过新年 (Guò xīnnián): v. to celebrate the New Year

跳舞 (tiàowǔ): v. to dance

Guò xīnnián ya, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng,
过     新年    呀，    咚    咚      咚     咚      呛，

We are celebrating the New Year, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang (the beat of a drum).

Xǐ yángyáng ya, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng,
喜    洋洋    呀，  咚   咚      咚       咚        呛。

It’s happy, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang.
 
Biānpào shēng shēng luógǔ xiǎng, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng,
鞭炮            声     声       锣鼓   响，   咚     咚      咚      咚      呛。

Playing with the fireworks and banging on the drums, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang.
 
Chànggē tiàowǔ duō huānchàng, dōng dōng dōng dōng qiàng,  
唱歌          跳舞    多         欢畅，    咚      咚      咚       咚      呛。

It’s joyous to dance and sing, Tong Tong Tong Tong Qiang.
 
Xìngfú de shēnghuó tián ya tián yòu xiāng, dōng qiàng, dōng qiàng, dōng dōng qiàng.
幸福     的        生活   甜   呀   甜  又     香，    咚     呛，     咚     呛，    咚      咚    呛。

Our happy life is so sweet, Tong Qiang, Tong Qiang, Tong Tong Qiang.
 
Key Learning Points:

过新年 (guò xīnnián): v. to celebrate the New Year

The character "过 (guò)" in this song means "to spend/to celebrate." "过新年 (guò xīnnián)" means "to celebrate the New Year," but we often simply say "过年 (guònián)." 

Example:

Mǎshàng jiùyào guònián le, hǎo gāoxìng ya!
马上          就要     过年  了，好     高兴   呀！

I am so happy that the New Year is coming.
 
跳舞 (tiàowǔ): v. to dance

"跳 (tiào)" is a verb which means "to jump," and "舞 (wǔ)" is a noun which refers to "dance."

Example:

Lily xǐhuan tiàowǔ.
Lily 喜欢     跳舞。

Lily likes dancing.

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圣诞老人 (Shèngdàn lǎorén) Santa Claus

"圣诞 (Shèngdàn)" is the term for Christmas and "老人 (lǎorén)" means "old person." So when you say "Santa" in Mandarin, it's a bit like saying "圣诞老人 (Shèngdàn lǎorén)."

Example 

Shèngdàn lǎorén huì sònggěi wǒ shénme lǐwù ne? Hǎo qīdài ya!
圣诞            老人   会     送给    我    什么   礼物 呢？好  期待 呀！

What’ll Santa bring me? Whatever it is, I’m definitely looking forward to it! 
 

圣诞树 (Shèngdàn shù) Christmas tree

"树 (shù)" means "tree."

Example:

Wǒ gěi shèngdàn shùshang guàmǎnle tángguǒ.
我   给       圣诞        树上          挂满了        糖果。

I usually hang up all kinds of treats on the Christmas tree.
  

圣诞袜 (Shèngdàn wà) Christmas stockings

"袜 (wà)" is the short form for "袜子 (wàzi)," both of which mean "socks." When you talk about your holiday stockings in Mandarin, you're actually saying "圣诞袜 (Shèngdàn wà)."

Example: 

Wǒ de shèngdàn wà lǐ zhuāngmǎnle lǐwù.
我  的        圣诞    袜里     装满了     礼物。

My stocking’s filled with goodies! 
 

圣诞帽 (Shèngdàn mào) Santa hat

"帽 (mào)" is the short form for "帽子 (màozi)." They both mean "hat."

Example: 

Mèimei chuānzhe fěnsè de qúnzi, dàizhe Shèngdàn mào, kě'ài jí le.
妹妹         穿着     粉色   的   裙子，戴着      圣诞        帽， 可爱极了。

How cute! My little sister is wearing her pink dress with her Santa hat. 

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Key Learning Point (Preview):

钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān): to get into a dead end

Yìzhī lǎoshǔ zuāndào niújiǎojiān lǐ le. Tā pǎo bù chūlái, què hái pīnmìng wǎng lǐ zuān.
一只   老鼠     钻到       牛角尖  里了。它 跑  不  出来，  却  还    拼命       往  里    钻。

A mouse went into the tip of an ox horn and couldn't get out. The mouse was in a mad rush to go to the tip of the ox horn.
 
Niújiǎo duì tā shuō: "Péngyou, qǐng tuì chūqu, nǐ yuè wǎng lǐ zuān, lù yuè zhǎi."
牛角      对   它  说：“朋友，    请   退   出去，你  越   往   里  钻， 路  越   窄。”

The ox horn advised: "Please go back my friend. The further you go in, the narrower the road would be.”

Lǎoshǔ shēngqì de shuō: "Hēng! Wǒ shì bǎizhébùnáo de yīngxióng, zhǐyǒu qiánjìn, 
老鼠      生气      地      说：“哼！我    是     百折不挠   的    英雄，      只有    前进，
jué bù hòutuì."
决  不 后退！”

The mouse got angry: "Hum! I am the toughest of heroes. I only move forward, never back!"

Niújiǎo shuō: "Kěshì nǐ de lù zǒu cuò le a!"
牛角     说：“可是   你 的 路  走  错  了啊！”

The ox horn said: "But you are going the wrong way."

Lǎoshǔ háishì jiānchí zìjǐ de yìjiàn: "Xièxie nǐ, wǒ yìshēng jiùshì zuāndòng guò rìzi de,
老鼠     还是    坚持   自己的  意见，“谢谢你，我 一生      就是    钻洞      过   日子 的，
zěnme huì cuò ne?"
怎 么  会  错   呢？

The mouse insisted: "Thank you, but I have been digging all my life. How could I be wrong?"

Bùjiǔ, zhèwèi "yīngxióng" biàn huóhuó mēnsǐ zài niújiǎojiān lǐ le.
不久，这位   “英雄”       便      活活   闷 死  在   牛角尖   里了。

Soon, this "hero" came to his end and suffocated in the ox horn.

Key Learning Point:

钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān): to rush into a dead end

Example:

       Wǒ gàosu Mike tā de fāngfǎ búduì, dàn tā bù tīng.
Tom: 我 告诉   Mike 他 的   方法   不对， 但  他不 听。

        I told Mike that his idea won’t work, but he won’t listen to me.

       Tā  kěndìng yòu zuān niújiǎojiān le.
 May: 他  肯定     又      钻     牛角尖    了。

        He must run into a dead end again.
 
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Key Learning Point (Preview):

滴水穿石 (dīshuǐchuānshí): Dripping water wears away stone.

Yì tiān, Sòngcháo xiànlìng Zhāng Guāiyá  zài yámen zhōuwéi xúnxíng.
一天，   宋      朝     县令        张      乖崖    在    衙门     周围        巡行。

One day, Zhang Guaiya (the county magistrate) was patrolling the government buildings.
 
Kàndào yí ge xiǎolì huānghuang zhāngzhang de cóng qiánkù zhōng zǒu chūlái.
看  到     一个  小吏      慌慌             张张           地   从      钱库     中    走   出来。

He saw a minor official come out from the money vault hurriedly.
 
Zhāng Guāiyá bǎ tā hǎn zhù wèn: "nǐ zhème huānghuang zhāngzhang gàn shénme?"
张        乖崖    把 他 喊    住    问：“你  这么      慌慌               张张         干     什么?”

Zhang Guaiya stopped him and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?"
 
"Méi shénme." Nà xiǎolì huídá shuō.
“没    什么。” 那 小吏    回答    说。

"No reason." the officer answered.

Zhāng Guāiyá liánxiǎng dào zuìjìn qiánkù jīngcháng shīqiè, biàn ràng suícóng duì     
张        乖崖    联想        到   最近   钱库         经常       失窃， 便    让     随从     对              
tā jìnxíng sōuchá.
他 进行   搜查。

Zhang Guaiya recalled the things stolen from the money vault recently. He ordered the guards to search the officer.

Jiéguǒ, zài tóujīn lǐ sōu dào yì méi tóngqián.
结果，  在   头巾里  搜   到   一 枚      铜钱。

Consequently, there was a copper piece found in the officer’s headband.
 
Zhāng Guāiyá wèn tā yígòng tōule duōshǎo qián, xiǎolì bù chéngrèn lìngwài tōuguò qián,  
张          乖崖   问   他  一共    偷了       多少      钱，小吏  不     承认     另外    偷过    钱，
Zhāng Guāiyá biàn xià lìng káodǎ.
张      乖崖        便    下令      拷打。

Zhang Guaiya asked him how much more money he had stolen. The officer refused to admit that he stole any additional money. Zhang Guaiya ordered that the officer be tortured.

Xiǎolì bù fú shuō: "tōule yì méi tóngqián yǒu shénme liǎobùqǐ, nándào nǐ hái néng
小吏  不服    说：“ 偷了一枚     铜钱     有      什么      了不起，  难道  你  还  能     
shāle wǒ?" 
杀了  我？”

The officer didn’t give in and said, “It’s nothing to steal just a copper piece. Could it be that you can kill me?” 

