奶茶经济 The Bubble Tea Boom

我们wǒmen公司gōngsī楼下lóuxià不bú到dào三百sānbǎi米mǐ，就jiù开kāi了le五wǔ家jiā奶茶nǎichá店diàn。

Within less than three hundred metres of my office building, five milk tea shops have opened.

每天měitiān下午xiàwǔ三sān点diǎn，同事tóngshì们men就jiù开始kāishǐ讨论tǎolùn今天jīntiān喝hē什么shénme。

Every day at three in the afternoon, my colleagues start discussing what to drink today.

一yì杯bēi奶茶nǎichá差不多chàbuduō二十èrshí块kuài，比bǐ一yí份fèn午饭wǔfàn还hái贵guì。

One cup of milk tea costs about twenty yuan, even more expensive than a lunch.

可是kěshì大家dàjiā还是háishi愿意yuànyì排队páiduì，有时候yǒu shíhou要yào等děng半bàn个ge小时xiǎoshí。

Yet everyone is still willing to queue, sometimes waiting half an hour.

老板lǎobǎn说shuō，年轻人niánqīngrén买mǎi的de不bù只是zhǐshì一yì杯bēi饮料yǐnliào，也是yěshì一yì种zhǒng心情xīnqíng。

The owner says that what young people buy is not just a drink, but also a mood.

随着suízhe新xīn店diàn越来越yuè lái yuè多duō，价格jiàgé也yě慢慢mànmàn便宜piányi了le。

As more and more new shops opened, prices slowly came down too.

我wǒ算suàn了le一下yíxià，如果rúguǒ每měi天tiān一yì杯bēi，一yì年nián就jiù要yào花huā七千qīqiān多duō块kuài。

I did the maths: if I had one cup a day, I would spend more than seven thousand yuan a year.

既然jìrán一yì年nián要yào花huā这么zhème多duō钱qián，我wǒ就jiù决定juédìng一yí个ge星期xīngqī只zhǐ喝hē一yí次cì。

Since it would cost that much in a year, I decided to have it only once a week.

不过búguò每měi次cì经过jīngguò奶茶nǎichá店diàn，我wǒ还是háishi会huì往wǎng里lǐ看kàn一yì眼yǎn。

Still, every time I walk past a milk tea shop, I can't help taking a look inside.

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

Key words 生词

奶茶nǎichámilk tea; bubble tea

讨论tǎolùnto discuss

排队páiduìto queue up

饮料yǐnliàodrink; beverage

价格jiàgéprice

心情xīnqíngmood; state of mind

随着…… — as; along with

随着 introduces a changing situation, and the main clause states the change that comes with it: 随着新店越来越多，价格也慢慢便宜了。

随着天气变暖，公园里的人多了起来。— As the weather warms up, more people appear in the park.

既然……就…… — since…, then…

既然 states a fact both speakers already accept, and 就 draws the natural conclusion from it.

既然你不舒服，就早点儿休息吧。— Since you don't feel well, get some rest early.

比……还…… — even more … than

比 makes the comparison and 还 says the difference is bigger than expected: 比一份午饭还贵。

今天比昨天还热。— Today is even hotter than yesterday.

1. How many milk tea shops opened within 300 metres of the office?

2. How much does one cup of milk tea cost?

3. What did the author finally decide to do?