bargain = 讨价还价 tao Jia huan Jia 【tau Jar hwan Jar】价/Jia means price; 讨价 means to request a price;还价 means to return a price;
price = 价格;
价 is short for 价格;
- Zhe tiao[this] 这条
- weijin [scarf] 围巾
- ting [really] 挺
- PiaoLiang[nice] 漂亮.
This scarf is really nice. 【again, [is] is not translated. In Chinese, there is no need to use such word linking a subject and an adjective.】
- Bu [don’t] 不
- zhidao [know]知道
- keBukeyi [may or may not]可不可以
- dazhe[get a discount]打折.
- [Dser tyao wayJin ting PyaoLyung. Boo dsirDao kerBookeryee dardser.]
I would like to know, do you offer a discount? 【In many Chinese sentences, the subjects are omitted. While in English, this is rare. In the sentence above, both the subject [I](don’t know) and the subject [item] of the clause are omitted.】
- keyi [may]可以
- huanJia[bargain]还价.
- [keryee hwanJar.]
Yes, we do. 【You see, in this sentence, the subject is also omitted, which is the Item scarf.】
- (to shop owner)Laoban[boss]老板, 【The shop clerk is asking her boss.】
- Zhe [this]这
- tiao [a measure word for long objects]条
- weijin [scarf]围巾
- shao [few]少【price lower a little】
- dian [a little]点,
- xing [all right/ok]行
- ma吗?
- [laoban, Dser tyao wayJin shoudyan shing muh?]
Boss. Will you offer a discount for this scarf?【Xing ma – a common phrase to ask for permission.】
- yijing [already]已经
- Shi [is]是
- Zuidi [lowest]最低
- Jia [price]价
- le[already = yijing…le]了.
- [yeejing Shir Dswaydee Jar le.]
It is already the lowest price. 【Again, the subject is omitted.】【le – normally indicates a past tense, here it is used to emphasize the word already. – I have already lowered the price. a perfect tense.】