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HSK 1 · Article · 237 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-people-nap-after-lunch

中国人为什么午睡？

Why do Chinese people nap after lunch?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中午zhōngwǔ十二shí’èr点diǎn，很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén在zài吃chī午饭wǔfàn。十二点半shí’èr-diǎnbàn，他们tāmen做zuò什么shénme？很hěn多duō人rén在zài睡觉shuìjiào！中午zhōngwǔ睡觉shuìjiào，中文zhōngwén叫jiào“午睡wǔshuì”。

在zài哪儿nǎr午睡wǔshuì？

学生xuéshēng在zài学校xuéxiào睡shuì。在zài中国zhōngguó，很hěn多duō小学xiǎoxué和hé中学zhōngxué中午zhōngwǔ有yǒu午睡wǔshuì的de时间shíjiān。有的yǒude学生xuéshēng在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng睡shuì，有的yǒude学校xuéxiào有yǒu小xiǎo床chuáng。

上班shàngbān的de人rén也yě午睡wǔshuì。很hěn多duō人rén关上guānshàng电脑diànnǎo，在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng睡shuì一下yíxià。也yě有人yǒurén在zài车chē里li睡shuì。

睡shuì多duō长cháng时间shíjiān？

医生yīshēng说shuō，十shí到dào二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng很hěn好hǎo。睡shuì一yí个gè小时xiǎoshí、两liǎng个gè小时xiǎoshí，太tài长cháng了le。起来qǐlái的de时候shíhou，你nǐ会huì觉得juéde很hěn累lèi，很hěn想xiǎng睡觉shuìjiào。

午睡wǔshuì有yǒu什么shénme用yòng？

上午shàngwǔ学习xuéxí、工作gōngzuò，人rén很hěn累lèi了le。下午xiàwǔ还有háiyǒu很hěn多duō事shì要yào做zuò。睡shuì二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng，下午xiàwǔ你nǐ会huì觉得juéde很hěn好hǎo。

你nǐ呢ne？你nǐ中午zhōngwǔ睡觉shuìjiào吗ma？明天míngtiān吃chī了le午饭wǔfàn，你nǐ也yě试shì一下yíxià：关上guānshàng手机shǒujī，睡shuì二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng。

有人yǒurén问wèn：“你nǐ在zài睡觉shuìjiào吗ma？”你nǐ说shuō：“不是búshì，我wǒ在zài学xué中文zhōngwén！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中午zhōngwǔnoon; midday
点diǎnpoint; dot
很hěnvery; quite
多duōmany; much
中国zhōngguóChina
人rénperson; people
在zàito be present; to exist; to be alive
吃chīto eat
午饭wǔfànlunch
他们tāmenthey; them
做zuòto do
什么shénmewhat; anything

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 1 · Why do Chinese people nap after lunch?. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 中午 and 点 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 中国人为什么午睡？ on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “Why do Chinese people nap after lunch?”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 中午 (zhōngwǔ, noon; midday), 点 (diǎn, point; dot), 很 (hěn, very; quite), 多 (duō, many; much), 中国 (zhōngguó, China), 人 (rén, person; people). 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.

  3. Listen 10 min

    Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-people-nap-after-lunch: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.

  4. Read and check 10 min

    Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.

  5. Use it 10 min

    In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 中午 and one with 点, 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)

At twelve noon, many Chinese people are eating lunch. At half past twelve, what do they do? Lots of them are asleep! Sleeping at midday is called “wushui” in Chinese.

Where do people take a wushui?

Students sleep at school. In China, many primary and middle schools have a time for a midday nap. Some students sleep on their desks, and some schools have little beds.

People who work nap too. Many of them switch off their computers and have a short sleep at their desks. Some people sleep in their cars, too.

How long should you sleep?

Doctors say ten to twenty minutes is good. An hour or two is too long. When you get up, you'll feel very tired and really want to sleep.

What's the point of a nap?

After a morning of study and work, you're tired. And there's still lots to do in the afternoon. Sleep for twenty minutes, and you'll feel good in the afternoon.

How about you? Do you sleep at midday? Tomorrow, after lunch, give it a try: switch off your phone and sleep for twenty minutes.

If someone asks, “Are you sleeping?” tell them, “No, I'm studying Chinese!”