Readings · HSK 1

A great Beijing city gate tower rising above a grey brick wall.

读一读 · HSK 1 阅读 · history

北京很老

Beijing Is Very Old

A student asks a teacher how old Beijing is. The teacher answers in a round number of years and says how many people have lived there over that time. The student turns the question back on the teacher…

This reading is part of the course. Inside, it comes with pinyin you can toggle a character at a time, a native recording that highlights each word as it is spoken, and the comprehension check as a real graded quiz — alongside every other passage, the lessons that build up to them, and the flashcards that keep them.

See what full access costs

More HSK 1 readings

A round-bottomed wok set over a flame on a domestic stove.Who Cooks Tonight今天谁做饭A family works out who cooks tonight. The son wants to eat out, the mother says the restaurant is too expensive, and the father offers to cook rice an…HSK 1 · 122 characters · 1 min · dailyA stack of thread-bound Chinese books closed inside an indigo cloth case fastened with two bone toggles.The Book I Am Reading我在读的书A friend recommends a book she just finished in a week: the characters are not hard, and it is very interesting. Her friend, who thinks all books are…HSK 1 · 126 characters · 1 min · literatureA rain-streaked window seen from inside, its vermillion lattice frame beaded and beaded raindrops running down the pane.Which Film Tonight今天看什么电影Two friends stuck inside on a rainy day. David wants to watch a new Chinese movie; Lili already saw it last week with her mom. They talk it out and de…HSK 1 · 142 characters · 2 min · dailyA set of five round lacquer boxes nested open one inside the next from largest to smallest.How Much Is Enough多少是够A friend with money wants a bigger house, then a bigger car, then more money for a still bigger house. Each time, his friend asks the same small quest…HSK 1 · 143 characters · 2 min · philosophyA woven bamboo basket heaped with oranges set down on a vermillion doorstep.Bring Fruit, Not Nothing去朋友家,带什么A learner is invited to a Chinese friend's family home for dinner and asks a classmate what to bring. The answer: never show up with nothing, fruit is…HSK 1 · 158 characters · 2 min · cultureLayered tiled rooftops in the rain seen close and from above.The Weather Does Not Listen天气不听我们的Rain cancels a trip to the cinema and one friend is furious at the sky. The other talks him down, question by question, until he sees the weather was…HSK 1 · 158 characters · 2 min · philosophy

All HSK 1 readings → The whole library →