HSK 2 · Article · 237 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/colors-in-chinese

什么颜色？

Colours in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

玲玲línglíng今年jīnnián六liù岁suì。新年xīnnián的de早上zǎoshang，她tā坐zuò在zài桌子zhuōzi前qián，很hěn认真rènzhēn。

“玲玲línglíng，快kuài来lái吃chī早饭zǎofàn！”我wǒ叫jiào她tā。

“马上mǎshàng来lái！我wǒ在zài画huà我们wǒmen的de家jiā。妈妈māma，现在xiànzài不能bùnéng看kàn！”

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，她tā问wèn我wǒ：“妈妈māma，太阳tàiyáng是shì什么shénme颜色yánsè的de？”

“你nǐ说shuō呢ne？”

玲玲línglíng说shuō：“红色hóngsè的de！”她tā画huà了le一个yígè很hěn大dà的de太阳tàiyáng。下边xiàbian有yǒu很hěn多duō树shù，都dōu是shì绿色lǜsè的de。

树shù下边xiàbian是shì爸爸bàba、我wǒ和hé她tā，三sān个gè人rén都dōu在zài笑xiào。爸爸bàba最高zuìgāo，我wǒ第二dì’èr，玲玲línglíng最zuì小xiǎo。我们wǒmen的de头发tóufa都dōu是shì黑色hēisè的de。

“玲玲línglíng，我们wǒmen的de衣服yīfu怎么zěnme都dōu是shì红hóng的de？”我wǒ问wèn。

“妈妈māma，新年xīnnián要yào穿chuān红hóng衣服yīfu！”

她tā说shuō对duì了le。在zài中国zhōngguó，红色hóngsè是shì高兴gāoxìng的de颜色yánsè。新年xīnnián的de时候shíhou，很hěn多duō人rén穿chuān新xīn衣服yīfu，很hěn多duō家jiā的de门mén上shàng都dōu有yǒu红纸hóngzhǐ。

“那nà我们wǒmen家的de狗gǒu呢？”我wǒ在zài纸zhǐ上shàng找zhǎo了le一下yíxià，没有méiyǒu。爸爸bàba也yě来lái看kàn，他tā也yě没méi找到zhǎodào。

玲玲línglíng笑xiào了le：“妈妈māma，在zài这儿zhèr呢ne！我们wǒmen家jiā的de狗gǒu是shì白bái的de！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
今年	jīnnián	this year
六	liù	six
岁	suì	years old; year (of age)
早上	zǎoshang	morning
坐	zuò	to sit
桌子	zhuōzi	table; desk
前	qián	front; ahead
来	lái	to come
吃	chī	to eat
早饭	zǎofàn	breakfast
叫	jiào	to be called; to be named
家	jiā	home; family

English (for the teacher)

Lingling is six. On New Year’s morning she sits at the table, concentrating hard.

“Lingling, come and have breakfast!” I call her.

“Coming! I’m painting our home. Mum, you can’t look yet!”

A little later she asks me, “Mum, what colour is the sun?”

“What do you think?”

Lingling says, “Red!” She paints a big sun. Below it are lots of trees, all green.

Under the trees are Dad, Lingling and me, all three of us smiling. Dad is the tallest, I’m second, and Lingling is the smallest. We all have black hair.

“Lingling, why are all our clothes red?” I ask.

“Mum, you wear red at New Year!”

She’s right. In China, red is the colour of happy days. At New Year, lots of people wear new clothes, and lots of homes have red paper on their doors.

“So where’s our dog?” I look for it on the paper. It’s not there. Dad comes to look too. He can’t find it either.

Lingling laughs: “Mum, it’s here! Our dog is white!”