爸爸工作 Dad Goes to Work

我wǒ爸爸bàba在zài商店shāngdiàn工作gōngzuò。

My dad works at a store.

他tā早上zǎoshang七点qī diǎn去qù商店shāngdiàn。

He goes to the store at seven in the morning.

中午zhōngwǔ他tā不bù回家huí jiā，在zài商店shāngdiàn吃饭chī fàn。

At noon he does not go home; he eats at the store.

晚上wǎnshang六点liù diǎn，他tā回家huí jiā。

At six in the evening, he goes home.

爸爸bàba很hěn忙máng，他tā很hěn喜欢xǐhuan他tā的de工作gōngzuò。

Dad is very busy, and he likes his job a lot.

我wǒ也yě想xiǎng去qù他tā的de商店shāngdiàn看看kànkan。

I also want to go take a look at his store.

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Key words 生词

工作gōngzuòto work; job

商店shāngdiànstore; shop

中午zhōngwǔnoon

回家huí jiāto go home

忙mángbusy

点diǎno'clock

在 + place + verb — where an action happens

In Chinese the place phrase comes before the verb: 在商店工作 (at-store work), the opposite order from English 'work at the store'.

我爸爸在商店工作。 — My dad works at a store.

Time before the verb

Time words like 早上七点 come before the verb, and usually right after the subject.

他早上七点去商店。 — He goes to the store at seven in the morning.

不 — negation

Put 不 before the verb to say 'not'. Before a fourth-tone syllable it is read bú, elsewhere bù.

中午他不回家。 — At noon he does not go home.

1. Where does Dad work?

2. What time does Dad go to the store in the morning?

3. Where does Dad eat at noon?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.