Pay and Separate Items at Checkout | Learn Chinese in English

Chinese lesson set in a contemporary Shanghai everyday setting: At a shop checkout, a customer pays on a screen and asks staff to separate heavy and glass items while bagging..

EN → ZH / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Pay and Separate Items at Checkout to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

这个收银台现在开放吗？

Zhège shōuyíntái xiànzài kāifàng ma? Is this checkout open now?
B

你可以把东西放在这里。

Nǐ kěyǐ bǎ dōngxi fàng zài zhèlǐ. You can place your items here.
A

我应该用屏幕付款吗？

Wǒ yīnggāi yòng píngmù fùkuǎn ma? Should I use the screen to pay?
B

请使用你右边的屏幕。

Qǐng shǐyòng nǐ yòubiān de píngmù. Use the screen on your right.
A

这个袋子感觉太满了。

Zhège dàizi gǎnjué tài mǎn le. The bag feels too full.
B

我可以把重的东西放到另一个袋子里。

Wǒ kěyǐ bǎ zhòng de dōngxi fàng dào lìng yí ge dàizi lǐ. I can move the heavy item to another bag.
A

请把玻璃制品放在另一个袋子里。

Qǐng bǎ bōli zhìpǐn fàng zài lìng yí ge dàizi lǐ. Please put the glass items in a separate bag.
B

我给它们装袋时会小心。

Wǒ gěi tāmen zhuāngdài shí huì xiǎoxīn. I'll be careful while bagging them.

