Original Text · Elementary · Lesson 9

Shopping ①At a Snack Shop and Tea Shop

VOL. 09 NETCHAI ORIGINAL TEXT
Elementary · Lesson 9

01Vocabulary

售货员(n.)

shòuhuòyuán

shop assistant; sales clerk

要(aux.)

yào

to want; to need; would like to

种(measure)

zhǒng

kind; type; sort

点心(n.)

diǎnxin

snack; light refreshment

多少(pron.)

duōshao

how many; how much

钱(n.)

qián

money

块(measure)

kuài

yuan (colloquial)

毛(measure)

máo

jiao (0.1 yuan, colloquial)

斤(measure)

jīn

jin — weight unit (500 grams)

各(pron.)

gè

each; every; respective

别(adj.)

bié

other; another

一共(adv.)

yígòng

in total; altogether

尝(v.)

cháng

to taste; to try

茶(n.)

chá

tea

好喝(adj.)

hǎohē

delicious (of drinks)

贵(adj.)

guì

expensive

两(num.)

liǎng

liang — weight unit (50 grams)

02Proper Nouns

乌龙茶

wū lóng chá

Oolong Tea

茉莉花茶

mò lì huā chá

Jasmine Tea

03Key Sentences

您nín要yào什shén么me？

What would you like?

这zhè种zhǒng点diǎn心xin多duō少shao钱qián？

How much is this snack?

十shí二èr块kuài五wǔ（毛máo）一yì斤jīn。

12 yuan 5 jiao per 500 grams.

还hái要yào别bié的de吗ma？

Would you like anything else?

不bú要yào了le。

No, that's all, thank you.

您nín尝cháng尝chang这zhè种zhǒng茶chá。

Please try this tea.

很hěn好hǎo喝hē，这zhè是shì什shén么me茶chá？

It's delicious. What kind of tea is this?

多duō少shao钱qián一yì斤jīn？

How much per 500 grams?

好hǎo不bu好hǎo喝hē？

Is it good?

我wǒ要yào这zhè种zhǒng。

I'll take this one.

您nín要yào多duō少shao？

How much would you like?

04Dialogue

SCENE 1

shòuhuòyuán店员

您nín要yào什shén么me？

tiánzhōng田中

这zhè种zhǒng点diǎn心xin多duō少shao钱qián？

shòuhuòyuán店员

十shí二èr块kuài五wǔ（毛máo）一yì斤jīn。

tiánzhōng田中

那nà种zhǒng呢ne？

shòuhuòyuán店员

一yì斤jīn二èr十shí块kuài五wǔ。

tiánzhōng田中

各gè要yào半bàn斤jīn。

shòuhuòyuán店员

还hái要yào别bié的de吗ma？

tiánzhōng田中

不bú要yào了le。

shòuhuòyuán店员

一yí共gòng十shí六liù块kuài五wǔ。

SCENE 2

shòuhuòyuán店员

您nín尝cháng尝chang这zhè种zhǒng茶chá。

tiánzhōng田中

很hěn好hǎo喝hē，这zhè是shì什shén么me茶chá？

shòuhuòyuán店员

这zhè是shì乌wū龙lóng茶chá。

tiánzhōng田中

多duō少shao钱qián一yì斤jīn？

shòuhuòyuán店员

三sān百bǎi六liù。

tiánzhōng田中

太tài贵guì了le，那nà种zhǒng是shì什shén么me茶chá？

shòuhuòyuán店员

那nà种zhǒng是shì茉mò莉lì花huā茶chá，二èr百bǎi八bā一yì斤jīn。

tiánzhōng田中

好hǎo不bu好hǎo喝hē？

shòuhuòyuán店员

您nín尝cháng尝chang。

tiánzhōng田中

我wǒ要yào这zhè种zhǒng。

shòuhuòyuán店员

您nín要yào多duō少shao？

tiánzhōng田中

我wǒ要yào 2 两liǎng。

shòuhuòyuán店员

还hái要yào别bié的de吗ma？

tiánzhōng田中

不bú要yào了le。

05Grammar

POINT 01

(1) "几" vs. "多少"

"几" and "多少" are both interrogative pronouns used to ask about quantity or amount, but they differ in usage.
Use "几" when the expected answer is a number from 1 to 9.
Use "多少" when the expected answer is 10 or more.

你nǐ们men公gōng司sī有yǒu多duō少shao人rén？
你nǐ们men部bù门mén有yǒu几jǐ个gè人rén？

POINT 02

(2) Chinese Currency Units

"元", "角", and "分" are the standard written units of the Chinese yuan (RMB), but "块", "毛", and "分" are commonly used in spoken Chinese. The final "毛" or "分" can be omitted.

5.63 元五wǔ块kuài六liù毛máo三sān

60.9 元六liù十shí块kuài九jiǔ

0.5 元五wǔ毛máo

POINT 03

(3) Units of Weight

"斤" (jin) and "两" (liang) are traditional Chinese weight units still widely used in daily life. Their equivalents in the international system are shown below.

International Unit	Chinese Unit	Conversion
Kilogram ⇒ 公斤gōngjīn	斤jīn	1 斤 = 0.5 公斤 = 500 g
Gram ⇒ 克kè	两liǎng	1 两 = 50 克 = 50 g

POINT 04

(4) The "了" in "不要了"

The "了" in "不要了" is a sentence-final particle (语气助词). It signals a change of state or the emergence of a new situation.

现xiàn在zài我wǒ不bù忙máng了le。(I used to be busy, but I'm not anymore.)
我wǒ现xiàn在zài是shì老lǎo师shī了le。(I wasn't a teacher before, but now I am.)
天tiān气qì冷lěng了le。(It was warm before, but now it has turned cold.)

POINT 05

(5) "尝尝" in "您尝尝" — Verb Reduplication

In "您尝尝", "尝" is repeated to form a reduplicated verb. This pattern softens the request and conveys the nuance of "give it a try" or "just have a little taste".
For monosyllabic verbs, the pattern is [AA]; for disyllabic verbs, the pattern is [ABAB].

[AA pattern]

听tīng听ting (listen for a moment), 看kàn看kan (take a look), 写xiě写xie (write a little)

[ABAB pattern]

学xué习xí学xué习xí (study a bit), 介jiè绍shào介jiè绍shào (briefly introduce), 玩wán儿r玩wán儿r (play a little)

06Translation

Scene 1.店员What would you like?
田中How much is this snack?
店员12 yuan 5 jiao per 500 grams.
田中What about that one?
店员20 yuan 5 jiao per 500 grams.
田中250 grams of each, please.
店员Would you like anything else?
田中No, that's all.
店员That comes to 16 yuan 5 jiao in total.

Scene 2.店员Please try this tea.
田中It's delicious. What kind of tea is this?
店员This is oolong tea.
田中How much per 500 grams?
店员360 yuan.
田中That's too expensive. What kind of tea is that one?
店员That's jasmine tea — 280 yuan per 500 grams.
田中Is it good?
店员Please try some.
田中I'll take this one.
店员How much would you like?
田中100 grams, please.
店员Anything else?
田中No, that's all, thank you.