8:05
你的大脑还小
Your Brain Is Still Growing — The Prefrontal Cortex Excuse, in Simple Chinese
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. A simple story about Xiaoming and Xiaohong blaming their young brains for bad choices — the prefrontal cortex trend.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 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 大脑、想、考试 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.
我们说大脑。
We are talking about the brain.
大脑在头里面。
The brain is inside the head.
大脑很大。
The brain is big.
大脑很好。
The brain is good.
我们想东西。
We think about things.
我们用大脑想。
We use the brain to think.
大脑有很多。
The brain has many parts.
大脑有一个地方。
The brain has one area.
这个地方在前面。
This area is in the front.
这个地方很小。
This area is very small.
这个地方很好。
This area is very important.
它做什么？
What does it do?
它想一想。
It thinks things over.
它说好不好。
It says whether something is good or not.
它说对不对。
It says whether something is right or wrong.
大人的大脑好。
An adult's brain is good.
大人的这个地方大。
An adult's this area is big.
小人的大脑小。
A child's brain is small.
年轻人的这个地方小。
A young person's this area is small.
小的不好。
Small is not good.
为什么？
Why?
我们说一个人。
Let's talk about a person.
他是小明。
His name is Xiao Ming.
小明多大？
How old is Xiao Ming?
小明十八岁。
Xiao Ming is eighteen years old.
小明是学生。
Xiao Ming is a student.
小明在学校。
Xiao Ming is at school.
小明有朋友。
Xiao Ming has friends.
小明的朋友多。
Xiao Ming has many friends.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming is very happy.
小明的大脑好不好？
Is Xiao Ming's brain good or not?
小明的大脑还小。
Xiao Ming's brain is still small.
还没有大。
It hasn't grown big yet.
这个不好。
This is not good.
为什么不好？
Why is it not good?
我们看一看。
Let's take a look.
今天是星期一。
Today is Monday.
小明在学校。
Xiao Ming is at school.
小明有考试。
Xiao Ming has a test.
小明想看书。
Xiao Ming wants to study.
小明的朋友来了。
Xiao Ming's friend came.
朋友说去玩。
The friend said let's go play.
小明想去玩。
Xiao Ming wanted to go play.
小明不看书了。
Xiao Ming stopped studying.
小明去玩了。
Xiao Ming went to play.
他们很高兴。
They were very happy.
小明没有看书。
Xiao Ming didn't study.
星期二考试了。
Tuesday, the test came.
小明不会做。
Xiao Ming couldn't do it.
小明很不高兴。
Xiao Ming was very unhappy.
老师也不高兴。
The teacher was also unhappy.
小明的考试不好。
Xiao Ming's test was bad.
为什么？
Why?
小明没有想一想。
Xiao Ming didn't think it over.
小明的大脑太小。
Xiao Ming's brain is too small.
大脑没有说不好。
The brain didn't say it's not good.
大脑没有说不去。
The brain didn't say don't go.
星期三了。
It's Wednesday.
小明有钱。
Xiao Ming has money.
小明有三百块钱。
Xiao Ming has three hundred yuan.
这个钱是一个月的。
This money is for one month.
小明去商店。
Xiao Ming went to the store.
小明看到东西。
Xiao Ming saw something.
小明想买。
Xiao Ming wanted to buy it.
小明想买衣服。
Xiao Ming wanted to buy clothes.
衣服很好看。
The clothes were nice.
小明买了衣服。
Xiao Ming bought the clothes.
衣服两百块钱。
The clothes cost two hundred yuan.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming was very happy.
小明又看到东西。
Xiao Ming saw something else.
小明想买鞋。
Xiao Ming wanted to buy shoes.
鞋也好看。
The shoes were also nice.
小明又买了。
Xiao Ming bought them too.
鞋一百五十块钱。
The shoes cost one hundred and fifty yuan.
小明的钱没有了。
Xiao Ming's money was gone.
一天用了三百五。
He spent three hundred and fifty in one day.
还有二十多天。
There are still over twenty days left.
小明没有钱了。
Xiao Ming has no money now.
小明不能买吃的。
Xiao Ming can't buy food.
小明很不高兴。
Xiao Ming is very unhappy.
为什么？
Why?
小明没有想一想。
Xiao Ming didn't think it over.
小明的大脑太小了。
Xiao Ming's brain is too small.
大脑没有说太多了。
The brain didn't say it's too much.
大脑没有说不买。
The brain didn't say don't buy.
星期四了。
It's Thursday.
小明的妈妈打电话。
Xiao Ming's mom called.
