卖西瓜的人 The Watermelon Seller

我wǒ家jiā旁边pángbiān有yǒu一个yí gè卖mài西瓜xīguā的de人rén，他tā每天měi tiān早上zǎoshang都dōu来lái。

Next to my home there is a man who sells watermelons; he comes every morning.

他tā的de西瓜xīguā很hěn大dà，一个yí gè十五shíwǔ块kuài钱qián。

His watermelons are big — fifteen yuan each.

天气tiānqì热rè的de时候shíhou，他tā从cóng早上zǎoshang八点bā diǎn卖mài到dào晚上wǎnshang七点qī diǎn。

When the weather is hot, he sells from eight in the morning until seven at night.

昨天zuótiān我wǒ买mǎi了le一个yí gè大dà西瓜xīguā，他tā说shuō：“这个zhège最zuì好hǎo，你nǐ会huì喜欢xǐhuan。”

Yesterday I bought a big watermelon, and he said: "This one is the best — you'll like it."

我wǒ问wèn他tā累lèi不bu累lèi，他tā说shuō：“有点儿yǒudiǎnr累lèi，可是kěshì我wǒ的de孩子háizi要yào上学shàngxué。”

I asked him whether he was tired. He said: "A little tired, but my child has to go to school."

回huí家jiā以后yǐhòu，我wǒ和hé孩子háizi一起yìqǐ吃chī了le西瓜xīguā，非常fēicháng好吃hǎochī。

After I got home, my child and I ate the watermelon together — it was really good.

今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang我wǒ看见kànjiàn他tā了le，他tā还hái在zài那儿nàr卖mài西瓜xīguā。

This morning I saw him again — he was still there selling watermelons.

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

Key words 生词

卖màito sell

西瓜xīguāwatermelon

块kuàiyuan (colloquial)

孩子háizichild

看见kànjiànto see

还háistill

从…到… — from … to …

从 marks the starting point and 到 the end point, for both time and place: 从早上到晚上, 从北京到上海.

他从早上八点卖到晚上七点。 — He sells from eight in the morning until seven at night.

累不累 — the A-not-A question

Repeat the adjective or verb with 不 in the middle to make a yes/no question: 累不累? 是不是? 去不去? It means the same as adding 吗, and the 不 is unstressed.

你累不累？ — Are you tired?

…的人 — the person who …

The description goes BEFORE 的 + noun: 卖西瓜的人 = the person who sells watermelons. English puts it after the noun, Chinese never does.

开车的人是我朋友。 — The person driving is my friend.

1. How much does one watermelon cost?

2. On hot days, when does he stop selling?

3. Why does he keep working even though he is tired?

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.