迟到了 Running Late — HSK 2 Reading

今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang我wǒ起床qǐchuáng晚wǎn了le，已经yǐjīng八点bā diǎn十分shí fēn了le。

This morning I got up late — it was already ten past eight.

九点jiǔ diǎn公司gōngsī开始kāishǐ上班shàngbān，但是dànshì路lù很hěn远yuǎn。

Work starts at nine at my company, but the way there is long.

我wǒ没méi吃chī早饭zǎofàn就jiù出门chūmén了le。

I left home without eating breakfast.

公共汽车gōnggòng qìchē上shang人rén很hěn多duō，车chē开kāi得de也yě很hěn慢màn。

There were a lot of people on the bus, and it was moving very slowly too.

我wǒ九点jiǔ diǎn二十分èrshí fēn到dào公司gōngsī，迟到chídào了le二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng。

I got to the company at nine twenty — twenty minutes late.

我wǒ对duì大家dàjiā说shuō：“对不起duìbuqǐ，我wǒ来lái晚wǎn了le！”

I said to everyone, "Sorry, I'm late!"

从cóng明天míngtiān开始kāishǐ，我wǒ要yào早点儿zǎo diǎnr睡觉shuìjiào，早点儿zǎo diǎnr起床qǐchuáng。

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to go to bed a bit earlier and get up a bit earlier.

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Key words 生词

迟到chídàoto be late

上班shàngbānto go to work

公司gōngsīcompany

已经yǐjīngalready

慢mànslow

大家dàjiāeveryone

没…就… — did B without doing A

没 + verb A + 就 + verb B shows B happened right away, skipping A: 我没吃早饭就出门了.

我没吃早饭就出门了。— I left home without eating breakfast.

从…开始 — starting from…

从 + time + 开始 marks when a new habit or plan begins: 从明天开始, 从今年开始.

从明天开始，我要早点儿起床。— Starting tomorrow, I'll get up a bit earlier.

1. What time did the writer get up?

2. How late was the writer for work?

3. What does the writer plan to do starting tomorrow?

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.