妈妈说吃饭了吗。
Mom asked did you eat.
小明说吃了。
Xiao Ming said yes.
小明没有吃。
Xiao Ming didn't eat.
小明没有钱吃饭。
Xiao Ming had no money to eat.
小明不想说。
Xiao Ming didn't want to say.
妈妈说学习好吗。
Mom asked is your studying going well.
小明说好。
Xiao Ming said yes.
小明的学习不好。
Xiao Ming's studying is not going well.
小明说了不对的话。
Xiao Ming said things that weren't true.
为什么？
Why?
小明不想妈妈不高兴。
Xiao Ming didn't want mom to be unhappy.
小明的大脑太小。
Xiao Ming's brain is too small.
大脑没有想很多。
The brain didn't think very much.
星期五了。
It's Friday.
小明的朋友小红来了。
Xiao Ming's friend Xiao Hong came.
小红说我们去吃饭。
Xiao Hong said let's go eat.
小明说好。
Xiao Ming said okay.
小明没有钱。
Xiao Ming had no money.
小明不想说没有钱。
Xiao Ming didn't want to say he had no money.
他们去了饭店。
They went to a restaurant.
小明吃了很多。
Xiao Ming ate a lot.
小红说你有钱吗。
Xiao Hong asked do you have money.
小明说有。
Xiao Ming said yes.
小明没有。
Xiao Ming didn't.
小红很不高兴。
Xiao Hong was very unhappy.
小明也不高兴。
Xiao Ming was also unhappy.
为什么？
Why?
小明没有想。
Xiao Ming didn't think.
大脑太小了。
The brain is too small.
星期六了。
It's Saturday.
小明在家。
Xiao Ming is at home.
小明想睡觉。
Xiao Ming wanted to sleep.
小明睡到十二点。
Xiao Ming slept until twelve o'clock.
小明的作业没做。
Xiao Ming's homework wasn't done.
小明不想做作业。
Xiao Ming didn't want to do homework.
小明想看手机。
Xiao Ming wanted to look at his phone.
小明看了五个小时。
Xiao Ming looked at his phone for five hours.
五个小时！
Five hours!
太多了。
That's too much.
小明的眼睛不好了。
Xiao Ming's eyes were not doing well.
小明的头不好了。
Xiao Ming's head was not doing well.
作业还没有做。
The homework still wasn't done.
为什么？
Why?
小明的大脑太小。
Xiao Ming's brain is too small.
大脑没有说不看了。
The brain didn't say stop looking.
大脑没有说做作业。
The brain didn't say do your homework.
星期天了。
It's Sunday.
小明想一想。
Xiao Ming thinks it over.
这个星期不好。
This week was not good.
考试不好。
The test was bad.
钱没有了。
The money is gone.
说了不对的话。
He said things that weren't true.
朋友不高兴了。
His friend is unhappy.
作业没有做。
The homework is not done.
小明很不高兴。
Xiao Ming is very unhappy.
小明想为什么。
Xiao Ming wonders why.
为什么我做不好？
Why can't I do things well?
为什么我想的不对？
Why do I think wrong?
小明去问老师。
Xiao Ming went to ask the teacher.
老师说你的大脑。
The teacher talked about his brain.
老师说大脑有一个地方。
The teacher said the brain has one area.
这个地方在前面。
This area is in the front.
你十八岁。
You are eighteen years old.
这个地方还小。
This area is still small.
还没有大。
It hasn't grown big yet.
二十五岁会大。
It will be big at twenty-five.
这个地方大了就好了。
When this area is big, things will be better.
小明说那我怎么做？
Xiao Ming asked then what should I do?
老师说你要想一想。
The teacher said you need to think things over.
不要太快。
Don't be too quick.
想买东西的时候。
When you want to buy something.
想一想。
Think it over.
要不要买？
Should I buy it or not?
有没有钱？
Do I have money or not?
朋友说去玩。
When a friend says let's go play.
想一想。
Think it over.
有没有考试？
Is there a test?
有没有作业？
Is there homework?
想看手机。
When you want to look at your phone.
想一想。
Think it over.
看了多长时间？
How long have I been looking?
要不要做别的？
Should I do something else?
小明说好。
Xiao Ming said okay.
小明说我想一想。
Xiao Ming said I will think things over.
新的星期一。
A new Monday.
小明在学校。
Xiao Ming is at school.
朋友说去玩。
A friend said let's go play.
小明想一想。
Xiao Ming thought it over.
小明说不去。
Xiao Ming said no.
小明说我要看书。
Xiao Ming said I need to study.
