我只看看 Just Looking in Chinese

我wǒ走zǒu进jìn一家yì jiā商店shāngdiàn，只zhǐ想xiǎng看看kànkan，不bù想xiǎng买mǎi东西dōngxi。

I walked into a store, just wanting to look around — I didn't want to buy anything.

服务员fúwùyuán看见kànjiàn我wǒ，很hěn热情rèqíng地de说shuō：“欢迎huānyíng！需要xūyào帮助bāngzhù吗ma？”

The clerk saw me and said warmly: "Welcome! Do you need any help?"

我wǒ说shuō：“不用búyòng，谢谢xièxiè，我wǒ只zhǐ看看kànkan。”

I said: "No need, thanks — I'm just looking."

服务员fúwùyuán一直yìzhí在zài我wǒ旁边pángbiān，介绍jièshào完wán这个zhège又yòu介绍jièshào那个nàge。

The clerk stayed at my elbow the whole time, moving from one item to the next.

我wǒ看kàn了le很久hěnjiǔ，还是háishi不bù知道zhīdào要yào买mǎi什么shénme。

I looked for a long time, but still didn't know what I wanted to buy.

突然tūrán，我wǒ看见kànjiàn一个yí ge杯子bēizi，跟gēn我wǒ家里jiā lǐ那个nàge坏huài了le的de杯子bēizi很hěn像xiàng。

Suddenly, I saw a cup that looked just like the broken one at my house.

我wǒ拿ná起qǐ杯子bēizi，问wèn服务员fúwùyuán多少钱duōshao qián。

I picked up the cup and asked the clerk how much it cost.

我wǒ付fù了le钱qián，回家huíjiā以后yǐhòu，把bǎ新xīn杯子bēizi放fàng在zài坏huài了le的de那个nàge旁边pángbiān。

I paid, and once I got home, I put the new cup right next to the broken one.

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

Key words 生词

只zhǐonly

看看kànkanto take a look at

欢迎huānyíngwelcome

不用búyòngno need

热情rèqíngwarm; friendly

突然tūránsuddenly

只 + verb (only...)

只 goes right before a verb to say that's the only thing you're doing — nothing more.

我只想看看。— I just want to look around.

不用 (no need to...)

不用 politely turns down an offer of help, saying it isn't necessary.

不用，谢谢。— No need, thanks.

跟...很像 (similar to...)

跟 + noun + 很像 compares two things, saying one looks a lot like the other.

跟我家里那个杯子很像。— It looked a lot like the cup at my house.

1. What did the customer say when the clerk offered help?

2. Why did the customer end up buying a cup?

3. How did the customer pay for the cup?

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.