A newcomer shops for simple food in a new city, asks prices, compares options, and learns to use 还是 for “A or B?” questions.
LEVEL/WORDCOUNT: HSK2 / ~500 words
去超市买东西
今天 早上 我 要 去 超市 买 一些 东西 。 我 刚 搬 到 新 城市 ， 不 太 知道 买什么 比较 好 。 在 超市 里 ， 我 看 到 很 多 水果 和 蔬菜 。 我 想 买 一些 苹果 和 西红柿 ， 还 想 买 一点 米饭 和 面包 。 但是 我 不 知道 这 里 的 价格 怎么样 。 我 去 问 一 位 售货员 。 我 说 “ 你好 ！ 请问 苹果 多少钱 ？” 售货员 说 “ 这 种 便宜 ， 那 种 比较 贵 。” 我 问 “ 我 要 买 便宜 的 还是 贵 的 呢 ？” 售货员 笑 着 说 “ 你 喜欢 哪 种 就 买 哪 种 吧 。 便宜 的 也 很 好吃 ， 贵 的 也 很 好吃 。” 我 想 了 一下 ， 决定 买 便宜 的 。 我 还是 想 买 一些 水果 ， 也 想 买 一些 蔬菜 。 走到 收银台 ， 收银员 问 我 “ 你 要 袋子 吗 ？” 我 说 “ 要 ， 谢谢 。” 出 了 超市 以后 ， 我 觉得 自己 也 可以 慢慢 适应 新 城市 了 。
Shopping at the Supermarket
This morning I wanted to go to the supermarket to buy some things. I had just moved to a new city, so I didn’t really know what was best to buy. In the supermarket, I saw lots of fruit and vegetables. I wanted to buy some apples and tomatoes. I also wanted to buy a little rice and bread. But I didn’t know the prices here. I went to ask a shop assistant. I said, “Hello! May I ask, how much are the apples?” The assistant said, “This kind is cheap, and that kind is more expensive.” I asked, “Should I buy the cheap ones or the expensive ones?” The assistant smiled and said, “Buy the kind you like. The cheap ones are also tasty, and the expensive ones are also tasty.” I thought for a moment and decided to buy the cheap ones. I still wanted to buy some fruit, and also some vegetables. When I walked to the checkout, the cashier asked me, “Do you want a bag?” I said, “Yes, thanks.” After I left the supermarket, I felt I could slowly adapt to the new city.
Audio help
How to Use the Audio
The audio is designed to help you improve your Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:
- Before reading the text: Listen first to practice understanding spoken Chinese. Focus on pronunciation, rhythm, and listening comprehension.
- After reading the text: Listen again to compare your own pronunciation with the native speaker. Improve fluency and speaking skills.
Vocabulary
Previously: 新, 城市, 公园, 跑步, 朋友, 家人
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 超市 | chāoshì | supermarket |
| 买东西 | mǎi dōngxi | buy things; shop |
| 水果 | shuǐguǒ | fruit |
| 蔬菜 | shūcài | vegetables |
| 价格 | jiàgé | price |
| 便宜 | piányi | cheap |
| 贵 | guì | expensive |
| 收银台 | shōuyíntái | checkout counter |
| 袋子 | dàizi | bag |
| 适应 | shìyìng | adapt; get used to |
Grammar
- Shopping request: 我要买…（水果/蔬菜/米饭）。
- Asking “A or B?”: Use 还是 to give choices in a question, like 便宜的还是贵的？ [1]
- Comparing: 比较 + adj (比较贵 / 比较便宜).
Idiomatic Expressions
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 货比三家 | huò bǐ sān jiā | compare prices at several stores |
| 精打细算 | jīng dǎ xì suàn | budget carefully |
| 慢慢来 | mànman lái | take it slowly |
| 物美价廉 | wù měi jià lián | good quality and low price |
| 一分价钱一分货 | yì fēn jiàqian yì fēn huò | you get what you pay for |
Cultural Insights
- When you ask “A or B?” in Chinese, 还是 is the natural choice in questions (not 或者). [1]
- Many supermarkets will ask “要袋子吗？” at checkout, so it’s useful to practice a simple “要，谢谢”.
10 Questions
- 早上“我”去哪儿？ 💡
- “我”想买什么？ 💡
- “我”不知道什么？ 💡
- “我”去问谁？ 💡
- “便宜”是什么意思？ 💡
- 售货员怎么说苹果？ 💡
- 哪一句用了“还是”？ 💡
- “我”买哪种苹果？ 💡
- 收银员问什么？ 💡
- 买完以后“我”觉得怎么样？ 💡
Multiple Choice
| 1. “我”去哪儿？ 💡 a) 学校 b) 超市 c) 医院 | 2. “贵”是什么意思？ 💡 a) 便宜 b) 贵 c) 快乐 |
| 3. 问“A还是B？”用哪个词？ 💡 a) 或者 b) 还是 c) 因为 | 4. “袋子”是什么？ 💡 a) 袋子 b) 电脑 c) 书 |
| 5. 哪个是水果？ 💡 a) 苹果 b) 蔬菜 c) 米饭 | 6. 哪个词是“适应”？ 💡 a) 适应 b) 采访 c) 记者 |
True or False
- “我”刚搬到新城市。 💡
- “我”买电脑。 💡
- “我”问价格。 💡
- 问“A或B”用“或者”。 💡
- “我”决定买便宜的苹果。 💡
- 买完以后，“我”觉得可以慢慢适应。 💡
Retell the Story
用你自己的话写这个故事。
建议（Mandarin）：写你去超市买什么；问一句“多少钱”；再用“便宜的还是贵的？”做选择；最后写“我可以慢慢适应新城市”。
Tip (English): Say what you buy, ask “How much?”, use “cheap or expensive?” with 还是, and end with adapting to the new city.
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