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Mark is trying to get a good deal on a handbag.
| Name | Pinyin | Chinese | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 马克 | Zhè ge bāo duō shǎo qián? | 这个包多少钱？ | How much is this bag? |
| 老板 | Yībǎi èrshí kuài. | 一百二十块。 | 120RMB |
| 马克 | Nà ge ne? | 那个呢？ | How about that one? |
| 老板 | Nà ge sānbǎi wǔshí kuài. | 那个三百五十块。 | That one is 350RMB. |
| 马克 | Wǒ xǐhuān zhège yàngzi, kěshì wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān huángsè de. | 我喜欢这个样子，可是我比较喜欢黄色的。 | I like this kind, but I prefer a yellow one. |
| 老板 | Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen méiyǒu huángsè de. | 对不起，我们没有黄色的。 | Sorry, we don’t have any yellow ones. |
| 马克 | Nà, zhège hóngsè de, zài piányi diǎnr ba? | 那这个红色的，再便宜点儿吧？ | Then can you lower the price of this red one? |
| 老板 | Hǎo, yībǎi kuài zěnmeyàng? | 好，一百块怎么样？ | Okay, how about 100RMB. |
| 马克 | Háishì tài guì le, zuì duō sìshí kuài. | 还是太贵了，最多四十块。 | Still too expensive, the highest is 40RMB. |
| 老板 | Liùshí kuài ba, wǒ kuīběn mài gěi nǐ. | 六十块吧，我亏本卖给你。 | How about 60, I will sell to you at cost. |
| 马克 | Hǎo ba, liùshí kuài, wǒ mǎi le. | 好吧，六十块，我买了。 | Okay, 60RMB, I’ll take it. |
Vocabulary
| Pinyin | Chinese | English |
|---|---|---|
| bāo | 包 | (n) Bag |
| yàngzi | 样子 | (n) pattern/type |
| kěshì | 可是 | (conj) but/however |
| bǐjiào | 比较 | (adv) comparatively |
| zài | 再 | (adv) repeat |
| zuì duō | 最多 | (adj) the most |
| kuīběn | 亏本 | (n) below cost |
| mài | 卖 | (v) sell |
| gěi nǐ | 给你 | (ph) to you |
| sīchóu | 丝绸 | (n) silk |
| pǐnpái | 品牌 | (n) brand name |
| jiǎngjià | 讲价 | (v) to bargain |
| jiàgé | 价格 | (n) price |
| zhēnde | 真的 | (n) real |
| jiǎ de | 假的 | (n) fake |
| zhēnzhū | 珍珠 | (n) pearl |
Some advice for bargaining: Ask the price of many things before you begin a negotiation. Try to give the impression that you are only mildly interested. The sellers cost is usually less than 50% of the original quote. Be emphatic about the price, otherwise it will go up quickly. Don’t get too focused on the sale, take the opportunity to practice your Chinese.
Grammar Patterns
Zài
This word combines with a verb or adjective when a request is made to repeat something. For example.
- zài lái yì bēi chá (bring a cup of tea)
- zài shuō yí cì (say it again, once more)
- zài piànyi yì diǎn (make the price a bit lower)
- zài jiàn (good bye, or (more literally) see you a again)
Actually, zài can be used even when the action has not yet been performed. But this usually happens in a situation where the person receiving the request does this sort of thing repetitively.
Zuì
This word is used to indicate the superlative or an extreme.
- zuì duō (the most amount)
- zuì shǎo (the least amount)
- zuì dà (the largest)
- zuì xiǎo (the smallest)
