is allowed, for example by law, and does not speak about physical ability. It is used in a sentence as follows:

我可以坐这儿吗？- Can I sit here?/ Am I allowed to sit here?

你的房间里有可以上网吗？- Does your room have access to the internet?

In order to answer these question, one uses 可以 in an affirmative answer and 不能/不行 for a negative answer.

Examples:

你可以坐这儿。- You can sit here.

我的房间里可以上网。- My room has accsess to the internet.

你不能坐这儿。- You are not allowed to sit here.

我的房间里不能上网。- My room can not access the internet.

Short versions of these answers coule be just 可以/不能/不行/不可以, used depending on the situation.

可以, just like 会 and 能, is a modal verb. Those three have partially overlapping uses, as detailed below.

A indicates ability, as in mental or physical ability. One has the knowledge to do a thing.

B is used in permissions and for requests.

C is used for possibility

D is used when a permission is not granted

E is used if something is impossible, usually because of a physical component (being sick, e.g.)

不错

不错 (bu4cuo4) means “not bad”. In order to speak of the quality of something, there are quite a few words one can utilize, here sorted from best to worst.

非常好 fei1chang2hao3 - great, amazing

很好 hen3hao3 - very good

挺好的 ting3hao3de - good

不错 bu4cuo4 - not bad

不可以 bu4ke3yi3 - not too bad

马马虎虎 ma3ma3hu3hu3 - not too bad (literally horse horse tiger tiger. same quality as 不可以）

一般 yi1ban1 - not too bad (same quality as above)

不太好 bu4tai4hao3 - not too good

不好 bu4hao3 - not good

做饭

做饭 (zuo4fan4) means to cook something. Different types of dishes are called 菜 （cai4), which is also the word for vegetable.

Different types of foods are:

中国菜 - Chinese food

奥地利菜 - Austrian food

意大利菜 (Yi4da4li4) - Italian food

家的房间

A flat can have many different rooms.Thus it is important to know a few key rooms every flat has:

厨房 chu2fang2 - kitchen

厕所 ce4suo3 - toilet, lavatory

浴室 yu4shi4 - bathroom, shower room

房子 fang2zi - house, apartment

卫生间 wei4shieng1jian1 - toilet, washroom

A few additional words that might help describe your home further:

客房 ke4fang2 - room

客厅 ke4ting1 - living room

餐厅 can1ting1 - dining hall (can also mean restaurant)

书房 shu1fang2 - study

办公室 ban4gong1shi4 - office

门厅 men2ting1 - entrance hall

卧室 - wo4shi4 - bedroom

阳台 yang2tai2 - balcony

地下室 - di4xia4shi4 - cellar, basement

衣帽间 yi1mao4jian1 - cloakroom

储藏室 chu3cang2chi4 - storage room

花园 hua1yuan2 - garden

游泳池 you2yong3chi2 - swimming pool

Many of these rooms either use the term 厅 or 房. 室 is also used sometimes. All of these are words that refer to a type of room.