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Mythic Mandarin

Before the stories: a letter home

HSK 3 Unit 8: Festivals and stories · Lesson 7 of 7 · About 22 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can read and write a letter home about a restaurant, a concert and a story about a hero, with the last words for the HSK 3 stories.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 预报 mean?

    1. to raise, to improve
    2. just right, as it happens
    3. forecast
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, forecast.

    预报 (yùbào) means forecast.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to wish”?

    1. 祝
    2. 赢
    3. 脚
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 祝.

    “to wish” is 祝 (zhù).

  3. Listening

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

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    温度 wēndù

    1. temperature
    2. free (of charge)
    3. to solve
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, temperature.

    You heard 温度 (wēndù): temperature.

New words

  • 信xìnletter
  • 封fēngmeasure word for letters
  • 饭馆fànguǎnrestaurant
  • 夫妻fūqīhusband and wife, a married couple
  • 牛肉niúròubeef
  • 盘pánplate (also a measure word for dishes)
  • 猫māocat
  • 海报hǎibàoposter
  • 音乐会yīnyuèhuìconcert
  • 鼓gǔdrum
  • 练liànto practise
  • 英雄yīngxiónghero
  • 变成biànchéngto become, to turn into

Letters and stories

信 is a letter, counted with 封: 一封信. 写信 is to write a letter, 给 + person + 写信 to write to someone.

  • 我给妈妈写了一封信。

    Wǒ gěi māma xiě le yì fēng xìn.

    I wrote a letter to my mum.

盘 is a plate, and also the measure word for a dish of food: 一盘牛肉 a plate of beef.

  • 这个饭馆是一对夫妻开的。

    Zhège fànguǎn shì yí duì fūqī kāi de.

    This restaurant is run by a married couple.

练 is to practise a skill again and again. 变成 is to become, to turn into: 变 (change) + 成 (into), a result complement.

  • 他每天练两个小时。

    Tā měitiān liàn liǎng gè xiǎoshí.

    He practises for two hours every day.

  • 一个小孩子变成了大英雄。

    Yí gè xiǎo háizi biànchéng le dà yīngxióng.

    A small child became a great hero.

Characters

  • 信 = 亻
  • 封 = 寸
  • 盘 = 皿
  • 猫 = 犭

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

A letter from Beijing

Sophie studies in Beijing and writes a letter home to her mother.

Listen first

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

Helpful words: 写信 xiě xìn to write a letter; 打鼓 dǎ gǔ to play the drum; 可爱 kě'ài cute, lovely

  1. Listening

    Listen first. Who runs the little restaurant?

    1. two students
    2. Sophie's teacher
    3. a married couple
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, a married couple.

    是一对夫妻开的.

  2. Listening

    How long does the student practise every day?

    1. two hours
    2. all day
    3. four hours
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, four hours.

    他每天练四个小时.

  3. Listening

    What happens in the old story?

    1. A cat becomes a hero.
    2. A hero becomes a child.
    3. A child becomes a hero.
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, A child becomes a hero..

    一个小孩子…最后变成了一个英雄.

Show the text
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 妈妈Māma：你好nǐ hǎo！我Wǒ在zài北京Běijīng一切yíqiè都dōu好hǎo。

    Dear Mum, hello! Everything is fine with me in Beijing.

  2. 学校Xuéxiào旁边pángbiān有yǒu一yí个gè小xiǎo饭馆fànguǎn，是shì一yí对duì夫妻fūqī开kāi的de。他们Tāmen做zuò的de牛肉niúròu非常fēicháng好吃hǎochī，我wǒ每次měicì都dōu要yào一yì盘pán。

    Next to the school there's a little restaurant run by a married couple. Their beef is delicious, and I order a plate every time.

  3. 饭馆Fànguǎn里lǐ还hái有yǒu一yì只zhī小xiǎo猫māo，很hěn可爱kě'ài。

    There's also a little cat in the restaurant. It's very cute.

  4. 上个Shàngge星期xīngqī，我wǒ在zài学校xuéxiào看kàn到dào一yì张zhāng海报hǎibào：周末zhōumò有yǒu一yí个gè音乐会yīnyuèhuì。

    Last week I saw a poster at school: there was a concert at the weekend.

  5. 音乐会Yīnyuèhuì上shàng，一yí个gè大学生dàxuéshēng打鼓dǎ gǔ打dǎ得de非常fēicháng好hǎo。他Tā说shuō他tā每天měitiān练liàn四sì个gè小时xiǎoshí。

    At the concert a student played the drums very well. He said he practises four hours every day.

  6. 他Tā还hái给gěi我们wǒmen讲jiǎng了le一yí个gè老lǎo故事gùshi：一yí个gè小xiǎo孩子háizi努力nǔlì了le很hěn多duō年nián，最后zuìhòu变成biànchéng了le一yí个gè英雄yīngxióng。

    He also told us an old story: a small child worked hard for many years and finally became a hero.

  7. 我Wǒ很hěn喜欢xǐhuan这个zhège故事gùshi。我Wǒ也yě要yào努力nǔlì学习xuéxí汉语Hànyǔ！

    I love this story. I'm going to study Chinese hard too!

  8. 想Xiǎng你nǐ的de苏菲Sūfēi

    Love, Sophie

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.

