If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard the warnings. Chinese is one of the hardest languages in the world. The tones will break you. The characters will take years. You’ll never reach fluency. Maybe you’ve even told yourself these things.
But here’s what’s strange. Talk …
Yǒu yī zhī qīng wā zhù zài jǐng dǐ. 有一只青蛙住在井底。 There was a frog living at the bottom of a well.
Tā jué de tiān zhǐ yǒu jǐng kǒu nà me dà. 他觉得天只有井口那么大。 He thought the sky was only as big as the well’s opening.…
Huà shé tiān zú. 画蛇添足。 Draw a snake and add feet.
Dà jiā bǐ sài huà shé. 大家比赛画蛇。 Everyone competed to draw a snake.
Yī gè rén huà wán le, yòu gěi shé jiā le jiǎo. 一个人画完了，又给蛇加了脚。 One man finished, but he added feet to …
Yī gè nóng fū jiǎn dào yī zhī 一个农夫捡到一只 A farmer found a
zhuàng sǐ zài shù zhuāng shàng de tù zi. 撞死在树桩上的兔子。 rabbit that had run into a tree stump and died.
Tā hěn kāi xīn, 他很开心， He was very happy
jué dì měi …
Let me tell you about my first online Chinese tutor.
I found her on a language platform. Good reviews. Native speaker. Reasonable price. Our first session went like this:
She said: “Please read this dialogue.”
I read.
She said: “Good. Now let’s do the exercises.”…
Exciting news! Andy from Mexico has been learning Chinese with eChineseLearning for 3 years, starting from zero. She recently won the top national prize in a Chinese language competition and earned an exchange opportunity to China.
Hard work pays off. Check out her competition video …
Wǒ qù tú shū guǎn. 我去图书馆。 I go to the library.
Wǒ kàn shū. 我看书。 I read books.
Wǒ jiè shū. 我借书。 I borrow a book.
Wǒ hěn xǐ huān kàn shū! 我很喜欢看书！ I like reading books!
If you consider having your kid learn Mandarin, …
Ér tóng jié kuài lè! 儿童节快乐！ Happy Children’s Day!
Liù yī kuài lè! 六一快乐！ Happy Children’s Day!
Xiè xie nǐ de lǐ wù. 谢谢你的礼物。 Thank you for your gift.
Wǒ hěn kāi xīn! 我很开心！ I’m very happy!
Want your kid to speak real Mandarin?
Sign …
Check into a Hotel in Chinese！5 Must‑Know Phrases
Wǒ yùdìng le fángjiān. 我预订了房间。 I booked a room.
Wǒ lái bàn rùzhù. 我来办理入住。 I’m here to check in.
Xiànzài kěyǐ rùzhù ma? 现在可以入住吗？ Can I check in now?
Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào. 这是我的护照。 …
Many Chinese learners have experienced this situation:
Your Chinese is grammatically correct, but native speakers still react slightly differently than expected. People understand you, yet your sentences sound a little unnatural, overly formal, or “translated.”
This happens because textbook Chinese and real spoken Chinese are …
Lǎo shī gěi wǒ men táng guǒ le! 老师给我们糖果了！ Teacher gave us candy!
Wǒ men jīn tiān bù yòng shàng kè! 我们今天不用上课！ We don’t need class today!
Wǒ men zài xué xiào kāi pài duì! 我们在学校开派对！ We’re having a party at school!
Jīn tiān tài …
Nǐ liù yī yào qù nǎr wán ya? 你六一要去哪儿玩呀？ Where are you going on Children’s Day?
Ér tóng jié nǐ xiǎng zuò shén me? 儿童节你想做什么？ What do you want to do on Children’s Day?
Wǒ men yī qǐ qìng zhù ba! 我们一起庆祝吧！ Let’s celebrate together!…
Liù yī kuài dào le! 六一快到了！ Children’s Day is coming!
Wǒ men qù nǎ lǐ wán ya? 我们去哪里玩呀？ Where should we go play?
Wǒ xiǎng qù yóu lè yuán wán! 我想去游乐园玩！ I want to go to the amusement park!
Wǒ yào dài wǒ de hǎo …
You finally decide to learn Chinese. Maybe it’s for work. Maybe it’s for your partner’s family. Maybe you just want to finally understand what your in-laws are saying at dinner.
You sign up for something that looks promising. You feel excited. This time …
Hi kids! What time is it? Let’s learn to ask and tell the time in Mandarin. Super useful!
Jǐ diǎn le? 几点了？ What time is it?
Repeat after me: Jǐ diǎn le? 几点了？ What time is it？
Good! One more time: Xiàn zài jǐ diǎn …
Hi kids! Sometimes we don’t like certain foods. It’s okay to say so politely. Let’s learn!
Wǒ bù xǐ huan chī zhè ge. 我不喜欢吃这个。 I don’t like to eat this.
Repeat: Wǒ bù xǐ huan chī zhè ge. 我不喜欢吃这个。 I don’t like to eat this.…
Hi kids! Let’s learn how to ask where something is in Mandarin!
Wǒ de shū bāo zài nǎ lǐ? 我的书包在哪里？ Where is my backpack?
Repeat: Wǒ de shū bāo zài nǎ lǐ? 我的书包在哪里？ Where is my backpack?
Now ask: Zài zhuō zi xià mian ma? …
A recent film, A Letter to Grandma, has quietly resonated with many overseas Chinese communities around the world. Not because it is dramatic or complex, but because it reflects something deeply familiar to people who have lived far away from their ancestral home for many …
Top 5 Most Useful Chinese Phrases for the Workplace！
Xīn kǔ le 辛苦了 Thanks for your hard work （Acknowledge effort）
Má fan nǐ le 麻烦你了 Sorry for the trouble / Thanks for your help （Polite after help）
Wǒ kàn kan 我看看 Let me take a …
Hi, little friends! Look outside. Is it sunny or rainy? Let’s learn to say it in Mandarin!
Jīn tiān tiān qì zěn me yàng? 今天天气怎么样？ How’s the weather today?
Repeat: Jīn tiān tiān qì zěn me yàng? 今天天气怎么样？ How’s the weather today?
If it’s hot …
