怎么说 How Do You Say It in Chinese

我wǒ在zài中国Zhōngguó学xué中文Zhōngwén，可是kěshì很多hěn duō东西dōngxi的de名字míngzi我wǒ还hái不bù知道zhīdào。

I'm studying Chinese in China, but I still don't know the names of a lot of things.

今天jīntiān，我wǒ和hé朋友péngyou在zài教室jiàoshì里li，桌子zhuōzi上shàng有yǒu一个yí ge苹果píngguǒ。

Today, my friend and I are in the classroom, and there's an apple on the table.

我wǒ问wèn朋友péngyou：“这个zhège用yòng中文Zhōngwén怎么zěnme说shuō？”

I ask my friend: "How do you say this in Chinese?"

朋友péngyou说shuō：“这个zhège叫jiào苹果píngguǒ。”

My friend says: "This is called píngguǒ (apple)."

我wǒ又yòu看见kànjiàn杯子bēizi，也yě问wèn她tā：“这个zhège呢ne？”

I see a cup this time, and ask her too: "What about this one?"

她tā说shuō：“这个zhège是shì杯子bēizi，你nǐ今天jīntiān认识rènshi了le两liǎng个gè新xīn东西dōngxi！”

She said, "That's a cup — you've learned two new things today!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

怎么zěnmehow; what

这个zhègethis

中文ZhōngwénChinese (language)

叫jiàoto be called; to call

认识rènshito know; to recognize

新xīnnew

这个用中文怎么说？（How do you say this in Chinese?）

This is the question to ask when you don't know a word — point at something and say this.

这个用中文怎么说？— How do you say this in Chinese?

叫（to be called）

叫 introduces the name of a thing right after 这个是 or on its own.

这个叫苹果。— This is called 'píngguǒ'.

又 + verb（to do something again）

又 goes before a verb to show an action happening again, already in the past or present.

我又看见杯子。— I see a cup again.

1. What does "这个用中文怎么说？" mean?

2. What was the first new word the narrator learned?

3. How does the friend react at the end?

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.