Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 228 of 240

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Helping a newcomer in Traditional Chinese

A newer foreigner freezes at the Banyan Breakfast counter. Auntie Lin waits, and Maya steps in with the phrases she once needed herself.

Learn how to offer to translate, explain that you order first and pay after, and coach someone to say less ice. Then calm them down and leave the door open for later questions.

A-Li is at the back table with his soy milk still unfinished. The slip in the till is not today's puzzle.

By the end of this lesson

Help a newer guest order, explain that you pay after ordering, and offer calm backup.

  • 我來幫你翻譯Let me help translate.
  • 這裡要先點餐再付錢Here you order first and pay after.
  • 你可以說「少冰」You can say "less ice".
  • 不用緊張，慢慢說Don't be nervous, speak slowly.
  • 我剛來的時候也一樣I was the same when I first arrived.
  • 有問題隨時問我Ask me anytime.

Scene — a newcomer at the counter

Morning rush at Banyan Breakfast. A newcomer stands at the counter, stuck between the number cards and Auntie Lin's fast questions.

Maya is already a regular. She offers to help, while A-Li watches from two stools with his soy milk still untouched. No one reads the fortune today.

Morning rush fills Banyan Breakfast as a newcomer freezes at the counter, Auntie Lin leans in, Maya steps forward, and A-Li the yak sits across a pair of stools with soy milk still untouched.

Learn — help at the counter

These six lines help a newer guest at a Taipei breakfast shop. Listen to each line, then say it out loud.

The useful order is offer help first, then explain the shop habit, then calm the other person.

  1. Maya leans in at the newcomer's elbow to translate, one hand at the collarbone and the other open toward Auntie Lin.

    我來幫你翻譯

    Let me help translate.

    When to use it: Offer this when someone nearby is stuck in Chinese.

    來 here marks stepping in to do the action now.

  2. Maya stands in profile and points along the counter from the kitchen pass to the tray rest.

    這裡要先點餐再付錢

    Here you order first and pay after.

    When to use it: Explain this shop habit before a newcomer tries to pay first.

    先 then 再 lays out two steps in time: first this, then that.

  3. Maya holds up a barely iced drink and pinches the fingers to show a small amount of ice while the newcomer looks at the cup.

    你可以說「少冰」

    You can say "less ice".

    When to use it: Coach a drink order when full ice would be too much.

    The quotes mark the exact words to copy at the counter.

  4. Maya faces the newcomer with a palms-down slowing gesture while the newcomer drops the shoulders and unclenches.

    不用緊張，慢慢說

    Don't be nervous, speak slowly.

    When to use it: Calm someone who has frozen while trying to speak.

    慢慢 before a verb tells them to do it in an unhurried way.

    Say it: 不 rises to a second tone before the fourth-tone 用.

  5. Maya stands a step from the counter with one hand on the sternum, pausing as if remembering a first morning here.

    我剛來的時候也一樣

    I was the same when I first arrived.

    When to use it: Reassure a newcomer by matching their first-week feeling.

    的時候 marks the time when the earlier action happened.

    Say it: The 的 before 時候 is a light neutral tone.

  6. Untouched soy milk sits by the stools in the foreground while Maya walks the newcomer over and A-Li the yak still occupies a pair of stools.

    有問題隨時問我

    Ask me anytime.

    When to use it: Leave the door open after you have helped once.

    隨時 means they need not wait for a special moment to ask.

Story — Maya steps in

A newcomer freezes at Auntie Lin's counter. Maya steps in to translate and explain how ordering works here.

Listen for the shop habit, then for how Maya calms the guest without making a speech of it.

  1. Auntie Lin歡迎光臨，幾位？Welcome in. How many?
  2. a newcomer一位，不好意思，我只會說一點中文。One, please. Excuse me, I only speak a little Chinese.
  3. Maya我來幫你翻譯。Let me help translate.
  4. Auntie Lin好喔，先點餐。Okay, order first.
  5. Maya這裡要先點餐再付錢。Here you order first and pay after.
  6. a newcomer冰太多怎麼講？How do you say it if there's too much ice?
  7. Maya你可以說「少冰」。You can say "less ice".
  8. Auntie Lin少冰，沒問題。Less ice, no problem.
  9. a newcomer我好緊張。I'm so nervous.
  10. Maya不用緊張，慢慢說。Don't be nervous, speak slowly.
  11. a newcomer你也是嗎？Were you the same?
  12. Maya我剛來的時候也一樣。I was the same when I first arrived.
  13. A-Li對啊，她剛來也很小聲。Yeah, she was very quiet when she first came too.
  14. a newcomer以後呢？What about later?
  15. Maya有問題隨時問我。Ask me anytime.
  16. a newcomer謝謝你。Thank you.
  17. Maya不客氣。You're welcome.
  18. A-Li豆漿還沒喝完。The soy milk still isn't finished.

Practice — help someone order

Work through short tasks on offering help and explaining breakfast-shop habits. Pick the line that fits each moment.

After each answer, read why the other choices fail, then say the right line again.

0 of 9 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我來幫你翻譯

  2. What do you say?

    A newcomer has frozen at the counter and cannot get the words out. Calm them.

  3. Fill the gap

    Here you order first and pay after.

    這裡要先____再付錢

  4. What did you hear?

  5. Build the line

    I was the same when I first arrived.

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Pick the reply

    a newcomer says:

    以後不懂怎麼辦？

    What if I don't understand later?

    And you reply with:

  7. What do you say?

    Staff are speaking quickly at the counter. Tell them you only speak a little Chinese.

  8. What does it mean?

    不好意思

  9. Pick the reply

    a newcomer says:

    謝謝你。

    Thank you.

    And you reply with:

Say it — your turn to help

You play Maya and help a newer guest at Banyan Breakfast. Listen to each cue, then say the helping line out loud.

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

  1. A newcomer freezes at Auntie Lin's counter.
  2. a newcomer不好意思，我只會說一點中文。Excuse me, I only speak a little Chinese.
  3. Maya (you)Offer to translate for them.

    我來幫你翻譯

    Let me help translate.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我來幫你翻譯Let me help translate.
這裡要先點餐再付錢Here you order first and pay after.
你可以說「少冰」You can say "less ice".
不用緊張，慢慢說Don't be nervous, speak slowly.
我剛來的時候也一樣I was the same when I first arrived.
有問題隨時問我Ask me anytime.
Next: lesson 229The neighborhood meeting

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Today's helping lines are in Yak Cards with more phrases for stepping in at a shop.

Review a few helping-at-the-counter cards so the wording comes quickly next time.

Open Yak Cards