Chen Hao is having his hair cut. He says what he wants, has the water cooled down, and pays.
The hairdresser
您好，今天剪头发吗？
Nín hǎo, jīntiān jiǎn tóufa ma ?
Hello, is it a cut today?
Chen Hao
对，想剪短一点儿。
Duì, xiǎng jiǎn duǎn yīdiǎnr.
Yes, I would like it a bit shorter.
The hairdresser
剪多短？两厘米可以吗？
Jiǎn duō duǎn ? Liǎng límǐ kěyǐ ma ?
How much shorter? Would two centimetres do?
Chen Hao
可以。后面短一点儿，前面别动。
Kěyǐ. Hòumian duǎn yīdiǎnr, qiánmiàn bié dòng.
That is fine. Shorter at the back, but leave the front alone.
The hairdresser
好。先洗一下头，水热吗？
Hǎo. Xiān xǐ yīxià tóu, shuǐ rè ma ?
Right. Let us wash it first. Is the water hot enough?
Chen Hao
有点儿热，可以凉一点儿吗？
Yǒudiǎnr rè, kěyǐ liáng yīdiǎnr ma ?
A bit too hot, could you make it cooler?
The hairdresser
这样呢？
Zhèyàng ne ?
How is that?
Chen Hao
好多了，谢谢。
Hǎo duō le, xièxie.
Much better, thank you.
The hairdresser
剪完了，您看看。一共三十五块。
Jiǎn wán le, nín kànkan. Yīgòng sānshí wǔ kuài.
All done, have a look. Thirty-five yuan altogether.
Chen Hao
很好，给您。
Hěn hǎo, gěi nín.
Very good, here you are.
English says "to have a haircut", "to shave", "to wash"; Chinese always names what is being acted on. 剪头发 to cut the hair, 洗头 to wash the head, 刮胡子 to shave the beard. A bare verb, 我剪, would be left hanging. This holds far beyond the salon: 吃饭 to eat rice, 说话 to speak words, 唱歌 to sing a song.
好多了 means "much better than before". The adjective, then 多了: 便宜多了 much cheaper, 快多了 much faster. For a smaller difference you say 好一点儿. Both go after the adjective, never before, and both assume a comparison with the earlier state, which there is no need to state.
两厘米 is two centimetres. China measures in 米, 厘米 and 公里 as Europe does, and clothing sizes are given in centimetres of chest measurement. Only one traditional unit survives in daily life, the 斤 of the markets, which is five hundred grams.
