Book 1, Lesson 9: Plans and Dates

Lesson 9 teaches you to plan ahead.

Note: This page serves as a companion to the A Course in Contemporary Chinese series by the Mandarin Training Center of the National Taiwan Normal University. You can use this post as a reference, but we strongly advise you to purchase the book to get the full didactic value it offers.

After learning to navigate transportation in Lesson 8, Book 1 Lesson 9 of A Course in Contemporary Chinese (Dangdai) introduces the vocabulary of future plans—discussing dates, making suggestions, and coordinating activities with friends.

This is the vocabulary of anticipation. In Taiwan, you will constantly discuss upcoming trips, holiday plans, and weekend activities. Whether you are planning a visit to 貓空 for tea, suggesting a night market excursion, or coordinating travel dates with classmates, this lesson provides the framework.

The Theme: Future Plans and Suggestions

The scenario of Lesson 9 revolves around planning and decision-making. People discuss when they will travel, make suggestions about where to go, and coordinate schedules for future activities. It is the vocabulary of looking forward.

The vocabulary divides into several categories:

Dates and Time Expressions

The vocabulary for specifying when things happen: 星期 (week/weekday), 月 (month), 號 (date), 下個星期 (next week), 放假 (to have vacation). These allow you to pin down exactly when plans will occur.

Planning Verbs

Actions related to making plans: 打算 (to plan), 決定 (to decide), 建議 (to suggest), 帶 (to bring/take). The verbs that turn ideas into concrete plans.

Activities and Entertainment

Things you might plan to do: 旅行 (to travel), 逛 (to stroll), 出去 (to go out), 功課 (homework). The activities that fill your future calendar.

Conditional Language

Words for discussing possibilities: 要是 (if), 就 (then), 應該 (should), 大概 (probably), 有時候 (sometimes). Essential for tentative planning and suggestions.

Destinations

Places worth visiting: 臺東 (Taitung), 夜市 (night market), 茶館 (tea house), 貓空 (Maokong). The destinations that make plans exciting.

Vocabulary Table

Click any character to view stroke order, pronunciation, and example sentences in our dictionary.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning	Type
星期 + number	xīngqī + number	day of the week	Noun
回國	huíguó	to return to one’s country	Verb
打算	dǎsuàn	to plan; to intend	Verb
電視	diànshì	television	Noun
影片	yǐngpiàn	video; film	Noun
旅行	lǚxíng	to travel; trip	Verb/Noun
功課	gōngkè	homework; assignment	Noun
出去	chūqù	to go out	Verb
大概	dàgài	probably; approximately	Adverb
放假	fàngjià	to have a vacation/holiday	Verb
下個星期	xià ge xīngqī	next week	Phrase
有時候	yǒu shíhou	sometimes	Adverb
多久	duō jiǔ	how long (duration)	Question phrase
臺東	Táidōng	Taitung (city in eastern Taiwan)	Proper noun
女 + noun	nǚ + noun	female + noun	Prefix
number + 月	number + yuè	month	Noun
number + 號	number + hào	date (day of month)	Noun
帶	dài	to bring; to take; to lead	Verb
她	tā	she; her	Pronoun
還	hái	still; also; even	Adverb
建議	jiànyì	to suggest; suggestion	Verb/Noun
夜市	yèshì	night market	Noun
應該	yīnggāi	should; ought to	Auxiliary verb
逛	guàng	to stroll; to wander	Verb
特別	tèbié	special; especially	Adjective/Adverb
茶館	cháguǎn	tea house	Noun
決定	juédìng	to decide; decision	Verb/Noun
要是	yàoshi	if	Conjunction
就	jiù	then; just; right away	Adverb
貓空	Māokōng	Maokong (area in Taipei)	Proper noun

Key Grammar

Days of the Week: 星期 + Number

Mandarin expresses weekdays using 星期 plus a number:

Day	Mandarin	Literal Meaning
Monday	星期一	Week-one
Tuesday	星期二	Week-two
Wednesday	星期三	Week-three
Thursday	星期四	Week-four
Friday	星期五	Week-five
Saturday	星期六	Week-six
Sunday	星期天 / 星期日	Week-day / Week-sun

Note: Sunday breaks the pattern—it uses 天 (day) or 日 (sun) instead of 七 (seven).

