↶ Graded Readers

Fast and Slow

↶ Elementary reading practice

Fast and Slow

一yī、我wǒ喜欢xǐ huan“快kuài”

我wǒ叫jiào小电xiǎo diàn,我wǒ是shì一yí个ge电脑diàn nǎo。我wǒ的de主人zhǔ rén叫jiào大晴dà qíng,她tā今年jīn nián273岁suì。

My name is Little Dian, and I am a computer. My owner’s name is Daqing, and she is 27 years old this year.

我们wǒ men住zhù在zài北京běi jīng,北京běi jīng很hěn大dà。这里zhè lǐ有yǒu很hěn多duō房子fáng zi,很hěn多duō车chē,很hěn多duō人rén。

We live in Beijing. Beijing is very big. There are many houses, many cars, and many people here.

每měi个ge人rén都dōu很hěn忙máng,每měi个ge人rén做事zuò shì都dōu很hěn快kuài。

Everyone is busy, and everyone does things fast.

大晴dà qíng每天měi tiān很hěn早zǎo起床qǐ chuáng。她tā很hěn快kuài地de吃chī早饭zǎo fàn,然后rán hòu很hěn快kuài地de喝hē一yì杯bēi咖啡kā fēi。

Daqing gets up very early every day. She quickly eats breakfast and then quickly drinks a cup of coffee.

大晴dà qíng的de工作gōng zuò很hěn忙máng,她tā每天měi tiān用yòng我wǒ做zuò很hěn多duō事shì:做zuò图tú、写xiě东西dōng xi、开会kāi huì。

Daqing’s job is very busy. Every day, she uses me to do many things: making images, writing, and attending meetings.

她tā经常jīng cháng说shuō:“小电xiǎo diàn,快点儿kuài diǎn'r,快点儿kuài diǎn'r!我们wǒ men要yào再zài快点儿kuài diǎn'r!”

She often says, “Little Dian, hurry up, hurry up! We need to go faster!”

我wǒ觉得jué de“快kuài”是shì一yí件jiàn好事hǎo shì。主人zhǔ rén工作gōng zuò快kuài,就jiù能néng做zuò更gèng多duō的de事shì,就jiù能néng有yǒu更gèng多duō的de钱qián。

I think “fast” is a good thing. If my owner works quickly, she can get more done and earn more money.

我wǒ喜欢xǐ huan帮助bāng zhù主人zhǔ rén工作gōng zuò,我wǒ喜欢xǐ huan“快kuài”。

I like helping my owner work, and I like “fast”.

每天měi tiān早上zǎo shang,我wǒ和hé主人zhǔ rén坐zuò地铁dì tiě去qù公司gōng sī。

Every morning, my owner and I take the subway to the office.

北京běi jīng的de地铁dì tiě里lǐ有yǒu很hěn多duō很hěn多duō人rén,大晴dà qíng经常jīng cháng站zhàn着zhe,她tā看kàn手机shǒu jī。

There are many people in the Beijing subway. Daqing often stands and looks at her phone.

地铁dì tiě里lǐ的de人rén都dōu不bù说话shuō huà,有的yǒu de人rén睡觉shuì jiào,有的yǒu de人rén看kàn手机shǒu jī,他们tā men的de脸liǎn上shang没méi有yǒu笑xiào。

In the subway, no one is talking. Some people are sleeping, some are looking at their phones, and there are no smiles on their faces.

到dào了le公司gōng sī,大晴dà qíng就jiù开始kāi shǐ工作gōng zuò了le。

When she arrives at the office, Daqing starts working right away.

她tā的de手shǒu在zài我wǒ的de身shēn上shang飞快fēi kuài地de打字dǎ zì,她tā一会儿yí huì'r打开dǎ kāi很hěn多duō东西dōng xi,一会儿yí huì'r很hěn快kuài地de关上guān shàng。

Her hands type rapidly on my body. She opens many things one moment and quickly closes them the next.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.

Whole-text audio

narration saved locally, offline — from https://static.duchinese.net/documents/3010/7ec30b8659cc571d8c7fef7d49e0a08e8fd633be.mp3?1788857102

Vocabulary 93 words

ChinesePinyinEnglish
我 wǒI
叫 jiàoto name
小电 xiǎo diànLittle Dian (name)
是 shìis
一 yíone
个 geclassifier for people or objects in general
电脑 diàn nǎocomputer
的 de(shows possession or belonging)
主人 zhǔ rénmaster
大晴 dà qíngDaqing (name)
她 tāshe
今年 jīn niánthis year
27 3
岁 suìyears old
我们 wǒ menwe
住 zhùto live
在 zài(located) at
北京 běi jīngBeijing, capital of People's Republic of China
很 hěnvery
大 dàbig
这里 zhè lǐhere
有 yǒuto have
多 duōmany
房子 fáng ziapartment
车 chēcar
人 rénperson
每 měieach
都 dōuall
忙 mángbusy
做事 zuò shìto work
快 kuàiquick
每天 měi tiānevery day
早 zǎoearly
起床 qǐ chuángto get out of bed
地 de(indicates that the preceding word or phrase is used as an adverb)
吃 chīto eat
早饭 zǎo fànbreakfast
然后 rán hòuthen (afterwards)
喝 hēto drink
杯 bēiclassifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup
咖啡 kā fēicoffee (loanword)
工作 gōng zuòjob
用 yòngto use
做 zuòto do
事 shìmatter
图 túdiagram
写 xiěto write
东西 dōng xi(a common "all-purpose" noun that can denote any object or objects in Chinese)
开会 kāi huìto hold a meeting
经常 jīng chángfrequently
说 shuōto say
快点儿 kuài diǎn'rfaster (erhua variant)
要 yàomust
再 zàimore
觉得 jué deto think
件 jiànclassifier for events, things, clothes etc
好事 hǎo shìgood action, deed, thing or work
就 jiù(if ...) then
能 néngto be able to
更 gèngeven more
钱 qiánmoney
喜欢 xǐ huanto like
帮助 bāng zhùassistance
早上 zǎo shangmorning
和 héand
坐 zuòto take (a bus, airplane etc)
地铁 dì tiěsubway
去 qùto go
公司 gōng sīcompany
里 lǐinside
站 zhànto stand
着 zhe(indicates continuing action or state)
看 kànto look at
手机 shǒu jīmobile phone
不 bù(negative prefix)
说话 shuō huàto speak
有的 yǒu de(there are) some
睡觉 shuì jiàoto sleep
他们 tā menthey
脸 liǎnface
上 shangupon
没 méi(negative prefix for verbs)
笑 xiàolaugh
到 dàoto arrive
了 le(marks a completed action or a change of situation)
开始 kāi shǐto begin
手 shǒuhand
身 shēnbody
飞快 fēi kuàivery fast
打字 dǎ zìto type
一会儿 yí huì'ra moment
打开 dǎ kāito open
关上 guān shàngto close