Mandarin Essentials
Video Lesson: Super Awesome!
Good, great, or super awesome?
1. A: Lìli, nǐ yǒu hǎo kàn de diànyǐng tuījiàn ma? B: Nǐ kěyǐ kàn Tàijiǒng, tè yǒu yìsi. Which of the following statements is true according to the dialogue? Please choose the best answer. A. …
Answer to Video Lesson: Super Awesome!
1.C 2.A 3.B 4.A 5.B <<Back to “Video Lesson: Super Awesome!” …
See Misbehavior? Describe It with “倒胃口 (dǎo wèikǒu)”!
Today, I’m going to teach you a useful Mandarin Chinese phrase to describe uncivilized, or even “disgusting” behavior: 倒胃口 (dǎo wèikǒu). Our Mandarin language teacher taught us this phrase when we were discussing taboos in Chinese culture. So, when can we use this phrase? …
Video Lesson: Really? Seriously?
Gossip: Did you hear that Madonna is going to get married again? She wants to marry a 24-year-old guy and she is 53! I mean really? Seriously?
1. A: Hey Jane, I’ve been hoping to lose some weight so I’ve been …
Video Lesson: Don’t Forget to Buy A Gift!
Do you have any absent-minded or forgetful friends? How do you normally give them a friendly reminder?
1. A: Becky, tomorrow is my parents’ 20th wedding anniversary. B: Really? Congratulations! Bié wàngjì mǎi lǐwù! What best describes the dialogue? Please choose …
Answer to See Misbehavior? Describe It with “倒胃口 (dǎo wèikǒu)”!
Answer: B
Beware of your manners when in China. Remember, behavior that may be considered “normal” back home may turn some heads in China. Creating a disruptive “scene” in public is unusual. However, waiting in line is considered polite, as is giving cash …
Video Lesson: I’m 100% Sure!
0.5, 1/2, 50%…How do you read these numbers in Chinese?
1. A: Gabrielle Douglas zhēn bànɡ! She did great in the individual all-around competition in the London Olympics. B: Yeah, and she got 62.232. How many points did Douglas get in …
Answer to Video Lesson: I’m 100% Sure!
1.A 2.B 3. B 4.A 5. A <<Back to “Video Lesson: I’m 100% Sure!” …
Invite Friends to a Bar in Chinese: Nightlife Lesson!
It’s Friday night! Let’s forget about work and hit the bars!
1. A: Hey man! I got a promotion today. How should we celebrate? B: … What would he say? Please choose the best answer. A. Qù hē yì bēi, zěnmeyàng? …
Answer to Invite Friends to a Bar in Chinese: Nightlife Lesson!
1. A 2.B 3.A 4.B 5. A <<Back to “Invite Friends to a Bar in Chinese: Nightlife Lesson!” …
How Are Mandarin Students Reacting to the WannaCry Virus in China?
Sometimes, the job of a Mandarin Chinese teacher in China is to help students deal with day-to-day obstacles in life. This week, many of my students are freaking out over the new computer virus called WannaCry that is affecting individuals and organizations around the world. …
What It Means If You Are the Blind Cat in A Chinese Idiom
It was a lovely summer’s day where I just couldn’t say inside.
The beautiful riverside park near my home was calling me. In an unexpected twist that caused the perfect day, I ran into some of my old students playing badminton on the courts.
There …
Answer to What It Means If You Are the Blind Cat in A Chinese Idiom
Answer: D The Chinese idiom “瞎猫碰上了死耗子 (Xiāmāo pèng shàng le sǐ hàozi)” means “blind luck.” So, the answer D is correct as a person winning unexpectedly is a kind of blind luck.
Answer to How Are Mandarin Students Reacting to the WannaCry Virus in China?
Answer: C
The Chinese name given to the WannaCry virus is a literal translation of the function that its creators intended. 勒索 (lèsuǒ) means “blackmail” or “extort” and 病毒 (bìngdú) means “virus” and can be used for both digital viruses and also a …
Video Lesson: “Don’t Do It”! Warn Your Friends in Mandarin Chinese
When someone is doing something either annoying or dangerous, how do you stop him?
1. A: Jane, wǒmen qù zhèi ge fànguǎn chīfàn, hǎo ma? B: Bié qù zhèi ge fànguǎn chī. Bù hǎo chī. What does Jane mean? A. She …
Slow or Speedy? 龟速 (Guīsù) and 神速 (Shénsù)?
I’m writing about two simple and useful words in Mandarin Chinese that you can use on a daily basis to describe things that are fast or slow. These terms, “龟速 (guīsù) slow” and “神速 (shénsù) fast”, I learned when reading and discussing Children’s stories in …



