Telling a story in Chinese 讲故事
jiǎng gùshi
Tell a story in Chinese is 讲故事 (jiǎng gù shi).
Also searched for as: telling a story in Chinese, narrating, anecdote, sequencing words, once upon a time.
Once upon a time... and then what happened? 15 essential telling a story words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Telling a story in Chinese is mostly about the linking words that move it along. 有一次 (yǒu yī cì), "once", sets the scene, 后来 (hòu lái) and 接着 (jiē zhe) carry the action forward, and 结果 (jié guǒ) delivers the outcome. Add a well-timed 你猜怎么着 (nǐ cāi zěn me zhe), "guess what", and even a trip to the supermarket can sound like an adventure.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 讲故事 | jiǎng gù shi | to tell a story |
| 有一次 | yǒu yī cì | once; one time |
| 那天 | nà tiān | that day |
| 一开始 | yī kāi shǐ | at first |
| 后来 | hòu lái | later; afterwards |
| 突然 | tū rán | suddenly |
| 结果 | jié guǒ | in the end; as it turned out |
| 没想到 | méi xiǎng dào | unexpectedly; I never thought |
| 最后 | zuì hòu | finally; in the end |
| 接着 | jiē zhe | next; then |
| 听说 | tīng shuō | I heard (that) |
| 发生 | fā shēng | to happen |
| 你猜怎么着 | nǐ cāi zěn me zhe | guess what |
| 居然 | jū rán | actually (to one's surprise) |
| 说来话长 | shuō lái huà cháng | it's a long story |
Usage tips
- 后来 (hòu lái) only refers to the past, so you can't use it for future plans. For "later" in the future, say 以后 (yǐ hòu) or 等一下 (děng yī xià).
- 结果 (jié guǒ) often signals an outcome that went against expectations, as in 我等了一个小时，结果他没来 (wǒ děng le yī ge xiǎo shí, jié guǒ tā méi lái). 最后 (zuì hòu) is more neutral and simply marks the last step.
- 居然 (jū rán) and 没想到 (méi xiǎng dào) both add surprise, but 居然 usually goes after the subject and before the verb: 他居然忘了 (tā jū rán wàng le), "he actually forgot".
Common mistakes
- English speakers often reach for 然后 (rán hòu) for every "and then", which sounds monotonous. Vary it with 接着 (jiē zhe) for the next step, 后来 (hòu lái) for a later stage and 突然 (tū rán) for a sudden turn.
- Learners translate "it happened" as 它发生了 (tā fā shēng le), which sounds unnatural. Put the event after the verb instead: 发生了一件怪事 (fā shēng le yī jiàn guài shì), "something strange happened".
Mini dialogue
- A你猜怎么着？我昨天在地铁上睡着了。Nǐ cāi zěn me zhe? Wǒ zuó tiān zài dì tiě shang shuì zháo le.Guess what? I fell asleep on the metro yesterday.
- B然后呢？Rán hòu ne?And then what?
- A一开始我只想闭一下眼睛，结果醒来的时候已经到终点站了。Yī kāi shǐ wǒ zhǐ xiǎng bì yī xià yǎn jing, jié guǒ xǐng lái de shí hou yǐ jīng dào zhōng diǎn zhàn le.At first I only meant to close my eyes for a moment, but when I woke up I was already at the end of the line.
- B哈哈，后来呢？你怎么回家的？Hā hā, hòu lái ne? Nǐ zěn me huí jiā de?Haha, and after that? How did you get home?
- A最后我只好打车回家了。Zuì hòu wǒ zhǐ hǎo dǎ chē huí jiā le.In the end I had to get a taxi home.
Example sentences
- 睡前我给孩子讲故事。I tell the kids a story before bed.
- 有一次我在地铁上睡着了。Once I fell asleep on the metro.
- 那天下着大雨。It was pouring with rain that day.
- 一开始我以为是开玩笑。At first I thought it was a joke.
- 后来我们成了好朋友。Later we became good friends.
- 突然，灯全灭了。Suddenly, all the lights went out.
- 我等了一个小时，结果他没来。I waited an hour, and in the end he never came.
- 没想到他就是老板。I never thought he'd turn out to be the boss.
- 最后我们还是赶上了飞机。In the end we still made the flight.
- 接着我们去吃了火锅。Next we went for hotpot.
- 听说他们分手了。I heard they broke up.
- 昨天发生了一件怪事。Something weird happened yesterday.
- 你猜怎么着？他居然来了！Guess what? He actually turned up!
- 他居然忘了我的生日。He actually forgot my birthday.
- 说来话长，下次再告诉你。It's a long story, I'll tell you next time.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Telling a story speaking island has 8 everyday questions about telling a story to prepare your own answers to.