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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天天晚上八点，都有一个老先生来。
Every evening at eight, an elderly gentleman comes in.
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老先生天天都坐在七号桌子前。
The old gentleman sits at Table 7 every day.
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老先生天天来，买一杯热茶。
The old gentleman comes every day and buys a cup of hot tea.
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他一个人坐在那儿，看外边。
He sits there alone, looking outside.
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一天晚上，大中去七号桌子前。
One evening, Dazhong goes over to Table 7.
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老先生看看大中，对大中说：“五年前，我儿子也在这家饭店工作。
The old gentleman looks at Dazhong and says, 'Five years ago, my son also worked at this restaurant.'
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他天天晚上九点下班，我坐在七号桌子前看他。
He used to get off work at nine every night, and I would sit at Table 7 and watch him.
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大中很高兴，做了一杯热茶，给老先生喝。
Dazhong is very happy. He makes a cup of hot tea and gives it to the old gentleman to drink.
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七号桌天天是您的。
Table 7 is yours every day.
Before you read, try clapping the rhythm. This poem introduces the days of the week and a fun secret: Chinese has two names for Sunday, but no 'Week Seven'!
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一二三，四五六。
One, two, three; four, five, six.
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星期一后星期二。
After Monday comes Tuesday.
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星期四前星期三。
Wednesday comes before Thursday.
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星期五和星期六。
Friday and Saturday.
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星期没有“星期七”，还有一天星期日。
There is no 'Week Seven' in a week; there is still one day, Sunday.
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星期天，星期日，两个名字都可以。
Sunday—both 星期天 and 星期日 are acceptable names.
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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二零二六年，十月三十号。
The year 2026, October 30th.
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早上六点半，起床吃早饭。
At 6:30 in the morning, I get up and eat breakfast.
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上午四小时，中午吃中饭。
Four hours in the morning, then lunch at noon.
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下班五点半，回家吃晚饭。
I get off work at 5:30 and go home for dinner.
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学习到九点，睡觉十点半。
I study until 9 o'clock and go to bed at 10:30.
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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一二三四五，今天星期五。
One, two, three, four, five — today is Friday.
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六七八九十，昨天星期四；十四是十四，四十是四十。
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten — yesterday was Thursday; fourteen is fourteen, and forty is forty.
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零百千万亿，可以医椅衣。
Zero, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred million — [the sound yī] can be 'heal,' 'chair,' or 'clothes.'
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年月日点半。
Year, month, day, o'clock, and half past.
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工作两三年，休息四五天，读书一小时，吃饭五分钟。
Work for two or three years, rest for four or five days, study for an hour, eat for five minutes.
This rhythmic poem helps you practice numbers from one to ten and larger units. Listen to the beat and count along!
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一二三，四五六。
One, two, three; four, five, six.
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七八九，十零百。
Seven, eight, nine; ten, zero, hundred.
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千万亿，两点半。
Thousand, ten thousand, hundred million; half past two.
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七十五，八百三，九千四，六万一。
Seventy-five; eight hundred thirty; nine thousand four hundred; sixty-one thousand.
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十亿人，年月日。
One billion people; year, month, day.
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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二零一九年，八月十六日，回国第七日，生病第一天。
August 16, 2019 — my seventh day back in China, and day one of being sick.
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休息两星期，七天住医院医生人很好，房间大漂亮。
I rested for two weeks and spent seven days in the hospital. The doctor was very nice, and the room was big and lovely.
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小菜三十六，大菜八十多。
Side dishes are 36 yuan; main dishes are over 80.
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饺子七块五，包子五块三。
Dumplings are 7.50 yuan, and steamed buns are 5.30 yuan.
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面包一块二，牛奶四块三。
Bread is 1.20 yuan, and milk is 4.30 yuan.
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
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早上六点半起床。
I get up at half past six in the morning.
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上午九点去上班。
I go to work at nine in the morning.
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中午十二点吃饭。
I have lunch at twelve noon.
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下午五点半下班。
I get off work at half past five in the afternoon.
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晚上八点回到家。
I get home at eight in the evening.
