pyVideoTrans

English

简体中文

English

简体中文

Appearance

Want AI to Understand You? This "Plain English" Guide Will Take You There! ​

Stepping into the fascinating world of Large Language Models (LLMs), are you feeling a little excited? Whether you want AI to help you write a social media post, translate a few foreign sentences, solve a math problem, or even dabble in some code, you've probably heard the term Prompt Engineering. It's simply the art of "communicating effectively" with AI.

Don't worry, this guide (approximately 3000 words, so please be patient) is specifically tailored for you—AI beginners with a little programming knowledge or none at all. The goal is simple: to help you quickly master how to write simple yet effective "instructions" (prompts) and easily get AI to work for you. Even if you can only enter a few words for AI to "try," after reading this, you'll be guaranteed to start from scratch and use AI like a pro!

We'll use everyday scenarios (like how to clearly order takeout, how to write social media posts that get more likes, how to write authentic Taobao reviews) to illustrate and transform those seemingly high-level concepts into easy-to-learn tips. After reading this, you'll understand:

  • What exactly is Prompt Engineering? Why is it indispensable when interacting with AI?
  • How to write prompts that make AI "instantly understand" what you want?
  • What prompt techniques can you use in everyday life? (From writing articles to doing a little coding, it's all covered!)
  • 5 essential "secrets" for beginners to get started.
  • If AI "misses the point," how to adjust the prompts to make it more reliable?

Ready? Let's unveil the mystery of AI "command techniques" and set off!

1. Prompt Engineering? Sounds High-Tech, But It's Actually Simple ​

In essence, Prompt Engineering is about teaching you how to express yourself clearly so that AI accurately understands what you want it to do.

For example, you want AI to write an article about the Spring Festival:

  • Casual request: "Write something about the Spring Festival." -- AI might give you a long, general, and incoherent article.
  • Using Prompt Engineering: "Help me write an article of about 200 words introducing the customs of the Spring Festival, suitable for elementary school students to understand, and use a lively tone." -- Now AI is much clearer, and the output is more likely to be what you want.

Another example: AI is like a super-capable food delivery guy. You need to tell him, "I want a mala tang, mild spicy, no cilantro, delivered to Building X, Complex XX." The clearer you are, the more "to your taste" the delivered food will be. Prompt Engineering helps you clarify your needs so that AI, the "delivery guy," can accurately deliver the "spiritual food" you want.

So why is it important?

  • Saves time and effort: Clear instructions allow AI to get it right the first time, saving you back-and-forth revisions and boosting efficiency.
  • More accurate results: Explicit instructions mean that the content output by AI will naturally be closer to your expectations, reducing "misunderstandings."
  • Beginner-friendly: No need to understand complex technologies or programming; as long as you can type and speak, you can use prompts to get AI to solve many problems for you.

2. What is a Prompt? It's Just the "Command" You Give to AI ​

A Prompt, simply put, is the piece of text you input to AI, telling it, "Hey, help me do this!"

It can be:

  • A question: For example, "What is the tallest building in Shanghai?"
  • An instruction: For example, "Write a thank-you letter to a client, about 100 words, with a formal tone."
  • A requirement with a "sample": For example, "Look at this well-written Taobao review: 'The product quality is excellent, the logistics are great, and the seller's service attitude is first-class!' Help me imitate this style to write a review about the scarf I just bought."

Compare (Chinese User Scenarios):

  • Vague Prompt: "Talk about hot pot." (AI: Received! Here's a 5,000-word analysis of hot pot history, culture, and styles... You: ???)
  • Clear Prompt: "Introduce the main characteristics of Chongqing hot pot in 50 words for out-of-town friends who haven't tried it." (AI: Chongqing hot pot is known for its spicy, numbing, fresh, and fragrant flavors. The beef tallow broth is the soul, and tripe and duck intestines are super satisfying! Suitable for those who like strong flavors. You: Hmm, this is reliable!)

Remember: The more specific and clear you write your prompt, the more AI's answer will match your desires!

