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Listening

Chinese Listening Practice with Transcripts: 5 Short Dialogues for Beginners

A coffee order, a bottle of water, a plan that changes halfway through. These five short dialogues give you something specific to listen for: a choice, a price, a place, or a time.

Each exercise includes a Mandarin recording, a Chinese transcript, pinyin, an English translation, a few words to check first, and three questions with answers. The conversations are fictional and written for this practice page. The prices and directions are part of the exercises, not real-world recommendations.

For easy Chinese listening practice, start with the first conversation. It assumes you know a few greetings and basic sentences. The last two add directions and a change of plan. You do not need to finish all five in one sitting.

How to use these Chinese listening exercises

Check the short vocabulary list and read the questions. Listen once with the transcript closed. Write a brief answer in English or Chinese, then listen again for the details you missed.

Open the transcript after that. Use pinyin for words you cannot read yet, and check the English when the meaning is still unclear. Finally, close the text and replay the conversation. Can you now hear the part that caused trouble?

If you are completely new to Mandarin, read along on the first pass. Treat it as guided practice rather than a test. You can try listening without the text on the next pass.

Start here

1. Meeting a classmate

Anna and Mark meet before a Chinese class. Listen for what they have in common and what they decide to do next.

Before you listen

学生xuésheng

student

住zhù

to live

旁边pángbiān

beside; next to

一起yìqǐ

together

真巧zhēn qiǎo

what a coincidence

Listen to the dialogue

Check what you heard

  1. What are Anna and Mark studying?
  2. Where does Anna live?
  3. When will they go to school together?
Show transcript
Anna你好，我叫安娜。你叫什么名字？
Mark我叫马克。你也是这里的学生吗？
Anna对，我学中文。你呢？
Mark我也学中文。你住在哪儿？
Anna我住在学校旁边。
Mark真巧，我也住在那儿！
Anna那我们明天一起去学校吧。
Mark好啊，明天见！
Show answers
  1. Chinese. 我学中文。 / 我也学中文。

    Both speakers say they study Chinese.

  2. Next to the school. 我住在学校旁边。

    The location is next to the school.

  3. Tomorrow. 明天一起去学校

    明天 is the time word to catch.

Familiar situation, a few new words

2. Ordering a coffee

A customer orders at a café. Listen for the choices they make, not just the word for the drink.

Before you listen

拿铁nátiě

latte

热的rè de

hot

冰的bīng de

iced

带走dàizǒu

to take away; to go

块kuài

yuan, in everyday prices

Listen to the dialogue

Check what you heard

  1. Does the customer choose a hot or an iced drink?
  2. Will the customer drink it at the café?
  3. How much does the drink cost in this dialogue?
Show transcript
Barista你好，想喝点什么？
Customer我要一杯拿铁。
Barista热的还是冰的？
Customer热的，小杯就好。
Barista好的，在这儿喝还是带走？
Customer带走。多少钱？
Barista二十块。
Customer好的，谢谢。
Show answers
  1. A hot drink. 热的，小杯就好。

    The customer’s reply gives the answer.

  2. No. The order is to go. 带走。

    The customer repeats the takeaway option.

  3. Twenty yuan. 二十块。

    This is a fictional exercise price.

Numbers and a small comparison

3. Buying water at a convenience store

A customer compares two bottles of water. Keep the price of one bottle separate from the final bill.

Before you listen

瓶píng

bottle; measure word

两liǎng

two before a measure word

一共yígòng

in total

付款fùkuǎn

to pay

扫sǎo

to scan

Listen to the dialogue

Check what you heard

  1. How much is the larger bottle?
  2. What does the customer buy?
  3. What is the final bill?
Show transcript
Customer你好，这瓶水多少钱？
Shop assistant三块。
Customer那瓶呢？
Shop assistant五块。那瓶大一点。
Customer我要两瓶小的。
Shop assistant好的，一共六块。
Customer可以用手机付款吗？
Shop assistant可以，扫这里就行。
Show answers
  1. Five yuan. 五块。那瓶大一点。

    Three yuan is the smaller bottle.

  2. Two small bottles. 我要两瓶小的。

    两 gives the quantity; 小的 gives the size.

  3. Six yuan. 一共六块。

    Listen for 一共 before the total.

Try after the first three

4. Finding the subway station

Listen for the turn, the landmark, and the walking time. You can sketch the route.

Before you listen

地铁站dìtiězhàn

subway station

路口lùkǒu

intersection

右转yòu zhuǎn

turn right

银行yínháng

bank

左右zuǒyòu

approximately

Listen to the dialogue

Check what you heard

  1. Which way should the person turn?
  2. What is next to the subway station?
  3. About how long is the walk?
Show transcript
Person asking请问，地铁站在哪儿？
Passerby一直往前走，到路口右转。
Person asking右转以后呢？
Passerby地铁站就在银行旁边。
Person asking走过去要多久？
Passerby五分钟左右，不远。
Person asking好的，谢谢！
Passerby不客气。
Show answers
  1. Right. 到路口右转

    Catch 右, not 左.

  2. A bank. 在银行旁边

    银行 is the landmark.

  3. Five minutes. 五分钟左右

    左右 makes the time approximate.

Follow a change of plan

5. Making plans for the weekend

Two friends arrange a trip to the movies. The first suggested time does not stick.

Before you listen

周六zhōuliù

Saturday

电影diànyǐng

movie

下课xiàkè

finish class

见jiàn

meet; see

门口ménkǒu

entrance

Listen to the dialogue

Check what you heard

  1. What time do they finally agree to meet?
  2. Why does 2 p.m. not work?
  3. Where will they meet?
Show transcript
Friend 1周六要不要一起去看电影？
Friend 2好啊！几点？
Friend 1下午两点怎么样？
Friend 2两点不行，我三点才下课。
Friend 1那四点呢？
Friend 2可以。我们在哪儿见？
Friend 1在电影院门口吧。
Friend 2好，周六四点见。
Show answers
  1. 4 p.m. on Saturday. 周六四点见

    Two is rejected; four is accepted.

  2. Class finishes at 3 p.m. 我三点才下课。

    Three is the end of class, not the meeting time.

  3. At the movie theater entrance. 在电影院门口吧。

    They agree on the entrance.

Finish one small listening task

You do not need perfect comprehension. Choose one dialogue, answer its three questions, then replay the lines that changed your answer. Return another day and listen once before opening the transcript.