SCENE 06 AT A FRESH MARKET

At a market

Understand 斤, ask the price, choose the right amount, and bargain politely when appropriate.

MARKET TIPConfirm the unit before the seller weighs it.

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🍎🥬🍊

¥/斤500g

今日价格¥8 / 斤

BEFORE YOU START · FRESH MARKETS

Ask the unit before you agree to buy

At a fresh or traditional market, you may need to ask the price, confirm the unit, choose an amount, and sometimes bargain politely.

Ask before taking the item

Point to the product and ask the price before the seller weighs or packs it. Check whether the price is for one item, one bag, or a stated weight.

Confirm the unit

Market prices may be shown per item, bag, box, or 斤. In mainland China, one 斤 is 500 grams. Point to the product and repeat the quantity before the seller weighs or packs it.

Bargain only where appropriate

Some open-market stalls may negotiate, while clearly marked fixed-price stalls may not. Make one reasonable offer, stay friendly, and walk away politely if you do not agree.

COMMON PROBLEMS

What catches visitors out

Price per 斤, not per kilogram

A sign that looks inexpensive may be quoting 500 grams. Ask what unit the displayed price uses before buying.

The price changes by quality

Different baskets of similar fruit or vegetables may have different grades and prices. Point to the exact item you want.

The seller starts weighing immediately

Confirm the amount first. If you do not want it, say 不要了，谢谢 before the item is packed.

NEXTLearn only the Chinese you may need to say.

Start the lesson ↓

YOUR ROUTE

From choosing to paying

🥬01Ask the pricePer item or per 斤 ⚖️02Choose an amountWeight & freshness 💬03Bargain politelyMake one offer

STEP 01 · CHOOSE PRODUCE

Build the amount you want to buy

YOUR PHRASE我要一斤苹果。Wǒ yào yì jīn píngguǒ.I’d like one jin of apples.

STEP 02 · PRICE & UNIT

Ask before the seller weighs it

ASK THE PRICE这个多少钱？Zhège duōshao qián?How much is this?

CONFIRM THE UNIT多少钱一斤？Duōshao qián yì jīn?How much is it per jin (500 g)?

TOO EXPENSIVE太贵了。Tài guì le.That’s too expensive.

CHECK FRESHNESS这个新鲜吗？Zhège xīnxiān ma?Is this fresh?

1 斤 = 500 g

A market price marked “¥8 / 斤” means ¥8 per 500 grams—not per kilogram.

CHOOSE A QUANTITY

我要一斤。Wǒ yào yì jīn.One jin

STEP 03 · BARGAIN POLITELY

Enter the real price and your offer

Use this only at a negotiable stall—not at a clearly marked fixed-price stall.

SELLER ASKS · ¥→YOUR OFFER · ¥

YOUR BARGAINING SENTENCE太贵了，便宜点儿，五十块可以吗？Tài guì le, piányi diǎnr, wǔ shí kuài kěyǐ ma?That’s too expensive. A little cheaper—would ¥50 be okay?

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE不要了，谢谢。Bú yào le, xièxie.No, thank you.

REAL SCENE · LISTEN & SPEAK

Buying produce at a market

At a negotiable Chinese produce stall: ask the price per jin, make one polite offer, then confirm the amount.

A foreign customer bargaining with a standing seller at a Chinese produce market stall — **TRAVELER**You · CustomerSTAFFMarket seller

Set up speaking practice

Allow microphone access once. Your voice is used by the browser to recognize the sentence.

1·2·3

Listen → Practice → Check: hear the model, speak the sentence, then use the recognized words and match score to improve.

You · Customer多少钱一斤？Duōshao qián yì jīn?

How much is it per jin?

Market seller八十块。bā shí kuài.

¥80.

You · Customer太贵了，便宜点儿，五十块可以吗？Tài guì le, piányi diǎnr, wǔ shí kuài kěyǐ ma?

That’s too expensive. A little cheaper—would ¥50 be okay?

Market seller可以。Kěyǐ.

Okay.

You · Customer我要一斤苹果。Wǒ yào yì jīn píngguǒ.

I’d like one jin of apples.

¥
会买

SCENE COMPLETE

You can shop without getting stuck.

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