Skip to content
Mythic Mandarin

Reading: the Foolish Old Man moves the mountains

HSK 6 Unit 9: Classic tales retold · Lesson 5 of 5 · About 30 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can read a longer classic tale on your own, and retell and discuss it with this unit's idioms and classical words.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 对象 mean?

    1. thunder
    2. target, audience
    3. remote, far-flung
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, target, audience.

    对象 (duìxiàng) means target, audience.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to carve”?

    1. 刻
    2. 其
    3. 祸
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 刻.

    “to carve” is 刻 (kè).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    概括 gàikuò

    1. proposal, to propose
    2. to summarise
    3. based on
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, to summarise.

    You heard 概括 (gàikuò): to summarise.

New words

  • 愚公移山Yúgōng yí shānthe Foolish Old Man moves the mountains, great perseverance
  • 挡dǎngto block
  • 子孙zǐsūndescendants
  • 移yíto move, to shift
  • 嘲笑cháoxiàoto laugh at, to mock

Reading a longer tale

Read the whole story once. Then find the four parts: the problem, the plan, the argument with 智叟, and the ending. Notice 而 and 其 in the last lines.

  • 愚公的精神感动了天帝。

    Yúgōng de jīngshen gǎndòng le Tiāndì.

    The Foolish Old Man's spirit moved the Emperor of Heaven.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

The Foolish Old Man

A classic tale, retold in modern Chinese.

Listen first

Play the whole text and answer the questions before you open it.

Helpful words: 九十岁 jiǔshísuì ninety years old; 座 zuò (measure word for mountains); 绕路 ràolù to take a detour; 挖 wā to dig; 天帝 Tiāndì the Emperor of Heaven; 背走 bēi zǒu to carry away on one's back; 土 tǔ earth, soil; 运 yùn to transport; 穷尽 qióngjìn end, limit; 派 pài to send

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What was the old man's problem?

    1. his house was too small
    2. two mountains blocked the way
    3. he had no family
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, two mountains blocked the way.

    挡住了出去的路.

  2. Listening

    What was his answer to the Wise Old Man?

    1. he would hire workers
    2. the gods would help
    3. his descendants would carry on
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, his descendants would carry on.

    子孙没有穷尽.

  3. Listening

    Who finally moved the mountains?

    1. two gods sent by the Emperor of Heaven
    2. the Wise Old Man and his friends
    3. the old man's sons and grandsons
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, two gods sent by the Emperor of Heaven.

    派两个神把山背走了.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 从前Cóngqián，有yǒu一yí位wèi九十jiǔshí岁suì的de老人lǎorén，大家dàjiā叫jiào他tā愚公Yúgōng。

    Long ago there was an old man of ninety, known as the Foolish Old Man.

  2. 他Tā家jiā门前ménqián有yǒu两liǎng座zuò大山dàshān，挡dǎng住zhù了le出去chūqu的de路lù，每次měicì出门chūmén都dōu要yào绕rào很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù。

    Two great mountains stood in front of his house, blocking the way out, and every trip meant a long detour.

  3. 愚公Yúgōng决定juédìng带dài着zhe全家quánjiā人rén，把bǎ这zhè两liǎng座zuò山shān移yí走zǒu。他们Tāmen每天měitiān挖wā山shān，把bǎ土tǔ和hé石头shítou运yùn到dào海边hǎibiān。

    The old man decided to lead his whole family in moving the two mountains. Every day they dug, and carried the earth and stones to the sea.

  4. 一Yí个gè叫jiào智叟Zhìsǒu的de老人lǎorén嘲笑cháoxiào他tā：“你nǐ都dōu九十jiǔshí岁suì了le，怎么zěnme可能kěnéng把bǎ山shān移yí走zǒu？”

    An old man called the Wise Old Man mocked him: "You're ninety! How could you ever move the mountains?"

  5. 愚公Yúgōng回答huídá：“我wǒ死sǐ了le，还hái有yǒu我wǒ的de儿子érzi；儿子érzi死sǐ了le，还hái有yǒu孙子sūnzi。子孙Zǐsūn没有méiyǒu穷尽qióngjìn，而ér山shān不bú会huì再zài长zhǎng高gāo，为什么wèishénme移yí不bu走zǒu呢ne？”

    The Foolish Old Man replied: "When I die, there will be my sons; when they die, my grandsons. My descendants are endless, while the mountains will grow no higher. Why can't they be moved?"

  6. 天帝Tiāndì被bèi愚公Yúgōng的de精神jīngshen感动gǎndòng了le，派pài两liǎng个gè神shén把bǎ山shān背走bēi zǒu了le。

    The Emperor of Heaven was moved by his spirit, and sent two gods to carry the mountains away.

