别玩手机了 Put Down Your Phone

晚上wǎnshang吃饭chī fàn的de时候shíhou，我wǒ儿子érzi在zài看kàn手机shǒujī。

At dinner in the evening, my son was looking at his phone.

我wǒ说shuō：“别bié玩wán手机shǒujī了le，快kuài吃chī吧ba，菜cài都dōu冷lěng了le。”

I said: "Put the phone down and eat — the food is getting cold."

他tā说shuō：“等děng一下yíxià，我wǒ的de朋友péngyou在zài等děng我wǒ。”

He said: "Just a moment, my friend is waiting for me."

我wǒ告诉gàosu他tā，每天měi tiān看kàn手机shǒujī太tài长cháng时间shíjiān，眼睛yǎnjing会huì很hěn累lèi。

I told him that looking at a phone too long every day makes your eyes tired.

他tā听tīng了le以后yǐhòu，就jiù不bú看kàn手机shǒujī了le。

After he heard that, he stopped looking at his phone.

那天nà tiān晚上wǎnshang我们wǒmen说shuō了le很多hěn duō话huà，我wǒ觉得juéde非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng。

That evening we talked a lot, and I felt really happy.

我wǒ想xiǎng，以后yǐhòu吃饭chī fàn的de时候shíhou，大家dàjiā都dōu别bié看kàn手机shǒujī了le。

I think that from now on, none of us should look at a phone during meals.

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Key words 生词

别biédon't

玩wánto play with

告诉gàosuto tell

眼睛yǎnjingeye

等děngto wait

就jiùthen; right away

别…了 — stop doing that

别 + verb + 了 asks somebody to STOP something they are already doing: 别玩手机了, 别说了. Without 了 it is a plain 'don't do it'.

别玩手机了，快吃吧。 — Put the phone down and eat.

在 + verb — happening right now

Put 在 before the verb for an action in progress: 他在看手机, 朋友在等我. 正在 means the same and is a little stronger.

我的朋友在等我。 — My friend is waiting for me.

…以后，就… — after …, right away

以后 follows the first action (听了以后 = after hearing), and 就 before the second verb shows it happened immediately.

他听了以后，就不看手机了。 — After hearing that, he stopped looking at his phone.

1. What is the son doing at dinner?

2. What does the father say happens if you look at a phone too long?

3. What does the son do after listening to his father?

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.