Section 01
Vocabulary: Buying & Describing
买
To buy
东西
Things / Stuff
多少
How much / many
钱
Money
块
Unit of currency
元
Yuan (Chinese currency)
衣服
Clothes
件
MW for tops/clothes
裤子
Pants
裙子
Skirt / Dress
条
MW for long things
鞋子
Shoes
双
MW for pairs
本
MW for books
黑色
Black
白色
White
红色
Red
蓝色
Blue
黄色
Yellow
绿色
Green
贵
Expensive
便宜
Cheap
简单
Simple / Easy
难
Difficult / Hard
一点儿
A little bit
太…了
Too...
Measure Words (量词): In English, you say "a pair of pants". In Chinese, EVERY noun needs its own measure word! Use 件 (jiàn) for tops, 条 (tiáo) for pants or skirts, 双 (shuāng) for pairs (shoes), and 本 (běn) for bound things (books).
Practice Time
Interactive Vocabulary Games
Section 02
Grammar Points
1. Counting Items (Number + Measure Word + Noun)
Whenever you count nouns in Chinese, you MUST include a measure word between the number and the noun. Also remember: when saying "two" of something, always use 两 (liǎng), never 二 (èr)!
Number + Measure Word + Noun
1.
两本书
liǎng běn shū
Two books
2.
三百件衣服
sān bǎi jiàn yī fu
300 pieces of clothes
2. Specifying Items (This/That + Measure Word + Noun)
When pointing at something and saying "this" (这 - zhè) or "that" (那 - nà), you also must use the correct measure word before the noun.
这 (This) / 那 (That) + Measure Word + Noun
1.
这条裙子多少钱？
Zhè tiáo qún zi duō shao qián?
How much is this skirt?
2.
我要买那双鞋子。
Wǒ yào mǎi nà shuāng xié zi.
I want to buy that pair of shoes.
3. Describing Items (Adjective + 的 + Noun)
When using a color or an adjective (like "simple" or "difficult") to describe a noun, you connect them using the particle 的 (de).
1.
红色的衣服
hóng sè de yī fu
Red clothes
2.
简单的书
jiǎn dān de shū
Simple book
4. Complaining & Bargaining (太...了 / ...一点儿)
To complain that something is "too much", use 太 + Adjective + 了. To ask for it to be slightly different (like asking for a discount), use Adjective + 一点儿.
1.
这双黑色的鞋子太贵了！
Zhè shuāng hēi sè de xié zi tài guì le!
This pair of black shoes is too expensive!
2.
便宜一点儿，好不好？
Pián yi yì diǎnr, hǎo bù hǎo?
A little cheaper, okay (or not)?
Section 03
Reading Practice in Context
Choose a context below to practice shopping dialogues and big numbers.
买衣服和鞋子
Buying Clothes & Shoes (Dialogue)
A
你好，你想买什么？
Nǐ hǎo, nǐ xiǎng mǎi shén me?
Hello, what would you like to buy?
B
我想买衣服。这件红色的衣服多少钱？
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī fu. Zhè jiàn hóng sè de yī fu duō shao qián?
I want to buy clothes. How much is this piece of red clothing?
A
这件红色的衣服八百块。
Zhè jiàn hóng sè de yī fu bā bǎi kuài.
This piece of red clothing is 800 yuan.
B
八百块？太贵了！便宜一点儿，好不好？
Bā bǎi kuài? Tài guì le! Pián yi yì diǎnr, hǎo bù hǎo?
800 yuan? Too expensive! A little cheaper, okay?
A
那件白色的衣服很便宜，一百二十块。
Nà jiàn bái sè de yī fu hěn pián yi, yì bǎi èr shí kuài.
That piece of white clothing is very cheap, 120 yuan.
B
好，我买那件白色的。
Hǎo, wǒ mǎi nà jiàn bái sè de.
Okay, I will buy that white piece.
买书
Buying Books (Dialogue)
A
欢迎！你想买什么东西？
Huān yíng! Nǐ xiǎng mǎi shén me dōng xi?
Welcome! What things do you want to buy?
B
我想买两本书。这本中文书多少钱？
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng běn shū. Zhè běn zhōng wén shū duō shao qián?
I want to buy two books. How much is this Chinese book?
A
这本五十五块。
Zhè běn wǔ shí wǔ kuài.
This one is 55 yuan.
B
这本书难不难？
Zhè běn shū nán bù nán?
Is this book difficult or not?
A
这本书太难了。那本书很简单。
Zhè běn shū tài nán le. Nà běn shū hěn jiǎn dān.
This book is too difficult. That book is very simple.
B
好，我买那本简单的书。
Hǎo, wǒ mǎi nà běn jiǎn dān de shū.
Okay, I will buy that simple book.
Ready to test yourself?
Practice Reading — Comprehension Quiz
Answer multiple-choice questions on both passages · Instant feedback
Section 04
Listening Practice in Context
Listen to the audio, then click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
了
太贵
的
红色
这件
衣服
裙子
蓝色
多少钱
那条
的
Select a context below and practice listening to numbers and bargaining.
Numbers & Prices Dictation
Listen carefully to the big numbers and items
Speed:
Bargaining Dialogue
Listen to the customer ask for a discount
Speed:
Ready to test yourself?
Practice Listening — Interactive Mode
Full listening player · Comprehension questions after each track