‹ Chinese decks

Pinyora graded readers: 102 short texts, easiest first

2456 words, in teaching order

Words 1–100
小鸟xiǎoniǎo
small bird; young bird (hatchling, nestling, fledgling, chick); (fig.) penis (kiddie term); (golf) birdie
喝hē
to drink
水shuǐ
water; (after a name) ... River; to swim (used mostly in 会水 (huìshuǐ) and 水性 (shuǐxìng)); (coll.) lacking in substance; shoddy; (bound form) additional cost; extra income; classifier for washings of a garment
一yī
one; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. yāo for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit
只zhǐ
only; merely; just
很hěn
very; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
渴kě
thirsty
它tā
it; it (pronoun for an animal)
想xiǎng
to think (about); to think of; to devise; to think (that); to believe (that); to desire; to want (to); to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)
一个yīge
a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc)
里lǐ
lining; interior; inside; internal; also written 里 (lǐ); li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m; neighborhood; ancient administrative unit of 25 families; (Tw) borough, administrative unit between the township 镇 (zhèn) and neighborhood 邻 (lín) levels
有水yǒushuǐ
supplied with water (of a house)
可是kěshì
but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed
少shǎo
few; less; to lack; to be missing; to stop (doing sth); seldom
不到bùdào
not to arrive; not reaching; insufficient; less than
了le
(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
Particle
旁边pángbiān
side; adjacent place
有yǒu
to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒuyì) intentional)
小xiǎo
small; tiny; few; young
把bǎ
to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; (used to put the object before the verb: 把 (bǎ) + {noun} + {verb})
放进fàngjìn
to put into
慢慢mànmàn
slowly; gradually
升上shēngshàng
(of an employee) to be promoted to (a higher rank); (of a student) to enter (a higher grade at school)
来lái
to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来 (huílai)); ever since (as in 自古以来 (zìgǔyǐlái)); for the past (amount of time); (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世 (láishì)); (between two verbs) in order to; (after a round number) approximately; (used after 得 (dé) to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来 (tándelái), or after 不 (bù) to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来 (chībulái))
最后zuìhòu
final; last; ultimate; finally; in the end
到dào
to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point); (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point); considerate; thoughtful; thorough
真zhēn
really; truly; indeed; real; true; genuine
聪明cōngming
intelligent; clever; bright; acute (of sight and hearing)
大熊猫dàxióngmāo
giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
是shì
to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion)
的de
of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 (pígéde) "one made of leather" or 跑堂儿的 (pǎotángrde) "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 (xīnde) "new one"); also pr. dì or di in poetry and songs
Particle
国宝guóbǎo
national treasure
住zhù
to live; to reside; to stay; to stop; to cease; (result complement indicating firmness or a stable achieved state)
在zài
to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
西南xīnán
southwest
山shān
mountain; hill (CL:座 (zuò)); (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on
它们tāmen
they; them
黑白hēibái
black and white; right and wrong; monochrome
毛máo
hair; feather; down; wool; mildew; mold; coarse or semifinished; young; raw; careless; …
最zuì
(before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree; (the) most ...; -est; (after 之 (zhī)) best or most extreme example (e.g. 世界之最 (shìjièzhīzuì) "the greatest in the world")
喜欢xǐhuan
to like; to be fond of; to be happy; to be pleased; to tend to
吃chī
to eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc); to eradicate; to destroy; to absorb; to suffer (shock, injury, defeat etc)
十几shíjǐ
more than ten; a dozen or more
个gè
(classifier used before a noun that has no specific classifier); (bound form) individual
早上zǎoshang
early morning
睡觉shuìjiào
to go to bed; to sleep
下午xiàwǔ
afternoon; p.m.
爬pá
to crawl; to climb; to get up or sit up
树shù
tree; to cultivate; to set up
小熊猫xiǎoxióngmāo
lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens); red panda
刚gāng
(literary) hard; firm; strong; exactly; precisely; barely; only just; just; only a short while ago
生shēng
to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire); to live; to be alive; life; raw; uncooked; unprocessed; unfamiliar; strange; (bound form) student; person engaged in a field; (bound form) male role in traditional opera; (bound form) life; lifetime; …
时候shíhou
time; length of time; moment; period
多duō
many; much; more; a lot of; too many; in excess; (after a numeral) ... odd; how (to what extent) (Taiwan pr. duó); (bound form) multi-; poly-
游客yóukè
traveler; tourist; (online gaming) guest player
从cóng
from; through; via; (bound form) to follow; (bound form) to obey; (bound form) to engage in (an activity); (used before a negative) ever; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) retainer; attendant; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) assistant; auxiliary; subordinate; (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor
世界各地shìjiègèdì
all over the world; everywhere; in all parts of the world
看kàn
to see; to look at; to read; to watch; to visit; to call on; to consider; to regard as; to look after; to treat (a patient or illness); to depend on; to feel (that); (after a verb) to give it a try; …
可爱kě'ài
adorable; cute; lovely
你好nǐhǎo
hello; hi
我wǒ
I; me; my
李lǐ
plum
明Míng
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644); Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝 (Yándì) descended from Shennong 神农 (Shénnóng) Farmer God
人rén
person; people
你nǐ
you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)); you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.)
叫jiào
to shout; to call; to order; to ask; to be called; by (indicates agent in the passive mood)
什么shénme
what?; something; anything
名字míngzi
name (of a person or thing)
王wáng
king or monarch; best or strongest of its type; grand; great
文wén
language; culture; writing; formal; literary; gentle; (old) classifier for coins; Kangxi radical 67
高兴gāoxìng
happy; glad; willing (to do sth); in a cheerful mood
认识rènshi
to know; to recognize; to be familiar with; to get acquainted with sb; knowledge; understanding; awareness; cognition
家jiā
home; family; (polite) my (sister, uncle etc); classifier for families or businesses; refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China; noun suffix for a specialist in some activity, such as a musician or revolutionary, corresponding to English -ist, -er, -ary or -ian
四sì
four; 4
个人gèrén
an individual; oneself; (attributive) personal; one's own
爸爸bàba
(coll.) father; dad
妈妈māma
mama; mommy; mother
姐姐jiějie
older sister
和hé
(joining two nouns) and; together with; with (Taiwan pr. hàn); (math.) sum; to make peace; (sports) to draw; to tie; (bound form) harmonious; (bound form) Japan; Japanese; (literary) harmonious (variant of 和 (hé))
Conjunction
医生yīshēng
doctor; medical practitioner
学生xuésheng
student; schoolchild
爱ài
to love; to be fond of; to like; affection; to be inclined (to do sth); to tend to (happen)
吃饭chīfàn
to have a meal; to eat; to make a living
饿è
hungry; to starve (sb)
米饭mǐfàn
(cooked) rice
也yě
also; too; as well; (not ...) either; (used after a verbal or nominal expression X to indicate that X is an extreme or unexpected case) even (X); (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊 (a)
Particle
做饭zuòfàn
to prepare a meal; to cook
好吃hǎochī
tasty; delicious
谢谢xièxie
to thank; thanks; thank you