人民币是什么意思？
What does renminbi mean?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
爸爸有一个女儿，六岁。有一天，她看到桌子上的钱，问：“爸爸，这是什么？”
爸爸说：“这是人民币。”
很多学中文的人也想问：人民币是什么？这个名字是什么意思？
人民币是中国的钱。桌子上的钱是，手机里的钱也是。
“人民”是一个国家的人。“币”是钱。“人民币”是“人民的钱”。
一九四八年，中国有了人民币。现在，大家买菜、买衣服、坐车，都用人民币。
写的时候，大家写“一百元”；说话的时候，很多人说“一百块”。“一百元”和“一百块”，是一个意思。
女儿听了，想了想，问：“是人民的钱？”
爸爸说：“对。”
“那我是人民吗？”
“是，你也是。”
女儿很高兴，说：“那，爸爸，给我一百块！”
给你一百块，你想买什么？
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 爸爸 | bàba | dad; father |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is; there are |
| 女儿 | nǚ’ér | daughter |
| 六 | liù | six |
| 岁 | suì | years old; year (of age) |
| 一 | yì | one; a; an |
| 天 | tiān | sky |
| 她 | tā | she; her |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table; desk |
| 上 | shàng | up; above; on |
| 的 | de | sentence-final 的: affirms the statement — "that is how it is" |
| 钱 | qián | money |
Questions
女儿在桌子上看到什么？
What did the daughter see on the table?
“人民币”是什么意思？
What does "人民币" mean?
人民币是什么时候有的？
When did RMB come into being?
Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)
HSK 1 · What does renminbi mean?. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 爸爸 and 有 in sentences of their own.
Warm-up 5 min
Write 人民币是什么意思？ on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “What does renminbi mean?”.
Key words 10 min
Teach 爸爸 (bàba, dad; father), 有 (yǒu, to have; there is; there are), 女儿 (nǚ’ér, daughter), 六 (liù, six), 岁 (suì, years old; year (of age)), 一 (yì, one; a; an). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.
Listen 10 min
Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-does-renminbi-mean: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.
Read and check 10 min
Students read it alone, then answer the 3 questions on the handout. Go through them together; the answers and the line that proves each are on the teacher’s page.
Use it 10 min
In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 爸爸 and one with 有, and reads one to the class.
Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.
English (for the teacher)
A dad has a daughter who is six. One day she sees some money on the table and asks, "Dad, what's this?"
Dad says, "This is renminbi."
Lots of people learning Chinese want to ask the same thing: what is renminbi? What does the name mean?
Renminbi is China's money. The money on the table is renminbi, and so is the money in your phone.
人民 (renmin) means the people of a country. 币 (bi) means money. So 人民币 means "the people's money".
China got renminbi in 1948. Today everyone uses renminbi to buy groceries, buy clothes and take the bus.
When people write it, they write 一百元 (100 yuan); when they talk, many say 一百块 (100 kuai). 一百元 and 一百块 mean the same thing.
The girl listens, thinks for a moment, and asks, "The people's money?"
Dad says, "That's right."
"Then am I one of the people?"
"Yes, you are too."
The girl is delighted and says, "Then, Dad, give me a hundred kuai!"
If someone gave you a hundred kuai, what would you buy?
Answers
- B. 钱: 她看到桌子上的钱
- A. 人民的钱: “人民币”是“人民的钱”。
- A. 一九四八年: 一九四八年，中国有了人民币。