我要这个 I Want This in Chinese

我wǒ去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi水果shuǐguǒ，想xiǎng买mǎi苹果píngguǒ，可是kěshì苹果píngguǒ不bù便宜piányi。

I go to the shop to buy fruit and want to buy apples, but apples aren't cheap.

服务员fúwùyuán问wèn我wǒ：“你nǐ要yào什么shénme？”

The clerk asks me: "What do you want?"

我wǒ看见kànjiàn一个yí gè大dà西瓜xīguā，说shuō：“我wǒ要yào这个zhège！”

I see a big watermelon and say: "I want this one!"

服务员fúwùyuán说shuō：“这个zhège太tài大dà了le，那个nàge小xiǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

The clerk says: "This one is too big, that one is a bit smaller."

我wǒ说shuō：“好hǎo，那nà我wǒ要yào那个nàge吧ba。”

I say: "OK, then I'll take that one."

服务员fúwùyuán笑xiào了le，说shuō：“好hǎo，那个nàge西瓜xīguā给gěi你nǐ。”

The clerk smiled and said, "Alright — that watermelon is yours."

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

Key words 生词

要yàoto want

这个zhègethis

那个nàgethat

想xiǎngto want to

便宜piányicheap

服务员fúwùyuánclerk

要 + noun（I want ___, used to order or request something）

要 directly before a noun is how you ask for or point at something you want.

我要这个。— I want this one.

想 + verb vs 要 + noun

想 before a verb is a softer, more tentative wish; 要 before a noun is a direct, concrete request.

我想买苹果，可是我要这个西瓜。— I wanted to buy apples, but I'll take this watermelon.

这个 vs 那个（this vs that）

这个 points at something close by; 那个 points at something farther away.

这个太大了，那个小一点儿。— This one is too big, that one is a bit smaller.

1. What does 我要这个 mean?

2. What does the clerk say about the big watermelon?

3. How does the story 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.