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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 39

网上买东西 Online shopping

Wǎng shàng mǎi dōngxi

王明 and 老张 talk about online shopping. Teaches 用 X + V (instrumental) and 通过 X + V (through X, V).

Dialogue

用手机买东西 — Buying with the phone

王明老lǎo张zhāng, 你nǐ也yě用yòng手shǒu机jī在zài网wǎng上shàng买mǎi东dōng西xī吗ma? Lao Zhang, do you shop online with your phone too?
老张自zì从cóng用yòng手shǒu机jī买mǎi东dōng西xī, 方fāng便biàn多duō了le. 用yòng电diàn脑nǎo慢màn, 用yòng手shǒu机jī快kuài. Ever since I started shopping by phone, it's been much more convenient — computer is slow, phone is fast.
王明价jià格gé便pián宜yi很hěn多duō. 你nǐ昨zuó天tiān买mǎi什shén么me了le? Prices are way lower. What did you buy yesterday?
老张这zhè些xiē菜cài都dōu由yóu网wǎng上shàng买mǎi, 还hái有yǒu去qù游yóu泳yǒng用yòng的de东dōng西xī, 今jīn天tiān就jiù送sòng到dào了le. These groceries were all bought online — and some things for swimming too, all delivered today.
王明用yòng什shén么me付fù钱qián? How did you pay?
老张也yě用yòng手shǒu机jī. 一yí下xià就jiù付fù完wán了le. Also phone. Done in a sec.

Dialogue

通过快递收到 — Received via express

老张我wǒ通tōng过guò快kuài递dì收shōu到dào了le昨zuó天tiān买mǎi的de菜cài. Got yesterday's groceries via express.
王明通tōng过guò这zhè个ge网wǎng站zhàn买mǎi便pián宜yi还hái是shì别bié的de便pián宜yi? Cheaper through this site or another?
老张通tōng过guò这zhè家jiā最zuì便pián宜yi. 我wǒ也yě通tōng过guò它tā们men买mǎi过guò水shuǐ果guǒ. Cheapest here. I've also bought fruit through them.
王明送sòng得dé快kuài吗ma? Fast delivery?
老张通tōng过guò快kuài递dì一yì天tiān就jiù到dào, 越yuè来lái越yuè方fāng便biàn. Express arrives next day — more and more convenient.
王明我wǒ也yě想xiǎng通tōng过guò手shǒu机jī试shì试shì. I want to try via my phone too.

Vocabulary

网wǎng: noun net; internet
上shàng网wǎng: verb go online
买mǎi东dōng西xī: verb buy things; shop (recall Bk1)
用yòng: preposition use; with (recall Bk1)
通tōng过guò: preposition through; via
手shǒu机jī: noun phone (recall Bk1)
电diàn脑nǎo: noun computer (recall Bk1)
付fù钱qián: verb pay
价jià格gé: noun price
便pián宜yi: adjective cheap (recall Bk1)
方fāng便biàn: adjective convenient (recall Bk1)
送sòng: verb deliver; send (recall Bk1)
收shōu到dào: verb receive
快kuài递dì: noun express delivery
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)
老lǎo张zhāng: pn. Lao Zhang (persona — recall ch08)

New characters

价: price (in 价格)
价格 jiàgé — price
付: pay (in 付钱)
付钱 fù qián — pay
递: (in 快递 = express delivery)
快递 kuàidì — express delivery

Hanzi — writing & recognition

网

wǎng net; internet Writing

6 strokes enclosure

通

tōng through; pass Writing

10 strokes left-right

付

fù pay (in 付钱) Recognition

5 strokes left-right

价

jià price (in 价格) Recognition

6 strokes left-right

格

gé standard (in 价格) Recognition

10 strokes left-right

Grammar

Preposition 由 — by someone / from somewhere (三20)

Explanation

由 has two common senses: (1) 由 + person + 来 + V: who handles it (这件事由我来做 = I'm responsible). (2) 由 + place: from / via a location (这路车由学校门口过). When shopping online: 由我来付钱. More formal than 从.

Examples

这些东西由网上买. These things are bought online.
这件事由我来做. I'll handle this.
今天的饭由我来付钱. I'll pay for today's meal.
这路车由学校门口过. This bus passes by the school gate.

Grammar

自从 … — ever since (三21)

Explanation

Grammar-01 was 由. `自从 + time/event` means "ever since that time / event". 自从用手机买东西, 方便多了 = since starting to use the phone, it's been much more convenient. Usually followed by a clause describing the change; 自从 opens the sentence.

Examples

自从用手机买东西, 方便多了. Since shopping by phone, it's much more convenient.
自从来中国, 他喜欢上了中国菜. Since coming to China, he's come to love Chinese food.
自从开始运动, 他身体好多了. Since he started exercising, his health is much better.
自从有了网, 买东西很方便. Since the internet, shopping is very convenient.

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