第一次创业 My First Startup

三年前sān nián qián，我wǒ用yòng自己zìjǐ存cún的de两万liǎngwàn块钱kuài qián，开kāi了le一家yìjiā小小的xiǎoxiǎo de奶茶店nǎichádiàn。

Three years ago, I used 20,000 yuan of my own savings to open a small milk tea shop.

开业kāiyè那天nà tiān，我wǒ特别tèbié激动jīdòng，以为yǐwéi很快hěn kuài就jiù能néng挣到zhèngdào钱qián。

On opening day, I was especially excited, thinking I would soon start making money.

可是kěshì现实xiànshí没有méiyǒu我wǒ想xiǎng的de那么nàme简单jiǎndān：房租fángzū、原材料yuáncáiliào、员工yuángōng工资gōngzī，每一项měi yí xiàng都dōu要yào花钱huāqián。

But reality wasn't as simple as I had imagined: rent, ingredients, employee wages — every item cost money.

第一个月dì-yī ge yuè，我wǒ几乎jīhū没有méiyǒu休息xiūxi过guo，每天měitiān都dōu工作gōngzuò十几个shí jǐ ge小时xiǎoshí。

In the first month, I barely rested at all, working over ten hours every day.

更gèng让ràng我wǒ着急zháojí的是de shì，附近fùjìn新xīn开kāi了le两家liǎng jiā同样tóngyàng卖mài奶茶nǎichá的de店diàn，竞争jìngzhēng一下子yíxiàzi变得biànde很hěn激烈jīliè。

What worried me even more was that two other milk tea shops selling the same thing opened nearby, and competition suddenly became fierce.

半年bànnián以后yǐhòu，店里diàn lǐ的de生意shēngyì越来越yuèláiyuè差chà，我wǒ不得不bùdébù把bǎ它tā关掉guāndiào了le。

Half a year later, business at the shop kept getting worse, and I had no choice but to close it.

那段时间nà duàn shíjiān，我wǒ觉得juéde自己zìjǐ好像hǎoxiàng失败shībài了le，甚至shènzhì有点儿yǒudiǎnr不好意思bùhǎoyìsi跟gēn朋友péngyou说shuō这件事zhè jiàn shì。

During that period, I felt like I had failed, and I was even a bit embarrassed to tell my friends about it.

不过búguò现在xiànzài回头huítóu看kàn，那次nà cì创业chuàngyè让ràng我wǒ学会xuéhuì了le很多hěnduō：管钱guǎn qián、看kàn市场shìchǎng、跟人打交道gēn rén dǎ jiāodao。

But looking back now, that startup experience taught me a lot: managing money, reading the market, dealing with people.

我wǒ常常chángcháng告诉gàosu自己zìjǐ：第一次dì-yī cì创业chuàngyè失败shībài并不bìngbù可怕kěpà，可怕kěpà的是de shì因为yīnwèi害怕hàipà失败shībài而ér不敢bùgǎn再zài试shì一次yí cì。

I often tell myself: failing at your first startup isn't scary; what's scary is being too afraid of failure to try 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

创业chuàngyèto start a business

房租fángzūrent

原材料yuáncáiliàoraw materials

竞争jìngzhēngcompetition

激烈jīlièfierce; intense

打交道dǎ jiāodaoto deal with (people)

Grammar note 语法点

以为… — to (mistakenly) think/assume that…

以为 introduces an assumption that later turns out to be wrong, unlike 觉得 which carries no such implication.

我特别激动，以为很快就能挣到钱。 — I was very excited, thinking I would soon make money (but it didn't turn out that way).

不得不… — to have no choice but to…

不得不 expresses that the subject is forced into an action despite reluctance.

生意越来越差，我不得不把它关掉了。 — Business kept getting worse, and I had no choice but to close it.

并不… — not really… (contrary to expectation)

并 strengthens 不, rejecting an assumption the listener might hold.

第一次创业失败并不可怕。 — Failing at your first startup isn't really scary.

Check yourself 小测验

1. How much money did the writer use to open the shop?

2. What made the writer even more worried?

3. According to the writer, what is truly scary?

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.

Book a trial lesson →

第一次创业Dì-yī cì chuàngyèMy First Startup

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 5 reading practice