Author: Martin Wong

Gōngjiāo Kǎ Bùjiàn Le (Pinyin)

Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ zhǔnbèi qù shàngbān, chūmén de shíhou cái fāxiàn wǒ de gōngjiāo kǎ bùjiàn le. Wǒ zài zhuōzi shàng zhǎo le zhǎo, yòu qù bāo lǐ fān le fān, háishì méi zhǎodào. Wǒ xiǎng: kěnéng zuótiān zuò gōngjiāo de shíhou diào le.

Yīnwèi méiyǒu gōngjiāo kǎ, suǒyǐ wǒ xiān yòng shǒujī mǎi le dìtiě piào, zuò dìtiě dào gōngsī fùjìn. Xiàbān yǐhòu wǒ qù dìtiě zhàn de fúwù zhōngxīn wèn néng bu néng bǔbàn. Wǒ duì gōngzuò rényuán shuō: “Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ de gōngjiāo kǎ diū le, zěnme bǔbàn?”

Gōngzuò rényuán wèn wǒ: “Nǐ jìde kǎhào ma? Lǐmiàn hái yǒu duōshao qián?” Wǒ shuō wǒ bù jìde kǎhào, dànshì lǐmiàn yīnggāi hái yǒu yìdiǎnr qián. Tā gàosu wǒ: “Nǐ kěyǐ xiān bàn yì zhāng xīn kǎ, jiù kǎ zhǎodào le zài lái tuì.”

Wǒ juéde zhège bànfǎ bú cuò, jiù bàn le xīn kǎ. Huíjiā de lùshang wǒ yìzhí xiǎng: xiàcì wǒ yídìng bǎ kǎ fàng zài tóng yí gè dìfang, zhèyàng jiù bú huì zài diū le.

My Transit Card Is Missing

This morning when I was about to go to work, I realized my transit card was missing. I searched the table and my bag but still couldn’t find it. I thought I might have dropped it yesterday on the bus.

Because I didn’t have the card, I bought a subway ticket on my phone and took the subway to near my office. After work, I went to the station service center and asked how to get a replacement.

The staff asked if I remembered the card number and how much money was on it. I didn’t remember, but I thought there was still some money left. He suggested getting a new card first and returning later if I found the old one.

On the way home, I kept thinking I should always put my card in the same place.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Zài Yàodiàn Mǎi Yào (Pinyin)

Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ shuì de bú tài hǎo, jīntiān zǎoshang qǐlái yǐhòu juéde yǒudiǎnr tóuténg, hái yìzhí dǎ pēntì. Suīrán wǒ méiyǒu fāshāo, dànshì wǒ dānxīn xiàwǔ gōngzuò de shíhou huì gèng nánshòu.

Zhōngwǔ wǒ qù gōngsī fùjìn de yàodiàn. Jìnqù yǐhòu, wǒ xiān gēn diànyuán shuō: “Nǐhǎo, bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ yǒudiǎnr bú shūfu.” Diànyuán wèn wǒ nǎlǐ bú shūfu, wǒ shuō: “Tóuténg, liú bítì, zhàn yǒudiǎnr késòu.”

Diànyuán shuō: “Nà nǐ xiān duō hē rè shuǐ, zài zǎo diǎnr xiūxi. Nǐ yào bú yào mǎi yìdiǎnr gǎnmào yào?” Wǒ wèn: “Zhège zěnme chī? Yì tiān jǐ cì?” Tā gàosu wǒ yì tiān chī sān cì, fànhòu chī.

Wǒ mǎi wán yào yǐhòu yòu wèn: “Yàoshi míngtiān hái bù hǎo, wǒ gāi zěnmebàn?” Tā jiànyì wǒ qù yīyuàn kànkan. Wǒ shuō xièxie, huí dào gōngsī yǐhòu jiù bǎ yào fàng zài bāo lǐ, xīnli fàngxīn duō le.

Buying Medicine at the Pharmacy

Last night I didn’t sleep well. This morning I had a bit of a headache and kept sneezing. Although I didn’t have a fever, I worried I would feel worse while working in the afternoon.

At noon I went to a pharmacy near my company. I politely told the clerk I wasn’t feeling well. He asked what was wrong, and I said headache, runny nose, and a bit of cough.

He said to drink more hot water first, then rest earlier, and asked if I wanted some cold medicine. I asked how to take it and how many times a day. He explained: three times a day, after meals.

I also asked what to do if I still wasn’t better tomorrow, and he suggested going to the hospital.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Kuàidì Sòng Cuò Le (Pinyin)

Jīntiān zhōngwǔ wǒ zài jiā děng kuàidì. Kuàidìyuán dào le yǐhòu, bǎ yí gè xiāngzi fàng zài ménkǒu jiù zǒu le. Wǒ ná jìnlái yí kàn, fāxiàn bú shì wǒ mǎi de dōngxi, míngzi yě bú shì wǒ de.

Wǒ xiān gěi kuàidìyuán dǎ diànhuà, shuō: “Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ shì bù shì bǎ kuàidì sòng cuò le? Zhège shàngmiàn xiě de bú shì wǒ de míngzi.” Tā tīng le yǐhòu shuō: “A, duìbuqǐ, wǒ kěnéng nòng cuò le. Wǒ mǎshàng huílái kànkan.”

