Usages of xiào
听到 他 那样 说， 她 笑 了 很 久。Tīngdào tā nàyàng shuō, tā xiào le hěn jiǔ.
When she heard him say that, she laughed for a long time.
他 走进来 的 时候， 大家 突然 都 笑 了。Tā zǒujìnlái de shíhou, dàjiā tūrán dōu xiào le.
When he walked in, everyone suddenly laughed.
在 火车站 跟 朋友 说 再见 的 时候， 她 先 哭 了 一会儿， 后来 又 笑 了。Zài huǒchēzhàn gēn péngyou shuō zàijiàn de shíhou, tā xiān kū le yíhuìr, hòulái yòu xiào le.
When saying goodbye to her friend at the train station, she first cried for a while and then smiled again.
她 一会儿 笑， 一会儿 哭， 我 不知道 怎么办。tā yíhuìr xiào, yíhuìr kū, wǒ bùzhīdào zěnmebàn.
She laughs one moment and cries the next; I don’t know what to do.
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Mandarin Chinese has four main tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on the tone — for example, "mā" (mother), "má" (hemp), "mǎ" (horse), and "mà" (scold). Mastering tones is essential for being understood.
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