HSK 1 Reading Practice — 22 Free Chinese Stories
Simple sentences and basic vocabulary — the first stories that feel readable. Every story below is free to read here in full, with pinyin above each word and an English translation on every line.
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你好 Hello
A simple introduction between two people.
6 sentences · 28 characters · 13 words -
我的家 My Family
Meet a family of four.
6 sentences · 34 characters · 17 words -
吃饭 Eating
Talking about favorite foods.
6 sentences · 30 characters · 15 words -
买东西 Shopping
Buying fruit at the store.
6 sentences · 29 characters · 16 words -
学中文 Studying Chinese
Why I'm learning Mandarin.
6 sentences · 31 characters · 16 words -
今天天气 Today's Weather
A nice day in the park.
6 sentences · 29 characters · 19 words -
我的老师 My Teacher
A short description of my English teacher.
6 sentences · 34 characters · 17 words -
喝茶 Drinking Tea
A daily tea habit at home.
6 sentences · 40 characters · 20 words -
我爱音乐 I Love Music
Listening to songs and playing guitar.
6 sentences · 34 characters · 17 words -
小狗豆豆 My Puppy Doudou
A cute puppy at home.
6 sentences · 37 characters · 20 words -
乌鸦喝水 The Thirsty Crow
A classic Chinese fable — a clever crow solves a problem.
10 sentences · 79 characters · 31 words -
大熊猫 Giant Pandas
Simple facts about China's most famous animal.
9 sentences · 88 characters · 41 words -
我的房间 My Room
A small, clean room with a bed, a desk and a window.
8 sentences · 68 characters · 30 words -
我的一天 My Day
From getting up at seven to going to bed at eleven.
8 sentences · 54 characters · 26 words -
坐公共汽车 Taking the Bus
The number three bus to work, twenty minutes for two yuan.
8 sentences · 59 characters · 28 words -
我的朋友 My Friend
Xiaomei is tall, likes films, and teaches me Chinese.
8 sentences · 60 characters · 31 words -
在饭馆 At the Restaurant
Ordering fish and greens with a friend, for eighty yuan.
8 sentences · 73 characters · 37 words -
四季 The Four Seasons
Spring flowers, summer swimming, autumn fruit and winter snow.
8 sentences · 59 characters · 28 words -
去学校 Going to School
A fifteen-minute walk, four morning classes, and a favorite one.
8 sentences · 60 characters · 28 words -
生日 Birthday
Mother cooks, friends bring presents, and everyone sings.
8 sentences · 60 characters · 31 words -
颜色 Colors
Everyone in the family likes a different color.
8 sentences · 69 characters · 29 words -
问路 Asking Directions
Lost on the way to the station, and the stranger who helped.
8 sentences · 66 characters · 31 words