Chinese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Home and housing
租房子Zū fángzi
Compare flats to rent in Chinese with 比, 没有…那么 and 一样, talk about rent with 千 and 万, and say what a neighbourhood is like.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Compare two things with 比 (bǐ)
- Say “not as… as” and “the same as”
- Understand rents in thousands and ten thousands
- Say what's good about a flat: quiet, convenient, near the metro
Listen
In Shenzhen, He Jia asks her friend Luo Ming about the two flats he has looked at. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
He Jia
罗明，那两套房子你都看了吗？
Luó Míng, nà liǎng tào fángzi nǐ dōu kàn le ma?
Luo Ming, did you see both flats?
Luo Ming
看了。一套在南山，一套在福田。
Kàn le. Yí tào zài Nánshān, yí tào zài Fútián.
Yes. One is in Nanshan and the other is in Futian.
He Jia
房租多少？
Fángzū duōshao?
How much is the rent?
Luo Ming
南山那套一个月四千五，福田那套五千。
Nánshān nà tào yí ge yuè sìqiān wǔ, Fútián nà tào wǔqiān.
The one in Nanshan is 4,500 a month, the one in Futian 5,000.
He Jia
福田那套比南山那套贵五百。哪套大？
Fútián nà tào bǐ Nánshān nà tào guì wǔbǎi. Nǎ tào dà?
So the Futian one is 500 more than the Nanshan one. Which one is bigger?
Luo Ming
福田那套大多了，还有一个阳台。离地铁站也近，很方便。
Fútián nà tào dà duō le, hái yǒu yí ge yángtái. Lí dìtiězhàn yě jìn, hěn fāngbiàn.
The Futian one is much bigger, and it has a balcony too. It's also close to the metro station, very convenient.
He Jia
南山那套呢？
Nánshān nà tào ne?
And the Nanshan one?
Luo Ming
南山那套没有福田那套那么大，离地铁站也有点儿远。
Nánshān nà tào méiyǒu Fútián nà tào nàme dà, lí dìtiězhàn yě yǒudiǎnr yuǎn.
The Nanshan one isn't as big as the Futian one, and it's a bit far from the metro station.
He Jia
押金呢？两套一样吗？
Yājīn ne? Liǎng tào yíyàng ma?
What about the deposit? Is it the same for both?
Luo Ming
一样，都是一个月的房租。中介说南山那套很安静。
Yíyàng, dōu shì yí ge yuè de fángzū. Zhōngjiè shuō Nánshān nà tào hěn ānjìng.
Yes, both are one month's rent. The agent says the Nanshan one is very quiet.
He Jia
你每天坐地铁上班，我觉得福田那套好一点儿。
Nǐ měi tiān zuò dìtiě shàngbān, wǒ juéde Fútián nà tào hǎo yìdiǎnr.
You take the metro to work every day. I think the Futian one is a bit better.
Luo Ming
好，我明天去找房东。
Hǎo, wǒ míngtiān qù zhǎo fángdōng.
OK, I'll go and see the landlord tomorrow.
Understand
比 (bǐ): bigger, cheaper
To compare two things, say A + (bǐ) + B + adjective: (Fútián nà tào bǐ Nánshān nà tào dà), the Futian flat is bigger than the Nanshan one. Don't put (hěn) before the adjective here.
To say how much bigger, add something after the adjective: (yìdiǎnr), a little; (duō le), much; or an exact amount: (guì wǔbǎi), 500 more expensive. Without B, just the adjective + (yìdiǎnr) also compares: (zhè tào hǎo yìdiǎnr), this one is a bit better.
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Zhè tào bǐ nà tào dà.) | This flat is bigger than that one. |
| (Zhè tào bǐ nà tào dà yìdiǎnr.) | This flat is a bit bigger than that one. |
| (Zhè tào bǐ nà tào dà duō le.) | This flat is much bigger than that one. |
| (Zhè tào bǐ nà tào piányi wǔbǎi.) | This flat is 500 cheaper than that one. |
Not as… as, the same, the most, both
A + (méiyǒu) + B + (nàme) + adjective means “A isn't as… as B”: (Nánshān nà tào méiyǒu Fútián nà tào nàme dà), the Nanshan flat isn't as big as the Futian one. This is the usual way to make a 比 sentence negative.
A + (gēn) + B + (yíyàng) means “A is the same as B”. Add an adjective to say in what way: (zhè tào gēn nà tào yíyàng dà), this flat is as big as that one. (zuì) means “most”: (zhè tào zuì ānjìng), this one is the quietest.
(dōu) means “both, all”. It goes before the verb and sums up the people or things already named: (liǎng tào dōu hěn ānjìng), both flats are quiet; (nà liǎng tào fángzi nǐ dōu kàn le ma?), did you see both flats? Unlike English “all”, it never goes before the noun.
- 我的房间没有你的那么大。Wǒ de fángjiān méiyǒu nǐ de nàme dà.My room isn't as big as yours.
- 两套房子的房租一样。Liǎng tào fángzi de fángzū yíyàng.The rent for the two flats is the same.
- 这套跟那套一样贵。Zhè tào gēn nà tào yíyàng guì.This flat is as expensive as that one.
Thousands and ten thousands
(qiān) is a thousand. Chinese has a separate word for ten thousand, (wàn), and counts big numbers in 万: 20,000 is (liǎngwàn), “two ten-thousands”. As with 百, the unit after the last number is often dropped: (sìqiān wǔ) is 4,500, and (yíwàn èr) is 12,000.
Rent is said per month with the time first: (yí ge yuè sìqiān wǔ), 4,500 a month. Flats are counted with (tào): (yí tào fángzi), a flat.
| Number | Chinese |
|---|---|
| 2,000 | (liǎngqiān) |
| 4,500 | (sìqiān wǔ) |
| 10,000 | (yíwàn) |
| 12,000 | (yíwàn èr) |
| 35,000 | (sānwàn wǔ) |
More in the grammar: Numbers and money · Comparisons: 比, 没有, 一样
New words
- 租zūto rent · (zū fángzi), to rent a flat. (fángzi) is a flat or a house.
- 套tàomeasure word for flats · (nà tào fángzi), that flat
- 房租fángzūrent
- 千qiānthousand · (liǎngqiān), 2,000; use 两, not 二, before 千
- 比bǐthan (in comparisons) · A + (bǐ) + B + adjective
- 阳台yángtáibalcony
- 离地铁站近lí dìtiězhàn jìnclose to the metro station · (lí), from; (yǒudiǎnr yuǎn), a bit far
- 方便fāngbiànconvenient
- 一样yíyàngthe same · (gēn… yíyàng), the same as…
- 押金yājīndeposit
- 中介zhōngjièestate agent, agency · (zhōngjiè shuō…), the agent says…; (shuō), to say, to speak
- 安静ānjìngquiet
- 房东fángdōnglandlord, landlady · (qù zhǎo fángdōng), to go and see the landlord: (zhǎo) also means “to look for, to go and see”
- 万wànten thousand · (yíwàn), 10,000; (sānwàn), 30,000
Practise
1.The Futian flat is 5,000 a month and the Nanshan flat is 4,500. Which sentence is true?
2.Which sentence is correct Chinese for “This flat is bigger than that one”?
3.Match the numbers.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Put the words in order: my room isn't as big as yours.
Tap the words below in the right order.My room isn't as big as yours.
5.Match the words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Put the words in order: this flat is a bit cheaper than that one.
Tap the words below in the right order.This flat is a bit cheaper than that one.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
房租一个月多少？
Fángzū yí ge yuè duōshao?
How much is the rent a month?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.