A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
0:43
日本有很大的地震，很多人不能回家
A Big Earthquake Hits Japan, and Many People Cannot Go Home
A simple beginner Chinese listening story about a big earthquake in Japan: houses shook, a mall was damaged, some people died, and many had to leave home.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 1 minute. 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 东西、家、大 and walks through 3 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.
Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
In Japan, there was a very big earthquake.
When the earthquake came, many houses shook.
Many things fell down.
Everyone was scared.
In one place, there was a very big shopping mall.
During the earthquake, this mall was wrecked.
Some people were stuck inside the mall and couldn't get out.
In this earthquake, some people died.
A great many people could no longer stay home.
They all had to leave.
Many people are afraid there will be another big earthquake.
Right now, everyone is scared, and exhausted.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
很多东西都下来了 = many things fell.
都不能在家了 = could no longer stay home.
一个很大的地震 = a very big earthquake.
他们都要走 = they all had to leave.
地震来的时候 = when the earthquake came.
现在，大家都很怕 = now, everyone is scared.
有一个很大的地震 = there was a big earthquake.
很多房子都在动 = many houses shook.
一个很大的商场 = a very big mall.
有人死了 = some people died.
* beyond level超纲词
……的时候
X 的时候 = "when X / at the time of X".
地震来的时候，很多房子都在动。
都不能……了
都不能 + verb + 了 = "can no longer …".
很多很多人，都不能在家了。
会有……
会有 X = "there will be X".
很多人都怕，会有大地震。
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