Doing Math Homework with Dad
IntermediateFamily
A father helps his elementary-school daughter with her math homework at the dining table, patiently encouraging her when she gets frustrated.
B
BabaX
XiaomeiB
宝贝，你的数学作业做得怎么样了？
bǎobèi, nǐ de shùxué zuòyè zuò de zěnmeyàng le?
Sweetie, how's your math homework going?
X
爸爸，这道题太难了，我怎么算都算不对。
bàba, zhè dào tí tài nán le, wǒ zěnme suàn dōu suàn bú duì.
Dad, this problem is too hard. No matter how I calculate, I can't get it right.
B
别着急，咱们一起看看，你先把题目念给我听。
bié zháojí, zánmen yìqǐ kànkan, nǐ xiān bǎ tímù niàn gěi wǒ tīng.
Don't rush. Let's look at it together—first read the question out loud to me.
X
小明有二十五个苹果，他给了同学八个，还剩多少个？
Xiǎomíng yǒu èrshíwǔ gè píngguǒ, tā gěi le tóngxué bā gè, hái shèng duōshao gè?
Xiaoming has twenty-five apples. He gave eight to a classmate. How many are left?
B
很好，那你觉得这道题该用加法还是减法呢？
hěn hǎo, nà nǐ juéde zhè dào tí gāi yòng jiāfǎ háishì jiǎnfǎ ne?
Great. So do you think this problem should use addition or subtraction?
X
因为苹果变少了，所以应该用减法，对吧？
yīnwèi píngguǒ biàn shǎo le, suǒyǐ yīnggāi yòng jiǎnfǎ, duì ba?
Because the apples got fewer, I should use subtraction, right?
B
太对了！你自己想出来的，真棒！那你算算看等于几？
tài duì le! nǐ zìjǐ xiǎng chūlái de, zhēn bàng! nà nǐ suànsuan kàn děngyú jǐ?
Exactly right! You figured it out yourself—awesome! So try calculating: what does it equal?
X
二十五减八……我用手指头数一下……等于十七！
èrshíwǔ jiǎn bā…… wǒ yòng shǒuzhǐtou shǔ yíxià…… děngyú shíqī!
Twenty-five minus eight… let me count on my fingers… it equals seventeen!
B
完全正确！你看，其实这道题没你想的那么难吧。
wánquán zhèngquè! nǐ kàn, qíshí zhè dào tí méi nǐ xiǎng de nàme nán ba.
Completely correct! See? This problem isn't as hard as you thought after all.
X
嗯，可是后面还有好几道题呢，我怕做不完。
èn, kěshì hòumiàn hái yǒu hǎojǐ dào tí ne, wǒ pà zuò bù wán.
Mm, but there are still several more problems, and I'm afraid I won't finish them.
B
没事，咱们一道一道来，不着急，做完了爸爸陪你玩。
méishì, zánmen yí dào yí dào lái, bù zháojí, zuò wán le bàba péi nǐ wán.
It's okay, let's do them one by one, no rush. When you're done, Dad will play with you.
X
好！有爸爸帮我，我就一点也不怕了，咱们继续吧！
hǎo! yǒu bàba bāng wǒ, wǒ jiù yìdiǎn yě bú pà le, zánmen jìxù ba!
Okay! With Dad helping me, I'm not scared at all anymore. Let's keep going!