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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 25

在哪儿Where is it

Zài nǎr

Ask where something is, say where it is with front, back, left, right, on, under, in and out, and see what shops in China are like.

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Dialogue

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在哪儿— Where is it

  1. 文山高gāo朋péng, 商shāng店diàn在zài哪nǎ儿ér?Where's the shop?
  2. 高朋商shāng店diàn在zài前qián边biān.Shop's ahead.
  3. 文山前qián边biān? 在zài左zuǒ边biān还hái是shì右yòu边biān?Ahead? On the left or the right?
  4. 高朋在zài左zuǒ边biān. 大dà商shāng场chǎng在zài右yòu边biān.On the left. The big mall is on the right.
  5. 文山你nǐ家jiā在zài哪nǎ儿ér?Where's your home?
  6. 高朋在zài商shāng店diàn后hòu边biān, 商shāng场chǎng前qián边biān.Behind the shop, in front of the mall.

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上下里外— Up Down In Out

  1. 白月文wén山shān, 你nǐ的de书shū在zài哪nǎ儿ér?Where's your book?
  2. 文山在zài桌zhuō子zi上shàng. 我wǒ的de本běn子zi在zài桌zhuō子zi下xià边biān.On the desk. My notebook is under the desk.
  3. 白月杯bēi子zi里lǐ有yǒu水shuǐ吗ma?Water in the cup?
  4. 文山有yǒu. 你nǐ喝hē吧ba!Yes. Go ahead and drink!
  5. 白月谢xiè谢xiè!Thanks!

Vocabulary

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在zài

prepositionat; on (preposition)

上shàng

nounon

下xià

noundown; below

里lǐ

nouninside

外wài

nounoutside

前qián

nounfront

后hòu

nounbehind

左zuǒ

nounleft

右yòu

nounright

左zuǒ边biān

nounleft side

右yòu边biān

nounright side

家jiā里lǐ

nounat home; in the home

New characters

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前qián

front

前边 qiánbiān — in front前面 qiánmiàn — in front (of); ahead以前 yǐqián — before; in the past
边biān

side; edge

旁边 pángbiān — side; next to这边 zhèbiān — this side那边 nàbiān — that side
左zuǒ

left

左边 zuǒbiān — left side; on the left
右yòu

right

右边 yòubiān — right side; on the right
后hòu

behind

后边 hòubiān — behind后面 hòumiàn — behind; at the back然后 ránhòu — after that

Hanzi — writing & recognition

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在

zàiat; on (preposition)Writing

6 strokesleft-right

里

lǐinsideWriting

7 strokesstandalone

外

wàioutsideWriting

5 strokesleft-right

前

qiánfrontRecognition

9 strokestop-bottom

后

hòubehindRecognition

6 strokesenclosure

左

zuǒleftRecognition

5 strokestop-bottom

右

yòurightRecognition

5 strokestop-bottom

下

xiàdownRecognition

3 strokesstandalone

Grammar

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Preposition 在 + location

Explanation

在 + location = "at/in + place." Pattern: Subject + 在 + place + V (我在商店买). Or as predicate: 我在家. Locatives stack: 桌子上 / 家里 / 学校外.

Examples

  • 我wǒ在zài商shāng店diàn买mǎi东dōng西xī.I'm shopping at the store.
  • 书shū在zài桌zhuō子zi上shàng.The book is on the desk.
  • 他tā在zài家jiā里lǐ.He's at home.
  • 商shāng店diàn在zài哪nǎ儿ér?Where is the shop?

Grammar

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Noun + 上, 下 or 里

Explanation

Put 上, 下 or 里 after a noun and the noun becomes a place: 桌子上 (on the table), 杯子里 (in the cup). These words come after the noun, never before. Say 在桌子上, not 在上桌子.

Examples

  • 书shū在zài桌zhuō子zi上shàng.The book is on the table.
  • 杯bēi子zi里lǐ有yǒu水shuǐ吗ma?Is there water in the cup?
  • 他tā在zài家jiā里lǐ.He's at home.

Pronunciation

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声母 j, q, x 和 ü 的拼写规则Initials j, q, x and the ü-spelling rule

声母 j, q, x — Initials j, q, x

This chapter teaches j, q, x — three palatal initials made with the front of the tongue raised toward the hard palate. Listen closely and copy them. Listen carefully and imitate.

  • j — roughly like "j" in "jeep" but softer and farther forward in the mouth jiā · jiào · jiǔ · jīn
  • q — roughly like "ch" in "cheek" but farther forward qī · qǐ · qù · qián
  • x — roughly like "sh" in "she" but farther forward and softer xī · xǐ · xià · xué

Culture

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商店和买东西Shops and shopping

In China, different shops have different shopping conventions.

Big malls

In big malls, prices are fixed — no negotiation. Browse, buy if you want, leave if not.

Small shops and markets

Small shops, tourist markets, sidewalk vendors — bargaining works. Say 太贵了 ('too expensive') and see if they come down.

What to say

Start with 多少钱? ('how much?'). Then say 太贵了, 少一点 ('too pricey, can you go a bit lower?'). If they don't budge, say 我看一下 ('let me look around') and come back later.

Shopping in China — take your time! A little bargaining is friendly too.

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