3. The Core of Prompt Engineering: Make AI Understand Your "Plain English" ​

Writing good prompts is much like arranging something with a friend; it needs to be simple, direct, and focused. Here are three essential tips for beginners:

3.1 Speak Clearly So AI Can Do the Right Thing ​

AI can't read minds, you need to clearly tell it:

  • What do you want to do? (Write an article? Translate? Calculate? Or something else?)
  • What format do you want? (A paragraph? A list? Or a table?)
  • Who is it for? (For kids? For clients? Or for friends?)

Example:

  • Scenario: Just finished hot pot and want to show off on social media.
  • Your Prompt: "Help me write a social media post of about 50 words, expressing my happy mood after eating hot pot, with a high-energy tone, suitable for friends to see."
  • AI might write this: "Wow! Just finished a hot and spicy hot pot, it's spicy enough, and the meat is super tender! Laughed with friends until our stomachs hurt. Winter and hot pot are the best match! So awesome! 😋 #WorthTheWeight #HotPotIsLife"

3.2 Give AI a Sample So It Can "Copy" ​

Worried about AI going off track with too much freedom? No problem, you can give it one or two examples first, like a master teaching an apprentice, starting with a demonstration. AI will learn from your example, outputting results that are more consistent in style and meet the requirements better.

Example:

  • Scenario: Writing Taobao reviews, want a consistent style.
  • Your Prompt:
    Please imitate the following format and style to write a review:

[Example]
Product: Sweater
Review: This sweater feels soft, and the color is right, no color difference. Super fast logistics, arrived in two days, great value for money!

[Your Turn]
Product: Scarf
Review: ?
  • AI might write this: "This scarf is really super warm, the material is very comfortable, not itchy at all. The color is versatile, matches my coat perfectly. The delivery is also great, the packaging is intact, love it!"

3.3 Don't Be Afraid to Experiment, Good Prompts Are "Made" Through Modifications ​

It's normal for AI's first result not to be satisfactory! Don't be discouraged, try adjusting your wording:

  • Try a different word?
  • Add some details?
  • Change the tone requirement?

Try it a few times, like tuning a radio to find a signal, you can always find the "best channel" that makes AI output the most satisfying results.

Example:

  • First Try: "Write a poem about the moon."
    • (The result might be too long, too profound, or the style might not be what you like)
  • Optimized Prompt: "Write a four-line short poem describing the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, easy to understand, like a nursery rhyme, suitable for kindergarten children to listen to."
    • AI might write this:
      The Mid-Autumn Moon is round and bright,
Hanging in the sky like a jade plate.
Come and see, children,
Eating mooncakes with smiling faces.
    • (Feels much better, right?)

4. Common Prompt "Patterns" (Easier to Understand with Real-Life Scenarios) ​

Depending on what you want to do, there are several common "patterns" for prompts. Let's use familiar examples to illustrate:

4.1 Direct Question/Direct Statement (Zero-shot Prompting) ​

The simplest and most direct way, directly throw the question or task to AI, without any preamble or explanation. Suitable for simple and direct tasks.

Example:

  • Scenario: Check a date.
    • Prompt: "What is the date and day of the week for the Dragon Boat Festival in 2025?"
    • AI Output: The Dragon Boat Festival in 2025 is June 9, Gregorian calendar, May 5, Lunar calendar, Monday.
  • Scenario: No inspiration for dinner.
    • Prompt: "Recommend a quick Cantonese dish that is suitable for cooking at home."
    • AI Output: You can try "Ginger Scallion Chicken," which is easy to make, the chicken is tender, and the ginger and scallion aroma is strong, very suitable for eating with rice. Or "Tomato Scrambled Eggs," a classic home-style dish, nutritious and delicious.

Suitable for: Quickly checking information, getting simple suggestions, impromptu Q&A, etc.

4.2 Give an Example for It to Learn (Few-shot Prompting) ​

First give AI one or two "templates" to make it understand the format or style you want, and then let it do the work. Suitable for tasks that require specific output forms.

Example:

  • Scenario: Writing holiday greetings, want to keep the format consistent.
    • Prompt:
      Please write blessings according to the following examples:

[Example 1]
Blessing Object: Xiao Ming
Festival: Birthday
Blessing: Xiao Ming, happy birthday! In the new year, be happy every day and make progress in your studies!

