What Does “火(huǒ)” Mean in Chinese?
Nǐ zhīdào bàba qù nǎr ma? Annie: 你 知道《爸爸 去 哪儿》吗？
Do you know the program, “Dad, where are we going?” Zhāng Lì: Zhīdào, zhège jiémù zuìjìn hěn huǒ. 张丽： 知道， 这个 节目 最近 很 火。
Zhang Li: Yes, the program has become very popular …
Chinese Tongue Twister – Mom Rides a Horse
In the video the husband tries to master the four tones of “ma.”
In the process, he made a lot of mistakes. But with the help of his wife, he gradually mastered the four tones.
Is it really so hard to master Chinese tones?
Today …
Green-eyed? It’s “眼红(yǎnhóng) Red-eyed” in Chinese!
Colors sometimes can express certain feelings such as a blue mood or a black day. However, how colors relate to emotions can be different in different languages. In the Chinese language, the word “眼红(yǎnhóng)” is an example of this.
In English, there are terms like …
How Chinese People Respond to Praise?
John: Chén Wěi, nǐ nǚ péngyou zhēn piàoliang! John: 陈 伟，你 女 朋友 真 漂亮！ John: Chen Wei, your girlfriend is so beautiful! Chén Wěi: Năli năli! 陈 伟： 哪里哪里！ Which of the following did you see in this dialogue? A. Chen Wei doesn’t think …
Answer to the Exercise on How to Use “哪里哪里(Năli năli)?”
Answer: B In traditional Chinese culture, there is an old saying that “arrogant people always fall behind the modest ones.” So Chinese tend to be modest when responding to praise and think of modesty as an essential virtue. More often than saying “thank you,” Chinese …
Chinese Popular Word: 土豪 (Tǔ háo) Rich but Vulgar!
Recently, the word “土豪(tǔháo)” has become wildly popular in China.
Since September this year, there have been more than 100 million references to the word “土豪(tǔháo)” on social media sites.
Literally, “土(tǔ)” means earth and “豪(háo)” means rich. So it seems that “土豪(tǔháo)” means rich …
How to Ask Someone’s Family Name in Chinese?
Nín__ ? John: 您__？ Wǒ xìng Wáng. Mr. Wang: 我 姓 王。 My family name is Wang. A. 叫什么(jiào shénme)
B. 是什么(shì shénme)
C. 姓什么(xìng shéme)
Answer to the Exercise on How to Ask Someone’s Family Name in Chinese
Answer: C In the Chinese language, the word “姓(xìng)” means “to be surnamed.”
Example:
Wǒ xìng Lǐ, nǐ ne? 我 姓 李，你呢？
My family name is Li. What about you? For answer choice A, when someone asks “叫什么(jiào shénme),” the answer should be a full …
The Hand Game – Rock-Paper-Scissors
Jiǎndāo shítou bù, hāha, nǐ shū le. Lái! 剪刀 石头 布，哈哈，你输 了。来！
Rock-Paper-Scissors, ha-ha, you lose. Come here. Jiǎndāo shítou bù, hāhaha, nǐ yòu shū le. Lái! 剪刀 石头 布，哈哈哈，你 又 输 了。 来！
Rock-Paper-Scissors, ha-ha-ha, you lose again. Come here! Jiǎndāo shítou bù, nǐ …
Why Does “手(shǒu) Hand” Decide Who We Are in Chinese?
In its primary usage, the word “手(shǒu)” means “hand.”
For Example:
Tā shǒu lǐ yǒu yí gè píngguǒ. 他 手 里 有 一 个 苹果。 There is an apple in his hand.
Yǒu wèntí, qǐng jǔshǒu! 有 问题，请 举手！ Hold up your hands if you …
Answers to the Exercise on “你(nǐ)” and “您(nín)”
Answer: C In the Chinese language, both “你(nǐ)” and “您(nín)” mean “you,” but they are quite different in usage.
“你(nǐ)” is used for informal interactions. “你(nǐ)” is used to address children, peers, subordinates etc. While “您(nín)” is a more polite and formal expression. “您(nín)” is …
When to Use “你(nǐ)” And “您(nín)?”
Lǎoshī, __ hǎo! Student：老师, __ 好！ Hello, teacher!
__ hǎo! Teacher：__ 好！
Hello!
A. 你(nǐ)；您(nín)
B. 您(nín)；您(nín)
C. 您(nín)；你(nǐ)
A Tongue Twister: The Big Rabbit And The Small Rabbit
Dàtù dùzi dà, xiǎotù dùzi xiǎo. 大兔 肚子大，小兔 肚子 小。
The abdomen of the big rabbit is big. The abdomen of the small rabbit is small. Dàtù bǐ xiǎotù dùzi dà, xiǎotù bǐ dàtù dùzi xiǎo. 大兔 比 小兔 肚子大，小兔 比 大兔 肚子 小。
The …