Chinese Paragraph Examples: 15 Short Texts With Pinyin and English (HSK 1 to 5)

沉浸 TeamSeptember 16, 202614 min read

Looking for a Chinese paragraph you can read right now? Here are 15 short Chinese paragraph examples, sorted from HSK 1 to HSK 5, each with pinyin and an English translation. The first one is a self-introduction you can copy and adapt today; the last one is a slice of a story at the level where Chinese starts to feel like a real language. Read them, then scroll down for how to write your own.

Pick the level where you understand most but not all of the words. That's the sweet spot for reading practice, and the whole method is in our Chinese reading practice guide. If you want a full free story at the HSK 3 level, start with The Country of the Blind, our free graded reader.

HSK 1 Chinese paragraphs (about 150 words)

1. Introducing myself (自我介绍)

你好！我叫王明。我是中国人，我住在北京。我今年二十岁，我是学生。我喜欢看书和听音乐。我有一个妹妹，她十五岁。我们都喜欢吃苹果。很高兴认识你！

Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ jiào Wáng Míng. Wǒ shì Zhōngguórén, wǒ zhù zài Běijīng. Wǒ jīnnián èrshí suì, wǒ shì xuésheng. Wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū hé tīng yīnyuè. Wǒ yǒu yí ge mèimei, tā shíwǔ suì. Wǒmen dōu xǐhuan chī píngguǒ. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ!

"Hello! My name is Wang Ming. I'm Chinese and I live in Beijing. I'm twenty this year, and I'm a student. I like reading and listening to music. I have a younger sister; she's fifteen. We both like eating apples. Nice to meet you!" Swap in your own name, country, age and hobby and you have your first Chinese paragraph about yourself.

2. My family (我的家)

我家有四个人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥和我。爸爸是医生，妈妈是老师。哥哥在大学学习。我们家有一只小狗，它叫小白。我很爱我的家。

Wǒ jiā yǒu sì ge rén: bàba, māma, gēge hé wǒ. Bàba shì yīshēng, māma shì lǎoshī. Gēge zài dàxué xuéxí. Wǒmen jiā yǒu yì zhī xiǎo gǒu, tā jiào Xiǎo Bái. Wǒ hěn ài wǒ de jiā.

"There are four people in my family: Dad, Mom, my older brother and me. Dad is a doctor, Mom is a teacher. My brother studies at university. Our family has a little dog called Xiao Bai. I love my family very much."

3. My day (我的一天)

我每天早上七点起床。我吃面包，喝牛奶。八点我去学校。中午我和朋友一起吃饭。下午四点我回家。晚上我看电视，十点睡觉。

Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang qī diǎn qǐchuáng. Wǒ chī miànbāo, hē niúnǎi. Bā diǎn wǒ qù xuéxiào. Zhōngwǔ wǒ hé péngyou yìqǐ chīfàn. Xiàwǔ sì diǎn wǒ huí jiā. Wǎnshang wǒ kàn diànshì, shí diǎn shuìjiào.

"I get up at seven every morning. I eat bread and drink milk. At eight I go to school. At noon I eat with friends. At four in the afternoon I go home. In the evening I watch TV, and at ten I go to sleep." Notice that time words come before the verb in Chinese; see Chinese sentence structure.

HSK 2 Chinese paragraphs (about 300 words)

4. The weather (天气)

今天天气很好，不冷也不热。早上有一点儿风，下午出太阳了。我和妹妹去公园玩儿。公园里有很多人，有的在跑步，有的在打球。明天可能会下雨，所以我们今天玩儿得很高兴。

Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo, bù lěng yě bú rè. Zǎoshang yǒu yìdiǎnr fēng, xiàwǔ chū tàiyáng le. Wǒ hé mèimei qù gōngyuán wánr. Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén, yǒude zài pǎobù, yǒude zài dǎ qiú. Míngtiān kěnéng huì xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒmen jīntiān wánr de hěn gāoxìng.

"The weather is nice today, not cold and not hot. There was a little wind in the morning, and the sun came out in the afternoon. My sister and I went to the park to play. There were lots of people in the park; some were running, some were playing ball. It might rain tomorrow, so we had a great time today."

