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Drones: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English

Over 600,000 DJI farm drones were in use at the end of 2025, and a Liuyang show in October 2025 flew 15,974 drones.

Play: Drones

The conversation

Speakers: Xiuying and Yating.

  1. Xiuying

    抬(tái)头(tóu)看(kàn)，别(bié)眨(zhǎ)眼(yǎn)！

    Look up, don't blink!

  2. Yating

    天(tiān)上(shàng)那(nà)个(ge)是(shì)灯(dēng)笼(lóng)吗(ma)？全(quán)是(shì)灯(dēng)光(guāng)拼(pīn)出(chu)来(lai)的(de)！

    Is that a lantern up there? It's all made of lights!

  3. Xiuying

    无(wú)人(rén)机(jī)表(biǎo)演(yǎn)呗(bei)，几(jǐ)千(qiān)台(tái)机(jī)器(qì)一(yí)块(kuài)儿(r)在(zài)空(kōng)中(zhōng)列(liè)队(duì)呢(ne)。

    It's a drone show, thousands of them are forming shapes up in the air together.

  4. Yating

    那(nà)去(qù)年(nián)十(shí)月(yuè)湖(hú)南(nán)浏(liú)阳(yáng)那(nà)场(chǎng)飞(fēi)了(le)多(duō)少(shao)台(tái)？

    How many flew in that show in Liuyang, Hunan, last October?

    1. 15974台(tái) 15,974
    2. 1597台(tái) 1,597
    3. 159740台(tái) 159,740
    Answer

    15974台(tái) 15,974

  5. Xiuying

    15974台(tái)，创(chuàng)了(le)纪(jì)录(lù)。重(chóng)庆(qìng)之(zhī)前(qián)那(nà)个(ge)夜(yè)空(kōng)图(tú)案(àn)记(jì)录(lù)是(shì)11787台(tái)。

    15,974, it broke the record. Chongqing's night sky pattern record before that was 11,787.

  6. Yating

    你(nǐ)连(lián)这(zhè)都(dōu)记(jì)得(de)，不(bú)愧(kuì)是(shì)你(nǐ)。

    You remember even that, totally you.

  7. Xiuying

    除(chú)了(le)表(biǎo)演(yǎn)还(hái)有(yǒu)农(nóng)业(yè)的(de)。到(dào)2025年(nián)底(dǐ)，全(quán)球(qiú)用(yòng)上(shàng)的(de)大(dà)疆(jiāng)农(nóng)业(yè)无(wú)人(rén)机(jī)都(dōu)超(chāo)过(guò)60万(wàn)台(tái)了(le)。

    Besides shows, there's agricultural ones. By the end of 2025, DJI agricultural drones in use worldwide topped 600,000.

  8. Yating

    我(wǒ)叔(shū)叔(shu)就(jiù)有(yǒu)一(yì)台(tái)！以(yǐ)前(qián)他(tā)得(děi)背(bēi)着(zhe)沉(chén)甸(diàn)甸(diàn)的(de)药(yào)箱(xiāng)在(zài)田(tián)里(lǐ)深(shēn)一(yì)脚(jiǎo)浅(qiǎn)一(yì)脚(jiǎo)地(de)走(zǒu)。

    My uncle's got one! He used to have to lug a heavy pesticide tank around the fields on foot.

  9. Xiuying

    现(xiàn)在(zài)它(tā)们(men)能(néng)在(zài)300多(duō)种(zhǒng)农(nóng)作(zuò)物(wù)上(shàng)空(kōng)喷(pēn)洒(sǎ)农(nóng)药(yào)和(hé)播(bō)种(zhǒng)。

    Now they can spray crops and sow seeds over more than 300 kinds of crops.

  10. Yating

    他(tā)现(xiàn)在(zài)就(jiù)坐(zuò)在(zài)大(dà)树(shù)底(dǐ)下(xia)，手(shǒu)里(lǐ)拿(ná)个(gè)遥(yáo)控(kòng)器(qì)就(jiù)行(xíng)。

    He just sits under a big tree now with a remote control in his hand.

  11. Xiuying

    这(zhè)就(jiù)是(shì)低(dī)空(kōng)经(jīng)济(jì)。

    That's the low-altitude economy.

  12. Yating

    我(wǒ)叔(shū)叔(shu)坐(zuò)树(shù)底(dǐ)下(xia)也(yě)算(suàn)经(jīng)济(jì)？

    My uncle sitting under a tree counts as an economy?

