虫牙!

Tooth Bugs!

Composition of hispanic, white and chinese group of people over vintage color background smiling confident showing and pointing with fingers teeth and mouth
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有一天,我正在跟我中国的寄宿家庭吃早饭,我发现家里的小弟弟一直在看着我。我每吃一口,他都会往我嘴里看。真的很讨厌!

最后,我受不了了,“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。

“呃......虫牙!哥哥,我觉得你有虫牙!”

我很糊涂,也很担心。我以前从来没有听说过这个中文单词,但是我知道虫和牙分别是什么意思:虫子的虫,牙齿的牙。

那虫牙是什么意思呢?

我的心情糟糕极了。我是不是得了什么奇怪的中国的病?现在我的嘴里是不是住着很可怕的虫子?他们会不会慢慢吃掉我的牙,然后开出一条可以通到我的脑子的路,一直到我疼死?

我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之间的交谈。

“张开你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的妈妈说。

“嗯......” 她边想边说,“我觉得他说的没错,亲爱的,你看看。”

寄宿家庭的爸爸检查了我的嘴,“没错,确实是虫牙。” 他肯定地说。

我要死了。

我不知道该怎么办。我在想我还剩多少天?多少个星期?我妈妈会很难过,她会哭很久。

最糟糕的是,我需要写信给我的女朋友,我会告诉她:“亲爱的,我们有过很多美好的回忆,我很爱你,但以后没有我你也要好好生活下去......”

我的这些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的声音打断了。

“你觉得我们今天要不要约牙医?”

牙医?我以为我们得直接去医院急诊科。

“等等......虫牙是什么?” 我犹豫地问。

“在你牙里的洞,是虫牙!因为你刷牙刷得不够多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月饼!你以为我没发现你去厨房偷吃吗?”

所以,我不会死。

弟弟在桌子下面拿给我一个月饼。

“这是我们的秘密。” 他悄悄地说。
有一天,我正在跟我中國的寄宿家庭吃早飯,我發現家裡的小弟弟一直在看著我。我每吃一口,他都會往我嘴裡看。真的很討厭!

最後,我受不了了,“你在看什麼?” 我幾乎叫了出來。

“呃......蟲牙!哥哥,我覺得你有蟲牙!”

我很糊塗,也很擔心。我以前從來沒有聽說過這個中文單詞,但是我知道蟲和牙分別是什麼意思:蟲子的蟲,牙齒的牙。

那蟲牙是什麼意思呢?

我的心情糟糕極了。我是不是得了什麼奇怪的中國的病?現在我的嘴裡是不是住著很可怕的蟲子?他們會不會慢慢吃掉我的牙,然後開出一條可以通到我的腦子的路,一直到我疼死?

我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之間的交談。

“張開你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的媽媽說。

“嗯......” 她邊想邊說,“我覺得他說的沒錯,親愛的,你看看。”

寄宿家庭的爸爸檢查了我的嘴,“沒錯,確實是蟲牙。” 他肯定地說。

我要死了。

我不知道該怎麼辦。我在想我還剩多少天?多少個星期?我媽媽會很難過,她會哭很久。

最糟糕的是,我需要寫信給我的女朋友,我會告訴她:“親愛的,我們有過很多美好的回憶,我很愛你,但以後沒有我你也要好好生活下去......”

我的這些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的聲音打斷了。

“你覺得我們今天要不要約牙醫?”

牙醫?我以為我們得直接去醫院急診科。

“等等......蟲牙是什麼?” 我猶豫地問。

“在你牙裡的洞,是蟲牙!因為你刷牙刷得不夠多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月餅!你以為我沒發現你去廚房偷吃嗎?”