5. My hobby (我的爱好)

我的爱好是游泳。我每个星期去两次游泳馆。夏天的时候，我常常去海边游泳。游泳以后，我觉得身体很舒服。我的朋友喜欢踢足球，他说踢足球比游泳有意思。我觉得都很好。

Wǒ de àihào shì yóuyǒng. Wǒ měi ge xīngqī qù liǎng cì yóuyǒngguǎn. Xiàtiān de shíhou, wǒ chángcháng qù hǎibiān yóuyǒng. Yóuyǒng yǐhòu, wǒ juéde shēntǐ hěn shūfu. Wǒ de péngyou xǐhuan tī zúqiú, tā shuō tī zúqiú bǐ yóuyǒng yǒu yìsi. Wǒ juéde dōu hěn hǎo.

"My hobby is swimming. I go to the pool twice a week. In summer I often swim at the beach. After swimming I feel great. My friend likes playing soccer; he says soccer is more fun than swimming. I think they're both good." The 比 comparison (踢足球比游泳有意思) is the key HSK 2 pattern here.

6. At the shop (在商店)

昨天我去商店买东西。我想买一件红色的衣服，但是太贵了，要三百块。服务员说，蓝色的便宜一点儿，只要一百五十块。我试了试，很好看，所以我买了蓝色的。

Zuótiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi. Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn hóngsè de yīfu, dànshì tài guì le, yào sānbǎi kuài. Fúwùyuán shuō, lánsè de piányi yìdiǎnr, zhǐ yào yìbǎi wǔshí kuài. Wǒ shìle shì, hěn hǎokàn, suǒyǐ wǒ mǎile lánsè de.

"Yesterday I went to the shop to buy things. I wanted to buy a red top, but it was too expensive: 300 yuan. The shop assistant said the blue one was a bit cheaper, only 150. I tried it on, it looked good, so I bought the blue one."

HSK 3 Chinese paragraphs (about 600 words)

7. My city (我的城市)

我住在一个不大也不小的城市。城市的中间有一条河，河边有很多老房子和小饭馆。周末的时候，很多人喜欢在河边散步、喝茶。虽然这里没有大城市那么热闹，但是生活很方便，空气也很干净。我觉得住在这里很幸福。

Wǒ zhù zài yí ge bú dà yě bù xiǎo de chéngshì. Chéngshì de zhōngjiān yǒu yì tiáo hé, hé biān yǒu hěn duō lǎo fángzi hé xiǎo fànguǎn. Zhōumò de shíhou, hěn duō rén xǐhuan zài hé biān sànbù, hē chá. Suīrán zhèlǐ méiyǒu dà chéngshì nàme rènao, dànshì shēnghuó hěn fāngbiàn, kōngqì yě hěn gānjìng. Wǒ juéde zhù zài zhèlǐ hěn xìngfú.

"I live in a city that's neither big nor small. There's a river through the middle, with lots of old houses and small restaurants along it. On weekends, many people like to stroll by the river and drink tea. Although it isn't as lively as a big city, life is convenient and the air is clean. I feel happy living here." The 虽然...但是 ("although... but") pattern is the HSK 3 signature.

8. A trip (一次旅行)

去年夏天，我和家人去了云南旅行。我们先坐飞机到昆明，然后坐火车去大理。大理的天空特别蓝，山上有很多花。我们在那里住了三天，每天都吃当地的米线。最后一天，我们骑自行车绕着湖走了一圈。这是我最难忘的一次旅行。

Qùnián xiàtiān, wǒ hé jiārén qùle Yúnnán lǚxíng. Wǒmen xiān zuò fēijī dào Kūnmíng, ránhòu zuò huǒchē qù Dàlǐ. Dàlǐ de tiānkōng tèbié lán, shān shàng yǒu hěn duō huā. Wǒmen zài nàlǐ zhùle sān tiān, měitiān dōu chī dāngdì de mǐxiàn. Zuìhòu yì tiān, wǒmen qí zìxíngchē ràozhe hú zǒule yì quān. Zhè shì wǒ zuì nánwàng de yí cì lǚxíng.

"Last summer my family and I traveled to Yunnan. First we flew to Kunming, then took the train to Dali. The sky in Dali was especially blue, and the mountains were full of flowers. We stayed three days and ate the local rice noodles every day. On the last day we cycled a full loop around the lake. It was my most unforgettable trip." 先...然后...最后 ("first... then... finally") is how you sequence a Chinese paragraph.

