2013

[THE STORY OF THE SUN 日 –

STORIES WITH CHINESE

CHARACTERS (CALLIGRAPHY)]

The fun and one of the fastest ways of learning Chinese Characters through stories – for children and adults.

Stories with Chinese Characters (Calligraphy)

The fun and fast way to learn Chinese Characters through stories.

Did you know that the same 152 characters will make up 50% of any

Chinese text ?

Peter Palme

Jona, 06. May 2013

Free for private use. For commercial use please contact:

Peter Palme

petepalme@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/peterpalme

The story of the sun will introduce 15 characters. These characters will

represent around 8 % of characters used in any Chinese text (7.7886%)

Advice:

Before you read to children, you can print out the story . While you read

the children can color the Chinese characters in the text.

In the appendix of the story the stroke order of the Chinese Characters are

listed. A link will direct you to a sound file which will introduce you to the

pronunciation of the character. Another link will show if available in

animated way how to write this Chinese character.

In most cases two Characters (two syllables) make up a word. The idea of

this text is to help children or adults learn in a fun and fast way the most

used Chinese Characters.

As it builds on our natural way of learning – through association, the

learner who masters all 152 most used Chinese characters will reach a

threshold. From there on the student can read simple Chinese texts and can

often guess the meaning of a new character in the text without having to

consult the dictionary.

Writing and reading Chinese characters will also improve the IQ and

learning agility as several research studies have shown.

There are many fun ways to work, play and learn with these characters

especially with children.

Further stories:

The Lonesome Human Being – 11 Characters will introduce around 4% of

characters used in any Chinese Text.

The Story of the Sun

rì = sun

One day as the sun was shining as usual, the sun suddenly began to think.

For the first time ever the sun was asking herself many questions about:

“Why do I exist? Where do I come from?”

And while the sun was in deep thought black spots formed on her surface.

But the thoughts continued ….

yì = conscience, thought, opinion, mind

There were so many questions springing up in the mind of the sun. But

eventually one big question formed: “What is the meaning of my

existence?”

The Sun put on her graduation hat立 and threw her whole

heart 心 into thinking about the one big question.

And all of a sudden all the other open questions vanished and this was the

only thought left, which kept the sun busy thinking about.

yué = moon

After many years of thinking and thinking about her one big final question

lastly one answer came to the troubled mind of the sun “The meaning of

my existence is to shine bright for the people living on the planet earth” the

sun thought.

Suddenly the dark sun spots vanished and the sun smiled for the first time

again. “I have to tell it to the moon”, the sun said.

shì = yes, indeed, right

The moon listened intensively to the thoughts and the questions of the sun

she had asked herself during all those years. And when the sun presented

the answer to the final question, the moon nodded. “Yes indeed”, he said,

“this must also be the reason for my own existence.”

míng = bright

日 rì + 月 yué = 明 míng

And the moon said: “Sun, let’s work together and shine as bright as

possible for the people on planet earth.”

míng rì = tomorrow

The moon and the sun agreed to shine as bright as possible for the people

on the planet earth tomorrow.

Both went to sleep and both were so full of meaning and happiness.

dàn shì = but

The next day the sun woke up happily and cheered: “Today I am working

together with the moon to bring more brightness to the people on the

planet earth.” The sun waited and waited, but the moon did not show up.

jiān = between

日 rì 土 tǔ 月 yué

The sun could not see the moon, and the moon could not see the sun.

While both had been sleeping, the earth had moved between them.

The earth was now like a door 门 between the moon and the sun. And you

see the sun on left trying to look through the door to see the moon.

hěn= very

“Moon where are you?” The sun became very, very sad. “Without the

moon I cannot bring more brightness to the people on planet earth”. The

sun suddenly felt so lonely and started to cry. Long tails of tears suddenly

appeared on the surface of the sun.

shí= time , period

The crying and the moaning of the sun went on for a certain period of time.

(The period of time is characterized by placing the character for an inch (寸)

next to the Chinese character for sun).

Suddenly the moon came back as the earth had travelled onwards on her

way around the sun.

zuì = extremely

“Sun, I am here”, the moon shouted. The sun now was extremely happy to

see the moon again. The sun (日) could hear with her ear (耳) again (又)

the moon.

dé = to obtain, to get, to acquire

“Moon, now we can obtain together the meaning of our existence “, the

sun said happily with contend.

dōu = all, the whole

“We will bring brightness to all the people on planet earth!” The moon and

the sun danced and smiled.

dé = possessive, adjectival suffix

„Actually we are not only there for the people on planet earth”, the moon

said. “We are the moon and the sun of all living beings and plants on planet

earth”. “Yes”, the sun replied and was even happier than ever before.

zhě= he/she who, author

And while the sun was filled with joy, she spotted one who was writing a

poem about the sun in the land of China. And while the sun felt honored

and watched the author write, suddenly the sun had a very new thought …

( )Ancient Chinese writing of the sun (left) – in brackets modern Chinese

character for sun

“When I see how the author writes my name – sun, I think my meaning is

not to bring brightness to the people on planet earth. It is about me”, the

sun concluded, “whenever people see me they smile. I am there to put

smiles on people’s faces!” Now finally the big question of the sun was

answered. From now on the sun was happy and had a very peaceful mind….

The End

日 意 明 但

是 间 很 时

最 得 都 的

者 土 月

明日 = tomorrow

但是 = but

Can you find more

combinations? (Answer next

page)

的都 = of all

是的 = that’s it, that’s

right

很 明 = it is clear

…

1

2

3

4

See: rì = sun

Listen

See: yì = thought, mind

Listen

See míng = bright

Listen

1

2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 13

See: shì = yes, indeed, right

Listen

See: dàn = only, but

Listen

See: jiān = between

Listen

See: tǔ = earth

Listen

See: yué = moon

Listen

See: hěn= very

Listen

See: zuì = extremely

Listen

See: dé = to obtain, to acquire

Listen

See: shí= time , period

Listen

See: dōu = all, the whole

Listen

See: dé = possessive, adjectival suffix

Listen

See: zhě= he/she who

Listen