Classroom Instructions in Chinese 课堂用语
kètáng yòngyǔ
Classroom phrases in Chinese is 课堂用语 (kè táng yòng yǔ).
Also searched for as: teacher phrases, classroom language, listen and repeat.
Listen carefully: what does the teacher want? 15 essential what the teacher says words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Classroom Chinese, 课堂用语 (kè táng yòng yǔ), is the set of short commands every learner hears from the first lesson, such as 跟我读 (gēn wǒ dú), read after me, and 请安静 (qǐng ān jìng), quiet, please. Understanding them lets you follow a lesson taught entirely in Chinese without reaching for English. You'll also learn phrases to use yourself when you're lost, like 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yī biàn), please say that again.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 上课 | shàng kè | class begins |
| 下课 | xià kè | class is over |
| 请坐 | qǐng zuò | please sit down |
| 打开书 | dǎ kāi shū | open your books |
| 翻到 | fān dào | to turn to (a page) |
| 跟我读 | gēn wǒ dú | read after me |
| 大声 | dà shēng | loudly |
| 安静 | ān jìng | quiet |
| 看黑板 | kàn hēi bǎn | look at the board |
| 听写 | tīng xiě | dictation |
| 举手 | jǔ shǒu | put your hand up |
| 明白了吗 | míng bai le ma | do you understand? |
| 再说一遍 | zài shuō yī biàn | say it again |
| 交作业 | jiāo zuò yè | to hand in homework |
| 注意 | zhù yì | pay attention |
Usage tips
- In many Chinese classrooms the lesson starts with the teacher saying 上课！, pupils standing to reply 老师好！ (lǎo shī hǎo), and the teacher then saying 请坐 (qǐng zuò).
- Page numbers use 第 (dì) plus 页 (yè): 翻到第二十页 (fān dào dì èr shí yè), turn to page twenty.
- 明白了吗？ (míng bai le ma) and 懂了吗？ (dǒng le ma) both check understanding; answer 明白了 or 懂了 rather than 是 (shì), which doesn't work as 'yes' here.
Common mistakes
- Learners say 再一次说, copying 'say it one more time'; Chinese puts the count after the verb: 再说一遍 (zài shuō yī biàn).
- 大声 (dà shēng) goes before the verb, so 'read it aloud' is 大声读 (dà shēng dú); learners often say 读大声.
Mini dialogue
- A上课！同学们好！Shàng kè! Tóng xué men hǎo!Class begins! Hello, everyone!
- B老师好！Lǎo shī hǎo!Hello, teacher!
- A请坐。打开书，翻到第十五页。Qǐng zuò. Dǎ kāi shū, fān dào dì shí wǔ yè.Please sit down. Open your books and turn to page fifteen.
- B老师，对不起，请再说一遍。Lǎo shī, duì bu qǐ, qǐng zài shuō yī biàn.Sorry, could you say that again, please?
- A第十五页。好，大家跟我读。Dì shí wǔ yè. Hǎo, dà jiā gēn wǒ dú.Page fifteen. Right, everyone, read after me.
Example sentences
- 上课！同学们好！Class begins! Hello, everyone!
- 下课了，休息十分钟。Class is over, ten-minute break.
- 请坐，我们开始吧。Please sit down, let's begin.
- 请打开书，翻到第十页。Open your books to page ten.
- 翻到第二十页。Turn to page twenty.
- 大家跟我读。Everyone, read after me.
- 请大声一点儿。A bit louder, please.
- 请安静！Quiet, please!
- 看黑板，这个字怎么读？Look at the board, how do you read this character?
- 明天听写第五课的生词。Tomorrow there's a dictation on the new words from lesson five.
- 有问题请举手。Put your hand up if you have a question.
- 这个语法明白了吗？Do you understand this grammar?
- 请再说一遍。Say it again, please.
- 明天交作业。Hand in your homework tomorrow.
- 注意这个字的写法。Pay attention to how this character is written.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The What the teacher says speaking island has 8 everyday questions about what the teacher says to prepare your own answers to.