小时怎么小？

The Small Hour Riddle

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.

HSK 1 By Jiao Yu (焦雨) ~1 min read · 57 chars · 20 words

高兴高不高，
不对对不起。

小猫小的猫，
小狗小的狗，
小学不很小，
小时怎么小？

分钟钟在哪儿？

多大不 “ 多老 ” 。

老师都很老？

Reading Comprehension 3 questions

Question 1 of 3

Test your understanding of this story with 3 comprehension questions.

Question 1

Multiple Choice

According to the article, the phrase '小时怎么小？' is asking:

Explanation

In the article, '小时' means 'hour', and the question plays on the fact that it contains the character '小' (small), asking how 'hour' can be 'small'.

Question 2

Multiple Choice

What does '分钟, 钟, 在哪儿？' ask about?

Explanation

'分钟' means 'minute', and the word does not contain the character '钟' (clock/bell), so the question asks where the '钟' is.

Question 3

True or False

The article states that all teachers are old.

Explanation

The article asks '老师都很老？' (Are teachers all old?), which is a question, not a statement.

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Key Vocabulary in This Story Tap any word to explore collocations & usage

8 Core Words

小时 xiǎo shí

Core time unit for daily schedules.

分钟 fēn zhōng

minute (unit of time)

Essential for telling durations.

Key question word for how.

Tiny grains of sand or minute specks — the smallest scale of physical matter. Small in size, degree, or age; also a familiar diminutive prefix before names (小李). Three tiny particles: a central stroke with two small specks hanging beside it.

Common adjective for size/age.

Essential for asking location.

To exist or be located at a specific place. To be at/in/on (position); to be doing something (action in progress). A sprout (才) pushing up from the soil (土), marking where it stands.

Essential verb for presence/location.

A walled capital where people and goods all gather together. All; both; every member of a group without exception. A person (者) beside the city wall (阝) where everyone comes together.

Common adverb meaning all/both.

To disobey or move with stubborn difficulty. Very; quite; extremely—an intensifier before adjectives and verbs. A walking person (彳) hitting a stubborn stop (艮) makes a feeling very intense.

High-frequency intensifier very.

Show All HSK 1 Vocabulary in This Story (17)

不的都对不起多分钟高兴狗很老师猫哪儿小小时小学在怎么

Key Grammar in This Story Core HSK 1 sentence patterns & formulas

3 Patterns

多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么、怎么样代词

HSK1 question words like 怎么, 哪儿, and 多 are central to the article's playful questions.

不、没（有）、不要副词

Negation with 不 is used throughout, including the A-not-A pattern 高不高 and contrasts like 不对 and 不很小.

非常、很、太、真、有（一）点儿副词

The degree adverb 很 appears in simple descriptive patterns like 不很小 and 都很老.

Show All HSK 1 Grammar in This Story (7)

多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么、怎么样代词日、号、岁、点、分、年、天量词非常、很、太、真、有（一）点儿副词都1 副词不、没（有）、不要副词在介词的1 助词