Traditional children's song
两只老虎
Liǎng zhī lǎohǔ · Two Tigers
Every child in China learns this one, and it is a near-perfect beginner text: five short lines, a handful of measure words, and a melody you already know. Two tigers, each missing a different part — the little joke is in the last line.
Lyrics, line by line
Characters, pinyin, and a translation of the sense — not a word-for-word gloss.
两只老虎，两只老虎
liǎng zhī lǎo hǔ, liǎng zhī lǎo hǔ
Two tigers, two tigers
跑得快，跑得快
pǎo de kuài, pǎo de kuài
Running fast, running fast
一只没有耳朵
yì zhī méi yǒu ěr duo
One has no ears
一只没有尾巴
yì zhī méi yǒu wěi ba
One has no tail
真奇怪，真奇怪
zhēn qí guài, zhēn qí guài
How strange, how strange
Words worth keeping
Tap any word for its dictionary page — meaning, example sentences, and audio.
On copyright: Set to the tune of the French round “Frère Jacques”, itself public domain. The Chinese words are anonymous and traditional — no rights holder.