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Mythic Mandarin

At least: 至少 and 起码

HSK 6 Unit 5: Degrees and limits · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can state a minimum with 至少 and 起码, and work out living costs in a new city.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 人山人海 mean?

    1. exit
    2. to open (a line or service)
    3. huge crowds, a sea of people
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, huge crowds, a sea of people.

    人山人海 (rénshān rénhǎi) means huge crowds, a sea of people.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “luxurious, extravagant”?

    1. 忽视
    2. 以免
    3. 奢侈
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 奢侈.

    “luxurious, extravagant” is 奢侈 (shēchǐ).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    职员 zhíyuán

    1. salary, pay
    2. bread
    3. clerk, office worker
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, clerk, office worker.

    You heard 职员 (zhíyuán): clerk, office worker.

New words

  • 起码qǐmǎat least, minimum
  • 最低zuìdīlowest, minimum
  • 生活费shēnghuófèiliving costs
  • 开销kāixiāoexpenses
  • 水电费shuǐdiànfèiwater and electricity bills

至少 and 起码

至少 (zhìshǎo) and 起码 (qǐmǎ) state a minimum: at least. 最起码 is stronger. 至少 can also mean at least as a consolation: 至少我们还有时间.

  • 在这个城市，每个月起码要五千块生活费。

    Zài zhège chéngshì, měi gè yuè qǐmǎ yào wǔqiān kuài shēnghuófèi.

    In this city you need at least five thousand yuan a month to live.

  • 考试没通过，至少我学到了很多。

    Kǎoshì méi tōngguò, zhìshǎo wǒ xuédào le hěn duō.

    I didn't pass the exam, but at least I learned a lot.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

Moving to Shanghai

Lin Yue is moving to Shanghai for work. She plans her budget with Sophie.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 交通费 jiāotōngfèi transport costs; 伙食 huǒshí meals, food; 加起来 jiāqǐlai to add up

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What is the lowest rent Lin Yue expects?

    1. four thousand
    2. two thousand
    3. six thousand
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, four thousand.

    房租最低也要四千.

  2. Listening

    What does she say about her salary?

    1. at least she can save a bit
    2. it's too low
    3. she'll ask for more
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, at least she can save a bit.

    至少每个月还能存一点儿.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 苏菲

    你Nǐ算suàn过guo在zài上海Shànghǎi每měi个gè月yuè的de开销kāixiāo吗ma？

    Have you worked out your monthly expenses in Shanghai?

  2. 林月

    算Suàn过guo了le。房租Fángzū最低zuìdī也yě要yào四千sìqiān，水电费shuǐdiànfèi大概dàgài三百sānbǎi。

    Yes. The rent is four thousand at the very lowest, and bills about three hundred.

  3. 苏菲

    伙食Huǒshí呢ne？

    And food?

  4. 林月

    我Wǒ打算dǎsuan自己zìjǐ做饭zuòfàn，起码qǐmǎ能néng省shěng一半yíbàn。一Yí个gè月yuè伙食huǒshí至少zhìshǎo一千五yìqiānwǔ。

    I plan to cook for myself, which will save at least half. Food will be at least fifteen hundred a month.

  5. 苏菲

    再Zài加上jiāshàng交通费jiāotōngfèi，加起来jiāqǐlai生活费shēnghuófèi差不多chàbuduō六千liùqiān吧ba。

    Add transport costs, and your living costs come to about six thousand.

  6. 林月

    对Duì。我Wǒ的de工资gōngzī是shì一万yíwàn，至少zhìshǎo每měi个gè月yuè还hái能néng存cún一点儿yìdiǎnr。

    Right. My salary is ten thousand, so at least I can save a bit each month.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 算过了。房租最低也要四千，水电费大概三百。

    Suàn guo le. Fángzū zuìdī yě yào sìqiān, shuǐdiànfèi dàgài sānbǎi.

    Yes. The rent is four thousand at the very lowest, and bills about three hundred.

  • 你算过在上海每个月的开销吗？

    Nǐ suàn guo zài Shànghǎi měi gè yuè de kāixiāo ma?

    Have you worked out your monthly expenses in Shanghai?

  • 再加上交通费，加起来生活费差不多六千吧。

    Zài jiāshàng jiāotōngfèi, jiāqǐlai shēnghuófèi chàbuduō liùqiān ba.

    Add transport costs, and your living costs come to about six thousand.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 起码 mean?

    1. a little while
    2. clean
    3. at least, minimum
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, at least, minimum.

    起码 (qǐmǎ) means at least, minimum.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “lowest, minimum”?

    1. 夸张
    2. 最低
    3. 奢侈
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 最低.

    “lowest, minimum” is 最低 (zuìdī).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 生活费 (living costs)?

    1. shēnghuófèi
    2. shēnghuóféi
    3. shēnghuófēi
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, shēnghuófèi.

    生活费 is read shēnghuófèi. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    开销 kāixiāo

    1. identity card
    2. expenses
    3. police officer
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, expenses.

    You heard 开销 (kāixiāo): expenses.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “water and electricity bills” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 水电费

    “water and electricity bills” is 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence states a minimum?

    1. 这本书起码要看两遍。
    2. 他起码不来。
    3. 起码他。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 这本书起码要看两遍。.

    这本书起码要看两遍。: 起码 + an amount or a requirement.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: We pay the water and electricity bills every month.

    我们每个月交＿＿。

    1. 开销
    2. 最低
    3. 水电费
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 水电费.

    水电费: utility bills.

  8. In context

    Rent, food and transport for a month all together. What is this?

    1. 水电费
    2. 最低
    3. 生活费
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 生活费.

    生活费: living costs.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for at least

    Show the answer

    Answer: 起码

    起码: at least.

My budget

Work out out loud the monthly living costs where you live, in six sentences.

  1. Rent and bills, with 最低 and 起码.
  2. Food and transport, with 至少.
  3. What is left, and one consolation with 至少.

Sentence frames

  • 每个月起码要＿＿。

    Měi gè yuè qǐmǎ yào ＿＿.

    Each month you need at least ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I state minimums with 至少, 起码 and 最低.
  • I can talk about rent, bills and living costs.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: By comparison: 相对 and 相比之下