买水果 Buying Fruit in Chinese

今天jīntiān下午xiàwǔ，我wǒ去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ。

This afternoon, I go to the store to buy fruit.

商店shāngdiàn里lǐ的de水果shuǐguǒ很hěn多duō，有yǒu大dà苹果píngguǒ，有yǒu小xiǎo苹果píngguǒ。

There is a lot of fruit in the store — there are big apples and small apples.

我wǒ说shuō：“苹果píngguǒ多少duōshao钱qián一yí个gè？”

I say, "How much is one apple?"

商店shāngdiàn的de人rén说shuō：“大dà苹果píngguǒ三sān块kuài钱qián一yí个gè，小xiǎo苹果píngguǒ一yí块kuài钱qián一yí个gè。”

The person at the store says, "Big apples are three kuai each, and small apples are one kuai each."

我wǒ买mǎi了le五wǔ个gè小xiǎo苹果píngguǒ。

I bought five small apples.

我wǒ回huí家jiā和hé妈妈māma吃chī苹果píngguǒ，苹果píngguǒ很hěn好吃hǎochī。

I go home and eat the apples with my mom — the apples are delicious.

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Key words 生词

水果shuǐguǒfruit

苹果píngguǒapple

买mǎito buy

商店shāngdiànstore

钱qiánmoney

块kuàikuai (unit of money)

多少钱一个？ — asking the price

To ask a price, say the thing + 多少钱 + measure: 苹果多少钱一个？ = How much is one apple?

苹果多少钱一个？ — How much is one apple?

verb + 了 — completed action

了 right after a verb shows the action is finished or has happened: 买了 = bought.

我买了五个小苹果。 — I bought five small apples.

1. Where does the narrator go this afternoon?

2. How much is one small apple?

3. What does the narrator buy?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.