White nights, and other stories — Page 3

Vocabulary

正是

zhèng shì — exactly, precisely, that is just the case

如此

rú cǐ — like this, in this way, so

我们

wǒ men — we, us, our group

几乎

jī hū — almost, nearly, on the verge of

会

huì — will, can, be able to do something

向

xiàng — toward, facing, in the direction of

彼此

bǐ cǐ — each other, one another, mutually

鞠躬

jū gōng — to bow respectfully as a greeting

尤其是

yóu qí shì — especially, particularly, above all else

当

dāng — when, while, at the time of

都

dōu — all, both, entirely, without exception

心情

xīn qíng — mood, state of mind, emotional feeling

愉快

yú kuài — happy, cheerful, pleasant, joyful

的

de — structural particle indicating possession or modification

时候

shí hòu — time, moment, period, when something occurs

前几天

qián jǐ tiān — a few days ago, recently, the other day

已有

yǐ yǒu — already have, there has already been

两天

liǎng tiān — two days, a period of two days

未曾

wèi céng — never yet, have not yet, not once

相见

xiāng jiàn — to meet each other, to see one another

到

dào — to arrive at, to reach, until, to

第三天

dì sān tiān — the third day, day three

相遇

xiāng yù — to meet by chance, to encounter each other

时

shí — when, at the time, at the moment

竟

jìng — unexpectedly, actually, to one's surprise

真的

zhēn de — really, truly, genuinely, in earnest

伸手

shēn shǒu — to stretch out one's hand, to reach out

去

qù — to go, to proceed toward, away

触碰

chù pèng — to touch, to make physical contact with

各自

gè zì — each one's own, respectively, individually

但

dàn — but, however, yet, nevertheless

及时

jí shí — in time, promptly, without delay, timely

回过神来

huí guò shén lái — to come back to one's senses, snap out

便

biàn — then, immediately, thereupon, as a result

垂下

chuí xià — to drop down, to lower, to hang down

了

le — particle indicating completed action or change

手

shǒu — hand, arm's end, person's hand

以

yǐ — with, by means of, using, in order to

一种

yī zhǒng — a kind of, a type of, one sort

饶有兴味

ráo yǒu xìng wèi — with great interest, full of curiosity and amusement

眼神

yǎn shén — expression in one's eyes, look, gaze

擦肩而过

cā jiān ér guò — to pass by each other, brush shoulders briefly

我

wǒ — I, me, myself, first-person singular

也

yě — also, too, as well, likewise

认识

rèn shi — to know, to recognize, to be acquainted with

那些

nà xiē — those, those ones, that group of things

房子

fáng zi — house, building, dwelling, residence

漫步

màn bù — to stroll, to walk leisurely, to wander

它们

tā men — they, them (referring to non-human things)

仿佛

fǎng fú — as if, as though, seemingly, apparently

在

zài — at, in, on, to be located at

街道

jiē dào — street, road, avenue, urban thoroughfare

上

shàng — on, above, upper, onto a surface

向前

xiàng qián — forward, ahead, toward the front

探出

tàn chū — to lean out, to extend outward, to poke out

从

cóng — from, since, through, following a path

每一扇

měi yī shàn — every single one (of doors or windows)

窗户

chuāng hu — window, an opening in a wall for light

里

lǐ — inside, within, in, interior

张望

zhāng wàng — to peep, to look around, to gaze curiously

着

zhe — particle indicating ongoing action or state

要

yào — to want, to need, going to, must

开口

kāi kǒu — to open one's mouth, to start speaking

说话

shuō huà — to speak, to talk, to say words

早上好

zǎo shàng hǎo — good morning, morning greeting

您

nín — you (polite/respectful form of address)

好吗

hǎo ma — are you well? how are you doing?

一切

yī qiè — everything, all things, the whole lot

都好

dōu hǎo — all is well, everything is fine

谢天谢地

xiè tiān xiè dì — thank goodness, thank heavens, what a relief

五月份

wǔ yuè fèn — the month of May, fifth month

将要

jiāng yào — about to, going to, soon will happen

一层

yī céng — one floor, one layer, one storey

或者

huò zhě — or, alternatively, either one or the other

明天

míng tiān — tomorrow, the next day, the day after today

就要

jiù yào — about to, on the verge of, very soon will

重新

chóng xīn — again, anew, over again, from the start

装修

zhuāng xiū — to renovate, to decorate, interior remodeling

差点

chà diǎn — almost, nearly, narrowly avoided something bad

被

bèi — passive marker, by (someone), suffered an action

烧毁

shāo huǐ — to burn down, to destroy by fire

吓了

xià le — was frightened, got scared, startled by something

好大

hǎo dà — quite big, such a big, very large

一跳

yī tiào — a jump, a start, a fright (gave a jump)

