The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People — Page 5

Vocabulary

而

ér — Conjunction linking contrasting or sequential clauses.

在

zài — At, in, on; indicates location or ongoing action.

我

wǒ — First-person singular pronoun: I, me.

允许

yǔnxǔ — To permit, allow, or give permission.

你

nǐ — Second-person singular pronoun: you.

娶

qǔ — To marry (a woman); take as wife.

她

tā — Third-person singular feminine pronoun: she, her.

之前

zhīqián — Before, prior to a specified time or event.

必须

bìxū — Must, have to; expresses obligation or necessity.

把

bǎ — Disposal marker; also means to hold or handle.

的

de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.

问题

wèntí — Question, problem, or issue to be addressed.

彻底

chèdǐ — Thoroughly, completely, to the very bottom.

说

shuō — To speak, say, or talk about something.

清楚

qīngchǔ — Clear, distinct; to clarify or make understood.

按

àn — To press, push down, or ring (a bell).

铃

líng — Bell, chime, or ringing device.

究竟

jiūjìng — Exactly, after all; used for emphasis in questions.

是

shì — To be; links subject with predicate or identity.

什么

shénme — What; interrogative pronoun asking about identity or nature.

意思

yìsi — Meaning, intention, or sense of something said.

根本

gēnběn — Fundamentally, at all; used for absolute negation.

不

bù — No, not; general negation particle.

认识

rènshi — To know, recognize, or be acquainted with someone.

任何

rènhé — Any, whichever; refers to any person or thing.

叫

jiào — To be called, named; or to call out.

人

rén — Person, people, human being.

上场

shàngchǎng — To enter the stage; make an appearance.

先生

xiānsheng — Mister, sir; polite title for an adult man.

上次

shàngcì — Last time, the previous occasion.

这里

zhèlǐ — Here, this place.

用餐

yòngcān — To dine, have a meal.

时

shí — When, at the time of; temporal indicator.

留

liú — To leave behind, retain, or stay.

吸烟室

xīyānshì — Smoking room; a room designated for smoking.

那个

nàge — That one; demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant.

烟盒

yānhé — Cigarette case; a small box for holding cigarettes.

拿来

nálái — To bring over, fetch and bring here.

给

gěi — To give; preposition indicating recipient of action.

退场

tuìchǎng — To exit the stage; leave the scene.

是说

shì shuō — That is to say, meaning; used for clarification.

这段时间

zhè duàn shíjiān — During this period, for this stretch of time.

一直

yīzhí — Always, continuously, all along without stopping.

拿着

názhe — Holding, carrying something in one's hand continuously.

真

zhēn — Really, truly; genuine; used as intensifier.

希望

xīwàng — To hope, wish; hope or expectation.

早点

zǎodiǎn — A bit earlier, sooner; also breakfast.

告诉

gàosu — To tell, inform, or let someone know.

为

wèi — For, because of; on behalf of.

这件事

zhè jiàn shì — This matter, this affair, this particular thing.

疯狂

fēngkuáng — Crazy, frantic, wildly excited or irrational.

地

de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb phrase.

写信

xiě xìn — To write a letter to someone.

差

chà — To fall short of; differ by; almost.

一点

yīdiǎn — A little bit, a small amount.

就要

jiùyào — About to, on the verge of doing something.

悬赏

xuánshǎng — To offer a reward; a posted monetary reward.

重金

zhòngjīn — Large sum of money; substantial monetary reward.

了

le — Particle indicating completed action or changed situation.

唉

āi — Sigh; exclamation expressing regret or resignation.

当时

dāngshí — At that time, back then.

恰好

qiàhǎo — Exactly, just right, happen to coincide perfectly.

比

bǐ — Compared to; used in comparative constructions.

平时

píngshí — Usually, ordinarily, in normal times.

更加

gèngjiā — Even more, to a greater degree.

拮据

jiéjū — Short of money, financially strapped or tight.

既然

jìrán — Since, given that; introduces a known premise.

东西

dōngxi — Thing, object, stuff in general.

已经

yǐjīng — Already; indicates action completed before present.

找到

zhǎodào — To find, locate, successfully retrieve something.

再

zài — Again, once more; also used in negation.

也

yě — Also, too; additionally; used in negation for emphasis.

没有

méiyǒu — Do not have; have not; negates possession or action.

用

yòng — To use; useful; use or function.

托着

tuōzhe — Carrying on a tray or palm, holding up.

银盘

yínpán — Silver tray or platter.

盘上

pán shàng — On the tray; on top of the platter.

放着

fàngzhe — Placed on, laid out; something is resting there.

立刻

lìkè — Immediately, at once, without any delay.

将

jiāng — About to; formal marker indicating future action.

其

qí — It, its, that; formal third-person pronoun.

取走

qǔzǒu — To take away, remove and carry off.

觉得

juéde — To feel, think, sense; personal opinion or feeling.

这样做

zhèyàng zuò — To do it this way, act in such a manner.

相当

xiāngdāng — Quite, fairly, considerably; rather significant degree.

吝啬

lìnsè — Stingy, miserly, unwilling to spend or give.

打开

dǎkāi — To open, unfold, turn on something.

仔细

zǐxì — Careful, attentive, thorough in examination.

查看

chákàn — To inspect, check, look over carefully.

不过

búguò — However, but; also means merely or only.

这

zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun indicating something nearby.

无所谓

wúsuǒwèi — Doesn't matter, indifferent, makes no difference.

因为

yīnwèi — Because, since; introduces the reason or cause.

现在

xiànzài — Now, at present, currently.

看了看

kànle kàn — Took a look, glanced briefly at something.

里面

lǐmiàn — Inside, interior, within something.

题字

tízì — Inscription, dedication written inside a book or item.

发现

fāxiàn — To discover, find out, realize something new.

不是

bú shì — Is not, are not; negation of identity or state.

当然

dāngrán — Of course, naturally, certainly.

走向

zǒuxiàng — To walk toward, move in the direction of.

他

tā — Third-person singular masculine pronoun: he, him.

见过

jiànguò — Have seen before; experienced seeing something.

它

tā — Third-person pronoun for objects or animals: it.

不下

bùxià — No fewer than, not less than a quantity.

百次

bǎi cì — A hundred times, one hundred occasions.

而且

érqiě — Moreover, furthermore, in addition to that.

无权

wú quán — Have no right, lack authority or permission.

写

xiě — To write, compose, or put words on paper.