HSK 3 · Article · 214 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-is-the-yellow-river-yellow

黄河为什么是黄色的？

Why is the Yellow River yellow?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中国zhōngguó有yǒu两liǎng条tiáo最zuì有名yǒumíng的de大河dàhé：长江chángjiāng和hé黄河huánghé。它们tāmen都dōu从cóng中国zhōngguó的de西边xībiān开始kāishǐ，一直yìzhí往wǎng东dōng走zǒu，最后zuìhòu到dào了le大海dàhǎi。

长江chángjiāng是shì中国zhōngguó最zuì长cháng的de河hé，差不多chàbuduō有yǒu六千三百liùqiān-sānbǎi公里gōnglǐ，是shì全世界quánshìjiè第三dìsān长cháng的de河hé。黄河huánghé是shì中国zhōngguó第二dì’èr长cháng的de河hé，有yǒu五千四百多wǔqiānsìbǎiduō公里gōnglǐ。

黄河huánghé为什么wèishénme是shì黄色huángsè的de？河水héshuǐ一yì开始kāishǐ不是búshì黄huáng的de。黄河huánghé中间zhōngjiān会huì经过jīngguò一个yígè很hěn大dà的de地方dìfang，那里nàlǐ的de土tǔ是shì黄色huángsè的de，非常fēicháng细xì。下xià大雨dàyǔ的de时候shíhou，很hěn多duō黄色huángsè的de土tǔ就jiù和hé雨水yúshuǐ一起yìqǐ进jìn了le河hé里。所以suóyǐ，黄河huánghé的de水shuǐ就jiù变成biànchéng了le黄色huángsè。

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，很hěn多duō中国zhōngguó人rén就jiù住zhù在zài黄河huánghé的de两边liǎngbiān，在zài那里nàlǐ生活shēnghuó。所以suóyǐ，中国zhōngguó人rén常常chángcháng叫jiào黄河huánghé“母亲河mǔqīnhé”。

你们nǐmen国家guójiā最zuì长cháng的de河hé叫jiào什么shénme？它tā是shì什么shénme颜色yánsè的de？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
条tiáostrip; slip (as in 纸条)
走zǒuto go; to leave
长chánglong; length
开始kāishǐto begin; to start; beginning
一起yìqǐtogether
进jìnto enter; to go in
颜色yánsècolor
有名yǒumíngfamous; well-known
一直yìzhíalways; all along; continuously
东dōngeast
最后zuìhòufinally; in the end; last; final
河hériver

English (for the teacher)

China has two very famous great rivers: the Yangtze and the Yellow River. Both start in the west of China, travel all the way east, and finally reach the sea.

The Yangtze is China’s longest river, nearly six thousand three hundred kilometres, the third longest river in the whole world. The Yellow River is China’s second longest, at more than five thousand four hundred kilometres.

Why is the Yellow River yellow? The water isn’t yellow to begin with. Partway along, the Yellow River passes through a huge area where the earth is yellow and very fine. Whenever it rains hard, lots of that yellow earth goes into the river with the rain. That’s why the Yellow River’s water turns yellow.

Long ago, many Chinese people already lived on both banks of the Yellow River and made their lives there. So Chinese people often call the Yellow River the “mother river”.

What is the longest river in your country called? What colour is it?