算了 Forget It in Chinese

星期六xīngqīliù下午xiàwǔ，我wǒ在zài电影院diànyǐngyuàn门口ménkǒu等děng朋友péngyou，我们wǒmen三点sān diǎn见面jiànmiàn。

Saturday afternoon, I was waiting for a friend at the cinema entrance; we were meeting at three.

已经yǐjīng迟到chídào了le半个小时bàn ge xiǎoshí，他tā还hái没méi来lái，我wǒ心里xīnli很hěn着急zháojí。

He was already half an hour late and still hadn't come; I felt anxious.

我wǒ一直yìzhí看kàn手机shǒujī，心里xīnli想xiǎng：“这次zhè cì一定yídìng要yào问wèn他tā为什么wèishénme迟到chídào。”

I kept checking my phone, thinking to myself: this time I have to ask him why he's late.

快kuài四点sì diǎn的时候de shíhou，他tā终于zhōngyú到dào了le，说shuō因为yīnwèi堵车dǔchē才cái迟到chídào。

Close to four o'clock, he finally arrived and said he was only late because of traffic.

我wǒ看kàn他tā一直yìzhí说shuō对不起duìbuqǐ，看起来kànqǐlái很hěn着急zháojí。

I watched him apologize over and over, looking anxious.

我wǒ说shuō：“算了suànle，电影diànyǐng还hái没méi开始kāishǐ，我们wǒmen快kuài进去jìnqù吧ba。”

I said: "Never mind, the movie hasn't started yet, let's hurry in."

进jìn了le电影院diànyǐngyuàn，他tā买mǎi了le两liǎng杯bēi水shuǐ，一yì杯bēi给gěi我wǒ。

Inside, he bought two bottles of water and handed one to me.

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

Key words 生词

算了suànleforget it; never mind

迟到chídàoto be late

着急zháojíanxious; worried

堵车dǔchētraffic jam

对不起duìbuqǐsorry

心里xīnliin one's heart; inwardly

算了 (never mind / forget it)

算了 is said when you decide to drop a complaint or a plan instead of pushing it further — it marks giving up on being upset.

算了，电影还没开始，我们快进去吧。— Never mind, the movie hasn't started yet, let's hurry in.

因为...才... (only because of X)

才 placed after a reason clause stresses that the reason is exactly why something happened, as if nothing else could explain it.

他说因为堵车才迟到。— He said he was only late because of the traffic.

心里想 (to think to oneself)

心里想 introduces a thought that isn't spoken out loud, often followed by what the person was actually thinking.

心里想：这次一定要问他为什么迟到。— I thought to myself: this time I have to ask him why he's late.

1. What does the narrator keep doing while waiting?

2. Why was the friend late?

3. What does the narrator decide to do in the end?

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.