小心 Be Careful in Chinese

昨天zuótiān下午xiàwǔ，我wǒ和hé朋友péngyou一起yìqǐ出去chūqù买mǎi东西dōngxi。

Yesterday afternoon, my friend and I went out to buy some things.

我wǒ一边yìbiān走路zǒulù，一边yìbiān看kàn手机shǒujī，没有méiyǒu看kàn红绿灯hónglǜdēng。

I was walking while looking at my phone, and didn't watch the traffic light.

突然tūrán，一yí辆liàng自行车zìxíngchē骑qí得de很hěn快kuài，离lí我wǒ很hěn近jìn。

Suddenly, a bicycle came riding very fast, very close to me.

朋友péngyou大声dàshēng叫jiào：“小心xiǎoxīn！”

My friend shouted loudly: "Watch out!"

我wǒ马上mǎshàng往wǎng旁边pángbiān站zhàn了le一下yíxià，自行车zìxíngchē就jiù骑qí过去guòqù了le。

I quickly stepped to the side, and the bicycle rode past.

我wǒ心里xīnli很hěn紧张jǐnzhāng，但是dànshì没有méiyǒu事shì。

My heart was pounding, but nothing had happened.

朋友péngyou又yòu说shuō：“走路zǒulù的时候de shíhou要yào小心xiǎoxīn车chē，别bié看kàn手机shǒujī。”

My friend said again: "When you walk, watch out for cars — don't look at your phone."

从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，我wǒ走路zǒulù的时候de shíhou再也zàiyě不bú看kàn手机shǒujī了le。

Since then, I never look at my phone while walking again.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

小心xiǎoxīnwatch out; be careful

紧张jǐnzhāngnervous

红绿灯hónglǜdēngtraffic light

自行车zìxíngchēbicycle

大声dàshēngloudly

马上mǎshàngimmediately

Grammar note 语法点

小心 (watch out / be careful)

小心 can stand alone as a warning — "Watch out!" — or be followed by a noun to mean 'watch out for ___': 小心车 (watch out for cars), 小心地滑 (careful, slippery floor).

走路的时候要小心车。— When walking, watch out for cars.

一边…，一边…

Two 一边 clauses show two actions happening at the same time.

我一边走路，一边看手机。— I was walking while looking at my phone.

再也不…了

再也不 + verb + 了 means 'never do something again' — a firm decision made after an experience.

我再也不看手机了。— I never look at my phone (while walking) again.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What was the narrator doing that kept them from noticing the traffic light?

2. What did the friend shout when the bicycle came close?

3. What did the narrator decide to do after the near miss?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

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小心XiǎoxīnBe Careful in Chinese

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 3 reading practice