A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
是爱还是AI骗局？
AI Romance Scam Targets Lonely Man
About this story
A simple Beijing love story about Xiao Ming and Xiao Li — and how to tell real feelings from an AI romance scam. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 minutes. The full Mandarin script is shown with tap-for-pinyin and a line-by-line English translation, so you can listen and read at once — comprehensible input in the sense of Stephen Krashen's i+1 theory. It teaches 17 key vocabulary words such as 工作、高兴、认识 and walks through 5 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 4 difficulty levels — use the level selector above to find the version that is challenging but still understandable for you.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
Speaking of online love these days, we all need to be a little careful.
Today I will tell a story.
There is a person in this story.
His name is Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming is a good person.
He works in Beijing.
He works at a big company.
He works very hard.
He gets up very early every day.
He comes home very late every day.
He has lived in Beijing for three years.
He has a house.
He has a car.
He also has money.
But, he is not happy.
Why is he not happy?
Because he doesn't have a girlfriend.
He is very lonely.
There is only him in his home.
His father is not in Beijing.
His mother is not in Beijing either.
Xiao Ming wants to have a family.
He wants to have a wife.
He wants to have a son.
He also wants to have a daughter.
But he doesn't have them.
He really wants to meet a girl.
One day, Xiao Ming went home.
He was very tired.
He didn't want to cook.
He ate a little fruit.
He ate an apple.
Then, he sat on a chair.
There was a computer on the table.
He turned on the computer.
He looked at the computer.
He looked at things online.
Suddenly, he saw a person.
That was a girl.
Her name was Xiao Li.
Xiao Li's photo was very beautiful.
She had big eyes.
She had long hair.
Her hair was black.
She was wearing white clothes.
She looked very happy.
She was smiling there.
Xiao Ming saw Xiao Li.
Xiao Ming thought she was beautiful.
Xiao Ming liked her very much.
Xiao Ming wanted to know her.
Xiao Ming typed on the computer.
Xiao Ming wrote: "Hello."
Very quickly, Xiao Li replied.
Xiao Li wrote: "Hello, sir."
Xiao Li said: "Nice to meet you."
Xiao Ming was very happy.
This was the first time a girl spoke to him.
They started talking.
They talked every day.
They talked in the morning.
They talked at noon.
They talked in the afternoon too.
They talked in the evening too.
When Xiao Ming wasn't working, he talked to her.
When Xiao Ming was eating, he also talked to her.
When Xiao Ming was sleeping, he also talked to her.
Xiao Li spoke very pleasantly.
Xiao Li was very good at talking.
Xiao Ming said: "I am very tired today."
Xiao Li said: "You need to rest."
Xiao Li said: "Don't be too tired."
Xiao Li said: "I will feel heartache."
Xiao Ming felt very warm hearing this.
Xiao Ming felt very happy.
Xiao Ming said: "I like cats."
Xiao Li said: "I also like cats."
Xiao Ming said: "I have a cat at home."
Xiao Li said: "I love kittens."
Xiao Ming felt they were very alike.
Xiao Ming felt this was love.
A month passed.
It was a day in March.
The weather was very good.
Not cold and not hot.
Xiao Ming was very happy.
He felt Xiao Li was his girlfriend.
He wanted to see Xiao Li.
He said on the computer: "I want to see you."
Xiao Li said: "I want to see you too."
Xiao Li said: "I miss you very much."
Xiao Ming said: "Let's meet in Beijing."
Xiao Li said: "Okay."
Xiao Li said: "But..."
Xiao Li stopped talking.
Xiao Ming asked: "What's wrong?"
Xiao Li said: "I am in a very far place."
Xiao Li said: "I am abroad."
Xiao Li said: "I want to go to Beijing."
Xiao Li said: "But I don't have money."
Xiao Li said: "Plane tickets are very expensive."
Xiao Li said: "I don't have a job right now."
Xiao Li said: "I don't have money to buy a ticket."
Xiao Li asked: "Can you help me?"
Xiao Li asked: "Darling, can you give me money?"
Xiao Ming heard this and thought for a moment.
Xiao Ming thought she was a good person.
Xiao Ming thought she was his girlfriend.
A boyfriend should help his girlfriend.
Xiao Ming has money.
Xiao Ming said: "It's okay."
Xiao Ming said: "I have money."
Xiao Ming said: "I can buy the ticket for you."
Xiao Ming asked: "How much is it?"
Xiao Li said: "It costs ten thousand yuan."
Ten thousand yuan.
This is a lot of money.
It can buy many things.
It can buy many apples.
It can buy many clothes.
