My First Chinese Diary: Write About Me in Simple Sentences (Ages 8–11)

By the end you can

• Write the date at the top of every entry. Big to small, the Chinese way: the month with 月, the day with 日, then 星期 and a number for the day of the week.
  九月一日，星期一。 · Jiǔyuè yī rì, xīngqīyī. · Monday, 1 September.
• Introduce themselves and their family. Give their name with 我叫 and age with 我今年八岁 (no 是 before 岁), count family with 口, and put 和 before the last person in a list.
  我家有四口人。 · Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén. · There are four people in my family.
• Say what is in a place and when things happen. Start with the place, then 有: 房间里有桌子. Put the time before the action, never at the end, and say 两点 for two o'clock.
  我早上八点去学校。 · Wǒ zǎoshang bā diǎn qù xuéxiào. · I go to school at eight in the morning.
• Describe a friend and a favourite food. Choose 他 or 她 by its radical, put 一起 before the action, and use 吃 for food, 喝 for drinks, and 好吃 or 好喝 to say it's tasty.
  她的眼睛很大。 · Tā de yǎnjing hěn dà. · Her eyes are big.
• Write about what already happened. Put 了 right after a finished action (去了, 吃了, 看了), and describe the weather with 下雪了 and 太冷了.
  我们看了熊猫。 · Wǒmen kànle xióngmāo. · We saw the pandas.
• Count pets and say why. Count animals with 只 (一只狗, 两只猫), give a reason with 因为, and add a surprise turn with 但是.
  我很高兴，因为今天不上学。 · Wǒ hěn gāoxìng, yīnwèi jīntiān bú shàngxué. · I'm happy because there's no school today.
• Write about birthdays and dream jobs. Give a birthday with 月 and 号, say who gave what with 送, and dream big with 我长大了想做 + job.
  我长大了想做医生。 · Wǒ zhǎngdà le xiǎng zuò yīshēng. · When I grow up, I want to be a doctor.

What’s inside

• Entry 1: Model: All About Me · Write: Write About Me
• Entry 2: Model: My Family · Write: Write About My Family
• Entry 3: Model: My Home · Write: Write About My Home
• Entry 4: Model: My School Day · Write: Write About My School
• Entry 5: Model: My Good Friend · Write: Write About My Friend
• Entry 6: Model: My Favourite Food · Write: Write About My Favourite Food
• Entry 7: Model: My Weekend · Write: Write About My Weekend
• Entry 8: Model: The Weather Today · Write: Write About Today's Weather
• Entry 9: Model: My Pet (or the Pet I Want) · Write: Write About a Pet
• Entry 10: Model: A Happy Day · Write: Write About a Happy Day
• Entry 11: Model: My Birthday · Write: Write About My Birthday
• Entry 12: Model: What I Want to Be · Write: Write About My Dream Job
• My diary calendar: My Diary Calendar

How to use this book

Twelve topics, each a model entry and a page to write their own. The book's 10-minute routine: read the model aloud, say the three patterns, do the short task, then your child writes and reads it back. Two sessions per topic.

1. Weeks 1–2: Me, my family, my home. Entries 1 to 3, three short sessions a week. Start every entry with the date, and let your child show you a family photo as they say 这是我妈妈。
2. Weeks 3–4: School, a friend and food. Entries 4 to 6. Practise putting the time before the action, then have your child tell you what is tasty on their plate at dinner.
3. Weeks 5–6: Weekend, weather and a pet. Entries 7 to 9. Ask about last weekend so your child can answer with 了, and look out of the window each morning to say the weather.
4. Weeks 7–8: A happy day, birthdays, dream jobs. Entries 10 to 12. Join sentences with 因为, write dates with 月 and 号, and ask everyone at home 你想做什么？
5. Every month: The diary calendar. Tick each day your child writes on page 27. Each Sunday, ask them to read you their favourite entry from the week.

Who it’s for

Grown-ups helping a child aged 8 to 11 write their first connected sentences in Chinese, at home or in class. It suits children at about YCT levels 2 to 3 who can already say simple sentences.

Before you start: Your child should know some everyday words and a few characters. Pinyin is under every model entry, and children can write pinyin where they don't know a character yet: both count as writing. There is no audio.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child have to write in characters?

No. Pinyin is printed under every model entry, so your child can write characters where they know them and pinyin where they don't yet. The book counts both as writing.

How much should I correct?

The book suggests praising one thing your child did well, such as "You used 因为!", and fixing at most one mistake per entry. The model answers on each Write page are ideas, not the only right answer.

How often should my child write?

Ten minutes, three days a week, is plenty. The diary calendar on page 27 has a box for each day of the month and a short checklist, like writing the date in Chinese at the top of every entry.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 31-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class or my children?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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