Buy a small quantity

Printable paper with separate answer pages Step-by-step lessons

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

Buy a small quantity

Ask the price and buy a stated number of things.

Before you start: Recall numbers one to ten and the difference between asking a question and making a request. The price facts needed for each task are supplied locally.

Build the meaning

Count ordinary objects with number + measure word + noun: 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ, two apples. two两liǎng is useful before (measure word)个gè; two二èr is used in numbers such as twenty二十èr shí.

how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián asks a price. 我要wǒ yào…… says what you want in this buying situation; it is not the same as I / me我wǒto have / there is有yǒu……, I have.

Ask a price, then buy a number of things

Work through a decision

A sign says 一个yí gèapple苹果píng guǒ三块sān kuàicoin钱qián – one apple costs three yuan. For two apples, first identify the unit price (three), then multiply by the quantity (two): six yuan. 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ六块钱liù kuài qián reports that total. This assumes the stated per-apple price applies to both apples; do not import a price from a different shop.

Compare: 我要wǒ yào两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ requests two apples; I / me我wǒto have / there is有yǒu两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ reports possession. Both are grammatical, but only the first expresses the customer’s order. 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ六块钱liù kuài qián gives the price for the pair, not six yuan for each apple.

Useful words in context

apple苹果píng guǒ píngguǒ – apple. 我要wǒ yào两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ。
(measure word)个gè ge – general measure word. 三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ。
how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián duōshao qián – how much money. how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián？
lump块kuài kuài – yuan, spoken. 十块钱shí kuài qián。
want / will / need要yào yào – want, in this request. 我要wǒ yàowater水shuǐ。

Listen before reading the script

Ask a partner to read the listening script from the answer section while you keep it covered. Then attempt the listening question. If you work alone without audio, use the script for reading practice; it is not a listening test.

Read a different account

林安要lín ān yào两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒand / with和hé一杯yī bēiwater水shuǐ。两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ六块钱liù kuài qián，一杯yī bēiwater水shuǐ三块sān kuàicoin钱qián。altogether一共yī gòng九块jiǔ kuàicoin钱qián。

Try the reading question before checking the English meaning in the answer section.

Speak with a partner

Be a customer: ask a price, then order three apples. Be the seller and give a price.

Check the distinction: The count is 两个liǎng gè, not 二个èr gè in this ordinary phrase. Use a measure word instead of directly copying English two apples.

Learn step by step · Practise and review.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

Buy a small quantity

0301.1 Listening. What does the customer buy?

A. Two apples and water
B. Three apples without water
C. One apple

0301.2 Reading. How much is Lin An’s purchase altogether?

A. 六块钱liù kuài qián
B. 九块jiǔ kuàicoin钱qián
C. 三块sān kuàicoin钱qián

0301.3 Complete “two apples”: two两liǎng…………apple苹果píng guǒ。

0301.4 Match each word with its meaning in this unit.

1. apple苹果píng guǒ
1. (measure word)个gè
1. how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián
1. lump块kuài
1. want / will / need要yào
A. apple
B. want, in this request
C. how much money
D. general measure word
E. yuan, spoken

0301.5 Write a short order for two apples and water. State a fictional total price.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

0301.6 A customer asks how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián？What information should the seller supply?

A. A destination
B. A price
C. A personal name

0301.7 A sign says 一个yí gèapple苹果píng guǒ四块sì kuàicoin钱qián – one apple costs four yuan. You want two. First identify the unit price, then the quantity. Which statement gives the total for your order?

A. 一个yí gèapple苹果píng guǒ八块钱bā kuài qián。
B. 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ八块钱bā kuài qián。
C. 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ四块sì kuàicoin钱qián。

0301.8 At a different stall: 三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ十二块shí èr kuàicoin钱qián，一杯yī bēiwater水shuǐ两块钱liǎng kuài qián。A customer orders 我要wǒ yào三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ，don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ。What is the total for this order?

A. 十四块shí sì kuàicoin钱qián – fourteen yuan
B. 十二块shí èr kuàicoin钱qián – twelve yuan
C. 两块钱liǎng kuài qián – two yuan

0301.9 Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Invent a shop sign with a per-apple price from one to five yuan. Write a customer’s order for two or three apples and a seller’s total. Exclude water explicitly. Read the exchange aloud or try it with a partner, then check your arithmetic and request wording.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A shop sells apples for five yuan each. A learner says I / me我wǒto buy买mǎi二个èr gèapple苹果píng guǒ. Improve the everyday counting phrase and find the total price.

