HSK 1 · Story · 206 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-beautiful-in-chinese

真漂亮！

How to say beautiful in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

卢小月五wǔ岁suì。今天jīntiān在zài学校xuéxiào，她tā学xué了le“漂亮piàoliang”。

她tā看见kànjiàn妈妈māma：“妈妈māma，你nǐ真zhēn漂亮piàoliang！”妈妈māma很hěn高兴gāoxìng。

她tā看见kànjiàn妈妈māma的de新xīn衣服yīfu：“衣服yīfu也yě很hěn漂亮piàoliang！”

她tā看见kànjiàn外边wàibian下雪xiàxuě了le：“雪xuě真zhēn漂亮piàoliang！”妈妈māma说shuō：“非常fēicháng漂亮piàoliang的de东西dōngxī，也yě可以kéyǐ说shuō‘美měi’。”卢小月说shuō：“雪xuě太tài美měi了le！”

爸爸bàba下班xiàbān回家huíjiā了le。卢小月说shuō：“爸爸bàba，你nǐ也yě很hěn漂亮piàoliang！”

爸爸bàba说shuō：“爸爸bàba是shì男nán的de，不bù说shuō‘漂亮piàoliang’。你nǐ可以kéyǐ说shuō爸爸bàba‘好看hǎokàn’。”

卢小月说shuō：“爸爸bàba很hěn好看hǎokàn！”爸爸bàba非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，去qù做zuò晚饭wǎnfàn了le。

晚饭wǎnfàn做zuò好hǎo了le。爸爸bàba问wèn：“卢小月，你nǐ看kàn，这zhè个gè菜cài漂亮piàoliang吗ma？”

卢小月说shuō：“爸爸bàba，菜cài是shì吃chī的de，不是búshì看kàn的de。菜cài，我们wǒmen说shuō‘好吃hǎochī’，对duì吗ma？”

爸爸bàba说shuō：“对duì！那nà好吃hǎochī吗ma？”

卢小月吃chī了le一口yìkǒu，想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“爸爸bàba的de菜cài很hěn好看hǎokàn。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
五wǔfive
岁suìyears old; year (of age)
今天jīntiāntoday
学校xuéxiàoschool
学xuéto study; to learn
漂亮piàoliangpretty; beautiful; good-looking
看见kànjiànto see; to catch sight of
妈妈māmamom; mother
真zhēnreally; truly; real; true
高兴gāoxìnghappy; glad; pleased
新xīnnew; newly; just
衣服yīfuclothes; clothing

English (for the teacher)

Lu Xiaoyue is five. Today at school she learned piàoliang, “beautiful”.

She saw Mum: “Mum, you're so beautiful!” Mum was very happy.

She saw Mum's new clothes: “The clothes are beautiful too!”

She saw it was snowing outside: “The snow is so beautiful!” Mum said, “When something is really, really beautiful, you can also say měi.” Lu Xiaoyue said, “The snow is so měi!”

Dad came home from work. Lu Xiaoyue said, “Dad, you're beautiful too!”

Dad said, “Dad's a man, so we don't say piàoliang. You can say Dad is hǎokàn, good-looking.”

Lu Xiaoyue said, “Dad is good-looking!” Dad was over the moon and went to make dinner.

Dinner was ready. Dad asked, “Lu Xiaoyue, look — is this dish beautiful?”

Lu Xiaoyue said, “Dad, food is for eating, not for looking at. For food, we say hǎochī, delicious, right?”

Dad said, “Right! So is it delicious?”

Lu Xiaoyue took a bite, thought for a moment and said, “Dad's food is very good-looking.”