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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 9

谈味道 Talking about flavors

Tán wèidao

Discussing flavor. Teaches 又 X 又 Y (parallel qualities) and 一点也不 + adj (categorical negation).

Dialogue

这个菜又香又辣 — This dish is both fragrant and spicy

王明尝cháng一yi尝cháng, 这zhè个ge菜cài怎zěn么me样yàng? Try it — how is the dish?
林雪又yòu香xiāng又yòu辣là! 真zhēn好hǎo吃chī. Both fragrant and spicy! Really good.
王明汤tāng呢ne? 我wǒ觉jué得de有yǒu点diǎn咸xián. The soup? I think it is a little salty.
林雪不bù咸xián. 汤tāng不bù冷lěng不bú热rè, 又yòu鲜xiān又yòu好hǎo喝hē. Not salty. The soup's neither cold nor hot — fresh and tasty.
老张你nǐ们men满mǎn意yì吗ma? 盐yán放fàng多duō了le我wǒ再zài做zuò. Are you satisfied? If too much salt, I will redo it.
林雪味wèi道dào都dōu好hǎo, 一yì点diǎn也yě不bù咸xián. Flavor's great — not salty at all.
老张太tài好hǎo了le, 这zhè是shì我wǒ们men的de招zhāo牌pái菜cài. Wonderful — this is our signature dish.

Dialogue

甜的还是酸的? — Sweet or sour?

林雪老lǎo张zhāng, 你nǐ们men这zhè里lǐ有yǒu什shén么me甜tián的de? Old Zhang, what sweet things do you have here?
老张有yǒu一yí个gè又yòu甜tián又yòu酸suān的de菜cài, 用yòng糖táng做zuò的de. There is a sweet-and-sour dish — made with sugar.
王明听tīng起qǐ来lái不bú错cuò. 油yóu大dà吗ma? Sounds good. Greasy?
老张一yì点diǎn也yě不bù油yóu. 又yòu香xiāng又yòu清qīng淡dàn. Not at all greasy. Fragrant and light.
林雪好hǎo, 来lái一yì盘pán. 我wǒ尝cháng尝cháng. Great, bring a plate — I'll try it.
王明我wǒ也yě尝cháng. 老lǎo张zhāng推tuī荐jiàn的de菜cài, 我wǒ们men上shàng次cì都dōu吃chī饱bǎo了le. Me too. The dishes Old Zhang recommends — last time we ate our fill.

Vocabulary

味wèi道dào: noun taste; flavor (recall Bk1)
又yòu: adverb also; both (in 又X又Y) (recall Bk1)
辣là: adjective spicy
咸xián: adjective salty
甜tián: adjective sweet
香xiāng: adjective fragrant; tasty (recall Bk2)
鲜xiān: adjective fresh
酸suān: adjective sour
油yóu: noun oil; greasy (recall Bk1)
清qīng淡dàn: adjective light (in flavor)
尝cháng: verb taste; try
糖táng: noun sugar
盐yán: noun salt
满mǎn意yì: adjective satisfied
招zhāo牌pái菜cài: noun signature dish (recall ch08)
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)
老lǎo张zhāng: pn. Old Zhang (persona — recall ch08)

New characters

香xiāng: fragrant (recall Bk2)
辣là: spicy (recall Bk2)
尝cháng: taste; try
咸xián: salty (recall Bk2)
鲜xiān: fresh
新鲜 xīnxiān — fresh
满: full (in 满意)
满意 mǎnyì — satisfied
盐yán: salt
味: (in 味道 = taste; flavor (recall Bk1))
味道 wèidao — taste; flavor (recall Bk1)
甜tián: sweet (recall plan-context)
酸suān: sour
糖táng: sugar
油yóu: oil; greasy (recall Bk1)
加油 jiāyóu — cheer; come on
淡: (in 清淡 = light (in flavor))
清淡 qīngdàn — light (in flavor)
谈

Hanzi — writing & recognition

甜

tián sweet Writing

11 strokes left-right

糖

táng sugar Writing

16 strokes left-right

香

xiāng fragrant (recall Bk2) Recognition

9 strokes top-bottom

Grammar

不A不B — just right / moderate (三34)

Explanation

`不 + A + 不 + B` is a four-character pattern; A and B are opposite or related adjectives, meaning "neither too much of either — just right". 不大不小 / 不长不短 / 不冷不热 / 不多不少 / 不早不晚. Used to evaluate size, length, temperature, etc. — relaxed, "just perfect" tone.

Examples

这个房间不大不小, 正好. This room is neither big nor small — just right.
今天不冷不热. Today is neither cold nor hot.
这件衣服不长不短. This piece of clothing is just the right length.
这些菜不多不少. These dishes are just the right amount.

Grammar

一点儿也不 + adj — emphatic total negation (三75)

Explanation

Grammar-01 was "moderate". This emphasises "not at all": 一点儿也不 / 一点儿都不 + adjective = not in the slightest. 一点儿也不难 / 一点儿也不累 / 一点儿也不贵. Much stronger than plain 不难. Works with verbs too: 一点儿也不喜欢. A Band 3 emphatic negation.

Examples

这个题一点儿也不难. This question isn't hard at all.
我一点儿也不累. I'm not tired in the slightest.
这家店一点儿也不贵. This shop isn't expensive at all.
他一点儿都不忙. He's not busy at all.

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