所以,我不會死。

弟弟在桌子下面拿給我一個月餅。

“這是我們的秘密。” 他悄悄地說。
有一天,我正在跟我中国的寄宿家庭吃早饭,我发现家里的小弟弟一直在看着我。我每吃一口,他都会往我嘴里看。真的很讨厌!
Yǒu yī tiān, wǒ zhèngzài gēn wǒ Zhōngguó de jìsù jiātíng chī zǎofàn, wǒ fāxiàn jiālǐ de xiǎo dìdi yīzhí zài kànzhe wǒ. Wǒ měi chī yī kǒu, tā dōu huì wǎng wǒ zuǐlǐ kàn. Zhēnde hěn tǎoyàn!
最后,我受不了了,“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。
Zuìhòu, wǒ shòubùliǎo le, “Nǐ zài kàn shénme?” Wǒ jīhū jiào le chūlái.
“呃......虫牙!哥哥,我觉得你有虫牙!”
“E...chóngyá! Gēge, wǒ juéde nǐ yǒu chóngyá!”
我很糊涂,也很担心。我以前从来没有听说过这个中文单词,但是我知道虫和牙分别是什么意思:虫子的虫,牙齿的牙。
Wǒ hěn hútu, yě hěn dānxīn. Wǒ yǐqián cónglái méiyǒu tīngshuōguo zhège Zhōngwén dāncí, dànshì wǒ zhīdao chóng hé yá fēnbié shì shénme yìsi: chóngzi de chóng, yáchǐ de yá.
 “开玩笑,哥们儿。” 他笑着说,“好,我们走吧!”  那虫牙是什么意思呢?
Nà chóngyá shì shénme yìsi ne?
我的心情糟糕极了。我是不是得了什么奇怪的中国的病?现在我的嘴里是不是住着很可怕的虫子?他们会不会慢慢吃掉我的牙,然后开出一条可以通到我的脑子的路,一直到我疼死?
Wǒde xīnqíng zāogāo jíle. Wǒ shì bù shì déle shénme qíguài de Zhōngguó de bìng? Xiàn zài wǒ de zuǐ lǐ shì bù shì zhùzhe hěn kěpà de chóngzi? Tāmen huì bù huì mànman chī diào wǒde yá, ránhòu kāi chū yī tiáo kěyǐ tōng dào wǒ de nǎozi de lù, yīzhí dào wǒ téng sǐ?
我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之间的交谈。
 Wǒ jìsù jiātíng de fùmǔ zhùyì dào le wǒ hé dìdi zhījiān de jiāotán.
“张开你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的妈妈说。
“Zhāng kāi nǐde zuǐ.” wǒ jìsù jiātíng de māma shuō.
“嗯......” 她边想边说,“我觉得他说的没错,亲爱的,你看看。”
“En ......” Tā biān xiǎng biān shuō, “ Wǒ juéde tā shuō de méicuò, qīn’ài de, nǐ kànkan.”
寄宿家庭的爸爸检查了我的嘴,“没错,确实是虫牙。” 他肯定地说。
Jìsù jiātíng de bàba jiǎnchále wǒde zuǐ, “ Méicuò, quèshí shì chóngyá.” Tā kěndìng de shuō.
我要死了。
Wǒ yào sǐ le.
我不知道该怎么办。我在想我还剩多少天?多少个星期?我妈妈会很难过,她会哭很久。
Wǒ bù zhīdao gāi zěnmebàn. Wǒ zài xiǎng wǒ hái shèng duōshǎo tiān? Duōshǎo gè xīngqī? Wǒ māma huì hěn nánguò, tā huì kū hěn jiǔ.
最糟糕的是,我需要写信给我的女朋友,我会告诉她:“亲爱的,我们有过很多美好的回忆,我很爱你,但以后没有我你也要好好生活下去......”
Zuì zāogāo de shì, wǒ xūyào xiěxìn gěi wǒde nǚpéngyou, wǒ huì gàosu tā: “ Qīn’ài de, wǒmen yǒuguò hěn duō měihǎo de huíyì, wǒ hěn ài nǐ, dàn yǐhòu méiyǒu wǒ nǐ yě yào hǎohao shēnghuó xiàqù...”
我的这些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的声音打断了。
Wǒde zhè xiē xiǎngfǎ bèi wǒ jìsù jiātíng de bàba de shēngyīn dǎduàn le.
“你觉得我们今天要不要约牙医?”
“Nǐ juéde wǒmen jīntiān yào bù yào yuē yáyī?”
牙医?我以为我们得直接去医院急诊科。
Yáyī? Wǒ yǐwéi wǒmen děi zhíjiē qù yīyuàn jízhěn kē.
“等等......虫牙是什么?” 我犹豫地问。
“Děngdeng...chóngyá shì shénme?” Wǒ yóuyù de wèn. 
“在你牙里的洞,是虫牙!因为你刷牙刷得不够多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月饼!你以为我没发现你去厨房偷吃吗?”
“Zài nǐ yá lǐ de dòng, shì chóngyá! Yīnwei nǐ shuāyá shuā de bùgòu duō, dàn zhǔyào de yuányīn shì nǐ chī tài duō nǎinai zuò de yuèbǐng! Nǐ yǐwéi wǒ méi fāxiàn nǐ qù chúfáng tōuchī ma?”
所以,我不会死。
Suǒyǐ, wǒ bù huì sǐ.
弟弟在桌子下面拿给我一个月饼。
Dìde zài zhuōzi xiàmian ná gěi wǒ yī gè yuèbǐng.
“这是我们的秘密。” 他悄悄地说。
“Zhè shì wǒmen de mìmì.” Tā qiāoqiāo de shuō.
有一天,我正在跟我中国的寄宿家庭吃早饭,我发现家里的小弟弟一直在看着我。我每吃一口,他都会往我嘴里看。真的很讨厌!
