Before you read, meet the grandparents! This rhyming chant helps you practice the different names for maternal and paternal grandparents in Chinese. Listen to the beat and repeat.
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宝宝，宝宝，我问你，爸爸的爸爸叫什么？
Baby, baby, let me ask you: what do you call Daddy's daddy?
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爸爸的爸爸叫爷爷。
Daddy's daddy is called Grandpa.
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爸爸的妈妈叫什么？
What do you call Daddy's mommy?
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爸爸的妈妈叫奶奶。
Daddy's mommy is called Grandma.
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宝宝，宝宝，我再问你妈妈的爸爸叫什么？
Baby, baby, let me ask you again: what do you call Mommy's daddy?
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妈妈的爸爸叫姥爷。
Mommy's daddy is called Grandpa on Mommy's side.
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妈妈的妈妈叫什么？
What do you call Mommy's mommy?
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妈妈的妈妈叫姥姥。
Mommy's mommy is called Grandma on Mommy's side.
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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老包：真的？
Lao Bao: Really?
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小米：真的。
Xiaomi: Really.
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上海的大学生，“哪里”、“哪儿”都说。
Shanghai college students say both 'nǎlǐ' and 'nǎr'.
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大山：小米，你的汉语真好。
Dashan: Xiaomi, your Chinese is really good.
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大山说我的汉语很好。
Dashan said my Chinese is very good.
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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我的大白猫叫‘大白'。
My big white cat is named Dabai.
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谁看见我的大白猫大白，请打电话给三号房间。”
If anyone sees my big white cat, Dabai, please call Room 3.
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白天明看见老先生的家里，有一只很大很白的大猫。
Bai Tianming saw that in the old man's home there was a very big, very white cat.
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
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马家友觉得是医院给的。
Ma Jiayou thought it was from the hospital.
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谢医生对马家友说：“苹果不是医院给的。
Dr. Xie said to Ma Jiayou, "The apple is not from the hospital."
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是二号房间的老先生给你的。
It was the old gentleman in Room 2 who gave it to you.
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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晚上，我坐出租车去大学那边的苹果商店买手机。
In the evening, I took a taxi to the Apple Store near the university to buy a phone.
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苹果商店外边人很多，一半儿是北京大学的大学生。
There were a lot of people outside the Apple Store; half of them were students from Peking University.
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明天苹果十九出来了，大家都想做第一个买到苹果十九的人。
The iPhone 19 comes out tomorrow, and everyone wants to be the first to buy one.
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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我们坐的飞机很大，是五百人的大飞机。
The plane we took was huge—a big 500-passenger plane.
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到北京的时候，北京正在下大雨。
When we arrived in Beijing, it was raining heavily.
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我问超市的人小苹果怎么样？
I asked the staff at the supermarket what the small apples were like.
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大苹果是中国的，小苹果不是中国的。
The big apples were from China, and the small apples were not.
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
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我的男朋友打电话给我：“喂？
My boyfriend called me: 'Hello?'
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我的男友：“我喜欢的桌椅？
My boyfriend: 'The table and chairs I like?'
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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最近我每周都游两三次，但看电影是我最大的爱好！
Lately I swim two or three times a week, but watching movies is my biggest hobby!
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Ｂ：老的新的都喜欢。
B: I like both old and new ones.
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
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七号桌天天是您的。
Table 7 is yours every day.
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今天，茶是热的。
Today, the tea is hot.
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
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雨，是我的朋友。
The rain is my friend.
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我是雨的朋友。
I am the rain's friend.
In this easy story, you will follow a simple trip to the supermarket to buy apples. Practice numbers, question words, and nationalities in a real-life shopping context.
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三个苹果是中国的，三个苹果不是中国的。
Three of the apples are from China, and three are not.
Before you read: this is a short rhyming poem. You will meet a doctor who asks about seeing and hearing. Try to spot words you already know!
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真的没问题。
It's really no problem.
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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高友朋是一个非常好的人。
Gao Youpeng is a very good person.
This playful HSK 1 poem twists words you already know and asks how an hour can be small. Read it aloud and laugh; a fun way to practice Chinese.
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小猫小的猫，小狗小的狗，小学不很小，小时怎么小？
A kitten is a little cat, a puppy is a little dog; primary school isn't very small—so why is 'hour' small?
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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她的老家是上海。
Her hometown is Shanghai.
