HSK 4 · Lesson 13打八折 Twenty per cent off

Shopping: prices, discounts, payment, delivery. Comparison with A不如B “A isn’t as good as B”, 跟…相比 “compared with”, 一个比一个 “each one more…”, fractions, percentages and 倍 “times”.

Speed:Male voice:

Dialogues

In the shop

A
请问，这件毛衣打折吗？
Qǐngwèn, zhè jiàn máoyī dǎzhé ma?
Excuse me, is this sweater on sale?
B
打八折。原来的价格是五百，现在四百。
Dǎ bā zhé. Yuánlái de jiàgé shì wǔbǎi, xiànzài sìbǎi.
Twenty per cent off. It was five hundred, now it’s four hundred.
A
质量怎么样？跟那个牌子的相比呢？
Zhìliàng zěnmeyàng? Gēn nàge páizi de xiāngbǐ ne?
What about the quality? Compared with that brand?
B
那个牌子的不如这个好，价钱却高一倍。
Nàge páizi de bùrú zhège hǎo, jiàqián què gāo yí bèi.
That brand isn’t as good as this one, yet it costs twice as much.
A
好，我买了。可以扫码支付吗？我没带现金。
Hǎo, wǒ mǎi le. Kěyǐ sǎomǎ zhīfù ma? Wǒ méi dài xiànjīn.
OK, I’ll take it. Can I pay by scanning the code? I haven’t got cash.
B
可以。另外，买两件以上可以免费送货上门。
Kěyǐ. Lìngwài, mǎi liǎng jiàn yǐshàng kěyǐ miǎnfèi sòng huò shàngmén.
Yes. Also, if you buy two or more items, we deliver to your door free.
A
不用了，谢谢。
Búyòng le, xièxie.
No need, thanks.

Online or at the market?

A
你常常网购吗？
Nǐ chángcháng wǎnggòu ma?
Do you often shop online?
B
常常。网上的商品一个比一个便宜，还不用排队。
Chángcháng. Wǎngshang de shāngpǐn yí ge bǐ yí ge piányi, hái búyòng páiduì.
Often. Online, everything is cheaper than the next thing, and there are no queues.
A
可是有时候东西的质量不如商店里的。
Kěshì yǒushíhou dōngxi de zhìliàng bùrú shāngdiàn li de.
But sometimes the quality isn’t as good as in shops.
B
你说得对。你呢？
Nǐ shuō de duì. Nǐ ne?
That’s true. What about you?
A
我喜欢去市场，菜又新鲜又便宜。上个月西红柿降价了，现在的价钱只有原来的三分之二。
Wǒ xǐhuan qù shìchǎng, cài yòu xīnxiān yòu piányi. Shàng ge yuè xīhóngshì jiàngjià le, xiànzài de jiàqián zhǐ yǒu yuánlái de sān fēn zhī èr.
I like going to the market — the vegetables are fresh and cheap. Last month tomatoes went down; now they cost only two thirds of what they did.
B
下次我跟你一起去，顺便看看水果。
Xià cì wǒ gēn nǐ yìqǐ qù, shùnbiàn kànkan shuǐguǒ.
Next time I’ll come with you and look at the fruit while I’m there.

New words

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. A 不如 B “A isn’t as good as B”

A + 不如 + B (+ adj.)

不如 means “isn’t as good as, falls short of”: 那个牌子的不如这个好 “that brand isn’t as good as this one”. Without an adjective it simply means “worse”: 我的汉语不如他 “my Chinese isn’t as good as his”. The adjective after 不如 is usually a positive one: 不如这个好, 不如他高 (not “不如他矮”).

网上的东西不如商店里的好。
Wǎngshang de dōngxi bùrú shāngdiàn li de hǎo.
Things online aren’t as good as in shops.
我的汉语不如他。
Wǒ de Hànyǔ bùrú tā.
My Chinese isn’t as good as his.

2. 跟…相比 “compared with”

跟 (or 和) + something + 相比 introduces a comparison: 跟去年相比，今年的价格高了很多 “compared with last year, prices are much higher”. As a question: 跟那个牌子的相比呢？ “and compared with that brand?”.

跟去年相比，今年的价格高了很多。
Gēn qùnián xiāngbǐ, jīnnián de jiàgé gāole hěn duō.
Compared with last year, prices are much higher this year.

3. 一个比一个 “each one more … than the last”

一 + measure + 比 + 一 + measure + adj.

