Simplified Chinese course

Lesson 240 of 240

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The last breakfast in Simplified Chinese

At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin finally reads the old slip with her glasses on. The words look less like a prophecy and more like a very familiar order.

Maya has renewed her lease and decided to stay. A-Li finishes his long-neglected drink, says a proper goodbye, then settles in for one more breakfast.

Learn the phrases for reading the slip, recognising handwriting, and reacting to the answer. The final spoken line is simple: see you tomorrow.

By the end of this lesson

Talk about recognising old handwriting, identify the breakfast order on the slip, and respond naturally as A-Li finishes his drink and says goodbye.

  • 我戴上眼镜看看Let me put my glasses on and look.
  • 这是我的字This is my handwriting.
  • 我想起来了I remember now.
  • 大冰奶，少冰，带走Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.
  • 原来是这样So that's how it was.
  • 你终于喝完了You finally finished it.

Scene — one more morning

Morning light falls across the counter at Banyan Breakfast. Maya has renewed her lease and plans to stay in Taipei.

Auntie Lin takes the folded slip from the till and reaches for her glasses.

A-Li sits at the back on his two stools, his familiar drink finally close to empty. The answer is in the handwriting, not in magic; nobody needs to make a speech.

Morning sun lies across the Banyan Breakfast counter while Auntie Lin holds a folded slip and reaches for her glasses, Maya stands watching, and A-Li sits on two stools at the back with a nearly empty drink.

Learn — the slip and the goodbye

These six lines carry the last scene from the first look at the slip to A-Li finally finishing his drink.

Notice how the short order lists the drink, ice preference, and takeout in sequence.

  1. Auntie Lin lifts her glasses toward her face while holding the folded slip from the till.

    我戴上眼镜看看

    Let me put my glasses on and look.

    When to use it: Say this when you need your glasses before looking closely at something.

    看看 softens the suggestion that you will take a quick look.

  2. Auntie Lin, glasses now on, holds the slip close and studies it as if matching it to her own hand.

    这是我的字

    This is my handwriting.

    When to use it: Use this when you recognise your own handwriting.

    字 can mean handwriting when you are identifying who wrote something.

  3. Auntie Lin has lowered the slip and looks up with a sudden, quiet look of memory.

    我想起来了

    I remember now.

    When to use it: Say this when something you had forgotten comes back to mind.

    了 marks the moment the memory comes back.

    Say it: The third-tone 想 rises before the following third-tone 起.

  4. Auntie Lin holds up a large iced milk-tea takeaway cup so the drink itself stands for the old order.

    大冰奶，少冰，带走

    Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.

    When to use it: Use this compact order to specify size, ice, and takeout.

    This order lists the drink first, then the ice preference, then takeout.

  5. Maya stands at the breakfast counter with a quiet look of realization as the meaning of the slip settles.

    原来是这样

    So that's how it was.

    When to use it: Say this when new information explains something that puzzled you.

  6. Maya turns toward the back and looks at A-Li on his two stools beside a finally empty drink cup.

    你终于喝完了

    You finally finished it.

    When to use it: Say this when someone finishes something after a long time.

    喝完 describes finishing a drink; 完 follows the action to show completion.

Story — a breakfast order, at last

On the last morning, Auntie Lin takes the folded slip out of the till and puts on her glasses. Maya and A-Li wait at the counter.

The handwriting and the old order finally make sense. A-Li finishes his drink, gives Auntie Lin a real goodbye, and stays for one more.

  1. Auntie Lin玛雅，你的租约续好了，今天也来啦。Maya, your lease is renewed, and here you are again today.
  2. Maya对啊，我决定留下来。That's right. I've decided to stay.
  3. Auntie Lin我把抽屉里那张签拿出来了，等我一下。I took that slip out of the drawer. Give me a moment.
  4. A-Li我今天没有急着走，先把豆浆喝完。I'm not in a hurry today. I'll finish my soy milk first.
  5. Auntie Lin我戴上眼镜看看。Let me put my glasses on and look.
  6. Maya这张纸折得这么小，字还看得清楚吗？This paper is folded so small. Can you still read the writing?
  7. Auntie Lin看清楚了，这是我的字。I can read it now. This is my handwriting.
  8. Auntie Lin我想起来了。I remember now.
  9. Maya你想起这张纸是什么了吗？Do you remember what this paper is?
  10. Auntie Lin是阿犛以前的早餐单，我写得太快，大家一直当成签诗。It's A-Li's old breakfast order. I wrote it so quickly that everyone kept taking it for a fortune slip.
  11. Auntie Lin大冰奶，少冰，带走。Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.
  12. A-Li对，那时候我每天都点这个。Right. I used to order that every day.
  13. Maya原来是这样。So that's how it was.
  14. A-Li好了，这杯真的喝完了。There, I've really finished this drink.
  15. Maya你终于喝完了。You finally finished it.
  16. A-Li以前我走得太急，连再见都没好好说。I left in such a hurry before that I never said a proper goodbye.
  17. A-Li林阿姨，再见。这次我好好说了。Goodbye, Auntie Lin. This time I said it properly.
  18. Auntie Lin好，这次我听到了。Good. I heard you this time.
  19. A-Li我再点一杯，坐一下。I'll order another one and stay a little while.
  20. Maya明天见。See you tomorrow.

Practice — read the last clue

Use ten exercises to recognise the key phrases, rebuild a line, and choose a response that fits the moment.

The old slip's meaning is now clear, but the goodbye stays ordinary and warm.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我想起来了

  2. What do you say?

    You need your glasses before looking closely at the faded note. Put them on and take a look.

  3. Build the line

    This is my handwriting.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    You finally finished it.

    你____喝完了

  5. What did you hear?

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    原来这张签是以前的早餐单。

    So this slip is an old breakfast order.

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    You wrote this breakfast order years ago. Looking at the faded paper, say that you remember now.

  9. What do you say?

    You are leaving the breakfast shop after a warm goodbye. Say you will see everyone tomorrow.

  10. Match the pairs

    Simplified Chinese

    我戴上眼镜看看Drop the English here
    这是我的字Drop the English here
    我想起来了Drop the English here
    大冰奶，少冰，带走Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Simplified Chinese, or tap one and then the other.

  11. What do you say?

    A-Li is saying a proper goodbye to Auntie Lin before staying for one more breakfast. Choose a simple goodbye.

Say it — your last breakfast

You play Maya during the last breakfast at Banyan Breakfast. Listen to each cue, then say the fitting line aloud.

Auntie Lin has just read the slip, and A-Li is ready to finish his drink. Keep your goodbye warm and brief.

  1. Auntie Lin reads the old slip and recognises her own handwriting.
  2. Auntie Lin这是我的字。This is my handwriting.
  3. Auntie Lin大冰奶，少冰，带走。Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.
  4. Maya (you)Repeat the order from the slip.

    大冰奶，少冰，带走

    Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Simplified ChineseEnglish
我戴上眼镜看看Let me put my glasses on and look.
这是我的字This is my handwriting.
我想起来了I remember now.
大冰奶，少冰，带走Large iced milk tea, less ice, to go.
原来是这样So that's how it was.
你终于喝完了You finally finished it.

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Review the last breakfast lines in Yak Cards and keep the useful phrases close.

Come back to these cards when you want to revisit the story's key phrases.

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