I can ask at a store to look at or try on an item — 我可以看一下吗？ — choose 这件 or 那件, and say it's a bit bigger or a bit cheaper.
May I? 可以 and 一下; clothes — 件
May I? 可以 and 一下; clothes — 件
In a store you ask permission with 可以 — “may, can”; it goes before the verb. Where English asks “Can I …?” for permission, Chinese uses 可以. The question is 可以……吗？(kěyǐ … ma?); the answer is 可以 or 不可以 (not ×没可以: 没 doesn't work here).
一下 after a verb makes a request softer — “a bit, for a moment”: verb + 一下 + what. 穿 means “to wear, to put on”.
Clothes are counted with the measure word 件: 一件衣服 (yí jiàn yīfu). You choose the same way as in module 2: 这件 (zhè jiàn), 那件 (nà jiàn), 哪件？(nǎ jiàn?)
To compare two things, add 一点儿 to the adjective — “a bit more …”: 我的房间有点儿小，他的房间大一点儿。(Wǒ de fángjiān yǒudiǎnr xiǎo, tā de fángjiān dà yìdiǎnr.)
Common mistakes:
• ×我可以一下看吗？→ 我可以看一下吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ kàn yíxià ma?)
• ×这衣服 → 这件衣服。(Zhè jiàn yīfu.)
• ×一个衬衫 → 一件衬衫。(Yí jiàn chènshān.)
• ×没可以 → 不可以。(Bù kěyǐ.)
可以: allowed or not
| What you say | Example (with pinyin) | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| + | 您可以穿一下。(Nín kěyǐ chuān yíxià.) | You can try it on |
| − | 这儿不可以喝水。(Zhèr bù kěyǐ hē shuǐ.) | You can't drink water here |
| ? | 我可以看一下吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ kàn yíxià ma?) | Can I have a look? |
件: clothes and choosing
| Phrase (with pinyin) | Translation |
|---|---|
| 这件衬衫 (zhè jiàn chènshān) | this shirt |
| 那件衣服 (nà jiàn yīfu) | that item (of clothing) |
| 哪件？(nǎ jiàn?) | which one? |
| 大一点儿 (dà yìdiǎnr) | a bit bigger |
| 便宜一点儿 (piányi yìdiǎnr) | a bit cheaper |
Lesson notes
May I? 可以 and 一下; clothes — 件
In a store you ask permission with 可以 — “may, can”; it goes before the verb. Where English asks “Can I …?” for permission, Chinese uses 可以. The question is 可以……吗？(kěyǐ … ma?); the answer is 可以 or 不可以 (not ×没可以: 没 doesn't work here).
一下 after a verb makes a request softer — “a bit, for a moment”: verb + 一下 + what. 穿 means “to wear, to put on”.
Clothes are counted with the measure word 件: 一件衣服 (yí jiàn yīfu). You choose the same way as in module 2: 这件 (zhè jiàn), 那件 (nà jiàn), 哪件？(nǎ jiàn?)
To compare two things, add 一点儿 to the adjective — “a bit more …”: 我的房间有点儿小，他的房间大一点儿。(Wǒ de fángjiān yǒudiǎnr xiǎo, tā de fángjiān dà yìdiǎnr.)
Common mistakes:
• ×我可以一下看吗？→ 我可以看一下吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ kàn yíxià ma?)
• ×这衣服 → 这件衣服。(Zhè jiàn yīfu.)
• ×一个衬衫 → 一件衬衫。(Yí jiàn chènshān.)
• ×没可以 → 不可以。(Bù kěyǐ.)