HSK 4 · Story · 348 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-calligraphy-for-beginners

八种笔画

Chinese calligraphy for beginners

Name: ________________ Date: ________

安娜ānnà在zài北京běijīng住zhù了le两liǎng年nián了le。今年jīnnián春节chūnjié，她tā想xiǎng给gěi男朋友nánpéngyǒu的de妈妈māma写xiě一个yígè大大dàdà的de“福fú”字zì。

她tā找到zhǎodào了le一个yígè书法shūfǎ班bān。老师lǎoshī姓xìng王wáng，六十多岁liùshí-duōsuì，说话shuōhuà很hěn慢màn。

第一dìyī天tiān，王wáng老师lǎoshī没有méiyǒu教jiāo“福fú”。他tā在zài纸zhǐ上shàng写xiě了le一个yígè“永yǒng”字zì：“这zhè个gè字zì里有yǒu八bā种zhǒng笔画bǐhuà。写xiě好hǎo了le它tā，别的biéde字zì就jiù不bù难nán了le。”

安娜ānnà天天tiāntiān写xiě。第一dìyī个gè星期xīngqī，她tā写xiě“永yǒng”。第二dì’èr个gè星期xīngqī，她tā还hái在zài写xiě“永yǒng”。

第dì三sān个gè星期xīngqī，她tā有点儿yóudiǎnr不bù高兴gāoxìng了le：“老师lǎoshī，还有háiyǒu五wǔ天tiān就jiù过年guònián了le！我wǒ只zhǐ学xué了le一yí个gè字zì！”

王wáng老师lǎoshī看kàn了le看kàn她tā的de“永yǒng”，笑xiào了le：“好hǎo，今天jīntiān写xiě‘福fú’。”

安娜ānnà拿起náqǐ笔bǐ，写xiě得de很hěn慢màn。写xiě完wán以后yǐhòu，她tā自己zìjǐ都dōu不bù相信xiāngxìn：这个zhège“福fú”字zì真zhēn好看hǎokàn！

过年guònián前一天qiányìtiān，她tā拿ná着zhe“福fú”字zì去qù男朋友nánpéngyǒu家jiā，还hái帮bāng他tā妈妈māma贴tiē在zài门mén上shàng。贴tiē好hǎo以后yǐhòu，她tā才cái看见kànjiàn：这zhè个gè福字fúzì是shì倒dào着zhe贴tiē的de！

“对不起duìbuqǐ，对不起duìbuqǐ！”安娜ānnà马上mǎshàng要yào去qù换huàn。

男朋友nánpéngyǒu的de妈妈māma拉lā住zhù她tā，笑xiào得de很hěn开心kāixīn：“别bié换huàn！福字fúzì倒dào着zhe贴tiē，就是jiùshì福fú到dào了le！”

安娜ānnà不bù明白míngbai。男朋友nánpéngyǒu告诉gàosù她tā，很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén过年guònián都dōu这样zhèyàng做zuò。福字fúzì倒着zhe贴tiē，听起来tīngqǐlai就jiù像xiàng“福fú到dào了le”。

过年guònián以后yǐhòu，安娜ānnà回到huídào书法shūfǎ班bān，告诉gàosù了le王wáng老师lǎoshī这zhè件jiàn事shì。

王wáng老师lǎoshī听tīng完wán，大笑dàxiào起来qǐlai，又yòu在zài纸zhǐ上shàng写xiě了le一yí个gè字zì。安娜ānnà一yí看kàn——还是háishì“永yǒng”。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
纸	zhǐ	paper
种	zhǒng	to plant; to grow
别的	biéde	other; else
难	nán	difficult; hard
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
相信	xiāngxìn	to believe; to trust
换	huàn	to change; to replace
开心	kāixīn	happy; glad
明白	míngbai	to understand; to realize
像	xiàng	like; as
大大	dàdà	respectful address for a popular creator or leader
倒	dào	upside down; inverted

English (for the teacher)

Anna has lived in Beijing for two years. This Spring Festival, she wants to write a big 福, “good fortune”, for her boyfriend’s mother.

She finds a calligraphy class. The teacher is called Wang; he’s in his sixties and speaks very slowly.

On the first day, Mr Wang doesn’t teach 福. He writes 永, “forever”, on the paper: “This character has eight kinds of stroke in it. Write it well, and the other characters won’t be hard.”

Anna writes every day. The first week, she writes 永. The second week, she is still writing 永.

By the third week she’s getting cross: “Teacher, it’s New Year in five days! I’ve only learned one character!”

Mr Wang looks at her 永 and smiles: “All right. Today, write 福.”

Anna picks up the brush and writes very slowly. When she’s finished, she can hardly believe it: this 福 really looks good!

The day before New Year, she takes the 福 to her boyfriend’s home and helps his mother put it up on the door. When it’s up, she suddenly sees it: the 福 is upside down!

“Sorry, sorry!” Anna rushes to change it.

Her boyfriend’s mother holds her back, laughing happily: “Don’t change it! An upside-down 福 means good fortune has arrived!”

Anna doesn’t understand. Her boyfriend tells her that lots of Chinese people do this at New Year. “Upside down” is dào and “arrive” is dào: an upside-down 福 sounds just like “good fortune has arrived”.

After New Year, Anna goes back to the calligraphy class and tells Mr Wang the story.

Mr Wang listens, roars with laughter, and writes another character on the paper. Anna looks: it’s 永 again.