Zhāng Guāiyá shífēn fènnù, jiù bǎ tā yā dào xíngchǎng zhánshǒu shìzhòng. 
张         乖崖    十分    愤怒，就 把 他  押  到   刑场             斩首     示众。

Zhang Guaiya was very angry and sent him to be executed.”

Bìng duì suǒyǒu rén shuō: "shuǐdī bù tíng de dī, jiù néng bǎ shítou dī chuān, gèng bú yòng
并    对     所有    人     说：“  水滴 不 停  的滴，就  能   把  石头   滴   穿，   更    不    用    
shuō shì měitiān tōudào le."
说    是    每天      偷盗   了。”

He said to all the people, "Dripping water wears away stone, let alone stealing everyday."

Key Learning Point:

滴水穿石 (dīshuǐchuānshí): Dripping water wears away stone.

Examples:

Zhǐyào wǒmen jiānchí nǔlì, zǒng huì dīshuǐchuānshí, qǔdé chénggōng.
只要    我们       坚持   努力，总  会     滴水穿石，       取得     成功。

As long as we persist to work hard, we can succeed just as constantly dripping water can wear away stone.

Xuéxí  yào yǒu héngxīn hé jīlěi, dīshuǐchuānshí, cái néng qǔdé hǎo chéngjì.
学习    要 有       恒心    和积累，   滴水穿石，    才   能     取得   好    成绩。

Study requires the acquisition of knowledge and persistence. Just as dripping water wears away stone constant effort will help us to achieve good marks.
 
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Key Learning Point (Preview):

对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín): to play the harp to a cow

Zhànguó shídài, yǒu yí ge jiào Gōngmíng Yí de yīnyuèjiā, tā hěn huì tánqín.
战国          时代，有   一个 叫     公明        仪 的   音乐家，他 很   会  弹琴。

During the Warring States Period, there was a musician named Gongming Yi, who played musical instruments very well.

Hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuan tīng tā tánqín, rénmen hěn jìngzhòng tā.
很     多  人    都     喜欢   听  他   弹琴，人们        很     敬重     他。

There were a great number of people fond of listening to him play, and respected him very much.

Yìtiān, Gōngmíng Yí zài jiāowài yóuwán shí, kàndàole yì tóu niú. 
一天，公明          仪 在 郊外      游玩      时，看到了    一 头 牛。

One day, Gongming Yi saw a cow when he was having fun in the countryside.

Tā xiǎng: dàjiā dōu zànyáng wǒ de qínjì, bùrú wǒ gěi niú yě tán yì qǔ ba.
他 想：   大家 都    赞扬       我   的琴技，不如我  给   牛  也 弹一 曲 吧!

He thought, "Everybody compliments my music. Why don't I play some music for this cow?"

Tā gěi niú tánzòule yì qǔ gǔyǎ de qǔzi, niú mái tóu chī cǎo bù lǐ tā. 
他 给 牛   弹奏了  一 曲 古雅 的曲子，牛 埋  头   吃   草  不理他。

He played a piece of elegant quaint music for the cow, but the cow just kept grazing the grass with its head down.

Tā yòu tánzòule yì qǔ huānkuài de qǔzi, niú yīrán mái tóu chī cǎo bù lǐ tā.
他 又  弹奏了   一曲    欢快        的 曲子，牛 依然 埋  头   吃   草 不理他。

He played another piece of joyful music, but the cow still kept its head down to graze the grass and totally ignored him.

Gōngmíng Yí ná chū zìjǐ de quánbù běnlǐng, jiěguǒ niú háishì bù lǐ tā. 
公明           仪 拿 出自己的   全部       本领， 结果    牛  还是  不理他。

Gongming Yi showed off all his skills, but the cow still ignored him.

Gōngmíng Yí fēicháng shīwàng, kāishǐ huáiyí zìjǐ de qínjì.   
公明           仪 非常         失望，   开始   怀疑 自己的 琴技。

Gongming Yi was so disappointed and started to question his ability.

Lùrén shuō: "búshì nǐ tán de qín bù hǎo, érshì niú gēnběn tīng bù dǒng a."
路人    说：“  不是你 弹 的 琴   不  好，而是   牛    根本     听   不 懂 啊!”

A passerby said to him,"It's not because your ability is bad. It is because the cow can not understand music at all."

The cow could not understand the beautiful music like humans could. The swanky musician tried his best to play for the cow, but it was just like trying to tell something to somebody who can hardly understand. The idiom "对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín)" is used to describe this sort of situation, or kind of person.

Key Learning Point:

对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín): to play the harp to a cow

Examples:

           Māma, zhècì kǎoshì wǒ yòu méi jígé.
    Son: 妈妈，这次 考试    我   又   没   及格。

           Mum, I failed this exam.

           Wǒ měitiān dōu zhǔfu nǐ hǎohao xuéxí, jiǎnzhí shì duìniútánqín a.
Mother: 我每天       都   嘱咐 你 好好      学习，简直   是    对牛弹琴    啊。

            I asked you to work hard everyday, but it’s just like playing a harp to a cow.

Shuōle nàme duō, tā dōu tīng bù dǒng, wǒ zhēn shì duìniútánqín a.
说了      那么   多，他 都   听    不   懂， 我    真   是    对牛弹琴   啊。

He cannot understand even when I say it again and again. It seems that I am just playing a harp to a cow.

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弯腰 (wān yāo): v. to bow down

点头 (diǎn tóu): v. to nod one’s head

Listen to the whole riddle

Cāicai wǒ shì shuí?
猜猜    我   是  谁？

Guess who am I?

Wǒ chángcháng cóng nǐ shēn biān jīngguò,
我    常常             从     你  身    边      经过，

I often pass by you,

Nǐ què kàn bú dào wǒ, yě mō bú zháo wǒ.
你 却   看   不  到   我，也 摸 不 着    我。

But you can’t see me; you can’t touch me.

Xiǎo cǎo jiàn wǒ wān yāo,
小     草   见   我   弯    腰，

Little grass stoops down for me,

Huā'ér jiàn wǒ diǎn tóu,
花儿     见  我   点    头，

Flowers nod at me,

Xiǎo shù jiàn wǒ zhāo shǒu,
小     树    见   我   招     手，

Little trees wave at me,

Yúnduǒ suí wǒ tiàowǔ,
云朵       随   我  跳舞，

Clouds dance with me,

Xiǎo péngyou, qǐng nǐ cāicai, wǒ shì shuí?
小      朋友，   请     你 猜猜，我   是   谁？

Little friend, please guess, who am I?

Key Learning Points:

弯腰 (wān yāo): v. to bow down

Example:

Tā wānyāo jiǎn qǐ dìshàng de xiāngjiāopí fàng dào le lājīxiāng lǐ.
他  弯腰      捡   起 地上      的     香蕉皮    放     到  了 垃圾箱里。

He bowed down, picked up the banana skin and threw it into the trash.

点头 (diǎn tóu): v. to nod one’s head

Example:

Tā diǎntóu biǎoshì zàntóng jìhuà.
她  点头      表示       赞同      计划。

She nodded to show her approval of the plan.

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跑 (pǎo): v. to run

有时候 (yǒushíhou): adv. sometimes

Listen to the whole riddle

Nǐmen zhīdào wǒ shì shuí ma?
你们      知道   我   是   谁   吗？

Do you know who am I?

Tàiyáng yì chūlái, wǒ jiù biànchéngle "qì",
太阳      一 出来，我 就  变成了    “汽”，

When the sun rises, I will be converted into vapor,

zài tiānshàng piāoláipiāoqù, rénmen jiào wǒ "yún."
在   天上         飘来飘去，      人们       叫   我“云”。

Sailing across the sky; people will call me "a cloud."

Zài tiānshàng, lěngfēng yì lái,
在    天上，       冷风      一 来，

High in the sky, when the wind comes,

wǒ jiù biànchéng xiǎo yǔzhū diào xià lái, rénmen jiào wǒ "yǔ."
我   就 变成         小      雨珠  掉    下  来，人们     叫  我“雨”。

I will fall down as little drops; people will call me "rain."

Dàole dōngtiān, wǒ yòu biànchéng yì duǒ duǒ xiǎohuā piāo xià lái, rénmen jiào wǒ "xuě."
到了    冬天，    我   又    变成         一  朵   朵    小花       飘    下 来，人们     叫   我“雪”。

When winter comes, I will drift down as little flowers; People will call me "snow."

Wǒ yǒushíhou ài zài húlǐ shuìjiào,
我   有时候      爱 在 湖里 睡觉，

Sometimes I like to sleep in the lake,

yǒushíhou ài zài hélǐ huānpǎo,
有时候       爱在  河里 欢跑，

Sometimes I run in the river,

yǒushíhou ài zài dàhái lǐ yòuchàng yòutiào. 
有时候      爱 在 大海 里又唱         又跳。

and sometimes I sing and dance in the ocean.

rénmen yìtiān dōu shǎobùliǎo wǒ.
人们        一天 都     少不了      我。

People can’t live without me even for a single day.

