Asking Where to Find Items in a Chinese Grocery Store
Learn to ask 'Where can I find ___?' in a Chinese grocery store using 在哪儿 and 在哪里, with polite openers, aisle vocabulary, and follow-up questions.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In a Chinese grocery store, the most useful question is not 'Do you have ___?' but 'Where can I find ___?' Chinese expresses location with the pattern 在哪儿 (zài nǎr) or 在哪里 (zài nǎlǐ), placed after the thing you are looking for. This lesson teaches you to name a product, ask where it is, understand a short answer, and ask one follow-up. You will also learn a polite opener, 请问 (qǐngwèn), and the difference between 哪儿 and 哪里. All examples use simplified Chinese and pinyin with tone marks.
By the end, you can…
- ask where a grocery item is using 在哪儿 or 在哪里.
- name at least six common grocery items in Mandarin.
- understand a short location answer such as 在那边 or 在二楼.
- use 请问 to make my question polite before asking a stranger.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
请问，牛奶在哪儿？
Excuse me, where is the milk?
qǐngwèn, niúnǎi zài nǎr?
Polite opener plus item plus 在哪儿. Use with a staff member or another shopper.
请问，洗手间在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the restroom?
qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?
哪里 is slightly more formal than 哪儿 and is common in southern China and in writing. Both mean 'where'.
鸡蛋在哪儿？
Where are the eggs?
jīdàn zài nǎr?
No 请问 when you are already talking to a staff member. Chinese nouns do not change for plural.
在那边。
Over there.
zài nàbiān.
A very common short answer. 那边 means 'that side' or 'over there'.
在二楼。
On the second floor.
zài èr lóu.
Floors are counted with 楼. In mainland China, 一楼 is the ground floor, so 二楼 is one level above the street.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: item + 在哪儿/在哪里? For example, 面包在哪儿? (miànbāo zài nǎr? 'Where is the bread?') or 大米在哪里? (dàmǐ zài nǎlǐ? 'Where is the rice?'). Chinese does not use a separate word like 'is' before the item in this question; 在 already means 'be at'. To be polite, put 请问 (qǐngwèn) at the very front: 请问，苹果在哪儿? (qǐngwèn, píngguǒ zài nǎr? 'Excuse me, where are the apples?'). The item comes before 在哪儿, not after it.
When to use it
Use 请问 + item + 在哪儿 when you approach a staff member or another shopper. Use 在哪里 in more formal settings, in writing, or if you are in a region where 哪里 is more common. If you already know the general area, you can ask a narrower question: 牛奶在哪个货架? (niúnǎi zài nǎge huòjià? 'Which shelf is the milk on?'). If you cannot understand the answer, say 对不起，请再说一遍 (duìbuqǐ, qǐng zài shuō yí biàn 'Sorry, please say that again').
Understanding the answer
Answers usually begin with 在: 在那边 (zài nàbiān 'over there'), 在左边 (zài zuǒbiān 'on the left'), 在右边 (zài yòubiān 'on the right'), 在二楼 (zài èr lóu 'on the second floor'), or 在收银台旁边 (zài shōuyíntái pángbiān 'next to the checkout counter'). Listen for the first 在 and the location word after it. If you hear 没有 (méiyǒu 'we don't have it'), the item is out of stock.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
请问，牛奶在哪儿？
Excuse me, where is the milk?qǐngwèn, niúnǎi zài nǎr?在那边，面包旁边。
Over there, next to the bread.zài nàbiān, miànbāo pángbiān.谢谢。鸡蛋也在那边吗？
Thank you. Are the eggs over there too?xièxie. jīdàn yě zài nàbiān ma?鸡蛋在二楼。
The eggs are on the second floor.jīdàn zài èr lóu.A little context goes a long way
In Chinese grocery stores, staff are usually addressed with 请问 rather than a bare question. 哪儿 is common in northern speech, while 哪里 is common in the south and in formal writing; both are correct. Do not add 吗 to a 在哪儿 question, because it already contains a question word. A short 谢谢 after the answer is normal and appreciated.
One thing to watch for
Saying 牛奶在哪儿有? or 哪儿有牛奶在? by copying English word order.
Try this instead: Keep the item first and the location question second: 牛奶在哪儿? (niúnǎi zài nǎr?). If you want to ask 'Do you have milk?', use a different pattern: 有牛奶吗? (yǒu niúnǎi ma?). Do not mix the two patterns.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Excuse me, where are the eggs?'
Show a sample answer
请问，鸡蛋在哪儿？
请问 makes it polite, 鸡蛋 is the item, and 在哪儿 asks the location. 请问，鸡蛋在哪里？ is also correct and slightly more formal.
2A staff member says 在二楼. What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
It means 'on the second floor.'
在 marks location and 二楼 means second floor. In mainland China, 一楼 is the ground floor, so 二楼 is one level above the street.
3What is wrong with 在哪儿牛奶?
Show a sample answer
The word order is wrong; the item should come first.
Chinese places the item before 在哪儿: 牛奶在哪儿? The alternative 牛奶在哪里? is also correct.
To find anything in a Chinese grocery store, say 请问, name the item, then add 在哪儿 or 在哪里: 请问，牛奶在哪儿？
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