“My uncle is going to start an enterprise about Chinese test preparation, such as SAT Preparation, AP Preparation and HSK Preparation.”
Have you learned the Chinese characters for “start an enterprise” in this sentence? A. 创伤 (chuāngshāng) B. 创造 (chuàngzào) C. …
留得青山在，不怕没柴烧 (Liú dé qīngshān zài, búpà méi chái shāo) Where There is Life, There is Hope (Intermediate)
Key Learning Points (Preview):
长大 (zhǎngdà): v to grow up
富裕 (fùyù): adj rich
In ancient times, there was an old man who used “木材 (mùcái) wood” to …
Chūlái tōucài, zǒngshì yào huán de. 出 来 偷菜， 总 是 要 还 的。
If you steal others’ crops, you will have to pay back for that (because others will steal your crops in return; i.e., what goes around comes around).
—A famous Internet quote …
迟到 (chídào) Late (Beginner)
The character “迟 (chí)” means late and “到 (dào)” means to arrive.
Example: A: Lǎobǎn, duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le. 老板， 对不起，我 迟到了。
I’m sorry, boss. I’m late.
B: Xià cì yào zhùyì. 下 次 要 注意。
Be careful next time.
Foreigners Challenge Beijing Opera (Advanced)
In this video, four foreigners “challenged” the four “京剧 (jīngjù) Beijing Opera” performers by showing off their moves. What these foreigners did is also called “叫板 (jiàobǎn),” which means “to challenge somebody” in daily life. Originally in Beijing Opera, “叫板 …
打折 (dǎzhé) To Give a Discount (Advanced)
The character “打 (dǎ)” means to beat and “折 (zhé)” means fold or discount.
Example: A: Tīngshuō Bǎishèng dǎzhé ne, xiǎng qù kànkan ma? 听说 百盛 打折 呢， 想 去 看看 吗？ I heard that there is sale …
搜索 (sōusuǒ) Search (Intermediate)
Both the characters “搜 (sōu)” and “索 (suǒ)” mean to search.
Example:
Bǎidù shì Zhōngguó zuì dà de sōusuǒ yǐnqíng. 百度 是 中国 最 大 的 搜索 引擎。
Baidu is the biggest search engine in China.
// // …
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 …
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? …
