HSK 4 ≈ CEFR B2 233 characters 14 sentences

An Old Photograph (一张老照片)

Four people, one summer, and a name on the back that nobody can place.

0:00 Tap any word for its meaning · 🔊 plays the sentence

一张老照片

整理zhěnglǐ旧jiù东西dōngxī的de / dì时候shíhou,我wǒ在zài一yī本书běnshū里lǐ发现了fāxiànle一yī张zhāng老lǎo照片zhàopiàn。
While sorting out old things I found an old photograph inside a book.
照片zhàopiàn已经yǐjīng发fā黄huáng了le / liǎo / liào,边biān上shàng还有háiyǒu一点yīdiǎn破pò。
It had yellowed, and the edge was slightly torn.
照片zhàopiàn上shàng有yǒu四sì个gè年轻人niánqīngrén,站zhàn在zài一yī棵kē大树dàshù下面xiàmian。
There were four young people in it, standing under a big tree.
他们tāmen笑xiào得很dehěn开心kāixīn,看起来kànqǐlái大概dàgài二十èrshí岁suì左右zuǒyòu。
They were laughing happily and looked about twenty.
我wǒ认出rènchū了le / liǎo / liào中间zhōngjiān那个nèigè人rén——是shì我wǒ妈妈māma。
I recognised the one in the middle — it was my mother.
我wǒ从来cónglái没méi见过jiànguò她tā这么zhème年轻niánqīng的de / dì样子yàngzi。
I had never seen her looking that young.
我wǒ拿着názhe照片zhàopiàn去qù问wèn她tā。
I took the photo to ask her about it.
她tā看了kànle很hěn久jiǔ,然后ránhòu一个yīgè一个yīgè地dì / de告诉gàosu我wǒ他们tāmen是shì谁shéi。
She looked at it for a long time, then told me one by one who they were.
左边zuǒbiān的de / dì是shì她tā大学dàxué最好zuìhǎo的de / dì朋友péngyou,右边yòubiān的de / dì两liǎng个gè是shì同tóng班bān同学tóngxué。
The one on the left was her best friend at university; the two on the right were classmates.
我wǒ问wèn她tā:“你们nǐmen现在xiànzài还hái / huán联系liánxì吗ma?”
I asked her, "Are you still in touch?"
她tā摇yáo了le / liǎo / liào摇yáo头tóu,说shuō:“毕业bìyè以后yǐhòu,大家dàjiā去了qùle不同bùtóng的de / dì城市chéngshì。”
She shook her head and said, "After we graduated everyone went to different cities."
照片zhàopiàn背bēi面miàn写着xiězhe一个yīgè日期rìqī和hé一个yīgè名字míngzi,可是kěshì那个nèigè名字míngzi她tā也yě想xiǎng不bù起来qǐlai了le / liǎo / liào。
On the back was a date and a name, but even she couldn't place the name.
那nà / nèi天tiān晚上wǎnshang,她tā一直yìzhí把bǎ照片zhàopiàn放fàng在zài手shǒu边biān。
That evening she kept the photograph beside her.
我wǒ忽然hūrán明白míngbai,时间shíjiān带走dàizǒu的de / dì不只bùzhǐ是shì样子yàngzi。
I suddenly understood that what time takes away isn't only how you look.

Words to notice

Photograph (photo - picture)
Recognize
Remember
Time (period)
Drill this level's full word list on the HSK 4 vocabulary page or with HSK 4 flashcards.

Your reading speed

—
characters per minute


Did you understand it? — 3 questions

Three questions about what actually happened. Turn the English off first if you want a real test.

Correct: 0

More HSK 4 stories

Keep reading

Check how hard a text is with the HSK Level Analyzer, annotate your own reading in the Pinyin Annotator, look up the grammar behind these sentences in the Chinese Grammar Library, or follow a whole route through the site with Guided Learning Paths.