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Lesson 7: 网购 Online Shopping
Overview
- Learning Objectives
- Background Information
- Vocabulary
- Text
- Grammar Points
- Creating an Account
- Writing/Discussion Practice
Learning Objectives
This text is based on a real-life conversation between Carla and her Roommate, X. Carla asks X about online shopping. This text should help with the following:
- Recognizing online shopping-related vocabulary.
- Discussing one one’s opinion regarding online shopping.
Background Information – Technology in China
Online shopping is an increasingly popular phenomenon in China. Currently, the most visited site for online shoppers in China is Taobao, which Carla and 春雨discuss in the text. Other developments such as QR code phone payments have lessened the need for wallets and further change the nature of commerce in China. In fact, certain stores prefer phone payments over cash. Personal food delivery is another rapidly growing service in China. Waimai (literally outside purchase) applications allow users to have third partes pick up and deliver food directly to their doorstep. Areas of daily life are rapidly changing with the emergence of these new companies and technologies.
https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2020926/taobao-becomes-chinas-most-valuable-brand
Text – Online Shopping 在网上买东西
Carla: 你好。
春雨: 你好。你做过关于你的淘宝作业的那个东西？
Carla: 对，我想找你对淘宝的看法。
春雨: 我离不开淘宝。
Carla: 你离不开淘宝？
春雨: 对，因为我生活中，超过一半的东西是在淘宝上买的。我在淘宝买的东西要比我逛街买的要多得多。
Carla: 哦，很有意思我觉得。我很少在网上购物。如果我不可以自己看一个东西，我不知道是合适不合适。
春雨: 嗯。
Carla: 可是我的老师说在中国上网购物很普遍。
春雨: 对的。我觉得你说，如果在网上买东西可以看到然后不可以摸。
Carla: 对。
春雨: 自己去判断对那个东西是不是你想要的但是淘宝有一个好处，就是如果你在商店里看到一个东西，你只能看现在它好不好看，你不能判断它以后会不会好用。但是淘宝有其他买过的人告诉你这个东西好不好用。
Carla：这个叫什么？
春雨: 评价。
Carla: 评价。
春雨: 买家的评价，我逛淘宝的时候非常喜欢看那个东西里面别人的评价。
Carla: 嗯.
春雨: 特别是差评，就是坏的评价。然后我，通过他们的差评就去判断那个东西有什么优点和缺点。我觉得这样比我去商店里边买，判断出来的东西更准确。
Carla: 对，我同意。所以你买什么样的东西？大部分是衣服吗？
春雨: 对。大部分是衣服，还有一些生活用品。有时候我买洗面奶。你知道洗面奶吗？
Carla: 不知道。
春雨: 给你看图片。
Carla: 哦那个东西。
春雨: 这个对，还有洗头发的。
Carla: 我昨天整天找洗头发的，就是因为我在杭州忘了。
春雨: 你放在杭州酒店啦？
Carla: 对。
春雨: 这个像你。
Carla: 对对！
Vocabulary
- 淘宝 (táobǎo) Taobao
- 网上购物 (wǎngshàng gòuwù) Online Shopping
- 逛 (guàng) To stroll
- 逛街 (guàngjiē) To go window-shopping
- 生活用品 (shēnghuó yòngpǐn) Daily necessities
- 洗头发的 (xǐtóufade) Shampoo
- 洗面奶 (xǐmiànnǎi) Facial lotion
- 优点 (yōudiǎn) Advantate
- 缺点 (quēdiǎn) Disadvantage
- 准确 (zhǔnquè) Accurate
- 摸 (mò) To touch; To feel
- 买家 (mǎijiā) Buyer
- 评价 (píngjià) Judgement; Evaluation; To judge (in the context of this text, 评价 is used as review)
- 判断 (pànduàn) To judge
- 差评 (chàpíng) Negative reviews
- 好评 (hǎopíng) Good reviews
- 合适 (héshì) Suitable (as in something fits both literally or figuratively, i.e. a foreign language level or the right size shirt)
- 退换 (tuìhuàn) To exchange
- 退款 (tuìkuǎn) A refund; To refund
- 注册 (zhùcè) To register
- 质量 (zhìliàng) Quality
- 实体商店 (shítǐshāngdiàn) Brick and mortar store
Grammar Points
- 离不开… líbukāi…
离不开… describes something that someone enjoys very much. It also denotes that one enjoys something to the point of not being able to leave (离) without it.
- 我离不开淘宝
I can’t be without Taobao。
- 他天天都玩电子游戏，就离不开电视。
He plays video games every day. He can’t be without a TV.
- 我离不开手机。如果没有手机，我不知道我会怎么办。
I can’t be without my phone. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have it.
- 一般 yībān
As an adverb, 一般 means usually or generally.
- 我一般不吃肉。
I usually don’t eat meat.
- 一般这一类的产品我都是在网上买的。
Usually I buy this type of product online.
As an adjective, 一般 means so-so or mediocre.
- 质量比较一般的价格也很便宜。
The price of products with mediocre quality is also very cheap.
- 我觉得那部电影很一般。
I think that film is very mediocre.
- 一般来说 yībānláishuō
一般来说 is an adverb meaning generally speaking.
- 一般来说网上买商品比商店要便宜。
Generally speaking, buying products online is cheaper than in-store.
- 比如说… bǐrǔshuō…
比如说 is a very useful phrase meaning for example. 比如 is also an acceptable form of 比如说
a. 我想住在一座大城市里，比如洛杉矶和纽约。
I want to live in a big city, Los Angeles or New York for example.
b. 我的亲人都很高。我的妈妈，比如说，比一般人要高。
My family members are all very tall. My mother, for example, is taller than most people.
- …的话 de huà
…的话 is an informal way to make a conditional if statement. …的话can be used in conjunction with 如果.
- 你去外面的话，应该带雨伞。
If you go outside, you should bring an umbrella.
- 如果我网上购物的话，先看买家的评价。
If I buy things online, I look at previous buyers’ reviews.
- 啦 la／嗯 en
啦 is a sentence-final particle. 啦 tends to lighten the tone of an utterance or denote happiness or excitement. Note that this particle is not used in formal writing and often appears in spoken language. 嗯 is similar to the English m-hmm. It is a spoken particle often used to show understanding or agreement. Similar to 啦, 嗯 is not used in formal writing and is used almost exclusively in spoken language.
Creating an Account
This is the login page for Taobao. Notice the QR code option in the top-right corner of the login box. The text reads QR code scan logins is even more safe. While popular websites such as Taobao have English language websites, these terms show up in many different day-to-day scenarios. Try to find the following vocabulary words in the Taobao login page image below.
- 账户 (zhànghù) Account
- 登录 (děnglù) Log in
- 密码 (mìmǎ) Password
- 扫码 (sǎomǎ) To scan (in this case, a QR code)
Taobao’s login page
Writing/Discussion Practice
- Write down or discuss the following topic questions:
- 你用过网上购物吗？你觉得怎么样？
- 你会用哪些网上购物？
- Have you ever shopped online? What do you think?
- What online shopping sites do you use?