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?

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.