离家很近 Close to Home

我wǒ的de公司gōngsī离lí我wǒ家jiā很hěn近jìn，走路zǒulù只要zhǐyào十分钟shí fēnzhōng。

My company is very close to my home — it only takes ten minutes to walk.

我wǒ每天měitiān不用bú yòng坐车zuò chē，也yě不用bú yòng骑qí自行车zìxíngchē，走着zǒuzhe去qù上班shàngbān就jiù可以kěyǐ。

Every day I don't need to take a car or ride a bicycle — I can just walk to work.

我wǒ的de同事tóngshì住zhù得de很hěn远yuǎn，每天měitiān都dōu要yào坐zuò一个小时yí ge xiǎoshí的de车chē。

My coworker lives far away — every day he has to ride in the car for an hour.

他tā常常chángcháng说shuō，他tā很hěn想xiǎng住zhù在zài公司gōngsī附近fùjìn。

He often says he really wants to live near the company.

我wǒ不用bú yòng早起zǎoqǐ，我wǒ觉得juéde自己zìjǐ很hěn幸运xìngyùn。

I don't need to get up early — I feel very lucky.

下班xiàbān以后yǐhòu，我wǒ很快hěn kuài就jiù到家dào jiā了le，可以kěyǐ早点儿zǎodiǎnr休息xiūxi。

After I get off work, I'm home very quickly, so I can rest a bit earlier.

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Key words 生词

离lífrom; away from

近jìnnear; close

附近fùjìnnearby; vicinity

幸运xìngyùnlucky

下班xiàbānto get off work

早点儿zǎodiǎnra bit earlier

A 离 B + 近/远 — distance between two places

离 marks the reference point when talking about distance: A 离 B 近/远 means 'A is close to/far from B.'

我的公司离我家很近。— My company is close to my home.

V + 得 + adjective — degree complement

得 links a verb to a description of how it's done or its degree: 住得很远 = 'lives far away.'

我的同事住得很远。— My coworker lives far away.

不用 — 'don't need to'

不用 + verb means there's no need to do something — different from 不能 ('cannot') or 不要 ('don't want to'): 不用坐车 = 'no need to take a car.'

我每天不用坐车。— Every day I don't need to take a car.

1. How long does it take the writer to walk to work?

2. How does the writer's coworker get to work?

3. Why does the writer feel lucky?

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.