HSK 3 · Story · 155 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-ask-how-much-in-chinese

多少钱？

How much is it?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

珍妮zhēnnī在zài北京běijīng学习xuéxí汉语hànyǔ，她tā最zuì怕pà两liǎng个gè数字shùzì：四sì和hé十shí。今天jīntiān，她tā一yí个gè人rén去qù买mǎi水果shuíguǒ。

“苹果píngguǒ多少duōshao钱qián？”她tā问wèn。

“一个yígè四sì块kuài。”

“十shí块kuài？太tài贵guì了le！”

老板láobǎn笑xiào了le：“不是búshì十shí，是shì四sì！”他tā在zài本子běnzi上shàng写xiě了le一个yígè大大dàdà的de“四sì”。

珍妮zhēnnī看kàn了le看kàn：“哦ò，四sì块kuài！我wǒ要yào四sì个gè。”

老板láobǎn马上mǎshàng拿ná了le十shí个gè。

“不是búshì十shí个gè，是shì四sì个gè！”珍妮zhēnnī也yě在zài本子běnzi上shàng写xiě了le一个yígè“四sì”。

两liǎng个gè人rén都dōu笑xiào了le。

老板láobǎn在zài她tā的de包bāo里放fàng了le五wǔ个gè：“四sì个gè是shì你nǐ买mǎi的de，一个yígè是shì我wǒ送sòng你nǐ的de。一共yígòng十六shíliù块kuài。”

珍妮zhēnnī马上mǎshàng拿起náqǐ本子běnzi：“十六shíliù？请qǐng写xiě一下yíxià！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
拿	ná	to take; to hold; to carry
本子	běnzi	book; edition
包	bāo	bag; sack
送	sòng	to give (as a present)
怕	pà	to fear; to be afraid of
放	fàng	to put; to place
一共	yígòng	altogether; in total
数字	shùzì	number; digit; figure
大大	dàdà	respectful address for a popular creator or leader
老板	láobǎn	boss; owner (of a shop or business)

Jenny is learning Chinese in Beijing, and the two numbers she dreads most are four and ten. Today, she went to buy fruit on her own.

“How much are the apples?” she asked.

“Four yuan each.”

“Ten yuan? That’s too expensive!”

The stallholder laughed. “Not ten, four!” He wrote a big “四”, four, in his notebook.

Jenny took a look. “Oh, four yuan! I’ll have four.”

Straight away, the stallholder picked up ten.

“Not ten, four!” Jenny wrote a “四” in the notebook too.

They both laughed.

The stallholder put five in her bag. “Four you paid for, and one’s a present from me. That’s sixteen yuan altogether.”

Jenny grabbed the notebook at once. “Sixteen? Please write it down!”