Spoken Mandarin Days 76–90: Daily Speaking Practice with Audio

By the end you can

• Say how long you've been learning and what you find hardest. Put 了 at the end of a sentence with a length of time to say it is still going on, and ask back with 你觉得哪儿最难？
  快三个月了，每天练半个小时。 · Kuài sān ge yuè le, měi tiān liàn bàn ge xiǎoshí. · Almost three months. I practise for half an hour every day.
• Compare two places and recommend one you love. Compare softly with A 没有 B 那么 + adjective, say when two places are alike with 跟…一样, and give two good things at once with 又…又.
  成都没有北京那么冷，吃的也更多。 · Chéngdū méiyǒu Běijīng nàme lěng, chī de yě gèng duō. · Chengdu isn't as cold as Beijing, and there's more to eat.
• Bargain kindly at a market stall. Ask for a better price with 能便宜一点儿吗？, offer a price for two, and say spoken prices the short way: 一百五 is 150, and 一百零五 is 105.
  我买两个，一百五，可以吗？ · Wǒ mǎi liǎng ge, yìbǎi wǔ, kěyǐ ma? · If I buy two, how about a hundred and fifty?
• Clear up a misunderstanding and talk about a habit. Fix a mix-up with 我是说… and pair 以为 with 原来 for what you wrongly thought, then put 多 or 少 before the verb to change a habit.
  我不是这个意思。 · Wǒ bú shì zhège yìsi. · That's not what I meant.
• Report a problem at home and describe a family tradition. Tell the landlord when it started with 从 + time + 开始, and describe New Year at Grandma's with 一直 + verb + 到.
  家里没有热水了。 · Jiā li méiyǒu rèshuǐ le. · There's no hot water at home.
• Congratulate, comfort and give a short toast. Use 恭喜 for good news and 祝 for wishes, comfort a friend with 别着急，慢慢来, and raise a glass with 敬, or with tea and 以茶代酒.
  我敬大家一杯！ · Wǒ jìng dàjiā yì bēi! · A toast to everyone!
• Share hopes and worries, tell a funny story and ask deeper questions. Say what you hope and fear with 希望 and 怕, bring in a story's twist with 结果, and ask what matters with 对…来说 or a 如果 question.
  对你来说，什么最重要？ · Duì nǐ lái shuō, shénme zuì zhòngyào? · What matters most to you?

What’s inside

• Day 76: How Long Have You Been Learning?
• Day 77: Compare Two Places to Live
• Day 78: Recommend a Place You Love
• Day 79: Bargain Kindly at a Market Stall
• Day 80: That's Not What I Meant
• Day 81: A Habit You Want to Change
• Day 82: No Hot Water: Call the Landlord
• Day 83: Family New Year Traditions
• Day 84: Share Good News, Say Congrats
• Day 85: Comfort a Friend
• Day 86: Give a Short Toast
• Day 87: Hopes and Worries Ahead
• Day 88: Tell a Funny Story
• Day 89: Ask Deeper Questions
• Day 90: A Fifteen-Minute Conversation

How to use this book

One page a day, ten minutes, out loud. Play the audio and say each line in the pause. Then say the exchange three times: once reading, once looking up from the page, once with your own details.

1. Days 76–79: Learning, places and prices. Say how long you've been learning, compare two cities with 没有…那么, recommend a place with 又…又 and bargain at a stall.
2. Days 80–83: Mix-ups and everyday problems. Clear up a misunderstanding with 以为 and 原来, change a habit, call the landlord about hot water and describe New Year traditions.
3. Days 84–86: Good news, bad news and a toast. Congratulate with 恭喜, comfort a friend with 别着急，慢慢来, and give a short, warm toast with 敬.
4. Days 87–89: Longer, deeper talk. Say your hopes and worries with 希望 and 怕, tell a funny story with 结果, and ask a deeper question with 对…来说.
5. Day 90: A fifteen-minute conversation. Read the dialogue on page 17, fill the gaps with 以为 and 结果, then talk for fifteen minutes with a partner or record yourself, using a line from each day.

Who it’s for

Learners who finished Days 61–75, or anyone who can already catch up with friends, tell a short story and sort out small problems in Mandarin, and wants to finish 90 days of daily speaking.

Before you start: About 75 days of spoken basics. Every line is printed in characters, pinyin and English, and the free audio reads each one with a pause for you to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

What do the fifteen days cover?

One page a day, one exchange each: how long you've been learning, comparing two places with 没有…那么, bargaining, clearing up a mix-up with 以为 and 原来, New Year traditions, comforting a friend, a toast, your hopes and worries, and a funny story told with 结果.

Is this the last book of the 90-day course?

Yes. It finishes the course that starts with Your First 14 Days of Spoken Mandarin and goes on with Days 15–30, Days 31–60 and Days 61–75. If you are just starting, begin with the first book.

How long does each day take?

About ten minutes, out loud. Play the audio and say each line in the pause, then say the exchange three times: once reading, once looking up from the page, and once with your own details.

What happens on Day 90?

You read the dialogue on page 17, fill the gaps with 以为 and 结果, then talk for fifteen minutes with a partner or record yourself, using a line from each day.

Is there audio?

Yes, free on the book's page on saymei.app: one track for each day, with every Chinese line followed by a pause so you can say it back before the next line plays.

I don't drink alcohol. Can I still give the toast on Day 86?

Yes. Raise your tea and say 以茶代酒 (tea in place of wine). Day 86 gives a whole line for it: 我不喝酒，以茶代酒，敬你一杯！ The page also explains why many people touch their glass a little lower than an older person's.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

Keep a Mandarin Conversation Going · Talk About Your Day: Mandarin Daily Routines Workbook · Hobbies in Chinese: Sports, Free Time and Invitations · Spoken Mandarin Days 15–30: Your Next Two Weeks of Speaking · Browse all 294 workbooks