Dàjiā zhīdào wǒ shì shuí ma?
大家   知道   我   是   谁   吗？

Does anyone know who am I?

Please leave a reply to tell me your answer.

Key Learning Points:

跑 (pǎo): v. to run

Example:

Tā pǎode zhēn kuài!
他 跑得    真      快！

He runs so fast!

有时候 (yǒushíhou): adv. sometimes

Example:

Wǒ yǒushíhou huì zǒulù huíjiā, yǒushíhou huì qíchē huíjiā.
我   有时候       会   走路 回家，有时候        会    骑车 回家。

Sometimes I go home on foot and sometimes by bike.

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Watch this video to listen to the song: 

Key Learning Points (Preview):

飞 (fēi) v. to fly

左 (zuǒ) n./adj. left

Liǎng zhī xiǎo mìfēng, fēi zài huācóng zhōng.
两    只   小    蜜 蜂， 飞  在  花   丛     中。

Two little bees fly among the flowers.

Zuǒ fēi fēi yòu fēi fēi.
左飞 飞  右  飞  飞。

They fly to the left, then fly to the right.

Fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞 呀， 飞 呀，飞 呀，飞 呀，飞 呀。

Fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly.

Fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞 呀。

Fly, fly.

Liǎng zhī xiǎo húdié, fēi zài shānlín zhōng.
两   只    小   蝴  蝶，飞在   山   林  中。

Two little butterflies fly into the forest.

Zuǒ fēi fēi yòu fēi fēi.
左   飞 飞  右  飞  飞。

They fly to the left, then fly to the right.

Fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀。

Fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly.

Fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞 呀。

Fly, fly.

Liǎng zhī xiǎo qīngtíng, fēi zài huāyǔ zhōng.
两    只   小    蜻    蜓，飞  在  花   雨  中。

Two little dragonflies fly into the rain.

Zuǒ fēi fēi yòu fēi fēi.
左   飞  飞  右  飞  飞。

They fly to the left, then fly to the right.

Fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀，飞呀。

Fly, fly, fly, fly, fly, fly.

Fēi ya, fēi ya.
飞 呀，飞 呀。

Fly, fly.

Key Learning Points:

飞 (fēi) v. to fly

Example:

Shùshàng de xiǎoniǎo fēi zǒule.
树   上        的  小   鸟   飞 走了。

The bird on the tree flew away.

左 (zuǒ) n./adj. left

"左 (zuǒ)" is the Chinese word for "left," while "右 (yòu)" is the Chinese word for "right."

Example:

Mèimei huì yòng zuǒshǒu xiězì.
妹 妹   会   用      左    手    写字。

My little sister can write with her left hand.

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Aesop’s Fable "the Fox and the Grapes" is a very interesting and educational children"s story told in China, which is also good for adults. This tale about "sour grapes" will help parents educate their children.

Listen to the whole story.

Yìzhī húli fāxiànle yìkē pútao shù,
一只 狐狸  发现了 一棵  葡萄   树，

The fox found a vine.

Shùshàng zhǎngmǎn le xiāngtián de pútao.
   树   上       长    满    了   香  甜    的   葡萄。

That had many clusters of delicious grapes.

Húli kànzhe pútao, rěnbúzhù yòng shétou tiǎnzhe zuǐchún,
狐狸 看 着     葡萄，忍 不 住    用     舌头       舔着     嘴唇，

The fox looked at the grapes, and licked his lips with hunger.

Xīn xiǎng: “Wā ā ! Shì hǎo shíwù li!”       
  心    想：   "哇啊！是 好   食物  哩！"

"Wow! Such good food this is!" He thought.

Tā xiàngshàng tiàole jǐ cì, què zǒngshì gòu bú dào.
它   向     上      跳 了 几次，却   总   是    够  不  到。

But though he jumped and jumped he couldn’t get any.

Fùjìn de xiǎo dòngwù dōu zài xiào húli.
附近  的  小    动   物   都   在   笑   狐狸。

The animals near all laughed at the fox.

"Hèng! Zhèxiē pútao hái hěnsuān, bùnéng chī de!"
"哼！  这   些    葡萄    还  很  酸，   不能     吃   的！"

"Hum!" The fox muttered. "These grapes are still too sour to eat!"

Húli dūnang zhe, chuítóusàngqì de huíjiā le.
狐狸   嘟 囔   着，    垂 头 丧 气  地   回家 了。

And so he went home dejectedly.

Zhè jiùshì chī búdào pútao shuō pútao suān de láilì.
这    就是   吃不  到     葡萄  说   葡萄      酸    的 来历。

This is what is meant by the phrase "sour grapes."

The phrase "吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸 (chī búdào pútao shuō pútao suān)" literally means that when one cannot attain the grapes, they will respond by saying the grapes are too sour to eat anyway. Nowadays, the term is often used by Chinese people to describe someone who lacks the capacity to complete something, and defends their inability by saying it is not worth completing.

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"神笔马良 (Shénbǐ Mǎ Liáng) Ma Liang and the Magic Pen" is a very famous and interesting story for children in China. Magic is a mysterious thing that kids are interested in, so this story is interesting to them and can help them learn how to read Chinese in a fun way.

Key Learning Points (Preview):

喜欢 (xǐhuan) v. to like/love

画画 (huà huà) v. to draw/paint

Cóngqián, yǒu gè háizi jiào Mǎ Liáng, fēicháng xǐhuan huà huà.
从 前，       有 个  孩子叫     马 良，  非常         喜欢    画 画。

Once upon a time, there was a child, named Ma Liang. He loved painting very much.

Dànshì tā méiyǒu huàbǐ, jiù yòng shùzhī liànxí.
但 是    他  没有     画笔，就  用   树枝   练习。

But he was so poor that he couldn’t afford a paint brush; instead he practiced painting with branches.

Yìtiān, tā mèngjiàn yǒu rén sòngle tā yìzhī shénbǐ,
一天，他   梦见       有  人    送 了 他一支    神笔，

One night, he dreamed that someone gifted a magic pen to him,

Jīnguāngshǎnshǎn, fēicháng piàoliang.
金 光 闪 闪，             非常        漂亮。

which was glittering and very beautiful.

Xǐnglái jìngrán zhēn de yǒu yìzhī shénbǐ.
醒 来    竟 然    真  的   有   一支  神笔。

When he woke up, there really was a magic pen.

Zhè zhī bǐ huà chūlái de dōngxi dōu huì huó guòlái,
这    支 笔 画   出来  的  东西    都    会  活    过来.

Surprisingly, whatever Ma Liang painted with the magic pen would come to life.

Hòulái, yígè dà cáizhu zhīdào le.
后 来，一个 大   财主   知道  了。

Later, a rich landlord learned about the pen.

Tā bǎ Mǎ Liáng guānle qǐlái, zhǔnbèi è sǐ tā, duó lái shénbǐ.
他  把    马 良     关了  起来,   准备   饿 死他，  夺来   神 笔。

He locked Ma up to get the pen and tried to starve him.

Mǎ Liáng què yòng shénbǐ huàle bǐng.
马 良         却    用     神笔   画 了  饼。

However, Ma Liang drew a cake with the Pen, and fed on it.

Bànyè huàle tīzi, táochū dìzhǔ jiā.
半 夜  画了梯子， 逃出  地主 家。

At midnight, Ma painted a ladder, and escaped.

Méi zǒu duō yuǎn, zhǐ tīngjiàn hòumian yízhèn xuānhuá.
没     走    多   远，  只   听见      后面       一阵      喧哗。

Ma had not gotten far when there was a burst of noise.

Cáizhu qízhe kuàimǎ, zhuī shàng lái le.
 财主     骑着    快马， 追      上    来了。

The landlord was riding a horse to catch up with him..

Mǎ Liáng yòng shénbǐ huàle gōngjiàn, zhèng shèzhòng cáizhu de yānhóu,
马 良          用      神笔  画 了  弓 箭,       正      射 中       财主   的    咽喉，

Ma drew a bow and arrow with the magic pen, and shot the arrow right in the throat of the landlord.

cáizhu fānshēn diēxià mǎ qù.
财主       翻身     跌下  马  去。

The landlord fell down from the horse.

Mǎ Liáng pāipāi jùnmǎ, fēi yíyàng de xiàngqián qù le.
马 良         拍拍   骏马，飞 一样    地    向前      去 了。

Ma Liang patted the big horse and rode away.

Key Learning Points:

喜欢 (xǐhuan) v. to like/love

Example:

    Nǐ xǐhuan zhège gùshi ma?
A: 你  喜欢    这个   故事   吗？

    Do you like this story?

    Dāngrán, wǒ hěn xǐhuan Mǎ Liáng de shénbǐ.
B: 当然，      我   很   喜欢      马良      的    神笔。

    Certainly, I like Ma Liang’s magic pen very much.