[Example 2]
Blessing Object: Xiao Hong
Festival: New Year
Blessing: Xiao Hong, Happy New Year! Wish you good health, smooth work, and all the best!

[Your Turn]
Blessing Object: Xiao Gang
Festival: Mid-Autumn Festival
Blessing: ?
    • AI Output: Xiao Gang, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I wish you a happy family reunion, happiness and perfection, and mooncakes sweet to your heart!

Suitable for: Writing that requires a fixed format, specific style, such as writing weekly reports, writing reviews, various greetings, etc.

4.3 Let AI "Think Step by Step" (Chain-of-Thought Prompting) ​

When faced with more complex problems, such as calculating a bill, analyzing a reason, you can guide AI to think and reason step by step, rather than directly giving the answer. This usually results in more accurate results.

Example:

  • Scenario: Calculate how much money was spent on shopping.
    • Prompt: "Today I bought 2 pounds of apples, 12 yuan per pound; I also bought 3 pounds of oranges, 10 yuan per pound. Help me calculate how much I spent in total? Please write out the calculation steps."
    • AI Output:
      Okay, let's calculate step by step:
1.  How much did the apples cost? 2 pounds × 12 yuan/pound = 24 yuan.
2.  How much did the oranges cost? 3 pounds × 10 yuan/pound = 30 yuan.
3.  How much did you spend in total? 24 yuan + 30 yuan = 54 yuan.
So, you spent a total of 54 yuan.

Suitable for: Mathematical calculations, logical reasoning, problem analysis, tasks that require a detailed explanation of the process.

5. What Can Prompt Engineering Do for You? These 5 Scenarios Are Super Practical! ​

Let's see how prompt engineering can specifically help in our daily lives, with "foolproof" prompt examples:

5.1 Write Something: Social Media Posts, Emails,朋友圈, All Sorted! ​

  • Scenario: Post a social media post about taking your kids to the park on the weekend.

    • Prompt: "Help me write a social media post of about 80 words, recording my happy experience of taking my child to the park on the weekend. It should reflect the warmth of parent-child time, suitable for friends and family to see."
    • AI Output: "The sun is just right this weekend, taking the kids to check in at the park near home! The little ones chase the pigeons, and laughter fills the grass. Looking at them carefree, the whole world feels gentle. Simple companionship is the warmest happiness! ☀️ #ParentChildTime #WhereToGoThisWeekend"

  • Scenario: Write a 618 sales ad for an online store.

    • Prompt: "Write a 50-word 618 promotion copy for my milk tea shop, highlighting the 'buy one get one free' event, with a lively tone, to attract young people."
    • AI Output: "Milk tea lovers, pay attention! 618 Carnival is coming, all milk teas in our store are [buy one get one free]! Mango Boba, Taro Mud Green Milk... drink as much as you want! Quickly invite your friends to have a cool summer, double the happiness! Miss it, wait for a year! 🥤 #618IsComing #MilkTeaFreedom"

5.2 Answer Questions: Common Knowledge, Travel Guides, Just Ask! ​

  • Scenario: Planning where to go for National Day, ask for recommendations.

    • Prompt: "Recommend two domestic tourist destinations suitable for the National Day holiday, briefly describe their characteristics, and keep it within 80 words."
    • AI Output:
      1.  **Xi'an**: Ancient capital charm, Terracotta Army is shocking, city wall cycling is pleasant, eat a bowl of paomo, and feel the thousands of years of history.
2.  **Xiamen**: Coastal city, Gulangyu Island is romantic, stroll on the beach, eat seafood, and experience the petty bourgeoisie atmosphere.

  • Scenario: Explain natural phenomena to children.

    • Prompt: "Explain why it rains in words that elementary school students can understand."
    • AI Output: "Imagine the clouds in the sky are many, many small raindrops hugging each other. When they hug tighter and tighter and heavier and heavier, they can't hold on anymore, 'plop' and fall down, and become the rain we see! Just like a showerhead."

5.3 Translate and Polish: No Worries About Foreign Languages, More Authentic Expression! ​

  • Scenario: Send a National Day greeting to a foreign friend.

