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🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese · Fluency Level 3

PART 1 · LESSON 3 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The First Fry

Sit by the cold stove while Master Chen tells of his first fry: hear that he was fourteen, say that is so young, hear that his hands blistered, say it must have hurt, hear that it hurt so much he cried, ask about his father, hear that his father did not say a single word, ask what happened next, and hear that the next day he went on frying.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

The frying room of Master Chen's house in Longjing village on a March evening, the stove cold, the two of them on low stools with a pot of last year's tea between them.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
我 第 一 次 炒 茶。wǒ dì yī cì chǎo cháI fried tea for the first time
十四 岁 那 年， 我 第 一 次 炒 茶。shísì suì nà nián, wǒ dì yī cì chǎo cháThe year I was fourteen, I fried tea for the first time.
十四 岁？ 那么 小！shísì suì? nàme xiǎoFourteen? So young!
起 了 泡。qǐ le pàoblistered, word for word rose blisters
手 烫 得 起 了 泡。shǒu tàng de qǐ le pàoMy hands were scalded until they blistered.
那 一定 很 疼 吧？nà yídìng hěn téng baThat must have hurt!
疼 得 我 哭 了。téng de wǒ kū leIt hurt so much I cried.
哭 完 接着 炒。kū wán jiēzhe chǎoI finished crying and went on frying.
您 父亲 呢？nín fùqīn neAnd your father? Politely.
一 句 话 都 没 说。yí jù huà dōu méi shuōdidn't say a single word, word for word one sentence of words all not said

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