How to Say ‘A friend gets off work rather late.’ in Simplified Chinese
有个朋友下班比较晚。
yǒu gè péng yǒu xià bān bǐ jiào wǎn
[yoh guh péngyou xiàbān bǐjiào wahn]
🇨🇳 In China: Long working hours are common in Chinese cities, so a late-finishing friend is a perfectly ordinary reason to shift a booking. Restaurants rarely need more explanation than this.
Phrase Breakdown
有个朋友
yǒu gè péng yǒu
there is a friend
有 (there is) + 个 (measure word) + 朋友 (friend). Say 个 lightly in the neutral tone: yǒu ge péngyou.
我有个朋友在北京。
I have a friend in Beijing.
Words in this phrase
有
yǒu
[yoh]
to have; there is
A basic verb meaning to possess or to indicate that something exists.
这份工作有很多学习机会。
This job has many learning opportunities.
个
gè
[guh]
measure word
A general classifier used with nouns such as 活动.
说“这个活动”时，要用量词“个”。
When saying “this event,” you need the measure word 个.
朋友
péng yǒu
[péngyou]
friend
A person you know and like.
他是我的好朋友。
He is my good friend.
下班比较晚。
xià bān bǐ jiào wǎn
gets off work rather late
下班 means to get off work. 比较 means 'rather' or 'fairly', and 晚 means late. 晚 is third tone and drops low.
他今天下班比较晚。
He gets off work rather late today.
Words in this phrase
下班
xià bān
[xiàbān]
to get off work
To finish the workday and leave work.
你几点下班？
What time do you get off work?
比较
bǐ jiào
[bǐjiào]
relatively; rather
Indicates a moderate degree, like 'fairly'.
今天比较忙。
Today is rather busy.
晚
wǎn
[wahn]
late; later
Indicates a later time, especially compared with now or another expected time.
我今天会晚一点回复你。
I’ll reply to you a bit later today.
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