画画 (huà huà) v. to draw/paint

Examples:

Xiǎomíng xǐhuan huà huà.
小 明          喜欢     画 画。

Xiaoming likes to draw pictures.

Bàba jiāo wǒ huà huà.
爸爸   教   我   画 画。

My dad taught me how to paint.

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橙汁 (chénɡzhī) orange juice

Example

     Āyí,   wǒ yào mǎi yìpíng chéngzhī.
A: 阿姨， 我 要  买   一瓶      橙汁。

    Ms., I want to buy a bottle of orange juice.

    Gěi nǐ, xiǎo péngyou.
B: 给 你，小   朋友。

    Here you are, little friend.

 
雪碧 (xuěbì) Sprite

Example

Māma xǐhuan hēshuǐ, wǒ hé bàba dōu xǐhuan hē xuěbì.
妈妈     喜欢    喝水，我   和 爸爸    都    喜欢  喝   雪碧。

Mom likes to drink water, but dad and I like to drink Sprite.

可乐 (kělè) coke

Example

     Érzi,  lái bēi guǒzhī zěnmeyàng?
A: 儿子，来杯   果汁     怎么样？

    Son, how about a cup of fruit juice?

     Māma, wǒ xiǎng hē kělè.
B: 妈妈， 我   想   喝  可乐。

     Mom, I want to drink coke. 

冰激凌 (bīngjīlíng) ice cream

Example

Mèimei xǐhuan qiǎokèlì wèi de bīngjīlíng.
妹妹     喜欢   巧克力  味  的   冰激凌。

My younger sister loves chocolate ice cream.

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Key Learning Points (Preview):

蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ) n. ant

咬 (yǎo) v. to bite

Xiàtiān, yǒu yìzhī mǎyǐ bèi fēng guādàole chítáng lǐ.
夏天，   有 一只 蚂蚁 被   风     刮 到 了   池塘   里。

In summer, an ant fell into a pond.

Shùshàng de gēzi kàndào le, gǎnmáng jiāng yèzi diū jìn chítáng.
树上           的 鸽子   看到 了， 赶忙      将   叶子  丢   进  池塘。

A dove on a tree saw the ant. She quickly threw a leaf into the pond.

Mǎyǐ páshàng yèzi, piāodào le chíbiān, déjiù le.
蚂蚁    爬上     叶子， 漂到 了    池边，得救 了。

The ant climbed up onto the leaf, floated to the side of the pond, and was saved. .

Mǎyǐ  jìzhù le gēzi de jiùmìng zhī ēn.
蚂蚁 记住 了鸽子 的  救命   之 恩。

The ant always remembered the dove for saving his life.

Guòle hěnjiǔ, lièren yòng qiāng miáozhǔn le shùshàng de gēzi, dànshì gēzi
过了    很久， 猎人   用      枪         瞄准    了     树上     的  鸽子，但是  鸽子
bù zhīdào.
不知道。

After a long time, a hunter with a gun aimed at the dove on the tree, but the dove didn’t notice.

Mǎyǐ páshàng lièren de jiǎo, hěnhěn yǎole yìkǒu.
蚂蚁   爬上       猎人   的 脚， 狠狠     咬了 一口。

So the ant climbed up onto the hunter’s foot and gave him a nasty bite.

Lièren bèi yǎo tòng le,  jiù bǎ zǐdàn dǎ wāi le.
猎人     被  咬    痛  了，就 把 子弹 打 歪 了。

The hunter felt great pain, and he missed the shot.

Gēzi déjiù le, mǎyǐ yě bàodá le gēzi de jiùmìng zhī ēn.
鸽子 得救了，蚂蚁 也 报答 了鸽子 的  救命   之 恩。

The dove was saved, and the aunt had repaid the dove’s kindness.

Key Learning Points:

蚂蚁 (mǎyǐ) n. ant

Example:

Dìshàng yǒu liǎngzhī xiǎo mǎyǐ.
地上       有      两只    小    蚂蚁。

There are two little ants on the ground.

咬 (yǎo) v. to bite

Example:

Dìdi yǎole yìkǒu píngguǒ.
弟弟 咬了 一口    苹果。

My little brother took a bite of his apple.

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Key Learning Points (Preview):

爸爸 (bàba): n. father/dad

多 (duō): adj. many

Father's Day is coming up. Today we'll learn how to sing this Chinese song for our fathers, and how to say to them "父亲节快乐 (Fùqīnjié kuàilè)" Happy Father's Day.

Bàba hǎo, bàba hǎo, bàba de lìqi zhēn bù xiǎo,
爸爸   好， 爸爸 好，爸爸 的 力气 真  不 小，

Good Ol' Dad, Good Ol' Dad. Dad has great strength.

zuò de duō, shuō de shǎo, zāng huó lèi huó tā quán bāo le.
做   得   多， 说   得   少，   脏    活   累   活  他   全   包   了。

He does more and says less and shoulders all the dirty and heavy work.

Bàba hǎo, bàba hǎo, bàba de dùliàng zhēn bù xiǎo.
爸爸   好， 爸爸 好，爸爸 的   肚量      真   不 小，

Good Ol' Dad, Good Ol' Dad. Dad is very tolerant.

zhèng de duō, huā dé shǎo, shèngcài shèngfàn tā quán bāo le.
挣      得   多， 花   得  少，     剩菜         剩饭    他   全    包    了。

He earns more and spends less and takes all the leftovers.

Key Learning Points:

爸爸 (bàba): n. father/dad

Example:

Jīntiān shì Fùqīnjié, wǒ yào sònggěi bàba yí gè dà dà de yōngbào.
今天    是    父亲节，我 要     送给    爸爸 一个 大 大 的  拥抱。

Today is Father's Day. I will give my father a big hug.

多 (duō): adj. many

The antonym of "多 (duō)" is "少 (shǎo)."

Example:

At a gift shop

    Hǎo duō rén a!
A: 好    多    人 啊！

    There are so many people!

    Shì a, jīntiān shì Fùqīnjié, dàjiā dōu lái mǎi lǐwù ne.
B: 是 啊，今天 是  父亲节，大家 都   来 买  礼物 呢。

    Yes, today is Father’s Day. Everyone has come to buy gifts.

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Dān yùnmǔ liù xiōngdì,
单      韵母   六    兄弟，

The six simple finals are all buddies.

a,   o,  e,   i,  u,  ü,
a、o、e、i、u、ü，

a, o, e, i, u, ü,

Kǒuxíng dàxiǎo pái chéng duì,
口型         大小   排     成     队，

They stand in a line from big to small.

a shì lǎodà ü xiǎodì.
a 是   老大  ü  小弟。

a is the first and ü is the last.

Liànxí chànggē ā ā ā,
练习      唱歌     ā ā ā，

You can say āāā to practice singing.

Yǒu le yíwèn jiù jiào á,
有   了 疑问 就 叫   á，

You can say á to express doubt.

Bànxìn bànyí hǎn shēng ǎ,
半信     半疑   喊     声     ǎ，

You can shout ǎ to express uncertainty.

Míngbai guòlái cái shuō à.
明白        过来   才    说  à。

You can say à when you have understood something.

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Key Learning Points (Preview):

香 (xiāng): adj. delicious

糖 (táng) n. sugar 

Táo'r hóng,
桃儿   红，

The peach is red.

xìng'r huáng,
杏儿    黄，

The apricot is yellow.

Wǔyuè chūwǔ shì duānyáng.
五月      初五    是      端阳。

May the fifth of the lunar calendaris the Dragon Boat Festival.

Zòngzi xiāng,
粽子     香，

The rice dumplings are delicious

Bāo wǔ liáng.
包     五 粮。

They include five grains.

Bāo gè zòngzi guǒshàng táng,
包    个   粽子     裹上         糖，

Make a rice dumpling and add sugar to it.

Xìngfú shēnghuó wàn nián cháng.
幸福      生活         万     年     长！

The happy life will last forever.

Key Learning Points:

香 (xiāng): adj. delicious

Example:

Māma bāo de zòngzi zhēn xiāng.
妈妈    包    得   粽子    真     香。

The rice dumplings that my mother makes are so delicious.

糖 (táng) n. sugar

Example:

Māma shuō xiǎoháizi bùnéng chī tàiduō táng.
妈妈     说     小孩子     不能     吃 太多    糖。

My mom told me that kids must not eat too much sugar.

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Key Learning Points (Preview):

螃蟹 (pángxiè) n. crab

难看 (nánkàn) adj. ugly

Yí gè yuèguāng míngliàng de yèwǎn, xiǎo pángxiè zài shātān shàng zǒuzhe.
一个     月光明亮的                 夜晚， 小    螃蟹      在    沙滩     上     走着。

On a bright night, a little crab is walking on the beach.

