买手机卡 Getting a SIM Card in Chinese

我wǒ刚gāng来lái中国Zhōngguó，需要xūyào买mǎi一yì张zhāng手机卡shǒujī kǎ。

I just arrived in China, and I need to buy a SIM card.

我wǒ去qù了le一家yì jiā商店shāngdiàn，看见kànjiàn很多hěn duō人rén在zài买mǎi手机卡shǒujī kǎ。

I went to a shop, and saw a lot of people there buying SIM cards.

工作人员gōngzuò rényuán说shuō：“请qǐng给gěi我wǒ看kàn一下yíxià你nǐ的de护照hùzhào。”

The staff member said: "Please let me see your passport."

我wǒ把bǎ护照hùzhào给gěi他tā，很hěn快kuài他tā就jiù给gěi了le我wǒ一yì张zhāng手机卡shǒujī kǎ和hé一个yí ge新xīn号码hàomǎ。

I handed him my passport, and he quickly gave me a SIM card and a new number.

我wǒ问wèn：“一个yí ge月yuè多少钱duōshao qián？”

I asked: "How much is it per month?"

他tā说shuō：“不bú贵guì，一个yí ge月yuè五十wǔshí块kuài钱qián，可以kěyǐ打电话dǎ diànhuà，也yě可以kěyǐ发fā消息xiāoxi。”

He said: "Not expensive — fifty yuan a month, and you can make calls and send messages."

我wǒ很hěn满意mǎnyì，终于zhōngyú有yǒu了le中国Zhōngguó的de手机shǒujī号码hàomǎ。

I was satisfied — I finally had a Chinese phone number.

现在xiànzài，我wǒ可以kěyǐ用yòng中国Zhōngguó的de号码hàomǎ给gěi家人jiārén打电话dǎ diànhuà了le。

Now I can use my Chinese number to call my family.

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Key words 生词

手机卡shǒujī kǎSIM card

护照hùzhàopassport

号码hàomǎnumber

商店shāngdiànshop; store

满意mǎnyìsatisfied

打电话dǎ diànhuàto make a phone call

Grammar note 语法点

手机卡 (SIM card)

手机卡 literally means 'phone card' — it's the everyday word for a SIM card. Buying one in China usually requires showing an ID or passport.

我需要买一张手机卡。— I need to buy a SIM card.

把 (the 把 construction)

把 + object + verb moves the object in front of the verb to show what happens to it — common when handing something over: 把护照给他 (hand him the passport).

我把护照给他。— I gave him my passport.

time word + 多少钱 (how much for...)

To ask the price for a period of time, put the time word right before 多少钱: 一个月多少钱？(How much per month?)

一个月多少钱？— How much is it per month?

Check yourself 小测验

1. What did the narrator need to buy after arriving in China?

2. What did the staff member ask to see first?

3. How much does the SIM card cost per month?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

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买手机卡Mǎi shǒujī kǎGetting a SIM Card in Chinese

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 3 reading practice