9. Why I learn Chinese (我为什么学中文)

我学中文已经两年了。一开始，我觉得汉字太难了，每天都想放弃。后来，我开始读简单的故事，慢慢地认识了很多字。因为我想去中国工作，所以我每天都坚持学习一个小时。现在我可以和中国朋友聊天了，这让我很有成就感。

Wǒ xué Zhōngwén yǐjīng liǎng nián le. Yì kāishǐ, wǒ juéde Hànzì tài nán le, měitiān dōu xiǎng fàngqì. Hòulái, wǒ kāishǐ dú jiǎndān de gùshi, mànmàn de rènshile hěn duō zì. Yīnwèi wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò, suǒyǐ wǒ měitiān dōu jiānchí xuéxí yí ge xiǎoshí. Xiànzài wǒ kěyǐ hé Zhōngguó péngyou liáotiān le, zhè ràng wǒ hěn yǒu chéngjiùgǎn.

"I've been learning Chinese for two years. At first, I thought characters were too hard and wanted to quit every day. Later I started reading simple stories and slowly got to know a lot of characters. Because I want to work in China, I keep studying for an hour every day. Now I can chat with Chinese friends, which gives me a real sense of achievement."

HSK 4 Chinese paragraphs (about 1,200 words)

10. A short message to a teacher (给老师的留言)

李老师，您好！非常抱歉，我明天不能来上课了，因为我要去医院看病。我已经从同学那里拿到了明天的作业，会按时完成。如果有什么重要的通知，麻烦您告诉我一下。给您添麻烦了，谢谢您的理解！学生小安

Lǐ lǎoshī, nín hǎo! Fēicháng bàoqiàn, wǒ míngtiān bù néng lái shàngkè le, yīnwèi wǒ yào qù yīyuàn kànbìng. Wǒ yǐjīng cóng tóngxué nàlǐ nádàole míngtiān de zuòyè, huì ànshí wánchéng. Rúguǒ yǒu shénme zhòngyào de tōngzhī, máfan nín gàosu wǒ yíxià. Gěi nín tiān máfan le, xièxie nín de lǐjiě! Xuésheng Xiǎo Ān

"Hello Teacher Li. I'm very sorry, but I can't come to class tomorrow because I need to go to the hospital. I've already gotten tomorrow's homework from a classmate and will finish it on time. If there's any important notice, could you please let me know? Sorry for the trouble, and thank you for understanding. Your student, Xiao An." For the full format, see how to write an email in Chinese.

11. Online shopping (网上购物)

现在越来越多的人喜欢在网上买东西。网上购物不但方便，而且价格通常比商店便宜。你只需要用手机点几下，东西第二天就能送到家。不过，网上购物也有缺点：你看不到真正的东西，有时候收到的和照片上的不一样。因此，买之前最好先看看别人的评价。

Xiànzài yuè lái yuè duō de rén xǐhuan zài wǎngshàng mǎi dōngxi. Wǎngshàng gòuwù búdàn fāngbiàn, érqiě jiàgé tōngcháng bǐ shāngdiàn piányi. Nǐ zhǐ xūyào yòng shǒujī diǎn jǐ xià, dōngxi dì-èr tiān jiù néng sòngdào jiā. Búguò, wǎngshàng gòuwù yě yǒu quēdiǎn: nǐ kàn bú dào zhēnzhèng de dōngxi, yǒu shíhou shōudào de hé zhàopiàn shàng de bù yíyàng. Yīncǐ, mǎi zhīqián zuìhǎo xiān kànkan biérén de píngjià.

"More and more people now like shopping online. Online shopping is not only convenient, but usually cheaper than in shops. You just tap your phone a few times and the item arrives the next day. However, it has downsides: you can't see the real thing, and sometimes what arrives isn't what the photo showed. So it's best to read other people's reviews before buying." This is the classic HSK 4 opinion-paragraph shape: trend, advantages, 不过 (however), conclusion.

