What to say when someone asks you in Chinese where the toothbrushes are in a drugstore
While you shop in a drugstore, a traveler suddenly speaks to you in Chinese. They seem to be looking for toothbrushes. What will you do?
The labels "Natural", "Gets across" and "Off track" and the one-line reasons are also written by AI as a rough guide. They are not guaranteed to be correct.
The people, their names and personalities, the scenes, directions, shop layouts and dishes are made up for practice. They are not real people, and they do not match real places.
Exchange 1 of 3
They
你好，请问牙刷在哪儿？
Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn yáshuā zài nǎr?
Hello. Excuse me, where are the toothbrushes?
The first line changes a little with each person
- 小丽 嗨，你知道牙刷在哪儿吗？我转了一圈也没找到。
Hāi, nǐ zhīdào yáshuā zài nǎr ma? Wǒ zhuàn le yì quān yě méi zhǎodào.
Hi, do you know where the toothbrushes are? I walked all around and couldn't find them. - 小静 不好意思，打扰一下。请问牙刷在哪儿？这家店东西太多，我找不到。
Bù hǎoyìsi, dǎrǎo yíxià. Qǐngwèn yáshuā zài nǎr? Zhè jiā diàn dōngxi tài duō, wǒ zhǎo bu dào.
Excuse me, sorry to bother you. Where are the toothbrushes? This store has so many things that I can't find them. - 小乐 你好！哇，这家店东西真多！请问牙刷在哪儿？
Nǐ hǎo! Wā, zhè jiā diàn dōngxi zhēn duō! Qǐngwèn yáshuā zài nǎr?
Hello! Wow, this store has so many things! Where are the toothbrushes? - 小梅 你好，请问牙刷在哪儿？我自己找了一会儿，没找到。
Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn yáshuā zài nǎr? Wǒ zìjǐ zhǎo le yíhuìr, méi zhǎodào.
Hello. Where are the toothbrushes? I looked for a while by myself but couldn't find them.
Example replies and how they sound
我觉得在旁边那排货架上。
Wǒ juéde zài pángbiān nà pái huòjià shang.
I think they're on the next row of shelves.
Natural This sounds natural. "我觉得" lets you say it without sounding too sure. "货架" is a store shelf.
对，我每天都刷牙。
Duì, wǒ měi tiān dōu shuāyá.
Yes, I brush my teeth every day.
Off track This does not answer the question. They asked where the toothbrushes are.
在那边。
Zài nàbian.
Over there.
Gets across This works if you point. "我觉得在那边。" sounds softer.
Exchange 2 of 3
They
谢谢。还有，这儿卖雨伞吗？
Xièxie. Hái yǒu, zhèr mài yǔsǎn ma?
Thanks. And do they sell umbrellas here?
Example replies and how they sound
可能有。我不知道。
Kěnéng yǒu. Wǒ bù zhīdào.
Maybe. I don't know.
Gets across This works, but it does not tell them what to do next. Adding where they might be is kinder.
我不太确定，可能在门口附近。
Wǒ bú tài quèdìng, kěnéng zài ménkǒu fùjìn.
I'm not sure, but they might be near the entrance.
Natural This sounds natural. "可能" means "might". It lets you say something you are not sure about.
没有，现在没下雨。
Méiyǒu, xiànzài méi xià yǔ.
No, it's not raining now.
Off track This does not answer the question. They asked whether they sell umbrellas.
Exchange 3 of 3
They
好的，我去看看。谢谢你帮忙！
Hǎo de, wǒ qù kànkan. Xièxie nǐ bāngmáng!
Okay, I'll take a look. Thank you for your help!
Example replies and how they sound
对，我是。
Duì, wǒ shì.
Yes, I am.
Off track This is not a reply to thanks. "对，我是" is a reply to "你是…吗？"
不客气。希望你能找到。
Bú kèqi. Xīwàng nǐ néng zhǎodào.
You're welcome. I hope you find them.
Natural This sounds natural. "希望你能找到" shows that you care.
好。再见。
Hǎo. Zàijiàn.
OK. Bye.
Gets across This works, but it sounds a little curt. Saying "不客气" first sounds friendlier.
The closing line
They
多谢，再见！
Duōxiè, zàijiàn!
Thanks a lot. Goodbye!
Useful phrases for this scene
- 我觉得在旁边那排货架上。
Wǒ juéde zài pángbiān nà pái huòjià shang.
I think they're on the next row of shelves. - 我不太确定，可能在门口附近。
Wǒ bú tài quèdìng, kěnéng zài ménkǒu fùjìn.
I'm not sure, but they might be near the entrance. - 希望你能找到。
Xīwàng nǐ néng zhǎodào.
I hope you find them. - 不好意思，能再说一遍吗？
Bù hǎoyìsi, néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?
Sorry, could you say that again?
The lines, the pinyin, the notes and the English translations were written by AI. They have not been checked by a native Chinese speaker. The notes and the explanations of the names were compared with a dictionary by AI, but they have not been checked by a native Chinese speaker or a specialist.
The people, their names and personalities, the scenes, directions, shop layouts and dishes are made up for practice. They are not real people, and they do not match real places.
The pinyin has tone marks. "一" and "不" are written with the tones they take in speech (after tone change). Neutral-tone syllables have no mark. No person has checked that the pinyin matches the audio.
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