Choosing needed items and avoiding extra purchases | Learn Chinese in English

Chinese lesson set in a contemporary Shanghai everyday setting: In a shop, two adults keep a purchase focused on needed shoes and socks while avoiding an unnecessary jacket..

EN → ZH / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Choosing needed items and avoiding extra purchases to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

我是来买鞋的，但展示出来的其他商品让我分心了。

wǒ shì lái mǎi xié de, dàn zhǎnshì chūlái de qítā shāngpǐn ràng wǒ fēnxīn le. I came for shoes, but the other items on display are distracting me.
B

在买其他东西之前，先买你原本要买的东西。

zài mǎi qítā dōngxi zhīqián, xiān mǎi nǐ yuánběn yào mǎi de dōngxi. Start with what you came for before adding anything else.
A

鞋子是必需的，但夹克只是让我觉得很诱人。

xiézi shì bìxū de, dàn jiákè zhǐshì ràng wǒ juéde hěn yòurén. The shoes are necessary, but the jacket is only tempting.
B

那就先别把夹克放进购物篮里。

nà jiù xiān bié bǎ jiákè fàng jìn gòuwùlán lǐ. Then keep the jacket out of your basket for now.
A

这双袜子和鞋子很配，还能替换我那双磨破的袜子。

zhè shuāng wàzi hé xiézi hěn pèi, hái néng tìhuàn wǒ nà shuāng mópò de wàzi. These socks would match the shoes and replace my worn pair.
B

它们比夹克更符合你的计划。

tāmen bǐ jiákè gèng fúhé nǐ de jìhuà. They fit your plan better than the jacket.
A

我就买鞋和袜子，然后离开。

wǒ jiù mǎi xié hé wàzi, ránhòu líkāi. I'll take the shoes and socks, then head out.
B

这样你这次购物就会更专注、更实际。

zhèyàng nǐ zhè cì gòuwù jiù huì gèng zhuānzhù, gèng shíjì. That keeps your shopping trip focused and practical.

