Weekend Plans
Making weekend plans · a free Mandarin Chinese immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
你这个周末有空吗？
Are you free this weekend?
Literal You this-[measure]-weekend have-free-time?
A casual way to ask if someone is available. 有空 (yǒu kòng) means 'to have free time or availability'.
- 有空 = have free time / be available
- 这个周末 = this weekend
- 吗 turns a statement into a yes/no question
我们去爬山怎么样？
How about we go hiking?
Literal We go climb-mountain how-about?
怎么样 (zěnme yàng) placed at the end of a suggestion means 'how about it?' — a natural way to propose an activity.
- 怎么样 = how about / what do you think
- 去 + verb = go do something
- 爬山 = to hike / climb a mountain
我想去看电影，你想去吗？
I want to go see a movie — do you want to go?
Literal I want go watch movie, you want go?
想 (xiǎng) expresses desire or intention. Appending 你想去吗 converts the statement into an invitation.
- 想 + verb = want to do something
- 去看 = go watch / see
- 吗 = yes/no question particle
周六还是周日对你比较方便？
Is Saturday or Sunday more convenient for you?
Literal Saturday or Sunday for-you comparatively convenient?
还是 (háishi) is used in choice questions. 比较方便 (bǐjiào fāngbiàn) means 'relatively convenient'.
- 还是 = or (in choice questions)
- 比较 = comparatively / relatively
- 对你 = for you
这个周末我可能有点事，不一定能去。
I might have something going on this weekend, so I'm not sure I can make it.
Literal This weekend I possibly have a-little matter, not-definitely can go.
有点事 (yǒu diǎn shì) is a soft, polite way to say you are busy. 不一定 means 'not necessarily'.
- 有点事 = have something on / be a bit busy
- 不一定 = not necessarily
- 可能 = possibly / maybe
要不我们去那家新开的咖啡馆坐坐？
How about we go hang out at that newly opened café?
Literal How-about we go that [measure]-newly-opened café sit-sit?
要不 (yào bu) is a colloquial way to propose an alternative. Repeating a verb like 坐坐 softens a suggestion to 'just hang out for a bit'.
- 要不 = how about / or else (alternative proposal)
- 坐坐 = repeated verb signals a casual, low-pressure activity
- 新开的 = newly opened
我更想在家休息，你觉得呢？
I'd rather rest at home — what do you think?
Literal I more-want at-home rest, you feel [question]?
更想 (gèng xiǎng) expresses a preference. 你觉得呢 invites the other person's opinion without pressure.
- 更 = even more / rather
- 更想 + verb = would prefer to do
- 你觉得呢 = what do you think?
好的，那我们周六下午两点见！
Great, then let's meet Saturday afternoon at two o'clock!
Literal Good, then we Saturday afternoon two-o'clock see!
下午两点 (xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn) specifies a time. 见 (jiàn) is used here as 'see you / let's meet'.
- 下午 = afternoon
- 两点 = two o'clock
- 见 = see / meet (used to confirm an appointment)
你能叫上小明一起来吗？
Can you bring Xiao Ming along?
Literal You can invite-up Xiao-Ming together come?
叫上 (jiào shàng) means to invite someone to join a group. 一起 (yīqǐ) means 'together'.
- 叫上 = to bring / invite someone along
- 一起 = together
- 能...吗 = can...? (asking about possibility)
如果下雨的话，我们可以改去室内活动。
If it rains, we can switch to an indoor activity.
Literal If rain [conditional], we can change-go indoor activity.
如果...的话 is a common conditional structure. 改去 means 'change to going (somewhere else)'.
- 如果...的话 = if... (conditional)
- 可以 = can / it's possible to
- 室内 = indoor
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
周末
weekend
这个周末你有什么计划？
What plans do you have this weekend?
Pinyin: zhōumò. Example: Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu shénme jìhuà? 周 = week, 末 = end.
有空
to have free time / to be available
你明天有空吗？
Are you free tomorrow?
