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Mythic Mandarin

Before the stories: an online shop

HSK 4 Unit 10: Looking back, looking ahead · Lesson 6 of 8 · About 24 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can talk about goods, boxes and deliveries, say that things are identical or nearly sold out, and praise something with 极了, with the shopping words of the HSK 4 stories.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 梦想 mean?

    1. to approve, to be in favour of
    2. dream
    3. emperor
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, dream.

    梦想 (mèngxiǎng) means dream.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “next, secondly”?

    1. 其次
    2. 商人
    3. 骆驼
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 其次.

    “next, secondly” is 其次 (qícì).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    降低 jiàngdī

    1. myth, mythology
    2. to adjust
    3. to lower, to reduce
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to lower, to reduce.

    You heard 降低 (jiàngdī): to lower, to reduce.

New words

  • 商品shāngpǐngoods, product
  • 生意shēngyibusiness, trade
  • 盒子hézibox
  • 玩具wánjùtoy
  • 快递员kuàidìyuáncourier, delivery person
  • 厘米límǐcentimetre
  • 一模一样yìmú yíyàngexactly the same
  • 剩shèngto be left over, to remain
  • 口味kǒuwèiflavour, taste
  • 筷子kuàizichopsticks
  • 极jíextremely (…极了)

Selling and sending

商品 are goods for sale, and 生意 is business: 做生意 to do business, 生意很好 business is good.

  • 快递员把一个大盒子送到了我家。

    Kuàidìyuán bǎ yí gè dà hézi sòng dào le wǒ jiā.

    The courier delivered a big box to my home.

一模一样 (yìmú-yíyàng) means exactly the same, identical. 厘米 is a centimetre: 长三十厘米, thirty centimetres long.

  • 这两个玩具一模一样。

    Zhè liǎng gè wánjù yìmú yíyàng.

    These two toys are exactly the same.

剩 is to be left over: 只剩 + number + 了, only … left.

  • 今天只剩两盒了。

    Jīntiān zhǐ shèng liǎng hé le.

    There are only two boxes left today.

Adjective + 极了 means extremely: 好吃极了, 漂亮极了. It is spoken and enthusiastic.

  • Not: 极了好吃。

    But: 好吃极了。 Hǎochī jí le.

    极了 comes after the adjective.

Characters

  • 盒 = 皿
  • 厘 = 厂
  • 模 = 木
  • 剩 = 刂
  • 筷 = 竹
  • 极 = 木

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

Zhang Wei's online shop

Mark visits Zhang Wei, who sells tea and gifts in a small online shop.

Listen first

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

Helpful words: 网店 wǎngdiàn online shop; 包好 bāo hǎo to wrap up

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What sells best in the shop lately?

    1. a little toy car
    2. green tea in five flavours
    3. pairs of chopsticks
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, a little toy car.

    卖得最好的商品是这种小玩具车.

  2. Listening

    When does the courier come?

    1. early in the morning
    2. at three in the afternoon
    3. tomorrow at three
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, at three in the afternoon.

    快递员下午三点来拿.

  3. Listening

    How many boxes of tea are left?

    1. two
    2. five
    3. none
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, two.

    今天只剩两盒了.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 马克

    张伟Zhāng Wěi，你nǐ的de网店wǎngdiàn生意shēngyi怎么样zěnmeyàng？

    Zhang Wei, how's business at your online shop?

  2. 张伟

    还Hái不错búcuò！最近Zuìjìn卖mài得de最zuì好hǎo的de商品shāngpǐn是shì这zhè种zhǒng小xiǎo玩具wánjù车chē。

    Not bad! Lately the best-selling product is this little toy car.

  3. 马克

    这么Zhème多duō盒子hézi！都Dōu是shì今天jīntiān要yào送sòng的de吗ma？

    So many boxes! Are they all going out today?

  4. 张伟

    对Duì，快递员kuàidìyuán下午xiàwǔ三sān点diǎn来lái拿ná，我wǒ得děi把bǎ它们tāmen都dōu包好bāo hǎo。

    Yes, the courier comes for them at three, so I have to wrap them all up.

  5. 马克

    这Zhè两liǎng个gè盒子hézi一模一样yìmú yíyàng，你nǐ怎么zěnme知道zhīdào哪个nǎge是shì哪个nǎge？

    These two boxes are exactly the same. How do you know which is which?

  6. 张伟

    你Nǐ看kàn，上面shàngmian写xiě着zhe名字míngzi。这个Zhège长cháng三十sānshí厘米límǐ，里面lǐmian是shì两liǎng双shuāng筷子kuàizi。

    Look, the names are written on them. This one is thirty centimetres long and has two pairs of chopsticks inside.

