在药店 At the Pharmacy in Chinese

我wǒ头疼tóuténg，还hái有点儿yǒudiǎnr发烧fāshāo，就jiù去qù药店yàodiàn买mǎi药yào。

I had a headache and a bit of a fever, so I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine.

药店yàodiàn的de服务员fúwùyuán问wèn我wǒ：“你nǐ哪儿nǎr不bù舒服shūfu？”

The clerk at the pharmacy asked me: "Where does it hurt?"

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ头疼tóuténg，还hái发烧fāshāo，很hěn不bù舒服shūfu。”

I said: "I have a headache and a fever — I feel awful."

服务员fúwùyuán给gěi我wǒ拿ná了le一yì盒hé药yào，说shuō：“一yì天tiān吃chī三sān次cì，一yí次cì两liǎng个ge。”

The clerk handed me a box of medicine and said: "Take it three times a day, two pills each time."

我wǒ问wèn：“这个zhège多少钱duōshao qián？”她tā说shuō：“十五shíwǔ块kuài。”

I asked: "How much is this?" She said: "Fifteen kuai."

我wǒ给gěi了le钱qián，说shuō了le谢谢xièxiè，就jiù回家huíjiā了le。

I paid, said thank you, and went home.

吃chī了le两liǎng天tiān药yào，我wǒ的de头tóu不bù疼téng了le，也yě不bù发烧fāshāo了le。

After taking the medicine for two days, my head didn't hurt anymore, and the fever was gone too.

我wǒ给gěi妈妈māma打电话dǎ diànhuà，她tā说shuō：“好hǎo了le就jiù好hǎo，别bié忘wàng了le多duō喝hē水shuǐ。”

I called my mom, and she said, "Glad you're better — just remember to drink plenty of water."

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

Key words 生词

药店yàodiànpharmacy

头疼tóuténgto have a headache

发烧fāshāoto have a fever

舒服shūfucomfortable; well

服务员fúwùyuánclerk; attendant

多少钱duōshao qiánhow much (money)

一天吃三次 (take it three times a day)

To describe medicine dosage, say 一天 + 吃 + number + 次 for how often, then 一次 + amount for how much each time.

一天吃三次，一次两个。— Take it three times a day, two pills each time.

你哪儿不舒服？(Where does it hurt?)

哪儿不舒服 literally asks 'where are you uncomfortable' — the standard way a doctor or pharmacist asks what's wrong.

你哪儿不舒服？— Where does it hurt?

早点儿 + verb (do something sooner)

早点儿 before a verb suggests doing it a bit earlier, rather than waiting.

身体不舒服，要早点儿去药店买药。— When you're not feeling well, go to the pharmacy sooner rather than later.

1. Why did the narrator go to the pharmacy?

2. How often should the medicine be taken?

3. How much did the medicine 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.