  13. Xiuying

    还(hái)有(yǒu)载(zài)人(rén)无(wú)人(rén)机(jī)呢(ne)，亿(yì)航(háng)的(de)载(zài)客(kè)观(guān)光(guāng)飞(fēi)行(xíng)都(dōu)拿(ná)到(dào)证(zhèng)了(le)。

    There are passenger drones too, EHang's got certification for passenger sightseeing flights.

  14. Yating

    等(děng)我(wǒ)叔(shū)叔(shu)先(xiān)上(shàng)去(qù)坐(zuò)一(yí)趟(tàng)，我(wǒ)再(zài)考(kǎo)虑(lǜ)。

    Let my uncle go up for a ride first, then I'll think about it.

Hear it read aloud in the app

Words in the conversation

天(tiān)上(shàng)in the skyHSK 2超(chāo)过(guò)to exceedHSK 2以(yǐ)前(qián)beforeHSK 2它(tā)们(men)they (non-human)HSK 2拿(ná)到(dào)to obtainHSK 2表(biǎo)演(yǎn)to put on a showHSK 3机(jī)器(qì)a machineHSK 3纪(jì)录(lù)the record (best result)HSK 3记(jì)录(lù)to recordHSK 3除(chú)了(le)apart fromHSK 3农(nóng)业(yè)agricultureHSK 3年(nián)底(dǐ)the end of the yearHSK 3全(quán)球(qiú)the whole globeHSK 3底(dǐ)下(xia)underneathHSK 3就(jiù)是(shì)preciselyHSK 3经(jīng)济(jì)the economy of a region or countryHSK 3客(kè)观(guān)objectiveHSK 3飞(fēi)行(xíng)to fly / a flightHSK 3上(shàng)去(qù)to go up and awayHSK 3灯(dēng)光(guāng)lamplightHSK 4之(zhī)前(qián)beforeHSK 4图(tú)案(àn)a designHSK 4叔(shū)叔(shu)uncleHSK 4多(duō)种(zhǒng)many varied kindsHSK 4手(shǒu)里(lǐ)in one's handHSK 4考(kǎo)虑(lǜ)to considerHSK 4抬(tái)头(tóu)to raise one's headHSK 5空(kōng)中(zhōng)in the airHSK 5背(bēi)着(zhe)to carry on one's backHSK 6观(guān)光(guāng)sightseeingHSK 6

Notes

DJI

DJI, based in Shenzhen, makes camera drones (Mavic, Mini, Air) and farm drones (Agras).

Farm drones

Over 400,000 DJI agricultural drones were in use worldwide at the end of 2024, and over 600,000 at the end of 2025. They spray and spread over fields of more than 300 crop types.

Light shows

On 17 June 2025 in Chongqing, 11,787 drones formed the largest aerial image. On 17 October 2025 in Liuyang, Hunan, 15,974 drones flew in what was reported as the largest display. Each is a record for its own category.

The low-altitude economy

Dikong jingji, the "low-altitude economy", covers drones, delivery, aerial tours and passenger drones. The CAAC put the sector above 500 billion yuan in 2023. Registered drones numbered 3.287 million at the end of 2025.

Pilotless passenger aircraft

In March 2025 the CAAC gave EHang subsidiaries in Guangzhou and Hefei the first air operator certificates for pilotless passenger aircraft, the EH216-S. That allows paid sightseeing flights: daytime, normal weather, pre-approved routes, taking off and landing at the same site.

Play

Drones

Over 600,000 DJI farm drones were in use at the end of 2025, and a Liuyang show in October 2025 flew 15,974 drones.

  1. Which Shenzhen company makes the Mavic and Mini drones?

    Answer

    DJI. DJI also makes Agras farm drones.

  2. DJI farm drones in use worldwide at the end of 2024 numbered over:

    Answer

    400,000. From DJI's agricultural annual report.

  3. Chongqing's June 2025 record show used about:

    Answer

    11,787 drones. Largest aerial image formed by drones.

  4. The Liuyang show in October 2025 used about:

    Answer

    16,000 drones. Reported as 15,974.

  5. Dikong jingji means:

    Answer

    Low-altitude economy. Drones, deliveries and air tours.

  6. EHang's EH216-S operators received air operator certificates in:

    Answer

    March 2025. The CAAC certificates cover sightseeing flights.

  7. Registered drones in China at the end of 2025 numbered about:

    Answer

    3.3 million. CAAC data: 3.287 million.

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