Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 174 of 240

New here? This is lesson 174 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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The famous snack in Traditional Chinese

On a Tainan afternoon, Yi-Jun stops you at a busy stall. A-Li is already there, and the clerk greets him like a regular. You order a famous snack on your own.

Learn how to say a place is famous, ask about the queue, and describe a taste that is a little sweet and a little salty.

Then say you want another bowl, and that it is tastier than you imagined. A-Li's bowl, like his soy milk at home, stays unfinished.

By the end of this lesson

Order a famous local snack, ask about the queue, and say what it tastes like.

  • 這家很有名This place is famous.
  • 要排隊嗎？Do we need to queue?
  • 味道很特別The taste is unusual.
  • 有點甜，有點鹹A little sweet, a little salty.
  • 我還想再吃一碗I want another bowl.
  • 這比我想像的好吃This is tastier than I imagined.

Scene — a famous stall in Tainan

A narrow Tainan street is packed around one stall. Yi-Jun brought Maya here for a famous bowl, and Maya will order it herself.

A-Li stops as if he was only passing by. The clerk already knows him. Nobody explains why, and A-Li does not finish his bowl.

A packed narrow Tainan lane crowds one stall as Yi-Jun presents the stop to Maya and A-Li sits across two stools with a bowl barely touched.

Learn — order a snack and talk about taste

Here are six lines for a famous snack stall. Listen, then say each one out loud.

You will name a well-known place, ask about the queue, and talk about sweet and salty flavors.

  1. Yi-Jun stands forward and proudly presents the crowded stall as a famous stop while Maya watches from a step behind.

    這家很有名

    This place is famous.

    When to use it: Say this when a shop or stall is well known.

    家 is the measure word for shops and restaurants.

    Say it: The third tone on 很 rises before the third tone on 有.

  2. Maya studies the standing line with a questioning tilt while Yi-Jun already looks relaxed.

    要排隊嗎？

    Do we need to queue?

    When to use it: Ask this when you see a line or wonder if you must wait.

    要 here means you need to, not that you want to.

  3. Maya takes a first bite while Yi-Jun gestures at a bowl as if the flavor is distinctive.

    味道很特別

    The taste is unusual.

    When to use it: Use this after tasting food with an unusual flavor.

    特別 here means the flavor is unusual, not always a compliment.

  4. Maya pauses mid-taste with a spoon raised, weighing a sweet-and-salty flavor.

    有點甜，有點鹹

    A little sweet, a little salty.

    When to use it: Use this when food is both a bit sweet and a bit salty.

    有點 means a little, and it comes before the adjective.

  5. Maya holds up a nearly empty bowl wanting another while A-Li sits across two stools with a bowl almost untouched and Yi-Jun eats at a normal pace.

    我還想再吃一碗

    I want another bowl.

    When to use it: Say this when you still want another bowl of the same snack.

    碗 is the measure word for a bowl of soup or snack.

    Say it: 一 before a third-tone measure word is spoken as a fourth tone.

  6. Maya sits back over a last spoonful, finding the snack tastier than imagined, while Yi-Jun looks down into another bowl.

    這比我想像的好吃

    This is tastier than I imagined.

    When to use it: Use this when the food tastes better than you expected.

    比 compares this snack with what you imagined.

    Say it: 的 is a light neutral tone after 想像.

Story — a bowl in Tainan

Listen to Maya order a famous Tainan snack by herself. Yi-Jun is with her, and A-Li turns up at a stall that already knows him.

Taste the bowl, then decide if you want another.

  1. Yi-Jun這家很有名。This place is famous.
  2. Maya要排隊嗎？Do we need to queue?
  3. Clerk不用等，餐點很快就好。No need to wait; the food will be ready soon.
  4. Maya招牌是什麼？What's the specialty?
  5. Clerk碗粿，很香。Savory rice pudding. It smells good.
  6. Maya好，我要一碗。OK, I'll have a bowl.
  7. Clerk好喔。All right.
  8. A-Li stops at the stall. The clerk already knows him.
  9. Clerk欸，你又來了！Hey, you're back again!
  10. A-Li我只是路過。I'm just passing by.
  11. Clerk那也先坐吧。Sit down anyway.
  12. The bowls arrive at a small table.
  13. Maya味道很特別。The taste is unusual.
  14. Yi-Jun這個甜嗎？Is this sweet?
  15. Maya有點甜，有點鹹。A little sweet, a little salty.
  16. A-Li對啊。Yeah.
  17. Maya這比我想像的好吃。This is tastier than I imagined.
  18. Yi-Jun這家真的不錯。This place is really good.
  19. Maya我還想再吃一碗。I want another bowl.
  20. Clerk好喔，再一碗。All right, another bowl.
  21. A-Li我這碗還沒吃完。I haven't finished this bowl yet.

Practice — famous snacks

Try ten short exercises on famous stalls, queues, and taste. Pick the line that fits each moment.

After each answer, read why, then say the line again.

0 of 10 done

  1. What does it mean?

    這家很有名

  2. What do you say?

    You and Yi-Jun reach a busy stall. Ask if you need to wait in line.

  3. What did you hear?

  4. Fill the gap

    A little sweet, a little salty.

    有點甜，有點____

  5. Build the line

    I want another bowl.

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Swap the word

    After the first bite, change the word to say this is tastier than you imagined.

    這____我想像的好吃

  7. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    這家很有名Drop the English here
    要排隊嗎？Drop the English here
    味道很特別Drop the English here
    我還想再吃一碗Drop the English here

    English

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

  8. Pick the reply

    Yi-Jun says:

    這個甜嗎？

    Is this sweet?

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    You are at the counter, ready to order by yourself. Ask the clerk what the specialty is.

  10. What do you say?

    The bowls have just arrived. Ask Yi-Jun if this snack is sweet.

Say it — your order and taste

You play Maya at the Tainan stall. Listen to each cue, then say the line out loud.

Tap the microphone to speak. You can replay the other person's line before your turn.

  1. You and Yi-Jun stop at a crowded snack stall in Tainan.
  2. Maya (you)Tell Yi-Jun this stall is well known.

    這家很有名

    This place is famous.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
這家很有名This place is famous.
要排隊嗎？Do we need to queue?
味道很特別The taste is unusual.
有點甜，有點鹹A little sweet, a little salty.
我還想再吃一碗I want another bowl.
這比我想像的好吃This is tastier than I imagined.
Next: lesson 175Old streets and a temple

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's snack lines are in Yak Cards with more useful lines for ordering and tasting food.

Review a few food cards each day so the words come easily at a stall.

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