In today’s class we will introduce to a popular Chinese song and nursery rhyme called Two Tigers. This tuneful nursery rhyme is popular in China is a great song for Mandarin learners to pick up some new vocabulary. Parents may also use the translation of the song on this page to teach their Chinese children how the song can be sung in English.
2022 – the year of Two Tigers
In Chinese tradition there are 12 years of the zodiac, each represented by one animal. The year 2022 of the Chinese Calendar began on the 1st of February and is the year of the Tiger. On Chinese state run Media CCTV there was a live show celebrating the ushering in of the new calendar year. Towards the beginning of the 2022 CCTV New Year Gala, we were introduced to the presenters of a long-running Chinese TV show called China’s Public Opinion Field 中国舆论场。Given the repeat occurence of the digit 2 in the year 2022, the two presenters were holding a tiger each.
As the presenters wish the audience at home a happy New Year the male presenter, as a jole, sing a couple of lines of the nursery rhyme 两只老虎. In pinyin this is liǎng zhīlǎohǔ, did you catch it?
In English what the man says is ‘two tigers.’ The lady then repeats, and then the man goes on to provide the second line of the song 跑得快 – pǎodékuài。In English the first two lines of the song 两只老虎 is Two Tigers, Two tigers, Run really fast. This tune is to the French tune of Frere Jacques.
Below we provide we translate the full song 两只老虎 into English.
Two Tigers Chinese Nursery Rhyme in English
Two Tigers song in English, Chinese and Pinyin
两只老虎，两只老虎 liǎng zhī lǎohǔ liǎng zhī lǎohǔ。Two Tigers, Two Tigers
跑得快，跑得快 pǎodékuài pǎodékuài. Run Fast, Run Fast
一只没有耳朵，一直没有尾巴 yī zhī méiyǒu ěrduo yīzhí méiyǒu wěiba。 One without an ear, one without a tail.
真奇怪，真奇怪 zhēn qíguài zhēn qíguài。 Very Strange, Very Strange.
两只老虎，两只老虎 liǎng zhī lǎohǔ liǎng zhī lǎohǔ。Two Tigers, Two Tigers
跑得快，跑得快 pǎodékuài pǎodékuài. Run Fast, Run Fast
一只没有耳朵，一直没有尾巴 yī zhī méiyǒu ěrduo yīzhí méiyǒu wěiba。 One without an ear, one without a tail.
真奇怪，真奇怪 zhēn qíguài zhēn qíguài。 Very Strange, Very Strange.
两只老虎，两只老虎 liǎng zhī lǎohǔ liǎng zhī lǎohǔ。Two Tigers, Two Tigers
跑得快，跑得快 pǎodékuài pǎodékuài. Run Fast, Run Fast
一只没有耳朵，一直没有尾巴 yī zhī méiyǒu ěrduo yīzhí méiyǒu wěiba。 One without an ear, one without a tail.
真奇怪，真奇怪 zhēn qíguài zhēn qíguài。 Very Strange, Very Strange.