羊肉还是鱼 Lamb or Fish? — HSK 2 Reading

今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ和hé妻子qīzi去qù饭店fàndiàn吃饭chīfàn。

This evening my wife and I went to a restaurant for dinner.

服务员fúwùyuán问wèn：“你们nǐmen想xiǎng吃chī羊肉yángròu还是háishi鱼yú？”

The waiter asked: "Would you like lamb or fish?"

我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī羊肉yángròu，但是dànshì妻子qīzi说shuō：“羊肉yángròu太tài贵guì了le！”

I wanted lamb, but my wife said: "Lamb is too expensive!"

鱼yú二十èrshí块kuài钱qián，羊肉yángròu四十sìshí块kuài钱qián，鱼yú比bǐ羊肉yángròu便宜piányi。

The fish was twenty kuai and the lamb was forty — the fish was cheaper than the lamb.

我wǒ说shuō：“虽然suīrán羊肉yángròu贵guì，但是dànshì很hěn好吃hǎochī。”

I said: "Lamb may be expensive, but it's really delicious."

妻子qīzi笑xiào了le：“好hǎo，两liǎng个gè菜cài我们wǒmen都dōu要yào！”

My wife laughed: "Fine, let's order both dishes!"

那天nà tiān的de羊肉yángròu和hé鱼yú都dōu非常fēicháng好吃hǎochī。

That day, both the lamb and the fish were absolutely delicious.

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

Key words 生词

羊肉yángròulamb; mutton

鱼yúfish

服务员fúwùyuánwaiter; server

贵guìexpensive

便宜piányicheap

好吃hǎochīdelicious; tasty

A 还是 B？

还是 (háishi) links two options in an alternative question — 'A or B?'. Unlike English 'or', it is only used in questions, e.g. 你喝茶还是咖啡？

你们想吃羊肉还是鱼？ — Would you like to eat lamb or fish?

A 比 B + adjective

比 (bǐ) compares two things: A is more [adjective] than B. Don't add 很 before the adjective, e.g. 他比我高.

鱼比羊肉便宜。 — Fish is cheaper than lamb.

太 + adjective + 了

太…了 means 'too / so [adjective]', often with a tone of complaint or surprise, e.g. 太好了！

羊肉太贵了！ — Lamb is too expensive!

1. Where did the narrator and his wife go this evening?

2. Why didn't the wife want to order lamb?

3. What did they order in the end?