Word by Word

我 我 means “I” or “me” here, referring to the speaker in 我是来买鞋的. It commonly appears before the action or description that concerns the speaker.
是 In 我是来买鞋的, 是 helps frame the speaker’s purpose as “being here to buy shoes.” The full 是……的 pattern highlights information about this situation, and the speaker uses it to explain why they came.
来 来 means “come” here and, in 我是来买鞋的, shows the purpose of coming to the shop. It is followed by the action 买鞋, so the pattern connects coming with the reason for it.
买 买 means “buy” in 来买鞋 and 买你原本要买的东西. It is followed by the thing being purchased, such as 鞋 or 你原本要买的东西.
鞋 鞋 means “shoes” in 我是来买鞋的. It is the item the speaker originally came to purchase and appears directly after 买.
的 The final 的 in 我是来买鞋的 closes the purpose-focused 是……的 expression. It helps present 来买鞋 as the reason the speaker came.
但 但 means “but” and connects the original shopping purpose with a contrasting problem in 但展示出来的其他商品让我分心了. It introduces information that differs from what came before.
展示 展示 means “display” or “show” in 展示出来的其他商品. Here it describes the action of putting goods on display, and it can be placed before the item being displayed.
出来 In 展示出来, 出来 adds the sense that the goods have been brought out or made visible for display. Together, 展示出来 modifies the following noun 其他商品.
其他 其他 means “other” in 其他商品 and 其他东西. It comes before a noun to identify items different from the ones already being discussed.
商品 商品 means “goods” or “commercial items” in 其他商品. It refers to the additional products on display that are distracting the speaker.
让 让 means “make” or “cause” in 让我分心了. It introduces the person affected, 我, followed by the resulting state 分心.
分心 分心 means “be distracted” in 让我分心了. In this sentence, the displayed products cause the speaker to lose focus on the original shopping purpose.
了 The 了 in 让我分心了 presents the distraction as a newly resulting or changed situation. It shows that the displayed products have now affected the speaker’s focus.
在 在 introduces the time setting in 在买其他东西之前, meaning “before buying other things.” It appears before the action that serves as the time reference.
东西 东西 means “things” or “items” in 其他东西 and 你原本要买的东西. It refers broadly to purchasable items when a more specific noun is not needed.
之前 之前 means “before” in 在买其他东西之前. It follows the action or event used as the reference point and places another action earlier in time.
先 先 means “first” in 先买你原本要买的东西 and 先别把夹克放进购物篮里. It marks the action that should happen before other possible actions.
你 你 means “you” in 你原本要买的东西. It identifies the person whose original shopping intention is being discussed and comes before the action phrase.
原本 原本 means “originally” or “as initially intended” in 你原本要买的东西. It points back to the items that were part of the shopper’s plan from the beginning.
要 要 means “intend to” or “be going to” in 你原本要买的东西. Here it describes the purchase that you originally intended to make, before adding anything else.
鞋子 鞋子 means “shoes” in 鞋子是必需的. It is the necessary item being contrasted with the tempting jacket.
必需 必需 means “necessary” or “needed” in 鞋子是必需的. It describes the shoes as an item required for the speaker’s practical shopping purpose.
夹克 夹克 means “jacket” in 夹克只是让我觉得很诱人 and 把夹克放进购物篮里. It is the optional item that the speakers decide not to put in the basket for now.
只是 只是 means “only” or “merely” in 夹克只是让我觉得很诱人. It limits the description of the jacket: it is tempting, but the sentence does not present it as necessary.
觉得 觉得 means “feel” or “think” in 让我觉得很诱人. It introduces the speaker’s personal impression of the jacket.
很 很 is a degree word meaning “very” or “quite” in 觉得很诱人. It comes before 诱人 to describe the strength of the tempting impression.
诱人 诱人 means “tempting” in 觉得很诱人. Here it describes the jacket as attractive enough to make the shopper consider buying it, even though it is not necessary.
那 那 means “then” or “in that case” in 那就先别把夹克放进购物篮里. It refers to the situation just described and introduces the advice that follows.
就 就 means “then” or “in that case” in 那就先别把夹克放进购物篮里. Together with 那, it connects the stated situation with the suggested action.
别 别 means “do not” in 别把夹克放进购物篮里. It gives a direct negative instruction, telling the shopper not to place the jacket in the basket.
把 把 marks 夹克 as the item being directly acted on in 把夹克放进购物篮里. The 把 construction places the item before the action and is followed here by the result or destination 放进购物篮里.
放 放 means “put” or “place” in 放进购物篮里. It describes moving the jacket to a location, with 进购物篮里 specifying where it would go.
进 进 means “into” in 放进购物篮里. It shows movement from outside to inside the shopping basket and follows 放 to complete the placement action.
购物篮 购物篮 means “shopping basket” in 放进购物篮里. It is the destination where the jacket might be placed.
里 里 means “inside” or “in” in 购物篮里. It follows 购物篮 to specify that the location is the inside of the basket.
这 这 means “this” or “these” in 这双袜子. It points to the particular pair of socks being considered and comes before the classifier 双.
双 双 is the classifier for a pair in 这双袜子. It is used between 这 and 袜子 to count the socks as one paired item.
袜子 袜子 means “socks” in 这双袜子 and 我那双磨破的袜子. The dialogue presents them as a useful purchase that matches the shoes and replaces the worn pair.
和 和 means “and” in 和鞋子. It joins the socks with the shoes as two related items in the shopping plan.
配 配 means “match” or “go well with” in 这双袜子和鞋子很配. It describes how the socks and shoes look or work well together.
还 还 means “also” or “in addition” in 还能替换我那双磨破的袜子. It adds a second benefit of the socks after the speaker has said that they match the shoes.
能 能 means “can” or “be able to” in 还能替换我那双磨破的袜子. It presents replacing the worn socks as a possible practical use of the new pair.
替换 替换 means “replace” in 替换我那双磨破的袜子. The reusable relationship is that one item replaces another item that is no longer suitable.
磨破 磨破 means “worn through” or “worn out from use” in 我那双磨破的袜子. It describes the condition of the old socks and appears before 袜子 as part of the description.
它们 它们 means “they” or “them” for things in 它们比夹克更符合你的计划. Here it refers back to the socks and allows the speaker to discuss them without repeating 袜子.
比 比 introduces the item used for comparison in 它们比夹克更符合你的计划. It places the two things in the comparison relationship before the description of how they differ.
更 更 means “more” in 比夹克更符合你的计划. It increases the degree of the following description and shows that the socks fit the plan better than the jacket.
符合 符合 means “fit” or “be consistent with” in 更符合你的计划. It takes 你的计划 as the standard or plan that the socks satisfy better.
计划 计划 means “plan” in 你的计划. Here it refers to the shopper’s focused plan to buy the necessary shoes and useful socks.
然后 然后 means “then” or “afterward” in 然后离开. It links leaving the shop to the earlier action of buying the shoes and socks.
离开 离开 means “leave” in 然后离开. It describes the next step after the shopper has made the focused purchase.
这样 这样 means “in this way” in 这样你这次购物就会更专注、更实际. It refers to the choice just described and introduces its result.
次 次 is a classifier for an occasion in 这次购物. Together with 这, it identifies the current shopping trip as one particular occasion.
购物 购物 means “shopping” in 这次购物. It names the activity being kept focused and practical.
会 会 means “will” or “be likely to” in 就会更专注、更实际. It presents the speakers’ expected result of keeping the purchase focused.
专注 专注 means “focused” in 更专注. It describes the shopping trip as staying centered on the needed items rather than on distracting products.
实际 实际 means “practical” or “realistic” in 更实际. It describes a shopping choice based on useful needs, such as buying the shoes and socks instead of the unnecessary jacket.

Grammar Points

主语 + 形容词

商品很诱人

shāngpǐn hěn yòurén

The goods are tempting.

Chinese adjectives can act as predicates; 很 is commonly placed before the adjective, instead of using a separate verb like “are”.

Chinese Vocabulary

必需 adj
bìxū necessary; essential
分心 verb
fēnxīn to be distracted
购物篮 noun
gòuwùlán shopping basket
夹克 noun
jiákè jacket
配 verb
pèi to match; to go well with
商品 noun
shāngpǐn goods; merchandise
替换 verb
tìhuàn to replace
袜子 noun
wàzi socks
鞋子 noun
xiézi shoes
诱人 adj
yòurén tempting; enticing
原本 adv
yuánběn originally; initially
展示出来 phrase
zhǎnshì chūlái put on display; displayed

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

put on display; displayed

Show Answer展示出来

to be distracted

Show Answer分心

tempting; enticing

Show Answer诱人

shoes

Show Answer鞋子