  • 音乐会上，一个大学生打鼓打得非常好。他说他每天练四个小时。

    Yīnyuèhuì shàng, yí gè dàxuéshēng dǎ gǔ dǎ de fēicháng hǎo. Tā shuō tā měitiān liàn sì gè xiǎoshí.

    At the concert a student played the drums very well. He said he practises four hours every day.

  • 饭馆里还有一只小猫，很可爱。

    Fànguǎn lǐ hái yǒu yì zhī xiǎo māo, hěn kě'ài.

    There's also a little cat in the restaurant. It's very cute.

  • 上个星期，我在学校看到一张海报：周末有一个音乐会。

    Shàngge xīngqī, wǒ zài xuéxiào kàn dào yì zhāng hǎibào: zhōumò yǒu yí gè yīnyuèhuì.

    Last week I saw a poster at school: there was a concert at the weekend.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 信 mean?

    1. husband and wife, a married couple
    2. medicine
    3. letter
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, letter.

    信 (xìn) means letter.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “measure word for letters”?

    1. 封
    2. 信
    3. 冲
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 封.

    “measure word for letters” is 封 (fēng).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: Love, Sophie

    • 的
    • 想
    • 你
    • 苏菲
    Show the answer

    想你的苏菲 Xiǎng nǐ de Sūfēi

    Love, Sophie

    想你的苏菲 The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    夫妻 fūqī

    1. husband and wife, a married couple
    2. (links a description to a verb)
    3. right, correct
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, husband and wife, a married couple.

    You heard 夫妻 (fūqī): husband and wife, a married couple.

  5. Pinyin

    Type the pinyin of 牛肉 (beef). Tone marks or tone numbers are welcome.

    Show the answer

    Answer: niúròu

    牛肉 is niúròu in pinyin.

  6. Listening

    Listen. Which sentence did you hear?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    学校旁边有一个小饭馆，是一对夫妻开的。他们做的牛肉非常好吃，我每次都要一盘。 Xuéxiào pángbiān yǒu yí gè xiǎo fànguǎn, shì yí duì fūqī kāi de. Tāmen zuò de niúròu fēicháng hǎochī, wǒ měicì dōu yào yì pán.

    1. Love, Sophie
    2. Next to the school there's a little restaurant run by a married couple. Their beef is delicious, and I order a plate every time.
    3. Dear Mum, hello! Everything is fine with me in Beijing.
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, Next to the school there's a little restaurant run by a married couple. Their beef is delicious, and I order a plate every time..

    You heard 学校旁边有一个小饭馆，是一对夫妻开的。他们做的牛肉非常好吃，我每次都要一盘。 (Xuéxiào pángbiān yǒu yí gè xiǎo fànguǎn, shì yí duì fūqī kāi de. Tāmen zuò de niúròu fēicháng hǎochī, wǒ měicì dōu yào yì pán.): Next to the school there's a little restaurant run by a married couple. Their beef is delicious, and I order a plate every time.

  7. In context

    You want to order a dish of beef. What do you say?

    1. 我要一盘牛肉。
    2. 我要一张牛肉。
    3. 我要一封牛肉。
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 我要一盘牛肉。.

    我要一盘牛肉。: 一盘牛肉: 盘 is the measure word for a dish.

  8. Grammar

    Which sentence means he plays the drums very well?

    1. 他打鼓很好得。
    2. 他很好打鼓得。
    3. 他打鼓打得很好。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 他打鼓打得很好。.

    他打鼓打得很好。 Verb + object + verb + 得 + comment.

  9. Fill the gap

    Complete: the small child became a hero.

    小孩子＿＿了英雄。

    1. 变成
    2. 练
    3. 害怕
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 变成.

    小孩子变成了英雄。 变成: to become.

  10. Reading

    Read: 我看到一张海报：下个星期六晚上，学校有一个音乐会。我想请我的室友一起去。 When is the concert?

    1. this Sunday
    2. next Saturday evening
    3. tonight
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, next Saturday evening.

    下个星期六晚上.

  11. Word order

    Put the words in order: I wrote a letter to my mum.

    • 了
    • 一封信
    • 我
    • 写
    • 妈妈
    • 给
    Show the answer

    我给妈妈写了一封信 Wǒ gěi māma xiě le yì fēng xìn.

    I wrote a letter to my mum.

    我给妈妈写了一封信。 给 + person + 写信.

Write a letter home

Write a short letter home in Chinese (six to eight sentences) about one place, one event and one story from your week, then read it aloud.

  1. Open with 妈妈：你好！ or the name of a friend.
  2. Describe a place: a restaurant, a shop or a park.
  3. Describe an event, and a person who does something well: …得很好.
  4. Close with 想你的 + your name.

Sentence frames

  • 学校旁边有一个＿＿。

    Xuéxiào pángbiān yǒu yí gè ＿＿.

    Next to the school there's a ...

  • 他＿＿得非常好。

    Tā ＿＿ de fēicháng hǎo.

    He ... very well.

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 write a short letter home.
  • I can use 盘 as a measure word and 变成 for change.
  • I know the words for the HSK 3 stories.
  • I have finished HSK 3 and can review any unit before moving on.

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.

You have finished HSK 3. Next: HSK 4 Unit 1: Opinions and possibilities, where you start to say what can and can't be done.