Xiaoyu and Chen Hao have dinner at Auntie Wang's. They bring fruit, and she refuses to take it.
Auntie Wang
快进来，外面冷。
Kuài jìnlái, wàimian lěng.
Come in quickly, it is cold out there.
Xiaoyu
王阿姨，这是我们带来的水果。
Wáng āyí, zhè shì wǒmen dài lái de shuǐguǒ.
Auntie Wang, we have brought you some fruit.
Auntie Wang
来就来，还带什么东西。
Lái jiù lái, hái dài shénme dōngxi.
Coming was quite enough, you should not have brought anything.
Chen Hao
一点儿小东西，您别客气。
Yīdiǎnr xiǎo dōngxi, nín bié kèqi.
It is a small thing, do not stand on ceremony.
Auntie Wang
菜差不多好了，你们先坐，喝点儿茶。
Cài chàbuduō hǎo le, nǐmen xiān zuò, hē diǎnr chá.
The food is almost ready, sit down and have some tea.
Xiaoyu
需要我帮您拿碗和筷子吗？
Xūyào wǒ bāng nín ná wǎn hé kuàizi ma ?
Would you like me to get the bowls and chopsticks out?
Auntie Wang
不用，都准备好了。尝尝这个鱼。
Bù yòng, dōu zhǔnbèi hǎo le. Chángchang zhè gè yú.
No need, it is all ready. Try this fish.
Chen Hao
真香！您做的鱼比饭馆的还好吃。
Zhēn xiāng ! Nín zuò de yú bǐ fànguǎn de hái hǎochī.
It smells wonderful! Your fish is better than any restaurant.
Auntie Wang
你们爱吃就多吃点儿。
Nǐmen ài chī jiù duō chī diǎnr.
If you like it, have some more.
Xiaoyu
阿姨，这个菜怎么做的？我也想学。
Āyí, zhè gè cài zěnme zuò de ? Wǒ yě xiǎng xué.
Auntie, how is this dish made? I would like to learn.
Auntie Wang
很简单，下次我教你。
Hěn jiǎndān, xiàcì wǒ jiāo nǐ.
It is very simple, I will show you next time.
A Chinese host first refuses what is held out, and the guest insists. Word for word the phrase means: coming is coming, so why bring anything. It is not asking you to take the parcel home; it says your presence was enough. The expected answer is 一点儿小东西, a trifle, which belittles the gift so that it can be accepted.
尝尝, 看看, 坐坐: repeating the verb turns an order into a suggestion, and a visit into a call. The second copy is pronounced without a tone. In writing you also meet 尝一尝, which is the same thing with more weight. A two-syllable verb is doubled whole, 休息休息, never 休休息.
The complement of degree can carry a whole comparison: after 得 you put 比饭馆还好吃, better than a restaurant. The sentence then obeys two rules at once, that of 得 and that of 比, with no change of order. It is the commonest compliment at table, and it is worth more than 很好吃, which is said everywhere.