R2. Use it yourself. Ask for three apples and one bottle of water, keeping the measure words.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.

Open the answers after your attempt

Answers and explanations

Check after your attempt. For open tasks, compare the message and the stated criteria, then revise one detail.

Buy a small quantity

0301.1 B. Three apples without water

三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ gives the quantity; don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ excludes water.

0301.2 B. 九块jiǔ kuàicoin钱qián

Six yuan plus three yuan is nine.

0301.3 (measure word)个gè

The measure word (measure word)个gè sits between two两liǎng and apple苹果píng guǒ.

0301.4 1–A: apple苹果píng guǒ = apple; 2–D: (measure word)个gè = general measure word; 3–C: how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián = how much money; 4–E: lump块kuài = yuan, spoken; 5–B: want / will / need要yào = want, in this request

Use the example sentences to check each word’s meaning in context.

0301.5 One possible response: 我要wǒ yào两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒand / with和hé一杯yī bēiwater水shuǐ。altogether一共yī gòng十块钱shí kuài qián。

Check meaning and form:

Use a number and measure word with apple苹果píng guǒ.
Include both requested items.
Label the price as a total.

Compare the meaning and structure with the checklist. Your own response may differ from the model.

0301.6 B. A price

how many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián asks how much money. A name or place does not answer that question; revisit the price phrase if you chose either.

0301.7 B. 两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ八块钱bā kuài qián。

Four yuan per apple times two apples is eight yuan for the pair. The first option keeps the one-apple price while changing the quantity; the third changes the unit price rather than stating your two-apple order.

0301.8 B. 十二块shí èr kuàicoin钱qián – twelve yuan

The three apples have the stated group price 十二块shí èr kuàicoin钱qián, twelve yuan. don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ excludes water. Fourteen adds the rejected water; two counts only that rejected drink. Use this stall’s facts, not an earlier example’s price.

0301.9 One possible response: One possible sign: 一个yí gèapple苹果píng guǒ两块钱liǎng kuài qián。Customer: 我要wǒ yào三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ，don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ。Seller: 三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ六块钱liù kuài qián。The sign sets two yuan each, so three cost six. Different prices and quantities are valid if their total is consistent.

How to revise: Check the request, quantity and arithmetic separately. If the total is wrong, calculate from your own sign again; if the order reports possession, replace to have / there is有yǒu with the intended request frame. This self-check does not assess pronunciation.

Check meaning and form:

State a per-apple price before calculating.
Use want / will / need要yào for the order and don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ to exclude water.
Use a quantity and (measure word)个gè before apple苹果píng guǒ.
Make the total match your own sign and quantity.
Write or speak the requested sentences, questions or dialogue in Mandarin; optional English reasoning does not replace them.

Check the request, quantity and arithmetic separately. If the total is wrong, calculate from your own sign again; if the order reports possession, replace to have / there is有yǒu with the intended request frame. This self-check does not assess pronunciation.

Listening script and meaning

我要wǒ yào三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ，don't不要bú yàowater水shuǐ。三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ九块jiǔ kuàicoin钱qián。

I want three apples, not water. Three apples cost nine yuan.

Reading meaning

Lin An wants two apples and one cup of water. The apples cost six yuan and the water three: nine yuan altogether.

Speaking model

A: 三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒhow many / how much多少duō shaocoin钱qián？ B: 九块jiǔ kuàicoin钱qián。 A: 我要wǒ yào三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒ。

Compare the intended message first. Ask a listener to comment on intelligibility and pronunciation; matching the written model does not establish speaking accuracy.

Fresh-situation answers

R1. I / me我wǒto buy买mǎi两个liǎng gèapple苹果píng guǒ is the usual everyday phrase; two两liǎng is normally used before the measure word (measure word)个gè here. Two apples cost ten yuan. two二èr remains normal in counting and many numbers.

R2. One possible response. 我要wǒ yào三个sān gèapple苹果píng guǒand / with和hé一瓶yī píngwater水shuǐ。(measure word)个gè counts these apples; variant of 瓶瓶píng counts the bottle. Quantities may change, but keep the measure word with the item it counts.