Pinyin: yǒu kòng. Example: Nǐ míngtiān yǒu kòng ma? Very common when making plans.
建议
to suggest / suggestion
我建议我们去公园。
I suggest we go to the park.
Pinyin: jiànyì. Example: Wǒ jiànyì wǒmen qù gōngyuán.
方便
convenient
周六对你方便吗？
Is Saturday convenient for you?
Pinyin: fāngbiàn. Example: Zhōuliù duì nǐ fāngbiàn ma?
一起
together
我们一起去吧！
Let's go together!
Pinyin: yìqǐ. Example: Wǒmen yìqǐ qù ba! Placed before a verb to indicate a shared action.
活动
activity / event
你喜欢什么户外活动？
What outdoor activities do you like?
Pinyin: huódòng. Example: Nǐ xǐhuān shénme hùwài huódòng?
计划
plan
你有没有计划去旅游？
Do you have plans to travel?
Pinyin: jìhuà. Example: Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu jìhuà qù lǚyóu? Can function as both noun and verb.
约好
to have made an arrangement / agreed to meet
我们已经约好了周日见面。
We've already arranged to meet on Sunday.
Pinyin: yuēhǎo. Example: Wǒmen yǐjīng yuēhǎo le zhōurì jiànmiàn.
随便
whatever / as you like
我随便，你决定吧。
I'm fine with anything, you decide.
Pinyin: suíbiàn. Example: Wǒ suíbiàn, nǐ juédìng ba. Useful for expressing flexibility in social situations.
出发
to set off / to depart
我们几点出发？
What time do we set off?
Pinyin: chūfā. Example: Wǒmen jǐ diǎn chūfā?
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
周六早上，小华给好朋友阿明发了一条消息：「你这个周末有空吗？我想去爬山，要不要一起来？」阿明回复说他周六有点事，但周日比较方便。小华说：「好啊，那我们周日上午九点出发吧！」两个人商量好了，还约上了另一个朋友小玲一起去。他们说好如果下雨就改去室内活动，大家都很期待。
Sentence by sentence
你这个周末有空吗？
Are you free this weekend?
Standard availability question using 有空 (have free time) with the 吗 question particle.
要不要一起来？
Want to come along?
要不要 is an A-not-A question pattern meaning 'do you want to or not?' — very natural in casual invitations.
周六有点事
Have something on Saturday
有点事 is a soft, polite way to say you are occupied without giving details.
周日上午九点出发
Set off Sunday morning at nine
Time expressions in Mandarin go from largest unit to smallest: day → part of day → hour.
如果下雨就改去室内活动
If it rains, switch to an indoor activity
如果...就 is a conditional pattern meaning 'if... then...'. 改去 means 'change to going'.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Making Suggestions with 要不 and 怎么样
Two natural ways to suggest plans in spoken Mandarin: 要不 (yào bu) introduces an alternative or new idea at the start of a sentence, while 怎么样 (zěnme yàng) placed at the end of a proposal invites the listener's reaction. Both are common in casual coordination.
要不 + [suggestion] / [suggestion] + 怎么样？
要不我们去图书馆看书？
How about we go to the library to read?
下午去打羽毛球怎么样？
How about going to play badminton this afternoon?
要不你来我家吃饭？
How about you come to my place for dinner?
去海边玩怎么样？
How about going to play at the beach?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Are you free this weekend?
Hint Use 有空 for 'free/available'
要不我们去那家新开的咖啡馆坐坐？
Hint 要不 introduces a suggestion — think 'or how about…'
我们去爬山___？Fill in the blank to make a suggestion using the grammar pattern from this lesson.
Hint This word turns a statement into a suggestion — 'how does that sound?'
Which sentence most naturally asks whether Saturday or Sunday works better for someone?
Rewrite this sentence using 要不 instead of 怎么样: 我们在家休息怎么样？
Hint Move 要不 to the front of the sentence
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Mandarin Chinese capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.