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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 15

中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival

Zhōngqiūjié

Mid-Autumn Festival. Teaches 因为 X 所以 Y (cause-result) and pairs with 之所以 Y 是因为 X (cleft cause).

Dialogue

送月饼给家人 — Sending mooncakes to family

林雪老lǎo师shī, 中zhōng秋qiū节jié快kuài到dào了le. 上shàng次cì春chūn节jié我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ包bāo饺jiǎo子zǐ, 这zhè次cì您nín准zhǔn备bèi好hǎo了le吗ma? Teacher, Mid-Autumn is coming. Last Spring Festival we wrapped dumplings together — are you ready this time?
何老师准zhǔn备bèi好hǎo了le. 由yóu于yú今jīn年nián家jiā人rén不bù来lái, 所suǒ以yǐ我wǒ送sòng月yuè饼bǐng. Yes. Since the family is not coming this year, I am sending mooncakes.
林雪送sòng哪nǎ种zhǒng? 甜tián的de还hái是shì不bù甜tián的de? Which kind? Sweet or not?
何老师因yīn为wèi父fù母mǔ年nián纪jì大dà了le, 所suǒ以yǐ买mǎi不bú太tài甜tián的de. Because my parents are older, I am buying ones that are not too sweet.
林雪我wǒ也yě想xiǎng念niàn家jiā人rén. 除chú了le月yuè饼bǐng, 我wǒ还hái想xiǎng送sòng一yì些xiē茶chá. I miss my family too. Besides mooncakes, I also want to send some tea.
何老师好hǎo. 月yuè饼bǐng一yí送sòng, 心xīn就jiù到dào了le. Good. Send the mooncake and your heart arrives.

Dialogue

月亮又圆又亮 — The moon is round and bright

林雪今jīn天tiān晚wǎn上shàng的de月yuè亮liàng又yòu圆yuán又yòu亮liàng. Tonight's moon is round and bright.
何老师中zhōng秋qiū节jié就jiù是shì赏shǎng月yuè的de日rì子zi. Mid-Autumn is the night to admire the moon.
林雪老lǎo师shī, 给gěi我wǒ讲jiǎng一yí个gè故gù事shì吧ba. Teacher, tell me a story.
何老师好hǎo. 中zhōng秋qiū节jié有yǒu一yí个gè很hěn老lǎo的de传chuán说shuō. OK. Mid-Autumn has a very old legend.
林雪所suǒ以yǐ中zhōng秋qiū节jié也yě叫jiào团tuán圆yuán节jié, 是shì吗ma? So Mid-Autumn is also called the reunion festival, right?
何老师是shì. 因yīn为wèi月yuè亮liàng圆yuán, 所suǒ以yǐ人rén也yě想xiǎng团tuán圆yuán. Yes. Because the moon is round, people want to be reunited too.

Vocabulary

汉字	Pinyin	POS	Meaning
中秋节	Zhōngqiūjié	n.	Mid-Autumn Festival
月饼	yuèbing	n.	mooncake
月亮	yuèliang	n.	the moon (recall Bk2)
秋天	qiūtiān	n.	autumn (recall Bk2)
因为	yīnwèi	conj.	because (recall Bk2)
所以	suǒyǐ	conj.	so; therefore (recall Bk2)
团圆	tuányuán	n.	family reunion
圆	yuán	adj.	round; full (of moon)
亮	liàng	adj.	bright (recall Bk2)
送	sòng	v.	give (as gift) (recall Bk2)
家人	jiārén	n.	family member(s) (recall Bk2)
想念	xiǎngniàn	adj.	miss (recall ch10)
赏	shǎng	v.	admire; enjoy (in 赏月)
故事	gùshi	n.	story (recall ch14)
传说	chuánshuō	n.	legend; folktale
林雪	Lín Xuě	pn.	Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
何老师	Hé lǎoshī	pn.	Teacher He (persona — recall ch13)

New characters

汉字	Pinyin	Meaning
由	Yóu
纪	jì
除	Chú
赏	shǎng	admire; enjoy (in 赏月)
团	tuán	group; round (in 团圆) 团圆 tuányuán — family reunion
此	cǐ
顺	shùn
利	lì	(in 流利 = fluent(ly)) 流利 liúlì — fluent(ly)

Hanzi — writing & recognition

月

yuè moon; month (recall Bk1) Writing

4 strokes single

秋

qiū autumn (recall Bk2) Writing

9 strokes left-right

亮

liàng bright (recall Bk2) Recognition

9 strokes top-bottom

团

tuán group; round (in 团圆) Recognition

6 strokes enclosure

所

suǒ (in 所以) Recognition

8 strokes left-right

Grammar

由于 … 所以 / 因此 — 书面因果 (三71) 由于 … 所以 / 因此 — formal cause-effect (三71)

由于 (= 因为, 偏书面) 引出原因, 所以 / 因此引出结果. 由于天气好, 所以我们出去了. 由于离家远, 因此他很想家. 和二级的"因为…所以"意思一样, 但"由于…因此"更正式, 多用于书面或解释原因. 由于一般放句首.

由于 (= 因为, more formal) introduces the cause; 所以 / 因此 introduces the result. 由于天气好, 所以我们出去了. 由于离家远, 因此他很想家. Same meaning as Band 2's 因为…所以 but more formal, common in writing or giving reasons. 由于 usually starts the sentence.

由于天气好, 所以我们出去玩了. Yóuyú tiānqì hǎo, suǒyǐ wǒmen chūqù wán le. Because the weather was good, we went out.
由于工作忙, 他没回家过节. Yóuyú gōngzuò máng, tā méi huí jiā guòjié. Because work was busy, he didn't go home for the festival.
由于离家远, 因此他很想家. Yóuyú lí jiā yuǎn, yīncǐ tā hěn xiǎng jiā. Because home is far, he misses it a lot.
由于准备得早, 所以很顺利. Yóuyú zhǔnbèi de zǎo, suǒyǐ hěn shùnlì. Because we prepared early, it went smoothly.

Grammar

除了 X, 还 / 也 / 都 Y (三28 / 三38) 除了 X, 还 / 也 / 都 Y (三28 / 三38)

上一课 (grammar-01) 讲因果. 本课的除了表示"在 X 之外". 两个用法: (1) 除了 X, 还 / 也 Y — 包括 X, 再加 Y (除了米饭, 还有面包). (2) 除了 X, 都 Y — X 是例外, 其他都 Y (除了他, 我们都去). 中秋节常说: 除了月亮, 还有月饼.

Grammar-01 was cause-effect. 除了 means "apart from X". Two uses: (1) 除了 X, 还/也 Y — including X, also Y (除了米饭, 还有面包). (2) 除了 X, 都 Y — X is the exception, all others Y (除了他, 我们都去). At Mid-Autumn: 除了月亮, 还有好吃的.

除了米饭, 还有面包. Chúle mǐfàn, hái yǒu miànbāo. Besides rice, there is also bread.
除了我, 大家都来了. Chúle wǒ, dàjiā dōu lái le. Apart from me, everyone came.
除了北京, 别的城市我都没去过. Chúle Běijīng, bié de chéngshì wǒ dōu méi qù guo. Apart from Beijing, I haven't been to any other city.
除了工作, 他也喜欢旅行. Chúle gōngzuò, tā yě xǐhuān lǚxíng. Besides work, he also likes travelling.

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