Chinese Tongue-twister 化肥 (Huà féi) Fertilizer
化肥 (Huà féi) Fertilizer
Hēi huà féi fā huī, huī huà féi fā hēi. 黑 化 肥 发 灰, 灰 化 肥 发 黑。 Black fertilizers look gray, gray fertilizers look black. Hēi huà féi fā hēi bù fā huī, huī huà féi fā huī …
Chinese Tongue-twister 大麦和小麦 (Dàmài hé xiăomài) The barley and the wheat
大麦和小麦 （Dàmài hé xiăomài）The barley and the wheat
Dàmèi hé xiăomèi, yì qĭ qù shōu mài. 大妹 和 小妹， 一 起 去 收 麦。 The old sister and the young sister go to get wheat together. Dàmèi gē xiăomài, xiăomèi gē dàmài. 大妹 割 小麦， …
Chinese Tongue-twister灰、龟、鬼 (Huī, guī, guĭ) Ash, turtle, ghost
灰、龟、鬼（Huī, guī, guĭ）Ash, turtle, ghost
Yuăn wàng yì duī huī, huī shàng dūn gè guī, guī shàng dūn gè guĭ. 远 望 一 堆 灰，灰 上 蹲 个 龟，龟 上 蹲 个 鬼。 It is a pile of ash from distance where a turtle sits …
Chinese Tongue-twister 孩子和鞋子(Háizi hé xiézĭ) The child and the shoes
孩子和鞋子(Háizi hé xiézĭ) The child and the shoes
Háizi shì háizi, xiézĭ shì xiézĭ, 孩子 是 孩子，鞋子 是 鞋子， Child is child, shoes are shoes, Háizi bú shì xiézĭ, xiézĭ bú shì háizi. 孩子 不 是 鞋子，鞋子 不 是 孩子。 Child is not shoes, shoes …
长藤挂铜铃 (Cháng téng guà tóng líng) The Vine Hangs a Copper Bell
长藤挂铜铃 (Cháng téng guà tóng líng) The Vine Hangs a Copper Bell
Qīngqīng shānshàng yī gēn téng, qīngténg dĭ xià guà tónglíng, 青 青 山 上 一 根 藤， 青 藤 底 下 挂 铜 铃， On a green mountain grows a vine. Under the …
Answer to Misused Mandarin Words: “普通(pǔtōng)” vs. “普遍(pǔbiàn)”
Correct Answer: B Many Chinese learners do not know how to use “普通(pǔtōng)” and “普遍(pǔbiàn)” correctly. The following text will help you understand how to tell the difference between these two useful Chinese words.
In the Chinese language, “普通(pǔtōng)” is an adjective that signifies something …
Misused Mandarin Words: “普通(pǔtōng)” vs. “普遍(pǔbiàn)”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Wáng Lì: Zài dàjiē shàng, nǐ huì kàndào hěnduō rén yìbiān zǒulù yìbiān wán shǒujī. 王 丽：在 大街 上， 你 会 看到 很多 人 一边 走路 一边 玩 手机。 Wang Li: You will find many …
小马过河 (Xiăomă Guòhé) A Little Horse Crosses a River (Part I)
小马过河(Xiăomă Guòhé) A Little Horse Crosses a River (Part I)
Măpéng lĭ zhù zhe yì pĭ xiăomă hé mă māma. 马棚 里 住 着 一 匹 小马 和 马 妈妈。 Once there lived a little horse and his mother in a …
桃花运 (táohuāyùn) Desires of the Heart
Popular Words
桃花运(táohuāyùn) Desires of the Heart
Origin and Meaning
The phrase 桃花运(táohuāyùn) originates from an classic poem in 诗经(shījīng), The Book of Odes, a famous classic Chinese poem work. 桃花运(táohuāyùn) means that a men has good luck with the ladies, or has found a …
Popular Words-秀 (xiù) Show
秀(xiù) Show
Origin and Meaning
The word 秀(xiù) comes from the transliteration of the English word “show.” Literally, it means handsome and elegant. But now it is more commonly used as the verb “to show.”
