HSK 3 · Story · 196 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-order-tea-in-chinese

我要一杯茶

How to order tea in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ第一次dìyīcì来lái中国zhōngguó。下午xiàwǔ很hěn热rè，我wǒ很hěn渴kě。

路口lùkǒu有yǒu一个yígè小xiǎo茶馆cháguǎn，我wǒ走zǒu了le进去jìnqu。

“你好níhǎo，我wǒ要yào茶chá。”

一个yígè阿姨āyí笑xiào了le：“好hǎo。你nǐ要yào什么shénme茶chá？”

“茶chá。我wǒ要yào茶chá。”

“我们wǒmen有yǒu红茶hóngchá、绿茶lǜchá、白茶báichá，还有háiyǒu花茶huāchá。你nǐ要yào哪个nǎge？”

我wǒ不bù知道zhīdào。在zài我wǒ的de国家guójiā，茶chá就是jiùshì茶chá。

“你nǐ要yào热茶rèchá吗ma？我们wǒmen也yě有yǒu冷lěng茶chá。”

“热rè的de也yě行xíng，冷lěng的de也yě行xíng。”

她tā笑xiào了le。她tā拿出náchū四sì个gè小xiǎo杯子bēizi，说shuō：“你nǐ都dōu试试shìshi吧ba。”

红茶hóngchá好喝hǎohē。绿茶lǜchá也yě好喝hǎohē。白茶báichá也yě好喝hǎohē。花茶huāchá，真zhēn好喝hǎohē！

“你nǐ要yào哪个nǎge？”她tā问wèn。

我wǒ看kàn了le看kàn四sì个gè杯子bēizi，说shuō：“我wǒ不bù渴kě了le。”

“没关系méiguānxi，”她tā说shuō，“明天míngtiān再zài来lái吧ba！”

第二天dì’èrtiān，我wǒ又yòu去qù了le。

“你好níhǎo，我wǒ要yào一yì杯bēi热rè的de花茶huāchá。”

她tā说shuō：“好hǎo！今天jīntiān不用búyòng试shì了le吧ba？”

我wǒ说shuō：“试shì一下yíxià也yě行xíng。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
走	zǒu	to go; to leave
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
红茶	hóngchá	black tea
绿茶	lǜchá	green tea
渴	kě	thirsty
路口	lùkǒu	intersection; crossing
阿姨	āyí	aunt (term of address for a woman of one's mother's generation)
国家	guójiā	country; nation; state
行	xíng	to walk; to go
不用	búyòng	need not; don't have to
试	shì	to try; to test

It’s my first time in China. The afternoon is hot, and I’m very thirsty.

There’s a little tea house on the corner, so I walk in.

“Hello, I’d like tea.”

A woman smiles: “Sure. What tea would you like?”

“Tea. I’d like tea.”

“We have black tea, green tea, white tea, and flower tea too. Which one would you like?”

I don’t know. In my country, tea is just tea.

“Would you like hot tea? We have cold tea too.”

“Hot or cold, either’s fine.”

She laughs. She brings out four little cups and says, “Try them all.”

The black tea is good. The green tea is good too. The white tea is good too. And the flower tea? Really good!

“Which one would you like?” she asks.

I look at the four cups and say, “I’m not thirsty any more.”

“Never mind,” she says, “come back tomorrow!”

The next day, I go back.

“Hello, I’d like a cup of hot flower tea.”

She says, “Great! No need to try them today, then?”

I say, “I wouldn’t say no to a taste.”