Pángxiè māma kàndào xiǎo pángxiè hòu, jiàodào: "Háizi! Nǐ zěnme
螃蟹        妈妈     看到     小    螃蟹     后，叫到：“孩子！你   怎么  
héngzhe zǒu ne? Duō nánkàn ā! Huì bèi dàjiā xiàohua, yào zhízǒu ya."
横着        走   呢？多    难看    啊！会 被   大家 笑话，   要   直走    呀！”

His mother sees him and yells, "Child! How can you walk sidewise? How ugly it is! Others will laugh at you. Walk straight!"

Xiǎo pángxiè shuō: "Zhīdào le, māma."
小      螃蟹      说：“知道   了，妈妈。”

The little crab says, "Ok, mom."

Kěshì, xiǎo pángxiè háishì gǎobùdǒng zěnme zhízǒu.
可是，小      螃蟹      还是       搞不懂       怎么    直走。

But the little crab doesn't know how to walk straight.

Xiǎo pángxiè shuō: "māma, nǐ shìfàn yíxià hǎo ma?"
小     螃蟹       说：“妈妈，你 示范 一下   好   吗？”

The little crab says, "Mom, can you show me how to walk straight?"

Pángxiè māma shuō: "hǎode, hěn jiǎndān de!"
螃蟹        妈妈    说：“好的， 很    简单    的！”

His mother says, "Ok, it's very easy."

Pángxiè māman nǔlì de shìzhe zhízǒu, dànshì, wúlùn zěnme zǒu què dōu zhǐnéng
螃蟹       妈妈     努力 地  试着     直走，但是，无论    怎么    走    却   都   只能
héngzhe zǒu.
横着        走。

His mother tries hard to walk straight; however, no matter what she tries, she can only walk sidewise.

Xiǎo pángxiè zhǐnéng gēnzài māma hòutou, xuézhe māma de yàngzi.
小     螃蟹       只能       跟在    妈妈     后头， 学着    妈妈   的 样子。

The little crab can only follow his mother and imitate her sideways walking.

Key Learning Points:

螃蟹 (pángxiè) n. crab

Example

Yì zhī pángxiè jiázhùle xiǎo nánhái de jiǎo.
一只    螃蟹      夹住了 小     男孩   的 脚。

A crab nipped the little boy's toe.

难看 (nánkàn) adj. ugly

Actually, there is a Chinese word with the same meaning as "难看 (nánkàn)." It is "丑 (chǒu)". 

Example

Māma, zhè tiáo qúnzi zhēn nánkàn, wǒ xiǎngyào nà jiàn.
妈妈， 这 条     裙子   真      难看， 我   想要     那 件。

Mom, this dress is so ugly. I want that one.

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson for kids with our professional teachers from China.

 嘴巴 (zuǐba) mouth 

Example:

Tā de zuǐba zhǎngde hěn kě’ài.
她 的 嘴巴   长得       很    可爱。

Her little mouth is so cute.

眼睛 (yǎnjing) eye

Example:

Wǒ nǚ’ér yǒu yìshuāng měilì de lán yǎnjing 
我   女儿 有      一双      美丽  的  蓝   眼睛。

My daughter has a pair of beautiful blue eyes.

 鼻子 (bízi) nose

Example: 

Dàxiàng de bízi hěn cháng.
大象       的 鼻子 很   长。

The elephant's nose is very long.

耳朵 (ěrduo) ear

Example:

Tùzi de ěrduo hěncháng, kànqǐlái kě’ài jí le.
兔子的 耳朵       很长，    看起来  可爱极 了。

The rabbit's ears are very long, and they look so cute.

Related lessons to help your kids learn to speak Mandarin:

Learn to Speak Mandarin Words "大(dà)" and "小(xiǎo)" through a Nursery Rhyme

Speaking Mandarin: Learn to Count Numbers through A Popular Chinese Song

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson for kids with our professional teachers from China.

Watch the video and listen to the song:

Key Learning Points (Preview):

笑 (xiào) v. to smile

云 (yún) n. cloud

Zhǐyào māma lòuxiàoliǎn, loù ya lòu xiàoliǎn,
只要     妈妈     露笑脸，   露  呀 露 笑脸，

If only my mother smiles and shows her smiling face,

Yúnzhōng tàiyáng fàng guāngmáng, fàng ya fàng guāngmáng.
云中          太阳       放     光芒，          放   呀   放     光芒。

The sun behind the clouds would shine.

Zhǐyào māma lòu xiàoliǎn, lòu ya lòu xiàoliǎn,
只要      妈妈   露   笑脸，  露 呀 露   笑脸，

If only my mother smiles and shows her smiling face,

Měilì huār qí kāifàng, qí ya qí kāifàng.
美丽 花儿 齐 开放，齐 呀 齐 开放。

Beautiful flowers would spring up together.

Lìjīng kǔnàn de hǎo māma, wǒmen de hǎo māma.
历经   苦难    的 好  妈妈，   我们    的 好   妈妈，

My dear mother has gone through many hardships,

Zhǐyào nín ya xiào yí xiào, quán jiā xǐyángyáng.
只要    您  呀   笑 一 笑，   全   家 喜洋洋。

If only you smile, the whole family would be full of happiness.

Key Learning Points:

笑 (xiào) v. to smile

"笑 (xiào)" is a verb that means "to smile," while "笑脸 (xiàoliǎn)" is a noun that means "smiling face."

Example:

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, tā xiào le.
听到       这个   消息，她 笑 了。

She smiled when she heard the news.

云 (yún) n. cloud

Example:

Nà duǒ yún kànqǐlái xiàng zhī xiǎo tùzi.
那 朵   云    看起来    像    只 小   兔子。

That cloud looks like a little rabbit.

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson for kids with our professional teachers from China.

Key Learning Points (Preview):

太阳 (tàiyáng): n. the sun

今天 (jīntiān): n. today

"七色光之歌 (Qīsèguāng zhī gē)" is a very popular Chinese kid's song about sunshine and being happy.

Tàiyang tàiyang
太阳       太阳

The sun, the sun

Gěi wǒmen dàilái qì sè guāngcǎi.
给    我们     带来  七 色  光彩。

You bring us colorful light.

Zhàode wǒmen xīnlíng de huāduǒ měilì kě’ài.
照得       我们    心灵     的   花朵    美丽  可爱

You beautify the lovely flower of our soul.

Jīntiān wǒmen chéngzhǎng zài yángguāng xià, 
今天      我们         成长        在     阳光        下，

Today we grow under the sunlight,

Míngtiān wǒmen qù chuàngzào qī cǎi shìjiè.
明天         我们     去    创造        七  彩  世界。

Tomorrow we will create a colorful world.

Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai…
来  来  来 来 来  来  …

Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai…

Qīsèguāng, qīsèguāng,
七色光,       七色光,

The colorful light, the colorful light,

Tàiyang de guāngcǎi,
太阳       的    光彩，

You are the beautiful sunshine.

Wǒmen dàizhe qī cǎi mèng zǒu xiàng wèilái.
我们      带着    七  彩   梦    走    向     未来。

We walk to the future with colorful dreams.

Qīsèguāng, qīsèguāng,
七色光、       七色光、

The colorful light, the colorful light.

Tàiyang de guāngcǎi,
太阳       的    光彩，

You are the beautiful sunshine.

Wǒmen dàizhe qī cǎi mèng zǒu xiàng wèilái.
我们      带着    七  彩   梦    走    向    未来。

We walk to the future with colorful dreams.

Key Learning Points:

太阳 (tàiyáng): n. the sun

Example:

Huǒhóng de tàiyáng cóng dōngbian mànmàn shēngqǐ.
火红         的 太阳      从        东边          慢慢       升起。

The flaming sun rises slowly from the east.

今天 (jīntiān): n. today

Example:

Jīntiān shì lǐbàiyī.
今天     是  礼拜一。

Today is Monday.

明天 (míngtiān): n. tomorrow

Example:

Míngtiān wǒmen shàng xīn kè.
明天         我们      上     新  课。

Tomorrow we'll take up a new lesson.

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大 (dà): adj. big

小 (xiǎo): adj. small

太阳、地球和月亮 (Taiyáng, Dìqiú hé Yuèliang) Sun, Earth and Moon

Tàiyáng dà, 
 太阳      大,

The Sun is big.

dìqiú xiǎo,
地球   小,

The Earth is small.

dìqiú ràozhe tàiyáng pǎo.
地球    绕着    太阳      跑。

The Earth runs around the Sun.
 

Dìqiú dà,
地球   大，

The Earth is big

yuèliang xiǎo,
月亮        小，

The Moon is small.

Yuèliang ràozhe diqiú pǎo.
月亮          绕着    地球   跑。

The Moon runs around the Earth.

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson with our professional teachers from China.

Key Learning Points (Preview):

借 (jiè): v. to borrow

新 (xīn): adj. new

Read the story for kids in our online Chinese lessons:

Yì zhī xiǎo bìhǔ zhèng pā zài qiáng shàng zhuō wénzi.
一 只 小    壁虎   正     趴 在   墙      上      捉     蚊子。

A gecko was crawling on a wall to catch mosquitoes.

