Quote of the week (May. 12, 2010)
Xīn xiàoyuán, huì yǒu de! Xīn jiāyuán, huì yǒu de! 新 校园， 会 有 的！新 家园， 会 有 的！
We will have new schools. We will have new homes.
生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary:
新 (xīn): adj new
校园 (xiàoyuán): n school
家园 (jiāyuán): n home
Mandarin Essentials
Mini-test Answer: I (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
Correct answer: C
Analysis:
A. “You” is the meaning for “你 (nǐ).”
If you want to know how to write the Chinese character “你,” take a look at The right way to write the Chinese character “你.” B. “They” means “他们 …
Chinese Mini-test: 我 (Beginner)
Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
Do you know the meaning of the Chinese character “我?” A. You B. They C. I D. Myself
// // …
Mini-test Answer: 饿 (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level 中级 (zhōngjí)
Correct answer: B
Analysis:
A. “鹅 (é)” is the Chinese character for “goose.”
B. “饿 (è)” is the Chinese character for “hungry.”
C. “饱 (bǎo)” is the Chinese character for “full.”
D. “饭 (fàn)” is the Chinese character for “meal.”
<<Back …
Chinese Mini-test: Hungry (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level 中级 (zhōngjí)
A: I didn’t have my lunch at noon and I am very hungry now. B: What were you busy doing then? A: I was reading a book called “Easy Chinese“ and forgot the time. Do you know the Chinese character for …
Mini-test Answer: Home Made Dish (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
Correct answer: A
Analysis:
A. “Home made dish” is “家常菜 (jiāchángcài)” in Chinese.
B. “Chinese cuisine” is “中国菜 (Zhōngguó cài)” in Chinese.
C. “Western-style food” is “西餐 (xīcān)” in Chinese.
If you want to know more about Chinese food, take a …
Chinese Mini-test: 家常菜 (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
One of my friends has passed the AP test, and he can speak Chinese fluently. Yesterday he taught me a Chinese phrase “家常菜.” In this sentence, do you know the meaning of “家常菜 (jiāchángcài)” in the Chinese language? A. Home made …
Can Fans be Weapons in Martial Arts? (Intermediate)
Fan is an instrument for producing a current of air and people use it to keep cool in hot summers. But do you know that fans can also be weapons in martial arts?
In many Chinese martial arts novels and dramas, “扇子 (shànzi) fans” are …
新 (xīn) New (Beginner)
新 (xīn) New (Beginner)
Example：
A: Zhè shì wǒmen bān de xīn tóngxué, tā láizì měiguó. 这 是 我们 班 的 新 同学， 他 来自 美国。 This is our new classmate. He comes from America.
B: Nà tā huì jiǎng hànyǔ ma? 那 他 会 …
一问三不知 (yí wèn sān bù zhī) To Be Entirely Ignorant (Advanced)
一问三不知 (yí wèn sān bù zhī) To be entirely ignorant (Advanced)
This Chinese saying originates from the famous Chinese works 《左传》 (Zuǒ Zhuàn) Tso Chuan, a commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. “问 (wèn)” means to ask and “知 (zhī)” means to know. The …
运动鞋 (yùndòngxié) Sneakers (Intermediate)
运动鞋 (yùndòngxié) Sneakers (Intermediate)
In this Chinese phrase, “运动 (yùndòng)” means sports and “鞋 (xié)” means shoes. Example:
Hāi, bùmáng ba? Péi wǒ qù mǎi shuāng xié ba. A: 嗨， 不 忙 吧？陪 我 去 买 双 鞋 吧。
Hi, are you free? How about …
牛仔裤 (niúzǎikù) Jeans (Intermediate)
牛仔裤 (niúzǎikù) Jeans (Intermediate)
In this Chinese phrase, the Chinese character “裤 (kù)” means trousers. But in Chinese, we always use “裤子 (kùzi)” instead of “裤 (kù).”
Example:
Nǐ zhè tiáo niúzǎikù kàn qǐlái hěn bú cuò ma. A: 你 这 条 牛仔裤 看 起来 …
海宝 (hǎibǎo) Haibao (Intermediate)
海宝 (hǎibǎo) Haibao (Intermediate)
Example:
Zhè shì shénme ya, hǎo kě’ài ya A: 这 是 什么 呀， 好 可爱呀。
What’s this? It’s so lovely.
Nǐ bù zhīdào ya, zhè shì Shànghǎi shìbóhuì de jíxiángwù hǎibǎo ya. B: 你 不 知道 呀， 这 是 上海 世博会 …
中国馆 (Zhōngguó guǎn) China Pavilion (Beginner)
中国馆 (Zhōngguó guǎn) China Pavilion (Beginner) Example: Nǐ qù Shànghǎi kàn shìbóhuì ma? A: 你 去 上海 看 世博会 吗？
Will you go to Shanghai for the Expo? Dāngrán le, wǒ yào qīnyǎn xīnshǎng qìshìhuīhóng de Zhōngguó guǎn. B: 当然 了， 我 要 亲眼 欣赏 …
Stand up in Mandarin (Intermediate)
站起来 (zhànqǐlái) stand up. In this phrase, 站 (zhàn) is a verb and means to stand and “起来 (qǐlái)” means up. Other similar phrases are: “拿起来 (náqǐlái) pick up and “坐下去 (zuòxià qu) sit down.” In formal occasions, people can also say “起立 (qǐlì) stand …
Mini-test Answers: 早上好 (Beginner)
Correct Answer: D
Analysis:
A. “你好吗 (nǐhǎoma)” is the Chinese phrase for “how are you.”
B. “晚上好 (wǎnshànghǎo)” is the Chinese expression for “good evening.”
C. “你是谁 (nǐshìshéi)” is the Chinese phrase for “who are you.”
D. “早上好 (zǎoshànghǎo)” is the Chinese phrase for “good …
Mini-test Answer: To Treat (Intermediate)
Intermediate Level 中级 (zhōngjí)
Correct Answer: A Analysis: A. “Qǐngkè” is the Chinese pinyin for “请客 to treat.” B. “Qínfèn” is the Chinese pinyin for “勤奋 hardworking.”
For example: 玛丽是一个勤奋的学生，这几天一直在认真地准备HSK考试。(Mǎlì shì yí gè qínfèn de xuésheng, zhè jǐ tiān yì zhí zài rènzhēn de zhǔnbèi …
Mini-test Answer: To poke one’s nose into other people’s business (Advanced)
Advanced Level 高级 (gāojí)
Correct Answer: D Analysis: A. “好的” are the Chinese characters for “all right.”
For example: 我相信一切都会好的。(Wǒ xiāngxìn yí qiè dū huì hǎo de.) I’m sure everything will be all right.
B. “没关系” are the Chinese characters for “never mind.”
For example: …