你结婚了吗 Are You Married in Chinese

我wǒ换huàn了le新xīn工作gōngzuò，第一天dì yī tiān上班shàngbān，一个yí ge同事tóngshì就jiù问wèn我wǒ：“你nǐ结婚jiéhūn了le吗ma？”

I started a new job, and on my first day at work, a colleague asked me right away: "Are you married?"

我wǒ觉得juéde有点儿yǒudiǎnr奇怪qíguài，因为yīnwèi在zài我的wǒ de国家guójiā，这样zhèyàng的de问题wèntí一般yìbān不bú会huì随便suíbiàn问wèn别人biéren。

I felt it was a little strange, because back in my country, this kind of question isn't usually asked so casually.

但是dànshì，我wǒ发现fāxiàn同事tóngshì们men互相hùxiāng问wèn，这zhè很hěn正常zhèngcháng。

But I found that my colleagues asked each other the same thing — it was very normal.

我wǒ说shuō：“没有méiyǒu，还hái没méi结婚jiéhūn，你nǐ呢ne？”

I said: "No, not married yet — how about you?"

她tā说shuō：“我wǒ也yě是shì，才cái二十èrshí多duō岁suì，不bù着急zháojí。”

She said: "Me neither — I'm only in my twenties, no rush."

中午zhōngwǔ吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou，她tā说shuō想xiǎng给gěi我wǒ介绍jièshào一个yí ge朋友péngyou，还hái给gěi我wǒ看kàn了le一张yì zhāng照片zhàopiàn。

At lunch, she said she wanted to introduce a friend to me, and even showed me a photo.

我wǒ看了看kànlekàn照片zhàopiàn，说shuō：“他tā看起来kànqǐlai不错búcuò，谢谢xièxie你nǐ。”

I took a look at the photo and said: "He looks pretty good — thanks."

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

Key words 生词

结婚jiéhūnto get married

正常zhèngchángnormal

着急zháojíanxious; in a hurry

介绍jièshàoto introduce

随便suíbiàncasually; at will

奇怪qíguàistrange

一般不会 + verb (usually wouldn't...)

一般不会 + verb says something doesn't usually happen — used here to say what people wouldn't normally ask back home.

这样的问题一般不会随便问别人。— This kind of question isn't usually asked so casually.

给 + person + 介绍 (to introduce someone to someone)

给 + person + 介绍 + (a friend) means to introduce that person to someone — a common offer in Chinese social life.

她说想给我介绍一个朋友。— She said she wanted to introduce a friend to me.

才 + number (only; just)

才 placed before a number emphasizes that the number is small — 'only twenty-something.'

我也是，才二十多岁。— Me neither — I'm only in my twenties.

1. What did the coworker ask on the narrator's first day at the new job?

2. How did the narrator feel about being asked this question?

3. What did the coworker offer to do at lunch?

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.