键盘 (jiànpán) Keyboard (Intermediate) The character “键 (jiàn)” means key and “盘 (pán)” means plate.
Example:
Wǒ wán yóuxì bǎ jiànpán qiāo huài le. 我 玩 游戏 把 键盘 敲 坏 了 。 My keyboard is broken because I play too much games .
旅馆 (lǚguǎn) Hotel (Beginner)
The character “旅 (lǚ)” means trip or travel and “馆 (guǎn)” means place for guests.
Example:
Zhè jiā lǔguǎn bùjǐn jiàgé piányi ěrqiě gānjìng zhěngjié. 这 家 旅馆 不仅 价格 便宜 而且 干净 整洁。 The hotel is not only cheap but …
(cèsuǒ) Toilet (Beginner)
The character “厕 (cè)” means toilet and “所 (suǒ)” means place.
Example:
A: Dǎrǎo yí xià, qǐngwèn fùjìn nǎlǐ yǒu cèsuǒ? A: 打扰 一 下，请问 附近 哪里 有 厕所？
A: Excuse me, could you tell me if there is a toilet …
Ài búshì xiù de, xìngfú búshì shài de. 爱 不是 秀 的，幸福 不是 晒 的。
Love is not for showing off and happiness is not for display. Culture Note: Many famous stars in China like to show that they are satisfied with their personal lives …
I Meant Chinese Style (Not Chinese Food)! With a slight change in pronunciation, foreigners can often be misunderstood when speaking Chinese. One of the ways this happens is when a foreigner refers to something having a “Chinese style”, but ends up getting mistaken for having …
医院 (yīyuàn) Hospital (Beginner)
The character “医 (yī)” means to cure and “院 (yuàn)” means courtyard
literally, but here it means hospital.
Example: Xījīng yīyuàn shì shǎnxīshěng zuì dà de yīyuàn. 西京 医院 是 陕西省 最 大 的 医院。 Xijing Hospital is the largest hospital …
跑题 (pǎotí) Digress into a Different Subject (Advanced)
The character “跑 (pǎo)” means to run; “题 (tí)” means topic or subject.
Example:
Zhècì zuòwén wǒ hǎoxiàng xiě pǎotí le. 这次 作文 我 好像 写 跑题了。 I seem to digress from the subject in this essay …
户外 (hùwài) Outdoor (Intermediate)
The character “户 (hù)” means door; “外 (wài)” means outside.
Example:
A: Zhège zhōumò zhǔnbèi zěnme guò yɑ? 这个 周末 准备 怎么 过 呀？ Do you have any plans for this weekend?
B: Wǒ xiǎng qù hùwài yùndòng yí xià. 我 …
A Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Children (Beginner)
青蛙歌 (Qīngwā gē) Frog Song
Key Learning Points (Preview):
青蛙 (qīngwā): n frog
嘴 (zuǐ): n mouth
腿 (tuǐ): n leg
Yì zhī qīngwā yì zhāng zuǐ, 一 只 青蛙 一 张 嘴， A frog has one mouth, …
蜗牛 (wōniú) Snail
Listen to the song Key Learning Points (preview):
重 (zhòng): adj heavy and 轻 (qīng): adj light
静 (jìng): adj quiet
: This song is sung by 周杰伦 (Zhōu Jiélún) Jay Chou, a very famous pop singer in China. …
Correct answer: B
Analysis: A. “堵塞 (dǔsè)” are the Chinese characters for “to block.”
Both “堵 (dǔ)” and “塞 (sè)” mean to stop up.
B. “堵车 (dǔchē)” are the Chinese characters for “traffic jam.”
“堵 (dǔ)” means to stop up, and …
Correct answer: C
Analysis: A. “想法 (xiǎngfǎ)” are the Chinese characters for “idea.” “想 (xiǎng)” means to think, and “法 (fǎ)” literally means law.
B. “纪念 (jìniàn)” are the Chinese characters for “to commemorate.” “纪 (jì)” literally means period, and “念(niàn)” …
Correct answer: A
Analysis:
A. “Gōngyù” is the Chinese Pinyin for “公寓 apartment.” “公 (gōng)” literally means public, and “寓 (yù)” means residence in this word.
B. “Gōngyuán” is the Chinese Pinyin for “公园 park.” “公 (gōng)” means public, and “园 …
“Such bad luck! Today I was stuck in a traffic jam on the way to take my
, and I was almost too late.” Do you know how to write the
for “traffic jam” in this sentence? …
A: Thanks to our Chinese teacher we have aced our
. B: Yes, our teacher is the best one. Now I’ve even started to miss him. Have you learned the
for “miss” in this dialogue? A. 想法 …
“我在公司附近租了一间公寓。I rent an apartment near the company where I work.” Do you know the
for “公寓 apartment” in this sentence? A. gōngyù B. gōngyuán C. yùyán D. gōngzhǔ
// // …
行李 (xíngli) Luggage/Baggage (Intermediate)
The character “行 (xíng)” means to walk; “李 (lǐ)” means plum or a surname. Example:
Wàichū shí wèi fāngbiàn qǐjiàn jìnliàng shǎo dài xíngli. 外出 时 为 方便 起见 尽量 少 带 行李。
Considering the problem of convenience, you should bring …
宫保鸡丁的来历 (Gōngbǎo jīdīng de láilì) Origin of Kung Pao Chicken (Advanced)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
宫保鸡丁 (gōngbǎo jīdīng): n Kung Pao Chicken
川菜 (chuāncài): n Sichuan dish
鸡肉 (jīròu):n chicken
“宫保鸡丁 (gōngbǎo jīdīng)Kung Pao Chicken” is usually perceived as a “川菜 (chuāncài) Sichuan dish,” and …
太极拳 (tàijíquán) Tai-Chi (Intermediate)
The character “太 (tài)” means too or over; “极 (jí)” means pole or top and “拳 (quán)” means fist. Example:
Tàijíquán liúchuán zhìjīn yǎnhuà chūle bùtóng de liúpài. 太极拳 流传 至今 演化 出了 不同 的 流派。
Tai Chi has spread until …