  7. 马克

    你Nǐ还hái卖mài茶chá吗ma？

    Do you sell tea too?

  8. 张伟

    卖Mài，有yǒu五wǔ种zhǒng口味kǒuwèi，可是kěshì今天jīntiān只zhǐ剩shèng两liǎng盒hé了le。

    Yes, in five flavours, but there are only two boxes left today.

  9. 马克

    那Nà我wǒ买mǎi一yì盒hé。这Zhè双shuāng筷子kuàizi也yě漂亮piàoliang极jí了le！

    Then I'll buy one. And these chopsticks are really beautiful!

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.

  • 那我买一盒。这双筷子也漂亮极了！

    Nà wǒ mǎi yì hé. Zhè shuāng kuàizi yě piàoliang jí le!

    Then I'll buy one. And these chopsticks are really beautiful!

  • 卖，有五种口味，可是今天只剩两盒了。

    Mài, yǒu wǔ zhǒng kǒuwèi, kěshì jīntiān zhǐ shèng liǎng hé le.

    Yes, in five flavours, but there are only two boxes left today.

  • 还不错！最近卖得最好的商品是这种小玩具车。

    Hái búcuò! Zuìjìn mài de zuì hǎo de shāngpǐn shì zhè zhǒng xiǎo wánjù chē.

    Not bad! Lately the best-selling product is this little toy car.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 商品 mean?

    1. to rain
    2. goods, product
    3. loudly
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, goods, product.

    商品 (shāngpǐn) means goods, product.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “business, trade”?

    1. 商品
    2. 盒子
    3. 生意
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 生意.

    “business, trade” is 生意 (shēngyi).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: Do you sell tea too?

    • 卖
    • 茶
    • 还
    • 吗
    • 你
    Show the answer

    你还卖茶吗 Nǐ hái mài chá ma?

    Do you sell tea too?

    你还卖茶吗？ The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    玩具 wánjù

    1. toy
    2. tomato
    3. compass
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, toy.

    You heard 玩具 (wánjù): toy.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “courier, delivery person” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 快递员

    “courier, delivery person” is 快递员 (kuàidìyuán).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    还不错！最近卖得最好的商品是这种小玩具车。 Hái búcuò! Zuìjìn mài de zuì hǎo de shāngpǐn shì zhè zhǒng xiǎo wánjù chē.

    1. So many boxes! Are they all going out today?
    2. Not bad! Lately the best-selling product is this little toy car.
    3. Look, the names are written on them. This one is thirty centimetres long and has two pairs of chopsticks inside.
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, Not bad! Lately the best-selling product is this little toy car..

    You heard 还不错！最近卖得最好的商品是这种小玩具车。 (Hái búcuò! Zuìjìn mài de zuì hǎo de shāngpǐn shì zhè zhǒng xiǎo wánjù chē.): Not bad! Lately the best-selling product is this little toy car.

  7. In context

    Two cups look identical. What do you say?

    1. 这两个杯子一模一样。
    2. 这两个杯子不一样。
    3. 这两个杯子极了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 这两个杯子一模一样。.

    这两个杯子一模一样。: 一模一样: exactly the same.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means this cake is extremely good?

    1. 这个蛋糕好吃极了。
    2. 这个蛋糕极了好吃。
    3. 这个蛋糕好极吃了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 这个蛋糕好吃极了。.

    这个蛋糕好吃极了。 Adjective + 极了.

  9. Fill the gap

    Complete: only one is left.

    只＿＿一个了。

    1. 极
    2. 送
    3. 剩
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 剩.

    只剩一个了。 剩: to be left over.

  10. Reading

    Read: 我的网店卖中国茶和筷子。今年生意比去年好多了，我每天都要送三十多个盒子。 How is business this year?

    1. worse than last year
    2. the same as last year
    3. much better than last year
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, much better than last year.

    今年生意比去年好多了.

  11. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for chopsticks

    Show the answer

    Answer: 筷子

    筷子: chopsticks.

Describe a product

Choose something you would like to sell online and describe it out loud as if you were writing the shop page.

  1. Say what the product is and who it is for.
  2. Give its size in 厘米 and its flavour or colour.
  3. Say how many are left, and praise it with 极了.

Sentence frames

  • 这个商品长＿＿厘米。

    Zhège shāngpǐn cháng ＿＿ límǐ.

    This product is ... centimetres long.

  • 今天只剩＿＿了。

    Jīntiān zhǐ shèng ＿＿ le.

    Only ... left today.

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 can talk about goods, business and deliveries.
  • I can say identical with 一模一样 and extremely with 极了.

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: Before the stories: grandma's photo album