Reading News Articles — Fluency

What you will learn

Develop reading skills for Chinese-language news. Learn headline conventions, formal written structures, and how to extract key information from news articles about Hong Kong current affairs, economy, and society.

Decode news headline conventions
Understand formal written Chinese structures
Extract key information from articles
Distinguish editorial opinion from reporting

Dialogue

Conversation

你平時鍾意睇邊份報紙？

nei5 ping4 si4 zung1 ji3 tai2 bin1 fan6 bou3 zi2?

Which newspaper do you usually read?

我主要睇網上新聞，方便快捷。不過有時都會買份實體報紙慢慢睇。

ngo5 zyu2 jiu3 tai2 mong5 soeng6 san1 man4, fong1 bin6 faai3 zit6. bat1 gwo3 jau5 si4 dou1 wui5 maai5 fan6 sat6 tai2 bou3 zi2 maan6 maan2 tai2.

I mainly read online news, its convenient and fast. But sometimes I buy a physical paper to read slowly.

你覺得而家啲新聞標題係咪越嚟越誇張？

nei5 gok3 dak1 ji4 gaa1 di1 san1 man4 biu1 tai4 hai6 mai6 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 kwaa1 zoeng1?

Do you think news headlines are getting more and more exaggerated?

絕對係，為咗吸引讀者點擊，標題黨嘅現象越嚟越嚴重。

zyut6 deoi3 hai6, wai6 zo2 kap1 jan5 duk6 ze2 dim2 gik1, biu1 tai4 dong2 ge3 jin6 zoeng6 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 jim4 zung6.

Absolutely, to attract reader clicks, the clickbait phenomenon is getting worse.

所以而家分辨真假新聞變得越嚟越重要。

so2 ji5 ji4 gaa1 fan1 bin6 zan1 gaa2 san1 man4 bin3 dak1 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 zung6 jiu3.

So distinguishing real from fake news is becoming more and more important.

冇錯，我會查下消息來源，睇下係咪有根有據先信。

mou5 co3, ngo5 wui5 caa4 haa5 siu1 sik1 loi4 jyun4, tai2 haa5 hai6 mai6 jau5 gan1 jau5 geoi3 sin1 seon3.

Right, I check the source and see if there is evidence before believing it.

你會唔會特別留意財經版？我覺得好多專有名詞好難明。

nei5 wui5 m4 wui5 dak6 bit6 lau4 ji3 coi4 ging1 baan2? ngo5 gok3 dak1 hou2 do1 zyun1 jau5 ming4 ci4 hou2 naan4 ming4.

Do you pay special attention to the finance section? I find many technical terms hard to understand.

多睇就會慣，我建議你由社會版開始，比較貼近日常生活。

do1 tai2 zau6 wui5 gwaan3, ngo5 gin3 ji5 nei5 jau4 se5 wui2 baan2 hoi1 ci2, bei2 gaau3 tip3 kan5 jat6 soeng4 sang1 wut6.

Read more and you will get used to it. I suggest starting with the society section, it is closer to daily life.

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

報紙

bou3 zi2

newspaper

標題

biu1 tai4

headline

標題黨

biu1 tai4 dong2

clickbait

讀者

duk6 ze2

reader

點擊

dim2 gik1

click

消息來源

siu1 sik1 loi4 jyun4

news source

有根有據

jau5 gan1 jau5 geoi3

well-founded / with evidence

財經版

coi4 ging1 baan2

finance section

社會版

se5 wui2 baan2

society section

專有名詞

zyun1 jau5 ming4 ci4

technical terms

分辨

fan1 bin6

distinguish

現象

jin6 zoeng6

phenomenon

Grammar

Language Patterns

越嚟越 + adj (more and more)

越嚟越 (jyut6 lai4 jyut6) + adjective means "more and more". Describes a trend or gradual change. Very common in discussions about society and trends.

天氣越嚟越凍。

tin1 hei3 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 dung3.

The weather is getting colder and colder.

佢嘅廣東話越嚟越好。

keoi5 ge3 gwong2 dung1 waa2 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 hou2.

Her Cantonese is getting better and better.

為咗 + purpose (in order to)

為咗 (wai6 zo2) introduces a purpose or motivation. "In order to" or "for the sake of". Can be placed before or after the subject.

為咗慳錢，佢搬去細啲嘅屋。

wai6 zo2 haan1 cin2, keoi5 bun1 heoi3 sai3 di1 ge3 uk1.

To save money, she moved to a smaller place.

為咗健康，我戒咗煙。

wai6 zo2 gin6 hong1, ngo5 gaai3 zo2 jin1.

For my health, I quit smoking.

verb + 先 + verb (do X first before Y)

Placing 先 (sin1) between two clauses means "first do X, then do Y" or "only after X, then Y". In news context: 查先信 means "check first, then believe".

諗清楚先做決定。

nam2 cing1 co2 sin1 zou6 kyut3 ding6.

Think clearly first before deciding.

睇完先講。

tai2 jyun4 sin1 gong2.

Finish reading first, then talk.

絕對 (absolutely / definitely)

絕對 (zyut6 deoi3) is a strong emphatic word meaning "absolutely". More formal and forceful than 一定. Used to express total agreement or certainty.

絕對冇問題。

zyut6 deoi3 mou5 man6 tai4.

Absolutely no problem.

呢個決定絕對正確。

ni1 go3 kyut3 ding6 zyut6 deoi3 zing3 kok3.

This decision is absolutely correct.

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

假新聞嘅現象 ___ 嚴重。 (more and more)

越嚟越
好多
幾乎
始終

Answer

越嚟越

Translate · Question 2

To attract clicks, headlines are getting more exaggerated.

Answer

為咗吸引點擊，標題越嚟越誇張。

Choice · Question 3

What is 標題黨?

clickbait
a political party
a newspaper
a headline writer

Answer

clickbait

Fill_blank · Question 4

睇下有冇根據 ___ 信。 (first, then)

Answer

先

Translate · Question 5

I suggest starting with the society section, it is closer to daily life.

Answer

我建議你由社會版開始，比較貼近日常生活。

Finished this lesson?

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Formal vs Informal Register

Idiomatic Expressions

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