HSK 1 · Story · 169 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-does-suibian-mean

我要随便

What does 随便 mean

Name: ________________ Date: ________

什么shénme是shì“随便suíbiàn”?“随便suíbiàn”是shì:什么shénme都dōu可以kéyǐ。真的zhēnde吗ma?

晚上wǎnshang六liù点diǎn,老朱问wèn女朋友nǚpéngyou:“我们wǒmen今天jīntiān吃chī什么shénme?”

女朋友nǚpéngyou说shuō:“随便suíbiàn。”

“吃chī饺子jiǎozi吧ba?”

“饺子jiǎozi?我wǒ昨天zuótiān吃chī了le。”

“那nà吃chī包子bāozi?”

“包子bāozi太tài大dà了le。”

“米饭mǐfàn和hé菜cài呢ne?”

“我wǒ不想bùxiǎng吃chī米饭mǐfàn。”

“那nà你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什么shénme?”

“随便suíbiàn。”

老朱lǎozhū想xiǎng了le想xiǎng,说shuō:“好hǎo,我们wǒmen去qù外边wàibian吃chī。”

他们tāmen去qù了le一yì家jiā小店xiǎodiàn。这zhè家jiā店diàn的de菜cài很hěn多duō,有yǒu一yí个gè菜cài,名字míngzi叫jiào“随便suíbiàn”,三十八sānshíbā块kuài。

女朋友nǚpéngyou很hěn高兴gāoxìng:“我wǒ要yào这个zhège!我wǒ要yào随便suíbiàn!”

十shí分钟fēnzhōng后hòu,“随便suíbiàn”来lái了le。

是shì饺子jiǎozi。

女朋友nǚpéngyou看看kànkan饺子jiǎozi,看看kànkan他tā:“我wǒ昨天zuótiān吃chī了le饺子jiǎozi……”

老朱lǎozhū说shuō:“你nǐ说shuō的de,随便suíbiàn。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
什么shénmewhat; anything
晚上wǎnshangevening; night
六liùsix
点diǎnto point out; to bring up
问wènto ask
女朋友nǚpéngyougirlfriend
今天jīntiāntoday
吃chīto eat
说shuōto speak; to say
饺子jiǎozidumpling (boiled, crescent-shaped)
昨天zuótiānyesterday
包子bāozisteamed bun (with filling)

English (for the teacher)

What is “suibian”? “Suibian” means: anything is fine. Really?

At six in the evening, Lao Zhu asks his girlfriend, “What shall we eat today?”

His girlfriend says, “Suibian, whatever.”

“Dumplings?”

“Dumplings? I had them yesterday.”

“Steamed buns, then?”

“Buns are too big.”

“Rice and some dishes?”

“I don't want rice.”

“So what do you want to eat?”

“Whatever.”

Lao Zhu thinks for a moment and says, “OK, let's eat out.”

They go to a little restaurant. It has lots of dishes, and one of them is called “Suibian”: thirty-eight yuan.

His girlfriend is delighted: “I want that one! I want the Whatever!”

Ten minutes later, the “Whatever” arrives.

It's dumplings.

His girlfriend looks at the dumplings, then at him: “I had dumplings yesterday…”

Lao Zhu says, “You said it: whatever.”