小明看书了。
Xiao Ming studied.
星期二考试了。
Tuesday, the test came.
小明考得好！
Xiao Ming did well on the test!
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming was very happy.
小明想一想有用！
Thinking it over is useful!
星期三了。
It's Wednesday.
小明去商店。
Xiao Ming went to the store.
小明看到好看的东西。
Xiao Ming saw nice things.
小明想买。
Xiao Ming wanted to buy them.
小明想一想。
Xiao Ming thought it over.
我有多少钱？
How much money do I have?
我要用一个月。
I need it to last a month.
小明没有买。
Xiao Ming didn't buy it.
小明回家了。
Xiao Ming went home.
小明还有钱。
Xiao Ming still has money.
小明能买吃的。
Xiao Ming can buy food.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming is very happy.
星期四了。
It's Thursday.
妈妈打电话了。
Mom called.
妈妈说学习好吗。
Mom asked is your studying going well.
小明说还好。
Xiao Ming said it's okay.
小明说有的好有的不好。
Xiao Ming said some things are good and some are not.
妈妈说好。
Mom said good.
小明说了对的话。
Xiao Ming said the right things.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming is very happy.
星期五了。
It's Friday.
小红说去吃饭。
Xiao Hong said let's go eat.
小明想一想。
Xiao Ming thought it over.
小明说好。
Xiao Ming said okay.
小明有钱。
Xiao Ming has money.
他们去吃饭了。
They went to eat.
小明买了自己的。
Xiao Ming paid for his own.
小红也高兴。
Xiao Hong was happy too.
小明也高兴。
Xiao Ming was happy too.
星期六了。
It's Saturday.
小明想看手机。
Xiao Ming wanted to look at his phone.
小明想一想。
Xiao Ming thought it over.
小明说看一个小时。
Xiao Ming said I'll look for one hour.
一个小时到了。
One hour was up.
小明不看了。
Xiao Ming stopped looking.
小明做作业了。
Xiao Ming did his homework.
作业做好了。
The homework was done.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming is very happy.
星期天了。
It's Sunday.
小明想一想这个星期。
Xiao Ming thinks over this week.
考试好了。
The test went well.
钱还有。
There's still money left.
妈妈高兴了。
Mom is happy.
朋友高兴了。
Friends are happy.
作业做好了。
The homework is done.
小明很高兴。
Xiao Ming is very happy.
小明的大脑还是小的。
Xiao Ming's brain is still small.
但是小明会想一想了。
But Xiao Ming knows how to think things over now.
想一想很有用。
Thinking things over is very useful.
大脑小没有关系。
Having a small brain is okay.
我们都能想一想。
We can all think things over.
想一想再做。
Think it over before you act.
这样就好了。
That way, things will be fine.
A very common verb. Can mean 'to think about' or 'to want to do something'.
Used as both a noun (the test) and a verb (to take a test).
A basic adjective for being pleased or joyful.
A place where you buy things.
A general term for any type of clothing.
A common verb-object phrase for calling someone on the phone.
Literally 'big brain'. The main organ for thinking inside your head.
School assignments that students must complete, usually at home.
Describes someone who is young in age, especially teenagers or young adults.
Literally 'has use'. Describes something that is practical or beneficial.
* beyond level超纲词
还没有 + Verb
This pattern means 'still haven't (done something)'. 还 (hái) means 'still' and 没有 means 'haven't'. It emphasizes that an expected action has not yet happened.
还没有大。(It still hasn't grown big.)
作业还没有做。(The homework still hasn't been done.)
小明还没有吃饭。(Xiao Ming still hasn't eaten.)
太 + Adjective + 了
This pattern means 'too [adjective]'. 太 (tài) means 'too much' and 了 at the end emphasizes the degree. It often implies a negative result.
小明的大脑太小了。(Xiao Ming's brain is too small.)
太多了。(That's too much.)
衣服太好看了。(The clothes are too good-looking.)
Verb + 一 + Verb (想一想, 看一看)
Verb reduplication with 一 in the middle means 'do [verb] a little' or 'give it a try'. 想一想 means 'think about it for a moment'. This softens the action and makes it casual.
小明想一想。(Xiao Ming thinks it over.)
我们看一看。(Let's take a look.)
你要想一想再做。(You should think it over before doing it.)
要不要 / 有没有
Affirmative-negative questions. Instead of using 吗 at the end, you put the positive and negative forms together. This is a very common question pattern in Chinese.
要不要买？(Should you buy it or not?)
有没有钱？(Do you have money or not?)
有没有考试？(Is there an exam or not?)