Lesson 5：去市场买东西 — Going to the Market
Learn how to shop at the market in Chinese — Vocabulary, Grammar, and Conversation
Shopping is an essential part of daily life, and knowing how to ask about prices, items, and quantities in Chinese is very useful. In this lesson, you will learn key vocabulary related to the market, useful grammar patterns for shopping, example sentences, and full conversations to help you communicate confidently.
1. Vocabulary | 词汇
Here are some important words and phrases for shopping in Chinese:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 市场 | shìchǎng | Market |
| 买 | mǎi | Buy |
| 东西 | dōngxi | Things / Items |
| 多少钱 | duōshǎo qián | How much? |
| 太贵了 | tài guì le | Too expensive! |
| 便宜一点 | piányi yīdiǎn | Can it be cheaper? |
| 斤 | jīn | Chinese kilogram unit (~0.5 kg) |
| 苹果 | píngguǒ | Apple |
| 香蕉 | xiāngjiāo | Banana |
| 蔬菜 | shūcài | Vegetables |
| 鱼 | yú | Fish |
| 肉 | ròu | Meat |
| 鸡蛋 | jīdàn | Eggs |
| 价格 | jiàgé | Price |
| 买单 | mǎidān | Pay the bill |
2. Grammar | 语法
Common patterns for shopping:
这个/那个 + 名词 + 多少钱？— How much is this/that + noun?
Example: 这个苹果多少钱？(Zhège píngguǒ duōshǎo qián?) — How much is this apple?太贵了！便宜一点吧！— Too expensive! Can it be cheaper?
Example: 五十块太贵了！便宜一点吧！(Wǔshí kuài tài guì le! Piányi yīdiǎn ba!) — 50 yuan is too expensive! Can you make it cheaper?数量 + 名词 + 多少钱？— How much for [quantity] + noun?
Example: 两斤香蕉多少钱？(Liǎng jīn xiāngjiāo duōshǎo qián?) — How much for 2 jin of bananas?
Tip: Use 一点 (yīdiǎn) to ask for a lower price or smaller amount. You can also use 太 + adjective + 了 to express something is too much or too expensive.
3. Example Sentences | 例句
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个苹果多少钱？ | Zhège píngguǒ duōshǎo qián? | How much is this apple? |
| 五块钱一斤。 | Wǔ kuài qián yī jīn. | 5 yuan per jin. |
| 太贵了！便宜一点吧！ | Tài guì le! Piányi yīdiǎn ba! | Too expensive! Can it be cheaper? |
| 我想买两斤香蕉。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng jīn xiāngjiāo. | I want to buy 2 jin of bananas. |
| 这些蔬菜新鲜吗？ | Zhèxiē shūcài xīnxiān ma? | Are these vegetables fresh? |
| 多少钱一斤鱼？ | Duōshǎo qián yī jīn yú? | How much is 1 jin of fish? |
| 我可以用支付宝付款吗？ | Wǒ kěyǐ yòng Zhīfùbǎo fùkuǎn ma? | Can I pay with Alipay? |
4. Conversation | 对话
Shopping at the market conversation example:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 小王：这个苹果多少钱？ | Xiǎo Wáng: Zhège píngguǒ duōshǎo qián? | Xiao Wang: How much is this apple? |
| 老板：五块钱一斤。 | Lǎobǎn: Wǔ kuài qián yī jīn. | Shopkeeper: 5 yuan per jin. |
| 小王：太贵了！便宜一点吧！ | Xiǎo Wáng: Tài guì le! Piányi yīdiǎn ba! | Xiao Wang: Too expensive! Can it be cheaper? |
| 老板：好吧，四块钱。 | Lǎobǎn: Hǎo ba, sì kuài qián. | Shopkeeper: Alright, 4 yuan. |
| 小王：我想买两斤香蕉。 | Xiǎo Wáng: Wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng jīn xiāngjiāo. | Xiao Wang: I want to buy 2 jin of bananas. |
| 老板：好的，请拿好。 | Lǎobǎn: Hǎo de, qǐng ná hǎo. | Shopkeeper: Okay, please take them. |
| 小王：我可以用支付宝付款吗？ | Xiǎo Wáng: Wǒ kěyǐ yòng Zhīfùbǎo fùkuǎn ma? | Xiao Wang: Can I pay with Alipay? |
| 老板：可以。 | Lǎobǎn: Kěyǐ. | Shopkeeper: Yes, you can. |
5. Tips for Learning | 学习建议
- Practice asking prices aloud using the vocabulary learned.
- Use real-life scenarios: try asking for items at a local market or shop.
- Create flashcards with prices, items, and units for daily practice.
- Repeat the conversation until it feels natural.
- Listen to native speakers in shopping videos and repeat their sentences.
6. Summary | 总结
In this lesson, you learned essential vocabulary, grammar, example sentences, and conversations for shopping at the market in Chinese. You now know how to ask for prices, quantities, and specific items. By practicing these sentences and conversations, you will be able to communicate effectively while shopping and improve your Chinese fluency.