HSK · Level 3
131 words
Chinese word
故事
Pronunciation
Pinyingù shì
Meaning
- nounstory
Example
妈妈给我讲了一个故事。mā mā gěi wǒ jiǎng le yí gè gù shì
Mom told me a story.
More examples
小朋友喜欢听故事。xiǎo péng yǒu xǐ huān tīng gù shì
Kids like listening to stories.
Core concept
A small tale passed from one person to another, whether it comes from life, hearsay, or tradition.
Common phrases
讲故事jiǎng gù shì
tell a story
听故事tīng gù shì
listen to a story
故事书gù shì shū
storybook
Similar words
童话tóng huà: A children's tale that uses fantasy, often with magic or animals as characters.
小说xiǎo shuō: A longer made-up narrative about imagined characters and events.
笑话xiào huà: A brief amusing tale meant to make listeners laugh.
传说chuán shuō: A tale handed down from long ago that may not be based on fact.
Definition in Chinese
个人经历或见闻中可作为谈资的短小事情，有时指轶事或趣闻。gè rén jīng lì huò jiàn wén zhōng kě zuò wéi tán zī de duán xiǎo shì qíng yǒu shí zhǐ yì shì huò qù wén
Word origin
故事 (gùshì, "story") is formed from 故 (gù, "old") + 事 (shì, "event"), linking the modern word to an event from the past that becomes a tale told about people or events.
Usage tips
- In English, story often suggests a made-up book, but this Chinese word also fits a real family incident or a traditional tale.
Other meanings
- anecdotenoun
- folktalenoun
Opposites
- 事实shì shífactnoun
Related words
- 故事书gù shì shūstorybooknoun
- 故事片gù shì piànfeature filmnoun