Word by Word

这个 “这个” means “this” and points to the nearby checkout counter. It comes before a noun, as in “这个收银台”; use it when identifying one specific nearby thing in a shop.
收银台 “收银台” means “checkout counter,” the place where payment happens. It is used as a noun for the counter itself, as in “这个收银台”; use it when asking whether a checkout is available.
现在 “现在” means “now,” referring to the present time in “这个收银台现在开放吗？”. It commonly comes before what is being described; use it to ask about current availability or timing.
开放 “开放” means “open” or “available” here, describing whether the checkout is operating. In “现在开放吗？”, it follows the subject and is asked about with “吗”; use it for a facility or service that may be available.
吗 “吗” marks the yes-or-no question in “这个收银台现在开放吗？”. It is placed at the end of the question; use it when asking whether a statement is true.
你 “你” means “you,” the person being addressed in “你可以把东西放在这里。”. It comes before the ability expression “可以”; use it when telling one person what they can do.
可以 “可以” means “can” or “may,” giving permission here. In “你可以把东西放在这里。”, it comes before the action and its object; use it to allow someone to do something.
把 “把” marks the items that will be placed in “把东西放在这里”. It comes before the object and the action; use it when foregrounding an object that is acted on, while keeping the action after it.
东西 “东西” means “things” or “items,” referring to the customer’s shopping items. It follows “把” in “把东西放在这里”; use it as a general noun when individual items do not need to be named.
放 “放” means “put” or “place,” describing moving the items to a location. In “把东西放在这里”, it is followed by the location “在这里”; use it for placing something somewhere.
在 “在” means “at” or “in” here, linking the placing action to the location in “放在这里”. It appears before the place name; use it to specify where something is placed.
这里 “这里” means “here,” the location indicated by the staff member. It follows “在” in “放在这里”; use it when pointing to the speaker’s nearby location.
我 “我” means “I,” with the speaker referring to themself. It appears at the start of “我应该用屏幕付款吗？”; use it when asking what action you should take.
应该 “应该” means “should,” expressing what the speaker thinks is the appropriate action. In “我应该用屏幕付款吗？”, it comes before the action phrase; use it when asking for or stating advice.
用 “用” means “use” or “with,” indicating the screen as the means of payment. In “用屏幕付款”, it comes before the tool and the action; use it to say what tool or method you use for an action.
屏幕 “屏幕” means “screen,” referring to the payment screen. It follows “用” in “用屏幕付款” and also appears in “你右边的屏幕”; use it for a display that you operate or look at.
付款 “付款” means “pay” or “make a payment.” In “用屏幕付款”, it names the action done with the screen; use it when talking about paying for goods or a service.
请 “请” means “please,” making “请使用你右边的屏幕” a polite instruction. It comes at the beginning of a request; use it when directing someone respectfully.
使用 “使用” means “use,” here instructing the customer to operate the screen. In “请使用你右边的屏幕”, it follows “请” and takes a specific object; use it for clear instructions about using equipment.
右边 “右边” means “right side” or “right,” locating the screen relative to the customer. In “你右边的屏幕”, it comes before “的” to describe the screen’s position; use it when directing someone to an object on the right.
的 “的” links “你右边” to “屏幕” in “你右边的屏幕”, making the phrase mean “the screen on your right.” It follows a modifier and comes before the noun; use this pattern to identify a noun by its location or relation.
袋子 “袋子” means “bag.” In “另一个袋子里”, it names the container receiving an item; it can be followed by “里” when you mean inside the bag, so use it while packing or moving goods.
感觉 “感觉” means “feel” or “seem” here, describing the speaker’s impression of the bag. In “这个袋子感觉太满了”, it comes before the description “太满了”; use it to report how something seems or feels.
太 “太” means “too,” showing that the degree is excessive in “太满了”. It comes before the describing word “满”; use the pattern “太 + description” when something exceeds a comfortable or acceptable level.
满 “满” means “full,” describing the bag’s condition. In “太满了”, it follows “太”; use it to say that a container has little or no room left.
了 “了” signals a changed state in “这个袋子感觉太满了”: the bag is now perceived as too full. It occurs at the end of the statement; use it when reporting a new or changed situation.
重 “重” means “heavy,” describing the item to be moved. In “重的东西”, it comes before “的” to identify the heavy item; use it before “的 + noun” when selecting something by weight.
到 “到” means “to,” marking the destination in “放到另一个袋子里”. It comes between the movement action and the destination; use it when saying something is moved to a place.
另一个 “另一个” means “another,” selecting a different bag from the current one. In “另一个袋子”, it comes before the noun; use it when referring to one more or different item of the same kind.
里 “里” means “inside” or “in,” showing that the item goes inside the bag in “另一个袋子里”. It follows the container phrase; use it after a place or container to specify its interior.
玻璃制品 “玻璃制品” means “glass items” or “glassware,” referring to the goods made of glass. In “玻璃制品放在另一个袋子里”, it names the items that should go in another bag; use it as a noun for products made of glass.
给 “给” means “for” or “to,” linking the items with the action of bagging in “我给它们装袋时”. It comes before “它们”; use it to show what an action is done for or directed toward.
它们 “它们” means “them,” referring back to the glass items. In “给它们装袋时”, it identifies what is being bagged; use it after the referent is already clear.
装袋 “装袋” means “put into a bag” or “bag,” describing the action applied to “它们”. In “给它们装袋时”, it is the action inside the while-clause; use it when talking about placing items into bags.
时 “时” means “when” or “while,” turning “给它们装袋” into the time condition for being careful. It follows the action phrase in “给它们装袋时”; use it after an action to say what happens while that action is taking place.
会 “会” means “will” here, expressing a planned or expected action. In “会小心”, it comes before the manner of the action; use it to state what someone will do in a situation.
小心 “小心” means “be careful,” describing how the speaker will act while bagging. In “我给它们装袋时会小心”, it follows “会”; use it when promising careful handling or warning someone to avoid damage.

Grammar Points

太 + 形容词

袋子太重

Dàizi tài zhòng

The bag is too heavy.

太 before an adjective means “too...” and shows that something exceeds a comfortable or acceptable degree.

东西 + 放在 + 方位词

东西放在右边

Dōngxi fàng zài yòubiān

The things are placed on the right.

放在 means “put/place at”; the location follows 放在, without a preposition like “on” before the location.

Chinese Vocabulary

袋子 noun
dàizi bag

The bag feels too full.

东西 noun
dōngxi things; items

You can place your items here.

放在 phrase
fàng zài put; place

You can place your items here.

付款 verb
fùkuǎn pay; make a payment

Should I use the screen to pay?

感觉 verb
gǎnjué feel; seem

The bag feels too full.

开放 adj
kāifàng open

Is this checkout open now?

满 adj
mǎn full

The bag feels too full.

屏幕 noun
píngmù screen

Should I use the screen to pay?

收银台 noun
shōuyíntái checkout counter

Is this checkout open now?

太 adv
tài too

The bag feels too full.

现在 adv
xiànzài now

Is this checkout open now?

右边 noun
yòubiān right side

Use the screen on your right.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

checkout counter

Show Answer收银台

feel; seem

Show Answer感觉

pay; make a payment

Show Answer付款

put; place

Show Answer放在