Welcome to our new series— Practice Your Chinese, HSK level 1. It’s designed to provide the HSK level 1 students with the most suitable materials for practicing Chinese. It can also be used for preparing the HSK level 1 test.

This practice series is just the extra part of our elementary Chinese courses, so if you want to learn Chinese in a systematic and efficient way, please choose the full courses (Chinese Pinyin, HSK Level 1 & HSK Level 2).

In each video of this series, first you listen to a story or dialogue at normal speed to get the main idea. Second, listen to the same material but at a much slower speed, and at the same time complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the words or phrases you hear. Lastly, answer a few questions about the story or dialogue.

In today’s Chinese (HSK Level 2) practice lesson, you’re going to hear about the four traditional festivals in China.

Please take a quick look at the important words and phrases, then check the script and the translation of the story.

The Words & Phrases

重要(zhòngyào) adjective: important
传统(chuántǒng) adjective: traditional
节日(jiérì) noun: festival
春节(Chūnjié) noun：Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
清明节(Qīngmíngjié) noun：Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day)
端午节(Duānwǔjié) noun：Dragon Boat Festival
中秋节(Zhōngqiūjié) noun：Mid-autumn Festival
农历(nónglì) noun：traditional Chinese calendar
公历(gōnglì) noun：Gregorian calendar
新年(xīnnián) noun: New Year
就要……了(jiùyào……le)：something is about to happen
暖和(nuǎnhuo) adjective: warm
……前后(……qiánhòu)：around (a certain time)
更喜欢(gèng xǐhuan)：prefer
最喜欢(zuì xǐhuan)：like best
扫墓(sǎomù) verb：sweep the tombs (of one’s ancestors)
祭祖(jìzǔ) verb：offer sacrifices to one’s ancestors
龙舟比赛(lóngzhōu bǐsài)：dragon boat race
粽子(zòngzi) noun：glutinous rice and choice of filling wrapped in leaves and steamed or boiled
月饼(yuèbing) noun：mooncake (a round pastry that is usually filled with sweet stuffing)
甜(tián) adjective: sweet
咸(xián) adjective: salty
团聚(tuánjù) verb: have a reunion
种(zhǒng) noun: kind; type

The script in Character

中国有四个重要的传统节日。它们是春节、清明节、端午节和中秋节。春节是中国的农历新年。它是中国人最重要的传统节日。春节以后春天就要来了，天气会越来越暖和。清明节在公历四月五日前后。清明节最重要的事情是扫墓祭祖。端午节在农历五月五日。端午节的时候很多地方有龙舟比赛。在这天人们还会吃粽子。有甜粽子和咸粽子，我更喜欢吃甜粽子。中秋节在农历八月十五日。它是一个跟家人团聚的节日。中秋节的时候人们会吃月饼。月饼有很多种，我最喜欢吃广东的月饼。

The script in Pinyin

Zhōngguó yǒu sì gè zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì. Tāmen shì Chūnjié, Qīngmíngjié, Duānwǔjié hé Zhōngqiūjié. Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó de nónglì xīnnián. Tā shì Zhōngguórén zuì zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì. Chūnjié yǐhòu chūntiān jiùyào lái le, tiānqì huì yuèláiyuè nuǎnhuo. Qīngmíngjié zài gōnglì sì yuè wǔ rì qiánhòu. Qīngmíngjié zuì zhòngyào de shìqing shì sǎomù jìzǔ. Duānwǔjié zài nónglì wǔ yuè wǔ rì. Duānwǔjié de shíhou hěn duō dìfang yǒu lóngzhōu bǐsài. Zài zhè tiān rénmen hái huì chī zòngzi. Yǒu tián zòngzi hé xián zòngzi, wǒ gèng xǐhuan chī tián zòngzi. Zhōngqiūjié zài nónglì bā yuè shíwǔ rì. Tā shì yī gè gēn jiārén tuánjù de jiérì. Zhōngqiūjié de shíhou rénmen huì chī yuèbing. Yuèbǐng yǒu hěnduō zhǒng, wǒ zuì xǐhuan chī Guǎngdōng de yuèbing.

The translation

There are four important traditional festivals in China. They are the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Spring Festival is the Chinese New Year on the traditional Chinese calendar. It is the most important traditional festival for Chinese people. After the Spring Festival, spring will come soon and the weather will get warmer and warmer. The Qingming Festival is around the 5th day of the 4th month on the Gregorian calendar. The most important thing about the Qingming Festival is to sweep the tomb and worship the ancestors. The Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. There are dragon boat races in many places during the Dragon Boat Festival. On this day people also eat zongzi. There are sweet and salty zongzi, I prefer to eat sweet zongzi. The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. It is a festival to have a reunion with family members. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will eat mooncakes. There are many kinds of mooncakes, and I like Cantonese mooncakes the most.