Shopping for fruit is a common daily task in China. Practice saying prices, counting items, and using simple shopping phrases while buying five apples for three yuan.
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今天我在一个商店买东西。
Today I'm shopping at a store.
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我有三块钱。
I have three yuan.
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今天我买了五个苹果。
Today I bought five apples.
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这五个苹果都是中国苹果。
All five of these apples are Chinese apples.
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
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坐车要九块钱，高先明手里有四块钱，少五块钱。
The bus ride cost nine yuan. Gao Xianming had four yuan on him, so he was five yuan short.
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前边有一个卖水果的老先生。
Up ahead was an old gentleman selling fruit.
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很多天后的一天早上，高先明来这里坐车。
Many days later, one morning, Gao Xianming came here to take the bus.
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高先明看见一个中国同学安小语，也是手里少五块钱，不能上车。
Gao Xianming saw a Chinese classmate, An Xiaoyu, who was also five yuan short and couldn't get on the bus.
Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!
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一月到二月，二月到三月，三月四五月。
January to February, February to March, then March, April, and May.
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六月七八月，九十十一月。
June, July, and August; September, October, and November.
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一年十二月，爱你也想你。
A year has twelve months; I love you and miss you too.
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星期一到六，天天喜欢你。
From Monday to Saturday, I like you every day.
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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我有十五块钱。
I have fifteen yuan.
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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.
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我问超市的人那三个苹果是哪里的？
I asked the supermarket staff where those three apples were from.
This playful reading contrasts small universities and big primary schools. You will practice basic words for school levels and sizes while enjoying a simple rhythmic verse.
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六岁上小学。
At age six, they start elementary school.
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十二上中学。
At twelve, they start middle school.
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十八上大学。
At eighteen, they go to university.
This short story follows a simple shopping trip in Beijing. You will learn words for buying a phone in Chinese.
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这是一个苹果手机。
This is an Apple phone.
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这是苹果十五。
This is an iPhone 15.
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这个手机六千多块钱。
This phone costs over six thousand yuan.
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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白天明住在中国的一个大学里。
Bai Tianming lives on a university campus in China.
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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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一天下午，白天明去三号房间看老先生。
One afternoon, Bai Tianming went to Room 3 to visit the old man.
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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一两件新衣服，两三本汉语书。
One or two new pieces of clothing, two or three Chinese books.
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三四个小学生，四五个中学生，五六个大学生。
Three or four primary school students, four or five middle school students, five or six university students.
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六七个男学生，七八个女同学，八九个好朋友。
Six or seven male students, seven or eight female classmates, eight or nine good friends.
Ever noticed how similar Chinese words can be? This rhyme plays with place names and homophones, from schools to hotels, even throwing in Samsung's origin. A lighthearted way to boost your word power.
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星期哪七星？
Which seven stars are in a week?
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三星在韩国。
Samsung is in South Korea.
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五星大饭店，中国和中文，汉语和韩语，汉字和汉子。
Five-Star Grand Hotel; China and Chinese; Chinese and Korean; Chinese characters and men.
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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上个星期，我们公司的六个人去北京开会。
Last week, six people from our company went to Beijing for a meeting.
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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.
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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我有四十五块钱。
I had forty-five yuan.
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我问超市的人那两个苹果是哪里的？
I asked the staff at the supermarket where those two apples were from.
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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今天我们就要看一个外国黑白老电影。
Today we're going to watch a foreign black-and-white old movie.
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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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.
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马家友去二号房间找老先生。
Ma Jiayou went to Room 2 to look for the old man.
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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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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苹果十九很贵，八千七百多块钱。
The iPhone 19 is very expensive—more than 8,700 yuan.
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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今天我正在一个商店买东西。
Today I'm shopping at a store.
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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一个小问题。
One small question.
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
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今天，面条里有两个大鸡蛋。
Tonight, floating in the noodles were two big eggs.
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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从北京到上海坐飞机，不到两个小时，但是要坐火车，就要最少五个多小时。
Flying from Beijing to Shanghai takes less than two hours, but taking the train takes at least five hours, if not more.
