Mandarin Essentials
6 Sceneries on the Back of Chinese Currency
Paper money is what keeps any country running, and the RMB, or yuan, is the currency of China. In many countries, paper currency is not only practical, but also features well-known public figures and landmarks. For example, you can see the White House on the …
Avoiding Exact Answers with “左右(zuǒyòu)” and “大概(dàgài)”
Do you know the difference between “左右(zuǒyòu)” and “大概(dàgài)?” Give this test a try! Tā kànqǐlái sānshísuì _____. 他 看起来 三十岁_____。 He looks about 30 years old. Tā kànqǐlái _____ sānshísuì. 他 看起来 _____ 三十岁。 He looks nearly 30 years old. A. 左右(zuǒyòu); 大概(dàgài)
B. …
Answer to Avoiding Exact Answers with “左右(zuǒyòu)” and “大概(dàgài)”
Answer: A “左右(zuǒyòu)” and “大概(dàgài)” both mean “about, nearly or approximately.” Approximate numbers are indicated by putting “左右(zuǒyòu)” or “大概(dàgài)” in front of or after a numeral, such as “六点左右(liùdiǎn zuǒyòu) at about 6 o’clock,” “十二个人左右(shíèrgèrén zuǒyòu) about 12 people,” “大概三个月(dàgài sāngèyuè) nearly 3 months” …
Answer to the Exercises for Chinese Brainteaser
Correct Answers: 1. C 2. B 3. C <<Back to “Answer to Chinese Brainteaser” …
Answer to Chinese Brainteaser
Answer: Yīnwèi jǐngchá shì zhègerénde jiějie. 因为 警察 是 这个人的 姐姐。 Because the cop is the young man’s elder sister.
Key Learning Points:
The key word here is “警察(jǐngchá).” As we all know, English is a kind of inflectional language. So in English, we could …
Chinese Brainteaser
Yígè jǐngchá yǒu gè dìdi, dàn dìdi què fǒurèn yǒu gè gēge, wèishénme? 一个 警察 有 个 弟弟， 但 弟弟 却 否认 有 个 哥哥， 为什么？ A cop has a younger brother, but the younger brother denies that he has an elder brother. Why is …
Answer to “那儿(nàr)” vs. “哪儿(nǎr)” – Which One Should I Use?
Correct Answer: B “那儿(nàr)” means “there” and “哪儿(nǎr) ” means “where.” Usually, “那儿(nàr)” is used in affirmative sentences, while “哪儿(nǎr)” is used in interrogative sentences.
Examples 1
Nǐ zhège jiàqī dǎsuàn qù nǎr wán? 你 这个 假期 打算 去 哪儿 玩？ Where will you go …
“那儿(nàr)” vs. “哪儿(nǎr)” – Which One Should I Use?
You may often hear Chinese people saying “那儿(nàr)” and “哪儿(nǎr)” when talking about places. So what are the differences between them? Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blanks. Zhang Ming met Wang Li on his way home, so he came up to …
小白船 (xiǎo bái chuán) The Small White Ship
Lán lán de tiānkōng yínhé lǐ, 蓝 蓝 的 天空 银河 里， In the blue sky of the galaxy,
Yǒu zhī xiǎo bái chuán. 有 只 小 白 船。 There is a small white ship.
Chuán shàng yǒu kē guìhuā shù, 船 上 有 棵 …
Answer to Far, Far Away: Describing Distance with “离(lí)” and “从(cóng)”
Correct Answer: A If you want to describe the distance between two places, you can use “离(lí)” and “从(cóng),” but the ways they are used differ from one another.
If you want to use “离(lí),” you can employ the following structure:
Structure One: Place 1 …
Far, Far Away: Describing Distance with “离(lí)” and “从(cóng)”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. Wǒ jiā ____ xuéxiào bù yuǎn 我 家 ____ 学校 不 远。 My house is not far away from school. _____wǒ jiā dào xuéxiào bù yuǎn _____我 家 到 学校 不 远。 It is not …
How do Chinese People Ask about the Weather?
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank Liú Yù: Jīntiān tiānqì _____? 刘 玉：今天 天气 _____？ Liu Yu: What is the weather like today? Tom: Jīntiān tiānqì hěnhǎo. Tom：今天 天气 很好。 Tom: The weather’s fine today. A. 怎么办(zěnme bàn)
B. 怎么样(zěnme yàng)…
Answer to “的(de),” “地(de),” or “得(de)?”
Correct Answer: C <<Back to “‘的(de),’ ‘地(de),’ or ‘得(de)?’ “ …
Answer to Let’s Go! “驴友(lǘyŏu)!”
Correct Answer: C <<Back to “Let’s Go! ‘驴友(lǘyŏu)!'” …
Let’s Go! “驴友(lǘyŏu)!”
Please choose the correct description of “驴友(lǘyŏu).” A. “驴友(lǘyŏu)” is a homophone of “旅游(lǚyóu),” which means “tour.” B. “驴友(lǘyŏu)” often head to big cities. C. “驴友(lǘyŏu)” can also refer to “背包客(bēibāokè) backpackers.” Not sure about the answer? No worries, just take a look at the …
“的(de),” “地(de),” or “得(de)?”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank Jiàoshì _____ hēibǎn cā _____ hěn gānjìng. 教室 _____ 黑板 擦 _____ 很 干净。 The classroom’s blackboard is cleaned well. A. 的(de)； 地(de)
B. 地(de)；得(de)
C. 的(de)；得(de)
Not sure about the answer? No worries, just …
Answer to Do you know the Chinese characters of the word “difficult?”
Correct Answer: B
Examples
A. 贫穷(pínqióng) is the word for “poor.”
The character 贫(pín) and 穷(qióng) both mean poor.
B. 困难(kùnnan) is the word for “difficult.”
The character 困(kùn) means sleepy and 难(nan) means difficult.
C. 简单(jiăndān) is the word for “simple.”
The character 简(jiăn) …