一言为定！(Yìyánwéidìng!) It’s a deal! (Intermediate)
Nǐ fù wǎnfàn qián, wǒ qǐng nǐ kàn diànyǐng, zěnmeyàng? A: 你付 晚饭 钱， 我 请 你 看 电影， 怎么样？ You pay for dinner and I will treat you to a movie. OK?
Yìyánwéidìng! B：一言为定！ It’s a deal!
HSK …
振作起来！打起精神！(Zhènzuò qǐlái! Dǎ qǐ jīngshén!) Cheer up! (Beginner)
Xiǎo míng, wǒ de wùlǐ kǎoshì méi jígé. Wǒ hǎo nánguò, wǒ wèi zhècì kǎoshì zhǔnbèi le yígèyuè le! A: 小明， 我 的 物理 考试 没 及格。 我 好 难过， 我 为 这次 考试 准备 了 …
太遗憾了！(Tài yíhàn le!) What a Pity! (Beginner)
Nánhái: Míngtiān wǒ kěyǐ yuē nǐ hē kāfēi ma? 男孩： 明天 我 可以 约 你 喝 咖啡 吗？ Boy: May I take you out for coffee tomorrow?
女孩: 太 遗憾 了，我 已经 有 约 了。 Girl: What …
渔翁得利 (Yúwēngdélì) Tencent (QQ) vs. 360: The Fisherman benefits.
渔 (yú)：v. to catch fish
渔翁 (yúwēng)：n. fisherman
利 (lì)：n. profit
之 (zhī)：a structural auxiliary word, which means “of…,” more often used in ancient Chinese text
In early November, two of China’s …
Liú Xiáng réng shì wéiyī jùxīng, shuí néng chūrèn xīn lǐngjūnren? 刘翔 仍 是 唯一 巨星， 谁 能 出任 新 领军人？
Liu Xiang is still the only superstar. Who else can take over as the new leader in sports?
—reported by Xinhua net after Liu …
杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn) Kill the Hen that Lays Golden Eggs (Advanced)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn): to kill the hen that lays golden eggs
金 (jīn): adj. golden
Listen to the whole story:
Yǒu yí duì pínqióng de fūfù, tāmen yǎngle yì zhī lǎo mǔjī. …
–Will you go home for Christmas Eve? –Of course! What does “of course” mean in Chinese? A. 不知道 (bùzhīdào) B. 当然 (dāngrán) C. 可能 (kěnéng) D. 不客气 (búkèqi)
// var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "https://www."); …
The correct answer for this Mandarin mini-test is B.
Analysis: A. 不知道 (bùzhīdào) means “I don’t know” or “I have no idea.”
B. 当然 (dāngrán) means “Of course.”
C. 可能 (kěnéng) means “It’s possible.”
D. 不客气 (búkèqi) means “You are welcome.”…
请随意！(Qǐng suíyì!) Make yourself at home! (Beginner)
Nǐhǎo，Wáng Lì! Kuài jìnlái , qǐng suíyì! Lái diǎn kékǒukělè zěnmeyàng? A：你好， 王力！ 快 进来， 请 随意！来 点 可口可乐 怎么样？ Hi, Wang Li! Come in, please! Make yourself at home! How about some Coca-Cola?
Hǎo de! Xièxiè! …
The Race between the Hare and the Tortoise (Beginner) 龟兔赛跑
“The Hare and the Tortoise” is a remarkable story, well-known among both children and adults in China. It is great material in Chinese for kids to learn.
Wūguī pǎo báitù …
Rén de qiánlì shì wúxiàn de, yì gè rén jiù xiàng xiàngpíjīn yíyàng, 人 的 潜力 是 无限 的，一 个人 就 像 橡皮筋 一样， xūyào búduàn de lā, zài zhè gè guòchéng zhōng tiǎozhàn zìjǐ 需要 不断 地 拉，在 这 个 过程 中 挑战 自己 …
你真好！(Nǐ zhēnhǎo!) You are so kind! (Beginner)
A: Tiānqì yuèláiyuèlěng le, wǒ gěi nǐ mǎi le yífù yángmáo shǒutào, dàizhe tā jiù nuǎnhuo le! A：天气 越来越冷 了，我 给你 买 了 一副 羊毛 手套， 戴着 它 就 暖和 了！ A: The weather is getting colder …
“Up above there is heaven; down below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.” Hangzhou is considered the best city for travel in China. What’s the meaning of travel in Chinese? A. 生活 (shēnghuó) B. 购物 (gòuwù) C. 旅游 (lǚyóu) D. 体育 (tǐyù) …
The correct answer for this Chinese test is C.
Analysis:
A. In Chinese “生活 (shēnghuó)” means “life.”
B. In Chinese “购物 (gòuwù)” means “shopping.”
C. In Chinese “旅游 (lǚyóu)” means “travel.”
D. In Chinese “体育 (tǐyù)” means “Physical Education.”
Culture Note:…
Key Learning Points (Preview):
团购 (tuángòu): n. group purchasing
捏团 (niētuán): v. to form a group
捏友 (niēyǒu): n. friends made from group purchasing
Will you participate in group purchasing today?
With rising prices these days, “团购 (tuángòu) group purchasing” is becoming a big part …
真有趣！(Zhēn yǒuqù!) That’s funny! (Beginner)
Wǒ lǎogōng jīngcháng zài mènglǐ xiàng wǒ dàoqiàn! A：我 老公 经常 在 梦里 向 我 道歉！ A: My husband often apologizes to me in his dreams!
Zhēn yǒuqù! B：真 有趣！ B: That’s funny!
Further Reading:
The correct answer for this Chinese test is A.
Analysis:
A: “婚纱 (hūnshā)” is the Chinese word for “wedding veil.”
B: “婚礼 (hūnlǐ)” is the Chinese word for “wedding.”
C: “婚姻 (hūnyīn)” is the Chinese word for “marriage.”
D: “礼服 (lǐfú)” …
A: I plan to get married with Jim right after Christmas. B: Really? I can’t wait to see your wedding veil! What does “Wedding Veil” mean in Chinese? A. 婚纱 (hūnshā) B. 婚礼 (hūnlǐ) C. 婚姻 (hūnyīn) D. 礼服 (lǐfú)
…曹冲称象(Cáo Chōng Chēng Xiàng) Cao Chong Weighed an Elephant
大象(dàxiàng): n. elephant
称(chēng): v. to weigh
Sānguó de shíhou, yǒurén sònggěi CáoCāo yìtóu jùxiàng. 三国 的 时候， 有人 送给 曹操 一头 巨象。
One day during the …
Thanksgiving Day is coming up. Do you know how to read and write the Chinese Characters
for Thanksgiving Day? The Chinese Characters
for “Thanksgiving Day” are “感恩节(Gǎn’ēnjié),” or the traditional Chinese characters “感恩節(Gǎn’ēnjié).” “感(gǎn)” means to appreciate or to give thanks. “恩(ēn)” means the favor …
