堵车 Stuck in Traffic in Chinese

上shàng个gè星期五xīngqīwǔ，朋友péngyou请qǐng我wǒ去qù饭馆fànguǎn吃饭chīfàn，因为yīnwèi那天nà tiān是shì她tā的de生日shēngrì。

Last Friday, my friend invited me to a restaurant for dinner, because it was her birthday.

我wǒ五wǔ点diǎn就jiù离开líkāi了le家jiā，坐zuò上shàng了le一yí辆liàng出租车chūzūchē。

I left home at five o'clock and got into a taxi.

刚gāng开始kāishǐ车chē开kāi得de很hěn快kuài，可是kěshì突然tūrán，前面qiánmiàn的de车chē都dōu不bù走zǒu了le，堵车dǔchē了le！

At first the car went fast, but suddenly the cars in front all stopped moving — a traffic jam!

司机sījī说shuō：“今天jīntiān是shì星期五xīngqīwǔ，又yòu下雨xiàyǔ，路lù上shang的de车chē特别tèbié多duō。”

The driver said: "Today is Friday, and it's raining too, so there are especially many cars on the road."

我们wǒmen等děng了le半bàn个gè小时xiǎoshí，车chē只zhǐ走zǒu了le一点儿yìdiǎnr，我wǒ越来越yuè lái yuè着急zháojí。

We waited half an hour and the car only moved a little; I got more and more anxious.

我wǒ看kàn了le看kàn地图dìtú，发现fāxiàn附近fùjìn有yǒu一个yí gè地铁dìtiě站zhàn，就jiù下xià了le车chē。

I took a look at the map, found there was a subway station nearby, and got out of the taxi.

我wǒ先xiān坐zuò地铁dìtiě，然后ránhòu走zǒu了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng，六liù点diǎn半bàn终于zhōngyú到dào了le饭馆fànguǎn。

I first took the subway, then walked for ten minutes, and finally arrived at the restaurant at six thirty.

朋友péngyou笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“太tài好hǎo了le，你nǐ没méi迟到chídào！”我wǒ想xiǎng，以后yǐhòu还是háishi坐zuò地铁dìtiě吧ba。

My friend said with a smile: "Great, you're not late!" I thought, next time I'd better just take the subway.

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

Key words 生词

堵车dǔchētraffic jam; to be stuck in traffic

司机sījīdriver

突然tūránsuddenly

着急zháojíanxious; worried

终于zhōngyúfinally

迟到chídàoto be late

先……，然后……

先…然后… links two actions in order: 'first ..., then ...'. Each part is a full verb phrase, e.g. 先吃饭，然后看电影.

我先坐地铁，然后走了十分钟。 — I first took the subway, then walked for ten minutes.

V1 + 着 + V2

着 after the first verb shows the manner or state in which the second action happens, e.g. 站着说话 'talk while standing'.

朋友笑着说：“太好了，你没迟到！” — My friend said with a smile: "Great, you're not late!"

verb + 了 + duration

To say how long an action lasted, put the length of time after the verb and 了, e.g. 我们等了半个小时 'we waited for half an hour'.

我们等了半个小时，车只走了一点儿。 — We waited half an hour and the car only moved a little.

1. Why were there so many cars on the road?

2. What did the narrator do when the taxi stopped moving?

3. Was the narrator late for the dinner?