手表和时间 The Watch and Time

我wǒ丈夫zhàngfu有yǒu一yí块kuài旧jiù手表shǒubiǎo，是shì他tā爸爸bàba给gěi他tā的de。

My husband has an old watch that his father gave him.

这zhè块kuài手表shǒubiǎo每天měi tiān慢màn五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng。

The watch runs five minutes slow every day.

所以suǒyǐ他tā每天měi tiān都dōu问wèn我wǒ：“现在xiànzài几jǐ点diǎn了le？”

So every day he asks me: "What time is it now?"

昨天zuótiān早上zǎoshang他tā看kàn手表shǒubiǎo是shì七qī点diǎn，但是dànshì时间shíjiān已经yǐjīng是shì七qī点diǎn十shí分fēn了le。

Yesterday morning his watch said seven o'clock, but it was actually already ten past seven.

他tā到dào公司gōngsī的时候de shíhou，大家dàjiā都dōu开始kāishǐ工作gōngzuò了le。

By the time he got to the office, everyone had already started working.

我wǒ对duì他tā说shuō：“买mǎi一yí块kuài新xīn手表shǒubiǎo吧ba，不bú贵guì。”

I said to him: "Buy a new watch — they're not expensive."

他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“不bù买mǎi！这zhè是shì爸爸bàba的de手表shǒubiǎo。从cóng明天míngtiān开始kāishǐ，我wǒ早zǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr起床qǐchuáng！”

He smiled and said: "No! This is Dad's watch. Starting tomorrow, I'll just get up a little earlier!"

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

Key words 生词

手表shǒubiǎowristwatch

时间shíjiāntime

丈夫zhàngfuhusband

慢mànslow

开始kāishǐto start; to begin

起床qǐchuángto get up

…的时候 (when…)

Put 的时候 after a phrase to mean 'when / by the time that…', e.g. 吃饭的时候 (while eating).

他到公司的时候，大家都开始工作了。 — By the time he got to the office, everyone had started working.

从…开始

从 + time + 开始 means 'starting from…', e.g. 从今天开始 (starting today).

从明天开始，我早一点儿起床！ — Starting tomorrow, I'll get up a little earlier!

已经…了 (already)

已经 pairs with sentence-final 了 to say something has already happened or is already the case.

时间已经是七点十分了。 — It was already ten past seven.

1. Where did the husband's watch come from?

2. What is wrong with the watch?

3. What is the husband's plan?