HSK 3 · Article · 362 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-pay-with-your-phone-in-china

只带了现金怎么办?

How to pay with your phone in China

Name: ________________ Date: ________

杰克jiékè第一次dìyīcì来lái中国zhōngguó。他tā走进zǒujìn路口lùkǒu的de一个yígè水果店shuíguǒdiàn,拿ná了le一个yígè大dà西瓜xīguā,问wèn老板láobǎn:“多少duōshao钱qián?”

“十二shí’èr块kuài。”

杰克jiékè拿出náchū一百yìbǎi块kuài钱qián。老板láobǎn笑xiào了le:“一百yìbǎi?太tài大dà了le,我wǒ这儿zhèr不好bùhǎo找钱zhǎoqián。你nǐ用yòng手机shǒujī吧ba。”桌子zhuōzi上shàng有yǒu一yì张zhāng小xiǎo纸zhǐ,纸zhǐ上shàng有yǒu一yí个gè二维码èrwéimǎ。

在zài中国zhōngguó,很hěn多duō人rén出门chūmén不bú带dài钱包qiánbāo,只zhǐ带dài手机shǒujī。买mǎi水果shuíguǒ、坐zuò地铁dìtiě、吃饭chīfàn,都dōu用yòng手机shǒujī付钱fùqián。大家dàjiā用yòng得de最zuì多duō的de是shì两liǎng个gèApp:微信wēixìn和hé支付宝zhīfùbǎo。

用yòng手机shǒujī买东西mǎidōngxi,一般yìbān有yǒu两liǎng种zhǒng方法fāngfǎ。第一dìyī,你nǐ打开dǎkāiApp,扫sǎo一下yíxià店diàn里的de二维码èrwéimǎ,写xiě上shàng多少duōshao钱qián,再zài给gěi店diàn里的de人rén看kàn。第二dì’èr,你nǐ在zàiApp里li打开dǎkāi自己zìjǐ的de码mǎ,让ràng店diàn里的de人rén来lái扫sǎo。钱qián到dào了le,老板láobǎn的de手机shǒujī会huì说shuō:“支付宝zhīfùbǎo到账dàozhàng十二shí’èr元yuán。”

外国人wàiguórén也yě能néng用yòng吗ma?能néng。现在xiànzài,外国人wàiguórén也yě可以kéyǐ在zài这zhè两liǎng个gèApp里li用yòng自己zìjǐ的de银行卡yínhángkǎ。

那nà现金xiànjīn呢?也yě能néng用yòng。在zài中国zhōngguó,商店shāngdiàn一定yídìng要yào收shōu现金xiànjīn,这zhè是shì国家guójiā的de规定guīdìng。可是kěshì一百yìbǎi块kuài太tài大dà了le,很hěn多duō小店xiǎodiàn真的zhēnde不bù好hǎo找钱zhǎoqián。所以suóyǐ,最好zuìhǎo手机shǒujī和hé钱qián都dōu带dài一点儿yìdiǎnr。

杰克jiékè的de手机shǒujī里没有méiyǒuApp。他tā站zhàn在zài那儿nàr,不bù知道zhīdào怎么办zěnmebàn。这时候zhèshíhou,旁边pángbiān的de一个yígè老爷爷lǎoyéye拿出náchū手机shǒujī,帮bāng他tā付fù了le钱qián。

杰克jiékè想xiǎng给gěi他tā钱qián,可是kěshì他tā身上shēnshang的de钱qián都dōu是shì一百yìbǎi的de。

老爷爷lǎoyéye笑xiào了le:“我wǒ也yě不好bùhǎo找钱zhǎoqián。下次xiàcì你nǐ请qǐng我wǒ吃chī西瓜xīguā吧ba!”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
拿náto take; to hold; to carry
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
出门chūménto go out
地铁dìtiěsubway; metro
打开dǎkāito open
站zhànstation; stop
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
帮bāngto help; to assist
路口lùkǒuintersection; crossing
西瓜xīguāwatermelon
用yòngto use; use; usefulness
张zhāngsurname Zhang

English (for the teacher)

It’s Jack’s first time in China. He walks into a fruit shop at the crossroads, picks up a big watermelon and asks the owner, “How much?”

“Twelve yuan.”

Jack takes out a hundred-yuan note. The owner laughs: “A hundred? That’s too big, I can’t give change for that. Pay with your phone.” On the table there’s a small card with a QR code on it.

In China, lots of people go out without a wallet, just a phone. Fruit, the subway, a meal: they pay for it all by phone. The two apps people use most are WeChat and Alipay.

There are usually two ways to pay with your phone. One: open the app, scan the shop’s QR code, type in the amount and show it to the person in the shop. Two: open your own code in the app and let the shop scan it. When the money arrives, the owner’s phone says out loud: “Alipay: twelve yuan received.”

Can foreigners use them too? Yes. These days foreigners can use their own bank cards in both apps.

And cash? That works too. In China, shops have to accept cash; it’s a national rule. But a hundred is a big note, and a lot of small shops really can’t give change for it. So it’s best to carry your phone and a little money too.

Jack doesn’t have the apps on his phone. He stands there, not knowing what to do. Just then an old man beside him takes out his phone and pays for him.

Jack wants to give him the money, but all he has are hundreds.

The old man laughs: “I can’t change a hundred either. Next time, you buy me a watermelon!”