5:19
一封信，让大老板走了
A Letter That Made the Big Boss Leave — A Beginner Story in Simple Chinese
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. The story of how one DingTalk worker's honest resignation letter led China's giant Alibaba to replace the company's top boss — told one slow step at a time using only beginner-level Chinese.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 钉钉、公司、信 and walks through 7 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.
今天我们说一个事。
Today we'll talk about a thing.
这个事，是一个东西的事。
This thing is about an object.
这个东西，在中国。
This object is in China.
很多很多人，都有它。
Very, very many people have it.
很多人，天天都要用它。
Many people use it every single day.
你也有它吗？
Do you have it too?
也许有。
Maybe yes.
也许没有。
Maybe no.
都没关系。
Either way, it's okay.
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
那这个东西，是做什么的呢？
So what is this object for?
我们想一想大人。
Let's think about grown-ups.
大人都要做事。
Grown-ups all have to do work.
做事，是为了钱。
Doing work is for money.
做事的时候，大人要跟很多人说话。
When grown-ups work, they have to talk to many people.
他们说话，有的时候不见面。
When they talk, sometimes they don't meet face to face.
不见面，怎么说呢？
If they don't meet, how do they talk?
他们就用这个东西。
They use this object.
用它，就能跟很多人说话。
Using it, they can talk to many people.
你不用走，他也不用走。
You don't have to go anywhere, and neither does he.
就能说话。
You can still talk.
这个东西，叫"钉钉"。
This object is called 'DingTalk'.
在中国，很多大人都用钉钉。
In China, many grown-ups use DingTalk.
他们用钉钉，跟别人说话。
They use DingTalk to talk to other people.
有的人喜欢钉钉。
Some people like DingTalk.
有的人不太喜欢。
Some people don't really like it.
为什么不喜欢呢？
Why don't they like it?
我们一会儿说。
We'll say in a moment.
好。
Okay.
现在你知道钉钉了。
Now you know DingTalk.
钉钉是一个东西。
DingTalk is an object.
大人用它，跟别人说话。
Grown-ups use it to talk to other people.
那钉钉是谁做的呢？
So who makes DingTalk?
钉钉是一个公司做的。
DingTalk is made by a company.
什么是公司呢？
What is a company?
公司就是：很多人，在一起做事的地方。
A company is: a place where many people do work together.
做钉钉的这个公司，有很多人。
The company that makes DingTalk has many people.
他们每天，都在做钉钉。
Every day, they all work on DingTalk.
今天我们说的这个人，就是其中一个。
The person we're talking about today is one of them.
他也在这个公司里。
He's also at this company.
他做钉钉，做了几年。
He worked on DingTalk for a few years.
但是，前几天，他走了。
But, a few days ago, he left.
他不在这个公司了。
He's not at this company anymore.
他不做了。
He stopped.
为什么不做了呢？
Why did he stop?
他走的时候，做了一件事。
When he left, he did one thing.
他写了一封信。
He wrote a letter.
什么是信呢？
What is a letter?
信就是：你把想说的话，写下来。
A letter is: you take the words you want to say and write them down.
写在纸上，或者写在电脑里。
Write them on paper, or write them on a computer.
然后给别人看。
Then you show them to others.
他写的这封信，很长。
The letter he wrote was long.
非常非常长。
Very, very long.
为什么这么长呢？
Why so long?
因为他想说的话，很多。
Because he had a lot he wanted to say.
他在信里说什么呢？
What did he say in the letter?
他说：
He said:
"我在这里上班。
'I work here.
我很累。
I'm very tired.
大家都很累。
Everyone is very tired.
我们每天都做很多事。
Every day we do a lot of things.
但是有的事，没有用。
But some of those things are useless.
做了，也没有用。
Even when done, they're useless.
我们的头，只想自己好看。
Our boss only wants to look good himself.
不想我们好。
He doesn't want good for us.
我心里不高兴。
I'm unhappy inside.
所以我要走了。
So I'm going to leave.'
这封信写好了。
This letter was finished.
公司里很多人都看了。
Many people at the company read it.
他们看了，心里也想：
They read it, and inside they thought too:
"他说的，是真的。
'What he said is true.
我们也是这样。
We're like this too.
我们也很累。
We're very tired too.'
还有一个人，也走了。
There was another person who also left.
这个人，以前是一个头。
This person used to be a boss.
