Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 17 of 240

New here? This is lesson 17 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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One cup, one bowl in Traditional Chinese

At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin counts Maya's order in the way people do in Taiwan. The right word changes with the food or the people.

Practice one pancake, one cup, and one bowl, then ask how many people there are. A-Li's order is twice as large—and his soy milk is still unfinished.

By the end of this lesson

Order one egg pancake, one cup of soy milk, or one bowl of porridge, and ask how many.

  • 一個蛋餅One egg pancake.
  • 一杯豆漿One cup of soy milk.
  • 一碗粥One bowl of porridge.
  • 兩個人Two people.
  • 幾個？How many?
  • 一杯熱的One hot one.

Scene — counting at breakfast

Morning is busy at Banyan Breakfast in Da'an. Auntie Lin is taking Maya's order while A-Li sits nearby with an order card asking for two of everything.

A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished. Maya practices counting food and people with Lin; the small fortune slip remains folded in the till.

Maya orders breakfast from Auntie Lin while A-Li sits nearby with an unfinished soy milk and an order card covered in paired food icons.

Learn — count food and people

Here are useful chunks for ordering food and counting people. Listen to each one, then say it out loud.

Notice how the amount and the item go together. Learn each chunk as one piece.

  1. Maya points to one egg pancake as she orders it from Auntie Lin.

    一個蛋餅

    One egg pancake.

    When to use it: Use this when ordering one egg pancake at a breakfast shop.

    Learn it as one piece.

    Say it: The measure word 個 is often light in everyday speech.

  2. Maya gestures toward one cup of soy milk as she orders it, with A-Li's own cup still unfinished nearby.

    一杯豆漿

    One cup of soy milk.

    When to use it: Use this when ordering one cup of soy milk.

    Learn it as one piece.

  3. Maya asks for one bowl of porridge while Auntie Lin turns toward the steaming porridge pot.

    一碗粥

    One bowl of porridge.

    When to use it: Use this when ordering one bowl of porridge.

    Learn it as one piece.

  4. Maya indicates two people with a two-finger gesture while Auntie Lin listens across the counter.

    兩個人

    Two people.

    When to use it: Use this to say there are two people.

    Learn it as one piece.

  5. Auntie Lin asks Maya how many with an inquisitive expression and an open-handed counting gesture.

    幾個？

    How many?

    When to use it: Use this to ask how many items or people there are.

    Learn it as one piece.

  6. Maya requests one hot drink by pointing to a steaming cup while Auntie Lin prepares it.

    一杯熱的

    One hot one.

    When to use it: Use this to choose one hot drink after naming the drink.

    Learn it as one piece.

Story — an order for two

Auntie Lin counts Maya and A-Li, then takes their breakfast order. A-Li's order card calls for two of everything, and his soy milk remains unfinished.

  1. Auntie Lin美女，早安！Good morning, beautiful!
  2. Maya謝謝。Thank you.
  3. Auntie Lin幾個人？How many people?
  4. Maya兩個人。Two people.
  5. Auntie Lin吃什麼？What would you like to eat?
  6. Maya一個蛋餅，一杯豆漿，一碗粥。One egg pancake, one cup of soy milk, and one bowl of porridge.
  7. Auntie Lin豆漿要冰的還是熱的？Would you like your soy milk cold or hot?
  8. Maya一杯熱的。One hot one.
  9. A-Li我也要兩個。I'll have two of those too.
  10. Auntie Lin蛋餅、豆漿、粥各兩份？Two portions each of egg pancake, soy milk, and porridge?
  11. A-Li好喔。Okay.
  12. Auntie Lin阿犛的豆漿還沒喝完。A-Li still hasn't finished his soy milk.

Practice — choose the right amount

Try ten quick exercises with food orders, greetings, and a question about how many people there are.

Choose the chunk that fits the situation, and listen closely before you answer.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    一個蛋餅

  2. What do you say?

    Order one cup of soy milk at the breakfast shop.

  3. Build the line

    One bowl of porridge.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    One egg pancake.

    一個____

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    一個蛋餅Drop the English here
    一杯豆漿Drop the English here
    一碗粥Drop the English here
    兩個人Drop the English here

    English

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

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    幾個人？

    How many people?

    And you reply with:

  8. Build the line

    One hot one.

    Tap the words in order.

  9. What does it mean?

    早安

  10. What does it mean?

    謝謝

Say it — order at the counter

You play Maya ordering at Banyan Breakfast. Listen to Auntie Lin's questions, then answer her and make your order out loud.

Tap the microphone to speak. Try each line once, then replay the scene and order again.

  1. Maya is at the counter with A-Li.
  2. Auntie Lin幾個人？How many people?
  3. Maya (you)Say there are two people.

    兩個人

    Two people.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
一個蛋餅One egg pancake.
一杯豆漿One cup of soy milk.
一碗粥One bowl of porridge.
兩個人Two people.
幾個？How many?
一杯熱的One hot one.
Next: lesson 18Tickets, books, people, pets

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's counting chunks are in Yak Cards with more useful lines for ordering food.

Review a few cards each day so these orders come easily.

Open Yak Cards