照顾生病的朋友 Caring for a Sick Friend

上shàng个gè星期六xīngqīliù早上zǎoshang，同事tóngshì小李Xiǎo Lǐ给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎ diànhuà，他tā的de声音shēngyīn听起来tīng qǐlai很hěn奇怪qíguài。

Last Saturday morning my colleague Xiao Li called me, and his voice sounded strange.

他tā说shuō他tā生病shēngbìng了le，从cóng昨天zuótiān晚上wǎnshang就jiù开始kāishǐ发烧fāshāo，一yí个gè人rén在zài家jiā，什么shénme东西dōngxi都dōu没méi吃chī。

He said he had fallen ill and had been running a fever since last night; he was home alone and hadn't eaten a thing.

我wǒ有点儿yǒudiǎnr担心dānxīn，马上mǎshàng去qù超市chāoshì买mǎi了le水果shuǐguǒ和hé面条miàntiáo，然后ránhòu骑qí自行车zìxíngchē去qù他tā家jiā。

I was a bit worried, so I went straight to the supermarket, bought fruit and noodles, and rode my bike over to his place.

到dào了le他tā家jiā，我wǒ发现fāxiàn房间fángjiān里lǐ很hěn冷lěng，桌子zhuōzi上shang放fàng着zhe他tā昨天zuótiān买mǎi的de药yào。

When I got there, I found the room was cold, and the medicine he had bought the day before was still sitting on the table.

我wǒ先xiān把bǎ房间fángjiān打扫dǎsǎo了le一下yíxià，又yòu给gěi他tā做zuò了le一yì碗wǎn热rè面条miàntiáo。

First I tidied the room up a bit, then I made him a bowl of hot noodles.

他tā吃chī着zhe面条miàntiáo，笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ，你nǐ真zhēn是shì我wǒ最zuì好hǎo的de朋友péngyou。”

Eating his noodles, he smiled and said: "Thank you — you really are my best friend."

下午xiàwǔ我wǒ跟gēn他tā一起yìqǐ去qù医院yīyuàn检查jiǎnchá，医生yīshēng说shuō问题wèntí不bú大dà，好好hǎohǎo休息xiūxi几jǐ天tiān就jiù行xíng了le。

In the afternoon I went with him to the hospital for a check-up; the doctor said it was nothing serious and a few days' good rest would be enough.

现在xiànzài他tā已经yǐjīng健康jiànkāng了le，还hái说shuō以后yǐhòu我wǒ生病shēngbìng的de时候shíhou，他tā也yě一定yídìng会huì好好hǎohǎo照顾zhàogù我wǒ。

He is well again now, and he says that next time I get sick he will definitely take good care of me too.

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

Key words 生词

照顾zhàogùto look after; to care for

生病shēngbìngto fall ill

担心dānxīnto worry

打扫dǎsǎoto clean; to tidy up

声音shēngyīnvoice; sound

检查jiǎncháto check; to have a check-up

把 + object + verb + 了一下 — the 把 construction

把 moves the object in front of the verb to show what you did to it. The verb cannot stand bare — it needs something extra such as 了一下, 完 or 好.

我先把房间打扫了一下。 — First I tidied the room up a bit.

verb + 着 — ongoing state or manner

着 after a verb shows a state that continues (放着 = is lying there) or how a second action is done (笑着说 = said with a smile).

桌子上放着他昨天买的药。 — The medicine he bought yesterday was lying on the table.

跟……一起 + verb — to do sth together with sb

跟 introduces the person you do something with, and 一起 sits right before the verb. 和 can replace 跟 with no change in meaning.

下午我跟他一起去医院检查。 — In the afternoon I went to the hospital with him for a check-up.

1. How did the narrator find out that his colleague was sick?

2. What did the narrator buy at the supermarket?

3. What did the doctor say?