A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
义乌做足球
Yiwu Makes Footballs for World Cup
About this story
Yiwu in China makes footballs and World Cup things for many countries. The city is very busy now. 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 18 key vocabulary words such as 买、东西、钱 and walks through 6 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 something interesting.
Do you know football?
What is football?
Football is a ball.
A big ball.
People like watching football.
Many people like watching.
Many, many people.
Do you like watching football?
Football is fun to watch.
People run around there.
They all want that ball.
Many people watch together.
They are happy.
This is football.
Now let's talk about something big.
It's called the World Cup.
What is the World Cup?
First, let's talk about "world."
The world is very, very big.
China is in the world.
America is also in the world.
And there are many, many more.
The world is all of these.
Now let's talk about "cup."
You know cups, right?
We drink water with cups.
The World Cup is not a cup.
The World Cup is when many people watch football together.
To see who's good.
This is the World Cup.
There's a World Cup every four years.
There's one this year.
In America.
Many people are happy.
OK.
Now let's talk about China.
China has a small place.
A place is somewhere you can be.
This place is called Yiwu.
Yiwu is in China.
Not Beijing.
Yiwu is not big.
Not many people.
You might not know Yiwu.
What's good about Yiwu?
Yiwu makes things.
Makes many, many things.
What things?
Small things.
Pretty things.
Things you buy.
Yiwu has factories.
What is a factory?
A factory is where things are made.
A very big place.
With many people inside.
They go every day.
Work every day.
Make things every day.
Yiwu has many factories.
One makes this.
Another makes that.
After making things, then what?
Sell.
What is "sell"?
Listen.
I have something.
You want it.
You give me money.
I give you the thing.
You're happy.
I'm happy too.
This is selling.
Yiwu people make things.
Then sell.
Sell to who?
Sell to Chinese people.
Also sell to Americans.
Sell to many, many people.
Yiwu's things don't cost much.
So many people like to buy.
OK.
Now the World Cup is coming.
How is Yiwu doing?
Yiwu has lots and lots of work.
They're making footballs.
How many does one factory make per day?
Four thousand footballs.
Four thousand!
Think about it.
One day.
Four thousand.
So many.
What else?
Clothes.
Football clothes.
Cups.
World Cup cups.
Small pretty things.
All World Cup items.
People come to Yiwu to buy things.
From America.
From many places.
What do they come for?
To buy things.
One person bought ten thousand items.
Ten thousand!
Yiwu people are very happy.
Many buyers coming.
Lots of money too.
Lots of work too.
Do you know something interesting?
The last World Cup.
There were many football things in the world.
How many were made by Yiwu?
Out of ten.
Seven.
Seven!
Seven out of ten.
Were made by Yiwu.
Yiwu is so small.
Yet made so many.
This World Cup.
Is in three places.
America is one.
Plus two more.
Three places together.
So many things to buy.
So much for Yiwu to make too.
Yiwu's factories work every day.
Making every day.
Selling every day.
Footballs.
Clothes.
Cups.
Small things.
Pretty things.
All made by Yiwu.
When you watch the World Cup.
The things you see.
That football.
That cup.
That piece of clothing.
Might be made by Yiwu.
A tiny little place.
In China.
Made so many things.
For so many people.
This is Yiwu.
Small place.
Big work.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇One of the most common verbs. 我买东西 = I buy things.
A very useful word for anything. 什么东西？= What thing?
Used with 块 as measure word. 多少钱？= How much money?
我喜欢看足球 = I like watching football.
看足球 = watch football, 看书 = read a book.
做东西 = make things, 做工作 = do work.
Can be noun or verb. 他每天工作 = He works every day.
Opposite of 小. 世界很大 = The world is very big.
义乌很小 = Yiwu is very small.
他们很高兴 = They are very happy.
足球的衣服 = football jerseys/clothes.
足 means foot, 球 means ball. The world's most popular sport.
世界 = world, 杯 = cup/trophy. The biggest football tournament, held every 4 years.
工 = work, 厂 = factory. A place where things are manufactured.
Opposite of 买 (buy). 卖东西 = sell things.
义乌是一个小地方 = Yiwu is a small place.
世界很大 = The world is very big. 全世界 = the whole world.
可能是义乌做的 = might be made by Yiwu.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Proper nouns
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