HSK 3 · Article · 289 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/four-seasons-in-chinese-beijing-weather

什么时候去北京最好？

The four seasons in Chinese: when is the best time to visit Beijing?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ在zài北京běijīng住zhù了le很hěn多年duōnián。我wǒ有yǒu一yí个gè朋友péngyǒu，明年míngnián她tā想xiǎng去qù北京běijīng玩儿wánr。她tā问wèn我wǒ：“北京běijīng一yì年nián有yǒu四sì个gè季节jìjié，什么shénme时候shíhou来lái最好zuìhǎo？”

我wǒ告诉gàosù她tā北京běijīng的de春天chūntiān、夏天xiàtiān、秋天qiūtiān和hé冬天dōngtiān是shì什么样shénmeyàng的de。中文zhōngwén里，这zhè四sì个gè季节jìjié也yě叫jiào“春夏秋冬chūnxià-qiūdōng”。

北京běijīng的de春天chūntiān是shì三月sānyuè到dào五月wǔyuè。天气tiānqì一yì天tiān比bǐ一yì天tiān暖和nuǎnhuo，花huā也yě开kāi了le。可是kěshì春天chūntiān风fēng很hěn大dà，也yě很hěn少shǎo下雨xiàyǔ。有的时候yǒude-shíhou，风fēng会huì带来dàilái黄沙huángshā，天tiān都黄huáng了le。

夏天xiàtiān是shì六月liùyuè到dào八月bāyuè。夏天xiàtiān很hěn热rè，雨yǔ也yě很hěn多duō。七月qīyuè最zuì热rè，雨yǔ也yě最zuì多duō。

秋天qiūtiān是shì九月jiǔyuè到dào十一月shíyīyuè。天tiān很hěn蓝lán，不bù冷lěng也yě不bú热rè。十月shíyuè的de时候shíhou，香山xiāngshān上shàng的de树叶shùyè都dōu红hóng了le，很hěn多duō人rén去qù那儿nàr看kàn红叶hóngyè。

冬天dōngtiān是shì十二月shí’èryuè到dào二月èryuè。北京běijīng的de冬天dōngtiān很hěn冷lěng，也yě很hěn干gān。可是kěshì从cóng十一月shíyīyuè十五shíwǔ号hào开始kāishǐ，家家jiājiā都dōu有yǒu暖气nuǎnqì，外边wàibian很hěn冷lěng，房间fángjiān里很hěn暖和nuǎnhuo。

所以suóyǐ，我wǒ对duì朋友péngyǒu说shuō：“九月jiǔyuè、十月shíyuè来lái吧ba！很hěn多duō北京běijīng人rén都dōu说shuō，秋天qiūtiān是shì北京běijīng最好zuìhǎo的de季节jìjié。五月wǔyuè也yě不错búcuò。”

朋友péngyǒu说shuō：“好hǎo，我wǒ十月shíyuè来lái。你nǐ带dài我wǒ去qù看kàn红叶hóngyè吧ba！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
告诉	gàosù	to tell; to inform
花	huā	flower; blossom
不错	búcuò	not bad; pretty good
季节	jìjié	season; time of year
最好	zuìhǎo	best
春天	chūntiān	spring; springtime
夏天	xiàtiān	summer
秋天	qiūtiān	autumn; fall
冬天	dōngtiān	winter
风	fēng	wind
蓝	lán	blue
干	gān	dry

English (for the teacher)

I've lived in Beijing for years. A friend of mine wants to visit Beijing next year. She asked me, “Beijing has four seasons in a year. When is the best time to come?”

I told her what spring, summer, autumn and winter are like in Beijing. In Chinese the four seasons are also called “chun xia qiu dong”.

Spring in Beijing is March to May. Every day is a little warmer than the last, and the flowers come out. But spring is very windy, and it hardly rains. Sometimes the wind brings yellow sand and the whole sky turns yellow.

Summer is June to August. Summer is hot, and it rains a lot. July is the hottest month, and the wettest.

Autumn is September to November. The sky is blue, and it's neither cold nor hot. In October the leaves on the Fragrant Hills turn red, and lots of people go there to see them.

Winter is December to February. Beijing winters are cold and dry. But from the fifteenth of November every home has heating, so it's cold outside and warm indoors.

So I told my friend, “Come in September or October! Lots of Beijingers say autumn is Beijing's best season. May is nice too.”

My friend said, “OK, I'll come in October. Take me to see the red leaves!”