租房记 Renting an Apartment

上个月shàng gè yuè我wǒ换了huànle工作gōngzuò，新xīn公司gōngsī离lí原来yuánlái的de家jiā太tài远yuǎn，我wǒ决定juédìng在zài公司gōngsī附近fùjìn租房zūfáng。

Last month I changed jobs, and the new company was too far from my old home, so I decided to rent a place near the office.

网上wǎngshàng的de信息xìnxī很hěn多duō，可是kěshì有的yǒude照片zhàopiàn跟gēn实际shíjì情况qíngkuàng完全wánquán不bù一样yíyàng。

There was plenty of information online, but some photos were completely different from the real thing.

我wǒ看了kànle五wǔ个gè房子fángzi，不是bú shì太tài贵guì，就是jiùshì太tài旧jiù。

I looked at five apartments; they were either too expensive or too old.

最后zuìhòu我wǒ找到zhǎodào一个yí gè合适héshì的de房间fángjiān，离lí公司gōngsī只有zhǐyǒu一站yí zhàn，厨房chúfáng和hé洗手间xǐshǒujiān都dōu很hěn干净gānjìng。

Finally I found a suitable room, only one stop from the office, with a clean kitchen and bathroom.

房东fángdōng是shì一位yí wèi热情rèqíng的de阿姨āyí，她tā说shuō：“房租fángzū每月měi yuè两千liǎngqiān，水shuǐ和hé电diàn的de钱qián你nǐ自己zìjǐ交jiāo。”

The landlord was a friendly auntie who said: "The rent is two thousand a month, and you pay for water and electricity yourself."

我wǒ跟gēn她tā商量shāngliang，能不能néng bu néng便宜piányi一点儿yìdiǎnr，她tā笑着xiàozhe同意tóngyì每月měi yuè少shǎo收shōu一百yìbǎi块kuài。

I discussed with her whether it could be a bit cheaper, and she smiled and agreed to charge one hundred kuai less per month.

签合同qiān hétong的de时候shíhou，我wǒ把bǎ每měi一条yì tiáo都dōu认真rènzhēn地de看了kànle一遍yí biàn。

When signing the contract, I carefully read through every single clause.

住进zhùjìn新家xīn jiā的de那天nà tiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ觉得juéde又yòu累lèi又yòu高兴gāoxìng，生活shēnghuó好像hǎoxiàng重新chóngxīn开始kāishǐ了le。

The evening I moved into my new home, I felt both tired and happy, as if life were starting all over again.

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

Key words 生词

租房zūfángto rent a place

房东fángdōnglandlord

房租fángzūrent (money)

合适héshìsuitable

商量shāngliangto discuss; negotiate

签合同qiān hétongto sign a contract

不是……就是……

'if not A, then B' — the situation is always one of two (often undesirable) options.

不是太贵,就是太旧。

把 + O + V + 了一遍

The 把 structure moves the object before the verb; 一遍 means doing the action once from start to finish.

我把每一条都认真地看了一遍。

又……又……

'both... and...' — links two adjectives or states that are true at the same time.

我觉得又累又高兴。

1. 我为什么决定租房?

2. 房东同意每月少收多少钱?

3. 最后找到的房间离公司有多远?