🇺🇸 English
HSK 3

Lesson 8 · 我的校园卡不知道被谁捡走了

What you'll learn

Talk about a lost campus card with `下去`, separable verbs, duration complements, and time expressions with `以前/以后`.

About 36 min
A cute cartoon campus library desk with a student looking for a blank card and another student checking a laptop screen.
1

Listen and Read

Look for a lost campus card and decide what to do before and after class.

小雨
我的校园卡不见了，不知道被谁捡走了。
Wǒ de xiào yuán kǎ bú jiàn le, bù zhī dào bèi shuí jiǎn zǒu le.
My campus card is missing. I do not know who picked it up.
小林
你别急，先想想上课以前去哪儿了。
Nǐ bié jí, xiān xiǎng xiǎng shàng kè yǐ qián qù nǎr le.
Do not worry. First think about where you went before class.
小雨
我去图书馆借书，还游了半个小时泳。
Wǒ qù tú shū guǎn jiè shū, hái yóu le bàn gè xiǎo shí yǒng.
I went to the library to borrow books and swam for half an hour.
小林
那我们查下去，先问图书馆，再问游泳馆。
Nà wǒ men chá xià qù, xiān wèn tú shū guǎn, zài wèn yóu yǒng guǎn.
Then let’s keep checking: ask the library first, then the pool.
小雨
如果找不到，我就用电子书学习。
Rú guǒ zhǎo bú dào, wǒ jiù yòng diàn zǐ shū xué xí.
If I cannot find it, I will study with e-books.
2

Core Words

Practice the words that carry this lesson's dialogue, patterns, and final question.

校园卡
xiào yuán kǎ
campus card
捡
jiǎn
to pick up
图书馆
tú shū guǎn
library
电子书
diàn zǐ shū
e-book
游泳
yóu yǒng
to swim
以前
yǐ qián
before
以后
yǐ hòu
after
3

Pattern: Extended `下去`

verb/adjective + 下去

`下去` can mean an action or state continues from now.

我们继续找下去。
Wǒ men jì xù zhǎo xià qù.
We will keep looking.
这个办法可以试下去。
Zhè ge bàn fǎ kě yǐ shì xià qù.
This method can continue to be tried.
4

Pattern: Separable Verbs with Duration

verb part + duration + object part

For separable verbs like `游泳`, a duration usually goes between the two parts.

我游了半个小时泳。
Wǒ yóu le bàn gè xiǎo shí yǒng.
I swam for half an hour.
他生了三天病。
Tā shēng le sān tiān bìng.
He was sick for three days.
5

Pattern: `以前 / 以后`

time/event + 以前/以后

Use `以前` for before a time or event, and `以后` for after it.

上课以前，我去了图书馆。
Shàng kè yǐ qián, wǒ qù le tú shū guǎn.
Before class, I went to the library.
下课以后，我们一起去找卡。
Xià kè yǐ hòu, wǒ men yì qǐ qù zhǎo kǎ.
After class, we will look for the card together.
6

Learning Note

Separable verbs do not behave like normal verbs.

Do not put an object directly after a separable verb. Say `游了半个小时泳`, not a direct object after `游泳`.

7

Practice

Choose the separable-verb sentence.

You want to say someone swam for half an hour.

Which sentence is natural?

8

Practice

Choose the before/after sentence.

You went to the library before class.

Which sentence uses `以前` correctly?