HSK 3 · Story · 168 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-phone-conversation-with-mum

妈妈的电话

Mum’s Sunday call: a phone conversation in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

每个měigè星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，妈妈māma都dōu给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎdiànhuà。

“喂wèi，儿子érzi！吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？”

“吃chī了le，妈mā。”

“冷不冷lěngbulěng？多duō穿chuān点儿diǎnr衣服yīfu。”

“不bù冷lěng，妈mā。”

“钱qián还有háiyǒu吗ma？没méi钱qián就jiù说shuō。”

“有yǒu，有yǒu。”

每个měigè星期天xīngqītiān，都dōu是shì这zhè三sān句jù话huà。

我wǒ说shuō：“妈mā，你nǐ能不能néngbunéng问wèn点儿diǎnr别的biéde？”妈妈māma说shuō：“行xíng，行xíng。”

下xià个gè星期天xīngqītiān，还是háishi这zhè三sān句jù话huà。

这个zhège星期天xīngqītiān，七点半qīdiǎnbàn，我wǒ先xiān给gěi妈妈māma打电话dǎdiànhuà。

“喂wèi，妈mā！吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？冷不冷lěngbulěng？钱qián还有háiyǒu吗ma？”

电话diànhuà那边nàbiān，妈妈māma没méi说话shuōhuà。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，她tā问wèn：“儿子érzi，你nǐ怎么zěnme了le？是不是shìbúshì没méi钱qián了le？”

我wǒ笑xiào了le：“没有méiyǒu，妈mā。我wǒ就是jiùshì想xiǎng你nǐ了le。”

妈妈māma也yě笑xiào了le：“那nà你nǐ吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
句	jù	classifier for phrases and lines of speech or verse
别的	biéde	other; else
行	xíng	to walk; to go
先	xiān	first; in advance

Every Sunday at eight in the evening, Mum calls me.

“Hello, son! Have you eaten?”

“Yes, Mum.”

“Are you cold? Put on more clothes.”

“I’m not cold, Mum.”

“Have you still got money? If you run out, just tell me.”

“Yes, yes.”

Every Sunday, it’s the same three lines.

I say, “Mum, could you ask me something else?” Mum says, “All right, all right.”

The next Sunday, it’s the same three lines.

This Sunday, at half past seven, I call Mum first.

“Hello, Mum! Have you eaten? Are you cold? Have you still got money?”

On the other end of the line, Mum says nothing.

After a moment, she asks, “Son, what’s wrong? Have you run out of money?”

I laugh. “No, Mum. I just miss you.”

Mum laughs too. “So, have you eaten?”