One day while having breakfast with my host family in China, I noticed that my little host brother was watching me closely. Every time I took a bite, he would intentionally try to look into my mouth. It was so annoying!
最后,我受不了了,“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。
Finally, I had had enough, “What are you staring at!?” I almost yelled.
“呃......虫牙!哥哥,我觉得你有虫牙!”
“Uhhh… Tooth bugs (虫牙)! Big brother, I think you have tooth bugs!”
我很糊涂,也很担心。我以前从来没有听说过这个中文单词,但是我知道虫和牙分别是什么意思:虫子的虫,牙齿的牙。
I was confused. I was also alarmed. I had never heard this particular Chinese word before but I did know the meaning of the two Chinese characters that made it up: 虫子, meaning “bug” or “worm,” and 牙, meaning “tooth.”
那虫牙是什么意思呢?
But what did 虫牙 mean?!
我的心情糟糕极了。我是不是得了什么奇怪的中国的病?现在我的嘴里是不是住着很可怕的虫子?他们会不会慢慢吃掉我的牙,然后开出一条可以通到我的脑子的路,一直到我疼死?
I felt my heart sink. Had I caught some strange Chinese disease? Were there now horrible bugs living inside my mouth? Would they slowly eat away at my teeth and then chew their way into my brain until I died a painful death?
我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之间的交谈。
My host parents had now noticed the exchange occurring between me and my little host brother.
“张开你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的妈妈说。
“Open your mouth,” my host mother said.
“嗯......” 她边想边说,“我觉得他说的没错,亲爱的,你看看。”
“Hmm…” she murmured thoughtfully, “I think he might be right. Honey, take a look.”
寄宿家庭的爸爸检查了我的嘴,“没错,确实是虫牙。” 他肯定地说。
My host father carefully inspected my mouth, “Yup, yup, there’s no doubt about it: tooth bugs,” he said with certainty.
我要死了。
I was going to die.
我不知道该怎么办。我在想我还剩多少天?多少个星期?我妈妈会很难过,她会哭很久。
I was utterly lost. I wondered how much time I had left. Days? Weeks? My mother would be so sad. She would cry for days.
最糟糕的是,我需要写信给我的女朋友,我会告诉她:“亲爱的,我们有过很多美好的回忆,我很爱你,但以后没有我你也要好好生活下去......”
Worst of all, I’d have to write to my girlfriend. I would tell her: “My sweetheart, we shared something beautiful and I love you but you must now go on without me—”
我的这些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的声音打断了。
My thoughts were interrupted by my host father’s voice.
“你觉得我们今天要不要约牙医?”
“Do you think we should make an appointment with the dentist today?”
牙医?我以为我们得直接去医院急诊科。
The dentist? I’d assumed we’d have to go straight to the emergency room.
“等等......虫牙是什么?” 我犹豫地问。
“Wait… what are tooth bugs?” I asked hesitantly.
“在你牙里的洞,是虫牙!因为你刷牙刷得不够多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月饼!你以为我没发现你去厨房偷吃吗?”
“Holes in your teeth. Cavities! It’s because you don’t brush them enough, but mostly it’s because you’ve been eating too many of grandma’s mooncakes! You think I don’t notice you stealing them from the kitchen, but I do!”
所以,我不会死。
So, I wasn’t going to die.
弟弟在桌子下面拿给我一个月饼。
Under the table, my little host brother handed me a mooncake.
“这是我们的秘密。” 他悄悄地说。
“Our little secret,” he whispered.