Guò le shí fēnzhōng tā huílái le, kàn le kàn dānzi, shuō: “Wǒ bǎ nǐ de bāoguǒ fàng dào bié de lóu le.” Wǒ wèn: “Nà zěnmebàn? Wǒ xiàwǔ hái yào chūmén ne.”

Tā mǎshàng qù ná zhèngquè de bāoguǒ, hái bǎ sòng cuò de ná zǒu. Wǒ shōudào yǐhòu cái fàngxīn. Wǒ shuō: “Méi guānxi, xiàcì xiǎoxīn yìdiǎnr jiù hǎo.” Tā yìzhí shuō duìbuqǐ, wǒ yě shuō xièxie.

The Delivery Was Wrong

At noon I waited at home for a delivery. After the courier arrived, he left a box at my door and walked away. When I checked it, I realized it wasn’t mine—the name wasn’t mine either.

I called the courier and said, “Sorry, did you deliver the wrong package? This name isn’t mine.” He apologized and said he might have made a mistake and would come back to check.

Ten minutes later he returned and said he had put my package in another building. He quickly went to get the correct one and took the wrong one away.

After I received my package, I felt relieved.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Zhǎo Bù Dào Yàoshi (Pinyin)

Jīntiān wǎnshang wǒ huí dào jiā ménkǒu, cái fāxiàn wǒ zhǎo bù dào yàoshi le. Wǒ zài bāo lǐ mō le bàn tiān, yě méiyǒu mō dào. Tiān yǐjīng yǒudiǎnr lěng, wǒ xīnli yuèláiyuè zháojí.

Wǒ xiān huíxiǎng jīntiān qù le nǎlǐ: zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī shàngbān, zhōngwǔ hé tóngshì zài wàimiàn chīfàn, xiàwǔ xiàbān yǐhòu hái qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi. Wǒ xiǎng: yàoshi huì bù huì diào zài lùshang le?

Wǒ xiān zài ménkǒu zhǎo le zhǎo, yòu dào lóuxià zhǎo le zhǎo, kěshì háishì méiyǒu. Wǒ zhǐhǎo gěi péngyou dǎ diànhuà. Wǒ shuō: “Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ xiànzài fāngbiàn ma? Néng bu néng lái bāng wǒ yíxià?”

Péngyou hěn kuài jiù dào le. Tā yìbiān péi wǒ zhǎo, yìbiān wèn wǒ: “Nǐ shì bù shì fàng zài kǒudài lǐ le?” Wǒ yì mō kǒudài, cái fāxiàn yàoshi yìzhí zài lǐmiàn. Wǒ bù hǎoyìsi de xiào le, shuō: “Yuánlái zài zhèr, máfan nǐ le!”

I Can’t Find My Keys

Tonight when I got to my door, I realized I couldn’t find my keys. I searched in my bag for a long time but still couldn’t feel them. It was a bit cold, and I became more and more anxious.

I tried to remember where I had been: work in the morning, lunch outside with coworkers, and then the supermarket after work. I wondered if I had dropped the keys on the way.

I looked around the door and downstairs, but still nothing, so I called a friend and asked if he could come help. When he arrived, he asked if they were in my pocket—and they were.

I felt embarrassed and thanked him for the trouble.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Shǒujī Méidiàn Le (Pinyin)

Jīntiān xiàwǔ wǒ zài wàimiàn bàn shì, zǒu dào dìtiě zhàn de shíhou, shǒujī tūrán méi diàn le. Wǒ yíxiàzi yǒudiǎnr jǐnzhāng, yīnwèi wǒ hái yào yòng shǒujī kàn dìtú, yě yào gěi péngyou dǎ diànhuà.

Wǒ xiān qù biànlìdiàn wèn yǒu méiyǒu chōngdiànbǎo, kěshì dōu jiè wán le. Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, zhǐhǎo qù wèn pángbiān de xiǎojiějie. Wǒ shuō: “Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ néng bu néng jiè wǒ chōng yíhuǐr diàn? Wǒ jiù chōng shí fēnzhōng.”

Tā xiàozhe shuō: “Kěyǐ a, nǐ yòng zhège xiàn ba.” Wǒ yìbiān chōngdiàn yìbiān gēn tā liáotiān, cái zhīdào tā yě chángcháng yùdào zhè zhǒng shì. Wǒ shuō: “Nǐ zhēn hǎo, máfan nǐ le!”

Shǒujī yì yǒu diàn, wǒ jiù mǎshàng gěi péngyou fā xiāoxi, shuō wǒ kuài dào le. Hòulái wǒ xiǎng dào: yàoshi xiàcì chūmén, wǒ jiù tíqián bǎ shǒujī chōng mǎn.

My Phone Battery Died

This afternoon I was out taking care of errands. When I reached the subway station, my phone suddenly ran out of battery. I felt nervous because I still needed my phone for maps and to call my friend.

I went to a convenience store first to ask about a power bank, but they were all lent out. I thought for a moment and asked a woman next to me. I said, “Sorry—could I borrow your charger for a while? Just ten minutes.”

She smiled and said yes. While charging, we chatted, and I learned she often runs into the same issue. As soon as my phone had power, I messaged my friend that I’d arrive soon.

I thought: if I go out next time, I’ll charge my phone fully in advance.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation.

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.