Examples:

我星期三有課。 — I have class on Wednesday.
星期六你有空嗎？ — Are you free on Saturday?

Dates: Month and Day

Dates follow the pattern: Year + 月 + 號/日

Months: Number + 月

一月 — January
二月 — February
十二月 — December

Days: Number + 號 (spoken) or 日 (written)

一號 — the 1st
十五號 — the 15th
三十一號 — the 31st

Full dates:

三月五號 — March 5th
十月十號 — October 10th (Taiwan’s National Day)
下個月二十號 — the 20th of next month

打算 — “To Plan/Intend”

打算 expresses intentions for the future:

你打算什麼時候回國？ — When do you plan to return to your country?
我打算下個星期去臺東。 — I plan to go to Taitung next week.
放假的時候，你打算做什麼？ — What do you plan to do during the vacation?

打算 is followed directly by a verb phrase—no 要 needed.

要是…就… — “If…then…”

This conditional structure expresses hypothetical situations:

要是明天下雨，我就不出去。 — If it rains tomorrow, then I won’t go out.
要是你有空，我們就一起去。 — If you’re free, then let’s go together.
要是你想去夜市，我就帶你去。 — If you want to go to the night market, then I’ll take you.

就 is optional but makes the sentence more natural and emphatic.

應該 — “Should/Ought to”

應該 expresses recommendations or expectations:

你應該去貓空看看。 — You should go check out Maokong.
我們應該早一點決定。 — We should decide earlier.
來臺灣，應該逛夜市。 — Coming to Taiwan, you should visit night markets.

應該 is softer than 必須 (must)—it suggests rather than commands.

多久 — “How Long”

多久 asks about duration:

你要去多久？ — How long will you go for?
你學中文學了多久？ — How long have you been studying Chinese?
從臺北到臺東要多久？ — How long does it take from Taipei to Taitung?

還 — Multiple Meanings

還 is versatile and context-dependent:

“Still”:

你還在學校嗎？ — Are you still at school?
我還沒決定。 — I still haven’t decided.

“Also/In addition”:

我想去夜市，還想去茶館。 — I want to go to the night market, and also to a tea house.
還有別的建議嗎？ — Do you have any other suggestions?

“Even”:

她比我還忙。 — She’s even busier than me.

Gender Prefix: 女 + Noun

女 creates feminine versions of nouns:

女朋友 — girlfriend
女同學 — female classmate
女老師 — female teacher
女生 — girl; female student

The male equivalent uses 男:

男朋友 — boyfriend
男同學 — male classmate

有時候 — “Sometimes”

有時候 indicates occasional occurrence:

有時候我在家看電視。 — Sometimes I watch TV at home.
我有時候會去那家茶館。 — I sometimes go to that tea house.
有時候功課很多。 — Sometimes there’s a lot of homework.

Cultural Notes

夜市 — Taiwan’s Night Market Culture

夜市 (yèshì) are the beating heart of Taiwanese social life. These open-air markets come alive after dark, offering food, games, shopping, and entertainment.

Major night markets in Taipei include:

士林夜市 (Shilin) — The largest and most famous, popular with tourists
饒河街夜市 (Raohe) — Known for 胡椒餅 (pepper buns)
師大夜市 (Shida) — Near NTNU, popular with students
寧夏夜市 (Ningxia) — Famous for traditional Taiwanese snacks
通化夜市 (Tonghua) — Local favorite in the Da’an district

The verb 逛 (guàng) is specifically used for night markets: 逛夜市 means to stroll through a night market, browsing, eating, and enjoying the atmosphere. It is an activity, not just a destination.

Common night market vocabulary:

小吃 — street snacks
排隊 — to queue/line up
試吃 — free sample
打包 — to pack up (takeaway)
找錢 — to give change

When someone asks 你逛過夜市嗎？(Have you been to a night market?), they are asking about a quintessential Taiwan experience. Your answer—and your opinions on various 小吃—will become a recurring conversation topic.

