Mandarin Essentials
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 …
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 …
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 …
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)
“粉丝(fěnsī)”-Must Know Knowledge about “fans” in Chinese
Recently, the word “粉丝(fěnsī)” has become very popular in China.
The original meaning of “粉丝(fěnsī)” is glass noodle. It’s a traditional Chinese food.
Recently, “粉丝(fěnsī)” has taken on an extended meaning. It has come to be used as the transliteration of the word “fans.”…
Answers to the Exercise on the Chinese Numerals “百(bǎi),” “千(qiān)” and “万(wàn)”
Answer: A In the Chinese language, the following numbers, “百(bǎi) hundred,” “千(qiān) thousand” and “万(wàn) ten thousand” usually are not used separately as numerals, but are used in conjunction with other numerals to express a given amount. The numbers are combined with the terms for …
Learn the Chinese numerals “百(bǎi)” “千(qiān)” and “万(wàn)”
Hi Zhānɡ Lì, zuótiān kàn yǎnchànɡhuì de rén duō ma? Jenny: Hi 张丽， 昨天 看 演唱会 的 人 多 吗？
Hi Zhang Li, did a lot of people attend the concert yesterday? Zhāng Lì: Hěn duō, dàgài yǒu wǔqiān rén. 张 丽：很 多， 大概 有 …