周末的咖啡馆 · Weekend at the Café
Zhōumò de Kāfēi Guǎn — A quiet Saturday at the neighborhood café, watching strangers come and go.
Read the story
Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.
周六早上,我像往常一样去了家附近的咖啡馆。
Saturday morning, like usual, I went to the café near my home.
我点了一杯拿铁,选了靠窗的位置。
I ordered a latte and chose a seat by the window.
阳光透过玻璃照进来,非常舒服。
The sunlight streamed through the glass — it was very comfortable.
旁边桌子上的老人在认真地看报纸。
An old man at the next table was reading the newspaper carefully.
两个学生在热烈地讨论一个项目。
Two students were passionately discussing some project.
我拿出自己的书,却无法集中注意力。
I took out my book, but couldn't focus.
在周末,咖啡馆更像一个公共客厅。
On weekends, the café feels more like a public living room.
大家都有自己的生活,却一起分享安静的下午。
Everyone has their own life, sharing a peaceful afternoon together.
咖啡馆的老板姓陈,他记得每个常客的口味。
The café owner is surnamed Chen, and he remembers every regular's taste.
我一进门,他就知道我要热的还是冰的。
The moment I come through the door, he knows whether I want it hot or iced.
下午三点左右,阳光慢慢移到了另一边。
Around three in the afternoon, the sunlight slowly moved to the other side.
一个女孩带着笔记本电脑坐下,开始工作。
A girl sat down with a laptop and began to work.
有人离开的时候,把一本读完的书留在了架子上。
When somebody left, they set a finished book on the shelf.
那个架子上的书,都是客人留下的。
All the books on that shelf were left behind by customers.
我想,这大概就是咖啡馆最好的地方。
I think this is probably the best thing about a café.
你可以一个人待着,却不会觉得孤单。
You can sit by yourself without feeling lonely.
Vocabulary in this story (113 words)
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 周六 | zhōuliù | Saturday |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | morning |
| 我 | wǒ | I |
| 像 | xiàng | like |
| 往常 | wǎngcháng | usual |
| 一样 | yíyàng | the same |
| 去 | qù | went to |
| 了 | le | (past) |
| 家 | jiā | home |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby |
| 的 | de | (of) |
| 咖啡馆 | kāfēi guǎn | café |
| 点 | diǎn | ordered |
| 一杯 | yì bēi | a cup of |
| 拿铁 | nátiě | latte |
| 选 | xuǎn | chose |
| 靠 | kào | by |
| 窗 | chuāng | window |
| 位置 | wèizhi | seat |
| 阳光 | yángguāng | sunlight |
| 透过 | tòuguò | through |
| 玻璃 | bōli | glass |
| 照 | zhào | shone |
| 进来 | jìnlái | in |
| 非常 | fēicháng | very |
| 舒服 | shūfu | comfortable |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | next to |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table |
| 上 | shàng | on |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man |
| 在 | zài | (progressive) |
| 认真 | rènzhēn | carefully |
| 地 | de | (adverbial) |
| 看 | kàn | reading |
| 报纸 | bàozhǐ | newspaper |
| 两个 | liǎng ge | two |
| 学生 | xuésheng | students |
| 热烈 | rèliè | passionately |
| 讨论 | tǎolùn | discussing |
| 一个 | yí ge | one |
| 项目 | xiàngmù | project |
| 拿出 | náchū | took out |
| 自己 | zìjǐ | my own |
| 书 | shū | book |
| 却 | què | but |
| 无法 | wúfǎ | could not |
| 集中 | jízhōng | focus |
| 注意力 | zhùyìlì | attention |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekends |
| 更 | gèng | more |
| 公共 | gōnggòng | public |
| 客厅 | kètīng | living room |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone |
| 都 | dōu | all |
| 有 | yǒu | has |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | life |
| 一起 | yìqǐ | together |
| 分享 | fēnxiǎng | share |
| 安静 | ānjìng | peaceful |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | owner |
| 姓 | xìng | is surnamed |
| 陈 | Chén | Chen |
| 他 | tā | he |
| 记得 | jìde | remembers |
| 每个 | měi ge | every |
| 常客 | chángkè | regular's |
| 口味 | kǒuwèi | taste |
| 一 | yī | the moment |
| 进门 | jìn mén | come through the door |
| 就 | jiù | already |
| 知道 | zhīdào | knows |
| 要 | yào | want |
| 热的 | rè de | a hot one |
| 还是 | háishi | or |
| 冰的 | bīng de | an iced one |
| 三点 | sān diǎn | three o'clock |
| 左右 | zuǒyòu | around |
| 慢慢 | mànmàn | slowly |
| 移 | yí | moved |
| 到 | dào | to |
| 另一边 | lìng yì biān | the other side |
| 女孩 | nǚhái | girl |
| 带着 | dài zhe | carrying |
| 笔记本电脑 | bǐjìběn diànnǎo | a laptop |
| 坐下 | zuò xià | sat down |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | began |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | somebody |
| 离开 | líkāi | leaving |
| 的时候 | de shíhou | when |
| 把 | bǎ | (object marker) |
| 一本 | yì běn | a |
| 读完 | dú wán | finished |
| 留 | liú | left |
| 架子上 | jiàzi shàng | the shelf |
| 那个 | nà ge | that |
| 都是 | dōu shì | are all ones |
| 客人 | kèrén | customers |
| 留下 | liú xià | left behind |
| 想 | xiǎng | think |
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 大概 | dàgài | probably |
| 就是 | jiùshì | is exactly |
| 最好 | zuì hǎo | best |
| 地方 | dìfang | part |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can |
| 一个人 | yí ge rén | by yourself |
| 待着 | dāi zhe | stay |
| 不会 | bú huì | will not |
| 觉得 | juéde | feel |
| 孤单 | gūdān | lonely |