Chinese · English · B1–B2

Intermediate Chinese short stories, side by side with English (B1–B2)

Real literature at a reachable level: O. Henry, Saki, Oscar Wilde, Chekhov and Maupassant in Chinese, with the English original beside every paragraph.

192 intermediate stories in Chinese, 189 of them free

Each one opens in your browser with no account, the Chinese and the English side by side, paragraph by paragraph, shortest first. Every free story is also a free Chinese–English ebook for Kindle, Kobo or any e-reader: downloading needs a free account, no payment (which file to pick).

Besides the classics, this level has stories from 简单故事, original Chinese stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from 古代哲学家, original Chinese stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from 致圣尼古拉的信, original Chinese stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from 夜间面包房, original Chinese stories written for the library.

Besides the classics, this level has stories from 广场上的集市, original Chinese stories written for the library.

Open the intermediate Chinese–English stories in the library, where you can search them and switch to another level or pair.

To listen as you read, see the Chinese stories with audio.

What intermediate Chinese stories are like

Intermediate stories are where reading gets rewarding. They are written for adults, with twists and irony (The Gift of the Magi, The Necklace, The Open Window), but short enough to finish in twenty minutes to half an hour.

The vocabulary is wider and the sentences longer than in a fable, and dialogue brings in everyday phrases that textbooks leave out. With the English next to each paragraph, none of that has to stop you.

How to read Chinese at B1–B2

Read in Chinese, check in English

At B1–B2 you can usually follow the Chinese on its own. Keep your eyes on it and look across only when a sentence doesn’t land, rather than reading both sides line by line.

Let the plot pull you

These stories were written to be enjoyed. If you want to know how it ends, you will read faster and remember more, so pick the one whose first page grabs you.

Notice the tenses

Stories are told in the past, and the Chinese past tenses carry meaning the English sometimes flattens. Comparing the two sides is the quickest way to feel the difference.

More on the method in how to read a parallel text.