Echo Chinese Reader • Story 8 of 9
买东西 — Shopping
A shopper visits a market, asks about prices, tries on a shirt, and successfully negotiates a discount. Essential shopping vocabulary in a practical context.
Story Text
今天我去市场买东西。市场很热闹，有很多人。
我看到一件漂亮的衬衫。我问老板：“这件衬衫多少钱？”老板说：“一百五十块。”
我觉得有点贵，就说：“能便宜一点吗？”老板想了想，说：“好吧，给你打折，一百二十块。”
我试了试衬衫，颜色很好，大小也合适。我很满意。
我付了一百二十块钱。老板找给我零钱，说：“谢谢，欢迎再来！”
我很高兴买到了便宜好看的衣服。
Pīnyīn Reference
Jīntiān wǒ qù shìchǎng mǎi dōngxi. Shìchǎng hěn rènao, yǒu hěn duō rén.
Wǒ kàn dào yī jiàn piàoliang de chènshān. Wǒ wèn lǎobǎn: “Zhè jiàn chènshān duōshao qián?” Lǎobǎn shuō: “Yī bǎi wǔshí kuài.”
Wǒ juéde yǒudiǎn guì, jiù shuō: “Néng piányí yīdiǎn ma?” Lǎobǎn xiǎng le xiǎng, shuō: “Hǎo ba, gěi nǐ dǎ zhé, yī bǎi èrshí kuài.”
Wǒ shì le shì chènshān, yánsè hěn hǎo, dàxiǎo yě héshì. Wǒ hěn mǎnyì.
Wǒ fù le yī bǎi èrshí kuài qián. Lǎobǎn zhǎo gěi wǒ língqián, shuō: “Xièxie, huānyíng zài lái!”
Wǒ hěn gāoxìng mǎi dào le piányí hǎokàn de yīfu.
Key Vocabulary
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
| 买东西 | mǎi dōngxi | to go shopping; to buy things |
| 市场 | shìchǎng | market |
| 价格 | jiàgé | price |
| 便宜 | piányí | cheap; inexpensive |
| 贵 | guì | expensive |
| 讨价还价 | tǎo jià huán jià | to bargain; to haggle |
| 多少钱 | duōshao qián | how much does it cost? |
| 付钱 | fù qián | to pay (money) |
| 颜色 | yánsè | colour |
| 试一试 | shì yi shì | to try (on); to have a go |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased |
| 打折 | dǎ zhé | to give a discount; on sale |
| 找钱 | zhǎo qián | to give change |
Comprehension Check
Answer from memory — then re-read the story to check.
- What was the original price of the shirt?
- How did the narrator get the price reduced?
- What did the narrator think of the shirt after trying it on?