Mandarin Chinese: Ask "Is This Fresh?" and "When Was This Picked?"
Learn beginner Mandarin questions to check freshness: 新鲜吗? and 什么时候摘的? with pinyin, tone notes, and polite market usage.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you buy food in a Chinese-speaking market or ask about produce, "Is this fresh?" and "When was this picked?" are two of the most practical questions you can ask. In Mandarin, these are not built with a verb "to be" the way English uses "is." Instead, you often use the adjective 新鲜 (xīnxiān, fresh) with the question particle 吗 (ma), or ask a question with 什么时候 (shénme shíhou, when) and a verb phrase. This lesson gives you complete, beginner-friendly sentences you can say as-is. You will also learn how to ask about picking time with 摘 (zhāi, to pick), how to use 的 (de) at the end of a question about a specific item, and how to keep your tone polite in shops. The focus is narrow: asking about freshness and picking time, not describing food in general.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a specific item is fresh using 新鲜吗?
- ask when a fruit or vegetable was picked using 什么时候摘的?
- use 这个 and 这些 to point to the item I mean.
- understand a short answer about freshness or picking time.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
这个新鲜吗？
Is this fresh?
zhè ge xīnxiān ma?
Use 这个 for one item you can point to. 吗 turns the statement into a yes/no question. Tones: zhè (4th), ge (neutral), xīn (1st), xiān (1st), ma (neutral).
这些新鲜吗？
Are these fresh?
zhè xiē xīnxiān ma?
Use 这些 for more than one item. Chinese nouns do not add a plural ending, so 这些 does the plural work here.
这个是什么时候摘的？
When was this picked?
zhè ge shì shénme shíhou zhāi de?
This asks about picking time for one item. 摘 means to pick fruit, vegetables, or tea leaves. The final 的 often appears in questions about a completed action.
是今天摘的吗？
Was it picked today?
shì jīntiān zhāi de ma?
A yes/no question about picking time. 今天 means today. Use this when you want to confirm a specific day.
新鲜，今天早上摘的。
It's fresh, it was picked this morning.
xīnxiān, jīntiān zǎoshang zhāi de.
A common seller's answer. 今天早上 means this morning. Notice that the adjective 新鲜 can stand alone as a short answer.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For a yes/no freshness question, use: item + 新鲜吗？ For example, 这个新鲜吗？ (Is this fresh?) or 这些新鲜吗？ (Are these fresh?) Mandarin does not need the verb 是 (shì, to be) before an adjective in this pattern. For picking time, use: item + 是什么时候摘的？ For example, 这个是什么时候摘的？ (When was this picked?) You can replace 什么时候 with a specific time: 是今天摘的吗？ (Was it picked today?) The final 的 is common when asking about a completed action such as picking.
When to use it
Use 这个新鲜吗？ when you are holding or pointing to one piece of fruit, one fish, or one bunch of vegetables. Use 这些新鲜吗？ for a group, such as several peaches or a pile of greens. Use 这个是什么时候摘的？ for produce where picking time matters, especially fruit, vegetables, and tea. In a shop, you can soften the question by starting with 请问 (qǐngwèn, may I ask): 请问，这个新鲜吗？ This is polite and common. If you are asking about meat or fish, 新鲜 is still useful, but 摘 does not fit because 摘 is for picking plants. For fish, ask 这个新鲜吗？ instead.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
老板，这个新鲜吗？
Boss, is this fresh?lǎobǎn, zhè ge xīnxiān ma?新鲜，今天早上摘的。
It's fresh, it was picked this morning.xīnxiān, jīntiān zǎoshang zhāi de.这些是什么时候摘的？
When were these picked?zhè xiē shì shénme shíhou zhāi de?昨天下午摘的，很新鲜。
They were picked yesterday afternoon, very fresh.zuótiān xiàwǔ zhāi de, hěn xīnxiān.A little context goes a long way
In many Chinese markets, asking 新鲜吗？ is normal and expected, especially at wet markets and fruit stands. Calling a seller 老板 (lǎobǎn) is common and friendly, but you can also simply say 你好 (nǐ hǎo) first. Sellers may answer with a specific time, such as 今天早上摘的, because picking time is a common way to show freshness. Direct questions are usually fine, but adding 请问 makes them more polite in unfamiliar shops.
One thing to watch for
Saying 这个是新鲜吗？ by adding 是 before 新鲜.
Try this instead: Do not add 是 before the adjective in this pattern. Say 这个新鲜吗？ (Is this fresh?). Use 是 when asking about identity or picking time, as in 这个是什么时候摘的？ (When was this picked?).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask "Is this fresh?" about one item?
Show a sample answer
这个新鲜吗？
这个 points to one item, 新鲜 means fresh, and 吗 makes it a yes/no question. 这个很新鲜吗？ is also possible if you want to ask "Is this very fresh?", but the basic form is 这个新鲜吗？
2How do you ask "When was this picked?" about one item?
Show a sample answer
这个是什么时候摘的？
是什么时候 asks "when," 摘 means to pick, and 的 commonly ends a question about a completed action. You may also hear 这个什么时候摘的？ without 是; both are understandable.
3A seller says 今天早上摘的. What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
It was picked this morning.
今天早上 means this morning, 摘 means picked, and 的 marks the completed action. The seller may also add 很新鲜 (very fresh).
For freshness, ask 这个新鲜吗？ or 这些新鲜吗？ For picking time, ask 这个是什么时候摘的？ Keep 是 out of the freshness question, and use 摘 only for picked produce.
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