Learn Chinese with stories.

Learning Chinese with stories

What are good Chinese stories for beginners?

Start with the beginner books, such as Journey to the West: The Monkey King (西游记：美猴王), Nezha and the Dragon King (哪吒闹海), The Great Race: The Twelve Animals (十二生肖), Hou Yi and the Ten Suns (后羿射日) and Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began (盘古和女娲). Each is a few short chapters of simple Mandarin, read aloud, with pinyin over every word. When they feel easy, move up to the elementary books, such as Mulan (木兰), Journey to the West: Havoc in Heaven (西游记：大闹天宫) and Journey to the West: The Four Pilgrims (西游记：师徒四人).

Do these Chinese stories have audio, pinyin and English?

Yes. Every chapter is narrated in Mandarin, with a different voice for each character, and the current line lights up as it plays. Pinyin sits over every character, English is one tap away for a single line or the whole chapter, and tapping any word shows its meaning.

Are the stories free?

Chapter 1 of every story is free to read and listen to, with no sign-up, and 18 stories, from every level, are free from start to finish: Journey to the West: The Monkey King (西游记：美猴王, Beginner), The Great Race: The Twelve Animals (十二生肖, Beginner), Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began (盘古和女娲, Beginner), Zhong Kui the Demon Queller (钟馗捉鬼, Beginner), Aesop's Fables (伊索寓言, Beginner), Cinderella (灰姑娘, Beginner), Little Red Riding Hood (小红帽, Beginner), The Three Little Pigs (三只小猪, Beginner), The Ugly Duckling (丑小鸭, Beginner), The Odyssey (奥德赛, Beginner), The Second Cup of Tea (第二杯茶, Beginner), Mulan (木兰, Elementary), The Magic Lotus Lantern (宝莲灯, Elementary), The Night of the Nian (年兽来了, Elementary), Beauty and the Beast (美女与野兽, Elementary), The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯与祝英台, Intermediate), Chang'e and the Moon (嫦娥奔月, Intermediate) and Alice in Wonderland (爱丽丝梦游仙境, Intermediate). SayMei Stories opens all 74 stories and 346 chapters for $2.99 a month, and new members start with a 7-day free week; SayMei Premium includes every story too.

Which Chinese legends can I read in simple Mandarin?

The library retells 38 well-known Chinese legends and folk tales: Mulan (木兰), Journey to the West: The Monkey King (西游记：美猴王), Journey to the West: Havoc in Heaven (西游记：大闹天宫), Nezha and the Dragon King (哪吒闹海), The White Snake (白蛇传), The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (牛郎织女), The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯与祝英台), Lady Meng Jiang (孟姜女), Chang'e and the Moon (嫦娥奔月), The Night of the Nian (年兽来了), Jingwei and the Sea (精卫填海), The Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人) and 26 more. Beside them are world classics told in simple Chinese, such as Cinderella (灰姑娘), Snow White (白雪公主) and Little Red Riding Hood (小红帽), and modern stories about love, family and everyday life in China.

What level of Chinese do I need?

Every book is marked Beginner (about HSK 1), Elementary (about HSK 2), Intermediate (about HSK 3) or Upper intermediate (about HSK 4), judged by the words and grammar each one uses. Beginner books use short sentences and everyday words; Intermediate books have longer sentences and richer description. You can filter the shelves by level.

How do I learn Chinese with stories?

Listen to a chapter once without reading, then play it again and read along with the pinyin. Tap the words you don't know, answer the five-question reading check, and come back to the same chapter a day later. Hearing a story several times is how its words stick.