    • Prompt: "Translate 'Happy National Day, have fun!' into authentic English, so it sounds natural."
    • AI Output: "Happy National Day! Hope you have a fantastic holiday!"

  • Scenario: Optimize the advertising slogan of a barbecue stall.

    • Prompt: "Our barbecue stall's advertising slogan is 'Our barbecue is so delicious, it's awesome!' It feels a bit outdated, help me change it to be more attractive, and make people drool."
    • AI Output: "Try our secret barbecue, the aroma of charcoal, sizzling oil, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, one bite to the soul! Tonight's late-night snack, it's settled!"

5.4 Simple Programming: Calculating Numbers, Explaining Code, Easy Peasy! ​

  • Scenario: Calculate how much you spent on snacks (using Python).

    • Prompt: "Write a Python code to calculate how much I spent on 4 bottles of Coke (3 yuan each) and 2 bags of chips (5 yuan each)."
    • AI Output:
      python
      # Calculate spending
cola_price = 3  # Cola price
chips_price = 5  # Chips price
cola_count = 4
chips_count = 2

total_cost = (cola_price * cola_count) + (chips_price * chips_count)

print(f"The total cost of buying Coke and chips is: {total_cost} yuan")
      The output result will be: The total cost of buying Coke and chips is: 22 yuan

  • Scenario: Don't understand what a piece of code does.

