Learn Chinese with stories.

Learning Chinese with stories

What are good Chinese stories for beginners?

Start with the beginner books, such as The Kitchen God (灶王爷), Stone Soup (石头汤), The Monkey and the Crocodile (猴子和鳄鱼), Cinderella (灰姑娘) and Snow White (白雪公主). 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 Journey to the West: Golden Horn and Silver Horn (西游记：金角银角), Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing (姜太公钓鱼) and The Pearl of West Lake (西湖明珠).

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?

Chapters 1 and 2 of every story are free to read and listen to, with no sign-up, and 8 stories, from every level, are free from start to finish: The Kitchen God (灶王爷, Beginner), The Great Race: The Twelve Animals (十二生肖, Elementary), Chang'e and the Moon (嫦娥奔月, Elementary), Little Red Riding Hood (小红帽, Elementary), The Ugly Duckling (丑小鸭, Elementary), The Second Cup of Tea (第二杯茶, Elementary), Judge Dee's Cases (狄公案, Intermediate) and Alice in Wonderland (爱丽丝梦游仙境, Intermediate). One more story is free in full each week, and chapters 1–3 of each full-length book are free. SayMei Stories Unlimited opens all 169 stories and 1161 chapters for $2.99 a month, and new members start with a 7-day free week; SayMei Premium includes every story too.

Are there full-length books in simple Chinese?

Yes. Cinderella (灰姑娘, Beginner), Snow White (白雪公主, Beginner), Beauty and the Beast (美女与野兽, Beginner), Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (阿拉丁和神灯, Beginner), Hansel and Gretel (糖果屋, Beginner), Pinocchio (木偶奇遇记, Elementary), Little Women (小妇人, Elementary), Pride and Prejudice (傲慢与偏见, Elementary), Jane Eyre (简·爱, Elementary), The Great Gatsby (了不起的盖茨比, Elementary), Journey to the West: The Monkey King (西游记：美猴王, Intermediate), Journey to the West: The Four Pilgrims (西游记：师徒四人, Intermediate), The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯与祝英台, Intermediate), Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记, Intermediate), The White Snake (白蛇传, Intermediate), Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves (聊斋·狐鬼情缘, Intermediate), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (绿野仙踪, Intermediate), The Odyssey (奥德赛, Intermediate) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (巴斯克维尔的猎犬, Intermediate) are retold as full-length books in parts, with every line read aloud and pinyin over every word. Chapters 1–3 of each are free, and SayMei Stories Unlimited opens the rest.

Which Chinese legends can I read in simple Mandarin?

The library retells 78 well-known Chinese legends and folk tales: Mulan (木兰), Journey to the West: The Monkey King (西游记：美猴王), 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), The Peach Blossom Spring (桃花源) and 66 more. Beside them are world classics told in simple Chinese, such as Granny Liu Visits the Grand View Garden (刘姥姥进大观园), Stone Soup (石头汤) and The Monkey and the Crocodile (猴子和鳄鱼), 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) or Intermediate (about HSK 3), 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.