Grammar Phrases from Youtube

Question 1

I should have gone to the concert with you

Answer 1

我应该跟你一起去演唱的
wǒ yīng gāi gēn nǐ yī qǐ qù yǎn chàng de
(To say ‘should have’ in Chinese, we often say 应该…(的). The 的 at the end of the sentence adds a sense of certainty. However this 的 is not necessary if clear from context)

Question 2

I should have told you earlier

Answer 2

我应该早(一)点告诉你的
wǒ yīng gāi zǎo (yī) diǎn gào sù nǐ de
(To say ‘should have’ in Chinese, we often say 应该…(的). The 的 at the end of the sentence adds a sense of certainty. However this 的 is not necessary if clear from context)

Question 3

I really should have told you earlier

Answer 3

我真应该早(一)点告诉你的
wǒ zhēn yīng gāi zǎo ( yī ) diǎn gào sù nǐ de
(To say ‘should have’ in Chinese, we often say 应该…(的). The 的 at the end of the sentence adds a sense of certainty. However this 的 is not necessary if clear from context)

Question 4

I should’ve listened to you

Answer 4

早知道我就听你的(话)了
zǎo zhī dào wǒ jiù tīng nǐ de (huà) le
(早知道我就 means ‘I should have’, also has the sense of ‘if I’d known earlier’)

Question 5

You should’ve been nicer to him

Answer 5

你应该给他好一点的
nǐ yīng gāi gěi tā hǎo yī diǎn de
(To say ‘should have’ in Chinese, we often say 应该…(的). The 的 at the end of the sentence adds a sense of certainty. However this 的 is not necessary if clear from context)

Question 6

He should have apologised sooner

Answer 6

他应该早点抱歉的
tā yīng gāi zǎo diǎn bào qiàn de
(To say ‘should have’ in Chinese, we often say 应该…(的). The 的 at the end of the sentence adds a sense of certainty. However this 的 is not necessary if clear from context)

Question 7

I could have left earlier, but…

Answer 7

我本来可以早点走的, 但…
wǒ běn lái kě yǐ zǎo diǎn zuò de , dàn …
(To say ‘could have’, Subj + 本来/原本 + 可以/能… . Note 本来/原本 mean ‘originally’.)

Question 8

She could have gone to Japan with us, but…

Answer 8

她原本能跟我们一起去日本的，但…
tā yuán běn néng gēn wǒ mén yī qǐ qù rì běn de ， dàn …
(To say ‘could have’, Subj + 本来/原本 + 可以/能… . Note 本来/原本 mean ‘originally’.)

Question 9

I would have met up with you guys, but…

Answer 9

我原本想跟你们见面的，但…
wǒ yuán běn xiǎng gēn nǐ mén jiàn miàn de ， dàn …
(to say ‘would have’，本来/原本 + 想. Note 本来/原本 mean ‘originally’.)

Question 10

If I’d had more money (back then), I would have bought that car

Answer 10

如果当时我有更多钱，我就会买那辆车
rú guǒ dāng shí wǒ yǒu gēng duō qián ， wǒ jiù huì mǎi nà liàng chē
(If … back then, S + would’ve/could’ve:
如果/要是 + 当时/那时候…, S + 就 + would’ve/could’ve)

Question 11

If he had studied harder (back then), he could have gotten into that college

Answer 11

要是那时候他更认真念书，他就能考上那间大学了
yào shì nà shí hòu tā gēng rèn zhēn niàn shū ， tā jiù néng kǎo shàng nà jiān dà xué le
(If … back then, S + would’ve/could’ve:
如果/要是 + 当时/那时候…, S + 就 + would’ve/could’ve)

Question 12

It took a year for him to finish reading that book

Answer 12

他花了一年才看完那本书
tā huā le yī nián cái kàn wán nà běn shū
(才 implies that it took a longer time than expected)

Question 13

I only got one (apple)

Answer 13

我才拿到一颗（苹果）
wǒ cái ná dào yī kē （ píng guǒ ）
(才 implies that the number or amount is less than expected/means “only”)

Question 14

I didn’t take your stuff.

Answer 14

我才没有拿你的东西呢
wǒ cái méi yǒu ná nǐ de dōng xī ne
（才 can also be used to express a differing opinion/contradictory opinion, in this sentence the implication is that the person he’s speaking to believes he took it.）

Question 15

I just went out, and then it started raining

Answer 15

我才出门， 就下雨了
wǒ cái chū mén ， jiù xià yǔ le
(才 can be used to emphasise something JUST happened)

Question 16

I only went because of him

Answer 16

因为他，我才去的
yīn wéi tā ， wǒ cái qù de
(The only reason + 才 (= only then) + next action)