How to read this page: Line 1 = Chinese characters. Line 2 = pinyin (lined up character-by-character above each word). Line 3 = English meaning of the whole sentence, with the matching key word marked in (parentheses). Words in a pink box are this lesson's key vocabulary. Tap the 🔊 button to hear it read aloud — in the dialogue, speaker A and speaker B are read in two different voices.
📖 Text
Read the story once for the general idea, then go through it again line by line.
A ：nǐ你xiǎng想hē喝shén什me么 ？
A: What would you like to (drink)? ((would like))
B ：wǒ我xiǎng想hē喝chá茶 。
B: I'd like some (tea).
A ：nǐ你xiǎng想chī吃shén什me么 ？
A: What would you like to (eat)?
B ：wǒ我xiǎng想chī吃mǐ米fàn饭 。
B: I'd like some (rice).
A ：xià下wǔ午nǐ你xiǎng想zuò做shén什me么 ？
A: What would you like to do this (afternoon)?
B ：xià下wǔ午wǒ我xiǎng想qù去shāng商diàn店 。
B: This afternoon I'd like to go to the (store).
A ：nǐ你xiǎng想mǎi买shén什me么 ？
A: What do you want to (buy)?
B ：wǒ我xiǎng想mǎi买yí一ge个bēi杯zi子 。
B: I want to buy a (cup).
A ：nǐ你hǎo好 ！zhè这ge个bēi杯zi子duō多shao少qián钱 ？
A: Hello! (How much) is (this) cup? ((money))
B ：èr二shí十bā八kuài块 。
B: 28 (yuan).
A ：nà那ge个bēi杯zi子duō多shao少qián钱 ？
A: What about (that) cup?
B ：nà那ge个bēi杯zi子shí十bā八kuài块qián钱 。
B: That cup is 18 yuan.
📋 Key Vocabulary
Each word shows the part of speech, meaning, and an extra example sentence.
想mod.
to want, would like
我想喝茶。
I'd like some tea.
I'd like some tea.
喝verb
to drink
你想喝什么？
What would you like to drink?
What would you like to drink?
茶noun
tea
我想喝茶。
I'd like some tea.
I'd like some tea.
吃verb
to eat
我想吃米饭。
I'd like some rice.
I'd like some rice.
米饭noun
cooked rice
我想吃米饭。
I'd like some rice.
I'd like some rice.
下午noun
afternoon
下午我想去商店。
This afternoon I'd like to go to the store.
This afternoon I'd like to go to the store.
商店noun
shop, store
我想去商店买东西。
I want to go to the store to buy things.
I want to go to the store to buy things.
买verb
to buy, to purchase
我想买一个杯子。
I want to buy a cup.
I want to buy a cup.
个m.
a general measure word
我想买一个杯子。
I want to buy a cup.
I want to buy a cup.
杯子noun
cup, glass
这个杯子多少钱？
How much is this cup?
How much is this cup?
这pron.
this
这个杯子多少钱？
How much is this cup?
How much is this cup?
多少pron.
how many, how much
这个杯子多少钱？
How much is this cup?
How much is this cup?
钱noun
money
这个杯子多少钱？
How much is this cup?
How much is this cup?
块m.
a unit of money, same as "yuan"
这个杯子二十八块。
This cup is 28 yuan.
This cup is 28 yuan.
那pron.
that
那个杯子多少钱？
How much is that cup?
How much is that cup?
🧩 Grammar Focus
Structures from this story worth practicing.
① 想 — wishing or planning to do something
能愿动词 "想"
Subject + 想 + Verb
The modal verb 想 goes before another verb to express a wish or a plan — "would like to" or "want to."
我想买一个杯子。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge bēizi.
I want to buy a cup.
② 多少 — asking "how many/much" (10 and up)
疑问代词 "多少"
多少 (+ Measure word) + Noun / …多少钱?
多少 asks about quantities of 10 or more, and the measure word after it can be dropped. It's also the standard way to ask a price, in the pattern "… 多少钱?"
这个杯子多少钱？
Zhège bēizi duōshao qián?
How much is this cup?
③ 个 — the all-purpose measure word
量词 "个"
Number + 个 + Noun
个 is the most common measure word in Chinese, used before nouns that don't have their own specific measure word — like 杯子 (cup).
我想买一个杯子。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge bēizi.
I want to buy a cup.
④ Expressing amounts of money
钱数的表达
Number + 块 (kuài) = Number + 元 (yuán)
The basic unit of Chinese currency is 元 (yuán), but in everyday speech people almost always say 块 (kuài) instead — the two are interchangeable.
那个杯子十八块钱。
Nàge bēizi shíbā kuài qián.
That cup is 18 yuan.
⭐ Key Sentences
Practice saying these sentences out loud. Try covering the English and translating from Chinese yourself.
我想喝茶。
Wǒ xiǎng hē chá.
I'd like some tea.
我想买一个杯子。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge bēizi.
I want to buy a cup.
这个杯子多少钱？
Zhège bēizi duōshao qián?
How much is this cup?
那个杯子十八块钱。
Nàge bēizi shíbā kuài qián.
That cup is 18 yuan.
✅ Quick Check
Answer in your head, then check with your teacher.
1. What does B want to drink and eat (dialogue 1)?
2. What does B want to buy at the store?
3. How much is the first cup A asks about?
4. Which spoken word is used instead of 元 for money?
你想喝什么？你想买什么？Order something in Chinese next time! 🧋
