In this short joke, a doctor has to decipher his patient’s bizarre symptoms.
Categories
Category: Beginner (74)
Get ready for some serious wanderlust vibes. This song, released by Taiwanese singer Chyi Yu (Qiyu) in 1979, captures the restless spirit of a wanderer who roams far from home.
Have you ever felt like your home was too small for your dreams? A tiny fish once thought the same thing. But sometimes, the grass isn’t greener on the other side – especially when there’s no grass, only salty waves!.
A young girl puts a smile back on a sad widow’s face.
Categories
History: 纸的故事 – The Story of Paper
You’re holding a book, writing on a notebook, maybe even wrapping a gift – but have you ever wondered who invented the paper that makes all this possible?
Categories
Biography: 姚明的故事 – Who is Yao Ming?
A quick introduction to basketball star Yao Ming, with language tailored for beginner readers.
Sometimes takes a stranger to remind you of what you’ve been taking for granted all along. This short story follows a teenage girl who storms out after a fight at home and learns, through an unexpected encounter, to appreciate the people who love her the most.
Categories
Fable: 洗衣服 – Washing clothes
In this quick lesson about judging others, we learn that those who live in dirty glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. HSK 2-3.
This dialogue between a man and a sailor drives home a quick life lesson: there’s risk in anything you do, so there’s no point in trying to avoid danger entirely. HSK 2-3.
Categories
Children’s Story:《两条彩虹》Two rainbows
In this cutsey-face story intended for kindergarteners, Grandma Bear (熊奶奶 – xióng nǎi nai) comes down with an illness that can only be cured by seeing a rainbow (彩虹 -cǎi hóng), and Uncle Frog (青蛙大叔 – qīng wā dà shū) jumps in to make it happen. HSK 2-3.
A not-too-bright fellow heads to the market to buy a pair of shoes. Includes a beginner’s introduction to classical Chinese. HSK 3.
A man tries to make his treasured hunting bow (弓 gōng) even more perfect than it already is, but learns an obnoxious life lesson instead. HSK 3-4.
A young man tries to copy the way people walk in the city of Handan (邯郸), but only succeeds in making a fool of himself. HSK 3-4.
A gentleman named Buzi (卜子) asks his wife (卜妻) to make him a new pair of pants (裤子), but he doesn’t give her very clear instructions. HSK 3-4.
Zhu De (朱德) is an early Communist folk hero, and the founder of the People’s Liberation Army (解放军), also called the Red Army (红军). This popular revolutionary story highlights his willingness to toil alongside the rank and file soldiers. HSK 3-4.
Categories
Communist songs: 《东方红》- The East is Red
This song is a relic of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The melody was adapted from an old farmer’s folk song back in 1942, and became popular when Mao Zedong’s (毛泽东) cult of personality was in full swing.
One picky little horse doesn’t appreciate the food he is served, until he sees what everyone else is eating. Upper-beginner, bordering on intermediate, HSK 4.
In this short story, a garden rake (草耙 – cǎo pá) teaches one stuck-up kid a lesson in humility. HSK 3-4.
Categories
Fable: 天堂里的自由 – Freedom in Heaven
A little thrush (画眉 huà méi) trades one cage (笼子 lóng zi) for a bigger one, and doesn’t much like the upgrade. Suitable around HSK 3.
This is the first 成语 backstory I recall reading in class. It’s about a guy who can’t help but flaunt his superior skill in front of others, and the nasty surprise he gets as a result. This is upper-beginner, HSK 4.