虫牙!

Tooth Bugs!

有一天,我正在跟我中国的寄宿家庭吃早饭,我发现家里的小弟弟一直在看着我。我每吃一口,他都会往我嘴里看。真的很讨厌!

最后,我受不了了,“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。

“呃......虫牙!哥哥,我觉得你有虫牙!”

我很糊涂,也很担心。我以前从来没有听说过这个中文单词,但是我知道虫和牙分别是什么意思:虫子的虫,牙齿的牙。

那虫牙是什么意思呢?

我的心情糟糕极了。我是不是得了什么奇怪的中国的病?现在我的嘴里是不是住着很可怕的虫子?他们会不会慢慢吃掉我的牙,然后开出一条可以通到我的脑子的路,一直到我疼死?

我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之间的交谈。

“张开你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的妈妈说。

“嗯......” 她边想边说,“我觉得他说的没错,亲爱的,你看看。”

寄宿家庭的爸爸检查了我的嘴,“没错,确实是虫牙。” 他肯定地说。

我要死了。

我不知道该怎么办。我在想我还剩多少天?多少个星期?我妈妈会很难过,她会哭很久。

最糟糕的是,我需要写信给我的女朋友,我会告诉她:“亲爱的,我们有过很多美好的回忆,我很爱你,但以后没有我你也要好好生活下去......”

我的这些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的声音打断了。

“你觉得我们今天要不要约牙医?”

牙医?我以为我们得直接去医院急诊科。

“等等......虫牙是什么?” 我犹豫地问。

“在你牙里的洞,是虫牙!因为你刷牙刷得不够多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月饼!你以为我没发现你去厨房偷吃吗?”

所以,我不会死。

弟弟在桌子下面拿给我一个月饼。

“这是我们的秘密。” 他悄悄地说。

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生词

🔈  Click on a word’s Chinese characters to hear the pronunciation.

名词 Nouns

寄宿家庭jìsù jiātínghost family
心情xīnqíngstate of mind; mood
急诊科jízhěn kēthe emergency room
月饼yuèbingmoon cake (eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival)
秘密mìmìsecret

动词 Verbs

讨厌tǎoyàndisagreeable; repugnant
担心dānxīnworry; feel anxious
分别fēnbiéseparately; individually; respectively
交谈jiāotántalk with each other; converse; chat
shèngbe left over; remain
回忆huíyìrecall; recollect
生活shēnghuólife
打断dǎduàninterrupt; cut short
yuēmake an appointment
偷吃tōuchīto eat on the sly

形容词 Adjectives

糊涂hútumuddled; confused; bewildered
糟糕zāogāotoo bad; how terrible; what bad luck
可怕kěpàfearful; frightful; awful; terrible; dreadful
肯定kěndìngpositive; affirmative; definite; certain
犹豫yóuyùhesitate; be irresolute

副词 Adverbs

几乎jīhū
almost; nearly
确实quèshí
really; indeed
悄悄qiāoqiāosecretly; stealthily

词组 Phrases

受不了shòubùliǎocannot stand; cannot endure

生词表录音

Vocabulary List Audio (or click any Chinese word for audio)

语法点

1. 几乎 (jīhū) versus 差不多 (chàbuduō)
几乎 (jīhū): adv. almost, nearly, practically
差不多 (chàbuduō): adv. almost, nearly, practically; adj. about the same, similar

几乎 (jīhū) and 差不多 (chàbuduō) have similar meanings and are sometimes used in similar ways. Therefore, it’s common for students to struggle to tell them apart.

