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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 7

找地方吃饭 Looking for somewhere to eat

Zhǎo dìfang chī fàn

Choosing a place to eat. Teaches A 比 B + adj (comparative) and the natural follow-up 没有 X 那么 + adj.

Dialogue

附近哪家好吃? — Which place nearby is good?

林雪从cóng酒jiǔ店diàn出chū来lái我wǒ就jiù饿è了le, 我wǒ们men找zhǎo个gè地dì方fāng吃chī饭fàn吧ba. I got hungry as soon as we left the hotel — let's find somewhere to eat.
王明一yì直zhí往wǎng前qián走zǒu, 这zhè条tiáo街jiē上shàng饭fàn店diàn很hěn多duō. 你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什shén么me? Keep going straight — lots of restaurants on this street. What do you want?
林雪饺jiǎo子zǐ. 那nà家jiā比bǐ这zhè家jiā便pián宜yi吗ma? Dumplings. Is that one cheaper than this one?
王明那nà家jiā更gèng便pián宜yi, 也yě比bǐ较jiào好hǎo吃chī. That one is cheaper, and tastier too.
林雪人rén多duō吗ma? 我wǒ不bù想xiǎng等děng很hěn久jiǔ. Busy? I don't want to wait long.
王明现xiàn在zài还hái不bù晚wǎn, 人rén不bú太tài多duō. It's still early — not too busy.
林雪好hǎo, 就jiù选xuǎn那nà家jiā. OK, let's go with that one.

Dialogue

里面比外面安静 — Inside is quieter than outside

林雪里lǐ面miàn没méi有yǒu外wài面miàn那nà么me多duō人rén. Inside isn't as busy as outside.
王明里lǐ面miàn比bǐ外wài面miàn安ān静jìng, 我wǒ们men坐zuò里lǐ面miàn. Inside is quieter — let's sit inside.
林雪看kàn看kàn菜cài单dān. 这zhè个ge菜cài贵guì吗ma? Let's see the menu. Is this dish expensive?
王明不bú太tài贵guì, 比bǐ饺jiǎo子zǐ贵guì一yì点diǎn. Not too pricey — a bit more than the dumplings.
林雪那nà我wǒ选xuǎn饺jiǎo子zǐ吧ba. Then I'll go with dumplings.
王明我wǒ也yě吃chī饺jiǎo子zǐ, 简jiǎn单dān一yī点diǎn. Dumplings for me too — keep it simple.

Vocabulary

找zhǎo: verb look for; find (recall Bk1)
饭fàn店diàn: noun restaurant (recall Bk1)
街jiē: noun street
比bǐ: preposition compared to (comparative marker)
便pián宜yi: adjective cheap (recall Bk1)
贵guì: adjective expensive (recall Bk1)
好hǎo吃chī: adjective tasty; delicious (recall Bk1)
更gèng: adverb even more
比bǐ较jiào: adverb relatively; rather
附fù近jìn: noun nearby; vicinity
安ān静jìng: adjective quiet; calm
选xuǎn: verb choose; select
菜cài单dān: noun menu
饺jiǎo子zǐ: noun dumplings
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)

New characters

附: (in 附近 = nearby; vicinity)
附近 fùjìn — nearby; vicinity
街jiē: street
逛街 guàngjiē — go shopping; stroll the streets

Hanzi — writing & recognition

比

bǐ compare (in 比/比较) Writing

4 strokes left-right

更

gèng even more Writing

7 strokes single

街

jiē street Recognition

12 strokes enclosure

选

xuǎn choose Recognition

9 strokes left-right

静

jìng quiet (in 安静) Recognition

14 strokes left-right

Grammar

Comparison 4: A 比 B + V + 得 + adj (三58)

Explanation

Band 2 had A 比 B + adj (他比我高). Band 3 applies comparison to ACTIONS: A 比 B + verb + 得 + adj — comparing HOW WELL the action is done. 我比他走得快 (I walk faster than him). Also A + V + 得 + 比 + B + adj (我走得比他快). Negate: A 没有 B + V 得 + adj.

Examples

我比他走得快. I walk faster than him.
他比我说得好. He speaks better than me.
妹妹比我吃得多. My sister eats more than me.
我来得比你早. I came earlier than you.

Grammar

Degree adverbs: 比较 / 更加 / 相当 (三12)

Explanation

Grammar-01 compared two things. These three degree adverbs modify adjectives: 比较 = fairly / rather (比较便宜 = fairly cheap, not the cheapest). 更加 = even more (stronger than 更). 相当 = quite / very (written-leaning, 相当漂亮). Choose by degree and register.

Examples

这家饭店比较便宜. This restaurant is fairly cheap.
他现在更加努力了. He works even harder now.
这个地方相当漂亮. This place is quite beautiful.
南方的天气比较热. The southern weather is fairly hot.

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