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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 25

在哪儿 Where is it

Zài nǎr

Preposition 在 + location. Direction words. Cultural §2: bargaining.

Dialogue

在哪儿 — Where is it

文山高gāo朋péng, 商shāng店diàn在zài哪nǎ儿ér? Where's the shop?
高朋商shāng店diàn在zài前qián边biān. Shop's ahead.
文山前qián边biān? 左zuǒ还hái是shì右yòu? Ahead? Left or right?
高朋左zuǒ. 大dà商shāng场chǎng在zài右yòu. Left. The big mall is on the right.
文山我wǒ家jiā在zài哪nǎ儿ér? Where's my home?
高朋在zài商shāng店diàn后hòu, 商shāng场chǎng前qián. Behind the shop, in front of the mall.

Dialogue

上下里外 — Up Down In Out

白月文wén山shān, 你nǐ的de书shū在zài哪nǎ儿ér? Where's your book?
文山在zài桌zhuō子zi上shàng. 书shū在zài桌zhuō子zi下xià. On the desk. The pen's under.
白月杯bēi子zi里lǐ有yǒu水shuǐ吗ma? Water in the cup?
文山没méi有yǒu. 杯bēi子zi外wài是shì水shuǐ果guǒ. No. Fruit's outside the cup.
白月好hǎo! 我wǒ去qù拿ná. OK! I'll get it.

Vocabulary

在zài: preposition at; on (preposition)
上shàng: noun on; up (revisit)
下xià: noun down; below
里lǐ: noun inside (revisit)
外wài: noun outside
前qián: noun front
后hòu: noun behind
左zuǒ: noun left
右yòu: noun right

New characters

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 (revisit Bk1 ch6)
后边 hòubiān — behind后面 hòumiàn — behind; at the back然后 ránhòu — after that

Hanzi — writing & recognition

在

zài at; on (preposition) Writing

6 strokes left-right

里

lǐ inside Writing

7 strokes standalone

外

wài outside Writing

5 strokes left-right

前

qián front Recognition

9 strokes top-bottom

后

hòu behind (revisit Bk1 ch6) Recognition

6 strokes enclosure

左

zuǒ left Recognition

5 strokes top-bottom

右

yòu right Recognition

5 strokes top-bottom

下

xià down (revisit ch3) Recognition

3 strokes standalone

Grammar

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

我在商店买东西. I'm shopping at the store.
书在桌子上. The book is on the desk.
他在家里. He's at home.
商店在哪儿? Where is the shop?

Pronunciation

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. There is no perfect English equivalent for any of 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

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. 70 or 80 is fine.

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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