    • Prompt: "Help me explain what this Python code does:
      python
      name = input("Please enter your name:")
print("Hello," + name + "! Welcome to the world of AI!")
```"
    • AI Output:
      This code is very simple:
1.  `input("Please enter your name:")` will display "Please enter your name:" on the screen, and then wait for you to enter text (such as your name), and store the entered content in the `name` variable.
2.  `print(...)` will print a sentence on the screen, adding the name you just entered to form a welcome message, for example, if you entered "Zhang San," it will display "Hello, Zhang San! Welcome to the world of AI!"

5.5 Control Style: Serious, Lively, Professional, Switch as You Like! ​

  • Scenario: A friend asks why you always want to eat hot pot, you want to reply humorously.

    • Prompt: "Use a humorous and funny tone to answer 'Why can't I always stop wanting to eat hot pot?', within 50 words."
    • AI Output: "Hey! That's a must! Hot pot is the switch to human happiness! Red oil rolling is the heartbeat, and tripe going up and down seven times is the soul! You can't control it, it's your stomach expressing your love for life! 😂"

  • Scenario: Write a water outage notice for the community, which should be formal.

    • Prompt: "Write a water outage notice of about 50 words, the tone should be formal and serious, to be published in the community owner group."
    • AI Output: "[Water Outage Notice] Dear Owners: In order to cooperate with municipal pipeline repairs, our community plans to suspend water supply from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm tomorrow (X month X day). Please store water in advance for use. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you. XX Property Service Center"

6. Five Tricks to Greatly Enhance Your Prompt Skills ​

Want AI to understand you better and become your capable assistant? Try these five simple and practical tips, even beginners can easily master them!

6.1 Clear Goals, No Nonsense ​

Like ordering food, directly say you want "Kung Pao Chicken," don't say "Just give me something to eat with rice."

  • Not Good: "Write something for me." (AI: Write what? Poetry? A novel? Code?)
  • Better: "Help me write a thank-you email of about 80 words, thanking Manager Wang for his help at the meeting yesterday afternoon, the tone should be sincere and professional."
  • AI Might Write This: "Dear Manager Wang: Thank you very much for your valuable suggestions and support at the project meeting yesterday afternoon, which inspired me a lot. Thank you again for your sincere thanks! I look forward to having more opportunities to learn from you in the future. I wish you all the best! Xiao Li"

6.2 Provide Enough "Background Information," AI Is Not Easy to Run Off Track ​

Tell AI some of the causes, consequences, and related situations, so it can better understand your needs.

  • Scenario: Want to praise a colleague in the company group.
  • Prompt: "Help me write a praise copy of about 50 words, to be sent in the company group. The main content is to thank colleague Xiao Zhang, who stayed up late last night to help me solve that urgent customer complaint, and performed very well. The tone should be sincere, with a bit of team spirit."
  • AI Output: "Must give Xiao Zhang a big thumbs up! 👍 Yesterday's customer emergency, thanks to him for staying up late to hold on together, professional and reliable! With such a powerful teammate, our team can handle anything! Thank you, Xiao Zhang! @Xiao Zhang"

6.3 Imitate "Examples," Double the Effect ​

Show AI a "template" so it can better imitate the style or format you want.

  • Scenario: Want to write a couplet about reading.
  • Prompt:
    Please imitate the following examples to write a couplet:

[Example]
Theme: Spring Festival
Couplet: Firecrackers bid farewell to the old year, plum blossoms welcome the new spring.

[Now Please Write]
Theme: Reading
Couplet: ?
  • AI Output: There is a path to the mountain of books if you work hard, and the sea of learning has no bounds if you suffer. (Or: The fragrance of ink accompanies the lights, and the light of wisdom nourishes the heart.)

6.4 Reject "Vagueness," Specify "Details" ​

The more specific you say it, the more AI knows how to do it.

  • Not Good: "Write an ad for me." (AI: Ad for what product? For whom? What style?)
  • Better: "Write a 30-word slogan for my hand-drip coffee shop, highlighting 'freshly ground' and 'suitable for morning refreshment,' to attract nearby office workers."
  • AI Output: "A cup of freshly ground good coffee in the morning to awaken your working inspiration! XX Coffee Shop, with fresh and mellow, open your energetic day! ☀️ #WorkingPeopleLifeForceWater"

6.5 Patient "Debugging," Continuous Optimization ​

Don't expect AI to hit the mark perfectly the first time. Try it a few times, like polishing jade, adjust your prompts, and the results will get better and better.

  • First Try: "Briefly introduce the Forbidden City."
    • (The result might be too encyclopedic and too boring)
  • Optimized Prompt: "Introduce the Forbidden City in about 100 words to friends who are traveling to Beijing for the first time, highlighting its historical significance and the places worth seeing, the tone can be relaxed."
    • AI Output: "The Forbidden City is the former home of the emperors, super big! Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worked and lived here. Red walls and yellow tiles, very majestic! Inside you can see the emperor's throne (Hall of Supreme Harmony), visit the harem (Imperial Garden), and feel the imperial atmosphere. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, it's normal to walk until your legs are sore!"

7. Small Tricks to Fine-Tune AI Output: "Temperature" and "Length" ​

In addition to carefully crafting prompts, you can also influence the style and length of AI's answers by adjusting two small "switches." It's enough for beginners to understand these two:

7.1 Temperature ​

  • What is it?: It can be understood as controlling the "creativity" or "divergence" of AI's answer. The value is usually between 0 and 1.