Each one in turn is more so: 商品一个比一个便宜 “each product is cheaper than the last”, 一天比一天冷 “colder day by day”, 一次比一次好 “better every time”.

天气一天比一天冷了。
Tiānqì yì tiān bǐ yì tiān lěng le.
It’s getting colder day by day.
他的成绩一次比一次好。
Tā de chéngjì yí cì bǐ yí cì hǎo.
His results get better every time.

4. Fractions, percentages, “times” and discounts

Fractions put the denominator first: 三分之二 “two thirds” (two of three parts). Per cent: 百分之二十 “20%”. Decimals: 二点五 “2.5”. 倍 means “times”: 贵一倍 “twice as expensive”, 是…的三倍 “three times as much”. Careful with discounts: 打八折 means you pay 80%, i.e. 20% off; 打五折 is half price.

现在的价钱只有原来的三分之二。
Xiànzài de jiàqián zhǐ yǒu yuánlái de sān fēn zhī èr.
The price now is only two thirds of what it was.
这个月的收入比上个月高百分之二十。
Zhège yuè de shōurù bǐ shàng ge yuè gāo bǎi fēn zhī èrshí.
This month’s income is 20% higher than last month’s.
那个牌子的价钱高一倍。
Nàge páizi de jiàqián gāo yí bèi.
That brand costs twice as much.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

  1. Answer
    这件衣服打五折。 Zhè jiàn yīfu dǎ wǔ zhé. — These clothes are half price.

  2. Answer
    这个停车场收费吗？ Zhège tíngchēchǎng shōufèi ma? — Is this car park paid?

  3. Answer
    网购有好处，也有坏处。 Wǎnggòu yǒu hǎochù, yě yǒu huàichù. — Shopping online has advantages and disadvantages.

  4. Answer
    这本书很值得买。 Zhè běn shū hěn zhídé mǎi. — This book is well worth buying.

2. Choose the correct option

  1. An item cost 100 yuan, 打八折. How much do you pay?

    Answer
    80 yuan
  2. “My Chinese isn’t as good as his”

    Answer
    我的汉语不如他。
  3. “Two thirds”

    Answer
    三分之二
  4. “Warmer day by day”

    Answer
    一天比一天暖和

3. Build the sentence

  1. This sweater is twenty per cent off.

    Answer
    这件毛衣打八折。 Zhè jiàn máoyī dǎ bā zhé.
  2. Can I pay by scanning the code?

    Answer
    可以扫码支付吗？ Kěyǐ sǎomǎ zhīfù ma?
  3. Compared with last year, prices are much higher.

    Answer
    跟去年相比，价格高了很多。 Gēn qùnián xiāngbǐ, jiàgé gāole hěn duō.
  4. All the shoppers are queuing.

    Answer
    买东西的人都在排队。 Mǎi dōngxi de rén dōu zài páiduì.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

You are speaker B. Pick the right reply and the conversation goes on.

A
这个包多少钱？
Zhège bāo duōshao qián?
How much is this bag?
B
三百，现在打九折，二百七。
Sānbǎi, xiànzài dǎ jiǔ zhé, èrbǎi qī.
Three hundred; it’s ten per cent off now, so two hundred and seventy.
A
质量好吗？
Zhìliàng hǎo ma?
Is the quality good?
B
很好，跟那些贵的相比也不差。
Hěn hǎo, gēn nàxiē guì de xiāngbǐ yě bú chà.
Very good — no worse than the expensive ones.
A
可以用现金吗？
Kěyǐ yòng xiànjīn ma?
Can I pay cash?
B
可以，扫码支付也行。
Kěyǐ, sǎomǎ zhīfù yě xíng.
Yes, or you can scan the code.

5. Translate into Chinese

  1. This city is no worse than Beijing.
    Answer
    这个城市不比北京差。
  2. Compared with last year he has grown a lot.
    Answer
    跟去年相比，他高了很多。
  3. This jacket costs twice as much as that one.
    Answer
    这件外套比那件贵一倍。

💡 Did you know?: Paying by QR code

In China almost everyone pays by phone: they scan a QR code, 扫码, in WeChat (微信) or Alipay (支付宝) — in shops, taxis, markets and even at street stalls. Cash, 现金, must legally be accepted, but many people, especially the young, haven’t used it for years. Foreigners can also link their own bank cards to these apps.

Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).