他也写了一封信。
He also wrote a letter.
他在信里说：
In his letter he said:
"他说的，都是真的。
'What he said is all true.
我也是这样想的。
I think the same way too.'
这两封信，越传越远。
These two letters spread farther and farther.
看的人越来越多。
More and more people read them.
后来，大公司也知道了。
Later, the big company found out too.
钉钉的上面，还有一个更大的公司。
Above DingTalk, there's an even bigger company.
这个大公司说：
This big company said:
"这样不对。
'This is not right.
让大家这么累，不对。
Making everyone this tired is not right.
这不是我们想要的样子。
This is not the way we want things to be.'
又过了几天。
A few more days passed.
钉钉最大的那个头，走了。
DingTalk's biggest boss left.
他是钉钉最大的老板。
He was DingTalk's biggest boss.
现在他不做了。
Now he's not doing it anymore.
谁来做呢？
Who will do it?
来了一个新的人。
A new person came.
这个新的人，很年轻。
This new person is very young.
他今年三十四岁。
He is thirty-four years old this year.
不大。
Not old.
他以前自己做东西。
He used to make things himself.
做得很好。
He made them very well.
现在，他来做钉钉最大的头。
Now, he comes to be DingTalk's biggest boss.
最后，我们想一想。
Finally, let's think.
一个人，写了一封信。
One person wrote a letter.
就是说了几句真话。
He just said a few true words.
后来，公司里最大的头，走了。
Later, the biggest boss at the company left.
一封信，有这么大的用处吗？
Can a letter really have such a big effect?
也许有。
Maybe it can.
也许，真话就是有用的。
Maybe true words are simply useful.
最后我想问你一下。
Finally, I want to ask you.
你有没有，心里想说一句真话？
Is there a true word in your heart you want to say?
但是一直没有说？
But you've never said it?
也许是在公司。
Maybe at your company.
也许是在家里。
Maybe at home.
那句真话，是什么呢？
What is that true word?
你可以想一想。
You can think about it.
HSK 2 adjective. Emotional center: 我很累。大家都很累 = I'm tired, everyone is tired.
HSK 2. 我在这里上班 = I work here. Doing work for money.
HSK 2 question word. 为什么不喜欢呢？ = why don't they like it?
HSK 2 connector. 因为他想说的话，很多 = because he had a lot he wanted to say.
Glossed inline: 大人用它，跟别人说话 = grown-ups use it to talk to others. China's main work-communication app.
Glossed inline: 公司就是很多人在一起做事的地方 = a company is a place where many people work together.
Glossed inline: 信就是你把想说的话写下来，然后给别人看 = a letter is writing down what you want to say, then showing others. HSK 3 noun.
HSK 4 noun. 钉钉最大的老板 = DingTalk's biggest boss. Also 头 (tóu, 'head') used colloquially.
真 (true) + 话 (words). 他说了几句真话 = he said a few true words. The moral center.
HSK 3. 做事，是为了钱 = doing work is for money.
HSK 3 adjective. 这个新的人，很年轻 = this new person is very young.
一封信，有这么大的用处吗？ = can a letter have such a big use? Related: 没有用 = useless.
* beyond level超纲词
Subject + 是 / 不是 + Noun
Basic identity sentence: 'X is/is not Y'.
这个东西，在中国。
钉钉是一个东西。
这不是我们想要的样子。
什么是 X 呢? + complete answer
Rhetorical question used to gloss a new word, then answered fully.
什么是公司呢？
什么是信呢？
为什么不喜欢呢？
Subject + 用 + Object + Verb
'use X to do Y'. 用它跟别人说话 = use it to talk to others.
大人用它，跟别人说话。
他们用钉钉，跟别人说话。
用它，就能跟很多人说话。
为了 + Noun / 因为 + Clause
为了 = 'in order to / for'; 因为 = 'because'. Cause and purpose.
做事，是为了钱。
因为他想说的话，很多。
都 + Adjective / Verb (all)
都 = all, before the verb. Used for collective statements.
大家都很累。
很多人都看了。
我们也都很累。
越 + Verb + 越 + Adjective
'the more X, the more Y'. Marks escalation.
这两封信，越传越远。
看的人越来越多。
也许 + Clause (maybe)
也许 = maybe. Marks uncertainty / speculation.
也许有。
也许，真话就是有用的。