着急的一天 A Stressful Day

今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang，我的wǒ de闹钟nàozhōng没有méiyǒu响xiǎng，我wǒ起qǐ晚wǎn了le半个小时bàn ge xiǎoshí。

This morning, my alarm clock didn't ring, and I got up half an hour late.

我wǒ马上mǎshàng起床qǐchuáng，可是kěshì找不到zhǎo bu dào钥匙yàoshi，非常fēicháng着急zháojí。

I immediately got out of bed, but I couldn't find my key, and I was extremely anxious.

出门chūmén的时候de shíhou，外面wàimiàn正在zhèngzài下xià大雨dàyǔ，我wǒ没有méiyǒu带dài伞sǎn。

When I went out, it was raining hard outside, and I hadn't brought an umbrella.

我wǒ跑pǎo到dào车站chēzhàn，可是kěshì公共汽车gōnggòng qìchē已经yǐjīng开kāi走zǒu了le。

I ran to the bus stop, but the bus had already driven off.

我wǒ只好zhǐhǎo打车dǎchē去qù公司gōngsī，可是kěshì路上lùshang车chē很多hěn duō，走zǒu得de很hěn慢màn。

I had no choice but to take a taxi to the office, but there were a lot of cars on the road, and we moved very slowly.

到dào了le公司gōngsī，我wǒ发现fāxiàn今天jīntiān开会kāihuì的de时间shíjiān改gǎi了le，其实qíshí我wǒ一点儿yìdiǎnr都dōu不用búyòng着急zháojí。

When I arrived at the office, I discovered that today's meeting time had changed, and actually I didn't need to worry at all.

同事tóngshì看到kàndào我wǒ又yòu累lèi又yòu急jí，都dōu笑xiào了le。

My colleagues saw that I was both tired and anxious, and they all laughed.

虽然suīrán这zhè一天yì tiān很hěn着急zháojí，但是dànshì最后zuìhòu很hěn顺利shùnlì。

Although this day was stressful, in the end everything went smoothly.

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

Key words 生词

闹钟nàozhōngalarm clock

钥匙yàoshikey

伞sǎnumbrella

只好zhǐhǎohave no choice but to

其实qíshíactually

顺利shùnlìsmoothly; successfully

只好 (have no choice but to)

只好 shows the speaker is forced to take an action because there is no better option.

我只好打车去公司。

又……又……(both ... and ...)

又 before each of two adjectives or verbs shows both qualities or actions are true at once.

同事看到我又累又急。

虽然……但是……(although ... but ...)

Introduces a fact that contrasts with what follows, showing a concession.

虽然这一天很着急，但是最后很顺利。

1. 今天早上为什么起晚了？

2. 出门的时候天气怎么样？

3. 到了公司才发现什么？

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.