筷子的故事 The Story of Chopsticks

我wǒ第一dì yī次cì用yòng筷子kuàizi吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou，吃chī得de非常fēicháng慢màn。

The first time I ate with chopsticks, I ate extremely slowly.

朋友péngyou小王Xiǎo Wáng说shuō：“别bié着急zháojí，我wǒ给gěi你nǐ讲讲jiǎngjiang筷子kuàizi的de故事gùshi吧ba。”

My friend Xiao Wang said, "Don't worry — let me tell you the story of chopsticks."

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，人们rénmen的de饭fàn很hěn热rè，不bù能néng用yòng手shǒu拿ná，就jiù用yòng两liǎng个gè小xiǎo树枝shùzhī吃饭chīfàn，这zhè就是jiùshì最zuì早zǎo的de筷子kuàizi。

Long, long ago, people's food was very hot and couldn't be picked up by hand, so they used two small twigs to eat — these were the earliest chopsticks.

中国人Zhōngguórén用yòng筷子kuàizi已经yǐjīng用yòng了le几千年jǐ qiān nián了le，大人dàren和hé小孩子xiǎo háizi都dōu会huì用yòng。

Chinese people have been using chopsticks for several thousand years; adults and small children can all use them.

吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou还hái有yǒu一些yìxiē习惯xíguàn，比如bǐrú：不bù能néng把bǎ筷子kuàizi放fàng在zài米饭mǐfàn里lǐ。

There are also some table customs — for example, you must not stand your chopsticks in the rice.

开始kāishǐ练习liànxí的de时候shíhou，我wǒ用yòng筷子kuàizi夹jiā菜cài，菜cài总是zǒngshì又yòu回到huídào了le盘子pánzi里lǐ。

When I first started practicing, every time I picked up food with my chopsticks, it always fell right back onto the plate.

我wǒ每天měitiān在zài家jiā练习liànxí，一个yí ge星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，真的zhēn de会huì用yòng筷子kuàizi了le。

I practiced at home every day, and after a week, I could really use chopsticks.

现在xiànzài小王Xiǎo Wáng笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“你nǐ用yòng筷子kuàizi用yòng得de比bǐ我wǒ还hái好hǎo！”

Now Xiao Wang says with a laugh, "You use chopsticks even better than I do!"

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

Key words 生词

筷子kuàizichopsticks

树枝shùzhītree branch; twig

夹jiāto pick up (with chopsticks)

习惯xíguànhabit; custom

练习liànxíto practice

盘子pánziplate

Grammar note 语法点

Verb + 得 + description — how well something is done

得 links a verb to a comment on how it is done; repeat the verb after the object: 你用筷子用得比我还好。

他汉语说得很好。 — He speaks Chinese very well.

V + 了 + duration + 了 — has been doing for…

The second 了 shows the action is still true now: 中国人用筷子已经用了几千年了。

我学汉语学了两年了。 — I have been studying Chinese for two years (and still am).

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the story, what were the earliest chopsticks?

2. Where should you NOT put your chopsticks?

3. How long did the writer practice before really learning to use chopsticks?

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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筷子的故事Kuàizi de gùshiThe Story of Chopsticks

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