保重 Take Care in Chinese

儿子érzi要yào去qù北方běifāng工作gōngzuò，妈妈māma帮bāng他tā收拾shōushi行李箱xínglixiāng。

The son is going to work in the north, and mom helps him pack his suitcase.

妈妈māma说shuō：“北方běifāng冷lěng，你nǐ要yào多duō穿chuān衣服yīfu，注意zhùyì身体shēntǐ。”

Mom said: "It's cold in the north, you need to wear more clothes and take care of your health."

到dào了le火车站huǒchēzhàn，妈妈māma还是háishi有点儿yǒudiǎnr担心dānxīn，一直yìzhí看kàn着zhe儿子érzi。

At the train station, mom still felt a little worried, and kept looking at her son.

火车huǒchē快要kuàiyào开kāi了le，儿子érzi拿ná着zhe行李箱xínglixiāng，跟gēn妈妈māma说shuō：“妈妈māma，我wǒ走zǒu了le。”

The train was about to leave, and the son, holding his suitcase, said to his mother: "Mom, I'm heading off."

妈妈māma说shuō：“到dào了le以后yǐhòu，给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎ diànhuà，好好hǎohǎo照顾zhàogù自己zìjǐ，保重bǎozhòng！”

Mom said: "Call me once you arrive, look after yourself well, take care!"

儿子érzi说shuō：“妈妈māma，你nǐ也yě要yào保重bǎozhòng，别bié担心dānxīn我wǒ。”

The son said: "Mom, take care too, and don't worry about me."

火车huǒchē开kāi走zǒu了le，妈妈māma站zhàn在zài那儿nàr，看kàn着zhe火车huǒchē，看kàn着zhe看kàn着zhe，就jiù看kàn不bú见jiàn了le。

The train pulled away, and his mother stood there watching it until she couldn't see it any more.

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Key words 生词

保重bǎozhòngtake care

注意zhùyìto pay attention to

身体shēntǐhealth; body

照顾zhàogùto look after

担心dānxīnto worry

行李箱xínglixiāngsuitcase

保重（take care）

保重 is a warmer send-off than 再见 — it's used when someone is going away for a while, and wishes them wellbeing rather than just saying goodbye.

妈妈，你也要保重。— Mom, take care of yourself too.

V + 着（an action held in progress）

着 after a verb shows the action continuing, often while something else happens at the same time.

妈妈一直看着儿子。— Mom kept looking at her son.

V着V着，就…（while doing X, gradually…）

Repeating a verb with 着 twice shows an action going on until something changes as a result.

看着看着，就看不见了。— She watched and watched, until she couldn't see it anymore.

1. Why is the son leaving home?

2. What does the mother tell her son to do before he leaves?

3. What does the son say back to his mother?

After this reading

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.