“买东西(mǎi dōngxi)”and “卖东西(mài dōngxi)”

In our daily life, we will frequently go the store to buy things. In the process of “买东西(mǎi dōnɡxi) purchasing things” we need will need to communicate with the people who are “卖东西(mài dōngxi) selling things.” We will need to ask the price, bargain, express our particular requirements and needs etc. Have you ever been shopping in China? Do you know how to communicate with shopkeepers in Chinese? Let’s learn the most commonly used expressions when purchasing things in China.

1. Asking price

When you go shopping and you want to ask the price of an item, you can use the sentence structure below:The sentence structure is:

Things+怎么(zěnme)+卖(mài)?

Examples

Gùkè: Qǐngwèn, jīdàn zěnme mài?
顾客：  请问，    鸡蛋   怎么   卖？
Customer: Excuse me, how much are the eggs?

Lǎobǎn: Qī kuài qián yìjīn
老板：   七   块    钱   一斤。
Shopkeeper: Seven yuan half a kilogram.

Wáng Lì: Zhè tiáo qúnzi zěnme mài?
王 丽：     这   条    裙子  怎么   卖？
Wang Li: How much is the dress?

Salesgirl: Liùbǎi yuán.
Salesgirl：六百    元。
Salesgirl: Six hundred yuan.

2. Making decision

If you think the price is reasonable, then you can tell your decision to the shopkeeper. Chinese people usually use the following expression:

Sentence structure: Subject+买(mǎi)+Object

Lucy: Zhège qiánbāo zhēn piàoliang! Zěnme mài?
Lucy：这个     钱包       真     漂亮！       怎么 卖？
Lucy: This wallet is so beautiful, how much is it?

Lǎobǎn: Bāshí kuài qián yígè, yìbǎi wǔshí kuài qián liǎng’gè.
老板：     八十   块    钱   一个，一百 五十   块    钱    两个。
Shopkeeper: Eighty yuan each and One hundred and fifty yuan for two.

Lucy: Hǎode, nà wǒ mǎi liǎng’gè.
Lucy: 好的，  那  我  买     两个。
Lucy: OK, I will buy two.

Zhào Wěi: Wǒ mǎi yìbāo xiāngyān.
赵 伟：      我    买   一包     香烟。
Zhao Wei: I want to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Salesgirl: Hǎode, qǐng shāoděng.
Salesgirl：好的，  请      稍等。
Salesgirl: OK, please wait a moment.

In our test, the customer wants to know the price of the apples and wants to by one kilogram. So the answer is B.