12. A small story (一个小故事)

从前，有一个农民每天都要走很远的路去河边打水。有一天，他在路上发现了一口井，高兴极了。他回村告诉大家，可是没有人相信他。第二天，他带着几个邻居去看，井里果然有水。从那以后，全村人再也不用走远路了。这个故事告诉我们：好消息要说出来，也要有人愿意去看。

Cóngqián, yǒu yí ge nóngmín měitiān dōu yào zǒu hěn yuǎn de lù qù hé biān dǎ shuǐ. Yǒu yì tiān, tā zài lùshang fāxiànle yì kǒu jǐng, gāoxìng jíle. Tā huí cūn gàosu dàjiā, kěshì méiyǒu rén xiāngxìn tā. Dì-èr tiān, tā dàizhe jǐ ge línjū qù kàn, jǐng lǐ guǒrán yǒu shuǐ. Cóng nà yǐhòu, quán cūn rén zài yě bú yòng zǒu yuǎn lù le. Zhège gùshi gàosu wǒmen: hǎo xiāoxi yào shuō chūlai, yě yào yǒu rén yuànyì qù kàn.

"Once there was a farmer who walked a long way to the river every day to fetch water. One day he found a well by the road and was overjoyed. He went back to the village and told everyone, but nobody believed him. The next day he brought a few neighbors to look, and sure enough there was water in the well. From then on, the whole village never had to walk far again. The story tells us: good news needs to be spoken, and someone needs to be willing to go and look."

HSK 5 Chinese paragraphs (about 2,500 words)

13. Are phones changing us? (手机改变了我们吗？)

智能手机已经成为现代生活中不可缺少的一部分。我们用它工作、学习、交流，甚至用它来放松。然而，很多人发现自己越来越难以集中注意力，哪怕只是读完一篇文章。有研究表明，平均每个人每天看手机的次数超过一百次。问题不在于手机本身，而在于我们是否还能控制使用它的时间。

Zhìnéng shǒujī yǐjīng chéngwéi xiàndài shēnghuó zhōng bùkě quēshǎo de yí bùfen. Wǒmen yòng tā gōngzuò, xuéxí, jiāoliú, shènzhì yòng tā lái fàngsōng. Rán'ér, hěn duō rén fāxiàn zìjǐ yuè lái yuè nányǐ jízhōng zhùyìlì, nǎpà zhǐshì dúwán yì piān wénzhāng. Yǒu yánjiū biǎomíng, píngjūn měi ge rén měitiān kàn shǒujī de cìshù chāoguò yìbǎi cì. Wèntí bú zàiyú shǒujī běnshēn, ér zàiyú wǒmen shìfǒu hái néng kòngzhì shǐyòng tā de shíjiān.

"Smartphones have become an indispensable part of modern life. We use them to work, study, communicate, and even relax. Yet many people find it harder and harder to concentrate, even just to finish reading an article. Research shows the average person checks their phone more than a hundred times a day. The problem isn't the phone itself, but whether we can still control how much time we spend on it." Note the written connectors: 然而 (yet), 甚至 (even), 不在于...而在于 (lies not in... but in).

14. Spring Festival at home (家里的春节)

春节是中国最重要的传统节日。除夕那天，无论人在多远的地方，都会尽量赶回家和家人团聚。晚上，全家人围坐在一起吃年夜饭，桌上一定少不了鱼，因为"鱼"和"余"同音，象征着年年有余。吃完饭，长辈会给孩子们发红包，大家一起看春晚，等待新年的钟声敲响。对许多在外工作的人来说，这顿饭是一年中最温暖的时刻。

Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó zuì zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì. Chúxī nà tiān, wúlùn rén zài duō yuǎn de dìfang, dōu huì jǐnliàng gǎn huí jiā hé jiārén tuánjù. Wǎnshang, quánjiā rén wéizuò zài yìqǐ chī niányèfàn, zhuō shàng yídìng shǎobuliǎo yú, yīnwèi "yú" hé "yú" tóngyīn, xiàngzhēngzhe niánnián yǒu yú. Chīwán fàn, zhǎngbèi huì gěi háizimen fā hóngbāo, dàjiā yìqǐ kàn Chūnwǎn, děngdài xīnnián de zhōngshēng qiāoxiǎng. Duì xǔduō zài wài gōngzuò de rén lái shuō, zhè dùn fàn shì yì nián zhōng zuì wēnnuǎn de shíkè.

