Back to: Xiao Bei in Beijing
Xiaobei meets her landlord, Teacher Li, outside a house. They go inside to look at the room together. The room is small but nice, and Xiaobei is happy to move in. Character count: 107.
李老师
今天，小北在一个房子外面。她等一个人。这个人是李老师。李老师是房东。她有一个房子。小北想在这儿住。
李老师来了。她说：”你好，你是小北吗？”小北说：”是，我是王北。”李老师说：”好，请进。”
她们进去看房子。房子不大，但是很好。里面有一张桌子，一把椅子，还有一张床。小北说：”这儿很好，我很喜欢。”
李老师说：”你可以在这儿住。”小北说：”谢谢老师！”
Lǐ Lǎoshī
Jīntiān, Xiǎo Běi zài yī gè fángzi wàimiàn. Tā děng yī gè rén. Zhège rén shì Lǐ Lǎoshī. Lǐ Lǎoshī shì fángdōng. Tā yǒu yī gè fángzi. Xiǎo Běi xiǎng zài zhèr zhù.
Lǐ Lǎoshī lái le. Tā shuō: “Nǐ hǎo, nǐ shì Xiǎo Běi ma?” Xiǎo Běi shuō: “Shì, wǒ shì Wáng Běi.” Lǐ Lǎoshī shuō: “Hǎo, qǐng jìn.”
Tāmen jìnqù kàn fángzi. Fángzi bù dà, dànshì hěn hǎo. Lǐmiàn yǒu yī zhāng zhuōzi, yī bǎ yǐzi, háiyǒu yī zhāng chuáng. Xiǎo Běi shuō: “Zhèr hěn hǎo, wǒ hěn xǐhuān.”
Lǐ Lǎoshī shuō: “Nǐ kěyǐ zài zhèr zhù.” Xiǎo Běi shuō: “Xièxie lǎoshī!”
Teacher Li
Today, Xiaobei is outside a house. She is waiting for someone. That person is Teacher Li. Teacher Li is the landlord. She has a house. Xiaobei wants to live here.
Teacher Li arrives. She says: “Hello, are you Xiaobei?” Xiaobei says: “Yes, I am Wang Bei.” Teacher Li says: “Good, please come in.”
They go inside to look at the house. The house is not big, but it is very nice. Inside there is a table, a chair, and also a bed. Xiaobei says: “This place is very nice, I really like it.”
Teacher Li says: “You can live here.” Xiaobei says: “Thank you, Teacher!”
Help
How to Use the Audio
The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:
- Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
- After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.
Vocabulary
| Characters | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 房子 | fángzi | house / room |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside |
| 房东 | fángdōng | landlord |
| 住 | zhù | to live / to stay |
| 等 | děng | to wait |
| 进去 | jìnqù | to go inside |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can / may |
| 喜欢 | xǐhuān | to like |
Grammar
吗 Questions — Asking Yes/No Questions Adding 吗 to the end of a statement turns it into a yes/no question. No other changes are needed — word order stays the same. The answer is simply 是 (yes) or 不是 (no), or a repetition of the verb. 你是小北吗？ 你想住在这儿吗？ 房子好吗？
有 (yǒu) — Expressing Existence or Possession 有 means both “to have” and “there is / there are.” When used with a place word before it, it describes what exists in that location. When used with a person as the subject, it expresses possession. 里面有一张桌子。 她有一个房子。 房子里有一张床。
可以 (kěyǐ) — Expressing Permission 可以 means “can” in the sense of being allowed or permitted to do something. It comes directly before the verb. It is different from 会 (which means “can” as in having a skill) — 可以 is about permission or possibility. 你可以在这儿住。 我可以进去吗？ 你可以看。
Idiomatic Expressions
请进 请进 is a very common polite expression used when inviting someone to enter a room or home. 请 on its own means “please” or “to invite,” and 进 means “to enter.” Together they form a natural, warm greeting used in homes, offices, and shops across China. 李老师说：”请进。”
不大，但是很好 This pattern — [negative quality] + 但是 + [positive quality] — is extremely common in spoken Chinese. It shows balance and politeness, acknowledging a limitation while emphasising what is good. Learners use it often when describing homes, food, or situations. 房子不大，但是很好。
Calling a Landlord “Teacher”
In China, 老师 is not only used for classroom teachers. It is also a respectful title used for any knowledgeable or senior person. Calling a landlord 老师 — as Xiaobei does with 李老师 — is a sign of courtesy and respect, and reflects the high value Chinese culture places on education and social hierarchy.
Renting a Room in Beijing
Finding affordable housing is one of the first challenges for young people moving to Beijing. Most newcomers rent small rooms in shared apartments or older residential buildings called 楼. The relationship between tenant and 房东 is often quite personal, especially in smaller properties, and politeness and trust matter a great deal.
10 Questions
- 小北在哪儿等人？ (答案)
- 小北等谁？ (答案)
- 李老师是谁？ (答案)
- 小北为什么在这儿？ (答案)
- 李老师说什么？ (答案)
- 房子里面有什么？ (答案)
- 房子大吗？ (答案)
- 小北喜欢房子吗？ (答案)
- 李老师让小北住吗？ (答案)
- 小北最后说什么？ (答案)
Multiple Choice
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True or False
- 小北在房子里面等李老师。 (答案)
- 李老师是房东。 (答案)
- 李老师有两个房子。 (答案)
- 房子里面有一张床。 (答案)
- 房子很大。 (答案)
- 小北很喜欢房子。 (答案)
- 李老师说小北不可以住。 (答案)
- 房子里面有一把椅子。 (答案)
- 小北说谢谢老师。 (答案)
- 小北不想在这儿住。 (答案)
Retell the Story
请用你自己的话讲这个故事。
Writing Guidance: Speak to a language partner or write 5–8 sentences in Chinese. Include these key elements:
- Say where 小北 is and who she is waiting for
- Describe who 李老师 is
- Describe what is inside the house
- Say what Xiaobei thinks of the house
- Conclude with what Teacher Li and Xiaobei each say at the end