Underlined words: if necessary, hold the cursor over the word for help (but try to work it out yourself first!). You will see the Pinyin transliteration in a small pop-up window. (Unfortunately this may not work with Netscape Navigator 4.)

Yihtian, shian.sheng geei shyue.shengmen pi tzuohwel, yueh pi yueh laichih. Dih'yihpian shiee .de hairsuann gongjeeng, dann yeou haojiichuh wenlii buhtong. Shian.sheng sweishoou pi.le san g tzell : Fanq gooupih! Dih'ellpian chwu.le yeou haojiichuh wenlii buhtong yiiway, hairyeou haoduo tsuohbyetzell . Shian.sheng yush yee pi.le san g tzell: Goou fanqpih! Dihsanpian genq tzaugau, buhjiin tzyhji liautsao, tsuohtzell lianpian, erlchiee tongpian dou sh hwushuobadaw. Shian.sheng dahbii yihhuei, yow pi.le san g tzell: Fanqpih goou!

Shyue.shengmen nadaw shian.sheng pihao .de tzuohwel, yueh kann yueh hwu.twu , yush paochiuh wenn shian.sheng: "Shian.sheng, nin geei woo.men pi .de dou sh torngyanq .de san g tzell, chiingwenn yeou sherm buh'yiyanq?"

Shian.sheng shuo: "Buh'yiyanq, buh'yiyanq, heen buh'yiyanq. Jey g 'fanq gooupih', ta hairsh yi g ren, bwuguoh fanq.le yi g goou .de pih erlyii . Jey g 'goou fanqpih' .ne, ta yiijing sh yihjy goou .le, dann jyysh oouran fanq.le yi g pih. Jyhyu jey g 'fanqpih goou' .me, ta bwudann sh yihjy goou, erlchiee sh yihjy juanmen fanqpih .de goou. Ming.bair .le .ma?"

Shyue.shengmen dahsheng hweidar: "Ming.bair .le!"

You should now be ready to tackle an exercise in which only a few of the tonal clues are colour-coded.

Next: ►Exercise