"Spring Festival is China's most important traditional holiday. On New Year's Eve, no matter how far away people are, they do their best to get home and reunite with family. In the evening the whole family sits down to the New Year's Eve dinner, and there's always fish on the table, because 鱼 (fish) sounds like 余 (surplus), symbolizing abundance every year. After dinner the elders give the children red envelopes, everyone watches the Spring Festival Gala together and waits for the New Year bell. For many people working away from home, this meal is the warmest moment of the year." More on the traditions in our Chinese New Year guide.

15. From a story (故事片段)

天快黑的时候，老陈终于走到了村口。二十年没回来，路变宽了，房子变高了，可是村口那棵老槐树还在。他站在树下，忽然听见有人叫他的小名。他转过身，看见一个白头发的老人正笑着看他。老陈愣了几秒钟，然后眼泪一下子流了下来。那是他小学时的同桌。

Tiān kuài hēi de shíhou, Lǎo Chén zhōngyú zǒudàole cūnkǒu. Èrshí nián méi huílai, lù biàn kuān le, fángzi biàn gāo le, kěshì cūnkǒu nà kē lǎo huáishù hái zài. Tā zhàn zài shù xià, hūrán tīngjiàn yǒu rén jiào tā de xiǎomíng. Tā zhuǎnguò shēn, kànjiàn yí ge bái tóufa de lǎorén zhèng xiàozhe kàn tā. Lǎo Chén lèngle jǐ miǎozhōng, ránhòu yǎnlèi yíxiàzi liúle xiàlai. Nà shì tā xiǎoxué shí de tóngzhuō.

"As it was getting dark, Old Chen finally reached the edge of the village. He hadn't been back in twenty years. The road was wider, the houses taller, but the old locust tree at the village entrance was still there. He stood under it and suddenly heard someone call his childhood name. He turned and saw a white-haired old man smiling at him. Old Chen froze for a few seconds, then the tears came all at once. It was his desk-mate from primary school." Fiction at this level uses short sentences and precise verbs (愣, 转过身, 流了下来), which is why short stories are the best HSK 5 reading.

How to write your own Chinese paragraph

One topic sentence, then details. Chinese paragraphs are structured like English ones: say the point, then support it. 我的爱好是游泳 comes first, then the how-often and the why.
Sequence with 先...然后...最后. "First... then... finally" is the backbone of any narrative paragraph, as in #8.
Connect with pairs. 因为...所以 (because... so), 虽然...但是 (although... but), 不但...而且 (not only... but also). One pair per paragraph makes it read like real Chinese instead of a list of sentences.
Time before the verb. 我每天早上七点起床, never 我起床每天早上七点. Our guide to Chinese sentence structure covers this.
Use Chinese punctuation. The comma 、 for lists, the full stop 。, and no spaces between words.
Check your length. A good beginner paragraph is 50 to 80 characters; HSK 4 and 5 writing tasks ask for 80 to 100 and up. Our free Chinese word counter counts characters and words for you.

Every paragraph above is the kind of text you'll find in the Chenjin library, except the library versions are full stories with sentence-by-sentence audio, tap-to-define words, and a running count of how much you already know. Create a free account to read at your level, or paste any paragraph from this post into our free Chinese to pinyin converter to see it with tone marks.

FAQ

How do you write a paragraph in Chinese?

Start with a topic sentence, add two or three supporting sentences, and connect them with pairs like 因为...所以 or 虽然...但是. Put time words before the verb, use Chinese punctuation (，。、), and don't put spaces between words. A beginner paragraph is 50 to 80 characters.

What is a good Chinese paragraph about myself?

Use example #1 above as a template: name (我叫...), nationality and city (我是...人，我住在...), age (我今年...岁), job or studies (我是...), hobbies (我喜欢...), family (我有...), and a closing 很高兴认识你.

Where can I find Chinese reading passages with pinyin?

The 15 passages on this page all have pinyin. For longer texts with audio, the Chenjin library has hundreds of graded stories, and our per-level guides (HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5) list free options.

How many characters are in a Chinese paragraph?

There's no fixed rule. Textbook paragraphs run 50 to 150 characters; a news or essay paragraph might be 100 to 300. HSK writing tasks specify a target, usually 80 characters for HSK 4 and 100 or more for HSK 5.

Should I read Chinese paragraphs with or without pinyin?

Read with pinyin the first time if you need it, then hide it and read again. Relying on pinyin permanently slows character recognition. Most learner apps, including Chenjin, let you toggle pinyin on and off for exactly this reason.