Y: Dajia hao, improve your Chinese every day, right here in the Chinese Studio of China Radio International. Wo shi Y.
B: And, wo shi B, You know Y, there’s nothing like fresh, healthy food, and vegetables are at the top of the list. Let’s veg out in the Chinese Studio this week, hao bu hao?
Y: hao ah. What’s good for the body is good for the soul, let’s check our key words of the day.

Key words of the day
Vegetables 蔬菜Where’s the vegetable market? 哪有菜市场？Egg plant 茄子 Chinese cabbage,大白菜 Tomatoes西红柿How fresh are they? 新不新鲜？
How much for one jin? 多少钱一斤？ All in today’s Chinese Studio.

B: Better start with the basics, what is the word for vegetable?
Y: It’s shu1 cai4.
B: shu1 cai4.  Now let’s go looking for some. Where’s a veggie market?
Y: you may say: na2er you3 cai4 shi4 chang3?
B: na2er you3 cai4 shi4 chang3?
Y: na2er you3 literally means where have,
B: na2er you3,
Y: cai4 is short for shu1 cai4,which means vegetable,
B: cai4,
Y: shi4 chang3 means market,
B: shi4 chang3,
Y: na2er you3 cai4 shi4 chang3?
B: na2er you3 cai4 shi4 chang3? Where’s the vegetable market?

Conversation 1
A: 哪有菜市场?
B: 前面小区里就有。.

B: Wow, here at the market there are so many interesting looking veggies. Some I know, and many I don’t. Let’s learn some of their names. Those familiar red ones look fresh.
Y: You mean the tomatoes, xihongshi.
B: xi1 hong2 shi4.
Y: there is another name for it: fan1 qie2.
B: fan1 qie2. And I’d love to ask, how fresh are they?
Y: you can say: xin1 bu xin1 xian?
B: xin1 bu xin1 xian?
Y: xin1 xian means fresh,
B: xin1 xian,
Y: so the first xin1 is short for xin1 xian, which means fresh,
B: I see. And bu means not,
Y: so you may ask the seller: xin1 bu xin1 xian?
B: xin1 bu xin1 xian? How fresh are they? Or are they fresh?

Conversation 2
A: 买点西红柿吧，很便宜的。
B: 新不新鲜？
A: 当然新鲜了。这是今天刚采的。

B: What’s that interesting purple, egg-shaped vegetable over there Y?
Y: That’s an eggplant , qie2 zi.
B: qie2 zi.  and, next to it, they’re what we call Chinese cabbages, what do you call them?
Y: you can say: da4 bai2 cai4.
B: da4 bai2 cai4.
Y: da4 literally means huge,
B: da4,
Y: bai2 means white,
B: bai2,
Y: cai4 means cabbage,
B: cai4,
Y: da4 bai2 cai4,
B: da4 bai2 cai4,  Chinese cabbages 

Conversation 3
A: 你还需要买什么?
B: 茄子和大白菜。.

B: Now, to buy things, How do ask for how much are the tomatoes Y?
Y: Well for xihongshi, the tomatoes, we buy them in half kilo measures called jin. Remember to always ask the price first, you can say: duo1 shao3 qian2 yi4 jin1?
B: duo1 shao3 qian2 yi4 jin1?
Y: duo1 shao3 qian2 means how much,
B: duo1 shao3 qian2
Y: yi4 jin1 means half kilo, 
B: yi4 jin1,
Y: duo1 shao3 qian2 yi4 jin1?
B: duo1 shao3 qian2 yi4 jin1? How much for one jin?

Conversation 4
A: 多少钱一斤？
B: 3块。
A: 便宜点儿吧。
B: 最低2块。

B: I’m cooking dinner today Y, hope you’re hungry.
Y: That could be a challenge for the taste buds, but firstly let’s sink our teeth into today’s question. How do you say： Where is a veggie market  in Chinese？
B: And send your email answer to Chinese@crifm.com. Hurry along and you could win yourself a prize. Mingtian jian.
Y: Zai jian.