Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 78 of 240

New here? This is lesson 78 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.

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This one or that one in Traditional Chinese

At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin offers Maya a lunch box with chicken or fish. A-Li is ready to choose both, as usual.

Learn to compare options, say either is fine, and explain a preference. You can also suggest ordering both.

Listen for the pattern that compares choices and the soft suggestion at the end. The fortune slip stays folded in the till.

By the end of this lesson

Compare two options, say which you prefer or that either is fine, and suggest choosing both.

  • 我比較喜歡紅茶I prefer black tea.
  • 兩個都不錯Both are fine.
  • 都可以Either is fine.
  • 你比較喜歡哪一種？Which kind do you like better?
  • 我寧可走路，也不要搭公車I'd rather walk than take the bus.
  • 不然我們點兩種吧？How about we order both?

Scene — choosing lunch

At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin lays out a chicken lunch box and a fish one for Maya. A-Li is at the counter, eyeing both choices.

Maya must choose a meal and decide how to get back to the co-working space. A-Li still has his soy milk, and the fortune slip stays folded in the till.

Maya considers the chicken and fish lunch boxes while Auntie Lin presents them and A-Li watches from the counter with his soy milk.

Learn — compare your choices

These lines help you compare two options, ask which one someone prefers, and say what you would rather do.

Notice how 都 can include both options, and how 吧 can make a suggestion sound friendly.

  1. Maya lifts a cup of black tea with a pleased expression beside the breakfast counter.

    我比較喜歡紅茶

    I prefer black tea.

    When to use it: Say this when black tea is your preference among options.

    比較 expresses a relative preference, not necessarily your absolute favorite.

  2. Auntie Lin presents the two lunch boxes with an open-handed gesture, looking content with either choice.

    兩個都不錯

    Both are fine.

    When to use it: Use this when you think both choices are good.

    都 includes both options; 不錯 says they are pretty good.

  3. Maya gives a small shrug beside the two lunch boxes, indicating that either choice is acceptable.

    都可以

    Either is fine.

    When to use it: Say this when either choice works for you.

    都可以 means that both options are acceptable.

  4. Auntie Lin leans toward Maya and gestures between two plain tea cups as she asks for her preference.

    你比較喜歡哪一種？

    Which kind do you like better?

    When to use it: Ask this when someone is choosing between types or options.

    哪一種 asks which kind, while 比較 asks for a comparison.

  5. Maya gestures toward the sidewalk outside while setting a bus card aside on the counter.

    我寧可走路，也不要搭公車

    I'd rather walk than take the bus.

    When to use it: Use this to say you would rather walk than take the bus.

    寧可…也不要… connects what you would rather do with what you prefer not to do.

  6. Auntie Lin places both lunch boxes together in a takeaway bag as she proposes ordering both.

    不然我們點兩種吧？

    How about we order both?

    When to use it: Suggest choosing both when there are two appealing options.

    吧 softens the suggestion and makes it sound collaborative.

Story — two lunch options

At Banyan Breakfast, Auntie Lin offers Maya a choice of chicken or fish for lunch. A-Li thinks both options sound good.

Maya chooses a meal, a drink, and a way to get back to work. A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished.

  1. Auntie Lin你好，瑪雅！今天有雞肉和魚的便當。Hello, Maya! Today we have chicken and fish lunch boxes.
  2. Maya你好！Hello!
  3. Auntie Lin你比較喜歡哪一種？Which kind do you like better?
  4. Maya兩個都不錯。Both are fine.
  5. Auntie Lin那你要哪一個？Then which one would you like?
  6. Maya都可以。Either is fine.
  7. A-Li我也想吃兩種。I want to eat both kinds too.
  8. Maya不然我們點兩種吧？How about we order both?
  9. Auntie Lin好喔，我幫你們準備。Sure, I'll get them ready for you.
  10. Auntie Lin你們要搭公車去嗎？Are you taking the bus?
  11. Maya我寧可走路，也不要搭公車。I'd rather walk than take the bus.
  12. Auntie Lin要喝什麼茶？What tea would you like?
  13. Maya我比較喜歡紅茶。I prefer black tea.
  14. Auntie Lin好喔，紅茶和兩種便當。Okay, black tea and both kinds of lunch box.
  15. Maya謝謝。Thank you.
  16. A-Li我的豆漿還沒喝完。I still haven't finished my soy milk.

Practice — choose and explain

Try ten short exercises about choosing food and making plans. Listen, build lines, fill in missing words, and answer questions.

Check each explanation, then try saying the useful line aloud.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我比較喜歡紅茶

  2. What do you say?

    You want to know Auntie Lin's preference between the two lunch boxes. Ask which kind she prefers.

  3. Build the line

    Both are fine.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    I prefer black tea.

    我____喜歡紅茶

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我比較喜歡紅茶Drop the English here
    兩個都不錯Drop the English here
    都可以Drop the English here
    你比較喜歡哪一種？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:

    雞肉和魚，你想吃哪一種？

    Which would you like to eat, chicken or fish?

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    A friend asks whether you want to walk or take the bus. Say you would rather walk.

  9. What do you say?

    You can choose either lunch box and do not mind which one. Say that either works for you.

  10. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    便當和紅茶都好了。

    The lunch boxes and black tea are ready.

    And you reply with:

  11. What did you hear?

Say it — make your choice

You play Maya at Banyan Breakfast. Listen to Auntie Lin's questions, then say your preference or make a suggestion.

Use the microphone to speak. You can replay each cue before answering.

  1. Auntie Lin shows Maya the two lunch box options.
  2. Auntie Lin雞肉和魚都有。你比較喜歡哪一種？We have chicken and fish. Which kind do you like better?
  3. Maya (you)Say that both options are good.

    兩個都不錯

    Both are fine.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我比較喜歡紅茶I prefer black tea.
兩個都不錯Both are fine.
都可以Either is fine.
你比較喜歡哪一種？Which kind do you like better?
我寧可走路，也不要搭公車I'd rather walk than take the bus.
不然我們點兩種吧？How about we order both?
Next: lesson 79Foods I love, foods I skip

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