New here? This is lesson 136 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.
Fruit and bargaining in Traditional Chinese
At a Taipei night market, A-Li stops at a fruit stall for guavas. The owner knows him, but Maya is still learning how fruit is sold by weight.
Learn to ask the price per catty, check whether fruit is sweet, and negotiate politely. You can also ask for fruit to be cut up.
Listen for 斤, a common Taiwan weight unit. One Taiwanese 斤 is about 600 grams (a little over a pound). A friendly extra guava turns into an unexpected item on Maya's bill.
By the end of this lesson
Ask how much fruit costs per catty, check its taste, negotiate a price, choose an amount, and ask for it to be cut.
- 芭樂多少錢一斤？How much per catty are the guavas?
- 這個甜嗎？Is this sweet?
- 算我便宜一點Give me a bit of a discount.
- 我要兩斤I'll take two catties.
- 可以切給我嗎？Can you cut it up for me?
- 買多一點會比較便宜嗎？Is it cheaper if I buy more?
Scene — fruit at the night market
At a night-market fruit stall, A-Li is choosing guavas while Maya looks at the fruit. He knows the owner, who offers him one extra guava.
Maya soon learns that the extra fruit is not free. A-Li's soy milk remains unfinished, and the fortune slip stays a mystery.
Learn — choose fruit and ask the price
These six lines help you shop for fruit by weight, ask about taste, request a discount, and decide how much to buy.
斤 is a common unit in Taiwan. One Taiwanese 斤 is about 600 grams (a little over a pound).
芭樂多少錢一斤？
How much per catty are the guavas?
When to use it: Ask this when you want the price of guavas by weight.
斤 is a common weight unit in Taiwan; one Taiwanese 斤 is about 600 grams.
Say it: 斤 has a high, level first tone.
這個甜嗎？
Is this sweet?
When to use it: Ask about the taste of a fruit you are considering.
嗎 turns this into a yes-or-no question.
Say it: 甜 has a rising second tone.
算我便宜一點
Give me a bit of a discount.
When to use it: Use this informal request when asking a seller for a lower price.
一點 softens the request by asking for just a little change.
Say it: 一 changes to a falling fourth tone before 點.
我要兩斤
I'll take two catties.
When to use it: Say this when ordering two catties of something.
兩 goes directly before 斤 to give the amount.
可以切給我嗎？
Can you cut it up for me?
When to use it: Ask a seller to cut fruit for you.
給我 marks you as the person who will receive the service.
Say it: 嗎 has a light, neutral tone at the end of the question.
買多一點會比較便宜嗎？
Is it cheaper if I buy more?
When to use it: Ask whether buying a larger amount lowers the price.
比較 before 便宜 means that something is relatively cheaper.
Say it: 一 changes to a falling fourth tone before 點.
Story — an extra guava
At the night market, A-Li picks out guavas and bargains with a familiar stall owner. Maya joins in, asking about the fruit and its price.
The owner gives A-Li an extra guava, then adds its price to Maya's bill.
A-Li芭樂多少錢一斤？How much per catty are the guavas?- Fruit stall owner一斤八十元。Eighty dollars per catty.
Maya這個甜嗎？Is this sweet?- Fruit stall owner很甜，今天剛到。Very sweet; they just arrived today.
- A-Li算我便宜一點Give me a bit of a discount.
- Fruit stall owner好，算你便宜一點。Sure, I'll give you a small discount.
- A-Li我要兩斤I'll take two catties.
- Fruit stall owner好，我多送你一顆。Sure, I'll give you one extra.
- Maya買多一點會比較便宜嗎？Is it cheaper if I buy more?
- Fruit stall owner會，多買一斤可以便宜十元。Yes, one more catty gets you ten dollars off.
- Maya可以切給我嗎？Can you cut it up for me?
- Fruit stall owner可以，我幫你切。Sure, I'll cut it for you.
- Maya這個多少錢？How much is this?
- Fruit stall owner好，這顆算你二十元。All right, that guava is twenty dollars for you.
- Maya有便宜一點的嗎？Is there a cheaper one?
- Fruit stall owner好，算你十五元。All right, I'll charge you fifteen dollars.
Practice — shop for fruit
Try ten short exercises to ask questions, bargain, and make a fruit order. Listen carefully and choose the line that fits each moment.
Some exercises review useful shopping questions from earlier lessons.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
芭樂多少錢一斤？
What do you say?
What do you say?
You point to a guava and want to know whether it tastes sweet.
Build the line
Build the line
Give me a bit of a discount.
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I'll take two catties.
我要____斤
Match the pairs
Traditional Chinese
芭樂多少錢一斤？Drop the English here這個甜嗎？Drop the English here算我便宜一點Drop the English here我要兩斤Drop the English hereEnglish
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What do you say?
What do you say?
The seller asks how much you want, and you choose two catties.
Build the line
Build the line
Is it cheaper if I buy more?
？
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You point to a small, prepacked bag of cut guava sold as one item, not by weight, and ask its price.
What do you say?
What do you say?
The seller names a price, and you ask whether there is a cheaper one.
Say it — your fruit order
You are Maya at the fruit stall. Listen to the seller and A-Li, then say your own shopping lines.
Ask about the guavas, bargain for a better price, and request a service. The seller's extra guava may still end up on your bill.
- Maya starts by asking how the guavas are priced.
- Maya (you)Ask the price per catty.
Ask the price per catty.
芭樂多少錢一斤？
How much per catty are the guavas?
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Traditional Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 芭樂多少錢一斤？ | How much per catty are the guavas? | |
| 這個甜嗎？ | Is this sweet? | |
| 算我便宜一點 | Give me a bit of a discount. | |
| 我要兩斤 | I'll take two catties. | |
| 可以切給我嗎？ | Can you cut it up for me? | |
| 買多一點會比較便宜嗎？ | Is it cheaper if I buy more? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review today's fruit-shopping lines in Yak Cards and practise asking for a better price.
Try saying each shopping line aloud before your next visit to a market.
Open Yak Cards