    • Low Temperature (e.g., 0.1 - 0.3): AI's answer will be more conservative, rigorous, tending towards facts and the most common statements. Suitable for scenarios that require accurate information, such as answering factual questions, making summaries.
    • High Temperature (e.g., 0.7 - 1.0): AI's answer will be more creative, with strong randomness, and may come up with unexpected ideas. Suitable for scenarios that require inspiration, fun, such as writing stories, brainstorming ideas.
  • How to use it? (The setting method may be different for different AI tools, generally found in the settings)
    • Example 1: Low Temperature (set to 0.2)
      • Prompt: "What are the must-visit parks in Beijing?"
      • AI Output (may be more regular): Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven Park, Beihai Park.
    • Example 2: High Temperature (set to 0.9)
      • Prompt: "Describe the summer in Beijing in an exaggerated and funny tone."
      • AI Output (may be more unrestrained): Beijing's summer? It's simply a walking sauna, you come with five-flower meat special effects when you go out, you don't even need to sprinkle cumin! The sun is as enthusiastic as wanting to become sworn brothers with you, and air conditioning is the lifesaver! 🤣

7.2 Output Length (Max Length / Max Tokens) ​

  • What is it?: As the name suggests, it is to control the length of the content of AI's answer.
  • How to use it?
    • Method 1 (recommended): Directly explain it in the prompt, such as "Introduce with about 50 words...", "Write a paragraph of no more than 100 words..."
    • Method 2: In the settings of the AI tool, find options similar to "Maximum output length" or "Max Tokens" to limit it. (Token can be roughly understood as the unit of text processed by AI, a Chinese character may count as 1-2 tokens)
  • Example:
    • Prompt: "Summarize the main characteristics of pandas in one sentence."
    • AI Output (will naturally be very short): Pandas are known for their black and white fur, round bodies, and love of eating bamboo.

Beginner's Suggestion:

  • Want AI to answer questions in a regular way? Turn the temperature down (e.g., 0.2).
  • Want AI to brainstorm and give you some surprises? Turn the temperature up (e.g., 0.8).
  • Want how long an answer? It is best to say it directly in the prompt, such as "Write me a 300-word..."

8. Frequently Asked Questions (Beginners Look Here!) ​

Q1: I don't understand any technology, can I really learn to use prompt engineering? A: Absolutely no problem! The core of prompt engineering is "speaking well." Imagine it as communicating with a particularly smart but somewhat "stubborn" assistant. You only need to use the way we usually speak to explain the task clearly, such as asking it to write an email, answer a question, or think of an idea, completely without programming knowledge. The examples in this guide are all plain language, just follow along!

Q2: I am not satisfied with the answer given by AI, what should I do? Am I too stupid? A: Of course not! AI is not omnipotent, and sometimes it does "act silly." At this time, don't be discouraged, trying a few more times is normal: * Add something: Try adding some restrictions in the prompt, such as "Write for my mother to read", "Use simpler words", "Must include XX keywords". * Give a template: Refer to the "few-shot prompting" mentioned earlier, give it an example to learn. * Change the way you ask: Ask the same meaning from a different angle. For example, instead of saying "Write a story," try "Help me conceive a short story outline about friendship, including the cause, process, and result, about 150 words."

Q3: Is there any "universal formula" or template that can be used? A: Although there is no absolute "universal formula," this thinking framework can help you get started: [The role you want AI to play (optional)] + [The task you want AI to complete] + [Key requirements/restrictions (such as format, length, tone, style, who to show it to, what must be included/excluded)] + [Provide an example (optional)]

*   **Example 1 (Writing Copy)**: "**[Role: Senior advertising copywriter]** **[Task: Write an advertising slogan of about 100 words]** **[Requirements: Promote the newly launched smart watch, highlighting the health monitoring function and long battery life, the tone should be technologically strong, to attract young people]**"
*   **Example 2 (Translation)**: "**[Task: Translate 'Breakfast should be eaten well' into authentic American English]** **[Requirements: The tone should be colloquial, like a reminder between friends]**"
*   **Example 3 (Explain Concepts)**: "**[Role: Patient teacher]** **[Task: Explain what 'cloud computing' is in simple language]** **[Requirements: Use an analogy so that Xiaobai, who doesn't understand technology at all, can understand, no more than 150 words]**"

9. Conclusion: Say Goodbye to Novice, You Can Easily "Command" AI! ​

Congratulations! By patiently reading here, you have mastered the basic skills of interacting with AI - the entry-level skills of prompt engineering. From how to express yourself clearly, to giving AI samples, to adjusting its "temper" (temperature), you should now be more confident in using this smart "partner."

Now, you can try letting AI help you:

  • Write attractive social media posts, professional emails, and heartfelt Taobao reviews.
  • Answer questions in life, plan a trip that you can take at any time, and tutor your children's homework.
  • Translate foreign languages ​​you don't understand, polish your writing, and even help you write some simple code.

Don't hesitate, try it now!

  1. Find an AI tool that you use smoothly (such as domestic Baidu Wenxin Yiyuan, iFlytek Spark, or foreign ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, etc.).
  2. Use the examples in our article to practice, such as "Write a 30-word ad for my coffee shop" or "Explain how rainbows are formed in words that elementary school students can understand."
  3. Try adjusting the prompts a few times to see if AI's answers are more and more to your liking?

Remember, practice more and try more, you will soon be able to turn from an AI novice to an "old driver" who can easily control AI! Enjoy the convenience and fun brought by AI!