Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids
Chinese idiom stories tell where chengyu, the set phrases of Chinese, come from, and most of them go back to books written before the Qin unification in 221 BC or during the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), such as the Han Feizi, the Mencius and the Zhuangzi; every story here comes with the original classical text and its source, retold for children in English and Chinese with narration in both languages.
Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids (10 stories)
- Ages 4-82 min
Marking the Boat to Find the Sword刻舟求剑
A man drops his sword into a river, cuts a mark on the moving boat, and jumps in under the mark once the boat lands. The idiom story 刻舟求剑 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Power狐假虎威
A tiger catches a fox, and the fox claims Heaven made him king of the animals. He walks ahead, the tiger follows, and every animal runs. The idiom story 狐假虎威 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Mending the Pen After Losing a Sheep亡羊补牢
A shepherd loses a sheep through a hole in his pen but won’t fix it. When a second sheep goes, he mends it at once. The idiom story 亡羊补牢 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Drawing Legs on a Snake画蛇添足
Helpers race to draw a snake for a pot of honey water. The fastest one finishes, then adds feet to his snake and loses the prize. The idiom story 画蛇添足 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Waiting by the Tree Stump守株待兔
A farmer gets a free rabbit when it runs into a tree stump, so he stops working and waits by the stump for another. The idiom story 守株待兔 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Frog in the Well井底之蛙
A little frog thinks his shallow well is the best place in the world, until a big sea turtle tells him how vast the sea is. The idiom story 井底之蛙 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Covering His Ears to Steal the Bell掩耳盗铃
A man tries to carry off a big bell that isn’t his. When it rings, he covers his own ears, as if no one else could hear it either. The idiom story 掩耳盗铃 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Pulling Up the Sprouts to Help Them Grow拔苗助长
An impatient farmer pulls each of his young plants up a little to make them taller, and by the next day they have all dried up. The idiom story 拔苗助长 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Spear and the Shield自相矛盾
A seller boasts that nothing can pierce his shield and that his spear pierces anything. Then someone asks what happens when the two meet. The idiom story 自相矛盾 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Lord Ye Loves Dragons叶公好龙
Lord Ye says he loves dragons and fills his house with them, but when a real dragon comes to visit, he runs and hides under the bed. The idiom story 叶公好龙 in English and Chinese, with narration.
About Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids
Many Chinese idioms are condensed fables: "waiting by the tree stump" (守株待兔) comes from the Han Feizi, in the chapter "The Five Vermin", and "pulling up the sprouts to help them grow" (拔苗助长) comes from the Mencius, in "Gongsun Chou, Part One". The classical texts are in the public domain, so we print the original on each page, retell it in plain language as a bedtime story, and explain what the idiom means today and how it is used.
Read this story to your child in your own voice
- Record your voice and confirm it's really you
- Pick any story, in English or Chinese
- A few minutes later, hear it in your voice; you can also download the MP3
From about $1.05 a story, or $1.99 for a first-order taster. Reading and listening are always free, and failed generations are refunded.
Questions about Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids
- What is a Chinese idiom (chengyu)?
- A chengyu is a set Chinese phrase, usually four characters long. Many of them are a whole fable condensed into a few words, so each one has a story behind it: 守株待兔, "waiting by the tree stump", comes from a story in the Han Feizi.
- What age are Chinese idiom stories for?
- Children from 4 can enjoy the stories, and from about 6 they can start learning to use the idioms. Each story page gives the idiom's meaning and an example sentence.
- Where do Chinese idiom stories come from?
- From books written before 221 BC and during the Han dynasty, such as the Han Feizi, the Mencius, the Zhuangzi and the Strategies of the Warring States, all of them in the public domain. Each story gives its exact source.
- Are there English versions of these Chinese idiom stories?
- Yes. Each story has our own simple English version with a native-English narration. You can listen in English first to understand the story, then listen to the Chinese version.
- Can my child learn Chinese with these stories?
- They are a gentle start. Each story has a Chinese version with a Chinese narration and read-along highlighting, plus the original classical text and the idiom's meaning. Reading and listening are free, with no sign-up.