Let’s start by analyzing their similarities. 几乎 (jīhū) is an adverb that means “almost,” “nearly” or “practically.” Likewise, 差不多 (chàbuduō) can also be used as an adverb that means “almost” or “nearly.” When both function as adverbs, these two words can sometimes be interchangeable.

For example:

他唱歌唱得很好,差不多和职业歌手一样。

Tā chànggē chàng de hěn hǎo, chàbuduō hé zhíyè gēshǒu yīyàng.

He sings very well, almost as well as a professional singer.

他唱歌唱得很好,几乎和职业歌手一样。

Tā chànggē chàng de hěn hǎo, jīhū hé zhíyè gēshǒu yīyàng.

He sings very well, almost as well as a professional singer.

In the sentences above, 差不多 (chàbuduō) and 几乎 (jīhū) are interchangeable. They are both acting as adverbs meaning “almost.” Note that the meaning of the sentence stays the same no matter which is used.

It isn’t always possible to use these two words in the same way, though. For example, it’s OK to add a single syllable adjective directly after 差不多 (chàbùduō), but it’s not OK to do so directly after 几乎 (jīhū). If you want to use 几乎 (jīhū) followed by a single adjective, you must say 几乎一样 (jīhū yīyàng) instead of just 几乎 (jīhū).

For example:

这件衣服和那一件差不多贵。

Zhè jiàn yīfu hé nà yī jiàn chàbuduō guì.

This piece of clothing is nearly as expensive as that one.

这件衣服和那一件几乎一样贵。

Zhè jiàn yīfú hé na yī jiàn jīhū yīyàng guì.

This piece of clothing is nearly as expensive as that one.

Note that in the second of the two sentences above, 几乎 (jīhū) cannot stand alone. It must be paired with 一样 (yīyàng). Writing the sentence without 一样 (yīyàng) is incorrect. 差不多(chàbuduō), on the other hand, can stand alone here.

Another difference between these two words is that, unlike 几乎 (jīhū), 差不多 (chàbuduō) is also often used before words that express numbers or time. In this case, it also means “almost” or “nearly.”

For example:

差不多7:00了,你怎么还没到家呢?

Chàbuduō 7:00 le, nǐ zěnme hái méi dào jiā ne?

It’s almost 7 o’clock, why aren’t you home yet?

There are several other situations where 差不多 (chàbuduō) and 几乎 (jīhū) differ. For instance, while 差不多 (chàbuduō) is commonly used as an adjective in everyday speech, 几乎 (jīhū) can only function as an adverb.

When used as an adjective, 差不多 (chàbuduō) most commonly means “about the same” or “similar.”

For example:

这两张桌子大小都差不多,不管买哪一个都可以放得下。

Zhè liǎng zhāng zhuōzi dàxiǎo dōu chàbùduō, bùguǎn mǎi nǎ yī gè dōu kěyǐ fàng de xià.

These two tables are about the same size, so no matter which one we buy, it will fit.

Another difference is that 几乎 (jīhū) can be used to mean that something unwelcome or undesirable almost occured, but then didn’t in the end. 差不多 (chàbùduō) is not used in this way.

Let’s look at some examples to understand this special usage of 几乎 (jīhū):

“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。

“Nǐ zài kàn shénme?” Wǒ jīhū jiàole chūlái.

“What are you looking at?” I almost yelled.

In this example, the speaker is using 几乎 (jīhū) to highlight how he almost yelled, but didn’t actually yell in the end. Yelling is somewhat undesirable, since it is impolite, so the use of 几乎 indicates that the speaker didn’t want to yell, was so annoyed that he almost did, but stopped himself from doing so in the end.

Let’s look at another example:

他刚刚没看路,几乎摔了一跤。

Tā gānggāng méi kàn lù, jīhū shuāile yī jiāo.