But Xiao Ming didn't care.
Xiao Ming just wanted to see Xiao Li.
Xiao Ming went to the bank.
Xiao Ming took out the money.
Xiao Ming gave Xiao Li the money.
Xiao Ming gave Xiao Li ten thousand yuan.
Xiao Li was very happy.
Xiao Li said: "Thank you."
Xiao Li said: "Husband, you are so good."
Xiao Li said: "I love you."
Xiao Li said: "I will come tomorrow."
Xiao Ming was too happy.
That night, Xiao Ming didn't sleep.
He was thinking about Xiao Li.
The next day, Xiao Ming went to the airport.
He waited at the airport.
He looked in the front.
He looked in the back.
There were many people.
There were many men.
There were many women.
There were many taxis.
But, there was no Xiao Li.
Xiao Ming looked at the time.
It was one o'clock.
It was two o'clock.
It was three o'clock.
Xiao Li didn't come.
Xiao Ming made a phone call.
The call didn't go through.
Xiao Ming sent a message.
No one replied to the message.
Xiao Ming was very worried.
Xiao Ming didn't know what happened.
Xiao Ming waited at the airport for a day.
It got dark.
It got cold.
Xiao Ming was very hungry.
Xiao Ming was very cold.
Xiao Li still didn't come.
Xiao Ming went home.
He looked at the computer.
Xiao Li was gone.
Xiao Li stopped talking.
Xiao Ming was very sad.
Later, the police told Xiao Ming.
The police said: "Xiao Ming, you were scammed."
Xiao Ming said: "What?"
The police said: "That isn't real."
The police said: "There is no such person as Xiao Li."
Xiao Ming said: "But I have seen photos."
The police said: "The photos are fake."
The police said: "Those are photos made by a computer."
Xiao Ming said: "But I have heard the voice."
The police said: "The voice is also fake."
The police said: "That is a voice made by a computer."
The police said: "That is AI."
Xiao Ming didn't understand.
What is AI?
The police said: "AI is a very smart computer."
The police said: "Bad people use computers to scam people."
The police said: "Computers can speak."
The police said: "Computers can write."
The police said: "Computers can say 'I love you'."
The police said: "Computers know what you like."
The police said: "It says nice things."
The police said: "It makes you happy."
The police said: "Then, it wants your money."
Xiao Ming heard this and cried.
His money was gone.
That was money he worked hard for.
His love was also gone.
That was fake love.
That was computer love.
What is this story about?
This story is about "AI romance scams".
Technology nowadays is very good.
Computers can do many things.
Computers can make fake people.
Online, you cannot see the person.
You don't know who they are.
You don't know if it is a human or a computer.
Bad people use AI to create beautiful women.
Bad people use AI to create handsome men.
They become friends with you.
They say they love you.
They want to marry you.
But, they are not real.
They only want money.
If someone online asks you for money.
If you haven't met in person.
If he says he loves you, but wants money.
Do not believe it.
Do not give money.
That is a scammer.
That is fake.
Everyone must be careful.
We must protect our money.
We must protect our hearts.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇A common verb and noun. In the script, it refers to Xiao Ming's job.
Adjective describing an emotional state.
Used when meeting someone for the first time or knowing a person.
Used to express an opinion or feeling.
Verb indicating the beginning of an action.
Verb used when someone is tired and needs a break.
Adjective often used to describe women or objects.
Often shortened to 帮 (bāng) in spoken Chinese.
HSK 1. taxi.
Describes the feeling of being alone and sad. Slightly more advanced than just 'alone'.
Literally 'heart hurts'. Used here to show deep care or distress for someone else's suffering.
A noun referring to a scheme to deceive people.
Noun referring to the police officer or force.
Noun referring to modern technology in this context.
Place where money is stored.
A person who deceives others.
Verb meaning to keep safe.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法This pattern expresses existence, meaning 'There is/are [Object] at [Place]'.
这个故事里有一个人。
桌子上有一台电脑。
他的家里只有他一个人。
This phrase means 'When...' or 'During the time that...'. It is placed after the verb phrase.
小明不工作的时候，就和她说话。
小明吃饭的时候，也和她说话。
小明睡觉的时候，也和她说话。
This structure indicates an action happening at a specific location.
他在北京工作。
他在网上看东西。
他在机场等。
This construction is used to emphasize a specific detail of a past event or a characteristic, such as who did it, how it was done, or what material it is made of. Here it emphasizes the nature of the photos/voice.
照片是假的。
那是电脑做的照片。
声音也是假的。
Proper nouns
专有名词Free account
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