Six flatmates share a home near Dongmen Station in Taipei: Amara, Meihui, Yuko, Junhao, Lucas, and their kind landlady, Mrs. Wang. Through everyday situations — cooking together, working, studying, exploring the city, celebrating small joys, and learning to live with each other — their stories capture the warmth of strangers becoming like family.
Series Overview: Dongmen Stories
This 28-episode graded reader series follows the lives of six flatmates sharing a home near Dongmen Station in Taipei. Through everyday situations — cooking, working, studying, exploring the city, and celebrating small joys — learners build practical Chinese vocabulary and natural grammar patterns while connecting with relatable characters from different backgrounds.
Vocabulary Focus:
- Daily life & household (kitchen, room, living room, refrigerator)
- Food & dining (xiaolongbao, bento box, scallion pancakes, ice cream)
- Travel & directions (station, go downstairs, convenience store, night market)
- Emotions & opinions (homesick, happy, warm, attentive, satisfied)
- Work & study (work, Chinese class, paint/draw, bank, salary)
- Relationships & communication (message, phone call, thank you, help, friend)
Grammar Focus:
- Essential sentence patterns (completed action marker, ongoing action marker, very, a little)
- Connector patterns (while…while, more and more, although…but)
- Time expressions (already, still/yet, then, immediately, often/frequently)
- Modals and imperatives (can, don’t, want, want to)
- Comparison structures (compared to before, same, different)
Course Structure
- Weekly Format: 7 stories per week (one per day) for systematic, immersive learning
- Week 1-2: Foundational vocabulary and basic sentence patterns. Introduce characters, the flat, and daily routines. Build confidence with short, simple sentences and high-frequency words.
- Week 3-4: Intermediate expressions and everyday situations. Deeper character development, emotional moments, and longer narratives. Introduce more complex vocabulary and natural conversational phrases.
Course Syllabus
Week 1
表姐要来 – Cousin is coming
弟弟来了 – Little brother is here
听不懂的话 – Can’t understand what is being said
他不懂 – He doesn’t understand
很奇怪的感觉 – A very strange feeling
Recap: 妈妈来了 – Recap: Mom is Here
Week 2
都想家了 – Everyone is homesick.
台风要来了 – A typhoon is coming.
停电了 – The power is out.
讲故事 – Storytelling
用蜡烛玩牌 – Playing cards with candles
风停了 – The wind has stopped.
Week 3
帮忙扫地 – Help sweep the floor
一起过来了 – Came over together
想做裙子 – Want to make a skirt
慢慢画 – Draw slowly
Recap: 三个音 – Recap: Three Notes
折纸 – Origami
Week 4
放在桌上 – Put it on the table
大家来看 – Everyone, come and see
为自己画画 – Paint for yourself
很晚回家 – Coming home very late
在房间工作 – Working in the room
学校图书馆 – School Library
Week 5
一个人在家 – Alone at home
累了 – Tired
都在但是很远 – All are here but far away
Recap: 早上的咖啡 – Recap: Morning Coffee
三个月了 – Three months have passed.
台中有一个工作 – There is a job in Taichung
Week 6
春节回台南 – Returning to Tainan for the Spring Festival
考试过了 – Passed the exam
以后要做什么 – What to do in the future
三个月的晚饭 – Three Months of Dinners
现在很好 – Now is good
Weekly Structure
- Weekly Format: 6 stories per week for systematic learning
- Week 1-2: Foundational vocabulary and basic sentence patterns
- Week 3-4: Intermediate expressions and everyday situations
- Week 5+: Advanced vocabulary and complex narratives
Perfect For
- Self-directed readers who want structured, engaging content
- Learners building vocabulary for HSK 3.0 Band 2-3
- Those who want to move beyond textbook dialogues into real stories
- Students interested in practical Chinese for daily life