He wasn’t looking where he was going just now and so he almost tripped.

In the sentence above, the undesirable action that almost happened, but then didn’t, is tripping. The use of 几乎 (jīhū) indicates that “he” was about to trip, but was able to catch himself in time.

When all’s said and done, it’s also worth noting that 差不多 (chàbuduō) is the more commonly used than 几乎 (jīhū). This isn’t surprising considering that 差不多 (chàbuduō) can function as both an adverb and an adjective, while 几乎 (jīhū) can only be used as an adverb.

2. 从来 (cónglái)
adv. always; never (when used in the negative)

从来 (cónglái) is a useful Chinese adverb that by itself means “always.” It is also frequently used as part of a negative sentence with 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu). When used in this way, its meaning flips, becoming the opposite of always: never.

Let’s start with the positive meaning. If you want to use 从来 (cónglái) to mean “always,” use the following structure:

Subject + 从来 (cónglái) + 都 (dōu) + Predicate

Note the addition of the word 都 (dōu; all) which helps emphasize that the situation being described has been the case all along.

For example:

他工作从来都很认真。

Tā gōngzuò cónglái dōu hěn rènzhēn.

He’s always been a very diligent worker.

In this sentence, 从来 (cónglái) is used in a straightforward way to indicate that the worker has always been a diligent worker.

Sometimes, you will hear people add 是 (shì) to this structure for emphasis, like so:

Subject + 从来 (cónglái) + 都是 (dōu shì) + Predicate

For example:

从来都是买最便宜的东西。

cónglái dōu shì mǎi zuì piányí de dōngxī.

He’s always only bought the cheapest things.

从来 (cónglái) is also frequently used in its negative form to mean “never” in the context of talking about things you never do or have never done. When used in this way, it’s necessary to add 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu) after 从来 (cónglái). This negative use of 从来 (cónglái) is perhaps even more common than the positive use.

Note that the meaning of 从来 (cónglái) changes slightly depending on whether it’s used with 不 (bù) or 没有 (méiyǒu). We use 从来不 (cóngláibù) to say that, as a rule, you currently never do something. To say that you have never done something in the past, on the other hand, we use the phrase 从来没有...过 (cónglái méiyǒu...guò).

Let’s first look at how to say that you never do something as a rule. When using 从来 (cónglái) in this way, employ the following structure:

Subject + 从来 (cónglái) + 不 (bù) + Verb

For example:

从来不看电视。

cónglái bù kàn diànshì.

I never watch TV.

Note that this sentence is referring to something that the speaker never does in the present. In other words, this sentence indicates that the speaker is not currently in the habit of watching TV.

If instead you want to say that you have never done something before or that you have never had the experience of doing something before, you should pair 从来 (cónglái) with 没有...过 (méiyǒu...guò) instead of 不 (bù).

In this case, use the following structure:

Subject + 从来 (cónglái) + 没有 (méiyǒu) + Verb + 过 (guò)

For example:

从来没有听说过这个中文单词。

cónglái méiyǒu tīng shuō guò zhège Zhōngwén dāncí.

I have never heard this Chinese word before.

In the sentence above, the speaker is using the phrase 从来没有...过 (cónglái méiyǒu...guò) when discussing the fact that he has never had the experience of hearing a certain Chinese word in the past.

3. 出来 (chūlái)
result complement. to tell, to distinguish; to come up with, to figure out

出来 (chūlái) is a Chinese grammatical construction that is most commonly used in a literal sense to mean that something physically comes out of something else.

If you have achieved an HSK 4 level of Chinese, you’ve probably been using the literal form of 出来 (chūlái) for quite some time in sentences like 我从包里面拿出来了一把钥匙 (Wǒ cóng bāo lǐmian ná chūláile yī bǎ yàoshi; I took a bunch of keys out of the bag).

Instead of focusing on this more literal sense, however, this grammar point explores how to use 出来 (chūlái) in a metaphorical sense. When used this way, 出来 (chūlái) functions as a result complement. Like the more common result complements 到 (dào), 见 (jiàn) and 完 (wán), 出来 (chūlái) appears directly after the verb to describe its result.