  7. 直到Zhídào今天jīntiān，人们rénmen还hái用yòng“愚公移山Yúgōng yí shān”形容xíngróng做事zuòshì有yǒu毅力yìlì、不bú怕pà困难kùnnan。

    To this day, people use 愚公移山 to describe great perseverance in the face of difficulty.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 直到今天，人们还用“愚公移山”形容做事有毅力、不怕困难。

    Zhídào jīntiān, rénmen hái yòng “Yúgōng yí shān” xíngróng zuòshì yǒu yìlì, bú pà kùnnan.

    To this day, people use 愚公移山 to describe great perseverance in the face of difficulty.

  • 一个叫智叟的老人嘲笑他：“你都九十岁了，怎么可能把山移走？”

    Yí gè jiào Zhìsǒu de lǎorén cháoxiào tā: “Nǐ dōu jiǔshí suì le, zěnme kěnéng bǎ shān yí zǒu?”

    An old man called the Wise Old Man mocked him: "You're ninety! How could you ever move the mountains?"

  • 他家门前有两座大山，挡住了出去的路，每次出门都要绕很远的路。

    Tā jiā ménqián yǒu liǎng zuò dàshān, dǎng zhù le chūqu de lù, měicì chūmén dōu yào rào hěn yuǎn de lù.

    Two great mountains stood in front of his house, blocking the way out, and every trip meant a long detour.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 愚公移山 mean?

    1. must
    2. achievement, accomplishment
    3. the Foolish Old Man moves the mountains, great perseverance
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, the Foolish Old Man moves the mountains, great perseverance.

    愚公移山 (Yúgōng yí shān) means the Foolish Old Man moves the mountains, great perseverance.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to block”?

    1. 挡
    2. 掉
    3. 雷
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 挡.

    “to block” is 挡 (dǎng).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 子孙 (descendants)?

    1. zǐsūn
    2. zìsūn
    3. zǐsùn
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, zǐsūn.

    子孙 is read zǐsūn. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    移 yí

    1. to move, to shift
    2. hundred
    3. immediately
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, to move, to shift.

    You heard 移 (yí): to move, to shift.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “to laugh at, to mock” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 嘲笑

    “to laugh at, to mock” is 嘲笑 (cháoxiào).

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    他家门前有两座大山，挡住了出去的路，每次出门都要绕很远的路。 Tā jiā ménqián yǒu liǎng zuò dàshān, dǎng zhù le chūqu de lù, měicì chūmén dōu yào rào hěn yuǎn de lù.

    1. The old man decided to lead his whole family in moving the two mountains. Every day they dug, and carried the earth and stones to the sea.
    2. Two great mountains stood in front of his house, blocking the way out, and every trip meant a long detour.
    3. Long ago there was an old man of ninety, known as the Foolish Old Man.
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, Two great mountains stood in front of his house, blocking the way out, and every trip meant a long detour..

    You heard 他家门前有两座大山，挡住了出去的路，每次出门都要绕很远的路。 (Tā jiā ménqián yǒu liǎng zuò dàshān, dǎng zhù le chūqu de lù, měicì chūmén dōu yào rào hěn yuǎn de lù.): Two great mountains stood in front of his house, blocking the way out, and every trip meant a long detour.

  7. Reading

    Read: 子孙没有穷尽，而山不会再{长

    1. while, whereas
    2. zhǎng}高。 What does 而 mean here?
    3. because
    4. after
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, while, whereas.

    而 contrasts two facts: while.

  8. Grammar

    Which idiom describes great perseverance?

    1. 刻舟求剑
    2. 愚公移山
    3. 对牛弹琴
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 愚公移山.

    愚公移山: great perseverance.

  9. In context

    Children laugh at a new student's accent. What do they do?

    1. 安慰他
    2. 嘲笑他
    3. 移他
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 嘲笑他.

    嘲笑他: 嘲笑: to mock.

  10. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for descendants

    Show the answer

    Answer: 子孙

    子孙: descendants.

Five tales

Choose two of this unit's five tales and compare them out loud in eight sentences. Record it.

  1. Retell each story briefly, in order.
  2. Explain what each idiom means today.
  3. Use each idiom in a modern sentence.
  4. Say which lesson matters most to you, and why.

Sentence frames

  • ＿＿这个故事告诉我们＿＿。

    ＿＿ zhège gùshi gàosu wǒmen ＿＿.

    The story of ... tells us ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I can read and retell a longer classic tale on my own.
  • I can use 塞翁失马, 画龙点睛, 对牛弹琴, 刻舟求剑 and 愚公移山 in modern sentences.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next: HSK 6 Unit 10: Review and next steps, the last unit of the course.