New here? This is lesson 175 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
Old streets and a temple in Simplified Chinese
After the famous snack, Yi-Jun leads you down a quiet Tainan street. The houses look older than Banyan Lane, and a temple roof shows at the end.
Learn how to say a place is old, how people talk about a temple, and how to compare it with Taipei. Speak quietly if you take photos.
A-Li walks the hall twice around a slip rack in the corner. Nobody reads a slip today; the drink back in Taipei is still unfinished.
By the end of this lesson
Describe an old street and a temple, suggest going in, and speak quietly while taking photos.
- 这条街有一百多年的历史This street has over a hundred years of history.
- 这间庙很古老This temple is old.
- 听说很灵They say it really works.
- 我们进去看看吧Let's go in and look.
- 拍照的时候请小声一点Please keep your voice down while taking photos.
- 这里跟台北很不一样This is very different from Taipei.
Scene — an old Tainan street
An old street in Tainan is quieter than Da'an. Yi-Jun knows the way to a temple at the end of the lane. A-Li follows, looking at every roof.
The slip rack in the corner is just part of the hall. Nobody opens a fortune today, and A-Li's soy milk in Taipei is still waiting.
Learn — old streets and temples
These six lines help you describe an old street and a temple. Listen, then say each one out loud.
Notice 条 with streets and 间 with temples. 听说 reports what you have heard, not what you saw.
这条街有一百多年的历史
This street has over a hundred years of history.
When to use it: Use this when you describe how old a street is.
条 is the measure word that goes with streets, like 这条街.
Say it: 一 before 百 takes a falling tone.
这间庙很古老
This temple is old.
When to use it: Use this when you say a temple is very old.
间 is the measure word for buildings such as temples.
Say it: 古老 starts with two third tones, so the first one rises.
听说很灵
They say it really works.
When to use it: Use this when people say a temple answers prayers.
听说 reports what you have heard, not what you saw yourself.
我们进去看看吧
Let's go in and look.
When to use it: Use this to suggest going inside to take a look.
吧 turns this line into a suggestion, not a command.
Say it: The second 看 in 看看 is a light neutral tone.
拍照的时候请小声一点
Please keep your voice down while taking photos.
When to use it: Use this to remind people to speak quietly while taking photos.
小声 is about speech, so this tells people to talk quietly.
这里跟台北很不一样
This is very different from Taipei.
When to use it: Use this to contrast this place with Taipei.
跟 with 不一样 compares two things and says they are not the same.
Story — a temple at the end of the lane
Yi-Jun walks you along an old Tainan street toward a temple. A-Li comes too, a little distracted.
Listen for how they describe the street and what they say at the door.
Yi-Jun这条街有一百多年的历史。This street has over a hundred years of history.
Maya这里跟台北很不一样。This is very different from Taipei.- Yi-Jun对啊，巷子比较窄，人也比较少。Yeah, the alley is narrower, and there are fewer people.
A-Li前面那间就是了。That one up ahead is it.- Yi-Jun这间庙很古老。This temple is old.
- Maya听说很灵。They say it really works.
- Yi-Jun对啊，这间庙很有名。Yeah, this temple is famous.
- Maya我们进去看看吧。Let's go in and look.
- Yi-Jun好喔，我们进去拜拜。Okay, let's go in and pray.
- Inside the hall, incense hangs in the air. A wooden slip rack sits in the corner.
- Yi-Jun拍照的时候请小声一点。Please keep your voice down while taking photos.
- Maya这里可以拍照吗？May I take photos here?
- Yi-Jun可以，小声就好。You can, just keep it quiet.
- A-Li角落有个架子。There's a rack in the corner.
- Yi-Jun阿犛，你绕两圈了。A-Li, you already walked around twice.
- A-Li我只是路过。I was just passing by.
Practice — describe the place
Work through eleven short tasks. Match each line to the street, the temple, or a quiet photo.
Read the hint after every miss, then say the line again.
0 of 11 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
这条街有一百多年的历史
What do you say?
What do you say?
You stop in front of the temple. Comment that the building is old.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
They say it really works.
____很灵
Build the line
Build the line
Let's go in and look.
Tap the words in order.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Swap the word
Swap the word
A friend compared this place with Tainan. Change the city to the one you learned.
这里跟____很不一样
What do you say?
What do you say?
A visitor asks if this temple is well known. Say that it is famous.
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
这条街有一百多年的历史Drop the English here这间庙很古老Drop the English here听说很灵Drop the English here这里跟台北很不一样Drop the English hereEnglish
Pick the reply
Yi-Jun says:
Pick the reply
这间庙新吗？
Is this temple new?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to go inside and pray, not only look around.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Inside the hall, ask whether photos are allowed here.
Say it — your walk to the temple
You are Maya walking with Yi-Jun in Tainan. Listen to each cue, then say your line out loud.
Tap the microphone. You can replay the other person's turn before you speak.
- After lunch, you walk an old Tainan street with Yi-Jun. A-Li trails behind.
- Yi-Jun这条街有一百多年的历史。This street has over a hundred years of history.
- Maya (you)Say this place is very different from Taipei.
Say this place is very different from Taipei.
这里跟台北很不一样
This is very different from Taipei.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 这条街有一百多年的历史 | This street has over a hundred years of history. | |
| 这间庙很古老 | This temple is old. | |
| 听说很灵 | They say it really works. | |
| 我们进去看看吧 | Let's go in and look. | |
| 拍照的时候请小声一点 | Please keep your voice down while taking photos. | |
| 这里跟台北很不一样 | This is very different from Taipei. |
Save your progress — it’s free
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Today's old-street and temple lines are in Yak Cards with more phrases for walking a town.
Review a few of these cards before you visit an old neighborhood.
Open Yak Cards