A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
世界杯：墨西哥队赢了
The World Cup: Mexico Wins
About this story
The World Cup: Mexico Wins. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 6 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 高兴、国家、重要 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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
Yesterday, Mexicans were very happy.
They were happy, so happy.
Let me tell you about it.
Yesterday, Mexico played football.
Mexicans love playing football.
Lots and lots of people love it.
They love watching Mexico play.
Yesterday, Mexico played, and played well.
So, did Mexico win?
They won!
Mexico won!
Everyone was very happy.
Mexico won the game.
Many people watched.
Some watched at home.
Some went to watch the game.
A lot of people watched.
Everyone loves Mexico.
Mexico won, and everyone was happy.
This day, everyone loved.
Many Mexicans were all talking about Mexico.
Grown-ups watched, and children watched too.
Everyone wanted to watch Mexico play.
So many people watched.
They all love Mexico.
Okay, let's talk about this game.
Do you want to know how Mexico won?
I'll tell you now.
Yesterday, the team Mexico played was South Africa.
South Africa is a country too.
South Africa wanted to win too.
Two countries, playing each other.
Playing like this is called a match.
Yesterday's match was important.
Why was it important?
Because it was Mexico's first match.
So many people wanted to watch.
A huge number came to watch.
There were more than eighty thousand.
They went to a very big place.
That place is called a stadium.
The stadium is huge.
It was full of people.
Many people love the Mexico team.
They shouted loudly.
The match began.
Just nine minutes in,
Mexico scored a goal.
To score a goal means to kick the ball in.
The scorer was named Quiñones.
The ball went in — one to zero.
Mexico in front.
The people in the stadium all stood up.
Everyone was very happy.
Everyone was very loud.
After one goal, Mexico wanted more.
Later, Mexico scored another goal.
This goal was scored by Jiménez.
Now it was two to zero.
The Mexico team won by a lot.
South Africa tried hard.
But South Africa didn't score a single goal.
Two goals, zero goals.
So it was two to zero.
Mexico two, South Africa zero.
Yesterday's match had one more thing.
A very special thing.
In the match, some people couldn't play anymore.
Why?
Because they fouled.
To foul means to do something wrong.
Do something wrong, and you have to leave the field.
Leaving the field means you can't play anymore.
Yesterday, three people were sent off.
Three people — that's a lot.
A game rarely has three people sent off.
South Africa had two sent off.
Mexico had one sent off too.
With fewer players, the game gets harder.
But Mexico had already won.
So this match was very different.
Everyone who watched said: how special.
Everyone remembered this day.
The match ended.
Mexico beat South Africa two to zero.
Mexicans were all very happy.
They sang together.
They cheered together.
This is a very good start.
Mexico played in their own country.
Lots and lots of people came to watch them.
They didn't let everyone down.
They won the first match.
So good.
Yesterday's stadium is famous too.
It was built many years ago.
Huge, able to seat many people.
Now Mexico is first.
Mexico has three points.
Win a match, and you get three points.
South Africa has no points.
But South Africa has other matches.
They still have a chance.
Mexico's next match is against South Korea.
That will be a good game too.
Let's watch it together, shall we?
Alright, that's all for today.
Let's say it once more.
Yesterday, Mexico beat South Africa two to zero.
Mexico scored two goals.
Three people were sent off in the match.
This really was a special day.
Mexicans are happy, and I'm happy too.
Thank you for listening.
See you tomorrow.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 墨西哥人很高兴 — Mexicans were very happy.
南非也是一个国家 — South Africa is a country too.
昨天的比赛很重要 — yesterday's match was important.
两个国家一起踢，叫比赛 — two countries playing is called a match.
HSK 1. we; us.
墨西哥赢了 — Mexico won. Opposite of 输 (lose).
Glossed in the episode: 进球，就是把球踢进去.
那个很大的地方叫球场 — the big place is called a stadium.
Glossed: 犯规，就是做了不对的事 — a foul is doing something wrong.
Glossed: 下场，就是不能再踢了 — to leave the field means you can't play anymore.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法为什么…？因为…
Ask 'why?' then answer with 因为 (because).
为什么很重要？因为这是墨西哥的第一场比赛。
X，就是 Y
Used to define a word: 'X is exactly / means Y.'
进球，就是把球踢进去。
又…了
又 + verb + 了 — did something again.
后来，墨西哥又进了一个球。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Sources
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