HSK 1 · Story · 228 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-count-money-in-chinese-kuai-and-mao

十个一毛

How to count money in Chinese (块 and 毛)

Name: ________________ Date: ________

小星六岁了。她非常喜欢钱。

星期天，爸爸给了她两块钱，是两个大的。妈妈给了她二十个一毛，是二十个小的。

小星很高兴：“妈妈给的钱多，爸爸给的钱少！”

妈妈说：“不对。十个一毛，是一块钱。二十个一毛，是两块钱。我们给的钱，都是两块。”

爸爸说：“你看，钱上写的是‘一元’‘一角’。我们说话的时候，说‘一块钱’‘一毛钱’。”

小星不说话了。她看看爸爸的钱，看看妈妈的钱。

晚上，爸爸问她：“小星，你想要什么？两块钱，还是五个一毛？”

小星说：“我要五个一毛！我要多的！”

爸爸给了她五个一毛。

小星在房间里看她的钱：一个、两个、三个、四个、五个。五个一毛，是五毛。

她想了想，去找爸爸：“爸爸，我还想要十五个一毛！”

Key words

Xiaoxing is six. She really loves money.

On Sunday, Dad gave her two kuai: two big coins. Mum gave her twenty one-mao coins: twenty small ones.

Xiaoxing was delighted: 'Mum gave me more money, Dad gave me less!'

Mum said, 'No. Ten one-mao coins make one kuai. Twenty one-mao coins make two kuai. We both gave you two kuai.'

Dad said, 'Look, the coins say 一元 and 一角. But when we talk, we say 一块 and 一毛.'

Xiaoxing went quiet. She looked at Dad's money, then at Mum's money.

In the evening, Dad asked her, 'Xiaoxing, what would you like? Two kuai, or five one-mao coins?'

Xiaoxing said, 'I want five one-mao coins! I want the one with more!'

Dad gave her five one-mao coins.

In her room, Xiaoxing looked at her money: one, two, three, four, five. Five one-mao coins make five mao.

She thought for a moment, then went to find Dad: 'Dad, I want fifteen more one-mao coins!'