Luckily, the more figurative meanings of 出来 (chūlái) are clearly related to its literal meaning of something physically coming out of something else. Instead of talking about two physical things, though, it’s used to refer to something less tangible, like a smell, taste, feeling, or answer that comes out of an action like smelling, touching, thinking or guessing.

出来 (chūlái) can be used to talk about actions succeeding or reaching completion. It can also be used to talk about getting information from an action or recognizing or guessing something.

In English, this figurative sense of 出来 (chūlái) is often translated as to tell/distinguish or to come up with/figure out/guess. It is often used with verbs like 猜 (cāi), 听 (tīng), 想 (xiǎng) and 闻 (wén).

For example:

你能猜出来这一个礼物是谁送的吗?

Nǐ néng cāi chūlái zhè yīgè lǐwù shì shéi sòng de ma?

Can you guess who gave us this gift?

In this sentence, 出来 (chūlái) functions as a result complement in the common phrase 猜出来 (cāi chūlái; to guess successfully). In this case, 出来 (chūlái) is modifying the verb 猜 (cāi; to guess).

Guessing is the action, and 出来 (chūlái) is being used in the figurative sense to talk about something (in this case, an answer) coming out of the action (guessing).

Let’s look at another example:

“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来

“Nǐ zài kàn shénme?” Wǒ jīhū jiàole chūlái.

“What are you looking at?” I almost yelled.

In this case, the result complement 出来 (chūlái) is paired with the verb 叫 (jiào; to yell). The action being discussed is the act of yelling, while the thing that (almost) resulted from or “came out” of this action is the sound of the yell.

测试

Begin quiz once you have completed the above reading.
14

虫牙!

1 / 5

谁先发现“我”有虫牙?

2 / 5

刚发现自己有虫牙时,“我:”

3 / 5

发现自己有虫牙之后,“我”认为需要写信给谁?

4 / 5

寄宿家庭的父亲认为“我”要去哪里?

5 / 5

“我”有虫牙主要的原因是什么?

Your score is

0%

有一天,我正在跟我中国的寄宿家庭吃早饭,我发现家里的小弟弟一直在看着我。我每吃一口,他都会往我嘴里看。真的很讨厌!

最后,我受不了了,“你在看什么?” 我几乎叫了出来。

“呃......虫牙!哥哥,我觉得你有虫牙!”

我很糊涂,也很担心。我以前从来没有听说过这个中文单词,但是我知道虫和牙分别是什么意思:虫子的虫,牙齿的牙。

那虫牙是什么意思呢?

我的心情糟糕极了。我是不是得了什么奇怪的中国的病?现在我的嘴里是不是住着很可怕的虫子?他们会不会慢慢吃掉我的牙,然后开出一条可以通到我的脑子的路,一直到我疼死?

我寄宿家庭的父母注意到了我和弟弟之间的交谈。

“张开你的嘴。” 我寄宿家庭的妈妈说。

“嗯......” 她边想边说,“我觉得他说的没错,亲爱的,你看看。”

寄宿家庭的爸爸检查了我的嘴,“没错,确实是虫牙。” 他肯定地说。

我要死了。

我不知道该怎么办。我在想我还剩多少天?多少个星期?我妈妈会很难过,她会哭很久。

最糟糕的是,我需要写信给我的女朋友,我会告诉她:“亲爱的,我们有过很多美好的回忆,我很爱你,但以后没有我你也要好好生活下去......”

我的这些想法被我寄宿家庭的爸爸的声音打断了。

“你觉得我们今天要不要约牙医?”

牙医?我以为我们得直接去医院急诊科。

“等等......虫牙是什么?” 我犹豫地问。

“在你牙里的洞,是虫牙!因为你刷牙刷得不够多,但主要的原因是你吃太多奶奶做的月饼!你以为我没发现你去厨房偷吃吗?”

所以,我不会死。

弟弟在桌子下面拿给我一个月饼。

“这是我们的秘密。” 他悄悄地说。

虫牙! Show Full Text
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