Daily Sharing / 每日中文分享

种菜Growing Vegetables

A short real-life note about trying to grow tomatoes and herbs at home, and discovering that gardening is harder but happier than expected.

Daily Life

Full Chinese Text

我在家里的小院子种了一些菜。番茄、薄荷、小葱和香菜。种薄荷、小葱和香菜是因为做饭的时候经常需要用到。种番茄是因为我以为番茄很容易种,也不需要很大的地方。种了一个月,发现种菜其实很难。番茄不喜欢下雨,也不喜欢大太阳。最近的天气变化很大,有时候下雨,有时候大太阳。我要很小心地照顾它们。虽然有点儿麻烦,但是做饭的时候可以用自己种的菜真的很开心。

Wǒ zài jiālǐ de xiǎo yuànzi zhòng le yìxiē cài. Fānqié, bòhe, xiǎocōng hé xiāngcài. Zhòng bòhe, xiǎocōng hé xiāngcài shì yīnwèi zuòfàn de shíhou jīngcháng xūyào yòng dào. Zhòng fānqié shì yīnwèi wǒ yǐwéi fānqié hěn róngyì zhòng, yě bù xūyào hěn dà de dìfang. Zhòng le yí ge yuè, fāxiàn zhòng cài qíshí hěn nán. Fānqié bù xǐhuan xià yǔ, yě bù xǐhuan dà tàiyáng. Zuìjìn de tiānqì biànhuà hěn dà, yǒu shíhou xià yǔ, yǒu shíhou dà tàiyáng. Wǒ yào hěn xiǎoxīn de zhàogu tāmen. Suīrán yǒu diǎnr máfan, dànshì zuòfàn de shíhou kěyǐ yòng zìjǐ zhòng de cài zhēn de hěn kāixīn.

I planted some vegetables in the small courtyard at home: tomatoes, mint, scallions, and cilantro. I planted mint, scallions, and cilantro because I often need to use them when cooking. I planted tomatoes because I thought tomatoes were easy to grow and did not need a very big space. After growing them for a month, I realized that growing vegetables is actually very hard. Tomatoes do not like rain, and they do not like strong sun either. The weather has changed a lot recently: sometimes it rains, and sometimes there is strong sun. I have to take care of them very carefully. Although it is a little troublesome, I am really happy when I can use vegetables I grew myself while cooking.





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Read one sentence, listen once, then notice the useful words inside it.

我在家里的小院子种了一些菜。

Wǒ zài jiālǐ de xiǎo yuànzi zhòng le yìxiē cài.

I planted some vegetables in the small courtyard at home.

我(I)在(at / in)家里的(at home)小院子(small courtyard)种了(planted)一些(some)菜(vegetables).

番茄、薄荷、小葱和香菜。

Fānqié, bòhe, xiǎocōng hé xiāngcài.

Tomatoes, mint, scallions, and cilantro.

番茄(tomato),薄荷(mint),小葱(scallion)和(and)香菜(cilantro).

种薄荷、小葱和香菜是因为做饭的时候经常需要用到。

Zhòng bòhe, xiǎocōng hé xiāngcài shì yīnwèi zuòfàn de shíhou jīngcháng xūyào yòng dào.

I planted mint, scallions, and cilantro because I often need to use them when cooking.

种(plant)薄荷(mint),小葱(scallion)和(and)香菜(cilantro)是因为(is because)做饭的时候(when cooking)经常(often)需要(need)用到(use).

种番茄是因为我以为番茄很容易种,也不需要很大的地方。

Zhòng fānqié shì yīnwèi wǒ yǐwéi fānqié hěn róngyì zhòng, yě bù xūyào hěn dà de dìfang.

I planted tomatoes because I thought tomatoes were easy to grow and did not need a very big space.

种番茄(planting tomatoes)是因为(is because)我以为(I thought)番茄(tomatoes)很容易种(easy to grow),也不需要(also do not need)很大的地方(a very big space).

种了一个月,发现种菜其实很难。

Zhòng le yí ge yuè, fāxiàn zhòng cài qíshí hěn nán.

