Things That Go in Chinese for Kids: Cars, Trains, Planes and Boats (Ages 3–6)

By the end you can

• Say car and bus, and beep the horn. 车 (chē) means a thing with wheels, so listen for chē at the end of a word: car, bus and taxi all have it.
  我们坐公交车。 · Wǒmen zuò gōngjiāochē. · We take the bus.
• Say train and subway, and blow the whistle. 火车 is a "fire car", because the first trains ran on fire and steam. Chug round the room together saying 呜呜.
  火车开了！ · Huǒchē kāi le! · The train is off!
• Say where planes and boats go. Planes are 在天上, in the sky, and boats are 在水里, in the water. Fly your arms like wings, then row with both hands.
  飞机在天上。 · Fēijī zài tiān shang. · The plane is in the sky.
• Ride a bike and a scooter with 骑. You 骑 (ride) a bike or a scooter because you sit on top of it, and you 坐 (sit) in a bus or a car.
  我会骑自行车！ · Wǒ huì qí zìxíngchē! · I can ride a bike!
• Name the fire engine and the police car. Make the siren together, and say 来了 when something is coming: here comes the fire engine, here comes Mummy.
  消防车来了！ · Xiāofángchē lái le! · Here comes the fire engine!
• Colour, count and match the vehicles to their sounds. Colour a green bus and a red fire engine, count cars and planes, and match 呜呜 to the train and 叮铃铃 to the bike.
  红色的消防车！ · Hóngsè de xiāofángchē! · A red fire engine!
• Play go, stop and slow. Drive through a road maze to Grandma's house, then play the traffic-light game with 走, 停 and 慢.
  红灯，停！ · Hóng dēng, tíng! · Red light, stop!
• Pick the right vehicle for a trip. Eight cut-out cards add a school bus, a digger, a hot-air balloon and more. Then choose how to cross the river and get to Grandma's.
  我坐公交车去奶奶家。 · Wǒ zuò gōngjiāochē qù nǎinai jiā. · I take the bus to Grandma's.

What’s inside

• Cars and Buses: Cars and Buses
• Trains and the Subway: Trains and the Subway
• Planes and Boats: Planes and Boats
• Bikes and Scooters: Bikes and Scooters
• Fire Engines and Police Cars: Fire Engines and Police Cars
• Play: Colour, Count and Match · Which Way? Go, Stop, Slow
• Vehicle cards: Eight Vehicle Picture Cards
• Review: A Trip to Grandma's

How to use this book

Each vehicle page has two words and one sound. The book suggests ten minutes: one minute of vehicle sounds, five on one vehicle page, then four on a game from the Play pages. Read every line aloud: your child doesn't need to read yet.

1. Days 1–5: One vehicle page a day. Pages 3 to 7: cars and buses, trains, planes and boats, bikes, then fire engines. Say the words, make the sound, and play the page's game.
2. Day 6: Colour, count and match. Page 8. Colour the vehicles and say their colours, count the cars and planes, and match each sound to its vehicle.
3. Day 7: The maze and the light game. Page 9. Trace the road to Grandma's, then call out 走, 停 or 慢 while your child drives, stops or creeps.
4. Day 8: Cards and the trip. Cut out the cards on page 10 and name each one, then plan the trip to Grandma's on page 11.
5. Every day: Out and about. On walks and car rides, point at what goes past and name it. Spotting a 公交车 from the window counts as practice.

Who it’s for

Children aged 3 to 6 who love cars, trains and diggers, with a parent at home or a teacher at nursery or in class. Grown-ups don't need to speak Chinese.

Before you start: Nothing. Your child doesn't need to read: you read the lines aloud. Every line has pinyin and English, and the free audio reads each one with a pause to say it back. You'll need crayons and scissors.

Frequently asked questions

Which vehicles are in the book?

Ten on the Learn pages: car, bus, train, subway, plane, boat, bike, scooter, fire engine and police car, plus a taxi. The eight picture cards add a school bus, truck, ambulance, helicopter, bullet train, tractor, digger and hot-air balloon.

My child is three and can't read. Will it work?

Yes. You read the lines aloud and your child copies the words, the sounds and the actions, such as 嘀嘀 for a car horn and 叮铃铃 for a bike bell. The colouring, maze and cards need no reading at all.

What sounds do vehicles make in Chinese?

A car goes 嘀嘀, a train goes 呜呜, a plane goes 嗡嗡嗡, a boat horn goes 嘟嘟, a bike bell goes 叮铃铃, and a fire engine siren goes 呜哇呜哇.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 12-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.

Keep going

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