Usage of the Phrase
Tā yòu zài xiù zìjĭ de …
茉莉花 (Mòlìhuā) Jasmine Flower
茉莉花(Mòlìhuā) Jasmine Flower
Hăo yì duǒ měilì de mòlìhuā, 好 一 朵 美丽 的 茉莉花， What a beautiful jasmine flower,
Hăo yì duǒ měilì de mòlìhuā, 好 一 朵 美丽 的 茉莉花， What a beautiful jasmine flower,
Fēnfāng měilì măn zhī yā, 芬芳 …
Conversation-乘公交 (chéng gōngjiāo) Take a Bus
乘公交(chéng gōngjiāo) Take a Bus
Beginner Level/初级(chūjí)
A: Tīngshuō nĭ huàn gōngzuò le, xiànzài zài nǎr shàngbān ne? A: 听说 你 换 工作 了， 现在 在 哪儿 上班 呢？ I heard that you changed jobs. Now where do you work?
B:Zài méiguī dàlóu fùjìn de …
Popular Words-淡定 (dàndìng) Be Calm 唠嗑 (làokē) Chat
淡定(dàndìng) Be Calm
Origin and Meaning
It is said that the phrase 淡定(dàndìng) first appeared in the work 空山灵雨•银翎底使命(kōngshān língyŭ•yín líng dĭ shĭmìng) 许地山(Xŭ Dìshān): “Only several wild flowers in front of us are 淡定(dàndìng) enough to look at the fish thrashing in the stream, …
嫦娥奔月 (Cháng É bēnyuè) Chang Er Flies to the Moon
A Legend of Mid-Autumn Festival
嫦娥奔月(Cháng É bēnyuè) Chang Er Flies to the Moon
It is said that one year in ancient times, there appeared 10 suns in the sky, and every drop on the earth was melted away under such heat. As a result, …
Popular Words-做东 (zuòdōng) Act as a Host 吹牛 (chuīniú) Brag and Boast
做东(zuòdōng) Act as a Host
Where does it originate from?
In ancient China, most houses are oriented north and south. There is a drawing room in the middle with two seats placed to the east and to the west. The host usually seats the guest …
A Chinese Poem for Children-咏鹅 (yŏng’é) To Ganders
咏鹅(yŏng’é) To Ganders
Chinese Poem for Children
É, é, é, 鹅，鹅，鹅， Ganders, ganders, ganders, Qū xiàng xiàng tiān gē. 曲 项 向 天 歌。 Sing to the sky with necks curved. Bái máo fú lǜ shuĭ, 白 毛 浮 绿 水， White feathers afloat on …
Popular Words-厚道 (hòudao) & 低调 (dīdiào)
厚道(hòudao) Honest and kind; Decent and magnanimous
The origin of the word
The word 厚道(hòudao) comes from a sentence “做人要厚道(zuòrén yào hòudao) one should be honest and kind.” a famous line from the movie Cell Phone 手机(shŏujī) in 2003. Since the movie was released, the …
Answer to Which Is Which? Using “的(de)” “地(de)” and “得(de)” Correctly
Correct Answer: 的(de), 地(de), 的(de), 得(de)
In the Chinese language, “的(de),” “地(de),” and “得(de)” are all commonly used structural particles. In terms of pronunciation, the three words are all pronounced similarly as de. When it comes to usage, however, they are quite different from one …
Which Is Which? Using “的(de)” “地(de)” and “得(de)” Correctly
Please choose the correct form of de to fill in each blank. 的(de) 地(de) 得(de) Suízhe yōuměi ( ) yuèqǔ, Xiǎo Lì huānkuài ( ) tiào zhe, tā ( ) wǔdǎo tiào ( ) měi jí le. 随着 优美 ( ) 乐曲， 小丽 欢快 ( …