Mandarin Essentials
The Hangzhou G20 summit: know “峰会 (fēnghuì)” to describe it
The G20 (or G-20 or Group of Twenty) is an international forum for the governments of 20 of the largest economies in the world. Each year, the G20 holds an annual “summit,”or “meeting,” to address many of the world’s economic and financial problems. Past locations …
Learn “完蛋了(wándàn le)” if you are “Over With” (Advanced)
Has your boat ever “gone under?”
We have all been in those doomed situations, sometimes.
In English, you might express this situation as being “doomed,” “in trouble,” or “in a bad spot.”
In Chinese, you can say “完蛋了 (wándàn le).” Your business is closing? The …
Learn “夺duó” for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics
Since China’s dramatic and successful hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games “奥运会 (Aoyùnhuì),” the Chinese people have considered The Olympics as a point of pride for their country. The Beijing games, and its colorful opening ceremony, captured the attention of the world and are still …
China makes waves at 2016 Rio Olympics
1. How to say “gold medal” in Chinese? A. 金牌 (jīnpái) B. 银牌 (yínpái) C. 铜牌 (tóngpái) 2. Zuó wǎn ____ kàn Àoyùnhuì le, jīntiān kěnéng huì _____. 昨 晚 ____ 看 奥运会 了，今天 可能 会 _____。 I stayed up late last night to watch …
Answer to China Makes Waves at 2016 Rio Olympics
Correct Answers 1. A 2. B C The Summer Olympic Games in Rio are coming to an end. So far, the United State earned forty-six”金牌 (jīnpái) gold medals” and China has claimed twenty-six “金牌 (jīnpái) gold medals.” So many excellent athletes have left a deep …
Answer to why do Chinese people always say “死(sǐ) die?”
Correct Answer: B Translation: Lily: Nǐ zài gān shénme? Zhè jǐ tiān wǒ dōu méiyǒu jiàn dào nǐ. Lily: 你 在 干 什么？ 这 几 天 我 都 没有 见 到 你。 Lily: What are you doing? I haven’t seen you for several days.
Tom: …
Why do Chinese people always say “死(sǐ) die?”
Lily hasn’t seen her friend Tom for several days. She decides to give Tom a phone call.
Conversation:
Lily: Nǐ zài gān shénme? Wǒ zhè jǐ tiān dōu méiyǒu jiàn dào nǐ. Lily: 你 在 干 什么？ 我 这 几天 都 没有 见 到 你。 …
If you’re stressed and overworked, call yourself “工作狂 (gōngzuòkuáng)”
The old expectations of a “9-to-5” work day are often being destroyed in many countries where cost of living and competition are rising rapidly. For office workers, “9-to-6” is more common and for many overachievers, “burning the midnight oil” is a common expectation, working long …
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 …