南方和北方 South and North — HSK 3 Reading

我wǒ是shì北方běifāng人rén，去年qùnián因为yīnwèi工作gōngzuò，我wǒ搬bān到dào了le南方nánfāng的de一个yí gè城市chéngshì。

I'm a northerner, but last year I moved to a city in the south because of work.

刚gāng来lái的de时候shíhou，我wǒ很hěn不bù习惯xíguàn这里zhèlǐ的de天气tiānqì和hé吃chī的de东西dōngxi。

When I first arrived, I really wasn't used to the weather or the food here.

北方běifāng的de冬天dōngtiān很hěn冷lěng，经常jīngcháng下雪xiàxuě，可是kěshì南方nánfāng的de冬天dōngtiān常常chángcháng下雨xiàyǔ，很hěn少shǎo下雪xiàxuě。

Winters in the north are very cold and it often snows, but in the south winter often brings rain and it rarely snows.

吃chī的de也yě不bù一样yíyàng：北方běifāng人rén爱ài吃chī面条miàntiáo，南方nánfāng人rén爱ài吃chī米饭mǐfàn。

The food is different too: northerners love noodles, while southerners love rice.

这里zhèlǐ的de人rén说话shuōhuà很hěn快kuài，刚gāng开始kāishǐ我wǒ几乎jīhū听不懂tīng bu dǒng他们tāmen说shuō的de话huà。

People here speak very fast; at first I could hardly understand what they were saying.

但是dànshì这个zhège城市chéngshì又yòu干净gānjìng又yòu安静ānjìng，公园gōngyuán很hěn多duō，环境huánjìng特别tèbié好hǎo。

But this city is clean and quiet, with lots of parks and a wonderful environment.

慢慢mànmàn地de，我wǒ越来越yuè lái yuè喜欢xǐhuan这里zhèlǐ，也yě认识rènshi了le很hěn多duō热情rèqíng的de南方nánfāng朋友péngyou。

Slowly, I came to like it here more and more, and I made many warm-hearted southern friends.

现在xiànzài朋友péngyou问wèn我wǒ南方nánfāng好hǎo还是háishi北方běifāng好hǎo，我wǒ笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“都dōu好hǎo，因为yīnwèi都dōu是shì我wǒ的de家jiā。”

Now when friends ask me whether the south or the north is better, I say with a smile: "Both are good, because both are home to me."

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

Key words 生词

北方běifāngthe North

南方nánfāngthe South

搬bānto move (house)

习惯xíguànto be used to

环境huánjìngenvironment

热情rèqíngwarm; friendly

verb + 不懂

不懂 after 听 or 看 means you cannot understand what you hear or read: 听不懂 'can't understand (by listening)', 看不懂 'can't understand (by reading)'.

刚开始我几乎听不懂他们说的话。 — At first I could hardly understand what they were saying.

A 还是 B

还是 puts two choices in one question: 'A or B?'. It is used in questions, e.g. 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？

朋友问我南方好还是北方好。 — My friend asked me whether the south or the north is better.

adjective + 地 + verb

地 turns an adjective into an adverb describing how an action happens, e.g. 慢慢地走 'walk slowly', 认真地学习 'study seriously'.

慢慢地，我越来越喜欢这里。 — Slowly, I came to like it here more and more.

1. Why did the narrator move to the south?

2. What do people in the north love to eat?

3. How does the narrator feel about the south now?