Tag: street (3)

On a traffic island in a busy street, with cars rushing past, a kid crouches over his book: “doing homework at street.” That is 作业.

作业 (zuòyè) means “homework” or “assignment.” 作 means to do and 业 means work or a task.

To do homework is 做作业 (zuò zuòyè) or 写作业 (xiě zuòyè). The full word for homework is 家庭作业 (jiātíng zuòyè).

我还没做完作业。 — Wǒ hái méi zuò wán zuòyè. — I haven’t finished my homework yet.

今天老师没留作业。 — Jīntiān lǎoshī méi liú zuòyè. — The teacher didn’t give any homework today.

A bus launches off a hilltop like a stunt car to a shout of “Yahoo!!”, while two people below gasp “Cool!” and “God!” That flying vehicle is a 公车.

公车 (gōngchē) means “bus,” short for 公共汽车 (gōnggòng qìchē), “public car.” It is the usual word in Taiwan; in mainland China people mostly say 公交车 (gōngjiāochē), and 公车 there can also mean a government car.

To take the bus is 坐公车 (zuò gōngchē). A bus stop is 公车站 (gōngchēzhàn).

我每天坐公车上班。 — Wǒ měitiān zuò gōngchē shàngbān. — I take the bus to work every day.

公车来了！ — Gōngchē lái le! — The bus is here!

Night falls, the moon smiles over the rooftop, and inside the house someone in bed is already snoring. Time to 睡觉.

睡觉 (shuìjiào) means “to sleep” or “to go to bed.” 睡 is to sleep, and 觉 here means a sleep. The same 觉 is read jué in 觉得 (juéde), to feel.

Because 睡觉 is a verb plus its object, words can go in between: 睡了一个好觉 (shuì le yí ge hǎo jiào), had a good sleep.

我十一点睡觉。 — Wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào. — I go to bed at eleven.

孩子在睡觉。 — Háizi zài shuìjiào. — The child is asleep.