After growing them for a month, I realized that growing vegetables is actually very hard.

种了(grew / planted for)一个月(one month),发现(realized)种菜(growing vegetables)其实(actually)很难(very hard).

番茄不喜欢下雨,也不喜欢大太阳。

Fānqié bù xǐhuan xià yǔ, yě bù xǐhuan dà tàiyáng.

Tomatoes do not like rain, and they do not like strong sun either.

番茄(tomatoes)不喜欢(do not like)下雨(rain),也不喜欢(also do not like)大太阳(strong sun).

最近的天气变化很大,有时候下雨,有时候大太阳。

Zuìjìn de tiānqì biànhuà hěn dà, yǒu shíhou xià yǔ, yǒu shíhou dà tàiyáng.

The weather has changed a lot recently: sometimes it rains, and sometimes there is strong sun.

最近的(recent)天气(weather)变化很大(changes a lot),有时候(sometimes)下雨(rain),有时候(sometimes)大太阳(strong sun).

我要很小心地照顾它们。

Wǒ yào hěn xiǎoxīn de zhàogu tāmen.

I have to take care of them very carefully.

我(I)要(need to)很小心地(very carefully)照顾(take care of)它们(them).

虽然有点儿麻烦,但是做饭的时候可以用自己种的菜真的很开心。

Suīrán yǒu diǎnr máfan, dànshì zuòfàn de shíhou kěyǐ yòng zìjǐ zhòng de cài zhēn de hěn kāixīn.

Although it is a little troublesome, I am really happy when I can use vegetables I grew myself while cooking.

虽然(although)有点儿麻烦(a little troublesome),但是(but)做饭的时候(when cooking)可以(can)用(use)自己种的菜(vegetables I grew myself)真的(really)很开心(very happy).

Today’s Takeaways

A few words and sentences you can reuse in your own comment.

For beginners

Words from the text

种菜

zhòng cài

grow vegetables

番茄

fānqié

tomato

做饭

zuòfàn

cook

下雨

xià yǔ

rain

开心

kāixīn

happy

Sentences you can use

Change one word and make it your own comment.

我种了一些菜。

Wǒ zhòng le yìxiē cài.

I planted some vegetables.

番茄很难种。

Fānqié hěn nán zhòng.

Tomatoes are hard to grow.

我真的很开心。

Wǒ zhēn de hěn kāixīn.

I am really happy.

For intermediate learners

Words and phrases from the text

家里的小院子

jiālǐ de xiǎo yuànzi

the small courtyard at home

经常需要用到

jīngcháng xūyào yòng dào

often need to use

我以为

wǒ yǐwéi

I thought

不需要很大的地方

bù xūyào hěn dà de dìfang

does not need a very big space

发现其实很难

fāxiàn qíshí hěn nán

realized it is actually hard

天气变化很大

tiānqì biànhuà hěn dà

the weather changes a lot

很小心地照顾

hěn xiǎoxīn de zhàogu

take care of very carefully

自己种的菜

zìjǐ zhòng de cài

vegetables I grew myself

Sentences you can use

Change one word and make it your own comment.

种薄荷、小葱和香菜是因为做饭的时候经常需要用到。

Zhòng bòhe, xiǎocōng hé xiāngcài shì yīnwèi zuòfàn de shíhou jīngcháng xūyào yòng dào.

I planted mint, scallions, and cilantro because I often need to use them when cooking.

种了一个月,发现种菜其实很难。

Zhòng le yí ge yuè, fāxiàn zhòng cài qíshí hěn nán.

After growing them for a month, I realized that growing vegetables is actually very hard.

虽然有点儿麻烦,但是做饭的时候可以用自己种的菜真的很开心。

Suīrán yǒu diǎnr máfan, dànshì zuòfàn de shíhou kěyǐ yòng zìjǐ zhòng de cài zhēn de hěn kāixīn.

Although it is a little troublesome, I am really happy when I can use vegetables I grew myself while cooking.

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