HSK 2 · Story · 237 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-buy-medicine-in-chinese-pharmacy-story

一天吃一次

Buying medicine in Chinese: a night at the pharmacy

Name: ________________ Date: ________

晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn,我wǒ走进zǒujìn了le学校xuéxiào旁边pángbiān的de一yì家jiā药店yàodiàn。

一yí位wèi穿chuān白bái衣服yīfu的de阿姨āyí问wèn我wǒ:“你好níhǎo,哪儿nǎr不bù舒服shūfu?”

“我wǒ头tóu很hěn疼téng,也yě不想bùxiǎng吃饭chīfàn。”

“发烧fāshāo吗ma?”

“不bù发烧fāshāo。”

“吃chī过guò什么shénme药yào吗ma?”

“没有méiyǒu。我wǒ不bù知道zhīdào应该yīnggāi吃chī什么shénme药yào,所以suóyǐ来lái问wèn您nín。”

“晚上wǎnshang睡得好shuìdehǎo吗ma?”

“不好bùhǎo,昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang我wǒ只zhǐ睡shuì了le三sān个gè小时xiǎoshí。”

阿姨āyí看kàn了le看kàn我wǒ,问wèn:“你nǐ是shì学生xuéshēng吧ba?明天míngtiān有yǒu考试kǎoshì吗ma?”

“您nín怎么zěnme知道zhīdào?明天míngtiān上午shàngwǔ有yǒu汉语hànyǔ考试kǎoshì!”

阿姨āyí笑xiào了le。她tā拿出náchū一yí块kuài糖táng,放fàng在zài我wǒ手shǒu上shàng:“这个zhège药yào一yì天tiān吃chī一次yícì,一次yícì吃chī一块yíkuài。”

“这zhè是shì什么shénme药yào?多少duōshao钱qián?”

“不bú要yào钱qián。你nǐ没有méiyǒu病bìng,你nǐ就是jiùshì太tài紧张jǐnzhāng了le。回家huíjiā喝hē杯bēi热水rèshuǐ,早zǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr睡觉shuìjiào吧ba。”

第二天dì’èrtiān,我wǒ考kǎo得de很hěn好hǎo。考kǎo完wán试shì,我wǒ又yòu去qù了le那nà家jiā药店yàodiàn。

阿姨āyí问wèn:“今天jīntiān哪儿nǎr不bù舒服shūfu?”

“我wǒ今天jīntiān很hěn好hǎo!我wǒ是shì来lái买mǎi药yào的de。”

那天nàtiān,我wǒ买mǎi了le一yí大dà包bāo糖táng。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
晚上wǎnshangevening; night
九jiǔnine
点diǎnto point out; to bring up
学校xuéxiàoschool
家jiāhome; family
穿chuānto wear; to put on
衣服yīfuclothes; clothing
问wènto ask
你好níhǎohello; hi
吃chīto eat
什么shénmewhat; anything
没有méiyǒunot have; there is not

English (for the teacher)

At nine in the evening I walked into the pharmacy next to my school.

A woman in a white coat asked me, “Hello, what seems to be the problem?”

“My head really hurts, and I don't feel like eating.”

“Any fever?”

“No fever.”

“Have you taken anything?”

“No. I don't know what I should take, so I came to ask you.”

“Are you sleeping well?”

“No. Last night I only slept three hours.”

She looked at me and asked, “You're a student, aren't you? Do you have an exam tomorrow?”

“How did you know? I've got a Chinese exam tomorrow morning!”

She smiled. She took out a sweet and put it in my hand. “Take this once a day, one at a time.”

“What medicine is it? How much is it?”

“It's free. You're not ill, you're just too nervous. Go home, have a cup of hot water and get to bed a bit earlier.”

The next day my exam went well. After the exam I went back to the same pharmacy.

She asked, “So what's wrong today?”

“I'm fine today! I've come to buy medicine.”

That day I bought a big bag of sweets.