一起做饭 Cooking Together

今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ和hé妻子qīzi一起yìqǐ做饭zuò fàn。

This evening my wife and I cooked together.

她tā洗xǐ菜cài，我wǒ做zuò鸡蛋jīdàn和hé鱼yú。

She washed the vegetables and I made the eggs and the fish.

我wǒ做zuò菜cài的de时候shíhou，她tā在zài旁边pángbiān喝hē茶chá。

While I was cooking, she drank tea next to me.

她tā说shuō：“鱼yú快kuài好hǎo了le，别bié做zuò太tài长cháng时间shíjiān。”

She said: "The fish is almost ready — don't cook it too long."

我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ吃饭chī fàn的de时候shíhou，她tā说shuō今天jīntiān的de菜cài比bǐ饭馆fànguǎn的de好吃hǎochī。

While we were eating, she said today's food was tastier than the restaurant's.

做饭zuò fàn有点儿yǒudiǎnr累lèi，可是kěshì和hé妻子qīzi一起yìqǐ做饭zuò fàn，我wǒ很hěn快乐kuàilè。

Cooking is a little tiring, but cooking together with my wife makes me happy.

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Key words 生词

妻子qīziwife

洗xǐto wash

鸡蛋jīdànegg

旁边pángbiānbeside; next to

饭馆fànguǎnrestaurant

快乐kuàilèhappy

快…了 — about to happen

快 + verb or adjective + 了 says something is on the point of happening: 鱼快好了 (the fish is nearly done), 我快到了 (I'm almost there).

饭快好了。 — Dinner is almost ready.

A 比 B + adjective — comparison

比 puts two things side by side: A 比 B 好吃 = A is tastier than B. Do not add 很 before the adjective.

今天的菜比饭馆的好吃。 — Today's food is tastier than the restaurant's.

…的时候 — when; while

Put the whole action in front of 的时候: 我做菜的时候 = while I was cooking. The main clause tells you whether it is past or present.

我们吃饭的时候，她说了很多话。 — While we were eating, she talked a lot.

1. What does the writer cook?

2. What does the wife do while he is cooking?

3. According to the wife, today's food is tastier than what?

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.