Lesson Five

How much is this

How many lessons have we learned so far?

Let us count together: 一yī one, 二èr two, 三sān three, 四sì four.

We have learned four lessons, which consist of the following topics.

· Greeting

· Telling people about your family members

We have also learned the question words: 什么 shénme what, 谁shéi who, 几 jǐ how many. During the class exercises of the last four lessons we have learned how to say哪儿 nǎr where, 哪 nǎ which and expressions such as: 对不起 duìbuqǐ sorry and 不知道 bù zhīdào don’t know.

Basic expressions

We will learn some useful words and expressions used for shopping in China in this lesson. It is certainly desirable to learn how to bargain in a market in China.

1.	zhè ge	这个
	this one	this GE

2.	nà ge	那个
	that one	that GE

3.	duōshǎo qián	多少钱
	how much	how much (money)

It isn’t impolite in China if one says “I want …” and the word 要 want can be useful in making requests in China. Lets look at the following expressions.

4.	wǒ yào zhè ge	我要这个。
	I would like to have this one.	I want this GE

5.	wǒ bú yào nà ge	我不要那个。
	I wouldn’t like to have that one.	I not want that GE

Conversation

Let’s learn the following dialogue:

a. 这个多少钱？

zhè ge duōshǎo qián

this GE how much money

How much does this cost? (How much is this?)

b. 这个八块钱。

zhè ge bā kuài qián

this GE 8 KUAI money

This costs eight dollars. (This is eight dollars.)

a. 那个多少钱？

nà ge duōshǎo qián

that GE how much money

How much does that cost? (How much is that?)

b. 那个九块钱。

nà ge jiǔ kuài qián

that GE 9 KUAI money

That costs nine dollars.

Here are the new words used in this dialogue.

这 zhè this

那 nà that

钱 qián money

块 kuài kuai [a measure word for Chinese dollar]

八 bā eight

九 jiǔ nine

Read the following dialogue after me:

a. 请问，这个多少钱？

qǐng wèn, zhè ge duōshǎo qián

please ask, this GE how much money

Excuse me, how much is this?

b. 这个八块钱。

zhè ge bā kuài qián

this GE 8 KUAI dollar

This is eight dollars.

a. 那个多少钱？

nà ge duōshǎo qián

that GE how much money

How much is that?

b. 那个九块钱。

nà ge jiǔ kuài qián

that GE 9 KUAI dollar

That’s nine dollars.

b. 你要哪个？

nǐ yào nǎ ge

you want which GE

Which one would you like to have?

a. 我要这个。

wǒ yào zhè ge

I want this GE.

This one, please.

b. 那个呢？

nà ge ne

that GE how about

What about that one?

a. 对不起，我不要。

duìbuqǐ, wǒ bú yào

sorry I not want

No, thanks.

Notes on expressions

Please note the following points.

There are no verbs in the above sentence. For instance

这个八块钱。

zhè ge bā kuài qián

this GE 8 KUAI dollars.

It is quite common to omit the verb element when a number refers to a topic, as in

那个多少钱？

nà ge duōshǎo qián

that GE how much money

那个九块钱。

nà ge jiǔ kuài qián

that GE 9 KUAI dollars

There are two ways to pronounce 这zhè this, and there are two ways to pronounce 那nà that.

不 not first appeared in不知道 bùzhīdào don’t know in Lesson 4. The negation不bù not is placed before verbs, adjectives and adverbs as in 不好bùhǎo no good; 不是búshì it is not; 不要 búyào don’t want. However, 不bù(bú) not cannot be placed before 有yǒu have. The negative form for 有yǒu have is 没有méiyǒu don’t have, as in

他没有哥哥

tā méiyou gēge

he not have elder brother

He does not have (an) elder brother.

The tone for 不 bù not is changeable. When it is followed by a third tone or a first tone, it changes into the fourth tone as in 对不起 duìbuqǐ sorry, 不知道bù zhīdào don’t know. When it is followed by a fourth tone, it changes into the second tone as in 不要 bú yào don’t want.

那个呢? Nà ge ne that GE NE how about that one? /what about that one? The question particle NE 呢ne how about can be placed after a pronoun or a noun to form a tag question.

Tape version

Part one: new words

1.	this
2.	that
3	How much or how many [the expected number is more than 10]
4.	money
5.	Chinese buck
6.	eight
7.	nine
8.	want
9.	not
10.	[question particle]

Part two: expressions

A	this GE how much money	How much is this?
B	this GE eight bucks	This costs eight bucks.
C	that GE how much money	How much is that?
D	that GE nine bucks	That one costs nine bucks.
E	I want this GE	I want this.
F	I not want that GE	I don’t want that.

Part three: conversation

a.	please ask, this GE how much money	Excuse me, how much is this?
b.	this GE eight bucks	This costs eight bucks.
a.	that GE how much money	How much is that?
b.	that GE nine bucks	That one costs nine bucks.
b.	you want which GE	Which one do you want?
a.	I want this GE	I want this.
b.	that GE question particle	How about that one?
a.	sorry, I not want	Sorry. I don’t want it.