当然 Of Course in Chinese

星期六xīngqīliù晚上wǎnshang，外面wàimiàn突然tūrán下雨xiàyǔ了le，我wǒ在zài家里jiāli看kàn电视diànshì。

Saturday evening, it suddenly started raining outside, and I was at home watching TV.

邻居línjū忘了wàngle带dài伞sǎn，站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu，问wèn我wǒ：“可以kěyǐ借jiè一yì把bǎ雨伞yǔsǎn吗ma？”

My neighbor forgot her umbrella and stood at the door, asking me: "Can I borrow an umbrella?"

我wǒ说shuō：“当然dāngrán可以kěyǐ，你nǐ等一下děngyíxià。”

I said: "Of course you can, just wait a moment."

我wǒ给gěi她tā拿ná了le一yì把bǎ雨伞yǔsǎn，她tā说shuō谢谢xièxie，就jiù走zǒu了le。

I fetched her an umbrella, she said thanks, and left.

第二天dì'èrtiān，天气tiānqì很hěn好hǎo，邻居línjū把bǎ伞sǎn还给huángěi我wǒ，还hái带dài来lái了le一些yìxiē水果shuǐguǒ。

The next day, the weather was nice, and my neighbor returned the umbrella and also brought some fruit.

我wǒ说shuō：“你nǐ太tài好hǎo了le，谢谢xièxie。”

I said: "You're so kind, thank you."

中午zhōngwǔ我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ吃chī水果shuǐguǒ，还hái聊天liáotiān。

At noon we ate the fruit together and chatted 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

当然dāngránof course

邻居línjūneighbor

借jièto borrow

雨伞yǔsǎnumbrella

还给huángěito return (something) to

聊天liáotiānto chat

当然 (of course)

当然 answers a request or question with confident, easy agreement — "of course", "sure", "naturally".

当然可以，你等一下。— Of course you can, just wait a moment.

把 + object + verb (the 把-construction)

把 moves the object in front of the verb to emphasize what happens to it — 把伞还给我 means "return the umbrella to me."

邻居把伞还给我。— The neighbor returned the umbrella to me.

可以 + verb + 吗？ (asking permission)

可以 + verb + 吗 is a simple, polite way to ask if you're allowed to do something.

可以借一把雨伞吗？— Can I borrow an umbrella?

1. Why does the neighbor come to the narrator's door?

2. How does the narrator respond to the neighbor's request?

3. What happens the next day?

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.