Supermarket and wet market in Chinese: phrases with pinyin
You are at a bustling outdoor market in China. A friendly fruit vendor greets you as you approach the stall.
How the conversation starts
李阿姨 (Auntie Li) · fruit vendor
Buy fruit at the market
What you do
- Say what fruit you want to buy
- Say how many or how much you want
- Pay by scanning the QR code
What to say
- 我要买苹果。Wǒ yào mǎi píngguǒ.I want to buy apples.
- 我要两斤。Wǒ yào liǎng jīn.I'd like two jin (a kilo).
- 多少钱？Duōshao qián?How much is it?
- 我扫码付。Wǒ sǎo mǎ fù.I'll pay by scanning the code.
- 谢谢！Xièxie!Thank you!
Shop for fruit and pay by QR code
You are at a local wet market in China, at a fruit stall. You want to buy some apples and bananas. The vendor will weigh the fruit and tell you the price. You can pay by scanning the QR code with your phone.
What you do
- Ask for apples and bananas
- Say how much you want (e.g., half a kilo of each)
- Pay by scanning the QR code
What to say
- 我要买苹果和香蕉。Wǒ yào mǎi píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo.I want to buy apples and bananas.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Wet market: too much on the scale, a wrong total
You're at a fruit stall in a wet market. Apples are 6 yuan a jin (斤, half a kilo) and bananas 4. You want two jin of apples and one of bananas, which should come to 16 yuan. Vendors like to add a little extra, and sums can slip in a busy market.
What you do
- Ask the prices and say how much you want
- She's put in more than you asked for: say two jin is enough
- The total seems wrong: work it out with her politely
What to say
- 阿姨，苹果和香蕉怎么卖？Āyí, píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo zěnme mài?Auntie, how much are the apples and bananas?
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 李阿姨 (Auntie Li) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.