Chinese phrasebook
At the Market in Chinese
Practise shopping at a market in China. You play the customer: buy tomatoes and strawberries, ask the prices and pay.
Situation: A street market in Chengdu. Your goal: Buy tomatoes and strawberries.
The whole conversation, line by line
Tap to hear a line. Stallholder speaks first; the bold lines are what you can say. To see the lines in your own language, choose it in the language menu at the top.
-
Stallholder
早上好！想买点什么？
zǎoshàng hǎo! xiǎng mǎi diǎn shénme?
Morning! What can I get you?
You
早上好。我想买两斤西红柿，有哪几种？
zǎoshàng hǎo. wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng jīn xīhóngshì, yǒu nǎ jǐ zhǒng?
Good morning. I'd like two jin of tomatoes, please. What have you got?
-
Stallholder
有小番茄，也有大西红柿。今天的大西红柿又红又甜。
yǒu xiǎo fānqié, yě yǒu dà xīhóngshì. jīntiān de dà xīhóngshì yòu hóng yòu tián.
I've got cherry tomatoes and big tomatoes. The big ones are lovely and sweet today.
You
那我要大西红柿吧，做沙拉比较好吃。
nà wǒ yào dà xīhóngshì ba, zuò shālā bǐjiào hǎochī.
I'll have the big tomatoes, then. They're better for salad.
-
Stallholder
给您，两斤，称得足足的。还要别的吗？
gěi nín, liǎng jīn, chēng de zúzú de. háiyào bié de ma?
There you go, two full jin. Anything else?
You
要。你们有草莓吗？我刚才好像看到了。
yào. nǐmen yǒu cǎoméi ma? wǒ gāngcái hǎoxiàng kàndào le.
Yes, have you got any strawberries? I thought I saw some earlier.
-
Stallholder
有！这是本地的草莓，又大又甜。您要多少？
yǒu! zhè shì běndì de cǎoméi, yòu dà yòu tián. nín yào duōshao?
Yes! The strawberries are local, and they're gorgeous. How many would you like?
You
来一斤吧。多少钱一斤？
lái yì jīn ba. duōshao qián yì jīn?
One jin is fine. How much are they?
-
Stallholder
草莓二十块一斤。西红柿的钱也一起算吗？
cǎoméi èrshí kuài yì jīn. xīhóngshì de qián yě yìqǐ suàn ma?
The strawberries are twenty yuan a jin. Shall I add the tomatoes as well?
You
一起算吧。西红柿多少钱一斤？
yìqǐ suàn ba. xīhóngshì duōshao qián yì jīn?
Yes, please. How much are the tomatoes a jin?
-
Stallholder
西红柿五块一斤，两斤十块。一共三十块。
xīhóngshì wǔ kuài yì jīn, liǎng jīn shí kuài. yígòng sānshí kuài.
Tomatoes are five yuan a jin, so ten for two. That's thirty yuan altogether.
You
真便宜！给您五十块。
zhēn piányi! gěi nín wǔshí kuài.
What a good price! Here's a fifty-yuan note.
-
Stallholder
谢谢，找您二十块。慢走！
xièxie, zhǎo nín èrshí kuài. mànzǒu!
Thank you. Here's your change. Enjoy!
You
谢谢！看起来都很新鲜。下次再来！
xièxie! kàn qǐlai dōu hěn xīnxiān. xiàcì zài lái!
Thank you! They look wonderful. See you next time!
Now say it for real.
Play this scene as a conversation: the other person speaks, you pick the right reply, and every wrong one comes with a hint. Free on the web.