真的吗 Really in Chinese

朋友péngyou打电话dǎ diànhuà给gěi我wǒ，说shuō要yào送sòng我wǒ一个yí ge新xīn手机shǒujī。

My friend calls me and says he wants to give me a new phone.

我wǒ说shuō：“真的zhēnde吗ma？你nǐ怎么zěnme有yǒu两liǎng个gè手机shǒujī？”

I say: "Really? How come you have two phones?"

他tā说shuō：“这zhè是shì我wǒ姐姐jiějie的de，她tā买mǎi了le新xīn的de，不要bú yào这个zhège了le。”

He says: "This one is my sister's — she bought a new one and doesn't want this one anymore."

我wǒ还hái不bù懂dǒng，问wèn：“真的zhēnde可以kěyǐ给gěi我wǒ吗ma？”

I still don't quite get it, so I ask: "Can you really give it to me?"

他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“真的zhēnde，明天míngtiān我wǒ就jiù带dài来lái给gěi你nǐ。”

He smiles and says: "Really, I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

后来hòulái他tā真的zhēnde带dài来lái了le手机shǒujī，给gěi了le我wǒ，我wǒ笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ！”

Afterward, he really did bring the phone and gave it to me — I smile and say: "Thank you!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

真的zhēndereally; for real

送sòngto give (as a gift)

给gěito give

姐姐jiějieolder sister

懂dǒngto understand

带dàito bring

真的吗？（confirming surprising news）

Ask 真的吗 when you hear something hard to believe, to check whether it's really true.

真的吗？你怎么有两个手机？— Really? How come you have two phones?

真的（yes, really）

真的 alone answers 真的吗, confirming that something really is the case.

他说：真的，明天我就带来给你。— He says: Really, I'll bring it to you tomorrow.

送 + person + thing（to give someone something）

送 puts the receiver right after the verb, then the gift — no 给 needed in between.

朋友说要送我一个新手机。— My friend says he wants to give me a new phone.

1. What does 真的吗 express here?

2. Why does the friend have two phones?

3. When does the friend say he will bring the phone?

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.