Bear Opens A Store - Beginner
Read a children's story about the bear that opened a store
Reading Chinese children's stories is a good way to learn Chinese for people of all levels. The stories are authentic and give us a glimpse into the Chinese culture, worldview, and values.
The reason I chose this story as a beginner level reading is because there is a lot of repetition. You will see the beginning of the story repeated in the following paragraphs, only changing the actors and some aspects of the adventure.
The story also contains vocabulary that you can apply at work and in business conversations.
Enjoy! And please share your thoughts or start a discussion about the reading in the Chat.
Story breakdown by paragraph with Pinyin, vocabulary, and audio
小熊 = Little Bear (小 is frequently used before a name to create a diminutive. For someone with the last name “张 zhāng,“ you can call them “小张.“ I.e. Tommy is the diminutive of Thomas.)
开店 = to open a store or shop (开 = to open; 店 = a shop or store)
开了 = opened (开 = to open; ”了“ following a verb expresses a completed action. This can be understood as past tense.)
一个 = a or an (All nouns in Chinese need a measure word. 个 is the most common measure word. English has measure words but not all nouns require them. I.e. a cup of coffee, a bowl of soup, a box of candy.)
食品 = foodstuffs
店 = shop or store
当上 = to act as, take on the role of
经理 = the manager (to say “a manager” you would use the measure word “一个” thus, “一个经理.”)
请 = to invite
兔子 = rabbit
当 = 当上；to act as, take on the role of
采购员 = purchaser, buyer (采购 means “to purchase;” 员 refers to a “team or group member”)
想 = to think
最受欢迎 = to be most popular (最 = most, -est; 受 = to receive; 欢迎 = welcome)
呢 = (An interogative particle that expresses the idea of “What about..,” “So, …” or “And, …”)
对 = correct, right; of course
一定是 = surely it is, for sure it is
萝卜 = carrots, radishes, turnips etc. （carrots are normally called “胡萝卜 hú luó bo.” But since no specific 萝卜 is mentioned in the story, with the context being “rabbits,” it would be understood as “carrot.”
于是 = then, and then
它 = it
到处 = to go all over, go all around
采购 = to purchase, buy
没过几天 = not many days passed
食品店里 = in the food store (里 = in, inside)
堆满 = to stack full, pile full (堆 = to pile; 满 = full)
各种 = all kinds of, each kind of
这样一来 = after this, as a result
到店里买东西的顾客 = the customers that go/went to the store to shop
到店里 = to go to the store
买东西的顾客 = the customers that buy things
买东西 = to buy things, to shop
顾客 = clients, customers
全是 = are all, were all (全 = whole, all)
很不满意 - 很不高兴；not satisfied, dissatisfied
辞退 - to dismiss, let go
Let’s take a closer look.
The English translation shows the characters following English, arranged by meaning.
小熊请兔子当采购员。(The little bear 小熊 invited 请 the rabbit 兔子 to be 当 the purchaser 采购员.）
兔子想：（The rabbit 兔子 thought 想:)
“什么东西最受欢迎呢？(So 呢, what 什么 is the most 最 popular 受欢迎 thing 东西?)
对，一定是萝卜。” (Of course 对, certainly 一定 it’s 是 carrots 萝卜.)
于是，它到处采购萝卜。(And then 于是, it 它 went all around 到处 buying 采购 carrots 萝卜.）
没过几天，(Not 没 many 几 days 天 passed 过, Note: 没（有）before a verb creates a negative past tense action. 没过 = Didn’t pass / 没有吃 = didn’t eat. 没看 = Didn’t see/read/watch.
食品店里堆满了各种萝卜。 (in 里 the food 食品 store 店 it was stacked full 堆满了 of all kinds 各种 of carrots 萝卜.)
这样一来，After this, (The phrase “这样一来“ expresses the idea of a natural outcome to a previous situation. 一来 literally means “having come” or “after coming.” 这样 can be understood as “in this way” or “in this manner.” The character 一 (one) before a verb means “just after/as soon as + verb.” 他一看 = As soon as he looks/looked. 她一走 = just after she leaves/left.
到店里买东西的顾客全是兔子。(all 全 the customers 顾客 going 到 shopping 买东西的 in the store 店里 were rabbits 是兔子.)
小熊很不满意，辞退了兔子。(The little bear 小熊 was dissappointed 很不满意 and fired 辞退了 the rabbit 兔子.)
又 = also, again
松鼠 = squirrel
松子 = Piñón nuts, pine nuts
都 = all
摇摇头 = to shake one’s head (摇 = to shake; 头 = head)
走 = to leave
其他 = other
纷纷 = one after another
给小熊提意见 = complain to the little bear
给 = to give; for
提意见 = to complain, offer suggestions
只好 = all one can/could do is/was
后来 = later on
聪明的 = smart, intelligent
猴子 = monkey
不久 = not long
各种各样 = all kinds of
办得红红火火 = done very prosperously (办得 = to do, manage; 红红火火 = successfully, prosperously)
受到 = to receive (praise, knowledge)
大家的 = everyone’s (大家 = everyone)
陈赞 = praise, recognition
Character Radicals:
扌- This is the “hand” radical. It’s called, 提手旁 tí shǒu páng. Characters with this radical frequently depict using the hands in some way.
摆 = to put, place / 货架摆满了 The shelves were placed full (filled up by placing)
摇 = to shake, sway, rock / 摇头 to shake one’s head
提 = to carry hanging from the hand, pick up, bring up (in conversation) / 提意见 to make complaints
Yin-Yang Character Groups: (To learn more about Yin-Yang Character groups, read this.)
大小 = big-little, large small; size
对错 = right-wrong, correct incorrect
里外 = inside (and) outside
Also, check out my other Substack: Heart Of China Journal!
And the Master Mandarin YouTube channel!
Good short story. Great review of some vocabulary I've recently seen in other stories.
Fantastic!