Welcome to our new series— Practice Your Chinese, HSK level 1. It’s designed to provide the HSK level 1 students with the most suitable materials for practicing Chinese. It can also be used for preparing the HSK level 1 test.

This practice series is just the extra part of our elementary Chinese courses, so if you want to learn Chinese in a systematic and efficient way, please choose the full courses (Chinese Pinyin, HSK Level 1 & HSK Level 2).

In each video of this series, first you listen to a story or dialogue at normal speed to get the main idea. Second, listen to the same material but at a much slower speed, and at the same time complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the words or phrases you hear. Lastly, answer a few questions about the story or dialogue.

In today’s Chinese (HSK Level 2) practice lesson, you’re going to hear about the four traditional festivals in China.

Please take a quick look at the important words and phrases, then check the script and the translation of the story.

The Words & Phrases

重要(zhòngyào) adjective: important
传统(chuántǒng) adjective: traditional
节日(jiérì) noun: festival
春节(Chūnjié) noun：Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
清明节(Qīngmíngjié) noun：Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day)
端午节(Duānwǔjié) noun：Dragon Boat Festival
中秋节(Zhōngqiūjié) noun：Mid-autumn Festival
农历(nónglì) noun：traditional Chinese calendar
公历(gōnglì) noun：Gregorian calendar
新年(xīnnián) noun: New Year
就要……了(jiùyào……le)：something is about to happen
暖和(nuǎnhuo) adjective: warm
……前后(……qiánhòu)：around (a certain time)
更喜欢(gèng xǐhuan)：prefer
最喜欢(zuì xǐhuan)：like best
扫墓(sǎomù) verb：sweep the tombs (of one’s ancestors)
祭祖(jìzǔ) verb：offer sacrifices to one’s ancestors
龙舟比赛(lóngzhōu bǐsài)：dragon boat race
粽子(zòngzi) noun：glutinous rice and choice of filling wrapped in leaves and steamed or boiled
月饼(yuèbing) noun：mooncake (a round pastry that is usually filled with sweet stuffing)
甜(tián) adjective: sweet
咸(xián) adjective: salty
团聚(tuánjù) verb: have a reunion
种(zhǒng) noun: kind; type

The script in Character

中国有四个重要的传统节日。它们是春节、清明节、端午节和中秋节。春节是中国的农历新年。它是中国人最重要的传统节日。春节以后春天就要来了，天气会越来越暖和。清明节在公历四月五日前后。清明节最重要的事情是扫墓祭祖。端午节在农历五月五日。端午节的时候很多地方有龙舟比赛。在这天人们还会吃粽子。有甜粽子和咸粽子，我更喜欢吃甜粽子。中秋节在农历八月十五日。它是一个跟家人团聚的节日。中秋节的时候人们会吃月饼。月饼有很多种，我最喜欢吃广东的月饼。

The script in Pinyin

Zhōngguó yǒu sì gè zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì. Tāmen shì Chūnjié, Qīngmíngjié, Duānwǔjié hé Zhōngqiūjié. Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó de nónglì xīnnián. Tā shì Zhōngguórén zuì zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì. Chūnjié yǐhòu chūntiān jiùyào lái le, tiānqì huì yuèláiyuè nuǎnhuo. Qīngmíngjié zài gōnglì sì yuè wǔ rì qiánhòu. Qīngmíngjié zuì zhòngyào de shìqing shì sǎomù jìzǔ. Duānwǔjié zài nónglì wǔ yuè wǔ rì. Duānwǔjié de shíhou hěn duō dìfang yǒu lóngzhōu bǐsài. Zài zhè tiān rénmen hái huì chī zòngzi. Yǒu tián zòngzi hé xián zòngzi, wǒ gèng xǐhuan chī tián zòngzi. Zhōngqiūjié zài nónglì bā yuè shíwǔ rì. Tā shì yī gè gēn jiārén tuánjù de jiérì. Zhōngqiūjié de shíhou rénmen huì chī yuèbing. Yuèbǐng yǒu hěnduō zhǒng, wǒ zuì xǐhuan chī Guǎngdōng de yuèbing.

The translation

There are four important traditional festivals in China. They are the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Spring Festival is the Chinese New Year on the traditional Chinese calendar. It is the most important traditional festival for Chinese people. After the Spring Festival, spring will come soon and the weather will get warmer and warmer. The Qingming Festival is around the 5th day of the 4th month on the Gregorian calendar. The most important thing about the Qingming Festival is to sweep the tomb and worship the ancestors. The Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. There are dragon boat races in many places during the Dragon Boat Festival. On this day people also eat zongzi. There are sweet and salty zongzi, I prefer to eat sweet zongzi. The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese calendar. It is a festival to have a reunion with family members. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will eat mooncakes. There are many kinds of mooncakes, and I like Cantonese mooncakes the most.