睡觉 splits when you add a duration: 睡了八个小时的觉.
睡觉 is two parts: 睡 plus 觉, so you can't bolt 八个小时 onto the whole word. Put the time between the two parts, with 的 before 觉: 睡了八个小时的觉. Plain 睡 can take time directly, so 我睡了八个小时 is also fine. The split version just sounds more like the full word 睡觉.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add duration to 睡觉 | 睡 + duration + 的 + 觉 | 我睡了八个小时的觉 | 我睡觉了八个小时 |
| Use plain 睡 with duration | 睡 + duration | 我睡了八个小时 | 我睡觉了八个小时 |
说话 cannot take a person after it; put 和 before the person.
说话 already has 话 inside it, so it doesn't take another person after it. To name the person, use 和 or 跟 before 说话, not after it. You say 我和他说话, not 我说话他. If you want a direct thing after the verb, use plain 说: 我说汉语.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk with someone | 和/跟 + person + 说话 | 我和他说话 | 我说话他 |
| Talk about something | 说 + thing | 我说汉语 | 我说话汉语 |
上课 means attend class; 上班 means go to work.
Both start with 上, but the last part decides the meaning. 课 is class, so 上课 means attend or teach a class. 班 is work shift, so 上班 means go to work. A university student goes to 上课, while university staff go to 上班. In the story, “他要去大学上课。” ── [《五块钱》](/read/five-yuan-kindness#s2)
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student goes to class | 去 + place + 上课 | 他要去大学上课 | 他要去大学上班 |
| Staff goes to work | 去 + place + 上班 | 他要去大学上班 | 他要去大学上课 |
生病 means get sick; 看病 means see a doctor.
生病 is about your body changing: you become sick. 看病 is about the action: you go to a doctor. You first 生病了, then you 去看病. Don't say 我生病医生 or 我看病了 when you mean 'I got sick.' The direction is the opposite.
| Situation / Pattern | Formula | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Become sick | Subject + 生病 + 了 | 我生病了 | 我看病了 |
| See a doctor | 去 + 看病 + 了 | 我去看病了 | 我生病了 |
| Name the doctor | 看 + 医生 | 我去看医生了 | 我生病医生 |
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
下午还上班。
In the afternoon, I still go to work.
下班五点半，回家吃晚饭。
I get off work at 5:30 and go home for dinner.
学习到九点，睡觉十点半。
I study until 9 o'clock and go to bed at 10:30.
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
天天在家里，很多天都没有人和我说话。
Day after day at home, I can go many days without anyone talking to me.
听见有人和我说话，我觉得非常高兴。”
When I hear someone talking with me, I feel very happy.
白天明对老先生说：“老先生，我天天都来这里和您说话。
Bai Tianming said to the old man, 'Sir, I'll come here every day to talk with you.'
Before you read: this is a short rhyming poem. You will meet a doctor who asks about seeing and hearing. Try to spot words you already know!
生病看医生，看见看不见？
If you're sick, you go to a doctor. Can you see them or not?
看病医生看，医生问问题。
When seeing a doctor, the doctor does the examining; the doctor asks questions.
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
二零一九年，八月十六日，回国第七日，生病第一天。
August 16, 2019 — my seventh day back in China, and day one of being sick.
看病非常贵，吃饭不便宜。
Getting medical care is very expensive, and eating isn't cheap either.
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
他天天上午八点上班，晚上九点下班。
He starts work at 8 a.m. and gets off at 9 p.m. every day.
大中有太多的工作，晚上十点下班。
Dazhong has too much work and gets off at ten in the evening.
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
听——我听见雨说话。
Listen — I can hear the rain talking.
我们，我和雨，说话。
We — the rain and I — are talking.
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
想去睡觉说晚安！
When you want to go to sleep, say 'Good night!'
家人、朋友关系好，“谢谢”、“您”、“请”太客气，在家说话不客气，可以不说“您和请”。
With family and close friends, 'thank you,' '您,' and 'please' are too formal. At home, people speak informally, so you don't have to say '您' or 'please'.
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
上午九点去上班。
I go to work at nine in the morning.
下午五点半下班。
I get off work at half past five in the afternoon.
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
要看病，去哪里？
Need to see a doctor—where should I go?
This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!
上班和下班，上课和下课，上午和下午。
Going to work and getting off work, starting class and finishing class, morning and afternoon.
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
他要去大学上课。
He was going to the university for class.
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
他天天晚上九点下班，我坐在七号桌子前看他。
He used to get off work at nine every night, and I would sit at Table 7 and watch him.
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