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In this post we’re going to look at some useful vocabulary and expressions to talk about a room where you probably spend a lot of time, the living room. (If you’re thinking, hey, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, we’ve got you covered. Check out this post.)

一个舒适的大沙发 yī gè shū shì de dà shā fā  A Big Comfortable Sofa

Let’s start with the 家具 jiā jù  furniture and other basic things that you’re likely to find in the living room: 沙发 shā fā  a sofa/couch, 扶手椅 fú shǒu yǐ  an armchair, 茶几 chá jī  a coffee table, 桌子 zhuō zi  a table, 架子 jià zi  a shelf, 脚凳 jiǎo dèng  an ottoman, 壁炉 bì lú a fireplace, 门 mén a door, 窗户 chuāng hu  a window, 地板 dì bǎn  the floor, 墙 qiáng  a wall, 天花板  tiān huā bǎn  the ceiling, 烟囱 yān cong  a chimney, 衣橱 yī chú  a closet.

• 我们的沙发真舒服。
  Wǒ men de shā fā zhēn shū fu.
  Our sofa is really comfortable.
• 我经常坐在扶手椅上看书。
  Wǒ jīng cháng zuò zài fú shǒu yǐ shàng kàn shū.
  I often sit in the armchair and read.

• 书架上有很多书。
  Shū jià shàng yǒu hěn duō shū.
  There are a lot of books on the bookshelves.
• 遥控器在茶几上。
  Yáo kòng qì zài chá jī shàng.
  The remote control is on the coffee table.
• 我看电视时喜欢把脚放在脚凳上。
  Wǒ kàn diàn shì shí xǐ huān bǎ jiǎo fàng zài jiǎo dèng shàng.
  I put my feet on the ottoman when I watch television.
• 窗户前面有一张小桌子。
  Chuāng hu qián mian yǒu yī zhāng xiǎo zhuō zi.
  There’s a small table in front of the window.
• 请把鞋子放在门边。
  Qǐng bǎ xié zi fàng zài mén biān.
  Please leave your shoes next to the door.
• 我们把外套挂在衣橱里。
  Wǒ men bǎ wài tào guà zài yī chú lǐ.
  We hang our coats in the closet.
• 大量的阳光从窗户射进来。
  Dà liàng de yáng guāng cóng chuāng hu shè jìn lái.
  A lot of sunlight comes through the window.
• 从客厅可以俯瞰花园。
  Cóng kè tīng kě yǐ fǔ kàn huā yuán.
  The living room looks out over a garden.

彩色靠垫 cǎi sè kào diàn  Colorful Cushions

In addition to the basic pieces of furniture you probably have in your living room, you most likely have: 地毯 dì tǎn a carpet/rug, 靠垫 kào diàn a cushion, 毯子 tǎn zi  a blanket, 台灯 tái dēng  a lamp, 灯罩 dēng zhào a lampshade, 照片 zhào piàn a photograph, 画 huà a painting, 相框 xiàng kuàng a picture frame, 花瓶 huā píng a vase, 窗帘 chuāng lián curtains.

• 我们需要更换房间里的地毯。
  Wǒ men xū yào gēng huàn fáng jiān lǐ de dì tǎn.
  We need to replace the carpet in this room.
• 门前有一块漂亮的地毯。
  Mén qián yǒu yī kuài piào liang de dì tǎn.
  There’s a beautiful rug in front of the door.
• 沙发上有很多靠垫和毯子。
  Shā fā shàng yǒu hěn duō kào diàn hé tǎn zi.
  We have a lot of cushions and blankets on the sofa.
• 那盏台灯有一个漂亮的灯罩。
  Nà zhǎn tái dēng yǒu yī gè piào liang de dēng zhào.
  That lamp has a beautiful lampshade.
• 我们把家人的照片挂在墙上。
  Wǒ men bǎ jiā rén de zhào piàn guà zài qiáng shàng.
  We have photos of our family in frames on the wall.
• 我们应该把这幅画挂在哪里？
  Wǒ men yìng gāi bǎ zhè fú huà guà zài nǎ lǐ?
  Where should we hang this new painting?
• 我得在花瓶里放些花儿。
  Wǒ děi zài huā píng lǐ fàng xiē huār.
  I need to put some flowers in the vase.
• 这里很黑。请把窗帘拉开。
  Zhè lǐ hěn hēi. Qǐng bǎ chuāng lián lā kāi.
  It’s dark in here. Please open the curtains.

遥控器太多了！ Yáo kòng qì tài duō le! Too Many Remote Controls!

Nowadays there are loads of gadgets in the typical living room. How many of these do you have? 电脑 diàn nǎo a computer, 无线网络 wú xiàn wǎng luò WiFi, 钟 zhōng  a clock, 电视 diàn shì a television, 音响 yīn xiǎng a stereo, 收音机 shōu yīn jī a radio, 扬声器 yáng shēng qì a speaker, DVD播放机 DVD bō fàng jī  a DVD player, 猫 māo a modem, 路由器 lù yóu qì a router, 遥控器 yáo kòng qì a remote control.

