要红的还是要蓝的

Yào hóng de háishi yào lán de

Do you want the red one or the blue one?

Pattern 1

Mǎi liǎng zhī yuánzhūbǐ. ➔ Yào hóng de háishi yào lán de? ➔ Yí yàng yì zhī.

Meaning:I want two ballpoint pens. ➔ Do you want red ones or blue ones? ➔ One of each color.

The choice question 'A 还是 B？' and saying equal amounts with '一样 + measure word'.

Pattern 2

Hái yào biéde ma? ➔ Bú yào le.

Meaning:Do you need anything else? ➔ Nothing else, thank you.

Asking what someone wants to buy and politely declining with the change-of-state particle '了'.

Pattern 3

Qǐngwèn, nǎr mài píjiǔ? ➔ Nàr mài.

Meaning:Excuse me, where do they sell beer? ➔ They sell it over there.

Asking where a particular item is sold in a supermarket or market.

Pattern 4

Yào sì píng píjiǔ, zài yào liǎng tīng Kěkǒukělè.

Meaning:I'd like four bottles of beer, and also two cans of Coca-Cola.

Use '再要...' to order more, with the measure words 瓶 (bottle) and 听 (can).

Pattern 5

Yígòng shíjiǔ kuài sì. ➔ Gěi nǐ wǔshí kuài. ➔ Zhǎo nín sānshí kuài líng liù máo, qǐng shǔ yíxiàr.

Meaning:Total is 19.40 yuan. ➔ Here is 50 yuan. ➔ Here's 30.60 yuan change, please count it.

How paying works: handing over money with '给你...' and giving change with '找您...'.

Pattern 6

Júzi duōshao qián yì jīn? ➔ Dà de sān kuài qián yì jīn, xiǎo de shí kuài qián sì jīn.

Meaning:How much are the oranges per jin? ➔ Big ones are 3 yuan a jin, small ones are 10 yuan for 4 jin.

The shortened noun phrase 'adjective + 的' (大的, 小的) and the weight unit 斤 (1 斤 = 500 g).

Pattern 7

Tián bu tián? ➔ Nín cháng yíxiàr, bù tián bú yào qián.

Meaning:Is it sweet? ➔ Have a taste! If it's not sweet, no charge!

A folksy Chinese seller's saying: '不甜不要钱' (if it's not sweet, it's free).

Pattern 8

Xīhóngshì zěnme mài? ➔ Yì jīn yí kuài wǔ. Xīnxiān jí le.

Meaning:How are the tomatoes sold? ➔ 1.50 yuan a jin. Extremely fresh.

The common way to ask the price at a market: '[item] 怎么卖？'.