Mandarin Essentials
Learn about China’s New Environmentally-Friendly Hanging Train!
This September, engineers and designers in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Sichuan province successfully tested the first battery-powered suspended urban railway 空铁 (kōngtiě). This November, the “hanging” train was actually put into use! The train carries 120 passengers and can travel at a top speed …
Matt Damon and “The Great Wall”: a Chinese-American “合拍” Movie
By 2017, Chinese citizens will become the world’s largest group of filmgoers worldwide. Each year, since the films “Lost in Thailand” in 2015 and later “The Mermaid in 2016,” Chinese films are breaking box office records each year in China! However, Chinese blockbusters have had …
Be Careful When Using “西天 (xītiān),” a Common Chinese Joke
In Buddhist funerals, the idea of a place called Sukhavati, or “Western Paradise,” is considered the favorable destination for a soul that is departing Earth. Different languages have various names for this “heaven” that we hope to go to. In Chinese, we call this place …
How to Decipher Chinese Menus (Part 1): Ordering Chicken
In your quest for learning Chinese, it is likely you have come into contact with a Chinese menu. Its very possible at first glance, the menu was set aside in disbelief. What on earth do these names mean?
What are you actually ordering? In …
The Exotic Outdoor Chinese “菜市场 Food Market”
There are many differences between life in western countries and life in China. One similarity is that we both need to eat, obviously! However, the way we go out for grocery shopping is often quite different.
Over the past 100 years, in the USA most …
What do Rich Men and Gold Turtles Have in Common?
In Chinese, a rich son-in-law, or a rich husband, is often referred to as a “Gold Turtle Husband”, or 金龟婿 (jīnguīxù)” . Are you looking for your golden turtle? Does this phrase make any sense to you? Probably not. There is, however, an interesting story …
Answer to What do Rich Men and Gold Turtles Have in Common?
Answer: 1. B
Answer analysis:
A. 房奴 (fángnú) “房奴 (fángnú)” mortgage slave is used to describe those people who have to pay significant portion of their monthly salary toward mortgage payment. In order to pay off the mortgage, they dare not easily change their jobs. …
Show off your Chinese! Pronounce ‘1’ the right way
One of the first things you probably learned when studying Mandarin is how to count to 10. But did you know that the number “1” actually has another, special pronunciation?
In most cases you will just pronounce the number “1” as “一 (yī)” when wanting …
Answer to Practice Chinese with this quiz on “帮 help”
Answer: A
Answer Analysis:
1. 帮 (bāng)
帮 (bāng) and 帮忙 (bāngmáng) both mean “help” in English. So why is just 帮 (bāng) the correct answer? This is because 帮 (bāng) is a transitive verb, which means an object can be placed after it.
Example:
… Had Enough of Someone’s Foolish Behavior? Call Them “榆木脑袋”
Do you know anyone that just doesn’t seem to learn from their mistakes? Someone who refuses to adapt and change for the better? Maybe they are a bit stubborn and hardheaded, too? We all know these types…maybe we can even see one in the mirror!…
When the British Pound Falls, Know 暴跌 to Describe It
Last month, the British pound fell 6% to $1.18 against the US dollar in Asian markets. This dramatic drop of the British currency was based on fears regarding the future of trade in Britain following the June 2016 voter decision for the UK to leave …