A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
美国总统来了中国
The US President Came to China
About this story
The US President Came to China. 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 飞机、朋友、电视 and walks through 4 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
Today we're talking about something big.
This thing is very big.
People all over the world are watching.
Let me tell a little story first.
Xiaohong came home today.
She's with her mom.
They're in the living room.
Mom turns on the TV.
What's on the TV?
A big airplane.
The airplane is very big and very white.
The airplane is in Beijing.
A person comes down from the airplane.
Who is that person?
It's the US president.
His name is Trump.
Xiaohong asks her mom:
"Mom, who is he?"
Mom says:
"He is the US president.
"The US is a big country.
"He is the leader of that country."
Xiaohong asks:
"Why did he come to China?"
Mom says:
"He came to see a friend.
"He came to find China's leader.
"China's leader is Xi Jinping.
"The two leaders want to meet.
"They want to talk about many things."
Xiaohong asks:
"What did they talk about?"
Mom says:
"Many big things.
"Let me tell you.
"First,
"they talked about money.
"The US and China do lots of business.
"Both sides want to do business.
"Both sides want to make money.
"Second,
"they talked about peace.
"What is peace?
"It's not fighting.
"No wars.
"Everyone's fine.
"Third,
"they talked about friendship.
"The US and China,
"used to be good friends.
"Later they got a little unhappy.
"Now they say,
"they want to be good friends again."
Xiaohong asks:
"So did they succeed?"
Mom says:
"Some yes, some no.
"What succeeded:
"they met.
"They talked.
"They didn't fight.
"That's good.
"What didn't succeed:
"many big things aren't resolved yet.
"We'll have to see later.
"Things don't get fixed in one day."
Xiaohong asks again:
"Is Trump still in China?"
Mom says:
"No, not anymore.
"He came for three days.
"He went home today.
"Back to the US.
"When he came,
"he brought many people.
"Some of the people are very rich.
"Some make phones.
"Some make cars.
"Some make chips.
"They also came to China.
"They said:
"We also want to do business in China.
"We also want to earn Chinese money."
Xiaohong thought a bit.
She said:
"Mom,
"I have a question."
Mom said:
"Go ahead."
Xiaohong said:
"Is the US a friend of China or not?"
Mom thought for a moment.
She said:
"This question is hard to answer.
"Sometimes yes.
"Sometimes no.
"The two countries are big.
"The two countries have different ideas.
"But both countries want to do business.
"Both countries also want peace.
"So they have to talk.
"They have to meet.
"They have to take it slow.
"When we were little,
"we also had problems with classmates.
"Sometimes we were unhappy.
"But we still had to be together.
"Go to school together.
"Play together.
"Countries are the same.
"China and the US,
"are both big.
"Both are important.
"Both sides need to be okay.
"Both sides need to talk things out."
Xiaohong nodded.
She said:
"I get it a little."
Mom said:
"You'll understand more later.
"When you grow up,
"you'll see more things."
The TV is still talking.
Saying Trump went back.
Saying he's happy.
Saying he and Xi Jinping,
talked a lot.
Both leaders said:
"We are good friends."
Xiaohong watches the TV.
She says:
"Mom,
"I hope they really are good friends.
"I hope everyone is okay."
Mom nods too.
She says:
"Mom hopes so too.
"Mom also hopes everyone is okay."
OK.
Today's story ends here.
We learned:
The US and China are two big countries.
The US president is called Trump.
China's leader is called Xi Jinping.
They met this week.
They met in Beijing.
They talked for three days.
Then Trump went home.
The things they talked about are all big.
Money, peace, friendship.
They didn't fight.
They talked a lot.
Some things are good.
Some things aren't good yet.
But everyone hopes,
the two countries will be okay.
Everyone will be okay.
The world is big.
The world has many people.
We all want peace.
We all want to be friends.
OK.
That's it for today.
Talk again tomorrow.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇The thing that flies in the sky and brings people to other places. 飞机 = 飞 (fly) + 机 (machine).
A person you like and play with. 好朋友 = good friend.
The big screen in the house. You can 看电视 = watch TV.
What you use to buy things. 多钱 = a lot of money.
A friend you go to school with. 同 (same) + 学 (study).
The capital city of China. Where the leaders live and work.
The leader of a country like the US. In China the same role is called 国家主席 (state chairman).
When two people see each other in person. 两个老大见面 = the two leaders meet.
A big place with many people, like 美国 (USA) or 中国 (China).
The person in charge. In this story it's used to mean the leader of a country, in plain words.
Doing something with someone else. 我们一起玩 = we play together.
Something that matters a lot. 两个国家都很重要 = both countries are very important.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法A 是 B
A is B. The most basic 'be' sentence in Chinese.
他是美国的总统。
中国的老大是习近平。
要 + verb
Going to / want to do something. Marks future or intention.
两个老大要见面。
两边都要做生意。
没有 + verb
Did not do something. Negates a completed action.
他们没有吵架。
美国总统九年没有来过中国。
Proper Nouns
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