Tūrán, yì tiáo shé yǎozhù le tā de wěiba.
突然，一 条   蛇    咬住    了它 的 尾巴。

Suddenly, a snake gripped his tail with its teeth.

Xiǎo bìhǔ zhèngduàn le wěiba táopǎo le.
小     壁虎      挣断      了 尾巴    逃跑  了。

The gecko ran away, but its tail was broken.

Tā xīnxiǎng: "Méiyǒu wěiba duō chǒu a!"
它  心想：     “没有    尾巴   多   丑   啊!”

"I'm so ugly without a tail!" the gecko thought.

Yúshì tā juédìng qù jiè yì tiáo wěiba.
于是  它   决定    去 借一 条 尾巴。

So he decided to borrow a tail from others.

Kàndào xiǎo yú zài shuǐ lǐ kuàile de yóuláiyóuqù,
看到       小   鱼 在 水  里 快乐   地    游来游去，

When he saw the fish swaying her tail and swimming merrily in the river,

Tān wèn, "Xiǎo yú jiějie, nǐ néng bǎ wěiba jiègěi wǒ ma?"
它     问：“小  鱼 姐姐，你  能  把   尾巴  借给  我 吗?”

"he asked, "Sister Fish, can you lend your tail to me?"

Xiǎo yú shuō, "Duìbùqǐ, wǒ hái yào yòng tā yóuyǒng ne."
小    鱼   说，“对不起，我 还   要    用   它    游泳   呢。”

The fish answered, "I am sorry. I have to use it for swimming."

Xiǎo bìhǔ yòu kàn dào yànzi zài tiānkōng fēi.
小     壁虎 又   看   到   燕子 在    天空    飞。

Then he saw a swallow flying in the sky.

Tā shuō: "Yànzi āyí, nǐ néng bǎ wěiba jiègěi wǒ ma?"
他   说：“燕子阿姨，你能    把 尾巴   借给   我  吗?”

He said, "Aunt Swallow, can you lend your tail to me?"

Yànzi huídá dào, "Bù xíng a, wǒ yào yòng tā lái fēixíng ne."
燕子   回答   道：“不 行啊，我 要 用    它 来 飞行  呢。”

The swallow responded, "Sorry, I have to use it when flying."

Xiǎo bìhǔ méiyǒu fàngqì jìxù xúnzhǎo xīn wěiba.
小    壁虎    没有    放弃 继续 寻找     新   尾巴。

The gecko didn't give up and continued to look for a new tail.

Rán'ěr, tā yí cì yòu yí cì de kōngshǒu ěr guī.
然而，他 一 次 又一 次地     空手     而 归。

However, he failed again and again.

Tā gǎndào fēicháng jǔsàng, yúshì huíjiā gàosù le māma.
他    感到      非常        沮丧，于是   回家  告诉 了  妈妈。

He was so depressed that he went back home and told his mother what happened.

Xiǎo bìhǔ de māma wēixiào zhe shuō, "Bǎobèi, nǐ huítóu kànkan."
小    壁虎 的   妈妈   微笑    着    说：“宝贝， 你 回头   看看。”

His mother said with a smile, "My dear, turn around and have a look!"

Xiǎo bìhǔ zhuǎnguò tóu qù, tā jīngxǐ de jiào dào, "Ò, wǒ yòu zhǎng chū yì tiáo
xīn wěibā la!"
小    壁虎     转过      头  去，它 惊喜 地 叫 道：“哦，我 又   长    出 一 条
新   尾巴 啦！”

Upon tossing his head back, the gecko shouted with joy, "Oh, I have grown a new tail!"

Key Learning Points:

借 (jiè): v. to borrow

Example:

    Nà běn gùshì shū néng jiè wǒ kànkan ma?
A: 那   本   故事   书     能    借 我    看看   吗？

    Can I borrow that story book from you?

    Kěyǐ
B: 可以。

    Sure.

    Wǒ xià zhōu huán gěi nǐ, hǎo ma?
A: 我  下    周     还     给 你，好 吗？

    I will return it to you next week, ok?

    Hǎo de.
B: 好     的。

    Ok.

新 (xīn): adj. new

Example:

Zuótiān shēngrì, bàba sòng le wǒ yí gè xīn wánjù.
昨天         生日，爸爸   送    了 我 一个 新  玩具。

My father gave me a new toy for my birthday yesterday.

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson with our professional teachers from China.

Is your kid in the habit of doing morning exercises? Well, let's study the Chinese language while enjoying this nursery rhyme: "Doing Morning Exercises Everyday."

Key Learning Points (Preview):

早操 (zǎocāo) n. morning exercises

学生 (xuésheng) n. student

Listen to the whole nursery rhyme

Tiān liàng le,
 天     亮    了，

Morning time,

Zuò zǎocāo,
做     早操，

Doing morning exercises,

Zǎoshang kōngqì duōme hǎo.
早上            空气     多么     好。

How fresh the air is in the morning.

Xiǎo xuésheng.
小         学生，

School children,

Shàng xuéxiào,
上          学校，

Go to school,

Pái qǐ duì lái zuò zǎocāo.
排   起 队 来 做   早操。

Queuing and doing morning exercises.

Shēn shēn shǒu,
伸        伸       手，

Stretch your arms, 

Wān wān yāo,
弯      弯    腰，

Bend your back,

Tiāntiān zuòcāo shēntǐ hǎo.
天天         做操     身体    好。

Doing morning exercises everyday keeps us healthy.

Key Learning Points:

早操 (zǎocāo) n. morning exercises

    Nǐmen xuéxiào yǒu zǎocāo ma?
A: 你们      学校     有    早操    吗？

     Does your school have morning exercises?

    Yǒu ya. Wǒmen měitiān dōu zuò.
B: 有呀。 我们        每天     都    做。

     Yes. We do morning exercises every day.

 学生 (xuésheng) n. student

Xuésheng men shǒu qiān shǒu zhàn chéng yìpái.
学生           们      手     牵     手     站     成    一排。

Students stand hand in hand in a row.

Got questions? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson with our professional teachers from China.

"My Dear Mother" is a well-known nursery rhyme in China, from which we can hear how considerate Chinese kids are, and learn Chinese through our Kids Chinese lessons online now!

Key Learning Points  (Preview):

亲 (qīn): v. to kiss

坐 (zuò): v. to sit

喝 (hē): v. to drink

Watch the video and listen to this song:

Wǒ de hǎo māma ,
我 的   好    妈妈，

My dear mother,

Xiàbān huí dào jiā.
下班      回   到   家。

Back home after work,

Láodòng le yì tiān,
劳动       了 一 天，

Working so hard,

Duōme xīnkǔ ya !
多么     辛苦   呀!

How tired you are!

Māma māma kuài zuòxià,
妈妈     妈妈    快     坐下，

Mom, Mom, please sit down,

Māma māma kuài zuòxià,
妈妈    妈妈     快    坐下，

Mom, Mom, please sit down,

Qǐng hē yì bēi chá.
请    喝 一 杯 茶。

Here's a cup of tea.

Ràng wǒ qīnqīn nín ba,
让      我    亲亲  您   吧，

Let me give you a kiss,

Ràng wǒ qīnqīn nín ba,
让       我   亲亲  您 吧，

Let me give you a kiss,

Wǒ de hǎo māma !
我   的  好    妈妈!

My dear mother!

Key Learning Points:

喝 (hē): v. to drink

Example:

Wǒ kǒu kě le, wǒ xiǎng hē bēi shuǐ.
我   口 渴 了，我  想    喝   杯    水。

I feel thirsty,I want to drink a cup of water.

亲 (qīn): v. to kiss

Example:

Māma  qīn le qīn tā de nǚ’ér.
妈妈    亲  了 亲 她 的 女儿.

The Mom kissed her daughter.

坐 ( zuò): v. to sit

Example:

Māomī zuò zài dì shàng, tān kāi sì zhuǎ.
猫咪     坐   在 地    上，摊   开  四   爪。

The cat sits on the floor, with its legs sprawled.

Vocabulary:

下班 (Xiàbān)  after work

劳动 (láodòng): v. to work

辛苦 (xīn kǔ): adj. tired/exhausted

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What toys do you love? What toys do you want to choose for your children? Let's learn Chinese words for some of the most popular toys in China!

洋娃娃 (yángwáwa) doll

 积木 (jīmù) building blocks

维尼熊 (wéiníxióng) Winnie the Pooh

 Examples:

    Shēngrì nà tiān, bàba gěi wǒ mǎi le yígè yángwáwa.
1. 生日    那   天， 爸爸   给  我  买 了 一个 洋娃娃 。

     My father bought a doll for me for my birthday.

        Kuài kàn, tāmen zài dā jīmù, wǒmen yě qù wán ba.
2. A: 快看，    他们   在   搭  积木，我们   也  去   玩   吧。

       Look. They are piling upbuilding blocks. Why don't we do it together?

         hǎo a.
     B: 好 啊。

 Okay.    

