Basic numbers: Paying the grocery bill
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Key Phrases
一共几样东西？
yī gòng jǐ yàng dōng xī
How many items in total?
一共多少钱？
yī gòng duō shǎo qián
How much is it altogether?
应该找我两块，对吗？
yīng gāi zhǎo wǒ liǎng kuài duì ma
You should give me 2 yuan in change, right?
Skills You'll Learn
Ask for the total number of items when buying things
买东西时询问一共有几样东西
mǎi dōng xī shí xún wèn yī gòng yǒu jǐ yàng dōng xī
Ask for the total price in yuan
询问总价是多少钱
xún wèn zǒng jià shì duō shǎo qián
Pay cash and confirm the correct change in a simple transaction
用现金付款并确认应该找回多少零钱
yòng xiàn jīn fù kuǎn bìng què rèn yīng gāi zhǎo huí duō shǎo líng qián
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are at a small shop or market in China, asking how many items there are, checking the total price, paying with cash, confirming your change, and ending with a polite thank-you before leaving.
你好，一共几样东西？
nǐ hǎo yī gòng jǐ yàng dōng xī
Hello, how many items are there in total?
一共五样。
yī gòng wǔ yàng
There are five items in total.
好的，一共多少钱？
hǎo de yī gòng duō shǎo qián
Okay, how much is it altogether?
一共四十八块。
yī gòng sì shí bā kuài
It’s 48 yuan in total.
我给你五十块。
wǒ gěi nǐ wǔ shí kuài
I’ll give you 50 yuan.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello
一共
yī gòng
In total
💬 [一共] means "altogether / in total" and often goes near the start of a question or statement about price or quantity: [一共多少钱？], [一共五样] .
See breakdown →几
jǐ
How many
样
yàng
Kind; item (classifier)
💬 [样] is a counting word for kinds or items in this shopping context: [五样东西] means "five items." You can swap the number: [三样], [六样] .
See breakdown →东西
dōng xī
Thing; item
💬 [东西] often means "things" or "items," especially when talking about what you're buying. In shops, [几样东西] sounds natural for "how many items."
See breakdown →样东西
yàng dōng xī
Item; kind of thing
💬 [样东西] is a handy pattern for counting items: number + [样东西], like [两样东西] or [五样东西].
See breakdown →几样
jǐ yàng
How many kinds/items
💬 [几样] means "how many items/kinds," with [几] asking for a small number and [样] counting the items. Use the same pattern in [几个人] or [几块钱] .
See breakdown →一共几样东西？
yī gòng jǐ yàng dōng xī
How many items in total?
五
wǔ
Five
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