Mandarin Essentials
Satisfied? Write “good” or “bad” reviews in Chinese
E-commerce refers to the process of buying or selling products or services over the Internet. Online shopping platforms are slowly taking over from traditional shopping, in which buyers go to the market and pay for things with cash. (Must Known Chinese words for online …
File a complaint by using “吐槽 (tǔcáo)”
Everyone makes mistakes, right? Are we never allowed to complain just a bit? Well, when you’ve just about had enough of something (or someone), you can use the verb “吐槽 (tǔcáo)” to playfully express your discontent, or simply to complain about something or someone. You …
画蛇添足 (Huàshétiānzú) Draw a snake and add feet to it
画蛇添足 (Huàshétiānzú) Draw a snake and add feet to it
Key Learning Points (Preview):
蛇 (shé): n. snake
画 (huà): v./n. to draw/picture
Chǔguó yǒu gè guìzú. 楚国 有 个 贵族。 During the Chu dynasty, there was an aristocrat.
Jì guò zǔzong yǐhòu, tā bǎ …
Video lesson: Know “不 (bù)” to express the negative meaning in Chinese
Negative adverb “不 (bù) no/not” can be placed in front of a verb or adjective to make its meaning negative. “不 (bù) no/not” has the 4th tone, but when it is followed by another 4th tone, it becomes 2nd tone. An example of the change …
Video lesson: Tickled pink? Tell everyone you’re happy in Chinese
You got a Valentine’s Day gift, and you are pleasantly surprised. How do you describe your feeling at that very moment? In fact, you can use one of the most basic sentence patterns to do so: Subject+hěn+adjective. Watch Video Answers …
Video lesson: Hot tempered? Learn “I am mad” in Chinese
No matter how calm, almost everyone ‘blows up’ every now and then. Before you do something crazy, let someone know how you feel! In Chinese “我很生气 (wǒ hěn shēngqì) means “I am mad!” In addition to this expression, there are a few other useful and …
Pieces or dollars? A hilarious mixup in Chinese!
According to the calculating method of the man wearing a black shirt in the conversation, in the end how much does the “豆腐 (dòufu) tofu” cost?
A. 两块 (liǎng kuài) 2 yuan B. 五毛 (wǔ máo) 5 mao C. 一块 (yí kuài) 1 yuan D. …
Answer to pieces or dollars? A hilarious mixup in Chinese!
Correct Answer 1. B
Answer Analysis
If you paid attention to the beginning of the comic your answer might be A, 2 yuan, since that is what the person in the hat says when the other first asks, “豆腐多少钱 (dòufu duōshǎo qián?) How much is …
Video lesson: Learn “在 (zài)” to find everything and everyone you need!
Your wallet just got stolen and you don’t know where the police are. Could it get worse? At least you can ask someone for help and find the police using your Mandarin skills! Watch Video Answers …
塞翁失马，焉知非福 (Sàiwēngshīmǎ, yānzhīfēifú) Misfortune may actually be a blessing
It can be difficult to foresee the twists and turns which lead to misfortune begetting fortune, and vice versa. For example, there once was a father, skilled in divination, who lived close to the “边疆 (biānjiāng) frontier” with his son. One of his horses accidentally …
Video lesson: Know “多少 (duōshǎo)” to count or measure
In Chinese, you can ask about numbers and quantity by using “多少 (duōshǎo) How many / How much.” “多少 (duōshǎo)” is a question pronoun that you will use daily in Chinese. Watch Video Answers …
Video lesson: Be specific! Know “几 (jǐ)” to count how many in Chinese
In Chinese, the most frequently used words for asking “how many” or “how much” questions are “几 (jǐ)” and “多少 (duōshao)” Though related, they are quite different in usage and are used in different circumstances. Watch Video Answers …