• 你的WiFi密码是什么？
  Nǐ de WiFi mì mǎ shì shén me?
  What’s your WiFi password?
• 我们需要一台新电视。
  Wǒ men xū yào yī tái xīn diàn shì.
  We need a new television.
• 电视的遥控器在哪里？
  Diàn shì de yáo kòng qì zài nǎ lǐ?
  Where’s the remote control for the television?
• 我们有一个DVD机，但我们从来不用它。
  Wǒ men yǒu yī gè DVD jī, dàn wǒ men cóng lái bú yòng tā.
  We have a DVD player, but we never use it.
• 扬声器很小，但听起来很棒。
  Yáng shēng qì hěn xiǎo, dàn tīng qǐ lái hěn bàng.
  The speakers are small, but they sound great.
• 我要重启猫。
  Wǒ yào chóng qǐ māo.
  I need to restart the modem.
• 这钟是古董，但它还能用！
  Zhè zhōng shì gǔ dǒng, dàn tā huán néng yòng!
  The clock is an antique, but it still works!

家务和修理 jiā wù hé xiū lǐ  Housework and Repairs

Like any room in the house, you’ve got to keep the living room clean. And sometimes, you may want to redecorate. Which brings us to: 打扫 dǎ sǎo to clean, 收拾 shōu shi to tidy up, 吸尘器 xī chén qì a vacuum cleaner, 用吸尘器吸地板 yòng xī chén qì xī dì bǎn to vacuum the floor, 掸掉灰尘 dǎn diào huī chén to dust, 擦窗户 cā chuāng hu to clean the windows, 刷墙 shuā qiáng to paint, 修理 xiū lǐ to fix/repair, 更换 gēng huàn to replace.

• 客厅很乱。我们得在客人来之前收拾一下。
  Kè tīng hěn luàn. Wǒ men děi zài kè rén lái zhī qián shōu shi yī xià.
  The living room is messy. We need to tidy up before our guests get here.
• 我得用吸尘器吸地毯。
  Wǒ děi yòng xī chén qì xī dì tǎn.
  I have to vacuum the carpet.
• 书架上满是灰尘！ 我要掸掉这些灰尘。
  Shū jià shàng mǎn shì huī chén! Wǒ yào dǎn diào zhè xiē huī chén.
  The bookshelves are dusty! I need to dust them.
• 窗户脏了。我们要擦干净它们。
  Chuāng hù zāng le. Wǒ men yào cā gān jìng tā men.
  The windows are dirty. We need to clean them.
• 请用纸巾擦一下茶几。
  Qǐng yòng zhǐ jīn cā yī xià chá jī .
  Please wipe the coffee table with a paper towel.
• 我想把墙壁刷成不同的颜色。
  Wǒ xiǎng bǎ qiáng bì shuā chéng bù tóng de yán sè.
  I want to paint the walls a different color.
• 花瓶破了。我们能修补一下吗？
  Huā píng pò le. Wǒ men néng xiū bǔ yī xià ma?
  The vase is broken. Can we repair it?
• 那些窗帘真的很旧了。我们换掉它们吧。
  Nà xiē chuāng lián zhēn de hěn jiù le. Wǒ men huàn diào tā men ba.
  Those curtains are really old. Let’s replace them.
• 地毯上有一个大污渍。
  Dì tǎn shàng yǒu yī gè dà wū zì.
  There’s a big stain on the carpet.

我们去看电影吧。 Wǒ men qù kàn diàn yǐng ba. Let’s watch a film.

How do you use your living room?

• 我们每天晚上都看电视。
  Wǒ men měi tiān wǎn shàng dōu kàn diàn shì.
  We watch television every evening.
• 我们坐在沙发上聊聊吧。
  Wǒ men zuò zài shā fā shàng liáo liao ba.
  Let’s sit on the sofa and talk.
• 我总是把脚放在脚凳上放松。
  Wǒ zǒng shì bǎ jiǎo fàng zài jiǎo dèng shàng fàng sōng.
  I always put my feet on the ottoman and relax.
• 我们今晚去看电影吧。
  Wǒ men jīn wǎn qù kàn diàn yǐng ba.
  Let’s watch a film tonight.
• 电视/网飞上有什么好看的吗？
  Diàn shì / Wǎng fēi shàng yǒu shén me hǎo kàn de ma?
  Is there anything good on TV / Netflix?
• 我在椅子上看着看着书睡着了。
  Wǒ zài yǐ zi shàng kàn zhe kàn zhe shū shuì zháo le.
  I fell asleep in the chair reading a book.
• 我们在桌上打牌。
  Wǒ men zài zhuō shàng dǎ pái.
  We’re playing cards at the table.
• 孩子们在电脑上玩游戏呢。
  Hái zi men zài diàn nǎo shàng wán yóu xì ne.
  The kids are playing games on the computer.
• 请坐这儿。你想喝杯红酒吗？
  Qǐng zuò zhèr. Nǐ xiǎng hē bēi hóng jiǔ ma?
  Please sit here. Would you like a glass of wine?
• 让我们点上蜡烛，放点儿轻音乐。
  Ràng wǒ men diǎn shàng là zhú, fàng diǎnr qīng yīn yuè.
  Let’s put on candles and soft music.
• 我要躺在沙发上小睡一会儿。
  Wǒ yào tǎng zài shā fā shàng xiǎo shuì yī huìr.
  I’m going to lie down on the sofa and take a nap.

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