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Mythic Mandarin

Making dumplings

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 2 About 6 minutes

包饺子

Bāo jiǎozi

Making dumplings

Story

  1. ,。

    zhōumò, Zhāng Xuě jiāo Àimǐ bāo jiǎozi.

    At the weekend Zhang Xue teaches Amy how to make dumplings.

    Words in this sentence
    周末 zhōumò
    weekend Dictionary
    张雪 Zhāng Xuě
    Zhang Xue (name)
    教 jiāo
    to teach Dictionary
    艾米 Àimǐ
    Amy (name)
    包 bāo
    to wrap, to make (dumplings) Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
  2. ,。

    Zhāng Xuě bāo de jiǎozi yòu xiǎo yòu hǎokàn, xiàng yí gè gè xiǎo yuánbǎo.

    Zhang Xue's dumplings are small and pretty, like little gold ingots.

    Words in this sentence
    张雪 Zhāng Xuě
    Zhang Xue (name)
    包 bāo
    to wrap, to make (dumplings) Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
    又 yòu
    and also, on top of that Dictionary
    小 xiǎo
    small, little, young Dictionary
    又 yòu
    and also, on top of that Dictionary
    好看 hǎokàn
    good-looking, pretty Dictionary
    像 xiàng
    to look like Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    小 xiǎo
    small, little, young Dictionary
    元宝 yuánbǎo
    gold ingot (old money) Dictionary
  3. ,。

    Àimǐ bāo de jiǎozi yǒu dà yǒu xiǎo, yǒude hái méiyǒu bāo hǎo.

    Amy's are big and small, and some aren't properly closed.

    Words in this sentence
    艾米 Àimǐ
    Amy (name)
    包 bāo
    to wrap, to make (dumplings) Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    大 dà
    big, loud Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    小 xiǎo
    small, little, young Dictionary
    有的 yǒude
    some Dictionary
    还 hái
    also, in addition Dictionary
    没有 méiyǒu
    there is not; does not have Dictionary
    包 bāo
    to wrap, to make (dumplings) Dictionary
    好 hǎo
    good; OK Dictionary
  4. ,。

    guō lǐ de shuǐ kāi le, tāmen xià jiǎozi.

    The water in the pot boils, and they put the dumplings in.

    Words in this sentence
    锅 guō
    pot Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    水 shuǐ
    water Dictionary
    开 kāi
    to drive; to open Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    她们 tāmen
    they, them (women) Dictionary
    下 xià
    to put in to cook Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
  5. ,,。

    guò le jǐ fēnzhōng, Àimǐ de jiǎozi dōu pò le, ròu dōu pǎo dào shuǐ lǐ le.

    A few minutes later all of Amy's dumplings have burst, and the meat has floated out into the water.

    Words in this sentence
    过 guò
    to celebrate, to spend (a holiday) Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    几 jǐ
    how many Dictionary
    分钟 fēnzhōng
    minute(s) Dictionary
    艾米 Àimǐ
    Amy (name)
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
    都 dōu
    all, both Dictionary
    破 pò
    broken, burst Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    肉 ròu
    meat Dictionary
    都 dōu
    all, both Dictionary
    跑 pǎo
    to run Dictionary
    到 dào
    to arrive Dictionary
    水 shuǐ
    water Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
  6. ,。

    Àimǐ xiào le, yǒudiǎnr bù hǎoyìsi.

    Amy laughs, a little embarrassed.

    Words in this sentence
    艾米 Àimǐ
    Amy (name)
    笑 xiào
    to laugh, to smile Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    有点儿 yǒudiǎnr
    a bit, somewhat Dictionary
    不好意思 bù hǎoyìsi
    embarrassed Dictionary
  7. :“,,!”

    Zhāng Xuě shuō:“ méi guānxi, wǒmen jīntiān chī jiǎozi, yě hē jiǎozi tāng!”

    Zhang Xue says, "Never mind. Today we'll have dumplings and dumpling soup!"

    Words in this sentence
    张雪 Zhāng Xuě
    Zhang Xue (name)
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    没关系 méi guānxi
    never mind, it doesn't matter Dictionary
    我们 wǒmen
    we, us Dictionary
    今天 jīntiān
    today Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
    也 yě
    also, too Dictionary
    喝 hē
    to drink Dictionary
    饺子 jiǎozi
    dumpling Dictionary
    汤 tāng
    soup Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 又……又…… "both … and …": 又小又好看
  • 有的 "some (of them)": 有的还没有包好

Vocabulary

Questions

1谁教艾米包饺子?Shéi jiāo Àimǐ bāo jiǎozi?Who teaches Amy to make dumplings?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Sentence 1: 张雪教艾米包饺子.

  • B: Amy's mum is not in the story.
  • C: They make dumplings at home with a friend.
2张雪包的饺子很大。Zhāng Xuě bāo de jiǎozi hěn dà.Zhang Xue's dumplings are big.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. False. Sentence 2: 张雪包的饺子又小又好看, small and pretty.

  • A: Zhang Xue's dumplings are small (小); it is Amy's that come in all sizes (sentence 3).
3为什么水里有肉?Wèishénme shuǐ lǐ yǒu ròu?Why is there meat in the water?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. Sentence 5: 艾米的饺子都破了,肉都跑到水里了.

  • A: Nobody put meat in the water on purpose.
  • C: The story blames the badly closed dumplings (sentence 3), not the pot.
4“不好意思”在这儿是什么意思?"Bù hǎoyìsi" zài zhèr shì shénme yìsi?What does 不好意思 mean here?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Her dumplings fell apart, so she laughs 不好意思, sheepishly.

  • B: She laughs; she isn't angry.
  • C: 不好意思 is about her feelings, not the taste.
5锅里的水开了,她们__饺子。Guō lǐ de shuǐ kāi le, tāmen __ jiǎozi.The water in the pot boils, and they ___ the dumplings.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. 下饺子 is to put dumplings into boiling water to cook them (sentence 4).

  • A: They cook them first and eat later (sentence 7).
  • B: They wrapped them already (sentences 2 and 3); now they cook them.

Speaking task

你会做什么菜?说一说怎么做。

Nǐ huì zuò shénme cài? Shuō yì shuō zěnme zuò.

What dish can you make? Say how you make it.

Tips

  • 先……再…… means "first …, then …".
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

我会做鸡蛋面。水开了,先放面条,再放鸡蛋。

Wǒ huì zuò jīdàn miàn. Shuǐ kāi le, xiān fàng miàntiáo, zài fàng jīdàn.

I can make egg noodles. When the water boils, I put in the noodles first, then the eggs.

About the HSK 2 level