LESSON NOTES

Absolute Beginner S3 #4
Bag a Chinese bargain

CONTENTS
2 Simplified Chinese
2 Traditional Chinese
2 Pinyin
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight

# 4
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 SIMPLIFIED CHINESE

1. 这个多少钱？

2. 这个一百块钱。

3. 一百？太贵了。五块怎么样？

4. 神经病！

TRADITIONAL CHINESE

1. 這個多少錢？

2. 這個一百塊錢。

3. 一百？太貴了。五塊怎麼樣？

4. 神經病！

PINYIN

1. Zhège duō shǎo qián ?

2. Zhège yībǎi kuài qián.

3. Yībǎi ? Tài guì le. Wǔ kuài zěnmeyàng?

4. Shénjīngbìng!

ENGLISH
CONT'D OVER

CHINESECLASS101.COM ABSOLUTE BEGINNER S3 #4 - BAG A CHINESE BARGAIN 2

1. A: How much is this?

2. B: It is one hundred Yuan.

3. A: One hundred? Too expensive. How about five Yuan?

4. B: Are you crazy?

VOCABULARY

S implifie d Tr aditional Pinyin English

神经病 神經病 shénjīngbìng mentally ill

疯了 瘋了 fēng le crazy

贵 貴 guì expensive

便宜 便宜 piányi inexpensive

钱 錢 qián money

砍价 砍價 kǎn jià to bargain

打折 打折 dǎzhé to have a discount

SAMPLE SENTENCES

别理他，他神经病。 他是不是疯了?
Bié lǐ tā, tā shénjīngbìng. Tā shì bù shì fēng le ?

Leave him alone, he is crazy. Is he crazy?

他的车很贵。 我买了个便宜的电脑。
Tā shì bù shì fēng le ? Wǒ mǎi le ge piányi de diànnǎo.

His car is very expensive. I bought a cheap computer.

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他很有钱。 可以砍价吗？
Tā hěn yǒu qián. Kěyǐ kǎn jià ma?

He's got a lot of money. Can I bargain?

他常买打折的衣服。
Tā cháng mǎi dǎzhéde yīfu.

He often buys discounted clothes.

GRAMMAR

The Focus of This Lesson is Usage of 太 ...了 (tài ...le)

太贵了 Tài guì le
"Too expensive"

Today we continue on with the last lesson's grammar point. We are introducing another
usage of 了. If you still remember from last lesson, 了 after an adjective or noun indicates that
a certain change has taken place. Here, when 了 is combined with the degree adverb 太tài
or 最zuì to form 太...了tài ...le or 最...了zuì ...le where the adjective goes in the middle, it
does not indicate the situation has changed, but confirms and emphasizes that a certain
situation is existing. Such as in our dialogue, 太贵了tài guì le emphasizes something is "too
expensive," but doesn't indicate that the price has changed from inexpensive to very
expensive. If the speaker wanted to indicate the change of state, the sentence can simply be
这个贵了zhège guì le.

For Example:

1. 外面太亮了。
Wàimian tài liàng le.
"It's too bright outside."

2. 他的衣服太脏了。
Tā de yīfu tài zāng le.
"His clothes are too dirty."

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3. 水太凉了。
Shuǐ tài liáng le.
"The water is too cold."

4. 他最可爱了。
Tā zuì kěài le.
"He is the cutest."

5. 他最讨厌了。
Tā zuì tǎoyàn le.
"He is most annoying."

6. 我男朋友最帅了。
Wǒ nánpéngyou zuì shuài le.
"My boyfriend is the most handsome guy."

CULTURAL INSIGHT

Bargaining is an essential part of the Chinese shopping experience. Clothes, food, electronic
equiptment, hotel rooms can all be bargained for. It can even be possible in some of the big
western style shopping malls that are becoming increasingly ubiqiutous in the big cities.
Many foreigners worry that they will be ripped off in the bargaining process so here are a few
tips to improve your bargaining skills: 1. Use some Chinese. Even if it is as simple as saying
the price in Chinese or calling the shopkeeper 'pengyou' (friend)it can all help to knock a few
kuai off the price. 2. Don't be scared of starting off low. Low means between a quarter or a
third of the asking price not half the price. 3. Practise on inexpensive items before going onto
more expensive items where you may lose more maoney. 4. Decide yourself what you are
willing to pay and be aware that most 'antiques' are nothing of the sort so are only worth what
you are willing to spend. 5. Don't be afraid to walk away or compare different shops. Never
buy from the first shop you see.

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