    Wǒ tèbié xǐhuan wéiníxióng, tā hǎo kě’ài ya.
3. 我   特别 喜欢     维尼熊，   他 好   可爱 呀。

    I like Winnie the Pooh very much. He is so lovely.

Chinese lessons for children from eChineseLearning
Chinese lessons for children are designed for children from 3 to 9 years old. This Chinese course for children helps young students learn Chinese by playing games and discussing fun topics. In these Chinese lessons for children, kids will receive systematic training in four aspects of Chinese: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Learning Chinese for Children through Pictures and Videos:
Chinese for Children: Learn to say body parts in Chinese
Chinese for Children: How to Say “Parents” and “Grandparents” in Chinese?
Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Children: My Dear Mother
Chinese Song for Children: The Song of Simple Finals

Got questions on Chinese for children?? Take a Free 1-on-1 live online Chinese lesson with our professional teachers from China.

Listen to the song lyrics:

Chūntiān zài nǎlǐ yā?
春天       在 哪里 呀？

Where is spring?

Chūntiān zài nǎlǐ?
春天        在 哪里？

Where is spring?

Chūntiān zài nà qīngcuì de shānlín lǐ.
春天        在   那   青翠   的   山林   里。

Spring is in the green of the mountain trees.

Zhèlǐ yǒu hóng huā yā.
这里 有    红     花  呀。

There are red flowers here.

Zhèlǐ yǒu lǜ cǎo.
这里  有 绿 草。

There is green grass here.

Hái yǒu nà huì chàng gē de xiǎo huánglí.
还  有    那  会    唱      歌 的 小     黄鹂。

And also the singing yellowbird.

Dī li li dī li dī li li di li li di li li.
嘀哩哩嘀哩嘀哩哩嘀哩哩嘀哩哩

Di li li di li di li li di li li di li li.

Dī li li dī li dī li li di li li di li li.
嘀哩哩嘀哩嘀哩哩嘀哩哩嘀哩哩

Di li li di li di li li di li li di li li.

Chūntiān zài qīngcuì de shānlín lǐ.
春天        在  青翠     的    山林  里。

Spring is in the green of the mountain trees.

Hái yǒu nà huì chàng gē de xiǎo huánglí.
还    有  那   会   唱     歌  的 小      黄鹂。

And also the singing yellowbird.

Vocabulary:

山 (shān): n. mountain

绿 (lǜ): adj. green

草 (cǎo): n. grass

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Watch the video and listen to the song:

Key Learning Points (Preview):

忙 (máng): adj. busy

爱 (ài): v./n. love

Listen to the whole song lyrics:

Tàiyáng guāng jīn liàngliàng, 
太阳       光      金   亮亮

With the golden sunlight,

xióngjī chàng sān chàng. 
雄鸡    唱        三    唱

the cock is crowing.

Huār xǐng lái le, 
花儿 醒   来了

The flowers are waking up,

niǎor máng shūzhuāng. 
鸟儿    忙        梳妆

and the birds are busy dressing up.

Xiǎo xǐquè zào xīn fáng, 
小  喜鹊    造    新  房

The magpies are building new houses,

xiǎo mìfēng cǎi mì máng. 
小    蜜蜂    采   蜜   忙

and the bees are busy gathering honey.

Xìngfú de shēnghuó cóng nǎlǐ lái?
幸福    的   生活         从    哪里来

Where does this happy life come from?

yào kào láodòng lái chuàngzào. 
要     靠   劳动     来      创造

Its creation depends on hard work.

Qīng qīng de yèr hóng hóng de huār.
青      青   的 叶儿 红     红     的  花儿

Among the green leaves and red flowers,

Xiǎo húdié tān wánshuǎ,
小    蝴蝶   贪     玩耍

the butterflies are fond of playing.

Bú ài láodòng bù xuéxí,
不 爱 劳动      不  学习

They don’t love working and studying,

wǒmen dàjiā bù xué tā. 
我们     大家 不  学 它

so we shouldn't learn from them.

Yào xué xǐquè zào xīn fáng,　
要    学   喜鹊  造    新 房　

We should learn from the magpies that are building new houses.

yào xué mìfēng cǎi mìtáng. 
要    学   蜜蜂    采   蜜糖

We should learn from the bees that are busy gathering honey.

láodòng de kuàilè shuō bú jìn, 
劳动      的   快乐    说    不  尽

No words can fully express the pleasure of working hard.

láodòng de chuàngzào zuì guāngróng.
劳动       的    创造         最     光荣

The products of hard work are glorious.

Key Learning Points:

忙 (máng): adj. busy

Example:
    Hāi, zhè ge zhōumò qù dǎ lánqiú ba.
A: 嗨，这  个  周末      去  打  篮球   吧。

    Hi, what about going to play basketball this weekend?

    Duì bù qǐ, wǒ zhōumò huì hěn máng.
B: 对不起，我 周末      会    很   忙。

    Sorry, I will be very busy this weekend.

爱 (ài): v./n. love

Examples:
Měi gè mǔqīn dōu ài tā de háizi.
每   个  母亲    都   爱 她  的孩子。

Every mother loves her children.

Zhǐyào xīn zhōng yǒu ài, shēnghuó jiù shì kuàilè de.
只要    心    中     有   爱，生活          就  是  快乐  的。

Life is happy as long as we have love in our hearts.

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Listen to the whole nursery rhyme

Gōngyuán lǐ, huār kāi,
公园        里，花儿开，

In the park, the flowers are blooming.

Hóng de hóng, bái de bái,
红       的 红， 白   的  白，

The red ones are bright; the white ones are pure.

Huār hǎo kàn wǒ bù zhāi,
花儿   好 看    我 不   摘，

The flowers are beautiful and I don't pick them.

Dàjiā kuā wǒ hǎo guāi guāi.
大家   夸  我   好   乖   乖。

Everybody praises me for being a good child.

Vocabulary:

花儿 (huār): n. flower

红 (hóng): adj. red

白 (bái): adj. white

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 Watch the video and listen to the song:

Listen to the whole song lyrics:

Xiǎo lǎoshǔ,
小     老   鼠，

There was a little mouse

shàng dēngtái.
上         灯   台。

going up on a lamp stand.

Tōu chī yóu,
偷    吃   油，

He stole and ate some oil,

xià bù lái,
下 不来。

he wasn't able to get down.

Miāo miāo miāo,
喵      喵      喵，

"Meow, meow, meow,"

māo lái lā,
猫   来  啦，

a cat came,

jīligūlū gǔn xiàlái.
叽哩咕噜滚 下来

and finally the mouse fell off the lamp stand.

Vocabulary:

老鼠 (lǎoshǔ): n. a mouse

灯台 (dēngtái): n. a lamp stand

油  (yóu): n. oil

Learn Chinese with songs:

身体部位歌 Body Song

数字歌 The Number Song

娃哈哈 Wa Ha Ha

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Key Learning Points (Preview):

猪 (zhū): n. pig

西瓜 (xīguā): n. watermelon

Listen to the Mandarin Chinese Story:

猪八戒吃西瓜 (Zhū Bājiè chī xīguā) The Pig Bajie Ate Watermelon

Tángsēng hé tā de sān gè túdì:
唐僧          和 他 的  三  个  徒弟：
Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè, Shā Héshang yìqǐ qù Yìndù qǔjīng.
孙悟空、         猪八戒、     沙和尚        一起 去 印度   取经。

Monk Tang (His full name is Tang Xuanzang) and his three disciples, Sun Wukong, Pig Bajie, and Monk Sha went to India on a pilgrimage to seek Buddhist scriptures.

Yǒu yì tiān, tiān rè jí le.
有   一 天，天  热 极了。
Sūn Wùkōng hé Zhū Bājiè qù zhǎo shuǐguǒ.
孙悟空           和    猪八戒    去  找     水果。

One day, on their way to India, the weather was extremely hot. Sun Wukong went to find fruits with Pig Bajie.

Bàn lùshang, Bājiè shuō dùzi téng.
半      路   上，八戒  说     肚子 疼。

However, Bajie (the short name for Pig Bajie) complained of a stomachache on the way.

Sūn Wùkōng zhīdào, Bājiè zhǐshì xiǎng tōulǎn,
孙悟空            知道，八戒   只是    想      偷懒，
jiù zìjǐ qù zhǎo shuǐguò le.
就自己去  找     水果    了。

Sun Wukong knew that Bajie merely wanted to slack off, so Sun Wukong went to find fruits himself.

Hòulái, Zhū Bājiè zài fùjìn fāxiàn le yígè xīguā.
后来，   猪八戒    在  附近 发现 了 一个 西瓜。

Later on, Bajie spotted a large watermelon nearby.

