Mandarin Essentials
Answers to the Exercise on the Chinese Modal Particle “吗(ma)”
Answer: B In the Chinese language, “吗(ma)”, “啊(a)” and “呀(ya)” are modal particles. They are used in a sentence to express certain tones. Usually, “啊(a)” and “呀(ya)” are used in sentences to form the exclamatory tone, which are often meant to express the emotions of …
“八卦(bāguà)”- A Chinese Way to Gossip
There is a piece of news circulating the internet recently.
The star couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie appeared to be a loving couple when facing the media, but they actually hid what was really happening at home, which has been hard on their children.…
“辣妈(làmā) Hot Mom”
Generally the word “辣(là)” has different meanings.
As a kind of taste, “辣(là)” means peppery or spicy hot.
Example
Zhè dào cài zhēn là! 这 道 菜 真 辣！ The dish is very spicy!
Another meaning of “辣(là)” is ruthless. It usually describes a person …
Manly or Not, It’s Better to Have That Special “Smell!”
Generally, “味(wèi)” means “smell, flavor or taste,” like a flower’s fragrance, a stink, sourness and so on.
But what is “男人味(nánrénwèi),” and “女人味(nǚrénwèi)?” If we take the two words literally, it means “a man’s smell” and “a woman’s smell.” But the terms actually do not …
Answers to the Exercise on the Differences Between “或者(huòzhě)” And “还是(háishì)”
Answer: C
In many situations, a single word in English may have several different forms, meanings and usages in Chinese – such as the word “or” which translates to both “或者(huòzhě)” and “还是(háishì)” in Chinese.
Both “或者(huòzhě)” and “还是(háishì)” can be used to connect two …
Learn the difference between “或者(huòzhě)” and “还是(háishì)”
Please fill in the blanks with the proper conjunctions. Alice, nǐ xiǎng hē shénme? Niúnǎi __ guǒzhī? Ellie: Alice，你 想 喝 什么？ 牛奶 __ 果汁？ Alice, what do you want to drink? Milk or fruit juice? Niúnǎi__ guǒzhī, dōu kěyǐ. Alice: 牛奶 __ 果汁， 都 …
Chinese Slang -“靠谱(kàopǔ) Reliable”
“靠谱(kào pǔ)” is a slang term used daily by Chinese people. The meaning of “靠谱(kàopǔ)” is “to be reliable” or “ to be worthy of trust.” It is used as an adjective to describe a person or thing.
If you trust a person …
How to Call Your Ex in Chinese?
In the Chinese language, a word could have many different meanings when used in different situations. Today, let’s talk about the word “前(qián).”
Generally, “前(qián)” means “the position in front.”
Example
Wǒ jiā qiánmiàn yǒu yì tiáo hé. 我 家 前面 有 一 条 河。…
Nothing’s Better than “淡定(dàndìng)” to Calm Someone Down!
In China, you will often hear the word “淡定(dàndìng)” used in daily life, on TV and see it a lot on the Internet.
The word “淡定(dàndìng)” means “to calm down or to be at ease about something.”
In a romantic comedy called “十全九美 (shí quán …
“Life” Can Be sold in Chinese?
In the Chinese language, many words, when combined with other words, will have different meanings. Today, let’s talk about the word “卖(mài).”
Generally, “卖(mài)” means “to sell,” usually we have “卖菜(mài cài) sell vegetables,” “卖报纸(mài bàozhǐ) sell the newspaper” “卖书(mài shū) sell books” etc.
Examples…