Can you imagine that your eye has an apple in it? And, can you imagine that this same apple in your eye represents a person you are extremely fond of? Well, sometimes expressions are a bit hard to understand, just like “the apple of my eye.” In Mandarin Chinese, that person, the dear apple, that ...

Planning on a trip to China? Which hotel room is better? Single room or double? Check in today or tomorrow? Learn how to book a hotel room in Chinese.

Exercises in the Video:
1. A: Nín hǎo, Běijīng Guójì Jiǔdiàn. Qǐng wèn yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín?
    B: …
    What would the potential customer say? Please choose ...

Every culture has their own wedding traditions. In the USA it’s not uncommon for the bride to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Similarly, in China there are superstitious and ritualistic practices unique to each region’s culture. Instead of blue, for example, it’s common to use 红色(hóngsè) red for the happy ...

Do you have any plans tonight? Why don’t we do something together?

Exercises in the Video:
1. A: Wáng Yīng, jīntiān xiàwǔ nǐ yǒu shìr ma? Yìqǐ qù diàoyú zěnmeyàng?
    B: Xíng a. Qù nǎ’r diào?
    Which of the following statements is true according to the dialogue? Please choose the best answer.
    A. They’re discussing a plan.
    ...

Bookstores and online stores have begun carrying an increasing amount of “武侠 (wǔxiá)” novels from China. Readers internationally are taking a keen interest in this genre of fantasy literature.
So, what is “wuxia fiction” and why is it gaining in popularity throughout the world? Heroes and protagonists in wuxia novels are considered the “Robin Hood” characters ...

“Darling, you have no house, no car and no fancy ring. But… I still love you.”

Exercises in the Video:
1. A: Lǐ Lán, kàn, zhèi fù ěrhuán piào bú piàoliɑng?
    B: Suīrán tǐng piàoliɑng de, dànshì yǒu diǎn’r guì.
    What does Li Lan mean? Please choose the best answer.
    A. She thinks the earrings are nice ...

China is one of the most culturally diverse nations on the planet. China has over 56 nationalities and ethnicities. Among those 56 ethnic groups, there are 55 ethnic minorities and one main ethnicity, Han. Although all of the ethnicities live within the same boundaries lines of China, each has its own unique characteristics. Each has ...

Sometimes there are things that we just have to do. Well, you know what I mean. But do you have to learn how to say “have to” in Chinese? Well, can you get around it in the real world?

Exercises in the Video:
1. A: Amy, nǐ yào qù zuò shénme?
    B: I’m throwing a party tonight. ...

Ice cream is a popular dessert loved the world over. Many of my students assume that ice cream is a dessert that is imported from the West. That is NOT true!
Actually, ice cream originated in China. Millenniums ago, emperors stored iced drinks in cellars, to keep them safe from the summer heat, and would drink ...

Maybe you’ve been on a big adventure, traveled across Europe for a year, or had an exciting job. Sometimes, we just have so many different life experiences to share, don’t we?

Exercises in the Video:
1. A: Emma, zhèi bù diànyǐng búcuò. Nǐ xiǎng kàn ma?
    B: Wǒ kàn guò zhèi bù diànyǐng.
    What does Emma mean? ...