Tā bǎ xīguā fēn chéng sìkuài, dǎsuàn fēn gěi shīfu hé tóngbàn  chī.
他 把 西瓜 分     成      四块，  打算     分  给  师傅 和   同伴      吃。
Kěshì zìjǐ méi rěn zhù, bā sì kuài xīguā dōu chī le.
可是 自己  没 忍   住，把 四 块    西瓜   都   吃  了。

He divided it into four sections, planning to give them to his master and his fellows, yet he was so greedy that he ate the whole watermelon himself.

Kàn dào Sūn Wùkōng huílai, tā liánmáng bǎ   xīguā pí rēng diào le.
看    到       孙悟空       回来，他     连忙    把    西瓜  皮   扔  掉   了。   
Xīn xiǎng méi rén huì fāxiàn de.
心想       没   人    会   发现   的。

Upon Sun Wukong’s return, Bajie quickly threw away the watermelon rind. He figured no one would notice.

Rán'ér, zài huí qù de lù shang,
然而，   在  回  去 的路 上，
Bājiè cǎi dào le zìjǐ gāngcái rēng de xīguā pí shang, lián shuāi le sì jiāo.
八戒  踩 到 了  自己 刚才     扔    的   西瓜 皮   上，  连     摔    了 四  跤。

Unfortunately, on his way back, Bajie stepped on the discarded peels, slipped, and fell down four times.

Dāng tā de shīfu hé tóngbàn zhīdào hòu dōu xiào Bājiè tān chī.
当      他 的  师父 和    同伴      知道    后，都   笑  八戒   贪  吃。

When his master and fellows found out what happened, they all burst into laughter over Bajie’s greediness.

Culture Notes:

《西游记》(Xīyóujì) Journey to the West is a mythic Chinese novel, and also one of the Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著sì dà míngzhù) in China. The novel mainly features the famous Monk Xuanzang and his three disciples, who have magic powers, on their pilgrimage to India in search of Buddhist scriptures. The TV series adopted from this novel has been extremely popular in China for more than twenty years. It is deeply loved by kids of all ages.

Key Learning Points:

猪 (zhū): n. pig

Example:

Nǐ xǐhuān Sān zhī xiǎo zhū de gùshì ma?
你  喜欢    《三只小猪》     的  故事  吗？

Do you like the story of the Three Little Pigs?

西瓜 (xīguā): n. watermelon

Example:

Xīguā duōshao qián yì jīn?
西瓜      多少      钱  一 斤？

How much does one half kilogram of watermelon cost?

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Watch this video and listen to the nursery rhyme

Key Learning Points (Preview):

雪花 (xuěhuā): n. snowflake

笑 (xiào): v. to smile

Běifēng chuī, piāo xuěhuā,
北风      吹， 飘     雪花，

The north wind is blowing and the snowflakes are falling.

wǒ hé dìdi xuědì shuǎ.
我 和 弟弟雪地   耍。

My younger brother and I are playing in the snow.

Duī gè xuěrén pàng yòu dà,
堆   个 雪人     胖   又   大，

We are making a big plump snowman.

tàiyáng bù chū hāhā xiào,
太阳      不 出 哈哈 笑，

The snowman is smiling when the sun doesn't shine.

tàiyáng chūlái tā kū le.
太阳      出来 它 哭了。

But he is crying as soon as the sun comes out.

Key Learning Points:

雪花 (xuěhuā): n. snowflake

Example:

    Xiàxuě le! Nǐ kàn, hǎo piàoliang de xuěhuā ya.
A: 下雪了！ 你看， 好     漂亮      的    雪花     呀。

    It's snowing. Look, how beautiful the snowflakes are!

   Shì a, tài měi le.
B: 是啊，太美了。

   Yes, they are so beautiful.

笑 (xiào): v. to smile

Tīngdào zhège hǎo xiāoxi, tā kāixīn de xiào le.
听到        这个  好     消息，他 开心 地 笑 了。

After hearing the good news, he smiled happily.

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Listen to the whole story:

Key Learning Points (Preview):

睡 (shuì): v. to sleep

吃 (chī): v. to eat

Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, māo hé lǎoshǔ jìshì línju, yòushì hǎo péngyou.
很    久 以前，猫   和    老鼠  既是邻居，又是     好    朋友。

Long time ago a cat and a mouse were neighbors and good friends.

Yǒu yì tiān, tīngshuō Yùhuángdàdì yào xuǎn shí’èr zhǒng dòngwù zuòwéi 
有   一天，      听说        玉皇大帝      要     选      十二   种        动物      作为    
rén de shēngxiāo, tāmen dōu xiǎng qù bàomíng.
人    的     生肖，     它们   都   想     去    报名。

One day, they heard that the Jade Emperor wanted to choose twelve animals for the zodiac signs. Both of them wanted to sign up.

Māo shuō: "Zánmen děi zǎoqǐ qù bàomíng, kěshì wǒ ài shuìlǎnjiào, zěnmebàn ne?"
猫    说：“    咱们    得  早起  去   报名，    可是  我 爱 睡懒觉，    怎么办     呢？”

The cat said, “We should get up early to sign up, but I like to sleep late. What should I do?”

Lǎoshǔ shuō: "Bié dānxīn, wǒ qù jiào nǐ, zánmen yí kuàir qù."
老鼠      说：“别   担心，  我 去  叫  你，咱们    一 块儿 去。”
Māo tīng le hěn gāoxìng.
猫      听  了  很    高兴。

The mouse said: “Don’t worry. I will wake you up and we can go together.” The cat felt very happy when he heard this.

Dì èr tiān, lǎoshǔ zǎo jiù xǐng lái le, kěshì tā guāng xiǎng dào zìjǐ de shì,
第 二 天，老鼠    早   就  醒 来 了，可是 它 光     想      到 自己 的 事，
bǎ hǎo péngyou māo gěi wàng le.
把 好    朋友        猫    给   忘    了。

The next day, the mouse got up early, but he forgot to wake up the cat.

Jiéguǒ, lǎoshǔ bèi xuǎn shàng le. Māo yīnwéi shuìlǎnjiào, méiyǒu bèi xuǎn shàng.
结果， 老鼠      被   选       上   了。猫    因为    睡懒觉，     没有    被    选       上。

As a result, the mouse was chosen by the Jade Emperor, but the cat didn’t have a chance to be chosen because he did not get up early.

Yúshì māo jiù hěn shēng lǎoshǔ de qì, jiàn le lǎoshǔ jiù yào chī tā.
于是    猫   就  很    生       老鼠    的 气，见了 老鼠    就 要   吃 它。

This made the cat very angry with the mouse, and he decided that he would eat the mouse if he ever saw him again.

Cóng zhè yǐhòu, lǎoshǔ jiàn le māo jiù zhíhǎo pīnmìng de táo.
从       这  以后，老鼠     见   了  猫   就  只好     拼命     地 逃。

From then on, mice have had to desperately avoid cats.

Key Learning Points:

睡 (shuì): v. to sleep

You can also say "睡觉 (shuìjiào)." They have the same meaning. People sometimes just omit the character "觉 (jiào)."

Example:

   Wǒmen kàn diànyǐng ba.
A: 我们      看   电影    吧。

   Let's watch a movie.

   Tài wǎn le, wǒ yào shuì le.
B: 太 晚了，我   要   睡  了。

    It's too late. I want to sleep.

吃 (chī): v. to eat

Example:

Duō chī shūcài hé shuǐguǒ yǒu zhù yú shēntǐjiànkāng.
多     吃  蔬菜     和 水果      有    助 于   身体健康。

It is healthy to eat more vegetables and fruits.

Culture Note:

十二生肖 (shí’èrshēngxiāo):The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.

"生肖 (shēngxiāo)" is also called "属相 (shǔxiàng)" and stands for "the year of one's birth." The twelve years of the Chinese zodiac calendar are symbolizedby twelve animals. The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac are the mouse, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, the pig and the dragon. People usually refer to the lunar year by using one of these animals, so the current Chinese lunar year is called "兔年 (tùnián) the year of the rabbit."

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"Looking for a Friend" is a classic Chinese children's song that almost every child in China can sing it.

Key Learning Points (Preview):

找 (zhǎo) v. to look for

握手 (wòshǒu) v. to shake hands

Listen to the whole song lyrics:

Zhǎo ya zhǎo ya zhǎo péngyou.
找     呀   找    呀  找      朋友，

Looking, looking, looking for a friend.

Zhǎodào yí gè hǎo péngyou.
找到        一 个  好    朋友。

Then I find a good friend.

Jìng gè lǐ, wò wò shǒu.
敬    个 礼，握 握  手，

Salute and shake hands.

Nǐ shì wǒ de  hǎo péngyou.
你 是  我  的   好    朋友。

Now you are my good friend.

Key Learning Points:

找 (zhǎo) v. to look for

Nǐ zài zhǎo shénme ne?
你 在  找      什么     呢？

What are you looking for?

握手 (wòshǒu) v. to shake hands

Zhōngguórén wòshǒu biǎoshì yǒuhǎo hé zūnjìng.
中国人             握手       表示     友好     和  尊敬。

Chinese people shake hands to show friendliness and respect.

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