Answer Key – Quiz Time! What Does East + West Actually Mean?

Xiǎo Míng: “Xiǎo Hóng, nà jiā diàn dōngxi zhìliàng zěnmeyàng a?”
小明：“小红，那家店东西质量怎么样啊？”
Xiao Ming: “Xiao Hong, how about the quality of goods at that store?”

Xiǎo Hóng: “Xiāngdāng hǎo, wǒ hái xiǎng zài nà jiā diàn mǎi dōngxi ne.”
小红：“相当好，我还想在那家店买东西呢。”
Xiao Hong: “Quite good, I still want to buy something there.”

The important thing to look at when deciding the meaning of “东西 (dōngxi)” in a sentence is what it is paired with, or what words it appears next to. In this sentence we see “东西质量 (dōngxi zhìliàng).” When Xiao Ming asks about the “质量 (zhìliàng)” which means quality, he is asking about the quality of the store’s goods. Therefore, we know from the dialogue that the correct answer is B.