A story in Mandarin: I'm hungry!

Part ofMandarinStories

Join Harry in his quest to satisfy his hunger.

Harry grips his stomach in hungry, while his friends Fatima and Zavi look on.

Harry: I’m hungry! (Wǒ è le!)

Fatima: What do you want to eat? (Nǐ xiǎng chī shén me?)

Fatima offers Harry green pasta and sausages.

Fatima: Here’s some green pasta (yì miàn) with sausages (xiāng cháng).

Harry looks disgusted at a plate of green pasta and sausages.

Harry: I don’t like (Wǒ bù xǐ huān) green pasta or sausages.

Harry looks much happier at a plate of two fried eggs and pink potatoes.

Zavi: Ok, here’s fried eggs (jiān dàn) with pink potatoes (tǔ dòu).

Harry quickly eats up the fried eggs and pink potatoes.

Harry: Delicious (Hǎo chī)!

All of the food is gone. Harry is content but Zavi is annoyed.

Fatima: Very good (Hěn hǎo).

Harry: Thank you (Xiè xiè) my friends (péng yǒu). Oh, would you like some?

Zavi: There’s nothing left!

Key Mandarin words

MandarinPinyinEnglish
hǎo chīdelicious
hěn hǎovery good
jiān dànfried eggs
Nǐ xiǎng chī shén me?What do you want to eat?
tǔ dòupotatoes
Wǒ è leI’m hungry
Wǒ bù xǐ huānI don’t like
xiāng chángsausages
xiè xièthank you
yì miànpasta
A variety of fruit and vegetables.

Did you know?

Sometimes in Mandarin, translations are very literal, eg pasta (yì miàn) translates as 'Italian noodles'.

Other food examples include:

  • yoghurt (suān nǎi) translates as 'sour milk'
  • doughnut (tián tián quān) translates as 'sweet sweet circle'
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Construct simple phrases and develop an understanding of vocabulary and grammar with this KS2 Mandarin game.

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