Chinese Myth

女娲补天🔊

Nǚ Wā Bǔ Tiān
📚 Myths⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This is the myth of how Nüwa repaired the broken sky to save the world.

The Story 🔊

Yuǎngǔ shíhou shuǐshén Gònggōng hé huǒshén Zhùróng dàzhàn
远古Yuǎngǔ🔊时候shíhou🔊水神shuǐshén🔊共工Gònggōng🔊🔊火神huǒshén🔊祝融Zhùróng🔊大战dàzhàn🔊
Gònggōng shībài hòu nù zhuàng Bùzhōushān bǎ tiān zhuàng tā le yíbàn
共工Gònggōng🔊失败后shībài hòu🔊怒撞nù zhuàng🔊不周山Bùzhōushān🔊🔊tiān🔊撞塌了zhuàng tā le🔊一半yíbàn🔊
Tiān shàng chūxiàn le yí gè dà kūlong hóngshuǐ fànlàn dàhuǒ mànyán
天上Tiān shàng🔊出现了chūxiàn le🔊一个yí gè🔊大窟窿dà kūlong🔊洪水hóngshuǐ🔊泛滥fànlàn🔊大火dàhuǒ🔊蔓延mànyán🔊
Nǚwā kàndào bǎixìng shòukǔ juédìng bǔtiān
女娲Nǚwā🔊看到kàndào🔊百姓bǎixìng🔊受苦shòukǔ🔊决定juédìng🔊补天bǔtiān🔊
Tā liàn le wǔsèshí bǎ tiān de kūlong bǔ hǎo le
🔊炼了liàn le🔊五色石wǔsèshí🔊🔊天的tiān de🔊窟窿kūlong🔊补好了bǔ hǎo le🔊
Yòu zhǎn xià dàguī de sì tiáo tuǐ chēngzhù le tiānkōng
Yòu🔊斩下zhǎn xià🔊大龟dàguī🔊de🔊四条腿sì tiáo tuǐ🔊撑住chēngzhù🔊le🔊天空tiānkōng🔊
English Translation:
In ancient times, the water god Gonggong and the fire god Zhurong fought a great battle. After losing, Gonggong angrily crashed into Buzhou Mountain, collapsing half the sky. A huge hole appeared in the sky, floods overflowed, and fire spread. Nüwa saw the people suffering and decided to repair the sky. She smelted five-colored stones and patched the hole in the sky. She also cut off the four legs of a great turtle to support the sky.

Key Vocabulary

女娲补天
nǚ wā bǔ tiān
Nüwa repairs the sky
窟窿
kūlong
hole
五色石
wǔsèshí
five-colored stones
洪水
hóngshuǐ
flood
泛滥
fànlàn
overflow
liàn
smelt

The Moral

Selfless sacrifice saves the world! This myth shows how Nüwa sacrificed herself to save humanity.

Cultural Insight

女娲补天 is one of the most important Chinese creation myths, recorded in "Huainanzi" (淮南子).