理发 Getting a Haircut in Chinese

我wǒ的de头发tóufa太tài长cháng了le，我wǒ想xiǎng去qù理发lǐfà。

My hair is too long — I want to get a haircut.

理发店lǐfàdiàn离lí我wǒ家jiā不bù远yuǎn，走路zǒulù五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng就jiù到dào了le。

The barbershop isn't far from home — it's only a five-minute walk.

理发师lǐfàshī问wèn我wǒ：“您nín想xiǎng剪jiǎn短duǎn一点yìdiǎn还是háishi长cháng一点yìdiǎn？”

The barber asked me: "Would you like it cut shorter, or kept a bit longer?"

我wǒ说shuō：“剪jiǎn短duǎn一点yìdiǎn，因为yīnwèi夏天xiàtiān太tài热rè了le。”

I said: "Cut it shorter, because summer is too hot."

过guò了le半个bàn gè小时xiǎoshí，我wǒ的de新xīn发型fàxíng非常fēicháng好看hǎokàn。

After half an hour, my new hairstyle looked great.

剪jiǎn完wán了le头发tóufa，我wǒ照zhào镜子jìngzi，觉得juéde自己zìjǐ更gèng帅shuài了le。

After finishing the haircut, I looked in the mirror and felt more handsome.

理发lǐfà只zhǐ花huā了le五十wǔshí块kuài钱qián，我wǒ觉得juéde很hěn便宜piányi。

The haircut only cost fifty kuai — I think that's cheap.

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Key words 生词

理发店lǐfàdiànbarbershop

理发师lǐfàshībarber; hairdresser

剪jiǎnto cut

发型fàxínghairstyle

帅shuàihandsome

便宜piányicheap

因为…，所以… — because, so

因为 introduces the reason; in casual speech the result can also follow directly without 所以.

因为夏天太热了，我想剪短一点。 — Because summer is too hot, I want to cut it shorter.

V + 完 + 了 — finishing an action

完 right after a verb shows the action is finished; add 了 to mark it as a completed event.

剪完了头发，我很高兴。 — After finishing the haircut, I was happy.

1. Why does the writer want the haircut shorter?

2. How long did the haircut take?

3. How much did the haircut cost?

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.