胸有成竹 To Have a Well-thought-out Plan
Sòngcháo de shíhou, yǒu yí gè jiào Wén Tóng de huàjiā, hěn shàncháng huà zhúzi. 宋朝 的 时候， 有 一 个 叫 文 同 的 画家， 很 擅长 画 竹子。 In the Song Dynasty, there was an artist whose name was Wen Tong; he was …
Mandarin Essentials
Are You a Smartphone Addict? 手机控(shǒujīkòng)/低头族(dītóuzú)
New technology is being developed every day, and the Chinese are always up-to-date on what’s hot, with the newest gadget in hand. People in China are especially obsessed with smartphones. Take a trip on a bus or the subway in any Chinese city and have …
Answer to Are You a Smartphone Addict? 手机控(shǒujīkòng)/低头族(dītóuzú)
Correct Answers
1. A 2. A Not sure about the answer? No problem! Have a look at the following article then come back to the quiz when you’re ready!
<<Back to “Are You a Smartphone Addict? 手机控(shǒujīkòng)/低头族(dītóuzú)”
Feeling Like a Mopey Cat or a Depressed Dog Today?
Recently, a Chinese cat named Luhu was deemed “the most depressed cat in the world” by many netizens, thanks to the permanently gloomy expression on the feline’s face.
Meanwhile, Grumpy Dog, a pooch from America with an annoyed look, went viral on the internet after …
Is there a difference between “意思 (yìsi)” and “有意思 (yǒu yìsi)?”
Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank.
Wǒ xǐhuan xué zhōngwén, yīnwèi zhōngwén hěn ___. 我 喜欢 学 中文， 因为 中文 很____。 I like learning Chinese, because Chinese is very interesting. A. 意思(yìsi) B. 有意思(yǒu yìsi)
Answer to is there a difference between “意思 (yìsi)” and “有意思 (yǒu yìsi)?”
Correct Answer: B In the Chinese language, it seems that many words have similar literal meanings, but in fact, they are quite different from each other. Let’s take a look at the two terms “意思(yìsi)” and “有意思(yǒu yìsi)” as examples. In Chinese, “意思(yìsi)” can be …
10 Essential Phrases for Taking Taxis in China
In China you will certainly find yourself needing to take a taxi at some point. Compared to many other countries, taxis in China are generally an affordable and convenient way to get where you want to go quickly. So what lingo do we need to …
取长补短 To Draw upon One Another’s Strong Point to Overcome Deficiencies
Yǒuyìtiān, dàxiàng hé mǎyǐ fāshēng le yìchǎng zhēnglùn, tā liǎ dōu rènwéi zìjǐ de lìqi bǐ duìfāng dà. 有一天， 大象 和 蚂蚁 发生 了 一场 争论， 他 俩 都 认为 自己 的力气比 对方 大。 One day, there arose an argument between an elephant and an …
How to Address Your Family Members in Chinese?
Family plays an important role in every culture, and it is a topic you will certainly cover when learning any new language. As you might guess, there are many terms used to describe relationships in a Chinese family, which can be quite confusing because terms …
Answer to Love a Good Bargain? Buy it Second-Hand “二手(èrshǒu)” in Chinese
Answer: A Here, the ordinal number “second” is “第二(dì’èr)” in Chinese. While “second-hand” can be both “二手(èrshǒu)” or “第二手(dì’èrshǒu)” in Chinese, “二手(èrshǒu)” is more widely used. For example, “二手市场(èrshǒu shìchǎng) second-hand market,” “二手车(èrshǒuchē) used car,” “二手房(èrshǒufáng) pre-owned house,” etc. Meanwhile, “第二手(dì’èrshǒu),” with less uses, is …
Love a Good Bargain? Buy it Second-Hand “二手(èrshǒu)” in Chinese
Lǐ Léi: Wǒ mǎi le yíliàng _____ chē. 李 雷: 我 买 了 一辆 _____ 车。 Li Lei: I bought a second-hand car. Hán Méi: Shìma? Xiàng xīnde yíyàng. 韩 梅: 是吗？ 像 新的 一样。 Han Mei: Really? It looks like a new one. A. …
6 Popular Chinese Greetings
Today, we’ll teach you how to make Chinese friends! Or, at least the very first step: greetings. You’ll learn how to greet people in Mandarin Chinese, ask them how they are doing, and reply when they ask you. Sit back, listen, and you’ll be able …
Answer to Must-Know Uses of “大不了(dà bù liǎo)”!
Correct Answers 1. C 2. B <<Back to “Must-Know Uses of ‘大不了(dà bù liǎo)’!”
Must-Know Uses of “大不了(dà bù liǎo)”!
Many phrases in spoken Chinese take on completely new meanings when just one or two words are changed. Take the phrase we will learn today for instance: “大不了(dà bù liǎo).” You will find that this versatile phrase is used a lot in daily conversations. Let’s …
A Troublesome Chinese Word: “麻烦(máfan)”!
There is a saying in English that goes, “Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.” In Chinese, this same phrase can be translated as “麻烦没有来找你, 你就永远不要去找麻烦(Máfan méiyǒu lái zhǎo nǐ, nǐ jiù yóngyuǎn búyào qù zhǎo máfan),” or, in brief, “不要自找麻烦(búyào zì zhǎo máfan).” The …
Making Comparative Chinese Sentences with “比(bǐ)” and “比较(bǐjiào)”
Fill in the blank with the correct word.
Xiǎodōng _____ Xiǎomíng gāo. 小东 _____ 小明 高。 Xiaodong is taller than Xiaoming.
A. 没(méi)
B. 比(bǐ)
C. 比较(bǐjiào)
General Chinese (Beginner Level) General Chinese (Intermediate Level) …