In Chinese, certain words tell you what action to take or what is not allowed. Here are the important ones from this lesson:

Step 1: Find the action word – Look for words like 吃 (eat), 洗 (wash), 去 (go), 看 (watch), 玩 (play).

Step 2: Find who does the action – Look for words like 你们 (you plural), 我们 (we), 孩子们 (children).

Step 3: Find the time or condition – Look for words like 今天 (today), 周末 (weekend), 上午 (morning), 下午 (afternoon).

Step 4: Understand the instruction – Put together who does what and when.

Example 1

Sentence: "今天你们不要玩儿游戏。" Jīntiān nǐmen bù yào wánr yóuxì.

Breaking it down:

• 今天 (jīntiān) = today
• 你们 (nǐmen) = you (plural)
• 不要 (bù yào) = must not / do not
• 玩儿游戏 (wánr yóuxì) = play games

Instruction: Today, you must not play games.

Example 2

Sentence: "你们上午要洗盘子 和衣服。" Nǐmen shàngwǔ yào xǐ pánzi hé yīfu.

Breaking it down:

• 你们 (nǐmen) = you
• 上午 (shàngwǔ) = morning
• 要 (yào) = must
• 洗 (xǐ) = wash
• 盘子 (pánzi) = plates
• 和 (hé) = and
• 衣服 (yīfu) = clothes

Instruction: You must wash the plates and clothes in the morning.

Example 3

Sentence: "妈妈，晚上可以 看电视 吗？" Māma, wǎnshang kěyǐ kàn diànshì ma?

Breaking it down:

• 妈妈 (māma) = mother
• 晚上 (wǎnshang) = evening
• 可以 (kěyǐ) = can/may
• 看电视 (kàn diànshì) = watch television

Instruction: Mother, may I watch television in the evening?

In the reading passage about class time, there is an important instruction:

Sentence: "上课的时候不能吃东西。" Shàngkè de shíhou bù néng chī dōngxi.

Meaning: During class, you cannot eat things.

Key instruction: Students must not eat during class time.

• Always look for the action word (动词 - dòngcí) first
• Remember that 不要 (bù yào) means "do not"
• Remember that 要 (yào) means "must" or "should"
• The word order in Chinese is often: time + person + action
• When you see 吗 (ma) at the end, it means the sentence is a question

1. 孩子们很喜欢玩儿游戏。(Háizimen hěn xǐhuan wánr yóuxì.) — Children like to play games very much.

2. 周末我们不去学校。(Zhōumò wǒmen bù qù xuéxiào.) — On the weekend we do not go to school.

3. 现在差一刻八点。(Xiànzài chà yī kè bā diǎn.) — Now it is quarter to eight.

4. 你们去洗碗和盘子。(Nǐmen qù xǐ wǎn hé pánzi.) — You go wash bowls and plates.

In everyday life in Tanzania, you can use these reading skills when you see simple Chinese instructions on products, apps, or signs. For example, when buying a Chinese-made item like a torch or radio from shops in Kariakoo or Mwanza, the instruction manual may have simple Chinese sentences like "请充电" (please charge) or "不要淋雨" (do not expose to rain). Understanding these basic instructions helps you use the product correctly and safely, and it also shows how Chinese language skills are useful for shopping and using everyday items in Tanzania.