Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 12
买年货 Buying for the New Year
Shopping for New Year goods. Teaches 一边 V1 一边 V2 (simultaneous actions) and the related 边 V1 边 V2 shorthand.
Dialogue
一边推车一边选 — Push the cart while choosing
- 林雪 这个星期我们来了两次超市, 今天人真多. We've come to the supermarket twice this week — so many people today.
- 王明 快过年了, 大家都来买年货. New Year's close — everyone's buying for the holiday.
- 林雪 我们一边推车一边选吧. Let's push the cart and pick stuff as we go.
- 王明 我们一样一样地买, 先买水果, 再买零食和糖. Let's buy one kind at a time — fruit first, then snacks and sweets.
- 林雪 袋子不够了, 再拿一个. Not enough bags — grab one more.
- 王明 一边走一边聊天, 真有过年的感觉. Walking and chatting — really feels like the New Year.
Dialogue
边看边试 — Look and taste at the same time
- 林雪 这家店的人很热情, 让我们试糖. The people at this shop are warm — they let us try the sweets.
- 王明 我边看边试, 觉得这个最好吃. I look and taste at the same time — I think this one is the best.
- 林雪 又甜又香! 买一袋子, 还要买点红包和礼物. Sweet and fragrant! Buy a bag — and some red envelopes and gifts too.
- 王明 市场里更热闹, 想去看看吗? The market's even livelier — want to check it out?
- 林雪 好. 一边走一边吃, 真过年. Yes. Walking and snacking — really feels like New Year.
- 王明 春节就要在热闹里过. Spring Festival should be spent in the bustle.
Vocabulary
- 年货
-
noun New Year goods (food, gifts)
- 超市
-
noun supermarket (recall Bk2)
- 市场
-
noun market
- 一边
-
adverb on one side; (in 一边V1一边V2) (recall Bk1)
- 推车
-
verb push (a cart)
- 袋子
-
noun bag
- 水果
-
noun fruit (recall Bk1)
- 零食
-
noun snacks; nibbles
- 糖
-
noun sugar; sweets (recall ch09)
- 选
-
verb choose (recall ch07)
- 热闹
-
adjective lively; bustling
- 人多
-
noun busy with people
- 聊天
-
verb chat
- 试
-
verb try (recall Bk2)
- 热情
-
adjective warm; enthusiastic
- 林雪
-
pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
- 王明
-
pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)
New characters
- 超
-
exceed; super- (in 超市) (recall Bk2)
超市 chāoshì — supermarket (recall Bk2) - 市
-
market; city (recall Bk2)
超市 chāoshì — supermarket (recall Bk2)市场 shìchǎng — market城市 chéngshì — city (recall ch30) - 货
-
(in 年货 = New Year goods (food, gifts))
年货 niánhuò — New Year goods (food, gifts) - 零
-
zero; bits (recall Bk1)
零食 língshí — snacks; nibbles - 食
-
eat; food (in 食堂)
零食 língshí — snacks; nibbles食堂 shítáng — canteen; dining hall - 袋
-
(in 袋子 = bag)
袋子 dàizi — bag - 闹
-
(in 热闹 = lively; bustling)
热闹 rènao — lively; bustling
Hanzi — writing & recognition
biān side; (in 一边/边V边V) (recall Bk1) Writing
shì try; test (recall Bk1) Writing
chāo exceed; super- (in 超市) (recall Bk2) Recognition
shì market; city (recall Bk2) Recognition
tuī push (recall Bk2) Recognition
Grammar
Quantity complement: action-count with an object (三50)
Explanation
When an action has BOTH a count ("how many times") AND an object, the common Band 3 order is: verb + number + verbal-MW + object. 我去过一次南方 / 我读了三遍课文. If the object is a pronoun (他/你), it usually goes before the count: 找了他两次.
Examples
- 我去过一次南方. I've been to the south once.
- 他找了我两次. He looked for me twice.
- 过年我们买了三次东西. We went shopping three times for New Year.
- 这本书我看了两遍. I've read this book twice.
Grammar
Reduplicated measures: one-by-one (三33)
Explanation
Grammar-01 counted times. Here, "number + MW + number + MW" reduplicates (一个一个 / 一样一样 / 一天一天) = "one by one / bit by bit". Often + 地 as an adverbial: 东西一样一样地买 / 日子一天一天地过. Shows a continuous, gradual process.
Examples
- 东西一样一样地买. Buy things one kind at a time.
- 日子一天一天地过去了. The days passed one by one.
- 学生一个一个地进来. The students came in one by one.
- 他一遍一遍地告诉我. He told me over and over.
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →