Memaafkan Merupakan Suatu Seni

Tidak sedikit orang yang beranggapan sangat sulit mengampuni orang lain. Dalam kehidupan ini, acapkali kita tidak bisa menghindar ketika hak kita dilanggar oleh orang lain.

Mungkin mobil Anda didahului dan dipotong jalannya, mungkin telepon Anda tidak dihiraukan orang lain, bukan semua orang bisa menggunakan cara yang Anda sukai dalam memperlakukan Anda. Meski dalam menghadapi perilaku orang lain kita tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa, tetapi kita bisa memutuskan reaksi apa yang kita ambil ketika kita dilanggar oleh orang lain.
Mengapa memaafkan?

Pertama-tama ingatlah bahwa memaafkan orang lain adalah hadiah dan dorongan yang paling besar bagi diri sendiri. Tidak memaafkan orang lain selamanya, hanya akan membuat hubungan Anda dengan orang itu tidak bisa dipulihkan seperti sedia kala. Anda sendiri mungkin sudah lupa akan segala perilaku orang lain terhadap Anda, tetapi jika teringat akan kejadian itu Anda masih bisa marah, karena Anda sudah terbiasa demikian.

Jika Anda terlalu terpusat pada kesalahan orang lain dan tidak mencoba untuk mengoreksi mereka, mungkin akan membuat persoalan semakin menyimpang dari rel yang sebenarnya. Jangan sampai dituntun dan dikuasai oleh kemarahan.

Selain itu yang perlu Anda pertimbangkan adalah akibat yang dibawa saat Anda menyalahkan orang lain. Mungkin Anda berpendapat bahwa Hitler tidak bisa diampuni, saya juga setuju dengan pendapat itu. Karena orang pada umumnya berpendapat mengampuni Hitler berarti telah merongrong kebenaran dan keadilan.

Tetapi bagaimana menghadapi orang yang hanya mengkritik Anda dengan nada kasar? Perlukah Anda menaruh dendam pada mereka seumur hidup? Demi mereka, kita menerima tekanan sehingga tekanan darah kita menjadi naik apakah hal tersebut patut? Mengapa tidak tersenyum saja untuk melewatkan peristiwa itu? Anda mempersalahkan mereka adalah reaksi yang masuk akal, tetapi bukan merupakan pilihan yang terbaik.
Memaafkan orang lain

Agar bisa memaafkan orang lain, pertama-tama Anda harus jelas amarah itu datang dari mana. Kadang kala kita sudah memastikan bahwa orang yang menyalahi kita adalah seorang berandal, tetapi ini adalah semata-mata dugaan saja, mungkin ada alasan-alasan yang tidak terpikirkan oleh kita.

Mengapa ada orang yang mendahului dan memotong jalan kita? Mungkin mereka sedang bergegas menuju ke rumah sakit, mungkin mereka hampir kehabisan waktu untuk menghadiri suatu wawancara penting, mungkin mereka hendak menghindari seseorang dan mendadak berbalik arah.

Mengapa ada orang yang mengesampingkan telepon Anda? Mungkin mereka sedang disibukkan oleh pasiennya sehingga kelupaan, mungkin mereka sedang mencarikan orang yang bisa menyelesaikan persoalan Anda, mungkin juga sambungan telepon internal mereka sedang bermasalah sehingga telepon Anda dihubungkan ke tempat yang tidak berhubungan dengan Anda.

Mengapa ada sales yang pelayanannya kurang memuaskan Anda? Mungkin sales itu baru pertama kali bekerja, mungkin pelatihan mereka kurang bagus, mungkin pelanggan sebelum Anda sangat rewel sekali sehingga membuat dia menjadi sangat kesal.

Dalam banyak situasi, sebagian orang menyalahi Anda karena tingkah laku mereka yang kurang sopan atau kurang pantas tanpa sebab yang jelas, sebenarnya mereka juga merasa menyesal. Atau kemungkinan mereka tidak menyadari bahwa mereka telah menyalahi Anda!

Jangan sembarangan menduga-duga, lebih baik berdiskusilah dengan mereka. Bicarakan apa yang sedang mereka lakukan, mengapa Anda merasa bahwa tindakan mereka itu tidak benar, beritahukanlah kepada mereka tindakan mereka itu membuat Anda merasakan kurang nyaman. Jika mereka melakukan tindakan itu tanpa sengaja, mengapa kita tidak memilih untuk memaafkan mereka?
Memaafkan diri sendiri

Kadangkala orang paling sulit memaafkan diri sendiri. Orang lain melakukan kesalahan, kita bisa memandangnya dari sisi yang obyektif, mungkin mereka sudah berusaha sekuat tenaga. Tetapi, ketika kita melakukan kesalahan yang sama, sebaliknya tidak bisa memandang diri sendiri secara obyektif.

Umumnya kita memikirkan kembali setiap langkah dengan teliti, berpikir alangkah baiknya jika kita bisa melakukan demikian. Orang lain mungkin bisa memahami kesalahan yang kita lakukan, lalu bagaimana jika kita redakan kecaman yang paling keras terhadap diri sendiri?

Persis seperti saat kita memperlakukan orang lain, Anda harus mempertimbangkan akibat dari mempersalahkan diri sendiri. Umumnya Anda tidak akan melakukan kesalahan yang besar. Jika bisa dikoreksi maka koreksilah, jika tidak bisa maka lain kali dilakukan dengan benar.

Bila perlu, ketika Anda tidak bisa mengontrol situasi itu dengan baik maka sebisanya Anda hindari situasi tersebut. Tetapi jangan membiarkan rasa penyesalan menyelubungi diri Anda, karena hal tersebut merupakan salah satu perasaan yang paling tidak berguna bagi Anda.

Sudahkah Anda memafkan orang-orang yang bersalah pada Anda hari ini?

Empat Orang Kelaparan

Dahulu kala ada dua orang yang kelaparan, mereka berdua tidak memiliki uang sama sekali, dalam perjalanan mereka bertemu dengan seorang tua yang baik hati, memberikan kepada mereka sebuah alat pancing dan satu keranjang ikan segar.

Salah satu orang berpikir, asalkan saya menggunakan alat pancing tersebut untuk memancing ikan, di kemudian hari saya selamanya tidak perlu merisaukan pangan. Orang yang satunya lagi matanya memandang ke sekeranjang ikan dengan rakus, dia penasaran hendak segera menghabiskan sekeranjang ikan segar itu.

Dua orang masing-masing mempunyai pemikiran yang berbeda, akhirnya mereka mendapatkan sesuai dengan keinginan masing-masing. Karena sudah tak sabar hendak mencapai tujuannya, di samping itu mereka juga takut pihak lain akan berubah pikiran, maka kedua orang tersebut cepat-cepat memisahkan diri.

Orang yang mendapat sekeranjang ikan segar, dengan segera mencari sebuah tempat untuk menyulut api dan memasak semua ikan dalam keranjang itu. Setelah matang, dia melahapnya hingga habis. Sehingga di kemudian hari, orang tersebut meninggal kelaparan di samping keranjang ikan yang telah kosong.

Lantas bagaimana nasib seorang lagi? Dia sudah kelaparan hingga badan lemas, mata berkunang-kunang, dengan membawa tangkai pancing dia berjalan sambil merangkak (karena hampir kehabisan tenaga) menuju ke arah pantai. Ketika terlihat olehnya di depan terbentang lautan luas, sisa tenaga yang ada dalam dirinya telah terkuras habis. Dengan tangan masih menggenggam erat tangkai pancing, dia meninggal dunia.

Di kemudian hari, ada dua orang yang kelaparan lagi. Mereka sama seperti dua orang kelaparan yang sebelumnya, juga mendapatkan sebuah pancing dan sekeranjang ikan segar dari orang tua berbudi itu. Ketika mereka hendak berpisah, orang yang mendapatkan tangkai pancing berpikir, “Jika saya membawa pergi tangkai pancing tersebut, bagaimana kelak hidupnya jika sekeranjang ikan segar itu telah habis dimakan?”

Orang yang mendapatkan sekeranjang ikan segar itu juga berpikir, “Saya hampir mati karena kelaparan, walaupun saya ingin segera melahap habis ikan-ikan tersebut seorang diri, tetapi dia yang membawa tangkai pancing itu juga kelaparan. Jangan-jangan belum sampai di laut dia sudah mati kelaparan, bagaimana hal tersebut boleh terjadi?”

Dengan pemikiran yang demikian kedua orang itu bersamaan membalikkan badan, mereka saling mengutarakan pemikiran masing-masing kepada yang lain. Akhirnya mereka mengambil suatu keputusan membawa tangkai pancing dan sekeranjang ikan segar itu untuk bersama-sama pergi mencari laut. Dalam perjalanan, mereka sangat hemat mengonsumi bekal ikan, dan hati mereka dipenuhi dengan kegembiraan.

Setelah bertemu laut, mereka secara bergantian, bahu membahu memancing ikan sebagai santapan sehari-hari. Sejak hari itu pula mereka telah menjadi sahabat sejati, dengan mata pencaharian sebagai nelayan.

Beberapa tahun kemudian, mereka membangun rumah di tepi pantai. Masing-masing telah memiliki keluarga dan mempunyai beberapa anak. Mereka juga telah membuat kapal-kapal penangkap ikan milik sendiri, dan hidup bahagia.

Dari cerita di atas, kita bisa menarik suatu pelajaran dalam hidup. Seseorang jika hanya mementingkan keuntungan di depan mata saja, tidak akan bisa mengambil pilihan yang tepat. Dia hanya bisa mendapatkan kepuasan diri sesaat saja, nyawanya mungkin bisa hilang untuk selamanya karena keegoan dirinya itu.

Seseorang jika hanya bisa memikirkan dirinya sendiri, tidak mengerti bagaimana memikirkan orang lain, bukan hanya dalam hidupnya sangat sulit mencapai keberhasilan, perjalanan dalam hidup orang tersebut juga akan selalu dalam kesengsaraan serta penuh dengan kekecewaan atau frustrasi.

Dua Gentong

Seorang wanita tua mempunyai dua buah gentong besar, masing-masing tergantung pada ujung sebatang tongkat panjang, yang dibawa di pundaknya. Salah satu gentong retak, sedangkan gentong yang satu lagi sangat baik untuk mengangkut satu air penuh.

Setelah melewati jalan dari sungai ke rumah, gentong yang retak hanya menghasilkan setengah gentong air. Selama 2 tahun hal ini terjadi, wanita tersebut hanya membawa pulang satu setengah gentong air setiap harinya.

Tentunya, gentong yang sempurna tersebut sangat bangga dengan air yang dihasilkannya. Sedangkan, gentong yang retak malu dengan ketidaksempurnaan dirinya, dan sedih bahwa Ia hanya dapat mengahasilkan setengah dari kemampuannya.

Setelah 2 tahun dari sesuatu yang ia pikir sebagai kegagalannya, Gentong yang retak berbicara dengan wanita tua di tepi sungai.

“Saya sangat malu dengan diri saya, karena retak pada diri saya, menyebabkan air bocor selama perjalanan dari sungai ke rumah," katanya.

Wanita tua kemudian tersenyum.

"Apakah kamu memperhatikan, bahwa bunga tumbuh di sisi jalan yang kamu lewati, tetapi tidak ada pada sisi yang lain? Itu karena aku sudah tahu tentang kekuranganmu, jadi aku menanam benih bunga di sepanjang jalurmu, dan setiap hari kita pulang ke rumah, kamu menyiraminya. Selama dua tahun ini, aku telah memperoleh bunga yang indah untuk dekorasi meja. Tanpa dirimu dengan keadaan seperti sekarang ini, tidak akan ada keindahan di dalam rumah.”

Setiap orang memiliki kekurangan-kekurangan yang unik. Tetapi, justru kelemahan dan kekurangan yang kita miliki, yang membuat hidup kita ini sangat menarik dan mengesankan. Kamu hanya perlu melihat seseorang apa adanya, dan mencari hal baik yang mereka punyai.

Kepada semua teman gentongku yang tidak sempurna, nikmatilah hari yang indah ini dan ingat untuk melihat indahnya dan mencium wangi bunga di sepanjang sisi jalanmu.

绕口令 (Ràokǒulìng) Tongue Twister (Beginner)

会与费 (Huì yǔ fèi) Can and Cost

Listen to the tongue twister

Key Learning Points (Preview):

学 (xué): v to learn
会 (huì): v can/be able to

The Chinese tongue twister below is a very typical one which will help you practice the Chinese Pinyin pronunciation of “h” and “f.”

Shǒuyì xué búhuì,
手艺 学 不会，
When one can not learn a craft,

Cáiliào yòng de fèi.
材料 用 得 费。
Materials cost a lot.

Zhèng shì huì de búfèi,
正 是 会 的 不费，
It costs less when you know the craft,

Fèi de búhuì.
费 的 不会。　
But it costs more when you don’t have the craft.

Key Learning Points:

学 (xué): v to learn

Example:

Jiàqī nǐ xiǎng xuédiánr shénme ya?
A: 假期 你 想 学点儿 什么 呀？　
What do you want to learn during the holidays?

Wǒ xiǎng xué lādīngwǔ.
B: 我 想 学 拉丁舞。
I want to learn Latin dance.

会 (huì): v can/be able to

Example:

Wǒ liùsuì de dìdi xiànzài huì yóuyǒng le.
我 六岁 的 弟弟 现在 会 游泳 了。　
My six-year-old brother can swim now.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary

手艺 (shǒuyì): n craft
材料 (cáiliào): n material
费用 (fèiyong): v to cost

初生牛犊不怕虎 New-born Calves are not Afraid of Tigers (Beginner)

Key Learning Point (Preview):

怕 (pà): v to fear/ be afraid of
Towards the end of Eastern Han Dynasty, “刘备 (Liú Bèi) Liu Bei” captured the city “汉中 (Hànzhōng) Hanzhong” from “曹操 (Cáo Cāo) Cao Cao” and proclaimed himself king. He ordered his famed general “关羽 (Guān Yǔ) Guan Yu” to capture “襄阳 (Xiāngyáng) Xiang yang” in the north. 刘备 (Liú Bèi)’s army defeated 曹操 (Cáo Cāo)’s army, which fell back on“樊城 (Fánchéng) Fancheng.” “曹操 (Cáo Cāo) Cao Cao” sent a young and brave officer “庞德 (Páng Dé) Pang De” to lead the soldiers into “樊城 (Fánchéng) Fancheng” for support.

When “庞德 (Páng Dé) Pang De” led his troops into “樊城 (Fánchéng) Fancheng,” he said that he would have a “决战 (juézhàn) decisive battle” with “关羽 (Guān Yǔ) Guan Yu.” Both fought hard against each other in the following battles but neither prevailed. After the battles, “关羽 (Guān Yǔ) Guan Yu” came back to the military camp and said to his subordinates: “ ‘庞德 (Páng Dé) Pang De’ had very good sword skills, and he was “初生牛犊不怕虎 (chū shēng niúdú bú pà hǔ) a new-born calf that is not afraid of tiger.” We can’t look down upon him.”

“初生 (chū shēng)” means new-born and “牛犊 (niúdú)” means calf. This idiom is often used to describe young people who are not afraid of obstacles and are very brave.

For example：
Zhèxiē xiǎohuǒzi wúlùn zuò shénme shì dōu shuō gàn jiù gàn ，
这些 小 伙子 无论 做 什么 事 都 说 干 就 干， bú hàipà rènhé kùnnan ，zhēn kě wèi chū shēng niúdú bú pà hǔ ā ！
不 害怕 任何 困难， 真 可 谓 初 生 牛犊 不 怕 虎 啊！ 　
Whatever these young men decide to do they will start without delay and they aren’t afraid of any difficulty. “New-born calves are not afraid of tigers!”

Key Learning Point：

怕 (pà): v to fear/ be afraid of 　

Example:

Wǒ jiějie gàosu wǒ xué hànyǔ bú shì jiàn jiǎndān de shìqing,
我 姐姐 告诉 我 学 汉语 不 是 件 简单 的 事 情，
dànshì wǒ yí diǎn dōu bú pà, wǒ jué dé xué hànyǔ hěn yǒu yìsi.
但 是 我 一 点 都 不 怕，我 觉 得 学 汉语 很 有 意 思。 　
My older sister told me that it is not easy to learn Mandarin, but I am not afraid of learning it at all. I think it is very interesting to learn Mandarin.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary: 　
决战 (juézhàn): n a decisive battle 　
初生牛犊 (chū shēng niúdú): new-born calves 　
虎 (hǔ): n tigers

男生如何邀请女生 When a Boy Invites a Girl (Intermediate)

Zuìjìn máng shénme ne?
Boy: 最近 忙 什么 呢？ 　
What have you been busy doing recently?

Kuài kăoshì le, mángzhe fùxí ne! Zhè jĭ tiān yìzhí mái zài shūduī lĭ ne!
Girl: 快 考试 了， 忙 着 复习 呢！这 几 天 一直 埋 在 书堆里 呢！ 　
Exams are approaching, and I’m busy reviewing the books to prepare for them.
I’m buried in a pile of books these days.

Nĭ yě tài yònggōng le ba! Xiàwŭ chūqù sànbù, zěnme yàng?
Boy: 你 也 太 用功 了 吧！下午 出去 散步，怎么 样？ 　
You’re too serious about your studies! What about going for a walk this afternoon?

Wǒ kě méiyǒu nĭ nàyàng de xiánqíngyìzhì!
Girl: 我 可 没有 你 那样 的 闲情逸致！ 　
I don’t have the leisure time and carefree mood as you do.

Bié a! Nĭ méi tīngshuō “zhĭ gōngzuò bù wánshuă cōngmíng háizi yě biànshă” ma?
Boy: 别 啊！你 没 听说 “只 工作 不 玩耍 聪明 孩子 也 变傻” 吗？
Nĭ nándào xiăng biànchéng shăzi ma?
你 难道 想 变成 傻子 吗？ 　
Oh, come on. Haven’t you ever heard “All work and no play make Jack a fool?”
Do you want to become a fool?

Nà hăo ba! Wǒ kě bùxiăng bèi nĭ shuō chéng shăzi. Wǒmen chūqù sànbù ba!
Girl: 那 好 吧！ 我 可 不想 被 你 说 成 傻子。 我们 出去 散步 吧！ 　
Ok! I don’t want to be called a fool. Let’s go for a walk!

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary: 　
最近 (zuìjìn): adv recently 　
认真 (rènzhēn): adj be serious

滥竽充数 Fill a Post without Real Qualifications (Beginner)

Key Learning Point (Preview):

数 (shǔ/shù): v/n count/number 　

In the Warring States Period of China, a king named Qixuan liked listening to the “合奏 (hézòu) instrumental ensemble” of Yu (an instrument in ancient China). The more bandsmen played it, the happier he would be. Mr. Nanguo was a man who didn’t like to work hard but liked to brag. When he heard the king Qixuan wanted to organize a bigger band, he told the king Qixuan that he was an expert in playing the Yu. So the king Qixuan happily invited him to join the band. When playing Yu, he just sat together with other bandsmen and acted as he spared no effort. But in fact, he couldn’t play it at all. He made his living by acting like this for many years until the king Qixuan died.

After the king Qixuan died, his son Qimin took over. He didn’t like listening to the instrumental ensemble of Yu at all. He liked listening to the “独奏 (dúzòu) solo” of Yu. So he only asked one bandsman to play the Yu for him each time. In this case, Mr. Nanguo had no way but to run away.

This Chinese idiom tells us that we should tell things as they are and be honest. In modern Chinese, this Chinese idiom is used to describe people who fill in a post without real qualifications. You can see how it is used from the following example:

Wǒ bú tài huì chànggē, zài héchàngduì lǐ zhǐ shì lànyúchōngshù ér yǐ.
我 不 太 会 唱歌， 在 合唱队 里 只 是 滥竽充数 而 已。 　
I am not good at singing. I just fill a post without real qualifications in the chorus team.

Key Learning Points:数 (shǔ/shù): v/n to count/number

Examples:
Zhè shì jīntiān bàomíng cānjiā ap hànyǔ péixùn de míngdān,
1. 这 是 今天 报名 参加 AP 汉语 培训 的 名单，
nǐ shǔ yí xià yígòng duō shǎo rén .
你 数 一 下 一共 多 少 人。 　
This is the name list of those who applied for the AP Chinese training today.
Please count the total number.

Zài Zhōngguó, dàbùfèn rén dōu rènwéi bā shì gè hěn jílì de shùzì.
2. 在 中国， 大部分 人 都 认为 8 是 个 很 吉利 的 数字。 　
In China, most people think that eight is a lucky number.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary: 　
合奏 (hézòu): n instrumental ensemble 　
独奏 (dúzòu): n solo

让我们荡起双桨 Let’s Paddle Together (Intermediate)

Listen to the song

Key Learning Points (Preview):
愉快 (yúkuài): adj cheerful
幸福 (xìngfú): adj happy

Listen to the song lyrics

Ràng wŏmen dàngqĭ shuāngjiăng, xiăochuán’ér tuī kāi bōlàng.
让 我们 荡起 双桨， 小船儿 推 开 波浪。
Let’s paddle together and the boat will push away the waves.

Hăimiàn dàoyìng zhe měilì de báită, sìzhōu huánrào zhe lǜshù hóngqiáng.
海面 倒映 着 美丽 的 白塔， 四周 环绕 着 绿树 红墙。
The beautiful White Tower is reflected on the sea, green trees and red walls are all around.

Xiăochuán’ér qīngqīng, piāodàng zài shuĭzhōng, yíngmiàn chuī lái le liángshuăng de
小船儿 轻轻， 飘荡 在 水中， 迎面 吹 来了 凉爽 的
fēng.
风。
The boat floats on the water, and a cool wind blows against our faces.

Hónglĭngjīn yíng zhe tàiyáng, yángguāng să zài hăimiàn shàng.
红领巾 迎 着 太阳， 阳光 洒 在 海面 上。
Young Pioneers face the sun and the sunshine spills onto the sea.

Shuĭ zhōng yú’ér wàng zhe wŏmen, qiāoqiāo de tīng wŏmen yúkuài gēchàng.
水 中 鱼儿 望 着 我们， 悄悄 地 听 我们 愉快 歌唱。
The fish look at us from the water and listen quietly to our cheerful singing.

Xiăochuán’ér qīngqīng, piāodàng zài shuĭ zhōng, yíngmiàn chuī lái le liángshuăng de
小船儿 轻轻， 飘荡 在 水 中， 迎面 吹 来 了 凉爽 的
fēng.
风。
The boat floats on the water, and a cool wind blows against our faces.

Zuòwán le yī tiān de gōngkè, wŏmen lái jìnqíng huānlè.
做完 了 一天 的 功课， 我们 来 尽情 欢乐。
After a long day of homework, we come to play happily.

Wŏ wèn nĭ qīn’ài de huŏbàn, shuí gěi wŏmen ānpái xià xìngfú de shēnghuó?
我 问 你 亲爱 的 伙伴， 谁 给 我们 安排 下 幸福 的 生活？
I ask you, dear partners, who has arranged a happy life for us?

Xiăochuán’ér qīngqīng, piāodàng zài shuĭ zhōng, yíngmiàn chuī lái le liángshuăng de
小船儿 轻轻， 飘荡 在 水中， 迎面 吹 来 了 凉爽 的
fēng.
风。
The boat floats on the water, and a cool wind blows against our faces.

Xiăochuán’ér qīngqīng, piāodàng zài shuĭ zhōng, yíngmiàn chuī lái le liángshuăng de
小船儿 轻轻， 飘荡 在 水中， 迎面 吹 来 了 凉爽 的
fēng.
风。
The boat floats on the water, and a cool wind blows against our faces.

Key Learning Points:

愉快 (yúkuài): adj cheerful

Examples:

Zhù nǐ lǚtú yúkuài.
1. 祝 你 旅途 愉快。
I wish you a pleasant trip.

Tīng dào zhège hǎo xiāoxi hòu, tā liǎn shàng lòuchūle yúkuài de xiàoróng.
2. 听 到 这个 好 消息 后， 她 脸 上 露出了 愉快 的 笑容。
After hearing the good news, she smiles happily. .

幸福 (xìngfú): adj happy

Examples:

Xīwàng dàjiā dōu kěyǐ dédào xìngfú de shēnghuó.
希望 大家 都 可以 得到 幸福 的 生活。
Hope everyone can have a happy life.

生词 (shēngcí): Vocabulary:

飘荡 (piāodàng): v to float
凉爽 (liángshuăng): adj cool
安排 (ānpái): v to arrange

绕口令 (ràokǒulìng) Tongue Twister (Beginner)

会与费 (Huì yǔ fèi) Can and Cost

Listen to the tongue twister

Key Learning Points (Preview):

学 (xué): v to learn
会 (huì): v can/be able to

The Chinese tongue twister below is a very typical one which will help you practice the Chinese Pinyin pronunciation of “h” and “f.”

Shǒuyì xué búhuì,
手艺 学 不会，　
When one can not learn a craft,

Cáiliào yòng de fèi.
材料 用 得 费。　
Materials cost a lot.

Zhèng shì huì de búfèi,
正 是 会 的 不费，　
It costs less when you know the craft,

Fèi de búhuì.
费 的 不会。　
But it costs more when you don’t have the craft.

Key Learning Points:

学 (xué): v to learn 　

Example:

Jiàqī nǐ xiǎng xuédiánr shénme ya?
A: 假期 你 想 学点儿 什么 呀？　
What do you want to learn during the holidays?

Wǒ xiǎng xué lādīngwǔ.
B: 我 想 学 拉丁舞。　
I want to learn Latin dance.

会 (huì): v can/be able to 　

Example:

Wǒ liùsuì de dìdi xiànzài huì yóuyǒng le.
我 六岁 的 弟弟 现在 会 游泳 了。　
My six-year-old brother can swim now.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary 　

手艺 (shǒuyì): n craft
材料 (cáiliào): n material 　
费用 (fèiyong): v to cost 　

绕口令 (ràokǒulìng) Tongue Twister (Beginner)

绕口令 (ràokǒulìng) Tongue Twister

茄子和鞋子 (qiézi hé xiézi) Eggplant and Shoes 　

Listen to the tongue twister

Key Learning Points (Preview):
鞋子 (xiézi): n shoe
茄子 (qiézi): n eggplant 　

Yígè xiǎo háizi,
一个 小 孩子， 　
There was a little child,

Shǒu ná shuāng xiézi.
手 拿 双 鞋子。 　
Who had a pair of shoes in his hand.

Kànjiàn dìshàng yǒu qiézi,
看见 地上 有 茄子， 　
He saw an eggplant on the ground,

Fàng xià xiézi jiǎn qiézi.
放 下 鞋子 捡 茄子。 　
He put aside the shoes and picked up the eggplant.

Jiǎn qǐ le qiézi,
捡 起了 茄子， 　
As he picked up the eggplant,

Wàngjì le xiézi.
忘记 了 鞋子。 　
He forgot his shoes.

Key Learning Points:

鞋子 (xiézi): n shoe 　
The character “鞋 (xié)” means shoe. “子 (zǐ)” here, is an auxiliary word.

when “子” is placed in front of a character or is used alone, it takes the falling and raising (i.e., 3rd) tone.

Example:
子女 (zǐnǚ) children/ sons and daughters 　

Tā hěn téng’ài zìjǐ de zǐnǚ.
他 很 疼爱 自己 的子女。 　
He is very affectionate towards his children.

when “子” is placed after a character, it takes the light tone.

Example:
Wǒ de xiézi pò le, míngtiān děi mǎi shuāng xīn de.
我 的 鞋子 破 了，明天 得 买 双 新 的。 　
My shoes were damaged, and I have to buy a new pair tomorrow.

Many foreigners find it difficult to pronounce the initial consonant “x.” The followings are some Chinese words or expressions beginning with “x.”

写 (xiě) to write 　
下课 (xiàkè) class dismissed 　
心情很好 (xīnqíng hěnhǎo) be in a good mood
茄子 (qiézi): n eggplant 　

The character “茄 (qié)” means eggplant and “子 (zǐ)” is an auxiliary word here. It is common for foreigners to say “cheese” when they take photos but Chinese people prefer to say “茄子 (qiézi).”

Example:
A: Nǐ zuì xǐhuan chī nǎ zhǒng shūcài?
你 最 喜欢 吃 哪 种 蔬菜？ 　
Which is your favorite vegetable?

B: Qiézi! hóng shāo qiézi shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de yí dào cài.
茄子！红 烧 茄子 是 我 最 喜欢 的 一 道 菜。 　
Eggplant! “Hongshao eggplant” is my favorite dish.

The initial consonant “q” is difficult for Chinese learners to pronounce as well. Here are some Chinese words and expressions beginning with “q.”

请进 (qǐngjìn) come in, please 　
汽车 (qìchē) car
穷人 (qióngrén) the poor

Chinese Tongue Twister (Beginner)

采蘑菇 (Cǎi mógu) Pick Mushrooms

Key Learning Point (Preview):
蘑菇 (mógu): n mushroom

Hēitù hé báitù,
黑兔 和 白兔， 　
The black rabbit and the white rabbit,

Shàngshān cǎi mógu.
上山 采 蘑菇。 　
Climbed up the mountain to pick mushrooms.

Xiǎohóu hé xiǎolù,
小猴 和 小鹿， 　
Little monkey and little deer,

Yìqǐ lái bāngzhù.
一起 来 帮助。 　
Come and help them.

Hóu hé tù,
猴 和 兔， 　
Monkey and rabbit,

Tù hé lù,
兔 和 鹿， 　
Rabbit and deer,

Gāogāoxìngxìng cǎi mógu.
高高兴兴 采 蘑菇。 　
Pick mushrooms happily together.

Key Learning Point:
蘑菇 (mógu): n mushroom 　

Example:
A: Wǒ xiǎng yào yìwǎn mógu tāng.
我 想 要 一碗 蘑菇 汤。 　
I would like a bowl of mushroom soup.

B: Hǎode, qǐng shāoděng.
好的， 请 稍等。 　
OK, wait a moment please.

生词 (shēngcí): Vocabulary 　
兔 (tù): n rabbit 　
猴 (hóu): n monkey
鹿 (lù): n deer
帮助 (bāngzhù): v/ n help 　

磨杵成针 Grinding an Iron Pestle into a Needle

磨杵成针 (móchǔchéngzhēn) Grinding an Iron Pestle into a Needle

李白小时候特贪玩，一到上课就走神。
Lǐ Bái xiǎo shíhou tè tānwán, yí dào shàngkè jiù zǒushén.
Li Bai was fond of playing when he was young, so he was always absent-minded in classes. (Editor’ s note: Li Bai was one of the most famous poets in China’ s history.)

今天这山捉小鸟，明天那山去摘枣。
Jīntiān zhè shān zhuō xiǎoniǎo, míngtiān nà shān qù zhāizǎo.
Today he would catch little birds on the hill, and tomorrow he would pick dates on that hill.

下了山过小河，河边坐着老婆婆。
Xiàle shān guò xiǎohé, hébiān zuòzhe lǎopópo.
One day, he saw an old lady sitting at the riverside when he was crossing the brook.

老婆婆不怕累，正磨一根铁棒锤。
Lǎopópo búpà lèi, zhèng mó yì gēn tiěbàngchui.
The old lady was grinding an iron pestle without fear of tiredness.

李白看了笑呵呵，说：“傻子才干这种活呢！”
Lǐ Bái kàn le xiàohēhē, shuō: “Shǎzi cái gàn zhè zhǒng huó ne!”
On seeing this, Li Bai laughed at her and said: “People who do this job are fools.”

老婆婆慈祥地说：“不怕铁棒粗又硬，我要磨成绣花针！”
Lǎopópo cíxiáng de shuō: “Búpà tiěbàng cū yòu yìng, wǒ yào mó chéng xiùhuāzhēn!”
The old lady answered kindly: “I am determined to grind the iron pestle into a needle even if the iron pestle is so thick and hard.”

李白拿过铁棒锤，没磨几下就喊累，说：“哎呦，什么时候能磨成啊？我不干了！”
Lǐ Bái ná guò tiěbàngchui, méi mó jǐ xià jiù hǎn lèi, shuō: “Āiyōu, shénme shíhou néng mó chéng a? Wǒ bú gàn le!”
Li Bai took the iron pestle and felt tired after grinding it for a minute. Then he complained: “Oh, how long can I get it done? I quit.”

老婆婆摇摇头，叹息道：“只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针！”
Lǎopópo yáoyao tóu, tànxī dào: ” Zhǐyāo gōngfu shēn, tiěchǔ mó chéng zhēn!”
The old lady shook her head and sighed: “The pestle can be grinded into a needle, as long as you keep working hard.”

老婆婆的话值千金，李白牢牢记在心！
Lǎopópo de huà zhí qiānjīn, Lǐ Bái láoláo jì zài xīn!
The old lady’s words were so worthwhile, and Li Bai remembered them by heart.

从此读书不怕苦，成了一位大诗人！
Cóngcǐ dúshū búpà kǔ, chéngle yí wèi dà shīrén!
From then on, he spared no pains to study, and became a great poet finally.

Usage

The phrase “磨杵成针 (móchǔchéngzhēn)” means no matter how difficult or challenging a task is, it can be done as long as there is perseverance. “磨 (mó)” means to grind and “杵 (chǔ)” refers to pestle. “成 (chéng)” means to become and “针 (zhēn)” refers to needle.

Example：

没有磨杵成针的毅力，学问上就不可能有很深的造诣。
Méiyǒu móchǔchéngzhēn de yìlì, xuéwèn shàng jiù bùkěnéng yǒu hěn shēn de zàoyì.
There is no profound knowledge and scholarship without the spirit of grinding an iron pestle into a needle.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulay

磨 (mó): v to grind
杵 (chǔ): n pestle
贪玩 (tānwán): v to be fond of having too much fun
走神 (zǒushén): adj absent-minded
慈祥 (cíxiáng): adv kindly
叹息 (tànxī): v to sigh
大 (dà): adj great

丢手绢 Hide the Handkerchief

丢手绢 (diūshǒujuàn) Hide the Handkerchief

Listen to this song:

丢手绢，丢手绢，轻轻的放在小朋友的后面，
Diū shǒujuàn, diū shǒujuàn, qīngqīng de fàng zài xiǎopéngyou de hòumian,
Hide the handkerchief, hide the handkerchief, and gently place it behind the children,

大家不要告诉他，
Dàjiā búyào gàosu tā,
We do not tell him,

快点快点捉住他，快点快点捉住他。
Kuàidiǎn kuàidiǎn zhuōzhù tā,kuàidiǎn kuàidiǎn zhuōzhù tā.
Hurry up to catch him, and quickly hurry up to catch him.

丢手绢，丢手绢，轻轻的放在小朋友的后面，
Diū shǒujuàn, diū shǒujuàn, qīngqīng de fàngzài xiǎopéngyou de hòumian,
Hide the handkerchief, hide the handkerchief, and gently place it behind the children,

大家不要告诉他，
Dàjiā búyào gàosu tā,
We do not tell him,

快点快点捉住他，快点快点捉住他。
Kuàidiǎn kuàidiǎn zhuōzhù tā, kuàidiǎn kuàidiǎn zhuōzhù tā.
Hurry up to catch him, and quickly hurry up to catch him.

丢呀丢呀丢手绢，轻轻的放在小朋友的后面，
Diū ya diū ya diū shǒujuàn, qīngqīng de fàngzài xiǎopéngyou de hòumian,
Hide the handkerchief, hide the handkerchief, and gently place it behind the children,

大家不要告诉他，
Dàjiā búyào gàosu tā,
We do not tell him,

快点快点捉住他，快点快点捉住他。
Kuài diǎn kuài diǎn zhuō zhù tā,kuài diǎn kuài diǎn zhuō zhù tā.
Hurry up to catch him, and quickly hurry up to catch him.

丢手绢，丢手绢，轻轻的放在小朋友的后面，
Diū shǒujuàn,diū shǒujuàn, qīngqīng de fàngzài xiǎopéngyou de hòumian,
Hide the handkerchief, hide the handkerchief, and gently place it behind the children,

大家不要告诉他，
Dàjiā búyào gàosu tā,
We do not tell him,

快点快点捉住他，快点快点捉住他。
Kuài diǎn kuài diǎn zhuō zhù tā,kuài diǎn kuài diǎn zhuō zhù tā.
Hurry up to catch him, and quickly hurry up to catch him.

How to play the Game: Hide the 手绢 (shǒujuàn) Handkerchief

手绢 (shǒujuàn) is also called 手帕 (shǒupà). Hide the handkerchief 丢手绢 (diūshǒujuàn) is a traditional game for Chinese children. In the game, one person is surrounded by others in a circle who are sitting on the ground. When the game begins, everyone starts to sing together and the elected person hides 手绢 (shǒujuàn) quietly behind one of players before the song is over. Once the player realizes that the handkerchief is placed behind his back, he/she needs to quickly stand up to chase the person who hides the handkerchief along the circle. As the elected person is caught, he or she must perform an act.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary:
告诉 (gàosu): v to tell
捉住 (zhuōzhù): v to catch

新年好 Happy New Year

新年好 (xīnniánhǎo) Happy New Year
Happy New Year is a children’s song for New Year, and most Chinese kids are familiar with it.

Listen to the song

新年好呀！新年好呀！
Xīnnián hǎo ya! Xīnnián hǎo ya!
Happy New Year! Happy New Year!

祝贺大家新年好！
Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo!
Happy New Year to you all!

我们唱歌，我们跳舞。
Wǒmen chànggē, wǒmen tiàowǔ.
We are singing; we are dancing.

祝贺大家新年好！
Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo!
Happy New Year to you all!

新年好呀！新年好呀！
Xīnnián hǎo ya! Xīnnián hǎo ya!
Happy New Year! Happy New Year!

祝贺大家新年好！
Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo!
Happy New Year to you all!

我们唱歌，我们跳舞。
Wǒmen chànggē, wǒmen tiàowǔ.
We are singing; we are dancing.

祝贺大家新年好！
Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo!
Happy New Year to you all!

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary

祝贺 (zhùhè) v greeting or congratulation
“祝 (zhù)” means to hope and “贺 (hè)” means to congratulate.

Example:

祝贺你又考了一百分。
Zhùhè nǐ yòu kǎole yìbǎi fēn.
Congratulations on your getting full marks again.

唱歌 (chànggē): v to sing
跳舞 (tiàowǔ): v to dance
我们 (wǒmen): pron we
大家 (dàjiā): pron everyone

取长补短 To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies

取长补短 (qǔchángbǔduǎn) To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies

有一天，大象和蚂蚁发生了一场争论，他俩都认为自己的力气比对方大。
Yǒu yì tiān, dàxiàng hé mǎyǐ fāshēngle yì chǎng zhēnglùn, tā liǎ dōu rènwéi zìjǐ de lìqi bǐ duìfāng dà.
One day, there arose an argument between an elephant and an ant, they both thought their strength was greater than the other.

大象指着一棵大树对蚂蚁说：“你能拔起这棵树吗？”
Dàxiàng zhǐzhe yìkē dàshù duì mǎyǐ shuō: “nǐ néng báqǐ zhè kē shù ma?”
The elephant pointed to a tree and said to the ant: “can you pull up this tree?”

蚂蚁无能为力，大象就用鼻子把树连根拔起。
Mǎyǐ wúnéngwéilì, dàxiàng jiù yòng bízi bǎ shù liángēnbáqǐ.
The ant couldn’t do anything to it, and then the elephant uprooted the tree with its nose.

蚂蚁走到一片草叶前，对大象说：“你能搬动这片草叶吗？”
Mǎyǐ zǒudào yípiàn cǎoyè qián, duì dàxiàng shuō: “nǐ néng bāndòng zhè piàn cǎoyè ma?”
The ant walked to a grass-blade, and said to the elephant: “can you move this grass-blade?”

大象无论如何也不能用鼻子卷起地上的草叶，而蚂蚁却能背起草叶轻松自如地走动。
Dàxiàng wúlùnrúhé yě búnéng yòng bízi juǎnqǐ dìshàng de cǎoyè, ér mǎyǐ què néng bēiqǐ cǎoyè qīngsōngzìrú de zǒudòng.
The elephant couldn’t move the grass-blade with his nose no matter what, but the ant was able to carry the grass-blade to walk with ease.

最后，他们请天神来评判。
Zuìhòu, tāmen qǐng tiānshén lái píngpàn.
Finally, they asked the god to judge.

天神听了他们各自诉说的理由，也无法判断谁的力气大。
Tiānshén tīngle tāmen gèzì sùshuō de lǐyóu, yě wúfǎ pànduàn shuí de lìqi dà.
Even after listening to the reasons that the elephant and the ant provided, neither could the god determine whose strength was greater.

这个故事告诉我们：各有所长，对待别人的优缺点要取长补短。
Zhège gùshi gàosu wǒmen: Gèyǒusuǒcháng, duìdài biérén de yōu quē diǎn yào qǔchángbǔduǎn.
This story tells us: Every man has his merits, and we should draw upon one another’s strong point when facing other people’s advantages and disadvantages.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary
大象 (dàxiàng): n elephant
蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ): n ant
拔起 (báqǐ): v to pull up
争论 (zhēnglùn): n argument

“争 (zhēng)” refers to dispute and “论 (lùn)” refers to discuss.

Example:

他俩之间的争论持续了很长时间。
Tāliǎ zhījiān de zhēnglùn chíxùle hěncháng shíjiān.
The argument between them has continued for a very long time.

判断 (pànduàn) v to judge
The character “判 (pàn)” and “断 (duàn)” both means to judge.

Example:你来判断一下，到底谁该承担责任呢？
Nǐ lái pànduàn yíxià, dàodǐ shuí gāi chéngdān zérèn ne?
Please judge, who should bear the responsibility eventually?

取长补短 To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies

取长补短 (qǔchángbǔduǎn) To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies

有一天，大象和蚂蚁发生了一场争论，他俩都认为自己的力气比对方大。
Yǒu yì tiān, dàxiàng hé mǎyǐ fāshēngle yì chǎng zhēnglùn, tā liǎ dōu rènwéi zìjǐ de lìqi bǐ duìfāng dà.
One day, there arose an argument between an elephant and an ant, they both thought their strength was greater than the other.

大象指着一棵大树对蚂蚁说：“你能拔起这棵树吗？”
Dàxiàng zhǐzhe yìkē dàshù duì mǎyǐ shuō: “nǐ néng báqǐ zhè kē shù ma?”
The elephant pointed to a tree and said to the ant: “can you pull up this tree?”

蚂蚁无能为力，大象就用鼻子把树连根拔起。
Mǎyǐ wúnéngwéilì, dàxiàng jiù yòng bízi bǎ shù liángēnbáqǐ.
The ant couldn’t do anything to it, and then the elephant uprooted the tree with its nose.

蚂蚁走到一片草叶前，对大象说：“你能搬动这片草叶吗？”
Mǎyǐ zǒudào yípiàn cǎoyè qián, duì dàxiàng shuō: “nǐ néng bāndòng zhè piàn cǎoyè ma?”
The ant walked to a grass-blade, and said to the elephant: “can you move this grass-blade?”

大象无论如何也不能用鼻子卷起地上的草叶，而蚂蚁却能背起草叶轻松自如地走动。
Dàxiàng wúlùnrúhé yě búnéng yòng bízi juǎnqǐ dìshàng de cǎoyè, ér mǎyǐ què néng bēiqǐ cǎoyè qīngsōngzìrú de zǒudòng.
The elephant couldn’t move the grass-blade with his nose no matter what, but the ant was able to carry the grass-blade to walk with ease.

最后，他们请天神来评判。
Zuìhòu, tāmen qǐng tiānshén lái píngpàn.
Finally, they asked the god to judge.

天神听了他们各自诉说的理由，也无法判断谁的力气大。
Tiānshén tīngle tāmen gèzì sùshuō de lǐyóu, yě wúfǎ pànduàn shuí de lìqi dà.
Even after listening to the reasons that the elephant and the ant provided, neither could the god determine whose strength was greater.

这个故事告诉我们：各有所长，对待别人的优缺点要取长补短。
Zhège gùshi gàosu wǒmen: Gèyǒusuǒcháng, duìdài biérén de yōu quē diǎn yào qǔchángbǔduǎn.
This story tells us: Every man has his merits, and we should draw upon one another’s strong point when facing other people’s advantages and disadvantages.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary
大象 (dàxiàng): n elephant
蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ): n ant
拔起 (báqǐ): v to pull up
争论 (zhēnglùn): n argument

“争 (zhēng)” refers to dispute and “论 (lùn)” refers to discuss.

Example:

他俩之间的争论持续了很长时间。
Tāliǎ zhījiān de zhēnglùn chíxùle hěncháng shíjiān.
The argument between them has continued for a very long time.

判断 (pànduàn) v to judge
The character “判 (pàn)” and “断 (duàn)” both means to judge.

Example:你来判断一下，到底谁该承担责任呢？
Nǐ lái pànduàn yíxià, dàodǐ shuí gāi chéngdān zérèn ne?
Please judge, who should bear the responsibility eventually?

小白兔乖乖 Little Rabbit (Beginner)

Key Learning Points (Preview):
小 (xiǎo): adj little
门 (mén): n door

Lyrics:
小白兔乖乖，把门开开，快点开开，我要进来。
Xiăobáitù guāiguai, bă mén kāi kāi, kuàidiăn kāi kāi, wǒ yào jìnlái.
Little rabbit, hurry up and open the door, I want to come in.

不开不开不能开，妈妈没回来，不能把门开。
Bù kāi bù kāi bùnéng kāi, māma méi huílái, bùnéng bă mén kāi.
No, my mum is not back yet, so I can’t open it.

小白兔乖乖，把门开开，妈妈回来，我要进来。
Xiăobáitù guāiguai, bă mén kāi kāi, māma huílái, wǒ yào jìnlái.
Please open the door, my little rabbit. Mum will be back and I want to come in.

快开快开快快开，妈妈回来了，我来把门开。
Kuài kāi kuài kāi kuài kuài kāi, māma huílái le, wǒ lái bă mén kāi.
Hurry up and open the door, mum is back and I will open it.

Key Learning Points:
The character “小 (xiǎo)” means little.
Example:
我有一只小狗。
Wǒ yǒu yì zhī xiǎogǒu.
I have a little dog.

The character “门 (mén)” means door.
Example:
请把门打开。
Qǐng bǎ mén dǎ kāi.
Open the door, please.

白雪公主 Snow White (Beginner)

Key Learning Points (Preview)
雪 (xuě) n snow
树林 (shùlín) n forest

从前有一个公主，她的皮肤白得像雪，所以国王给她起名为白雪公主。但是公主的妈妈去世的很早。 　
Cóngqián yǒu yígè gōngzhǔ, tāde pífū báide xiàng xuě, suóyǐ guówáng gěi tā qǐmíng wéi báixuě gōngzhǔ. Dànshì gōngzhǔ de māma qùshì de hěnzǎo.
Once upon a time, there was a princess whose skin was as white as snow. Therefore the King had named her Snow White. Unfortunately, the mother of this princess had died early.

没过多久，国王又娶了一位王后。
Méi guò duō jiǔ, guówáng yòu qǔ le yí wèi wánghòu.
After a short while, the King married another Queen.

王后有一面魔镜，每次王后问: “世界上谁最漂亮？” 回答总是：“王后最漂亮。” 　
Wánghòu yǒu yí miàn mó jìng, měi cì wánghòu wèn: “Shìjiè shàng shuí zuì piàoliang?” Huídá zǒng shì: “Wánghòu zuì piàoliang.”
The new Queen owned a magic mirror. Every time, the queen would ask the mirror, “Who is the most beautiful lady in the world?” The answer always was, “It is you.”

但是有一天魔镜告诉王后：“白雪公主最漂亮。” 　
Dànshì yǒuyìtiān mó jìng gàosu wánghòu: “báixuě gōngzhǔ zuì piàoliang.”
One day, however, the magic mirror answered the Queen, “Snow White is the most beautiful one in the world.”

王后非常生气。于是，她背着国王下令猎人把白雪公主带到树林里杀掉。 　
Wánghòu fēicháng shēngqì. Yúshì, tā bèi zhe guówáng xiàlìng lièrén bǎ báixuě gōngzhǔ dài dào shùlín lǐ shā diào.
The Queen got very angry so she ordered a hunter to kill Snow White in the forest without telling the King.

但是猎人实在不忍心杀掉白雪公主，于是就把她放了。 　
Dànshì lièrén shízài bù rěnxīn shā diào báixuě gōngzhǔ, yúshì jiù bǎ tā fàng le.
But the hunter didn’t want to kill the princess, so he set her free.

白雪公主在树林里遇见了七个小矮人，并且和他们快乐的生活在一起。 　
Báixuě gōngzhǔ zài shùlín lǐ yùjiàn le qīgè xiǎo’ǎirén, bìngqiě hé tāmen kuàilè de shēnghuó zài yìqǐ.
Snow White met seven dwarves in the forest and was living happily together with them.

王后以为白雪公主已经死了，就问魔镜：“世界上谁最漂亮？”魔镜说：“白雪公主最漂亮。” 　
Wánghòu yǐwéi báixuě gōngzhǔ yǐjīng sǐ le, jiùwèn mó jìng: “shìjièshàng shuí zuì piàoliang?” Mó jìng shuō: “Báixuě gōngzhǔ zuì piàoliang.”
The Queen thought the princess had died, so she asked the mirror, “Who is the most beautiful lady in the world?” The mirror answered, “Snow White is the most beautiful one in the world.”

王后听了非常生气。她伪装成一个老婆婆，把一个毒苹果给了白雪公主。 　
Wánghòu tīng le fēicháng shēngqì. Tā wěizhuāng chéng yígè lǎopópo, bǎ yígè dú píngguǒ gěi le báixuě gōngzhǔ.
The Queen was utterly disturbed. She disguised as a benevolent granny and gave a poisonous apple to Snow White.

白雪公主吃下毒苹果后就死去了。小矮人们非常伤心，准备给她举行盛大的葬礼。 　
Báixuě gōngzhǔ chī xià dú píngguǒ hòu jiù sǐ qù le. Xiǎo’ǎirén men fēicháng shāngxīn, zhǔnbèi gěi tā jǔxíng shèngdà de zànglǐ.
Snow White died as soon as she ate the poisonous apple. Her death broke the hearts of the seven dwarves. They intended to hold a big funeral.

邻国的一个王子刚好路过。当他看到美丽的白雪公主时，情不自禁的亲吻了她。 　
Línguó de yígè wángzǐ gānghǎo lùguò. Dāng tā kàndào měilì de báixuě gōngzhǔ shí, qíngbúzìjìn de qīnwěn le tā.
At that time a handsome prince of a neighboring country passed by. When he saw the beautiful Snow White, he couldn’t help but kiss her.

突然，白雪公主吐出了吃进去的毒苹果，又活了过来。 　
Tūrán, báixuě gōngzhǔ tǔ chū le chī jìn qù de dú píngguǒ, yòu huó le guò lái.
Suddenly, Snow White spitted out the poisonous apple which had been stuck in her throat and came to life again.

王子把白雪公主带回了王宫，并准备举行婚礼。 　
Wángzǐ bǎ báixuě gōngzhǔ dài huí le wánggōng, bìng zhǔnbèi jǔxíng hūnlǐ.
The prince took Snow White back to his palace and planned to hold a wedding.

王后得知白雪公主还活着，就变回了女巫，骑着她的魔扫帚，带着魔剑飞往王子的王宫。 　
Wánghòu dézhī báixuě gōngzhǔ hái huózhe, jiù biàn huí le nǚwū, qízhe tāde mó sàozhou, dàizhe mójiàn fēiwǎng wángzǐ de wánggōng.
The Queen changed back to what she was-a wicked witch, when she found out that Snow White was still alive. Riding on her magic broom and carrying her magic sword, she flew to the prince’s palace.

但当王后飞到王宫上空的时候，一道闪电把她劈死了。 　
Dàn dāng wánghòu fēi dào wánggōng shàngkōng de shíhou, yídào shǎndiàn bǎ tā pī sǐ le.
But when the Queen was flying above the palace, lighting stuck down on her and she died.

从此以后，王子和公主过上了幸福的生活。 　
Cóngcǐ yǐhòu, wángzǐ hé gōngzhǔ guò shàng le xìngfú de shēnghuó.
The prince and Snow White lived happily ever after.

Key Learning Points

雪 (xuě): n snow 　
The Chinese character “雪 (xuě)” refers to snow.

Example:

下雪了, 大家快出来堆雪人。 　
Xià xuě le, dàjiā kuài chū lái duī xuěrén.
It’s snowing. Let’s go out and make a snowman.

树林 (shùlín): n forest 　
Both “树 (shù)” and “林 (lín)” refer to forest.

Example:

我妈妈带我去树林里捉蝴蝶。你呢？ 　
Wǒ māma dài wǒ qù shùlín lǐ zhuō húdié. Nǐ ne?
I will go to the forest to catch butterflies with my mom. How about you?

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary 　
国王 (guówáng) n king 　
王后 (wánghòu) n queen 　
公主 (gōngzhǔ) n princess 　
王子 (wángzǐ) n prince

A Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Children (Beginner)

宝宝睡觉 (bǎobao shuìjiào) The Baby is Sleeping

Key Learning Points (Preview):
猫 (māo): n cat
狗 (gǒu): n dog
宝宝 (bǎobao): n baby

Xiǎo huā māo, bú yào chǎo.
小 花 猫， 不 要 吵。
Little cat; don’t be noisy.

Xiǎo huā gǒu, bú yào jiào.
小 花 狗， 不 要 叫。
Little dog; don’t bark.

Xiàn zài shuí yě bù xǔ nào,
现 在 谁 也 不 许 闹，
Now, no one is permitted to make a noise.

Yīn wèi bǎo bao yào shuìjiào.
因 为 宝 宝 要 睡觉。
For the baby wants to sleep.

Key Learning Points:

猫 (māo): n cat

Example:
Kàn, nà zhī xiǎomāo duō kě’ài a!
看， 那 只 小 猫 多 可爱 啊！
Look, what a lovely little cat.

狗 (gǒu): n dog 　

Example:
Shēngrì nàtiān, māma sòng gěi wǒ yìzhī piàoliang de wánjù xiǎogǒu.
生日 那天， 妈妈 送 给 我 一只 漂亮 的 玩具 小狗。 　
My mother gave me a cute toy dog on my birthday.

宝宝 (bǎo bao): n baby
A’yí jiā de xiǎo bǎo bao zhèngzài shuìjiào, wǒmen xiǎoshēng diǎnr.
阿姨 家 的 小 宝 宝 正 在 睡觉， 我 们 小 声 点儿。 　
We should keep our voices down; aunt’s little baby is sleeping.

How to Say “Parents” and “Grandparents” in Chinese

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary 　

爸爸 (bàba): n dad/ father 　
“爸爸 (bàba)” is the most commonly used Chinese phrase for dad. But some people use “爹 (diē)” to refer dad.

Example:
Bàba, wǒ zhè zhōumò xiǎng qù hǎiyáng gōngyuán.
A: 爸爸，我 这 周末 想 去 海洋 公园。 　
Dad, I want to go to the sea world this weekend.

Hǎode, bǎobèi
B: 好的， 宝贝。 　
OK, sweetie.

妈妈 (māma): n mom/ mother 　

“妈妈 (māma)” is the frequently used phrase for mom. However, just like “爸爸 (bàba),” people sometimes use “娘 (niáng)” instead of “妈妈 (māma).”

Example:
Māma, mǔqīnjié kuàilè!
A: 妈妈， 母亲节 快乐！ 　
Mom, happy Mother’s Day!

Xièxiè, wǒde bǎobèi.
B: 谢谢，我的 宝贝。 　
Thank you, sweetheart.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary
　
爷爷 (yéye): n grandpa/ grandfather 　
“爷爷 (yéye)” is the phrase for grandpa.

Example:

Wǒ yéye jīnnián kuài qīshí suì le, dàn tāde shēntǐ háishì hěnhǎo.
我 爷爷 今年 快 七十 岁 了，但 他的 身体 还是 很好。
My grandpa is nearly seventy, but he is still in good health. 　


奶奶 (nǎinai): n grandma/ grandmother 　
“奶奶 (nǎinai)” is the phrase for granny.

Example:
Nǐ zhōumò zhǔnbèi gànshénme ya?
A: 你 周末 准备 干什么 呀？ 　
What’s your plan for this weekend?

Bàba māma zhǔnbèi dài wǒ huí nǎinai jiā.
B: 爸爸 妈妈 准备 带 我 回 奶奶 家。 　
My parents will take me to my grandma’s place.

画鸭子 (Huà yāzi) To Draw a Duck (Beginner)

Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Kids (Beginner)

画鸭子 (Huà yāzi) To Draw a Duck
Key Learning Points (Preview):

星期二 (xīngqīèr): n Tuesday
鸡蛋 (jīdàn): n egg
小鸭子 (xiǎo yāzi): n duckling

Listen to the nursery rhyme: 　

Jīntiān xīngqīèr.
今天 星期二。 　
Today is Tuesday.

Nǎinai mǎi le ge dà jīdàn.
奶奶 买 了 个 大 鸡蛋。 　
Grandma bought a big egg.

Tā huā le sānkuàiqián.
她 花 了 三块钱。 　
She spent three yuan.

Zěnme fūchū ge xiǎo yāzi?!
怎么 孵出 个 小 鸭子？！ 　
But how could it hatch out a duckling?!


Key Learning Points:

星期二 (xīngqīèr): n Tuesday 　
“星 (xīng)” literally means star; “期 (qī)” means time; “二 (èr)” means two.

Example:
Měi zhōu xīngqīèr xiàwǔ wǒmen yòuéryuán dōu yǒu huódòng.
每 周 星期二 下午 我们 幼儿园 都 有 活动。 　
Every Tuesday afternoon, we have activities in our kindergarten.

鸡蛋 (jīdàn): n egg 　
“鸡 (jī)” means chicken and “蛋 (dàn)” means egg.

Example:

Māma zài chāoshì mǎi le hěnduō jīdàn.
妈妈 在 超市 买 了 很多 鸡蛋。 　
Mom bought a lot of eggs from the supermarket.

小鸭子 (xiǎo yāzi): n duckling 　
“小 (xiǎo)” means small; “鸭 (yā)” means duck; “子 (zǐ)” here, is a suffix.

Example:

Wǒ yǒu yí gè xiǎo yāzi xíngzhuàng de cúnqiánguàn.
我 有 一 个 小 鸭子 形状 的 存钱罐。 　
I have a little duck-shaped piggy bank.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary: 　
买 (mǎi): v to buy 　
大 (dà): adj big

http://resources.echineselearning.com/kids/kids-chinese-581.html

两只老虎 (Liǎng zhī lǎohŭ) Two Tigers

Liǎng zhī lǎohŭ, liǎng zhī lǎohŭ;
两 只 老虎， 两 只 老虎；
Two tigers, two tigers;

Pǎo de kuài, pǎo de kuài;
跑 得 快， 跑 得 快；
Running fast, running fast;

Yì zhī méiyǒu yǎnjing, yì zhī méiyǒu wěiba;
一 只 没有 眼睛，一 只 没有 尾巴； 　
One has no eyes and the other has no tail.

Zhēn qíguài, zhēn qíguài!
真 奇怪， 真 奇怪！ 　
How strange! How strange!

Liǎng zhī lǎohŭ, liǎng zhī lǎohŭ;
两 只 老虎， 两 只 老虎； 　
Two tigers, two tigers;

Pǎo de kuài, pǎo de kuài;
跑 得 快， 跑 得 快； 　
Running fast, running fast;

Yì zhī méiyǒu yǎnjing, yì zhī méiyǒu wěiba;
一 只 没有 眼睛， 一 只 没有 尾巴； 　
One has no eyes and the other has no tail.

Zhēn qíguài, zhēn qíguài!
真 奇怪， 真 奇怪！
How strange! How strange!

Kids Chinese Story: 乌鸦喝水 (Wūyā hēshuĭ) How did a Thirsty Crow Successfully Drink Water?

Key Learning Points (Preview):

乌鸦 (wūyā): n crow
渴 (kĕ): adj thirsty & 喝 (hē): v to drink

Yì zhī wūyā kŏukĕ le, dàochù zhăo shuĭ hē.
一 只 乌鸦 口渴 了，到处 找 水 喝。
A crow felt thirsty and was looking for water everywhere.

Zhèshí, wūyā kànjiàn yígè píngzi, píngzi lĭ yŏu shuĭ.
这时， 乌鸦 看见 一个 瓶子， 瓶子 里 有 水。
At this point, the crow saw a bottle with water.

Kĕ shì píngzi hĕn gāo, píngkŏu hĕn xiăo, lĭbiān de shuĭ yòu shăo, tā hē bù zháo.
可 是 瓶子 很 高， 瓶口 很 小， 里边 的 水 又 少，它 喝 不 着。
But the bottle was too tall with a small opening and there was only a little water in it. The crow could not get to the water.

Zĕnme bàn ne?
怎么 办 呢?
What could he do?

Wūyā kànjiàn pángbiān yŏu hĕnduō xiăo shízĭ, tā xiăng le xiăng, yŏu bànfă le!
乌鸦 看见 旁边 有 很多 小 石子，它想 了 想， 有 办法 了！
The crow saw many little stones around him. He suddenly got an idea.

Wūyā bă xiăo shízĭ yí gè gè diāo qĭlái, fàng dào píngzi lĭ.
乌鸦 把 小石 子 一 个 个 叼 起来，放 到 瓶子 里。
The crow held the stones in mouth one by one and then put them in the bottle.

Píngzi lĭ de shuĭ mànmàn shēnggāo, wūyā jiù hē zháo shuĭ le.
瓶子 里的 水 慢慢 升高， 乌鸦 就 喝 着 水 了。
Gradually, the water rose and the crow could finally have a drink.

Now from the story, what do you think of the crow? When facing difficulties, you can learn from the crow and manage to find a solution to overcome difficulties. Want to know more kids Chinese stories? Please visit:

Kids Chinese Story: 比比谁最长 Let’s Compare Which is Longer
Kids Chinese Story: 小猫种鱼 A Kitten Planted Fish

Key Learning Points:
乌鸦 (wūyā): n crow
Example:

Zhè zhŏng niăo de míngzi jiào wūyā.
这 种 鸟 的 名字 叫 乌鸦。
This kind of bird is called crow.

渴 (kĕ): adj thirsty & 喝 (hē): v to drink
Example:
Wŏ hĕn kĕ, xiăng hēshuĭ.
我 很 渴，想 喝水。
I’m very thirsty and I want to drink water.

小猫种鱼 A Kitten Planted Fish

小猫种鱼 (xiǎomāo zhòngyú) A Kitten Planted Fish

有一只聪明的小猫，总是喜欢跑来跑去。
Yǒu yìzhī cōngmíng de xiǎomāo, zǒngshì xǐhuān pǎolái pǎoqù.
There was a clever kitten who liked trotting up and down.

春天来了，妈妈带他去种菜。
Chūntiān lái le, māma dài tā qù zhòngcài.
When spring came, his mother took him to plant vegetables.

一星期后，小猫发现菜发芽了。
Yī xīngqī hòu, xiǎomāo fāxiàn cài fāyá le.
A week later, the kitten found the vegetable seeds have sprouted.

于是他问妈妈为什么种子会发芽。
Yúshì tā wèn māma wèishénme zhǒngzi huì fāyá.
So he asked his mother how the seeds were able to sprout.

妈妈告诉他种子吸收了泥土里的水分和营养，
Māma gàosu tā zhǒngzi xīshōu le nítǔ lǐ de shuǐfèn hé yíngyǎng,
Mother told him that seeds can absorb the water and nutrients in the soil,

然后就会发芽，再长叶子，最后会结出很多菜。
Ránhòu jiù huì fāyá, zài zhǎng yèzi, zuìhòu huì jiéchū hěnduō cài.
Then they will bud and sprout leaves. And at last they will yield many vegetables.

小猫想：如果我把鱼种到泥土里，会不会长出很多鱼呢？
Xiǎomāo xiǎng: rúguǒ wǒ bǎ yú zhòngdào nítǔ lǐ, huìbuhuì zhǎngchū hěnduō yú ne?
The kitten thought: if I plant fish into the soil, will they yield many fish?

第二天，小猫拿了几条鱼，种在了土里。
Dìèrtiān, xiǎomāo ná le jǐ tiáo yú, zhòngzài le tǔ lǐ.
The next day, the kitten took some fish and planted them in the soil.

小猫每天都浇水，一个星期过去了，可是鱼还是没有发芽。
Xiǎomāo měitiān dōu jiāoshuǐ, yígè xīngqī guòqù le, kěshì yú háishì méiyǒu fāyá.
He watered the fish every day. A week later, the fish still didn’t germinate.

小猫很着急，挖开泥土一看。
Xiǎomāo hěn zháojí, wākāi nítǔ yí kàn.
The kitten was very anxious and dug out the fish to have a look.

哇，鱼全部烂掉了，只剩下骨头了。
Wa, yú quánbù làn diào le, zhǐ shèngxià gǔtóu le.
Wow, all the fish were rotten, only left were their bones.

小猫很奇怪也很伤心，就去问妈妈。
Xiǎomāo hěn qíguài yě hěn shāngxīn, jiù qù wèn māma.
The kitten was very curious and sad, so he asked his mother.

“为什么我把鱼种到泥土里不会长出鱼？”
“Wèishénme wǒbǎ yú zhòng dào nítǔ lǐ búhuì zhǎngchū yú?”
” I have planted fish in the soil but why didn’t it grow out fish?”

妈妈笑了，她说：“鱼是动物，不能种的。
Māma xiàole, tā shuō: “Yú shì dòngwù, bùnéng zhòng de.
Mom laughed and said, “Fish are animals and cannot been planted.

只有植物才可以种植。比如番茄、黄瓜、西瓜等。”
Zhǐyǒu zhíwù cái kěyǐ zhòngzhí. Bǐrú fānqié, huángguā, xīguā děng.”
Only the plants can been planted, for example, tomato, cucumber, watermelon and so on.”

小猫明白了这个道理，他想：今后我要多学习，才会知道很多知识。

Xiǎomāo míngbai le zhège dàolǐ, tā xiǎng: jīnhòu wǒ yào duō xuéxí, cái huì zhīdào hěnduō zhīshí.
The kitten came to understand this truth. He thought, from now on I need to learn more so that I can obtain more knowledge.
生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary

发芽 (fāyá) v to germinate

“发 (fā)” means to grow out and “芽 (yá)” means bud.
Example:

到了春天，草都发芽了。
Dàole chūntiān, cǎo dōu fāyá le.
When spring comes, the grass germinates.
明白 (míngbai) v to understand

“明 (míng)” means clear and “白 (bái)” literally means white.

Example:

他正在尽力弄明白她的意思。
Tā zhèngzài jìnlì nòng míngbái tāde yìsi.
He is trying his best to understand her meaning.

小猫 (xiǎomāo): n kitten
种 (zhòng): v to plant
春天 (chūntiān): n spring
伤心 (shāngxīn): adj sad
学习 (xuéxí): v to learn

比比谁最长 Let’s Compare Which is Longer

Chinese Story for Kids (Beginner)

比比谁最长 (bǐ bǐ shuí zuì cháng) Let’s Compare Which is Longer

Key Learning Points (Preview):
长 (cháng): adj long
短 (duǎn): adj short

A squirrel stands with an elephant and a giraffe, and the squirrel is not confident because he looks so small among them. He says: “Do not think that you two look bigger than me. In fact, my ‘尾巴 (wěiba) tail’ is the longest.” He shakes his tail in front of them. The giraffe then says: “It’s not interesting to compare whose tail is longer. My ‘脖子 (bózi) neck’ is the longest, and I can eat the ‘树叶 (shùyè) leaves’ on the top of the trees.” The “大象 (dàxiàng) elephant” shakes his head and says: “Haha, look, can anyone’s ‘鼻子 (bízi) nose’ be longer than mine?” He puts the squirrel on his back using his nose while he is talking.

Then comes Panda granny: “We can not simply compare whose tail is ‘更长 (gèng cháng) longer’ or ‘更短 (gèng duǎn) shorter.’ Everyone has his own ‘长处 (chángchù) strengths’ and ‘短处 (duǎnchù) weaknesses,’ so we should find our own and others’ strengths and weaknesses, then help and learn from each other. That is what a good kid should do.”

Key Learning Points:

长 (cháng): adj long 　
“长处 (chángchù)” are the Chinese characters for “strengths.”
Examples:
1. Bǎobèi, zhège gùshi hěn cháng, nǐ xiǎng jìxù tīng wán ma?
A: 宝贝， 这个 故事 很 长， 你 想 继续 听 完 吗？
Honey, this story is rather long, do you want to finish it?

Māma, wǒ bù xiǎng shuìjiào, wǒ yào tīng.
B: 妈妈， 我 不 想 睡觉， 我 要 听。 　
Yes, mom, I don’t want to sleep, I want to listen.

2. Qiānxū shì tā de chángchù.
谦虚 是 他 的 长处。
Modesty is his strength.

短 (duǎn): adj short
“短处 (duǎnchù)” are the Chinese characters for “weaknesses.”

Examples:
1. Zhè jiàn yīfu yǒu diǎn duǎn, míngtiān ràng bàba gěi wǒ mǎi jiàn xīn de.
这 件 衣服 有 点 短， 明天 让 爸爸 给 我 买 件 新 的。
This clothing is a little bit short; I’ll ask my dad to buy a new one for me.

2. Xiǎo péngyǒu men, wǒmen bù néng ná zìjǐ de chángchù gēn biérén de duǎnchù bǐ.
小 朋友 们， 我们 不 能 拿 自己 的 长处 跟 别人 的 短处 比。 　
Little guys, we can’t compare other’s weakness to our strengths.

Kids Chinese Story: 乌鸦喝水 (Wūyā hēshuĭ) How did a Thirsty Crow Successfully Drink Water?

Key Learning Points (Preview):

乌鸦 (wūyā): n crow
渴 (kĕ): adj thirsty & 喝 (hē): v to drink

Yì zhī wūyā kŏukĕ le, dàochù zhăo shuĭ hē.
一 只 乌鸦 口渴 了，到处 找 水 喝。
A crow felt thirsty and was looking for water everywhere.

Zhèshí, wūyā kànjiàn yígè píngzi, píngzi lĭ yŏu shuĭ.
这时， 乌鸦 看见 一个 瓶子， 瓶子 里 有 水。
At this point, the crow saw a bottle with water.

Kĕ shì píngzi hĕn gāo, píngkŏu hĕn xiăo, lĭbiān de shuĭ yòu shăo, tā hē bù zháo.
可 是 瓶子 很 高， 瓶口 很 小， 里边 的 水 又 少，它 喝 不 着。
But the bottle was too tall with a small opening and there was only a little water in it. The crow could not get to the water.

Zĕnme bàn ne?
怎么 办 呢?
What could he do?

Wūyā kànjiàn pángbiān yŏu hĕnduō xiăo shízĭ, tā xiăng le xiăng, yŏu bànfă le!
乌鸦 看见 旁边 有 很多 小 石子，它想 了 想， 有 办法 了！
The crow saw many little stones around him. He suddenly got an idea.

Wūyā bă xiăo shízĭ yí gè gè diāo qĭlái, fàng dào píngzi lĭ.
乌鸦 把 小石 子 一 个 个 叼 起来，放 到 瓶子 里。
The crow held the stones in mouth one by one and then put them in the bottle.

Píngzi lĭ de shuĭ mànmàn shēnggāo, wūyā jiù hē zháo shuĭ le.
瓶子 里的 水 慢慢 升高， 乌鸦 就 喝 着 水 了。
Gradually, the water rose and the crow could finally have a drink.

Now from the story, what do you think of the crow? When facing difficulties, you can learn from the crow and manage to find a solution to overcome difficulties. Want to know more kids Chinese stories? Please visit:

孟母三迁 (Mèngmǔ sān qiān) Mencius’ Mother Relocates Home Three Times to Improve Her Son’s Education

Nǐ érzi Tāngmǔ xuéxí hànyǔ duō jiǔ le?
A: 你 儿子 汤姆 学习 汉语 多 久 了？
How long has your son Tom learned Chinese?

Hái bú dào yìnián.
B: 还 不 到 一年。
Less than one year.

Zhēn liǎobùqǐ, tā de hànyǔ shuǐpíng búcuò ne!
A: 真 了不起，他 的 汉语 水平 不错 呢。
Marvelous! His Chinese level is very high now.

儿子 (érzi): n son
Example:

Wǒ érzi sìsuì jiù kāishǐ xuéxí hànyǔ le.
我 儿子四岁 就 开始 学习 汉语 了。
My son started to learn Chinese when he was four years old.

生词 (shēngcí) vocabulary:
游戏 (yóuxì): n game
淘气 (táoqì): adj naughty

青蛙歌 (Qīngwā gē) Frog Song (Beginner)

A Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Children (Beginner)

青蛙歌 (Qīngwā gē) Frog Song

Key Learning Points (Preview):

青蛙 (qīngwā): n frog
嘴 (zuǐ): n mouth
腿 (tuǐ): n leg

Yì zhī qīngwā yì zhāng zuǐ,
一 只 青蛙 一 张 嘴，
A frog has one mouth,

Liǎng zhī yǎnjing sì tiáo tuǐ.
两 只 眼睛 四 条 腿。
two eyes and four legs.

Liǎng zhī qīngwā liǎng zhāng zuǐ,
两 只 青蛙 两 张 嘴，
Two frogs have two mouths,

Sì zhī yǎnjing bā tiáo tuǐ.
四 只 眼睛 八 条 腿。
four eyes and eight legs.

Pūtōng pūtōng tiào xià shuǐ.
扑通 扑通 跳 下 水。
They jump into the water with a splash.

Key Learning Points:

青蛙 (qīngwā) n frog
The character “青 (qīng)” means cyan and “蛙 (wā)” means frog.
Example:
Kuài kàn, hé lǐ yǒu hěnduō kēdǒu!
A: 快 看，河里 有 很多 蝌蚪！
Look, there is a lot of tadpole in the river.

Duì! Kēdǒu zhǎngdà jiù biànchéng qīngwā le ne!
B: 对！ 蝌蚪 长大 就 变成 青蛙 了 呢！
Yes! Tadpoles will become frogs when they grow up.

嘴 (zuǐ) n mouth
“嘴 (zuǐ)” means mouth, but we usually use “嘴 (zuǐ)” combine with some other words, such as “嘴唇 (zuǐchún) lips,” “嘴巴 (zuǐba) mouth.”

Example:
Māma, wǒ hǎo kě.
A: 妈妈， 我 好 渴。
Mom, I’m thirsty.

Bǎobèi, děng huìr, xiǎoxīn tàng dào zuǐ.
B: 宝贝， 等 会儿， 小 心 烫 到 嘴。 　
Honey, wait for a moment. Be careful not to burn your mouth.

腿 (tuǐ) n leg 　
Example:

Xiǎomíng de tuǐ bèi xiǎodāo huá pò le, wǒmen dài tā qù yīyuàn.
A: 小 明 的 腿 被 小刀 划 破 了，我们 带 他 去 医院。
Xiao Ming’s leg had been scratched by a knife; let’s take him to the hospital.

Hǎode, zǒu!
B: 好的， 走！
Ok, let’s go!

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary: 　
一 (yī): n one 　
四 (sì): n four
八 (bā): n eight

小白兔 (xiǎo báitù ) Little White Rabbits (Beginner)

Listen to the nursery rhyme:

http://v.ku6.com/show/oPhyrrDSsOq-UCKD.html


Xiǎo báitù, bái yòu bái,
小 白兔，白 又 白，
Little white rabbits, oh, so white,

Liǎng zhī ěrduo shù qĭ lái,
两 只 耳朵 竖 起 来，
Both ears are up to here,

Ài chī luóbo ài chī cài,
爱 吃 萝卜 爱 吃 菜，
Love to eat carrots and greens,

Bèng bèng tiào tiào zhēn kěài.
蹦 蹦 跳 跳 真 可爱。
Bounce! Bounce! Bounce! They are really cute!

Key Learning Points:

耳朵 (ěrduo): n ear
Example:
Zuǒ ěrduo jìn, yòu ěrduo chū.
左 耳朵 进， 右 耳朵 出。
Go in one ear and get out in the other.

萝卜 (luóbo): n carrot
Example:
Māma: Bǎobèi, duō chī diǎn luóbo huì gèng jiā jiànkāng.
妈妈： 宝贝， 多 吃 点 萝卜 会 更 加 健康。
Mom：Dear, eat more carrots, and they are good for health.
Erzi: Hǎo, wǒ kě xǐhuan chī luóbo le.
儿子：好，我 可 喜欢 吃 萝卜 了。
Son: Ok, I like carrots very much.

盲人摸象 (Mángrén mō xiàng) Blind Men and an Elephant

Key Learning Points (Preview):

牙齿 (yáchǐ): n. teeth
象 (xiàng): n. elephan

Cóngqián, yǒu sì gè mángrén hěn xiǎng zhīdào dàxiàng shì shénme yàngzi.
从前， 有 四 个 盲人 很 想 知道 大象 是 什么 样子。
In ancient time, there were four blind men. They were curious to know what an elephant looked like.

Kěshì tāmen kàn bú jiàn, zhǐhǎo yòng shǒu qù mō dàxiàng.
可是 他们 看 不 见，只好 用 手 去 摸 大象。
Since they couldn’t see anything, they had no way but to touch an elephant.

Pàng mángrén mō dào le dàxiàng de yáchǐ.
胖 盲人 摸 到 了 大象 的 牙齿。
Tā jiù shuō: “Wǒ zhīdào le, dàxiàng jiù xiàng yí gè yòu dà yòu cū de luóbo.”
他 就 说：“ 我 知道 了，大象 就 像 一个 又 大 又 粗 的 萝卜”。
The fat blind man touched the elephant’s teeth, and said, “I see, an elephant is just like a big and thick radish.”

Gāo gèzi mángrén mō dào de shì dàxiàng de ěrduo.
高 个子 盲人 摸 到 的 是 大象 的 耳朵。
Tā shuō: “Bú duì, dàxiàng míng míng shì yì bǎ dà púshàn ma!”
他 说：“ 不 对， 大象 明 明 是 一把 大 蒲扇 嘛” !
The tall blind men touched one of the elephant’s ears, and said, “You are wrong, an elephant is just like a palm-leaf fan.”

“Nǐmen jìng xiāshuō, dàxiàng zhǐshì gēn dà zhùzi.”
“你们 净 瞎说， 大象 只是 根 大 柱子”。
Ǎi gèzi mángrén hǎn qǐlái, yīnwèi tā mō dào le dàxiàng de tuǐ.
矮个子 盲人 喊 起来，因为 他 摸 到 了 大象 的 腿。
“What nonsense are you talking about? An elephant is just a big pillar!” The short blind man shouted, because he just touched a leg of the elephant.

Dì sì wèi niánlǎo de mángrén ne, tā mō dào le wěiba,
第 四 位 年老 的 盲人 呢，他 摸 到 了 尾巴，
dūrǎng zhe: “Āi, dàxiàng nǎ yǒu nàme dà, tā zhǐ búguò shì yì gēn cǎoshéng.”
嘟嚷 着：“唉，大象 哪 有 那么 大，它 只 不过 是 一 根 草绳”。
The fourth old blind man touched the tail and burbled, “Hey, how can an elephant be so big? It is just a straw rope!”

The four men quarreled with each other endlessly and they all thought themselves were right. In fact, none of them was right and really knew what an elephant looks like. This kids Chinese story tells us that we can’t draw conclusions from incomplete information.

Key Learning Points:

牙齿 (yáchǐ): n. teeth
Example:

Xiǎohái chī tài duō táng duì yáchǐ bù hǎo.
小孩 吃 太 多 糖 对 牙齿 不 好。
Eating too much sugar will do harm to kids’ teeth.

象 (xiàng): n. elephan
In spoken Chinese, we often use “大象 (dàxiàng)” to refer to elephant.

Example:

Māma, nǐ xiàwǔ néng dài wǒ qù dòngwùyuán ma?
A: 妈妈， 你 下午 能 带 我 去 动物园 吗？
Wǒ xiǎng qù kàn dàxiàng, háiyǒu lǎohǔ.
我 想 去 看 大象， 还有 老虎。
Mum, can you take me to the zoo in the afternoon? I want to see elephants and tigers.

Hǎo ā, bǎobèi.
B: 好 啊，宝贝。
Ok, baby.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary:

蒲扇 (púshàn): n. palm-leaf fan
柱子 (zhùzi): n. pillar
草绳 (cǎoshéng): n. straw rope

小猴子下山 (Xiǎo hóuzi xiàshān) A Little Monkey

Key Learning Points (Preview):

高兴 (gāoxìng): adj. happy

可爱 (kěài): adj. lovely

Yǒu yì tiān, yì zhī xiǎo hóuzi xiàshān qù wán.
有 一 天，一 只 小 猴子 下山 去 玩。
One day, a little monkey went down a mountain to play.

Tā zǒu dào yí piàn yùmǐ dì lǐ, kànjian yùmǐ jié de yòu dà yòu duō, fēicháng gāoxìng.
它 走 到 一 片 玉米 地里，看见 玉米 结 得 又 大 又 多， 非常 高兴。
He was very happy when he came to a corn field and saw many big corns.

Tā jiù bāile yí gè, kángzhe wǎngqián zǒu.
它 就 掰了一 个，扛着 往前 走。
He picked one and went ahead.

Xiǎo hóuzi zǒu dào yì kē táoshù xià, kànjian yòu dà yòu hóng de táozi, fēicháng gāoxìng.
小 猴子 走 到 一棵 桃树 下, 看见 又 大 又 红 的 桃子，非常 高兴。
Then the little monkey came to a peach tree and saw the big red peaches. He was very happy.

Tā jiù rēngle yùmǐ qù zhāi táozi.
它 就 扔了 玉米 去 摘 桃子。
He threw the corn and picked the peaches.

Xiǎo hóuzi pěngzhe jǐ gè táozi, zǒu dào yí piàn guā dì lǐ.
小 猴子 捧着 几 个 桃子，走 到 一 片 瓜 地里。
The little monkey came to a melon field carrying the peaches.

Tā kànjian yòu dà yòu yuán de xīgua, fēicháng gāoxìng, jiù rēngle táozi qù zhāi xīgua.
它 看见 又 大 又 圆 的 西瓜，非常 高兴， 就 扔了 桃子 去 摘 西瓜。
When he saw a big round watermelon, he was very happy. Then he threw away the peaches and picked the watermelon.

Xiǎo hóuzi bàozhe yí gè dà xīgua wǎng huí zǒu.
小 猴子 抱着 一个 大 西瓜 往 回 走。
The little monkey went back holding a big watermelon.

Tā kànjian yì zhī xiǎo tù bèng beng tiào tiao de, zhēn kěài.
它 看见 一只 小 兔 蹦 蹦 跳 跳 的，真 可爱。
He saw a lovely little rabbit hopping around.

Tā fēicháng gāoxìng, jiù rēngle xīgua qù zhuī xiǎo tù.
它 非常 高兴， 就 扔了 西瓜 去 追 小 兔。
He was very happy. Then he threw away the watermelon and chased the little rabbit.

Xiǎo tù pǎojìn línzi, bú jiàn le.
小 兔 跑进 林子，不 见 了。
But the little rabbit ran into the woods and disappeared.

Xiǎo hóuzi zhǐhǎo kōng zhe shǒu huíjiā qù le.
小 猴子 只好 空 着 手 回家 去 了。


The little monkey went back empty-handed.

Key Learning Points:

高兴 (gāoxìng): adj. happy


Example:

Tài gāoxìng le, wǒ bàba xià zhōu yào dài wǒ qù Zhōngguó lǚyóu.
A: 太 高兴 了，我 爸爸 下 周 要 带 我 去 中国 旅游。
I'm so happy. My father will take me to travel to China next week.

Tài hǎo le, jìde gěi wǒ dài lǐwù a.
B: 太 好 了，记得 给 我 带 礼物啊。
Great! Remember to bring me a gift.

可爱 (kěài): adj. lovely


Example:

Nǐmen jiā nà zhī xiǎogǒu tài kěài le.
A: 你们 家 那 只 小狗 太 可爱了。
Your little dog is so lovely.

Nà dāngrán le, tā shì māma tèyì sònggěi wǒ de shēngrì lǐwù ne.
B: 那 当然 了，它是 妈妈 特意 送给 我 的 生日 礼物呢。
Of course. It is a special birthday gift from my mother.

Kids Chinese Vocabulary:

玉米 (yùmǐ): n. corn
桃子 (táozi): n. peach
西瓜(xīgua): n. watermelon