Key Learning Point (Preview):
如鱼得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ): to feel just like a fish in water
Dōnghàn mònián, tiānxià dà luàn. 东汉 末年， 天下 大 乱。 In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the country was in confusion.
Liú Bèi wèi tǒngyī tiānxià, tèyì bàifǎng yǐnjū de Zhūgě …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 小人 (xiǎorén): n. a mean/cruel person
One day, my British friend asked me how to say “adult” in Mandarin. It’s “大人 (dàrén) adult” I told him. “So then, I’m an ‘大人 (dàrén) adult’, and you are too,” he started, “but my …
Read the conversation:
A wife complains about the dish made by her husband.
Wife: Lǎogōng, nǐ zuòde zhèshì shénme cài ya, wǒ kànzhe dōu méi shíyù. Wife: 老公， 你 做 的 这是 什么 菜 呀，我 看着 都 没 食欲。
Husband:Nǐ ài …
The answer to this test is A.
Translation: Lǎogōng, nǐ zuòde zhèshì shénme cài ya, wǒ kànzhe dōu méi shíyù. Wife: 老公， 你 做的 这是 什么 菜 呀，我 看着 都 没 食欲。
Honey, the dishes you cooked made me lose my …
Key Learning Point (Preview):
辣 (là): adj. spicy/hot
Read this short conversation where Mike and John discuss a new colleague.
Wǒmen bùmén xīn lái le yíge nǚ tóngshì. Mike: 我们 部门 新 来 了一个 女 同事。 There is a new woman colleague in our department. …
Conversation:
Kàn nàge nǚháir, wǒ tǐng xǐhuan tā de. Dan: 看 那个 女孩儿，我 挺 喜欢 她的。 Nà jiù gǎnjǐn zhuī ya, cuòguòle kě jiù láibují le. Tom: 那就 赶紧 追 呀， 错过 了 可就 来不及了。
What does “追 (zhuī)” Imply here? …
The right answer for this test is B.
Translation: Kàn nàge nǚháir, wǒ tǐng xǐhuan tā de. Dan: 看 那个 女孩儿，我 挺 喜欢 她 的。
Look at that girl. I like her very much.
Nà jiù gǎnjǐn zhuī ya, cuòguòle kě …
Lily complains about her husband to Lucy.
Conversation: Tā jìngrán bǎ wǒ de huà dàng ěrpángfēng, qì sǐ wǒ le. Lily: 他 竟然 把 我 的 话 当 耳旁风， 气 死我了。
Āiya, bié shànghuǒ le. Lucy: 哎呀，别 上火 了。
What does …
The answer to the test is B.
Translation: Tā jìngrán bǎ wǒ de huà dàng ěrpángfēng, qì sǐ wǒ le. Lily: 他 竟然 把 我 的 话 当 耳旁风， 气 死我了。 He didn’t listen to me and made me angry!
Āiya, …
Conversation:
Wǒ ____ nián shíyī zhǔnbèi qù Ōuzhōu lǚyóu. Lily: 我____ 年 十一 准备 去 欧洲 旅游。
Shì ma? Tǐng hǎo de. Lucy: 是吗？ 挺 好 的。
Choose the right word for the blank.
A: 明 (míng) B: 下 (xià) …
The right answer for the online test is A.
Translation: Wǒ míngnián shíyī zhǔnbèi qù Ōuzhōu lǚyóu. Lily: 我 明年 十一 准备 去 欧洲 旅游。 I am planning to travel to Europe during National Day next year.
Shì ma? Tǐng hǎo …
“钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān)” refers to someone who wastes time and effort trying to figure out an insignificant or insoluble problem. Sometimes this idiom is used to describe a narrow-minded person.
Key Learning Point (Preview):
钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān): to get into a dead end
Yìzhī lǎoshǔ …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 剩女 (shèngnǚ) n. spinsters
Today we take a look at the Chinese phrase “剩女 (shèngnǚ).” The term shows up every day in newspapers, TV shows and daily life. Can you guess its meaning? “剩 (shèng)” means to remain, or to be …
“纠结 (jiūjié)” was first used by the animation Fansub group back in 2001. In one of the cartoons, a character shouted “纠结啊! (jiūjié a!)” Since then, the term transitioned from being popular among animation fans, to being a popular termed widely used by the masses.…
Key Learning Point (Preview):
意思 (yìsi): n. meaning
Frank is my friend from America. One day, he came to me and told me that he heard a conversation between two Chinese people which confused him. The conversation went as follows: Nǐ zhège rén zhēn yǒu …
Conversation:
Láibùjí le, mòbānchē zǒu le. Anne: 来不及了，末班车 走 了。
Āi, yòu děi dǎchē huíjiā le. Tina: 哎，又 得 打车 回家 了。
Based on the conversation above choose the correct answer.
What does “来不及 (láibùjí)” mean in the dialogue?
A: Come …
The correct answer for this quiz is B.
Translation: Láibùjí le, mòbānchē zǒu le. Anne: 来不及了，末班车 走 了 。
It’s too late. The last bus has gone.
Āi, yòu děi dǎchē huíjiā le. Tina: 哎，又 得 打车 回家 了。
Oh, we …
The correct answer for this test is B.
Translation:
Chángchang wǒ zuò de Xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn zěnmeyàng? Mary: 尝尝 我 做 得 西红柿 炒 鸡蛋 怎么样？ How about the scrambled eggs with tomatoes I made?
Búcuò a, hěn hǎo chī! Ella: …
Conversation: Chángchang wǒ zuò de Xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn zěnmeyàng? Mary: 尝尝 我 做 得 西红柿 炒 鸡蛋 怎么样？
Búcuò a, hěn hǎo chī! Ella: 不错 啊，很 好 吃！
What does “不错 (búcuò)” mean in this dialogue?
A: Right/correct B: Good/not bad…
The idiom “滴水穿石 (dīshuǐchuānshí)” more literally means that constantly dripping water can wear away stone.
Now it is used to mean that you can succeed if you persist. It also can be written as “水滴石穿 (shuǐdīshíchuān).”
Let’s read about the origin of this idiom.
Key …