貓空 — Taipei’s Tea Mountain

貓空 (Māokōng) is a mountainous area in southern Taipei, famous for its tea houses and scenic views. The name literally means “cat hollow”—a reference to the eroded rocks in the area that resemble cat scratches.

Why students visit Maokong:

茶館 — Traditional tea houses serving locally grown 鐵觀音 (Tieguanyin) and 包種茶 (Baozhong tea)
夜景 — Stunning night views of Taipei city
貓空纜車 — The Maokong Gondola, a scenic cable car ride
登山步道 — Hiking trails through tea plantations

A typical Maokong visit involves:

Taking the 捷運 to Taipei Zoo station
Riding the 貓空纜車 up the mountain
Finding a 茶館 with good views
Spending hours drinking tea and enjoying the scenery

The phrase 我們去貓空喝茶吧 (Let’s go to Maokong for tea) is a classic date suggestion and a wonderful way to spend an evening. Many tea houses offer outdoor seating with views of the Taipei basin—particularly spectacular at night.

Tea house vocabulary:

泡茶 — to brew tea
茶具 — tea set
茶葉 — tea leaves
熱水 — hot water
點心 — snacks (often included)

臺東 — Taiwan’s Eastern Frontier

臺東 (Táidōng) represents a different Taiwan—slower, more rural, and dramatically beautiful. Located on the southeast coast, Taitung offers:

熱氣球嘉年華 — The annual hot air balloon festival (June-August)
太麻里 — Famous for watching the first sunrise of the new year
綠島 — Green Island, accessible by ferry, with hot springs and snorkeling
蘭嶼 — Orchid Island, home to the indigenous Tao people
池上 — Known for its rice paddies and the famous 伯朗大道 (Mr. Brown Avenue)
知本溫泉 — Zhiben Hot Springs

Getting to Taitung requires more effort than west coast cities—there is no high-speed rail to the east coast. Options include:

火車 — Train (approximately 4-5 hours from Taipei)
飛機 — Flight (approximately 50 minutes from Taipei)
開車/騎車 — Driving (scenic but long)

The journey is part of the experience. The train ride along the east coast, particularly the section between Hualien and Taitung, offers some of Taiwan’s most dramatic scenery—mountains plunging into the Pacific Ocean.

When classmates discuss 放假打算, Taitung often comes up as a destination for longer breaks. The phrase 我想去臺東玩 signals a desire for adventure beyond the typical weekend trip.

放假 — Holiday Culture in Taiwan

放假 (fàngjià) refers to holidays and vacations. Taiwan’s calendar includes numerous public holidays that affect student schedules:

Major holidays:

春節 (Chinese New Year) — 7+ days in January/February
清明節 (Tomb Sweeping Day) — April
端午節 (Dragon Boat Festival) — May/June
中秋節 (Mid-Autumn Festival) — September/October
國慶日 (National Day) — October 10th

During major holidays, Taiwan transforms:

Transportation becomes crowded and expensive
Many businesses close
Families gather for meals and traditions
Tourist destinations are packed

For MTC students, holidays present both opportunities and challenges. The phrase 放假的時候你打算做什麼？(What do you plan to do during the holiday?) becomes a standard conversation topic before each break.

Savvy students learn to:

Book transportation early (especially for 春節)
Expect changed business hours
Use the time for travel or intensive study
Participate in cultural activities when possible

回國 — The Return Home

回國 (huíguó) means “to return to one’s home country”—a word that carries emotional weight for international students.

Throughout your time in Taiwan, you will be asked:

你什麼時候回國？ — When are you returning to your country?
你打算回國嗎？ — Do you plan to go back?
回國以後要做什麼？ — What will you do after returning?

These questions are not intrusive—they reflect genuine interest in your plans. Taiwanese people understand that foreign students are temporary residents, and discussions about 回國 are natural.

The word also appears in contexts like:

我要回國過年。 — I’m going home for Chinese New Year.
她已經回國了。 — She has already returned to her country.
回國以前，我想去臺東玩。 — Before returning home, I want to visit Taitung.

For many students, the question of 回國 becomes increasingly complex as their time in Taiwan extends. The word itself—回 (return) + 國 (country)—assumes a clear sense of where “home” is, which may become less certain the longer you stay.