HSK 3 · Story · 385 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-play-mahjong

奶奶的麻将桌

How to play mahjong: grandma's table

Name: ________________ Date: ________

春节chūnjié，我wǒ第一次dìyīcì去qù男朋友nánpéngyǒu家jiā。吃chī完wán晚饭wǎnfàn，奶奶nǎinai拿出náchū了le麻将májiàng：“来lái，打麻将dǎmájiàng！”

可是kěshì桌子zhuōzi旁边pángbiān只zhǐ坐zuò了le三sān个gè人rén：奶奶nǎinai和hé男朋友nánpéngyǒu的de爸爸bàba妈妈māma。男朋友nánpéngyǒu说shuō：“我wǒ不会búhuì。”奶奶nǎinai看kàn着zhe我wǒ：“那nà你nǐ来lái！”

“我wǒ？我wǒ一次yícì也yě没méi玩wán过guò。”

奶奶nǎinai说shuō：“没关系méiguānxi，不bù难nán。”

“一共yígòng四sì个gè人rén打dǎ。每měi个gè人rén先xiān拿ná十三shísān张zhāng牌pái。然后ránhòu大家dàjiā一个yígè一个yígè来lái：拿ná一yì张zhāng，再zài出chū一yì张zhāng。”

“三sān个gè一样yíyàng的de，比如bǐrú三sān个gè‘东dōng’，是shì一yì组zǔ。三sān个gè连lián着zhe的de，比如bǐrú‘一yī、二èr、三sān’，也yě是shì一yì组zǔ。四sì组zǔ，再zài加jiā两liǎng个gè一样yíyàng的de，一共yígòng十四shísì张zhāng，你nǐ就jiù赢yíng了le。”

我wǒ一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě没méi听懂tīngdǒng，可是kěshì我wǒ说shuō：“好hǎo。”

开始kāishǐ了le。我wǒ看kàn着zhe我wǒ的de牌pái，有yǒu“万wàn”，有yǒu“条tiáo”，有yǒu“饼bǐng”，还有háiyǒu“东dōng、南nán、西xī、北běi”。我wǒ不bù知道zhīdào怎么zěnme玩wán，就jiù把bǎ一个yígè“北běi”放fàng到dào了le桌子zhuōzi上shàng。

他tā爸爸bàba出chū了le一个yígè，他tā妈妈māma也yě出chū了le一个yígè，最后zuìhòu奶奶nǎinai出chū了le一个yígè。到dào我wǒ了le，我wǒ拿ná了le一yì张zhāng新xīn牌pái，看kàn了le半天bàntiān。

男朋友nánpéngyǒu在zài我wǒ后边hòubian看kàn了le一下yíxià，大dà叫jiào：“你nǐ赢yíng了le！”

大家dàjiā都dōu站zhàn起来qǐlai看kàn。他tā爸爸bàba说shuō：“第一次dìyīcì打dǎ就jiù赢yíng了le？”他tā妈妈māma说shuō：“新手xīnshǒu运气yùnqi好hǎo！”

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ赢yíng了le三次sāncì。奶奶nǎinai输shū得de最zuì多duō，可是kěshì她tā最zuì高兴gāoxìng。

打dǎ完wán了le，大家dàjiā都dōu去qù睡觉shuìjiào了le。我wǒ帮bāng奶奶nǎinai收shōu牌pái，看到kàndào了le她tā最后zuìhòu的de牌pái。我wǒ看kàn了le半天bàntiān，突然tūrán发现fāxiàn：她tā早就zǎojiù赢yíng了le，可是kěshì她tā什么shénme也yě没méi说shuō。

奶奶nǎinai看见kànjiàn我wǒ的de样子yàngzi，笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“第一次dìyīcì来lái的de人rén，要yào多duō赢yíng几jǐ次cì。这样zhèyàng，明年míngnián才cái会huì再zài来lái。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
奶奶nǎinaigrandmother (father's mother); grandma
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
每měieach; every
拿náto take; to hold; to carry
出chūto go out; to come out
开始kāishǐto begin; to start; beginning
万wànten thousand
站zhànstation; stop
帮bāngto help; to assist
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
次cìnext; second (as in 次日)

English (for the teacher)

At Spring Festival, I went to my boyfriend’s family home for the first time. After dinner, Grandma brought out the mahjong set: “Come on, let’s play mahjong!”

But there were only three people at the table: Grandma and his mum and dad. My boyfriend said: “I can’t play.” Grandma looked at me: “Then you play!”

“Me? I’ve never played, not once.”

Grandma said: “Doesn’t matter, it’s not hard.”

“Four people play. Everyone starts with thirteen tiles. Then you take turns: draw one, then put one out.”

“Three the same, like three ‘east’, is a set. Three in a row, like ‘one, two, three’, is a set too. Four sets, plus two the same, fourteen tiles in all, and you win.”

I didn’t understand a word, but I said: “OK.”

We began. I looked at my tiles: there were “wan”, “bamboo”, “circles”, and “east, south, west, north”. I had no idea how to play, so I put a “north” down on the table.

His dad put one out, his mum put one out too, and last Grandma put one out. My turn: I drew a new tile and stared at it for a long time.

My boyfriend glanced over my shoulder and shouted: “You’ve won!”

Everyone stood up to look. His dad said: “Won on your very first go?” His mum said: “Beginner’s luck!”

That night I won three times in all. Grandma lost the most, but she was the happiest.

When we finished, everyone went to bed. I helped Grandma put the tiles away and saw her last hand. I looked at it for a long time, and suddenly I realised: she had won long ago, but she hadn’t said a word.

Grandma saw my face and smiled: “Someone who comes for the first time should win a few times. That way, they’ll come back next year.”