诸如此类

zhū rú cǐ lèi — such things, and so forth, things of this kind

之中

zhī zhōng — among, within, in the middle of

有

yǒu — to have, there is/are, to exist

自己

zì jǐ — oneself, self, one's own

偏爱

piān ài — to have a special fondness for, to favor

有些

yǒu xiē — some, certain ones, a few of them

已是

yǐ shì — already are, have already become, now considered

亲密

qīn mì — intimate, close, affectionate, dear to one

朋友

péng you — friend, companion, acquaintance, buddy

其中

qí zhōng — among them, within that group, included therein

一座

yī zuò — one (building, mountain, bridge) measure word

今夏

jīn xià — this summer, the current summer season

打算

dǎ suàn — to plan, to intend, to have in mind

请

qǐng — to invite, please, to request someone's service

建筑师

jiàn zhù shī — architect, a professional designer of buildings

来

lái — to come, to arrive, used before a verb

修缮

xiū shàn — to repair, to renovate, to restore a building

一番

yī fān — a round of, a bout of, thoroughly once through

将

jiāng — will, shall, about to (formal future marker)

每天

měi tiān — every day, daily, each and every day

特意

tè yì — specially, on purpose, deliberately for this reason

前去

qián qù — to go forward to, to head over to a place

看看

kàn kàn — to take a look, to have a glance, check on

这番

zhè fān — this round of, this bout of, this particular

施工

shī gōng — construction, building work, to carry out construction

是否

shì fǒu — whether or not, if, is it or isn't it

顺利

shùn lì — smooth, successful, without obstacles, going well

但愿

dàn yuàn — I only hope, hopefully, if only it could be

不会

bù huì — will not, cannot, unlikely to happen

出

chū — to come out, to occur, to produce, out

什么

shén me — what, something, anything, whatever it may be

差错

chā cuò — mistake, error, mishap, something going wrong

永远

yǒng yuǎn — forever, always, eternally, for all time

忘记

wàng jì — to forget, to fail to remember, to lose memory

与

yǔ — with, and, together with (formal/written)

浅粉色

qiǎn fěn sè — light pink color, pale rose hue

可爱

kě ài — cute, adorable, lovely, charming appearance

小屋

xiǎo wū — small house, little cottage, tiny dwelling

之间

zhī jiān — between, among, in the space between things

发生

fā shēng — to happen, to occur, to take place, to arise

那件事

nà jiàn shì — that matter, that thing, that incident or affair

那是

nà shì — that is, that was, referring to something mentioned

多么

duō me — how, what a, so very (exclamatory degree)

迷人

mí rén — charming, enchanting, captivating, fascinating

它

tā — it, that thing, third-person singular non-human

望向

wàng xiàng — to look toward, to gaze in the direction of

是

shì — to be, is, am, are, affirmative verb

那般

nà bān — so, like that, in that manner, to that degree

热情好客

rè qíng hào kè — warm and hospitable, welcoming to guests

笨拙

bèn zhuō — clumsy, awkward, lacking grace, ungainly

丑陋

chǒu lòu — ugly, unsightly, unattractive in appearance

邻居

lín jū — neighbor, a person living next door or nearby

又是

yòu shì — again is, once more being, also turns out to be

每当

měi dāng — whenever, every time that, each time when

恰好

qià hǎo — just right, exactly, happened to, by coincidence

路过

lù guò — to pass by, to go past a place on the way

心中

xīn zhōng — in one's heart, deep inside, inwardly, mentally

便会

biàn huì — then will, thereupon would, as a result would

涌起

yǒng qǐ — to well up, to surge up, to rise suddenly within

一阵

yī zhèn — a burst of, a wave of, a spell of something

喜悦

xǐ yuè — joy, delight, happiness, a feeling of pleasure

就在

jiù zài — just at, right at, it was exactly at that point

上周

shàng zhōu — last week, the previous week

忽然

hū rán — suddenly, all of a sudden, abruptly, unexpectedly

走过

zǒu guò — to walk past, to pass by on foot

那条街

nà tiáo jiē — that street, that particular road or avenue

我的

wǒ de — my, mine, belonging to me

老朋友

lǎo péng you — old friend, longtime friend, dear familiar acquaintance

望去

wàng qù — to look over, to gaze toward, to glance that way

却

què — but, yet, however, on the contrary

听到

tīng dào — to hear, to catch the sound of something

一声

yī shēng — a sound, one utterance, a single noise

幽怨

yōu yuàn — melancholy resentment, quiet sorrow, plaintive grief

叹息

tàn xī — to sigh, a sigh, to exhale in sadness or resignation

他们

tā men — they, them, third-person plural (human)

把

bǎ — particle marking object before verb, to take/handle

涂成

tú chéng — to paint into, to color as, to coat making it become

黄色

huáng sè — yellow color, the color yellow

这些

zhè xiē — these, these ones, this group of things

恶棍

è gùn — villain, scoundrel, rascal, wicked person

野蛮人

yě mán rén — barbarian, savage, uncivilized person, brute