084: How to Talk About the Cost of Living in Mandarin Chinese

By Learnmandarinnow

Sometimes it seems that the cost of living keeps going up: rents, food and general living costs. How to discuss this with your colleagues and friends and decide how best to manage?

In this Podcast, you will learn:

(1) To talk about costs which always seem to be going up

(2) How to describe, with emphasis, some of the costs which are increasing

Dialogue: 

A:天呐,最近的房价真是疯涨!Tiān nà, zuìjìn de fángjià zhēnshi fēng zhǎng!

Oh my god, recently house price have increased crazily!

B:可不是么!而且从下月起咱们的房租也要涨了。Kě bùshì me! Érqiě cóng xià yuè qǐ zánmen de fángzū yě yào zhǎngle.

Yes, and also our rent is going to increase from next month as well.

A: 唉,真糟糕。不过……我倒是有个好消息。Āi, zhēn zāogāo. Bùguò……wǒ dǎoshì yǒu gè hǎo xiāoxī.

That’s terrible. But…. I do have some good news!

B: 什么什么?快说呀!Shénme shénme? Kuài shuō ya!

What is it? Tell me quickly!

A: 我今天升职了!我下月要涨工资了!Wǒ jīntiān shēngrìle! Wǒ xià yuè yào zhǎng gōngzīle!

I got promoted today. My salary is going to increase next month!

Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:

最近:recent

真糟糕: terrible

也:too, as well

不过:but

好消息:good news

什么什么:What? (repeating the word twice shows he/she really wants to know quickly).

快说:Please do tell me quickly

升职:got promotion

下个月:next month

涨工资:salary increase

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