Learn Chinese Language from a Chinese Zodiac Song
Shíèr shēngxiāo gē
十二 生肖 歌
![]() |
The Chinese Zodiac Song
Xiǎolǎoshǔ dǎtóur lái,
小老鼠 打头儿 来,
![]() |
The little rat is the first to come.
Niú bǎ tír tái,
牛 把 蹄儿 抬,
![]() |
The ox lifts up its hoof.
Lǎohǔ huítóu yìshēng hǒu,
老虎 回头 一声 吼,
![]() |
The tiger turns around with a roar.
Tùzi tiàode kuài,
兔子 跳得 快,
![]() |
The rabbit jumps quickly.
Tùzi tiàode kuài,
兔子 跳得 快,
![]() |
The rabbit jumps quickly.
Lóng hé shé wěiba shuǎi,
龙 和 蛇 尾巴 甩,
![]() |
The dragon and the snake swing their tails.
Mǎ yáng bùr mài,
马 羊 步儿 迈,
![]() |
The horse and sheep step in stride.
Xiǎohóu jīling bèng yòu tiào,
小猴 机灵 蹦 又 跳,
![]() |
The little monkey is clever, and jumping around.
Jī chàng tiānxià bái,
鸡 唱 天下 白,
![]() |
The rooster crows at dawn.
Jī chàng tiānxià bái,
鸡 唱 天下 白,
![]() |
The rooster crows at dawn.
Gǒur tiào zhūr jiào,
狗儿 跳 猪儿 叫,
![]() |
The dog jumps and the pig snorts.
Lǎoshǔ yòu gēnlái,
老鼠 又 跟来,
![]() |
The rat comes again.
Shíèr dòngwu zhuànquān pǎo,
十二 动物 转圈 跑,
![]() |
These twelve animals run in a circle.
Qǐng bǎ shùnxu pái,
请 把 顺序 排,
![]() |
Please place them in order.
Qǐng bǎ shùnxu pái.
请 把 顺序 排。
![]() |
Please place them in order.
Vocabulary:
shēngxiāo
1. 生肖: Chinese zodiac
Lǎoshǔ zài shíèr shēngxiāo zhōng pái dìjǐ?
老鼠 在 十二 生肖 中 排 第几?
![]() |
What’s the rank of rat in the Chinese zodiac?
Wǒ shǔ gǒu.
我 属 狗。
![]() |
My Chinese zodiac is dog.
dǎtóur
2. 打头儿: be the first
Dǎtóur de shì Zhāng Lì.
打头儿 的 是 张 丽。
![]() |
Zhang Li is the head (of the group).
Exercises:
1. How many animals are there in 生肖(shēngxiāo)?
2. Which one of the following means "the first one to do something?"