Level A · Beginner

Making an appointment

Xiaoyu is trying to find a time to see Zhang laoshi. They compare their classes and settle on four o'clock the next day.

What you learn to do

  • asking to see someone
  • suggesting a time
  • turning down a time and offering another
  • confirming an appointment
  1. Xiaoyu

    老师问题

    Zhāng lǎoshī, wǒ xiǎng zhǎo nín wèn jǐ gè wèntí.

    Zhang laoshi, I would like to come and ask you a few questions.

  2. Zhang laoshi

    什么时候时间

    Hǎo. Nǐ shénme shíhou yǒu shíjiān ?

    Gladly. When are you free?

  3. Xiaoyu

    明天上午可以

    Míngtiān shàngwǔ kěyǐ ma ?

    Would tomorrow morning do?

  4. Zhang laoshi

    明天上午下午怎么样

    Míngtiān shàngwǔ wǒ yǒu kè. Xiàwǔ sān diǎn zěnmeyàng ?

    I have a class tomorrow morning. How about three in the afternoon?

  5. Xiaoyu

    Sān diǎn wǒ yě yǒu kè, sì diǎn xíng ma ?

    I have a class at three too. Would four work?

  6. Zhang laoshi

    办公室

    Xíng. Sì diǎn, zài wǒ de bàngōngshì.

    Four works. Four o'clock, in my office.

  7. Xiaoyu

    办公室

    Nín de bàngōngshì zài jǐ lóu ?

    Which floor is your office on?

  8. Zhang laoshi

    Èr lóu, èr líng wǔ.

    Second floor, room 205.

  9. Xiaoyu

    明天下午

    Hǎo de, míngtiān xiàwǔ sì diǎn jiàn.

    Very good, see you at four tomorrow afternoon.

  10. Zhang laoshi

    如果电话

    Rúguǒ yǒu shì, gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.

    If anything comes up, give me a ring.

Vocabulary to remember

  • 问题 wèntí question, problem
  • 时间 shíjiān time, length of time
  • 上午 shàngwǔ morning, before noon
  • 下午 xiàwǔ afternoon
  • 怎么样 zěnmeyàng how about it, what do you think
  • xíng that works, all right
  • 办公室 bàngōngshì office (room)
  • lóu building, floor
  • 如果 rúguǒ if, in case
  • jiàn to see, to meet

Language points

怎么样 suggests without imposing

下午三点怎么样 leaves the other person free to say no, where 下午三点吧 would have decided for them. The phrase always comes at the end of the sentence, after what you are proposing. It also asks for an opinion: 这个菜怎么样, how is this dish?

行 and 可以

Both agree, and they are not said by the same mouths. 可以 is neutral and correct anywhere. 行 is spoken, short, and sounds like "that works". Its negative is 不行, a flat refusal, firmer than 不可以. Note that the same character is read *háng* when it means a trade or a bank, 银行.

见 closes an appointment

四点见, 明天见, 下次见: the time, then 见. It is the normal way of parting once the next meeting is fixed, and it does the work of goodbye. 回头见 says "see you later" without saying when.

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